Collecting your produce share | Canalside Community Food

 This information is sent to all new members in their welcome pack:

Collecting your produce share

Where to find your veg (and fruit when in season): Please come to the left-hand end of the pole barn (below the children’s play area). The veg (and fruit if available) will be laid out for you on the counter in our collection space.

It is up to you to bring your own bag/box which you will then also pack yourself.

How much produce to take: There will be information on the blackboards to let you know how much of each item you are entitled to in your chosen share size, plus scales to weigh them on. Please ensure that you only take what is allocated to you, according to your share size (otherwise there will not be enough left for other people).

Collection times: It is really important that you come to the farm during your chosen collection time, as the site / collection space are often locked outside of collection times. In the table below is some information on the different collection days/times, with the notification deadline if you are unable to collect your share, and how long we will keep your produce for if it is not collected in the allocated times.

What to do if you miss your collection slot: If you are unable to collect your share within the specified times for any reason, and the deadline for telling us you would like to collect on a different day has passed, you are welcome to come to the farm during a collection time to try to make up your missed share from the ‘extras’ section in the collection space. Please don’t take the share that is laid out in crates ready for the members we are expecting to collect that day.

Alternatively you can come between 1 and 2pm on a Wednesday or a Saturday to try to make up your share from the produce that is left after the collection slot has finished.

What to do if you know you will miss a collection: If you are going to be away/busy during your collection slot, please do one of the following:

Find someone who can collect your share on your behalf. It is helpful if you can inform us of this, so we know to expect someone different. (This is our preferred option as no changes are needed on our side.)

If no-one can collect on your behalf, you can have your share moved to a different collection day. Please contact us before the notification deadline to tell us when you’d like to collect instead. We don’t reply if you’ve let us know before the notification deadline; just come and collect your share as you’ve told us you will. If you contact us after the deadline, please wait for confirmation that we’ve seen your message and changed your collection day.

If no-one will be collecting your share, please let us know so that we don’t harvest produce for you, and help us keep waste to a minimum. Again, it’s best if we know by the notification deadline. If you miss that, please text us so the growers can hopefully take you out of the harvest before they complete the harvesting.

Sharing collection with other members: We actively encourage people to share collection with other members. If you are interested in becoming part of a collection pool with other members in your area, please put a note on the members’ noticeboard. If you have no success, you can ask Ali to contact members in your area on your behalf.

IMPORTANT!

Please remember that we need 2 months’ notice if you wish to cancel your share subscription so that we can try to find someone else to take your place!

Updated 21st March 2018, re-checked 1st May 2020