Hello Birmingham Co-op Members,

​Hello, GA co-op friends!  

This email is to send out some UPDATED Birmingham Co-op details that are effective immediately.  Below, you will find the same information we have sent out previously, but with changes highlighted.  

The MAIN update in this one is that we have decided to SIMPLIFY the system by changing Order Day to the same day as Pickup Day each week.  This means that you will pick up one order and order your next ON WEDNESDAYS, with no time cutoff for the ordering.  It will be easy to remember that EVERY Wednesday, you need to connect with us for ordering and/or picking up.  We hope that this will help keep things more simple and manageable, as well as open up more time for you to order around your schedule of work and activities!  (Read more details below, but I wanted to mention that while you send orders all day--or night--on Wednesdays, we may not see them and respond until Thursdays, since we may be out of the office on delivery.  On Thursdays, we will send totals and expect payments by the standard cutoff time.  See more details below, and please reply to this email if you have any questions!)  

Thanks so much for being patient as we continue to work out the bumps in changing to a new WEEKLY co-op alongside our new one in Georgia!

Melissa

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Birmingham Co-op Details - Updated 8/26/2022

Hi there!

Thank you for inquiring about My Dad and Me Family Farm’s Birmingham Co-op!

Please read ALL of the details below. In order to expedite getting the information to you, we have tried to answer all of your questions up front. If you have further questions after reading, please email us!

MEMBERSHIP:

To become a Member (or to continue your current membership), My Dad & Me Family Farm requires a $35 annual membership fee.  This will be paid with your FIRST order OR with your first order of the month that your membership renewal is due.  (NOTE:  All current customers who have ordered PRIOR to July 1st, 2022, will be grandfathered in at no membership cost for the first year.  July 2023 will be the month your Membership Fee will be due the first time.) 

MINIMUM ORDER:

The minimum order is $35 in product (before delivery added) but you do NOT need to order every week. Order any time you like. We understand that some weeks you will not be in town to order, but for the weeks that you order, it must include $35 or more.  Please take advantage of our wide assortment of products! 

THE DETAILS:

Melissa, our Co-op Coordinator, will take orders every week on Wednesdays, and will deliver to the drop point on the Wednesday after receiving each order.  See details below about the Delivery times and locations. 

Orders AND payments are due to Melissa on WEDNESDAYS each week, with the following cutoff times:

Orders are due ANYTIME on WEDNESDAYS and PAYMENTS will be due by 5:00pm CST on THURSDAYS. THESE DAYS AND TIMES ARE FIRM CUTOFFS.  We will send reminders via email on WEDNESDAY morning each week.  We do not want to have to tell you that your order cannot be added, so please send your order AND payment by the cut-off day and times.  *We will respond to all orders on Thursdays, since Wednesday is also a delivery day.*

Here is an EXAMPLE of order and delivery schedules:

Order placed Wednesday, August 31st – will be delivered Wednesday, September 7th

Order placed Wednesday, September 7th – will be delivered Wednesday, September 14th

HOW TO ORDER:

Send your list of quantities and items to our co-op coordinator, Melissa, via Email:

bhamco-op@mydadandmefamilyfarm.com   

*Text ordering no longer an option.*

Please send your order in this format EACH TIME:

• Please note the DROP POINT for which you are ordering.  Since Melissa organizes our other co-op(s), please note in your order that this is for the Trussville, Valleydale, or Chelsea drop point. (See below in the EXAMPLE ORDERS.) 
• 2 milks (*please do not send in gallon quantities, but in the number of JARS OF MILK you want)
• 2 jars (if you need jars added to your order to have enough there for the fill) *See the MILK section below for info about the jar rotation.*
• 4 large eggs (this means 4 dozen eggs, with Large size eggs) – be sure to list your preferred size (small, medium, large may be available)
• 1 honey – quart (for items with a size/amount)
• 1 Mild sausage (please include the specifics like “mild”, rather than just “sausage”)
• 2 Ground beef
• (First orders only: PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR FULL NAME, for saving in our farm contacts)

Order EXAMPLE:

The longer version:

“Hi Melissa, here is my order for Trussville delivery on 7/13/22:  3 milks, 1 jar, 2 small eggs, 1 honey – pint, 1 mild sausage, and 2 granolas. Thanks! –Bob Smith”    

EXAMPLE ORDER #2 (the shorter version!):

Trussville: 3 milks, 1 jar, 2 sm eggs, 1 honey – pint, 1 mild saus, 2 granolas. Bob Smith” 

(We don’t mind the shorter version at all, as long as we can tell what you want for entering into our order form!)

**SINCE WE HAVE SUCH AS LARGE CUSTOMER LIST, PLEASE BE SURE TO INCLUDE THE FULL NAME THAT YOU WANT ON FILE ON YOUR FIRST ORDER, AND USE THAT SAME NAME WITH EACH ORDER GOING FORWARD.** (Our co-op Coordinator can only save your contact with one last name, so be sure we have the correct one!)

Melissa will enter your order into the farm order form and then reply with your total due.  You can then submit payment via Venmo or Paypal (sent the Friends and Family way to avoid fees). 

*Please do not send your order on a note on a Venmo or Paypal payment, as we do not consistently receive notifications of these payments, and, thus, may miss your order.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to the change in tax laws regarding payment apps, PLEASE take extra care to NOT submit payment via the “paying for good or service” option, as this flags your payment as income for Melissa and will require her to pay taxes on your payment.  If you send payment and Venmo or Paypal takes out a fee, you will be responsible for sending Melissa the amount taken out so that your order is fully paid for.)

We use the electronic payments (Paypal, Venmo, Zelle, etc.) for accountability/tracking since we are handling your money, and because we are not local for cash/check transactions.  Please email us for that payment username/number, as it is not connected to this co-op email, as we use it for multiple co-op orders. 

***MILK***

Just a few details:

1. If you plan to order milk regularly, we suggest that you plan to order jars the first three times you get milk. That will give you three “sets” of jars to rotate through between Melissa, the farm, and your home. These jars need to be brought back to Melissa on pickup day  ***DISHWASHER CLEANED, DRY, WITH YOUR NAME MARKED CLEARLY ON THE JAR, and LID ON***. If they are not clean, the milk will sour faster. If they aren’t dry, the jar will get musty-smelling. If they do not have your name written on them, we will not know whose jar it is. If the lids are not on them, they are at risk getting dusty on the inside during storage between pickups.  If you have lost or broken a lid, you may purchase new lids at $1.00 each.

• You MUST either have jars at the farm when your milk order is placed OR add new jars to your order.  Jars on Melissa’s shelf do not count toward this, as they will be on Melissa’s shelf for 2 weeks until taken to the farm at the next pickup.

***MEATS AND CHEESES***

Since these packages of meats and cheeses vary in weights, when you order, we will charge you for the largest possible package available (such as a 3 lb. package of meat). If, when we pack-up orders, your package of meat or cheese is smaller than that size, we will make change at the farm to bring back the difference between what you paid and the actual price of your package.

***DELIVERY/PICKUP LOCATIONS***

On pickup day, you have the option to pick-up at our Trussville, Valleydale, Alabaster, or Chelsea Drop Point.  Below are the details for each:

• TRUSSVILLE DROP:  the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet parking lot on Chalkville Mountain Road in Trussville at approximately 11:30am
• VALLEYDALE DROP:  located at Valleydale Road exit (exit 247) off of I-65, in the parking lot next to Hardee’s and in front of Faulkner University on Southlake Parkway at approximately 12:15pm. 
• at Melissa’s home in Chelsea (message Melissa for address) between 7-8pm on pickup day. 

PLEASE BRING A COOLER AND ICE PACK(S) TO CARRY YOUR ORDER WITH YOU!  The milk is guaranteed for freshness for at least one week, if transported in a cooler with ice packs!

***PICKUP DAY COMMUNICATIONS***

(WE WILL BE CHANGING TO ANOTHER OPTION FOR COMMUNICATIONS VERY SOON; MORE INFO TBA)

In order to communicate with everyone on pickup days, Melissa (or one of our current delivery drivers) sends a group text to update you along her route to and from the farm so that you know more closely the exact time she will arrive at each drop point.  ***The drop points will be short/quick stops of no longer than 15 minutes, to keep all products fresh and cold, and also to keep her on time to the next drop.***  

***Please be there at or before the ETA to allow time for distribution, loading, and pulling out on time for the next drop.***

The times above are approximate, and can fluctuate slightly depending on weather, time it takes to load up the order at the farm, traffic, etc. The group text will be sent to give an estimated time of arrival for all drop points. Please be sure that our delivery driver has your cell number (or the name and number of your alternate pickup person) BEFORE PICKUP DAY for the group text.

IN ORDER TO KEEP GROUP TEXTS TO A MINIMUM FOR THE ENTIRE GROUP, PLEASE *DO NOT* REPLY TO OUR GROUP TEXTS.  If you need to contact your delivery person on pickup day, please send that person a DIRECT text message or CALL her. 

***CANCELLATION POLICY*** 

**We understand that, sometimes, things come up that will require your order to be cancelled.  However, we have set the deadline for cancelling your order with no penalty Friday at 5pm CST.  *After that deadline, there will be no changes made to the order or refund of payment).*

***MISSED PICKUP POLICY*** 

**The farm’s policy for pick-ups states that your order must be picked up on pick-up day, or, if we have advance notice to a situation, it may be picked up the next business day at Melissa’s home, according to her schedule of availability.  ***After that, you will forfeit your order (with no refunds or replacements).***

***DELIVERY FEE***

A 15% Delivery Charge will be added to your farm order to help off-set some of the costs of organizing and delivering to the Birmingham area.

Please let us know if you have any questions or need more information!

We are so thankful for your continued support of My Dad and Me Family Farm, and we look forward to serving you with the Birmingham Co-op! 

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