Hello Birmingham Co-op Members,

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.  Please read through all of these details so that you are up-to-date with everything!  

We have simplified some of the information and also edited just a few details.  Our aim is to make--and keep--the co-op simple and maintainable.  As the group grows, we have to tighten things up a bit to keep it going.  Thank you for understanding where we must hold the line, but know that ANYTIME we can loosen things up for YOU, we will! (Like in this update, we have extended the PAYMENT deadline slightly, to accommodate more of your schedules!) 

Thanks so much for your continued partnership with My Dad & Me Family Farm and our Birmingham Co-op!

Melissa

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Birmingham Co-op Details - UPDATED 10-5-2022

Hi there!

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

We are excited to PARTNER with you to get you your farm goods!  There are many moving parts to our co-op system, and you get to be one of them! 

The Hammonds are your farmers, and they do the important work of raising, growing, making, and stocking all the quality and delicious foods you want!

Our Coordinator, Melissa, sends out all the co-op emails, and then processes your orders and payments for each week’s delivery. She manages BOTH of our co-ops (Birmingham and Georgia), so she keeps a tight schedule for each day of the week...mostly to avoid overlap and mistakes!

Melissa and her team of trained Delivery Persons are ready to drive to the farm, load up the vehicle with coolers the Hammonds have just packed, and bring it all the way to you there in Birmingham, where they will unload, assist with distribution, and then load again for the next drop!   They also are on the clock with a tight delivery day schedule, since we have three drop point stops and unloading at the end of the route! 

And next is where YOU come in!  We want you to know that YOU play an important part in all of our co-op system, and we are so glad to have you join us!  We do not ask too much of any one part of our co-op….it truly takes us ALL, with each doing our part, for it to work and work well. “What is my part?”, you may ask… YOUR part is to order on time, send payment on time, pick up on time, and return your jars with your name on them. 😊  That’s it! Well, that…and to enjoy the yummy farm foods you get (and maybe share with a friend who’d want foods like that, too)! 

We look forward to PARTNERING with you in these ways to feed you and your family some of the best foods you’ll find around, and keep an amazing family farm running strong! 

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. 

MINIMUM ORDER:

The minimum order is $35 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! 

(Please note that we are unable to continue the discounts on product orders of certain amounts at this time, but we will be sure to show our appreciation for your continued patronage in other ways!)

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 Georgia drop point.

THE DETAILS:

We will send order reminders via email every Wednesday morning.  You can simply reply to this email with your order. (See “How to order” below.)  

Orders are due on Wednesdays BY MIDNIGHT.  We will process these orders early Thursday morning and PAYMENTS will be due by MIDNIGHT on Thursday.  ***THESE DAYS AND TIMES WILL BE HELD TO AS FIRM CUTOFFS***

We do not want to have to tell you that your order cannot be added (due to late ordering) or was cancelled (due to non- or late-payment), so please send your order AND payment by the cut-off day and times. 

HOW TO ORDER:

Send your list of quantities and items to our co-op coordinator, Melissa via Email by replying to any of our weekly Order Reminder emails OR send to: 

Bhamco-op@mydadandmefamilyfarm.com

Melissa (or one of her order-takers) 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), or Zelle.  ***Please verify our username or number for payment BEFORE sending!***  We use the electronic payments (Paypal, Venmo, and Zelle) for accountability/tracking since we are handling your money.

*Please do not send your order on a note on a Venmo/Paypal/Zelle 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, it will be refunded and you will have to resend the correct way.)

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 MILKS 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
• Please include your full name, if the name we have on file is different than the name we see on your emails.  (We may have new staff taking orders, so please include this EVERY time.)
• FIRST TIME ORDER – please include your cell phone number for our Pickup Day group text (more info below)

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!)

 ***MILK***

Just a few details:

1. If you would like to order milk regularly, you will need to order jars with your first two orders. That will give you two “sets” of jars to rotate through. These jars need to be brought back to us on pickup day ***DISHWASHER CLEANED, DRY, WITH YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME MARKED CLEARLY ON THE JAR, and WITH THE 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.  If you have lost or broken a lid, you may purchase new lids at $1.00 each. 

1. You MUST either have jars at the farm when your milk order is placed OR add new jars to your order. 

***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. If, when we pack-up orders, your package of meat or cheese is smaller than that size, you will receive change for the difference between what you paid and the actual price of your package.

DELIVERY/PICKUP TIMES AND LOCATIONS:

Delivery day is WEDNESDAY each week.  (So, you’ll order on a Wednesday, and then that order will be delivered the following Wednesday.)

On pickup day, you have the option to pick-up at our Trussville, Valleydale, Chelsea, or Pell City Drop Point. 

Below are the details for each drop point:

• TRUSSVILLE DROP:  the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet parking lot on Chalkville Mountain Road in Trussville at approximately 11:15am
• HOOVER/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 12:00pm. 
• NORTH SHELBY/CHELSEA DROP:  located at North Shelby Baptist Church (4100 Belcher Road, Birmingham, AL 35242) at approximately 12:45pm.
• PELL CITY PICKUP:  Evening pickup at Melissa’s home in Pell City (message Melissa for address and current pickup time)

PLEASE ARRIVE AT OR BEFORE THE DELIVERY TIME, to allow for distribution and reloading before time to head to the next drop point.

***PICKUP DAY COMMUNICATIONS***

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.***  

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. 

***With a large--and already growing--group of customers, we will not be able to contact you to see if you will make it before we pull out from your drop point and head to the next one, and our delivery driver cannot field multiple messages and calls while distributing product at the drop.

Please see our "Missed Pickup Policy" down below.  

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!  (DO NOT take our ice packs or coolers with you.)

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 Thursday at 12midnight.  *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).***

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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