The Ordering Process
The Shopping Cycle
Each week, the order cycle goes like this:
- Thursday - Friday: Producers (those that make the food) list on this web site which of their products are availbable for the upcoming week and their prices. In some cases, they will also indicate a maximum quanitity.
- Friday - Monday: Consumers (those that buy the food) go to the shopping page on this web site and "add to basket" the types and quantities of products they would like to order. The Consumer has plenty of opportunity to choose from which Producers to order - based on products, price and most importantly their growing methods.
- Monday - Tuesday: With all of the orders placed, Producers prepare for the drop-off/pick-up day. Occasionally, the Producers realize they are not able to fulfill an order. In that case, they will contact you in order to offer a replacement. If not, it will be taken off of your invoice. And of course, you will not pay for what you do not get. Likewise, you are responsible for paying your invoice even if you do not pick up your food. See more information about shopping below.
- Wednesday: Producers bring the food necessary to fill the orders. Consumers come to the LangLab, 1302 High St., South Bend (map) between 5:15pm and 7:00 pm to pick up their food and pay the Co-op.
- And it starts all over again.
How to Shop
During the ordering cycle, you can shop the site by producer or by category. If you are logged in, you can add products to a favorites list by clicking the “Add to Favorites” button. As you shop the site, be sure to add products to your favorites, so you can come back and get those items again!
To order, click the Order link next the the desired product. This will bring you to an ordering page for that product, where you can get a larger description of the product, and specify a quantity. When appropriate, you can also request a weight of an item; for example, a whole turkey may vary in weight widely, so for the producer to best accommodate your order, you can drag the “request a weight” slider to your desired size. The Producer can then try to best match their stock to your order.
At any time you can view your basket by clicking the “My Basket” link in the upper left, next to Log Out. Here you can also modify quantities, and remove items from your basket.
If you have questions for a Producer regarding a product, you can get their contact information by going to their “About Us...” page. This page tells you all about the Producer, and provides their email address for contacting them.
At the end of the shopping period, whatever is in your basket is submitted to the Producers as your order. There is no submit button to hit; your basket becomes your order, and your invoice. On the day of the pickup, you will receive an invoice with your final total listed. Frequently, this total will be slightly different from your basket's total – this is because for some products, Producers have to adjust the weights for your specific items, resulting in a different total price.
Problems with Orders and Missed Pickups
On the Drop-Off/Pick-Up day, the Purple Porch Co-op collects the total amount from you as listed on your final invoice. This money is then redistributed to the Producers. At no time does the Co-op actually own the goods – we act as an agent on behalf of both you and the Producers. In fact, Producers do not get paid for their order until all the money is accounted for.
This is why it's so important that you pick up and pay for your order on the Drop-Off/Pick-Up day. If you do not arrive to pick up your order by the end of the pickup period, your order will be donated and you are still responsible for the cost of the order. If you can't make the pickup day, then email help@purpleporchcoop.com.
