DCO Member Meeting: Saturday, March 24!

This is a reminder that the DCO Member Meeting is Saturday, March 24, from 1 – 4 p.m. It will be held at the Broadway House in Viroqua, 603 East Broadway St. (near the police station). Snacks will be provided.

We will be discussing some of the topics brought up in the recent survey, answering questions, and sharing ideas. We plan to have time at the end for folks to come together with their own team members to brainstorm and troubleshoot any issues specific to their jobs.

We hope to see you there!

DCO Member Survey Now in Progress, Member Meeting Coming March 24

We are happy to announce two exciting items in support of our development as a working member organization. The first is a member survey, and the second is a full member meeting being planned for March 24.

Member Survey

This short survey collects basic information about our membership, and asks about your preferences and experiences as a member to help guide us in charting the future of DCO. Providing your name is optional, if you wish to answer anonymously.

Please click this link to take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XMJVP26.

If you would prefer to fill out a paper survey, copies will be available at Pickup Day on February 17. You can also contact us at communication@driftless.coop and ask us to email you a printable PDF.

The survey will be open until March 2nd.

Member Meeting

Mark your calendar for our first-ever DCO member meeting!

  • Saturday, March 24, 1 – 4 pm
  • 603 E Broadway, Viroqua (same location as the Potluck and Group Ordering sessions)
  • Snacks will be provided

This meeting will bring us together for the first time to meet as a group (and put faces to names!). It will be a time to discuss issues, ask & answer questions, and share ideas about our vision for DCO. The responses from the survey will help determine of the specifics of the meeting agenda.

Volunteers are needed to help organize the meeting, and this time will count toward your Shared Effort contribution. Please contact sharedeffort@driftless.coop to volunteer.

 

Order and Pickup Dates for the Current and Next Cycles (81 & 82)

This is a reminder that the current and next cycles (81 and 82) have altered ordering dates due to working around the holidays. Please mark your calendars for these dates. After Cycle 82, we will return to a 4-week schedule.

Cycle 81 (Catalogs Now Open for Ordering)
Wed., Dec. 13 – DCO Monthly Potluck
Sun., Dec. 24 – Early catalogs close at 8 pm
Sun., Dec. 31 – Late catalogs close at 8 pm
Sat., Jan. 6 – Pickup Day

As we mentioned last cycle, there is NO Country Life for this cycle. Additionally, the following cycle will be a 6-week cycle, so please plan ahead and stock up if you need to. As always, there is a better chance of filling cases if you get your orders in early.

Cycle 82
Fri., Jan. 12 – All catalogs open (including Country Life)
Sun., Feb. 4 – Early catalogs close at 8 pm
Sun., Feb. 11 – Late catalogs close at 8 pm
Sat., Feb. 17 – Pickup Day

Country Life and Future 2018 Cycle Dates
Changing DCO cycle dates to accommodate the holidays meant that our dates did not line up with Country Life’s order deadlines and delivery dates. So just a little more patience is needed and then we’ll be back to a more regular schedule with all catalogs included.

As soon as Country Life posts their order/delivery schedule for 2018, we will finalize our own dates (planning further ahead for holidays if needed). At that time the Order Cycles page and Foodclub  calendar will be updated. We will let members know via email when the dates are posted.

Note: The Foodclub calendar automatically creates recurring events, so you can continue scrolling on that calendar and see dates years in advance. Dates have not yet been set past cycle 82, and any listings on that calendar for dates after the Jan. 6 pickup should be ignored.

Monday, Nov. 13: Potluck and Group Ordering Opportunity

Past, Current & Potential Co-Optioners,

Come grow your commitment to healthy and local food resilience!

In October, we held our first Potluck and Group Ordering Opportunity for folks to come together to eat/talk/order and cross-pollinate the DCO universe. Our second event will be Monday, Nov. 13th.

If you’re new to DCO and feel daunted about diving into the ordering process on your own, there will be folks to help guide you through your first order cycle. It’s also an opportunity for members to work out splits on the spot.

Time: Potluck at 6 p.m. Ordering begins at 7 p.m.

Place: 603 E Broadway, Viroqua.

What to bring: For the Potluck: A dish to share (vegetarian/vegan only please) and your own plate/cutlery. We also will have some plates/utensils on hand. For the Ordering: A laptop, though there will be some to share if you don’t have one.

Questions? Contact 603EBroadway@gmail.com or 503-888-2934

Feel free to attend either or both portions and pass this information along to your friends. All are welcome!

 

Order Cycle Date Changes for Nov. & Dec.

DCO November and December Cycles (80 and 81) have been changed to 5-week cycles to avoid the holidays. Pickup days will be 12/2 (instead of 11/25) and 1/6 (instead of 12/23). Catalogs for Cycle 80 (November) will still open on 11/3.

Please see the cycle calendars on our website or the Foodclub ordering site for adjusted ordering dates. Warehouse work shifts will also be changed accordingly: 11/28-12/1 (Cycle 80) and 1/2-1/5 (Cycle 81).

If this altered schedule will prevent you from doing your shared effort job, please contact the Shared Effort Coordinator as soon as possible at sharedeffort@driftless.coop.

Country Life: Due to the Country Life delivery schedule, the Country Life catalog (06 CL) will need to close early in November, and there will not be a CL order in December. Plan ahead and order enough in November.

Online Order Cycle Calendars: The website 2017 Order Cycle Dates calendar and Foodclub Google calendar have been updated with the new dates for cycles 80 and 81. Note: The Foodclub calendar automatically creates recurring events, so you can continue scrolling on that calendar and see dates years in advance. No dates have been set yet for 2018 and any listed on that calendar should be ignored.

Reminder Emails: The number of auto-generated emails being sent from the Foodclub ordering system during each cycle has been reduced to two:

  • 60-hour reminder before early catalogs close (sent Friday 8 a.m.)
  • 60-hour reminder before late catalogs close (sent Friday 8 a.m.)

Please use the published cycle calendars to mark your own calendar and plan your ordering activity. The  Order Cycles calendar at info.driftless.coop includes the following dates/times for each cycle: Catalogs Open, Early Catalog Orders Due, Fresh Produce Added to Catalogs (during harvest season), Late Catalog Orders Due, and Pickup Day.

Note: Non-automated reminders will still be sent from Foodclub to communicate late catalog openings and other updates.

DCO Steering Committee Meets Mon. 11/6

The next meeting of the DCO Steering Committee is Monday, Nov. 6, 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Viroqua McIntosh Library in the Program Room.

Agenda includes discussing plans for a member meeting. Please feel free to attend if you are intrested in helping organize the member meeting, or want to get a better understanding of what’s involved with running DCO.

First Monthly DCO Potluck/Group Ordering Opportunity this Wednesday! (Oct 11)

Dear Past, Current & Future Co-Optioners,

We are holding the first of what we plan to be a monthly Potluck and Group Ordering Opportunity for current and prospective members. The idea is an event where folks can come together to eat/talk/order and cross-pollinate the DCO universe. It’s an opportunity for new people who may want to participate—but feel daunted to do so on their own—to be guided through their first order cycle; a place for members to meet in person and work out splits on the spot; a chance for everyone to become more connected with one another around a commitment to healthy food and local food resilience.

Please join us this coming Wednesday, Oct 11, at 603 E. Broadway, a forming community house. Potluck at 6 p.m. Ordering begins at 7 p.m. Feel free to attend either or both portions.

What to bring? For the Potluck: A dish to share (vegetarian/vegan only please) and your own plate/cutlery. We also will have some plates/utensils on hand. For the Ordering: A laptop, though there will be some to share if you don’t have one.

Please contact 603EBroadway@gmail.com or text 503-888-2934 for RSVP/event questions. Feel free to pass this information along to your friends—all are welcome!

In cooperation,

Rochelle Saliba

(Note: This information was emailed to members via Foodclub on Oct. 7. If you did not receive the email, please check your spam folder. Also, check your email address on the Foodclub ordering website at driftless.coop. To view and update your contact information, click on User Settings in the top left corner of the ordering site after you log in.)

SnoPac is Back in October! OJ on sale.

It may not feel like it today, but autumn is here, cool weather is on the way, and it’s time for frozen foods to return to DCO product offerings.

As of today, SnoPac frozen fruit, vegetables, and orange juice concentrate have been added back to the 02 Local Wholesale Early catalog, and will be available for ordering when the catalogs open for Cycle 79.

Here’s an easy way to preview the products before the cycle opens: After you log in to the ordering site, type “SnoPac” in the Product Search box and press Enter. Then click the “Include Locked Sources” checkbox on the results screen. (Remember, this is just to view ahead of time to see what’s on offer. You won’t be able to place an order until the catalogs open.)

On sale in October: Orange Juice Concentrate is 10% off the regular price.