Ipswich Good Food Group
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are IGFG's main principles?
What is IGFG's policy on animal welfare?
What is IGFG's policy on packaging?
What foods and products can I expect to find at IGFG?
Do I need to place orders or commit to boxes?
Where and when are the meetings?
Can I sell my garden produce through IGFG?
Why does IGFG post boxes on Facebook?
What happens to the unsold foods?
I've forgotten my Lettuceshare password
How can I check my Lettuceshare account online?
My invoice doesn't reflected my last payment.
What are IGFG's main principles?
IGFG is membership-based, volunteer-run bulk buyers group specialising in local produce with a strong focus on community resilience, food security and sustainable lifestyles.
How 'local' is IGFG?
Our produce and products (see note re dry goods below) come from within a maximum 5 hour driving radius of Brisbane. This is approximately an area delineated by Bundaberg in the North, Coffs Harbour in the South and the Darling Downs to the West. Many come from within a 2 hour radius. Because our produce is grown locally, it is available seasonally.
Our dry goods are Australian-grown or Fair Trade from Pacific neighbours such as PNG.
Is the food organic?
IGFG is not an organics group, however the majority of our foods are either certified or non-certified organic. All certified and non-certified foods are marked so members can make informed choices.
What is IGFG's policy on animal welfare?
All meat and egg animals must have Free Range certification or follow guidelines allowing for free movement, access to outside range, no sow stalls, farrowing crates, tail docking, teeth clipping, ear clipping, beak clipping, mulesing or long distance live transport (more than 5 hours)
What is IGFG's policy on packaging?
IGFG strives to minimise packaging. Members bring their own reusable containers, bags and or boxes to transport purchases. We return clean produce boxes to suppliers for reuse.
What foods and products can I expect to find at IGFG?
IGFG bulk buys: fruit, vegetables, fresh herbs, breads, dairy products, eggs, dry goods (flours, pulses, nuts, dried fruits, cereals, rice etc), apple juices; honey & other spreads; coconut oil; olive oil & olives, soaps & other cleaning products, and more.
Do I need to place orders or commit to boxes?
No. You can buy what you want from the produce & products on offer at the meetings. You don't need to place weekly orders.
What does membership cost?
Membership is $50/year or $25/half year. Membership fees go toward venue hire, public liability insurance, and voluntary worker insurance.
How do I become a member?
The easiest way to join is to come to one of our meetings. We'll show you around and, if you wish, get you signed up and shopping right away.
You can also download the membership form and email it to ipswichgoodfood@gmail.com. If you choose to do this and pay the membership fee online, it is very important that you let us know you've made an online membership payment.
Where and when are the meetings?
Tuesday 4:30 - 7:00pm
Wednesday 8:00 - 11:00am
Thursday 2:00 - 6:00pm
Friday 9:00am - 12:00pm
21 Park Street, Ipswich
Can I sell my garden produce through IGFG?
Yes, you can. IGFG's Garden Grown Project allows members to sell their excess garden produce through the Group. Member-grown produce must qualify as non-certified organic i.e. grown without the use of artificial chemical sprays, fertilisers etc.
Why does IGFG post boxes on Facebook?
The boxes we post on Facebook are the leftover stock from our pop-up shop meets each Tuesday and Wednesday. Selling these boxes is part of our waste minimisation, and a way for members who couldn't get to the meetings to participate in that week's bulk buy. We never know from week to week whether we'll have boxes or what they'll contain.
What happens to the unsold foods?
IGFG aims to minimise waste. Unsold stock that cannot be held over to the following week is sold via mixed boxes posted on Facebook, or donated to charity, or distributed to volunteers. Scraps are available to members with poultry, worm farms or compost bins.
Does IGFG have insurance?
IGFG holds Public Liability and Voluntary Worker insurance.
What is Lettuceshare?
Lettuceshare is IGFG's online management system. All members have a Lettuceshare account which records their purchases, payments, sales, membership status and contact details. Members can check their account at any time by going to www.lettuceshare.org and logging in with their Lettuceshare username.
Lettuceshare was designed and is maintained in Brisbane , specifically for buyers groups and co-operatives.
I've forgotten my Lettuceshare password
To get a new Lettuceshare password, go to www.lettuceshare.org Click on LOGIN. Then click on Having trouble logging in? A temporary password will be sent by email.
Use this temporary password to log in. Then click on the Account icon (top left corner of your Lettuceshare homepage). Select Preferences, and enter your new password.
How can I check my Lettuceshare account online?
Go to www.lettuceshare.org and log in using your Lettuceshare username and password.
Your balance will appear under your name.
Click on View Previous Transactions to view your Purchases, Payments or Sold.
Enter the dates you wish to search on.
How do I make payments?
Payments can be made with cash or eftpos at meetings or by direct deposit. The Group's bank details appear on the invoices.
My invoice doesn't reflected my last payment.
Bank deposits are entered into Lettuceshare on Tuesday mornings. Bank deposits generally need to be submitted before 3pm on a business day for them to reach the IGFG account that same day. Any later, and they may not be transferred until the following evening. If you pay by bank deposit after 3pm on a Monday, your payment may not be reflected in your Lettuceshare account until the following week.
Cash and eftpos payments are entered on Wednesday nights and are reflected on the first invoice after the payment.
If you think something has gone wrong or a payment has been missed, then by all means send us a query, but please first confirm that the date of your electronic payment is at least a full week old.
My invoice shows items I've already paid for.
Lettuceshare invoices list all purchases made in the previous week, whether they have been paid for or not.
Toward the bottom of the invoice you'll see your balance which reflects your purchases and payments. Always go by the balance, not the total. Pay whatever is needed to RETURN YOUR BALANCE TO $0.
How can I volunteer?
Help is always needed. Below are just some of the ways you can become involved. We have a range of tasks to suit time and physical capacities:
Tuesdays 2.30pm – 4.30pm Set-up. This may include:
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unloading the delivery truck and laying out the foods,
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setting out the price signs,
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setting up the check-out computers and scales,
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arranging the dairy case.
Tuesdays 4.30pm – 7pm Help on the check-outs. Taking cash and/or eftpos payments may be involved, but it's not a requirement.
Wednesdays 8am – 11am Help on the check-outs. Taking cash and/or eftpos payments may be involved, but it's not a requirement.
Thursdays 1pm - 2pm Set-up. Unloading the produce delivery and laying out the foods.
Thursdays 2pm - 6pm Help on the check-outs. Taking cash and/or eftpos payments may be involved, but it's not a requirement.
Fridays 9am - 12pm Help on the check-outs. Taking cash and/or eftpos payments may be involved, but it's not a requirement.
Fridays 12pm – 1pm Packing up. This includes:
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recording left-over stock,
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packing away foods,
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flattening empty boxes,
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sweeping and tidying.
At home tasks include:
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managing the membership database,
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volunteer co-ordination,
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updating stock records,
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updating the website content,
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updating the IGFG laptops,
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printing and laminating new price signs,
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And more.
How often do I need to volunteer?
If you are helping at the meetings, we need you to volunteer once every 8 weeks. Of course, if you are able to help more often, that would be very welcome and appreciated.
At home tasks need weekly to fortnightly attention.