Hello to all our members…
Where has Autumn got to? We’re experiencing warm to hot weather, very moderate nights, plants are thinking its Spring already and are flowering or fruiting accordingly.
All this affects our local veggie supply of course however our farmers are busy planting winter crops and hoping for a good outcome. They are also having to use quite a lot of water to keep them going as you could imagine. Just as we are doing in our backyards at home…
One farmer we won’t be buying from this Winter is Peter Di Cesare as he is taking a well-earned break and heading interstate to be with family for a few months. Peter works really hard, and as well as supplying FIG, selling at his roadside stall and supplying other markets, he donates a huge amount of produce to families in need. We wish he and Nicole a wonderful holiday and hope to see them both in a few months relaxed and well and ready to plant again! In the meantime we will really miss his cauliflowers, cabbages, broccoli and so forth.
Fortunately, we are going to begin obtaining produce again from Kurrawong Organics and the apple farm at Kirkconnell. Supplies will trickle through in small amounts with just one box of their award-winning broccoli on Monday 16th, and then hopefully both broccoli and apples the following week. So far this year we have had to obtain our apples elsewhere and are looking forward to the beautiful “Kirk apples” again.
You will see the note above regarding the return of the black fruit crates, however, we also need you to bring in the bags and boxes as well please so we can reuse them for member orders.
We are on the lookout for some extra people to share in the taking home of rubbish and recycling at the end of the FIG day. If you arrive late at FIG and have some room in either of your home bins, we would really appreciate you taking it. We reuse as many cardboard boxes as possible for the packing of our orders however there are usually some we cannot use or are damaged. We are unable to use the scout hall bins at all. If you have chooks, geese, worm farms or are building a compost, you might like to pick up the scraps bucket as well. Just see us at the front desk when you come in.
Tomorrow the bulk and ferment orders will arrive and be packed. The bulk orders will be in their usual places below the tables at the back of the hall, the ferment orders will be labelled and in the FIG fridge in the far storeroom.
Below you will find the links to:
1. Membership competition
2. Your online account.
3. Ordering dry goods online
4. Roster vacancies – please note we need some setup volunteers for tomorrow
5. Recipes
6. Events submitted by members and friends.
7. FIG Host/Hub information
8. Bank details for making an online payment/bank transfer
If you are ordering dry goods, please do so as soon as possible today. An order by lunchtime guarantees pick-up Monday. However, as some members have already found, orders for dry goods may be placed all throughout the week, at a time which suits them, 24/7. Lois placed a large dry goods order we believed would have arrived before the end of last week however it seems it won’t be delivered until tomorrow, too late for inclusion at the co-op this week, unfortunately.
Coming up we have a busy few weeks where a number of our volunteers have arranged to be away at the same or similar times! This means there will be lots of vacancies for setup Monday mornings in particular. We cannot operate FIG without quite a few members putting in a couple of hours at least of a Monday morning so please look out for both advertised vacancies (below) and check the roster at the co-op when you come in.
Ideally, we would like to have backups for all our positions so even if you cannot volunteer on a regular basis, please get in touch about being trained for filling in where needed.
These volunteer positions include set up (always require lots), set up supervisor, bulk order packing, setting up of the dry goods, packing of the special dietary bags, cashier and weighing desk duties, pack up at the end of day, newsletter editor and contributions, ordering, etc. As well as many members being away on holidays in the near future, one of our wonderful fortnightly volunteers has just been attacked by a dog and will be out of action for a few weeks. Such things happen rarely, fortunately, but very suddenly, and it would be terrific to have some additional backups in case someone is ill or injured.
Some of you have asked about parking and for the benefit of our newer members as well, the current situation is this: parking is available in the front yard and the driveway of the scout hall, and the space between fence and roadway. Since this area is rather small and awkward when quite full, we ask you to take the utmost care when reversing and at a slow enough speed so that you may stop quickly if a child ran across your pathway. It probably doesn’t need to be said, but parents – please hang on to your small children!
Previously the Scout group asked us not to park in the backyard at all, the reason mainly because of rain we’d had, the grass being churned up and holes and bumps left all over in the soft ground. For some time they locked the gate, however, it has now been open for a while and we encourage the volunteers who are there for several hours of a Monday to park there and for it to be used only as a turning space for other members. If (when?!) we have heavy rain again, then we may have to close off the backyard until it once again dries out.
We can only use the adjoining Guides hall front yard parking if no-one is using that hall, and we are unable to park anywhere in the Rural Fire Services driveway or property at any time. There is street parking down past the RFS grounds. I hope that clears it up for you.
That’s all for today.
Bye for now…
Maree