Buyingclub Testimonials

Millbrook Buying Club  - Dean Spence – Buying Club Coordinator

My spouse and I joined the Marigold Buying Club (Oshawa-Whitby area) in 1986-87 back when the ONFC was called the OFFCC.  We were totally unfamiliar with the central organization in Toronto or the notion of a buying club, but we were very interested in all aspects of a healthy human food chain.

Over the years, we’ve actively participated in other large and small buying clubs, always proud to retain our membership in the ONFC, and rely on our orders as our prime source of kitchen staples.  Why?  I’d say integrity  – of the people involved, of the products and services delivered and of the evolving mission statement.

To join or start a buying club and be part of the ONFC is to put your money where it counts.  It’s a clear example of the quote, “Don’t tell me what you believe; show me what you do, and I’ll tell you what you believe.”

Silver Lining Buying Club - Janet LoSole – Buying Club Coordinator and Homeschooler

Homeschooling while running a buying club provides interesting opportunities for real-life learning.
For us, the arcane applications of reading and numeracy have always taken a backseat to understanding volume, weight and measure. The girls deduce that a 1 litre container they are searching for among the boxes looks and feels about the same size as our rice milk.

Whereas we originally joined for health reasons, we’re now more conscious of our choices and the impact on the environment. Last week, I heard one of them say, “We should buy this recycled paper towel,” as we packed up orders.

In a past catalogue, Saugeen Country Dairy explained their farming practices. Since we always buy their yogurt, the girls listened intently at the description of the responsible way these business owners cared for their animals. This was extremely important to our youngest, an animal lover to the core.

When I asked them why we run a buying club they answered that shopping at the grocery store is more expensive. They dislike the sterile feel of the corporate grocer compared to the social environment of the buying club. Both girls are commissioned to hold babies and occupy toddlers, a job they profoundly enjoy.

Whatever your focus, running a buying club provides numerous ways to offer meaningful, real-life lessons for children.

Gang Green Buying Club - Nancy Palardy –  Buying Club Coordinator

“I have been a buying club co-coordinator for many years now and have always found ONFC staff to be ready and willing to provide assistance – whether it is with regard to ordering, refunds or credits. They always go out of their way to provide excellent service!”