It’s Time for the Annual Bulk Order
Farmers, gardeners and land care professionals are invited to
save on growing supplies
with NOFA’s annual Bulk Order. We host a Spring Bulk Order in a partnership with our sister chapters in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Learn more here.Orders are accepted through January 31 each year.
The annual NOFA Bulk Order offers group discounts on a wide variety of organically certifiable farm, garden and lawn care products while supporting NOFA state chapters.
The first Bulk Order took place in 1985 with Julie Rawson (now the Executive Director of NOFA/Mass) as its coordinator. “The Bulk Order is an opportunity for growers to get together and share their excitement about the year ahead,” says Rawson. “It’s a social event where growers share knowledge grounded in years of successes and failures as well as ideas for what to try this coming season. To me, it has always signaled the onset of spring.
Prices
- All shipping costs are included in our Bulk Order prices offering savings of $85 – $115 per pallet.
- All companies price products to make a profit. Our Bulk Order is a fundraiser for three NOFA chapters. Bulk Order participants help support our organic growing education and advocacy efforts.
- The more people participate in the Bulk Order, the better pricing we are able to negotiate with our suppliers and pass on to Bulk Order participants.
The 2016 Bulk Order offers many new items including cover cocktail seed mixes and liquid micronutrient blends. Popular favorites are back including high quality amendments, compost, potting soil, pest controls, animal health/feed supplements, potato and allium seed as well as farm and garden tools. Gardeners, homesteaders, land managers and commercial farmers are all invited to share the discounts. There is no minimum or maximum order.
N O F A Membership is not required but chapter members are eligible for a discount. Learn more and download an order form here. View all the benefits of membershiop and become a N O F A / R I member here.
2016 Pick-Up Sites
- Little Compton, RI: Wishing Stone Farm, 25 Shaw Rd.
- Belchertown, MA: NESFI, 275 Jackson St.
- Barre, MA: Many Hands Organic Farm, 411 Sheldon Rd.
- Dalton, MA: Holiday Farm, 100 Holiday Cottage Rd.
- Beverly, MA: Moraine Farm, 733 Cabot St.
- Winchester, MA: Wright Locke Farm, 78 Ridge St.
- West Wareham, MA: Progressive Grower, 81 Charlotte Furnace Rd.
- Meriden, CT: High Hill Orchard, 86 Fleming Rd.
Orders will be available for pick-up on Saturday, March 12 (with a smaller, second pickup day for seed potato and allium sets on Saturday, April 9).
Participating Suppliers
- Organic Growers Supply, ME: mineral amendments, fertilizers, cover crop seeds – fedcoseeds.com
- Moose Tubers, ME (division of FEDCO): potato & allium seed – fedcoseeds.com
- Fertrell, PA: – mineral amendments, fertilizers, animal care products – fertrell.com
- Vermont Compost Company, VT: compost & potting soil – vermontcompost.com
- Crop Production Services, MA: fertilizers & amendments – (413) 665-2115
- North Country Organics, VT: mineral amendments & fertilizers – norganics.com
- Ideal Compost Company, NH: compost, potting soil, wooden stakes – idealcompost.com
- Lancaster Agriculture, PA: mineral amendments & cover crop cocktails – lancasterag.com
NOFA Bulk Orders will ONLY be accepted through January. Orders must be postmarked by January 31. Late orders can NOT be processed.
Delivery, Pick-Up and Volunteers
NOFA Bulk Orders are community events coordinated by NOFA staff, pick-up site host farmers, site coordinators and volunteers. Many volunteers are needed to help sort and distribute orders. Site coordinators need help unloading delivery trucks as well as organizing and breaking down orders.
Supplier orders will arrive (weather permitting) Tuesday, March 8 and (for seed potatoes and alliums) Tuesday, April 5. Upon arrival, each order has to unloaded from the truck and broken down into individual participants’ orders. “It’s like a mini Amazon dot com on delivery day, without the bots and drones,” says Caro Roszell, NOFA’s Bulk Order Coordinator, “If you want low prices and free shipping, you can either go with mega warehouses populated by robots or with real people working together. Everyone needs to lend a hand.”
Volunteer to lend your hands by circling “I can be there on these days” on your order form and come to a nearby pick-up site to work on the agreed date. (Those unable to lift heavy items can help in other ways.) Delivery-day volunteers may take their orders home early. Volunteering is a great way to meet other NOFA members and organic growers.
Send questions on the Bulk Order to Caro Roszell, Bulk Order Coordinator at bulkorder@nofamass.org or call (508) 360-0874.