January 6, 2012


NOWBC Co-op Urgently Needs Your Orders To Continue!


Dear Members, Customers and Quiet Listeners,

Participation in NOWBC Co-op's on-line farmers market has been shrinking. Orders have dropped
in half from their peak of 120 orders a week in 2010 to a mere 65 orders a week now. We cannot
ignore it, the on-line farmers market cannot cover its costs at the current volume. Over the next 3
months, the board of directors will be evaluating whether or not to recommend to the membership
that the market be shut down. The board will be counting orders to gage interest, or lack thereof.
If you want NOWBC to continue--vote with your food orders now! Order lots and order
regularly. Recruit your friends (registration fees are waived until further notice!). And to those
core people who have been ordering every week--hip hip hooray! Thank you.

If there is sufficient interest in the form of over 100 orders a week, it will be clear the market can
and should continue (and note, orders over $50 count as two orders on our interest scale!).
Though if there isn't this interest, the co-op needs to shut down the market before further losses
occur and/or consider other options, if any, for a new way to connect local farms and local eaters
in our communities.

To place an order now, go to http://www.nowbc.ca/catalog/

If you would like to know more or have ideas to contribute, please feel free to phone or email
Kirsty or Joanna, our contact information is below. We welcome discussion on the co-op and its
future.

Sincerely,

Joanna Michal
Volunteer & Member of the Board
604-222-0262 (home)

Kirsty Dick
Volunteer Executive Director
604-872-1564 (home)