COOPERATIVE PURCHASING 

The Common Market Southeast staff helping farmers load up their large harvest bin orders during the September 2022 Cooperative Purchase.

What is a cooperative purchase? 

Often times the sum is greater than its parts. Utilizing this idea and the economics of scale to capitalize on reduced shipping and discounted pricing, Georgia Organics launched programming in 2022 to organize cooperative purchasing for farmer members. By aggregating farmers’ orders, farmers are able to benefit through their collective buying power.  

Each year, the Farmer Services team generally hosts one or more cooperative purchasing opportunities around the state. The type of purchase is determined by farmer feedback and/or partnership opportunities that present themselves to Georgia Organics throughout the year.  

You must be Georgia Organics Farmer Member in order to participate in the cooperative purchases. Not a Farmer Member? Visit georgiaorganics.org/farmermembership and join today to access cooperative purchasing discounts.

How do farmers save? 

The numbers don’t lie. Buying into a cooperative purchase benefits a farm in these ways: 

  • Some items have bulk discounts and reduced pricing when ordered in larger quantities 

    • Ex. Buying one Winstrip tray costs $15.89/each. However, buying a pallet of 400 Winstrip trays costs $7.49/each due to the bulk discount.

  • Farmers save on shipping costs because everyone’s order is shipped together. One truck making one delivery means an overall lower shipping cost per farm and reduced carbon footprint.  

Example of the Winstrip Trays cost savings from the May 2025 Cooperative Purchase

Examples of PAST COOPERATIVE PURCHASes 

    • Items Purchased: Winstrip Trays

    • 10 farms participated

    • Farmers saved $3,375.00

    • Average bulk discount farmers received: 53%

    • Average shipping discount farmers received: 100%

    • Items Purchased: Dirtcraft Organic Living Soils, Winstrip Trays, Nolt’s Yellow Harvest Containers, Westrock Packaging Boxes

    • 17 farms participated

    • Farmers saved $4,916.10

    • Average bulk discount farmers received: 20%

    • Average shipping discounts farmers received: 82%

    • Items Purchased: Winstrip Trays, ShuttleBin 330 Large Harvest Bins, Nolt’s Yellow Harvest Containers

    • 16 farms participated

    • Farmers saved $4,120.95

    • Average bulk discount farmers received: 19%

    • Average shipping discount farmers received: 77%

INTERESTED IN FUTURE COOPERATIVE PURCHASE OPPORTUNITIES? 

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