How do I place an order?
Orders can be placed online here. When finished shopping, log in to your online bank pay via direct deposit to our bank account (details shown below).**
Bank: National Australia Bank
Account Name: Bellingen Greengrocers PTY
BSB: 082469
Account Number: 144056759
You can also order and/or pay with cash, in person at Bellingen Greengrocers, Bellingen, on Monday afternoons from 3:00-7:00pm
** If you have paid into our old BCU account, don’t worry, this money will be transferred to the Bellingen Greengrocers for a short period, however please update any scheduled transfers and payee details in your online banking account as soon as possible.
Can I choose what is in my foodbox?
Unfortunately this is not possible, although we are working on some options that will allow you more choice in the near future.
Through our unique box scheme we are supporting a local food system that encourages eating seasonally and supporting local farmers. Therefore in your box you will receive a variety of seasonal produce that is available that week from our local growers.
Do I have to order each week?
No, you do not have to order each week. Our service is flexible. If you do not want the bother of logging onto the website each week to place and order you can order weekly or fortnightly in advance, for 1, 3 or 6 months at a time. We need to receive payment by 9:30am on the Thursday prior to pickup.
How do I choose the correct size box for my needs?
This depends on your particular household and food requirements. Things to consider include how many people you need to feed, if you are a vegetarian, how often you eat out, or if you grow some of your own produce.
As a rough guide, a small ($20) box should feed 1 person for about a week, a medium ($30) box should feed 2-3 people for about a week and a large ($50) box should feed 4-5 people for about a week. Please bear in mind that a Bellofoodbox may not cover all your nutritional, or personal requirements for the whole week – this is a guide only.
Can I place an order over the phone instead of online?
The easiest way to place an order is online or come and order and pay in person at Bellingen Greengrocers. We do not offer an over the phone order service. However if you are having troubles with our online order system, please contact us at info@bellofoodbox.org.au.
How do I pay?
We accept payments via direct deposit. Our bank details are shown below:
Bank: National Australia Bank
Account Name: Bellingen Greengrocers PTY
BSB: 082469
Account Number: 144056759
You can also order and pay with cash, in person at Bellingen Greengrocers, Bellingen, with your name and phone number, and BFB ID.
** If you have paid into our old BCU account, don’t worry, this money will be transferred to the Bellingen Greengrocers for a short period, however please update any scheduled transfers and payee details in your online banking account as soon as possible.
We also accept PayPal payments. Sign in to your Bellofoodbox account (as if you were placing an order) and go to Payments. Click on the ‘Add Credit’ link and fill in the field required.
When & where do I pick up my order?
Bellofoodboxes must be picked up from Bellingen Greengrocers, 58-60 Hyde St, Bellingen from 3:00-6:00pm on Mondays (or until 7:00pm during daylight savings), unless you have arranged for delivery.
What if I cannot pick-up my order on the allocated day?
If you are unable to pick up your order on Monday afternoon, please get in touch with us to arrange an alternative.
Does Bellofoodbox deliver?
We deliver to:
- Your home address in Urunga-Coffs Harbour-Toormina/Sawtell-Bonville-Boambee-Sapphire regions on Monday between 4:00-7:00pm or your home or workplace in these areas on Tuesday between 12:00pm-5:00pm;
- Valla Beach Cafe on Tuesday morning;
- Thora Hall between 12:30-2:00pm on Tuesdays;
- Your workplace or home address in Dorrigo township, or United Garage for colleciton in Dorrigo, on Tuesdays between 2:30-4:00pm;
All deliveries are $7 per box, or ask us about reduced cost per box for boxes delivered to the same address. Email us at info@bellofoodbox.org.au for more details.
What if my box is not there or there are any other problems?
The only reason that your foodbox would not be there at pick-up is if we haven’t received a correct order by midnight on Wednesday, or payment for it by 9:30am on the Thursday prior to pick-up. Our Box-O-Matic System automatically send emails to your sign-in email address when payments and orders are processed, indicating whether your order has been declined or approved, and how much credit you may have.
If there are any other problems, don’t hesitate to speak with us at pick-up time or email us at info@bellofoodbox.org.au.
What is that strange looking fruit or vegetable in my foodbox?
Each week we have a variety of available seasonal fruit and vegetables. We have most likely included information about it in the newsletter, but if you do not recognise a particular item in your box be brave and explore or ask one of our friendly staff during pick-up.
How do I sign up for the newsletter?
Our Box-O-Matic online ordering system should sign you up for a newsletter automatically when you join and create a Bellofoodbox account with your email address. Alternatively you can sign up yourself using our simple subscribe button on the welcome page. If you don’t receive a newsletter, make sure you check your junk or spam folder. If you still don’t receive a newsletter, email us for assistance.
What if I am not happy with my order?
If you are dissatisfied with your produce contact us within 24 hours of receipt of your produce so we can discuss an appropriate resolution with you.
Why eat fruit & vegetables?
The consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables is essential for good health. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare found in 2001 that over 69% of Australians do not eat sufficient amounts of vegetables. We believe that the healthiest fruit and vegetables are those that are fresh, in season and have not travelled far to get from producer to consumer.
The Government’s Dietary Guidelines for Australian Adults (year?) states that healthy eating offers protection against non-communicable chronic diseases such as vascular disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer. In addition to this, there are strong links between diet and mental health, which indicate that food choices affect mood, ability to concentrate, as well as energy levels.
What does it mean to eat locally?
Local or regional food systems present an alternative to the current global model. There are many benefits of localising the food system. One is reducing food miles or the distance food travels from farm gate to consumer plate, thereby decreasing the energy consumption and resultant pollution associated with transport. Eating locally also increases access to fresh quality produce, supports local rural economies, and promotes the consumption of seasonal produce.
What are food miles?
Food miles is a term which refers to the distance food is transported from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer. This explains the term ‘from farm gate to consumer plate’.
Where does the Bellofoodbox produce come from?
We source our produce from local growers within a 150km radius of Bellingen. We buy direct from farmers so that we have a direct relationship with them and can guarantee them support and pay them a fairer price for their hard work.
We are always interested in sourcing from new local growers. Email us at info@bellofoodbox.org.au if you would like to grow for us.
Why eat locally?
We believe that sustainable food production is based strongly on local produce being grown for local markets.
It’s fresher - Nutrients in food decline with age. The produce in a Bellofoodbox will be optimally nutritious due to most of it having been harvested within a few days of packing, if not that morning!
It’s cheaper - Local food is almost always cheaper than food that has travelled a long distance. This is because local food does not have to include the higher transportation and storage costs associated with food from afar.
It treads lightly - The typical basket of groceries from the supermarket has food miles equivalent to two loops of the globe (Choice Online, Oct 2008). Eating local food reduces the energy needed to grow, package, store and transport food. The Bellofoodbox system also radically reduces the footprint associated with the packaging of our food.
It supports local growers - Over the last two decades, Australian farming families have become increasingly dependent on off-farm income to maintain their standard of living, due to farmers needing to adhere to very high standards as to how their produce should look, and low financial returns for their produce (ABS, year?). We support local growers by paying fairer prices for our produce and encouraging sustainable farming. This contributes to supporting them to be able to stay in farming, as well as encouraging younger members of our community to see sustainable farming as a potential career.
It creates employment - We aim to support the growth of a local economy providing income and meaningful work for local people at different stages of the food supply chain. It’s well recognised that there are high levels of unemployment in the Bellingen Shire. If more sustainable, localised methods of food production and supply are to replace current models, this would require a significant number of people in any local area working in food production, processing and distribution. We wish to work towards creating such a model in the Bellingen Shire.
It’s more resilient - Local food systems, such as Bellofoodbox, are an alternative to the global corporate models where producers and consumers are separated through a chain of processors, transporters, and retailers. Local food systems redevelop relationships and encourage a return of control to the consumer and producer.
What is seasonal produce?
Seasonal produce is fruit and vegetables that grow well in the current climatic conditions. Eating seasonal produce helps you enjoy fresh food at its best. Local seasonal produce is usually of higher quality and nutritional value as it has not been transported long distances, placed in lengthy cold storage or artificially produced. Eating seasonal produce is better for the environmental as it reduces the embodied energy associated with the production and distribution of food items. See our Seasonal Fruit and Veggie Guide to find out what seasonal might be in your Bellofoodbox at a particular time of year.
Why eat seasonal produce?
Seasonal food is generally fresher, tastier and more nutritious and eating it tunes us into nature’s seasons. Eating seasonally is also better for the environment as growing produce out of season means that farmers use more chemicals and resources.
To eat seasonally, we have to be open to trying new recipes to make the most of what’s there and remember that whenever something goes out of season, something new comes back in!
Bellofoodbox aims to increase the availability of organic produce in the area and to support local producers who use organic methods. We prioritise, although are not limited to, buying organic fruit and vegetables from our growers, which in turn, encourages them to move toward organic agricultural practices.
Why eat organic produce?
It’s not just some sort of trendy fad to want to eat organic food. We believe there are many reasons why choosing to eat organic is better for your family, your community, and the environment.
It’s better for you - There is growing evidence to support the consumption of organic vs. chemical for improved human health. Various health concerns have been raised over fruit and vegetables grown with ‘conventional’ methods such as chemical residues (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides etc) and the high levels of nitrates that are present in produce.
Organics taste better – there are plenty of stats out there, but how about doing your own tests – try comparing ‘in season’ organic tomatoes, strawberries, carrots and notice the difference!
Organic food does not contain genetically modifies organisms (GMO’s). Long-term health effects of GMO are unknown as there has been no independent testing. Australian law means that food in supermarkets does not have to be labelled as GMO, however with organics you are guaranteed no GMO’s.
It’s better for your community - By eating organic you know that the food you are eating is not only healthy for you and your family, but also for the people who actually produce your food. Farmers and workers in ‘conventional’ food production are at risk of exposure to a variety of harmful chemicals. Farm workers are the people who have to deal with these chemicals and this is risky.
Eating organic food is even more important for kids as they are more susceptible to toxins – their bodies are smaller and their organs still developing. Reports also prove links with pesticides and ADHD prevalence.
It’s better for the environment - Organic practices have been found to have a lower footprint than chemical practices (Stolze et al, 2000). Organic farmers do not use pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or insecticides, all of which pollute our waterways, our drinking water and our coasts. Over 30,000 tons of these chemicals were used last year and are major cause of the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef and are contributing to the continued increased salinity of Australia’s water table.
Organic farming is much less reliant on fossil fuels as most weeding is done manually. Organic farmers don’t use inorganic fertilisers. Nitrogen fertiliser is derived from natural gas and is the single main use of energy in farming, accounting for over 37% of the total energy used by farmers.
‘Spanning all associated species, there is an average of 30% more (bio diversity) on organic farms versus conventional farming methods’ Why does this matter? More biodiversity means healthier soils, less inputs & higher yields.
Scientists agree high-quality soil is the basis for healthy agro-ecosystems. For years, conventional farming used methyl bromide (a very toxic ozone depleting pesticide) to sterilise soil and this has lefts soils seriously depleted of micro-organisms and therefore, nutrients. Studies show that organic fields contain significantly higher amounts of nutrients such as boron, sodium, iron and zinc (which is deficient in Australian soils).
Can I meet the growers?
We visit at least one of our growers each week and aim to include information about them in our weekly newsletter. We will be including grower profiles on the site and updating regularly. Meanwhile, get along to your local growers markets in the Bellingen, Nambucca and Coffs Shires and you’re bound to meet some of our suppliers there