A to provide a retail source of wholefoods so that members may have some control over the sources of their food supply;

B to provide information on and promote the use of

• low-cost, ethically-produced and packaged wholefoods,
• cruelty-free foods,
• vegetarian foods,
• vegan foods,
• organic foods and genetically modified-free foods;

C to run an ethical, not-for-profit business;

D to minimise resource wastage and, hence, encourage reuse and recycling;

E to support other cooperatives whose objects are similar or related to the objects of the cooperative; and

F to stimulate community development, foster community spirit and promote sustainable living.

To view any of the following, please click on the specific title.

The scheme aims to support community and activist groups with similar objectives to Alfalfa House by offering monthly food grants to help with food costs for special events such as conferences, workshops and public forums. To view details of the scheme please click here.

Alfalfa House offers a 10% discount to members of other food co-ops.

Co-ops in the Sydney region that give a 10% discount to Alfalfa House members are
• Manly Food Co-op
21b Whistler Street, Manly
tel. (02) 9977 0177
• Green Tucker Store
Shop 4, 51 Arthur Street Forestville
tel. (02) 9453 1133
• Thoughtful Foods
Uni of NSW
• Sydney Uni
Wentworth Building
• UTS Student Union area, University of Technology Sydney main tower
• Blue Mountains
Halfpenny Arcade, Katoomba
tel. (02) 4782 5890
• Bower Reuse and Repair Centre, Addison Road Community Centre, Addison Road, Marrickville. The Bower sells a vast range of pre-loved goods, from tools and building materials to furniture, computers and bric-a-brac.

A 5% discount is also offered to members of 2SER FM, the Australian Vegetarian Society, and the Natural Health Society

Alfalfa House is a not-for-profit cooperative that aims to provide, where possible, minimally packaged and minimally processed, affordable, wholesome, organic food to its members.

Most of what the co-op sells is unpackaged. Shoppers bring their own containers and scoop, pour or ladle out the exact amount they want. Neither you nor the environment pay for unnecessary packaging. As well, you only buy what you need - the price per kilo is the same whether you buy 5 grams or 5 kilos!

The co-op stocks a surprisingly wide range of foods for such a small shop. As you can see from the list of products, this includes the staples like dried fruit, nuts, seeds, grains, rices, beans, flours, bread, herbs and spices, teas and coffees, cooking oils, plus lots of refrigerated goods such as tofu, tempeh and dairy lines, as well as pastas, macrobiotic goods, sea vegetables, soy and rice milk, juices, and chocolate and carob snacks. We stock a range of laundry and cleaning products as well as personal care items such as soaps, shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, eco toothbrushes. We also stock a wide range of in-season organic fresh fruit and vegetables, some of which is Farmer-Direct.

The co-op prefers ethically and environmentally sound products and checks with suppliers to ensure the conditions and methods under which the goods are grown and processed meet those standards. As much as possible we buy goods produced by organic/biodynamic methods and by other co-ops.

We also encourage reuse by returning bulk packaging (such as boxes, drums and crates) to suppliers and we recycle and compost wherever possible, and encourage all members to do the same.

Prices are competitive and any profits are returned to the co-op in the form of better services and more affordable goods. The more involved members are, the cheaper the goods become; and the cheaper the goods are, the more people will shop! As well, all bookkeeping and accounting processes are freely available for member scrutiny. All members are entitled to a 10% discount every time they shop, although a 25% discount is also available if they choose to volunteer.

While members aren't required to work to maintain their membership, voluntary work is nonetheless an important part of the co-op. If members choose to, they can devote a couple of hours of their time to work in exchange for a 25% discount on their shopping. There are various kinds of work members can undertake including,

• helping with customer service
• restocking
• shop, storeroom and backyard maintenance and refurbishing
• data entry
• recycling and waste minimisation
• product labelling, info on bins, research
• helping make decisions at committee meetings
• publicity
• writing for the eNews, especially sharing recipes
• helping with administrative work
• special or urgent requests – check with shop or office coordinators.

To find out more about volunteering, click here.

Casual Extra Discount
Every two hours' work entitles a member to a single unlimited 25% discount shop. This is called a Casual Extra Discount (CXD). (To make the most of the discount, it's smart to save the 25% discount for a big shop rather than use it to buy a few items.) Some members choose to work their two hours then straightaway do a big shop to make the most of the CXD. But you don't have to; you can use it later. When you are claiming a CXD, let the person on the till know when you are showing your card so they can apply it to your shop. Each extra discount is automatically deducted as you use them up.

Permanent Extra Discount
If you choose to work either two hours each week or four hours each fortnight indefinitely, you are then entitled to receive a permanent 25% discount, the Permanent Extra Discount (PXD). This means you receive the 25% discount no matter how many times you shop. If you work more shifts than this, you can accumulate credits for use should you want to take a break from the regular commitment or no longer work for the PXD.

When you do any work shift in the co-op, ask the person on the till to record the work you do in the Discounts Folder, which is later entered in the members' database.

Members are encouraged to have direct input into co-op policy such as what products are stocked and what services are offered. One way is through the Management Committee (MC), the board of directors, which is elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) each spring. The AGM and any Special General Meeting (held at the request of members proposing changes to the co-op that require wide membership approval) is open to any member to attend and vote.

The MC, which comprises seven members, oversees the co-op's financial management and general policy-making.

Members are very welcome to come to the monthly MC meetings and raise proposals and speak to them, although only MC members can vote. The MC meets the fourth Wednesday of the month from 7.30pm at the Black Rose Bookshop, 22 Enmore Road, Newtown. (Attending committee meetings is counted towards work for extra discounts.)

A typical MC meeting agenda would include

1. Attendance, Apologies
2. Confirmation of and business arising from the previous minutes
3. Membership:
   new members, resignations, forfeitures
4. Reports: Finance, Co-op Coordinator, Stock, Staff meeting
5. Current Matters
6. Correspondence
7. Other Matters

To view the co-op's constitution – known as The Rules – please click here. (File size: 170KB)

The co-op employs a number of paid part-time coordinators to oversee the day-to-day running of the shop. They look after administration and project coordination, stock purchasing, bookkeeping, and cleaning. There are also a number of Shop Coordinators who staff the till and manage the shop. They are supported by a team of volunteers, drawn from the membership.