Frequently Asked Questions

Considering my First Delivery What is a Box? Do I have to order a Produce Box? Which Box size suits me best? Can I customize my Box? What is my Never Send list? What if I don't like a certain vegetable? What if I forget to customize my Box before the deadline? What is a Standing Order? How is that different from a Current Order? Do I have to order online? Delivery Details I live in an apartment. Can I still receive deliveries? When will my order be delivered? Do I have to be home to receive my delivery? Will my order be safe outside? How long do I have to get deliveries? Is there a delivery charge? Do I have to pay the bin deposit?

Now that I'm a Customer I need help using the ordering website. Can I get some support? When is the deadline for changes/order cancellations? Why won't the website let me modify my Box? I'm having a hard time eating everything in the Box. What should I do? Can I have a particular fruit or veggie every week? What if I'm not satisfied with the produce? How can I pay for my order? What is a meat or cheese adjustment? Why was there a substitution in my Box this week? How do I skip a delivery? How should I store this produce? I need help using the produce!

What is a Box?
A box is a balanced selection of fruits and vegetables including root vegetables, greens and salad stuff! Produce is sourced as close to home as possible.

Do I have to order a Produce Box?
No. You can choose from our lists of fresh local produce and groceries in your Current Order. The minimum order value for free delivery is $45 (not including Milk & Cream or Bulk products) if a Produce Box is not selected. Otherwise a fee of $7.50 will be added.

Which Box size suits me best?
When choosing a Box take into consideration how many meals you make at home (breakfast, lunch to go, and dinner?) and how often you eat out.

The Singles Box is for the person who, for example, eats breakfast at home and cooks dinner four or five nights a week. If you eat out more often, consider a Singles Box every second week. If you run out of fruit you can upgrade to an Orchard Box.

The Orchard Box every week can work for a couple.  If you run short of veggies, move up to the Family Box.

Many families like more fruit and add on our Small Fruit Box each week. For extra veggies and the "feel good factor" add on the Local Box.

Be realistic, but remember that having lots of great fruit and veggies at home makes for better eating habits! And then, of course, there is the garden and Farmers' Markets. We encourage you to garden and to attend your local Farmers Markets! Buy from the farmer fresh on Saturday or Sunday and get a fresh Box from Share on Tuesday through Thursday.

Generally, our Singles Box feeds 1-2 people per week. Our Orchard Box feeds 1-3 people per week. Our Family Box feeds 2-4 people per week. The Local Box often has more veggies than fruit and feeds 1-3 hungry people per week. To see the current Boxes click on Browse the Store, then select Produce Boxes.

Can I customize my Box?
Within the framework of what is offered each week you can make choices and/or make unlimited changes on our order program at your CURRENT ORDER page. You can go in and make changes to your Current Order as often as you want before the deadline for final changes. You will receive an email confirmation after each session.

What is my Never Send list?
This is a list of modifiable produce that you do not want to be included in your Box. In case we need to do a last minute substitution to your order (for example, if the deer have eaten all the peas at the farm!) we consult your Never Send list so that we don't send you something you would rather not have. To create or modify your Produce Preferences log in here and click Produce Preferences from the top-most menu.

What if I don't like a certain vegetable?
You can substitute another item yourself online, or set up items you NEVER want sent in the Produce Preferences window. Then if you do not have time to customize your Box yourself, we will do it for you! Your positive preferences (set as "Always") assist us with making the substitution for you.

What if I forget to customize my Box before the deadline?
We will customize the Box for you based on your Produce Preferences. You can indicate which products you NEVER want and those you ALWAYS want, and we will do it for you.

What is a Standing Order? How is that different from a Current Order?
Our most popular option is the STANDING ORDER. You choose the Produce Box best suited to your needs and how often you want to receive it (weekly, every two weeks, or once a month).  Then it will come automatically unless you tell us otherwise.
The Current Order is what will arrive in the coming week.

Do I have to order online?
No, you do not have to order online, using the website. You can phone 250-595-6729 or fax 250-595-6721 your order as soon as the produce listings are available every Thursday evening. We send an email reminder the Thursday prior to your delivery.

You can also simply reply to that email indicating your changes. Please indicate your full name, delivery day and Produce Box size when you phone or fax your order. A late cancellation fee of $15.00 will apply to cancellations made after the deadline.

I live in an apartment. Can I still receive deliveries?
Yes! We have many customers who live in apartments. In case you are not home, we need a way to deliver your order.  The most popular and secure option is to get us a key to the front door, and then we deliver to your suite door.

Apartment-dwelling Share Organics customers have also asked us to deliver their orders to:

• another tenant in the building or the apartment manager
• a close-by neighbor in a house
• a secure outside spot (like a covered driveway or behind a specific car)

You know your building and community best! Let us know if there is something that would work for you.

There is also a Thursday evening downtown apartment route that delivers between 7-9pm. The only hitch is that you must be home to accept delivery during that time - we are closed the following Friday and Saturday.

When will my order be delivered?
Your order will be delivered on Tuesday, Wednesday OR Thursday depending on where you are located. TO FIND YOUR DELIVERY DAY go to New Customer Sign Up and choose your area.  Please contact Share Organics to find out the approximate time of your delivery. Currently we deliver in Greater Victoria, west into Colwood and Langford, and north to Cordova Bay. We can deliver to your office if you live outside our area. 

Do I have to be home to receive my delivery?
No. We can give you a 3-hour time frame for your delivery. You tell us where to leave the bin in case you are not home. Deliveries are made in a Rubbermaid tote and are secure from rain and wildlife.

Will my order be safe outside?
Have your bin and payment out at your designated, shady, pick up / drop off spot first thing in the morning to ensure proper delivery. In the warmer months the delivery person will leave your Produce Box in a shady spot and include an ice pack to ensure the longevity of your produce.

How long do I have to get deliveries?
You can try us out with a Trial Box, a one-time delivery sent in a cardboard box. Otherwise you can order once, twice, hundreds of times and at any frequency! If you would rather not have a Standing Order, feel free to create a Current Order just when you would like a delivery. Click the link in the order reminder email that is sent to every active account on Thursday evenings and create a Current Order before the order deadline.

Is there a delivery charge?
We offer free delivery with a Produce Box. Orders made a la carte need to exceed $45 in value for free delivery. The $45 minimum excludes bulk items (produce and dry goods from our Bulk Section) and dairy.

Do I have to pay the bin deposit?
We require a refundable bin deposit to ensure your veggies are delivered safe and sound! Some folks opt to leave out a cooler for us and we are able transfer the order with a fresh ice pack. We still need to charge the deposit in case the cooler is unavailable for some reason. We need to make sure you still get your delivery! The deposit is refunded back to you when you are finished receiving deliveries from us.

I need help using the ordering website. Can I get some support?
We would be happy to help you navigate the website, either by one-off questions or while on the phone in "real time." The best time to help you in "real time" is on Fridays, during our office hours, after the new Boxes and produce lists are posted. Please call us in the office or email us to set up a time. If Friday doesn't work for you please let us know and we'll try to set up another time for Saturday.

When is the deadline for changes/order cancellations?
The deadline for changes is Sunday at 9:00 AM for Tuesday and Wednesday deliveries and Tuesday at 9:00 AM for Thursday deliveries. Changes cannot be made on the website after the deadline. Please call us with any emergency requests. We will try to accommodate your changes.

A late cancellation fee of $15.00 will apply to cancellations made after the deadline and before 12:00 noon the day prior to delivery. At that point in time we cannot change the order but can redirect it as a donation to the Cool Aid Society.

Why won't the website let me modify my box?
The Local Box is not modifiable and neither are the seasonal supplement boxes (the Small Fruit Box and the Harvest Box).

If you have set your Produce Preferences, your Never Send items will be removed and replaced with something else comparable. The Singles, Orchard and Family Boxes are fully modifiable. If it is still before the deadline for order changes (see previous FAQ) please email us and we'll try to resolve the issue.

I'm having a hard time eating everything in the Box. What should I do?
Try receiving a Box every second week, or splitting a Box with a friend.

Can I have a particular fruit or veggie every week?
Available fruit and vegetables change from week to week! You can add your favourite fruit or veggie to your Produce Preferences as an ALWAYS Send and we will add it to your Box if it needs filling and when the product is available.

What if I am not satisfied with the produce?
We guarantee our products! If you are not satisfied with some of the produce that you received, be sure to get in touch with us so we can replace those items for you. We will also try to keep you in touch with how fresh, organic, living produce behaves through the different seasons so you'll know what to expect. An example: Organic winter storage crops tend to sprout and will not keep as long!

How can I pay for my order?
You can pay by cash, cheque, credit card or through online or phone banking with most of the major banks and credit unions. Credit Card details can be added on the "Your Account" page on the website.

Share Organics operates on a C.O.D. (cash on delivery) or prepay basis only. When you are paying by cheque, make your cheque payable to 'Share Organics' and leave it out inside your empty bin.

What is a meat or cheese adjustment?
Some meats and cheeses arrive in different weights. We have to build your invoice before we can select your specific chicken cut (or other meat or cheese). That's why we have to do an adjustment on the next invoice. It's important that you are charged the correct amount.

If the adjustment on your invoice is $1.84, that means your meat or cheese was $1.84 heavier than the amount we originally charged you. (-$1.84 means that the piece was lighter than the average). 

Why was there a substitution in my Box this week?
It can happen that at the last minute the farmer was unable to bring enough of their crop to fulfill all our needs. Often they bring something else to compensate. Another occasion can be when we get produce from further away. If it was not shipped in the correct conditions it may not arrive up to our standards and we'll opt to substitute a different item instead of sending it out. Our policy is to substitute anything that is inside a Produce Box. Items that are added outside of a Box are credited.

How do I skip a delivery?
To postpone or cancel your Produce Box for awhile go to the website and sign in. Select "Skip a Week" from the menu options along the top. Tick off the deliveries you would like to skip. If phoning or emailing in your holidays please indicate when we should resume deliveries.

How should I store this produce?
Check out our information on Produce Storage.

I need help using the produce!
Check out our recipe section. Items are listed under the vegetable or fruit but don't be afraid to sub in different leafy greens or change something up and create your own recipe!

    

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