Membership fees
A nominal standard rate applies for membership, regardless of the area planted or berry species. This is to cover basic administrative costs and basic soil science and environmental assesments that apply to all planted areas.
Planting costs
Members purchase their organically grow berry shrubs from the cooperative either from personal preference or in coordination with the value-added product needs. The number of plants, planting labour, monitoring, and harvest costs are calculated into the price. As a not-for-profit organisation, all costs are without added margin and calculated openly for membership approval.
Fences and predator protections
Once the number of plantings is agreed to, any added needs for fences, bird netting, or other protections is calculated and materials made available through the cooperative at the same no-added-margin formula as the plants. The installation of any barriers or protections must be in alignment with organic standards and regulations.
Access to planted areas
The cooperative's oversight and labour crews should have regular access to the planted areas. This is to ensure the success of the harvest, periodic pest controls, pruning, harvesting, and organic standards compliance.
Transparency
Members may, at any time, request a review the operational records of the cooperative. All costs, fees, prices, schedules, and other operational details are available to the membership as a matter of the founding policy statement.
The members of the Cashel Bay Horticultural Cooperative are landowners who provide plots and fields for the growing of appropriate berry crops. The cooperative assures the compliance with organic regulatory standards and certifications to achieve a maximum market return. As a coopertative, the group coordinates the berry plantings with the value-added products we create for a maximum return on investment. The result is additional income for the membership, support for our communities from products sales, and the diversification of our local economy.