Co-op forum, you can now submit interest threads

We now have the process completed that allows members to submit an application to launch an "INTEREST" thread. You can find the link at the top of the co-op forum page.

The process for applying to operate a full co-op will come soon.

Just found this/these concerns and it sounds like what you are doing is GREAT!!! Thanks, Carol

Just read the new rules and sounds good.

i have submitted an interest thread twice but have been declined for the content of my interest thread. at least that is what i got from instructions that were too vague for me. I MAMAJACK was approved to do a co-op but what i said and the way i said it was not. are we not allowed to have a personality? are the new interest threads going to be rote without personality? why? at least this is what i got from the reason i was declined.

i don't want to start my co-op until the first week of sept. but i thought i'd go ahead and get the approval work done. glad i did because i can't seem to hit upon the formula that the committee is wanting. if you want it to look like what you are thinking about and ONLY your way then you need to say so. i won't like it but i'll do it because it's the rule.

but i have other things to say as well. i also want to do an amaryllis co-op with bleek. i asked bleek if i could because i want some new amaryllis and my budget will look better if i don't have extra shipping charges. to do a co-op with bleek is like doing a co-op with denise. they do most of the work. they do their own shipping. and they have both been members of LONG STANDING. they are both well respected so why can't they be allowed in on threads of their own co-op? surely reputations of their caliber should be rewarded. and why couldn't i run denise's and bert's co-ops at the same time? some rules shouldn't be written in stone and according to circumstances should be waived. i think this is one of them.

well that's what i am thinking up to this point. just wanted you to know. barb

I have wondered myself if people have just lost interest, or was this a way to let it die a natural death.

Seems like since the change in procedures the forum has dried up.

However, in looking at other threads it appears that folks have found a way around that and are having their auctions etc. with making up their own rules. Guess that way admin doesn't get the complaints?

I don't know why the interest has dried up. The rules are basically the same, but people now have to apply to post a new thread. Maybe that formality is scaring some off.

Nevertheless, co-ops have always been a difficult thing for us, and this is the only way we can keep co-ops on DG. The alternative is that we just shut the whole co-op forum down, and I know that people won't like that. :)

jnette.........if we let it dry up it will. i for one have no intention of doing that. where there's a will there is a way girl. we all need to get back into our positive modes and get a can do attitude. you wanna host a co-op? i'll help you all i can. i'm feelin' ready to wrangle with that co-op committee again anytime you are. here's winkin' atcha.

No thanks mamajack. Not after what I have seen. And I am too far away from anyone else to get any help with packing and distributing. Plus all, or at least most, of the vendors for these things are on the east coast or the south.

Susie R. had her coop on the watering cans the most organized and run the best I have had anything to do with. I was a participant only. And before that Maggie had one on mychorizie. lol, there I go again Maggie, I spelled it wrong. But Maggie did a real good job.

The only way to run one is where the vendor does the mailing. I don't know how they do that, but that's the way to work it. I have seen pictures of host's houses with the boxes strung from one end to the other. Good grief I am surprised they don't end up divorced. Maybe they already are.

Jeanette

well all i know is there is someone out there who is kicking it around. they just need to come forward. there will be lots of people that would help.

What most folks are forgetting is the co-ops really haven't dowe d down. I t just looks that way. Lastyear this time, ther e wa s the dafs.. caldium.. Peonies coops all going on. All thos e same coops have either been done or were moved to the classifie d ads and copmpelete d there.

Thsi is a very slow time of the year. With the economy so bad, grower s an d vendors didn't keep a lare inventory of stock this year. Nobody like s to have to toss plants and pot s at the end of each season. grower s cut back enormously. Most of us are just tryign to get rid of the fe w thinsg we had left from the season, which isn't much or is not of good enough uality now that it been picke d through to really offer up.

You have alot of folks, without jobsm and folsk who just had to purchas e school clothe s for chidlren and buy supplies. That a major chunk of already straped budgets. Sevral D;'er s are out of work and most folks knwo jobs are scare and unemployment doesn't last. Right now they dealign with keepign mortages and utlitlie s on adn witner coming early this year it seems so folsk are busy tryign to get what they have protecte d and the big thing is Holidays are comign up.

Folsk are worried about havign enough money for heatign bills, which fuel has nto goen down at all for hoem heat even though the pumps may have. Folks are starting to try and get little things and odds adn ends to start hiding in hope s of havign Christmas for their friends and families.

Coops realy don't pickign up again til in January. If you would notice. Lot s of foplks have move d over to the classifie d ads. That plac e busie r than I have seen it in a long time. It just seems dead on the coops becaus e folsk are use d to seeing old thread s constantly up their and maybe folks chatting or askign questiosn or something on thos e threads.

With so many folks on the classifie d ads now, you onyl see the ad for two weeks and then it gone unless it re pruchased. Folks are use d ot seeign busy threads and with the classifie d ads all the chatte r is now behidn the scenes so it just make s the coops look bare.

Folks just need to giv e things time. The coops that would drag through the fall months are on classifie d and it to early for alot of the spring coops just yet.

I sure that when things get rolling for folks and they get through the crunch of everyday lif e an dworryign abotu jobs and th eholidays over, you wil see folks ready to start up co-ops again, but right now lif e just taking a major toll on most folks.

One thing I think everybody should do and this just my opinion and I was wrong too, which is why I removed my post.

The thread dave starte d over in the coops forum with the new rules. If all of us who poste d would have been smart e would have come here from the beginign to post any comments, questions and such and just left that thread alone.

I personalyl feel that evrybody who has poste do their shoudl remov e their post and if nee dbe post here and just let that thread Dave starte d be just it. The rule sof the coops.

There alot of newbie s and alot of well respected coops hostesses and when you look at that htread , you cna read the rules and decide how best to proceed, but I don't see to many folks wantign to step up with all the chatter on there good and bad.

If everybody remove d their posts and just left Daves than maybe their woudl eb more folks interested in hostign a coop, onc e the main season starts again, or maybe some of the newbie s tryign smaller ones for other items, but all them posts probably got t hem shakign in their garden boots.

I see some of the ame problems developing in the fact that folsk aretryign to gently push othe r folks into hosting coops they not ready for . That wil caus e problems down th eroa d again , which is why it a good that the committee is in place.

There oodle s of vendor s on Dg. If nobody ready or in a position right now to do coops then might I suggest ya contact vendor s and ask then to do classifie d ads. Soem may say yes, some may say no. But it just not the season right now for alot of things. Time is to short for the season now with many folsk already havign frost. It muclhign time. Tiem to be gettign covers in place to protect plants, mulching beds and doign the many things to get ready for I fear and early and ba d winter.

So, have patience. I know their soem folsk workign on ideas for coops but some of them it just not the right season. Ther e folks working on classifie d ads and market place ads too. There three shoppign palce s o Dg and everybody just has to check all of them all the time and you wil find some good buys. I knwo I been shoppign myself on classifie d and market palce for things I personally wanted. : )

Fall witner coops are slow normally and classfie d ads are busy as folsk have Iris and Daylilei s and such they ready to dig and sell now. It just that tiem of the season.

What is that old kungfu saying. Patience little grasshopper. LOL Your coops will come again when timing is right.

Guess I'll go over to ebay for the winter then.

Starlight you make some good points here. However, posts made on that other thread that ask for clarification of the rules or feedback as to how the new rules are affecting the ability to host a co-op seem to be appropriate on that thread. I will review my own posts and see if any should be removed.

I do feel that this whole new process has stymied co-ops. Not all co-ops that would have occurred moved to the classifieds. There have been opportunities missed as some folks have taken a wait and see approach, but that is natural whenever major changes are made.

Well Stormy, Dave insists there are no changes other than a little formality. Please see his post right after my first one. About the 5th one from the top.

Jeanette

Now that Dave and the committee have agreed to rescind the one major rule change, people are starting to look into hosting co-ops. I doubt that we will see a lot of them right away for the all of the reasons that Starlight stated also because it is now late in the season. But judging from what I've seen on the threads and the dmails I've recieved, people are very excited about this change. It's very encouraging to see DG respond to the member's feedback in this fashion.

I hope someone hosts another Novosel Enterprises Co-op in the near future. I can't remember who hosted the one last year but I need more little bulb pans and 6" hanging baskets!

Lin, I didn't see that one!! What was it? How did I miss it? I think that is a problem with the format where there are so many interest, chat, and order threads all mixed in together on one thread, forum, or whatever you call it.

Jeanette

It was last October, hosted by dragonfly53.

Wow, I didn't see that at all.

Plantladylin, Why don't you write to Dragonfly and see if she might consider doing another? This might be a good time of year for vendors to be offering attractive pricing.

it sounds so good to hear this kind of talk again. funny that one little rule could stifle so much creativity. lol.

now co-op committee...........i know some of us told you that that was what we wanted but we didn't really mean it. so thank you for letting us change our minds. i am looking forward to working with yall again. wink wink.

Yes lin, I would love to see what you are talking about. Just in time to get a jump on Christmas gifts too!!

Jeanette

I would love one on the Atlas gardening gloves again!!!!! Mine are all used up!!!

You know, I absolutely refused to ever use gloves, I love the feel of the soil on my hands. However, since everyone raved so much about these gloves, I decided to try them. Haven't taken them off yet. : )

I would do some measuring tho if you order. They run big and you want these to fit good. Not loose. Another good coop.

Jeanette

I did find that too, Jnette...next time I think I will get small, except i like the fingers to be long enough!!!!!

If you like the mediums why not get those and one pair of the small to try them? Listen to us!! talking like we have a coop going!!

I always thought I had large hands. Boy after getting those gloves I sure don't.