Why organic & FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

On this page we have compiled a list of answers to the most common questions we receive, including questions about organic produce and why it’s better for you.

What Does Certified Organic Mean?

Organic refers to the way produce is grown and processed. In Australia, certified organic produce must be grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) and petroleum based fertilisers. In organic agriculture, produce is grown using natural fertilisers such as manure and compost; weeds are controlled using crop rotation, hand weeding, mulching and tilling; and pests are controlled using natural methods such as birds, insects, traps and naturally derived pesticides.

Organic certification in Australia is performed by several organisations that are accredited by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). These organisations include NASAA Certified Organic, Organic Food, AUS-QUAL, Australian Certified Organic, Bio-Dynamic Research Institute (BDRI), Safe Food Production Queensland (SFQ) and The Tasmanian Organic Producers (TOP).

 

Why Eat Organic?

1. Organic produce is grown the way nature intended, that is with no toxic chemicals including synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, fertilisers or GMO’s.  This is undoubtedly better for our health and wellbeing as it is reducing our overall body burden of synthetic chemicals, which are now clearly linked to many diseases including cancer, autoimmune disorders, endocrine disorders and mental illness.  Although the conventional industry will claim that the amount of synthetic chemical measured on any one produce prior to it being eaten by the consumer, falls well within safe maximum levels known to cause toxicity, this does not take into consideration the longitudinal effect of consuming small amounts of chemical in nearly all conventionally grown produce and processed foods over a person’s lifetime. This is a very hard thing to measure and really comes down to common sense.  We are now exposed to so many synthetic chemicals in our life through plastics, air pollution, water etc., that minimising these in our fresh produce is a major way of reducing our total body burden and maximising our general health and wellbeing.  I stand by this belief wholeheartedly and it is what makes me such a passionate believer and advocate for organic produce.
2. Organic produce is fresher as it does not contain any chemicals which artificially prolong its shelf life (unlike conventional produce).  This means that organic produce cannot be picked and stored for long periods and is therefore delivered to the customer soon after it is harvested to maximise freshness.
3. Organic farming is better for the environment.  The use of natural methods to control weeds and pests means that soil health is maintained and less pollution is fed into the environment through synthetic chemicals. Farming without pesticides is also better for nearby birds, bees, animals and not to mention farmers.
4. Organic food generally tastes better.  This is a frequently reported observation from our customers, who say that the food ‘just tastes real’ unlike conventional supermarket produce.  The reason organic produce tastes better is that it is picked ripe, in season and delivered to the customer without prolonged storage.  Furthermore, the lack of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides means that the food often has a deeper, richer flavour. You’ll notice kids will start eating fruits and vegetables that they’ve previously rejected, simply because it tastes better!

Can I Customise My Box?

In an endeavour to keep the price of organic produce down and accessible to more people, The Gathered Green has decided not to customise boxes.  Fulfilling individual orders would require more time and resources, which would push the price of each box up.  Although we cannot make individual changes to the boxes, we are very open to feedback from customers regarding what produce they would prefer to see more or less of in the boxes.  If feedback is consistent, then we will make changes to our the box contents to better meet the needs of the group as a whole. Another option which has been utilised by some customers is to share and swap produce with neighbours or friends.  Occasionally customers in a specific region, liaise together to swap specific items to better meet their individual needs. This is a great way of building a community spirit and minimising waste.

 

I can’t remember my password - can I reset it?

You certainly can! Simply go to the Manage Account page, click on the ‘forgot password’ link and enter the email address you registered with. This will send a password reset email, from which you can follow the prompts.

 

How can I update my credit card details?

If you would like your payments to be made from a different card or your card details have changed, you can change them in your account.

Simply go to the Manage Account page, select ‘Subscriptions’ from the menu, then click ‘View’ on your active subscription. This will bring up the option to change payment. Fill out your new card details and click ‘Change Payment Method’.

Don’t delete your old card until after you have added the new one.

Please note the following:

• if your internet browser or antivirus is set up to remember your credit card details, you may have to clear or remove them when you update your card
• if you have multiple subscriptions, make sure you check them individually to ensure they all use the correct card
• if you will not be using your previous card, you can delete it after adding the new one by going into ‘Manage Cards’
• our website does not store your full credit card details, only the last 4 digits for identification purposes. Your details are securely sent to and stored by Pin Payments.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us should you have any problems.

 

My subscription payment failed - what do I do?

We understand that credit card payments can fail for a wide range of reasons.

The quickest solution for both of us, is for you to make the payment by purchasing a trial box of the type that matches your subscription. This will process a one-off payment with instant payment confirmation. You also have the option to use a different credit card for this payment.

If you are unable to make a payment this way, please contact us to discuss your options.

Please note that unfortunately we cannot simply withhold your box after your payment fails. This is because we source all produce fresh to order and by the time your payment fails that order has already been placed.

If you don’t require a box you will need to suspend your subscription by Wednesday the week before the week where you don’t require it.

 

I can’t update my credit card details, change my order or update my password

Sometimes when you are trying to make updates to your orders and you are having trouble it is related to your browsing history. To clear your browsing history follow the below steps;

Using Chrome:  In the top right corner of the browser you will see the below icon

1. Click this icon
2. Click Settings
3. Click Advanced
4. In Privacy, click Clear Browsing Data, then click Clear Browsing Data

Using IE: In the top right corner of the browser you will see the below icon

1. Click this icon
2. Click Safety
3. Click Delete Browsing History
4. Click Delete

This should clear your browsing history and enable you to proceed in making updates to credit card details, changing your order or updating your password.

 

 

I would like to put my subscription on hold

 

You can put your subscription on hold at any time. Please note that you will need to suspend your subscription by Wednesday the week before the week where you don’t require a box.This is because we source all produce fresh to order.

To Suspend your order, log in to your account, go to Subscriptions, select View, then select Suspend.

 

 

I would like to change my subscription

You can change or add to your subscription at any time.

Please note that any changes to your subscription need to be make by Wednesday the week before the week where you would like those changes to take effect.This is because we source all produce fresh to order.

To add a box to your existing subscription, log in to your account, go the Shop page and process a order for the box you would like to add.

To change your box to a different size or type, you will have to log in to your account, cancel the existing subscription, then go to the Shop page and process an order for your new subscription. The reason it has to be a new subscription is because we enter into a new financial agreement with you.