Dried fruit in bulk is very affordable and can be purchased in 20-25 lbs quantities. It will take about 5 to 8 weeks for your order to arrive using this form of shipping, but the cost reduction is worth it. A group of willing members and one person that is willing to keep track of who ordered what. All money will be collected up front by this person and forwarded to the mill along with the order. The order will be dropped off at one place and a date and time set for everyone to sort out orders.
All orders are for whole bags only.
Trying to split bags is a real mess. The feed mill will be able to give you an idea what the shipping per pound will be. This form of co-op is very casual and does not require too much. Get a receipt book and give each member a copy of their order. You may also find that friends and family would like to get a 50 pound bag of hot cocoa, etc.