Get Local! Join a co-op, save money and eat better!

Hi all -

Last night I was placing my food co-op order and I wondered how many states/communities have co-ops of their own. I thought it might be a good idea to open a thread where people could link the co-op in their area.

So here's how I think we should do it - mention the state that you are in and post the website for your local food co-op. If someone has already posted for your area star their post - no need for duplicates. If you are in a different part of the state please specify your general area and post a link to the local co-op. I really, really hope we can build a comprehensive list of the majority, or all of the co-ops in the USA. I would love to see ATS members become a little more independent, a little healthier, a little more active in their communities. =]

If you don't know what a co-op is:

A food co-op is a group of people that pool money to buy food at wholesale prices. These are non-profit organizations that rely on a very small annual membership fee ($5 in my area) and volunteers to help pick up, unload, and distribute food. In my area we have rotating pick up sites, and volunteers like myself deliver to homebound people two Saturdays a month. There are many other ways to volunteer as well, you can do office work, distribute food at the pick up spot, hand out fliers, etc.

My goal with this thread is to help people become more aware of local programs that not only will save them money, but support local farmers and their own communities. The quality of food tends to be much better too!

So anyway, I hope the other foodies on ATS will help me out with this one. I would love to see the major chains go out of business. I know we can all buy healthier and cheaper if we work together - I've been doing it for two years now. The most common complaint I hear from people when they talk about making better food choices is the expense. Food co-ops not only mitigate the financial problem but they make your community stronger in so many other ways.

Salt Lake County area, Utah

www.thecommunitycoop.org...


GOOD STUFF GREAT PEOPLE DELICIOUS LOCAL FOOD WOOO!

reply to post by TinkerHaus


I spent most all of my entire life on a farm , we grew our own veggies , grass fed beef , free roam chickens and hogs . We (hand , no milking machines ) milked our own milk cows , churned our own fresh butter . We purchased very little from the grocery store , just the basics . Heck , we even did most field work with mules as upkeep for a mule is cheaper than a machine . If not for our love of trucks/cars , air conditioning , television and electricity we would could be accused of being Amish .

And like my family , there were many other families like ours , BUT times have changed and no one raises beef cattle , hogs or chickens anymore , the gardens are smaller and for personal use (our gardens were for our entire family of aunts , uncles , cousins etc; etc) . City folk have moved out into the country were I grew up , tore down old country homes/barns/sheds/coops and built sprawling eye sores to get away from the noise and the rat race and allowed the beautiful country side to become over grown .

I would love to have a co-op in my area , I hate grain fed beef , caged birds , hydroponic veggies and so on and so forth . But it is my understanding that how a co-op works , it is local veggies , fruit , berries , eggs , beef etc; etc; . We no longer have the farmers who raise these products on a large enough scale to make a co-op viable in my area . Everything would have to be shipped in and we would truly not know what we are getting .

anchorage alaska

organicalaska.com...

reply to post by whenandwhere


What is your area? I would be happy to look around and see if there is something..

I too grew up in an environment where we raised/grew most of our own food. To this day I keep a garden, and only buy local meats. Maybe with a little research we can find a local source of quality meat and produce for you.. I agree the stuff in the store is borderline poison.

The other day I went to buy some organic milk and they didn't have any, so I said to my brother "Why don't they have organic milk? This other stuff is straight poison!" and the lady who was getting the cheapest, crappiest milk available looked at me like I was Satan or something. I was only trying to help!

At the very least I bet we could find a farmer's market in your area - another great choice for eating great and supporting your local farmers. =]

In my area of midcoast Maine, we have a program through Goranson Farms called a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) basically you buy into the farms start up costs for the season and are allowed to pick up fresh food as the season goes along...I am unsure of a co-op in my area?? I'm off to look for one!! Here's the link to Goranson Farms home.gwi.net...
Just found a co-op for Maine...I do not, and have never used it myself, so I can not give an opinion, but for anyone else who would like to check it out, here's the link www.portlandfoodcoop.org...

Well we have 3 states so far, 47 to go. Just wanted to give this thread a little bump - if need be I will compile a list when I get home from work tonight and post a new thread.. I'm hoping I don't have to. =(

reply to post by TinkerHaus


We do have a couple of farmers market where I can get fresh veggies and can sometimes find a few eggs from free roam chickens (though that is a crap shoot as the eggs go fast) , so that is a plus . But grass fed beef and raw milk , that is the problem .

reply to post by TinkerHaus


California here, as in Southern California - Los Angeles county. I have been a member at Co-Opportunity Co-op for over 20 years. Great produce, a newly expanded bulk foods section (plus they give you a 10% discount when you buy bulk foods by the sack), they make sandwiches to order, and lots of the natural food items I need:

www.coopportunity.com...

Arizona:

www.organicstorelocator.com...

Staying local for this is a very good thing IMO. The food is great and you get to meet some pretty good people as well.