Food Coops: Another Alternative to “Whole Paycheck” Many food coops focus only on organic foods. Food coops are community-based buying organizations that provide their members access to affordable food and produce. According to the Coop Directory Service, there are over 250 food coops all over America with all 50 states represented.1 Members can expect to save anywhere from 30 to 50% on groceries by purchasing food this way. In its most basic sense, a food coop is like a shopping club. You sign up, and then pay a membership fee or volunteer your time (or both, as every coop is different). In exchange you can purchase various food items at a greatly discounted cost. CSAs are growing in popularity, because they make buying local and organic produce more affordable than ever Coops have been around since 18th century Britain, where a few forward-thinking dockworkers banded together to create the first industrial coop. These men, by putting their time and money together, were able to bypass the middleman and buy their goods at wholesale prices. Here in America, food coops have been on the rise since the 1970’s. Lower prices are just one of many advantages of joining a food coop. Because coops are directly connected to their purchasing source, they’re run with more fiscal responsibility than their corporate cousins. Relationships are formed between the supplier and consumer, a step that is missing in traditional retail shopping. If a coop member has a problem with food quality, they can have the coop go directly to the source. Food coops often include social responsibility and community involvement as part of their mission. For instance, part of a coop’s operating budget may be used to give coop food vouchers to senior citizens or others who couldn’t afford to join their group in the first place. Some coops use their buying power to feed the homeless and donate their resources to local shelters. One of the greatest perks of a food coop is access to ecologically responsible organic produce. For instance, Deep Roots Grocery Coop in Greensboro, North Carolina offers free fruit and vegetables to members who have children under the age of 12 in the household.2 The very nature of food cooperatives means that members should expect to be involved in the work of running the coop. Different food coops will have different member requirements. For instance, your local food coop may ask that you volunteer a few hours of your time each year to help with pickups and deliveries. Or they may also ask you to attend an annual members-only board meeting so that buying policies and practices can be discussed. If you’re interested in finding a food cooperative in your area, go to coopdirectory. org to search for the closest coop in your state. The S.H.A.R.E. Program FS.H.A.R.E. stands for “Self Help and Resource Exchange” and is one of the longest running coop programs in the country (since 1983). Anyone can join; local affiliates are located throughout the country. Members are asked to volunteer for two hours of community service each month in exchange for membership. S.H.A.R.E. enables members to buy food packages (typically, one to two bags of groceries) at about half of supermarket cost. Packages include meat, produce, and staple items; the food is often (but not always) certified organic. To find your local S.H.A.R.E. affiliate, go online and search for “SHARE program” and your state. You’ll also find a wealth of information on how to start your own buying club or food coop.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Jun 2013 20:36:35 +0000
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