Organic Food Co opAn organic food co op is all about going back to the basics. The positives of doing this is that you will save money in the long term, you will eat healthier in more ways than one, and you will be helping the environment and your local farming economy.
The negatives are that you will spend more money and time on food in the beginning until you get organized and you will have to learn how to eat seasonally. No more nectarines in January! But do you really want to be eating nectarines in January when they are most likely coming from a farm in South America that may or may not be using chemicals and preservatives on their produce? A co op really makes you think about where your food is coming from.
The definition of a co op is a cooperative business where the customers and consumers of the food are also the ones who invest the money needed to buy the food. Usually, members buy shares in the co op and then the food is divided up according to how many shares they’ve bought. Many food co ops follow the 7 Cooperative Principles that are guidelines as to how the co op will run. How to Begin or Where to Find One in Your Area
First, you need to identify local sources of food. You can find them at farmer’s markets, look in the classfied ads, call your local county extension agent or look on the internet.
Next, you need to find a group of people interested in joining your co op. Ask your friends, family and business associates and then extend your search to include churches, homeschoolers, local and state chapters of environmental groups.
Then, you have to form an organizing committee to establish how the group will be run, how much it will cost to join and what services you will provide. The internet is a great tool to use to do all these steps since you can find resources, people and systems to copy on the internet .
If you'd rather just join one that's already established,
you can find an organic food co op in your area here.
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