PrintDo you belong to a food co-op?
Soon I'll be single again (yay!), and I'm so ready to do all those things I yearned to do but he didn't. However, I will be moving (with a couple of four-legged friends) into a small house, I don't have children, I live in a rural area, and I will have a limited budget. Does it make sense for me to join a food co-op?
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6 Comments:
The year I went single, with companions, I joined an awesome organic food coop. Problem was, often working late the night of the pick up (and most anyother night...truly) but the fruit and veggies and flowers were fresh and wonderful and when it was time for picking up/out the next weeks bounty, the left overs would be chopped in the cuisinart and used to suppliment the next week of dog food. They ate better than me, actually, because I had little time to prepare my own meals they feasted on leftovers...and my companion animals were never healthier!
Would I do it again - plan to, if I ever have more time :)
tgchi at 10:06PM on 05/03/07
Only if you're friendly with your new neighbors and like to share.
hereandthe at 9:40AM on 05/04/07
I go to a food coop but sadly do not belong. They just don't carry enough of the things I like. They are coming along every year and eventually I think they will be very good.
JerzeeTomato at 10:32AM on 05/04/07
It depends. All co-ops are not created equal. The one I belong to in Washington has a $75 membership fee, but the discounts are few and far between (you get 5% off on the 5th of the month, and there are a few basic items that are cheaper for members). Joining was more about promoting the co-op than helping me, and that's fine. In NC, however, if I worked 3 hours a week (not an option in DC), I could get a much better discount, and volunteering was really fun.
Both of these co-ops, though, are stores open to the public. It sounds as though yours is the more traditional kind, where it's all about volunteering and outsiders can't buy there. I guess then you have to figure out whether it's worth your time and money.
emily20008 at 12:47PM on 05/04/07
This feedback is really helpful. Now I know what questions I need to ask the folks at the co-op--and myself. Thanks very much.
baboo at 12:12PM on 05/05/07
The Co-Op in Bellingham, WA, is fabulous. It is open to the public and is just like a regular grocery store, with breads, produce, dairy, wines, a deli counter, great cheeses, meats (Umpqua Valley Lamb - yum!), etc. My one gripe is that they don't always have the best olives in the world in stock, i.e., Castel Vetrano. It's hit and miss but worth the wait.
ChrisV at 4:47PM on 05/06/07