We’re launching a local food co-op. Please come on board! Need a convenient way to do your weekly shopping without leaving town? Want to source local, fresh food year-round? Eager for an affordable grocery option that’s also right down the street? Sick of spending gas driving to pricey Whole Foods, Wegmans, Mom’s Organic, or Reading Terminal Market? Tired of waiting for summer weekends to hit a farmers market three towns away? So are we!
We invite you to learn more, as we enter the planning stages for the local food co-op we envision. You can get involved, and/or shop once it opens. In the meantime, there are ways you can help us—by joining a Facebook group for prospective members and following what we’re up to, both here and on social media.
A food co-op (short for “cooperative”) is an independent, community focused, grocery store owned by the community members who shop there - nourishing everyone according to their specific budget and cooking style
- A co-op provides the framework that allows people to get the food that they want in a way that better meets their economic, social and cultural needs.
- Co-ops prioritize investing in the community and often source as much produce, bulk foods, and packaged goods from local farmers and vendors as possible.
- Co-op groceries are places where you can often find the best local food, because they usually know their local farmers and family business owners by name.
And food co-ops show that good food is just the beginning of what people can achieve by working together.
More about this sustainable, nonprofit business model:
- Food co-ops are run by all of its members, collectively - people just like you! - who are passionate about giving back to their communities. The physical space often serves a valuable function as a community hub. Everyone is welcome to shop, eat and hang out at a food co-op and everyone is welcome to join by becoming an owner.
- The purpose of a co-op is to meet the goals and aspirations of its members and the community, and not to accumulate profit for owners or investors.
- Any surplus generated by a co-op is typically reinvested in the business or returned to the members as dividends.
- Individuals can choose to shop at their grocery co-op, become a member or even volunteer their time, talents and energy.
However you choose to get involved, supporting your local food co-op can be a great way to support healthy, ethical, and sustainable food for all.
For more information:
In the US, the Food Co-op Initiative (FCI) website provides resources and helps people get started setting up a food co-op. FCI aims to increase the number, success, and sustainability of new food cooperatives delivering access to healthy food in diverse communities across this country. It provides information, training, and technical assistance, as well as seed capital, and engages in research, to blaze, maintain, and improve the development path for new food co-ops.
Learn about some thriving local co-ops: Weavers Way Food Co-op; Mariposa Food Co-op; and, South Philly Food Co-op.
Complete this contact form for more info.