the co-op

Steve & I recently joined a co-op in Philly! It is Weaver's Way Co-Op and it is just a few miles away. We went to the orientation meeting tonight, but we've been able to shop there since last week when we signed up for the meeting. It is a community-owned market, and the members own it instead of a big business--they buy wholesale and there's not a huge mark-up like there is in supermarkets. It's $30 per household, per year for an "annual investment" up to $400 and then it maxes out. If we move away or decide not to be members anymore, we get the money back. They have local and/or organic produce, dairy, breads and meats (of course, only Steve takes advantage of the meats!) whenever possible, and the prices are soooo much better than the supermarket. Examples: in the grocery store, a pint of yummy grape tomatoes is $3.99, at the co-op they are $1.69. In the grocery store, a quart of strawberries is $3-4, at the co-op they are $2.19. Tonight, I got a bag of freshly picked spinach for $1.99 and usually it would be about $3.99 in the grocery store. AND they have all sorts of freshly roasted fair trade coffee starting at $7.99/lb and usually I've seen fair trade coffee for $10.99/lb or more! The dairy is really good too--since last week, we've gotten a few quarts of milk they buy from a farm nearby, and I got really good, fresh half & half for my coffee. :-) (it's all about the coffee...an essential "nutrient" for moi!) They also have some shelf items (cereal, jams, frozen foods, etc) for convenience too, and those are a little better in price than the grocery store but not as much as the fresh stuff.

I just like the philosophy of a co-op: doing things cooperatively (ah ha! hence the name! LOL), creating a community of members and being committed to the larger community, and committed to making environmentally responsible choices.

If you're interested in learning more or finding a co-op in your neighborhood, check out the Co-op America website

stepping off my soapbox... :-)