Interesting: "How Veggie Co-Ops and Ice Cream

[Flaxbee]

Collaboratives Could Save the Economy"

Every other Saturday in the winter, I head out to a bustling local-food bazaar, the pickup site of the multi-farm CSA I help run in North Carolina's Appalachian Mountains. A few weeks ago, I watched customers marvel over the spread: bok choy, kale, potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, free-range eggs, pasture-raised meat, freshly baked bread, and more. The rest of Appalachia, where the economy still sucks, seemed a world away. I couldn't help but wonder if the answer to at least some of our jobs woes didn't lie right in front of me.

Every year, Americans spend almost $1.2 trillion on food, equal to nearly a tenth of total US GDP. In most communities, the great bulk of that goes to fast-food chains and retail giants like Walmart—and doesn't do much for locals. As Minnesota-based economist Ken Meter puts it, "Our food system is extractive, sort of like mining."

Indeed. A series of case studies by the consultancy Civic Economics shows that for every dollar we spend at a large chain, about 15 cents stays in the area, while locally owned enterprises trap 30 to 45 cents. Locally owned food companies are often on the upper end of that range. That's because they tend to source their products from the area—unlike, say, local bookstores or boutiques, which generally buy their inventory from far away.

More: http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2012/06/local-food-business-jobs

[csziggy]

1. I plan to buy more at the food co-op I'm a member of

They buy as much as possible from local growers and the place is entirely member owned. Even their meats and dairy products are from local farmers.

Unfortunately, while I am getting these knees replaced and until I can reliably drive and shop, it is easier for my husband to shop at the chain grocery a couple of blocks from his job. They do buy most of their produce in state, but not locally.

[Flaxbee]

2. I need to make a better effort, too -- we don't have a co-op but we do have

some local markets ...

[csziggy]

3. This co-op was started by hippies back in the early 70s

They used to require that members worked there so I didn't join until recently though I did shop there often. Between college and then running the farm, I had no time to work at a store in town. They mostly sold bulk items originally, so a lot of college students joined and shopped there to get decent food cheap.

Later they started adding locally grown fresh vegetables and much later, responsibly raised meat and dairy items. Those last were very controversial since many of the active members were vegetarians. But it was decided that since not all members were vegetarian, the co-op should support local farmers who were trying to humanely and responsibly produce those things.

They finally realized about 2000 that the co-op would die if they kept the work requirement. Now you buy in and get a discount on what you purchase. They have full time employees and it has improved the place immensely - so much that they doubled the size of the place a few years ago.

We're also lucky that there are farmer's markets around town various places and days of the week. My problem is that it is not convenient for me to get to most of those often, especially in the morning when the selection is best.

[Flaxbee]

4. that sounds like a great resource... I really hope it

gets easier for you to move around and get in there some.

Sounds like they made a good decision - I'd buy in if we had that sort of option. I'm toying with the idea of trying to start a co-op here.

I don't eat meat anymore, mostly because the animals are treated terribly - in life and death. I've gotten beyond interest in having it, but stopped because I am so distressed by the meat industry. Such cruelty. I can't bear to eat suffering. Anyway - if the co-op served meat from animals that had been treated well, lived well, and were killed quickly and painlessly (as possible), I'd think that option would have merit. Same with humane dairy production.

Anyway. I hope the way this country produces and consumes food is changing.

[csziggy]

5. It's a terrific resource and I want to support it more

By the end of the year I will be able to get around more. One knee replacement done, second one is being scheduled.

We're eating less and less meat so the extra cost to buy locally grown humanely raised meat will not be as much of a hit as it would have years ago.

If you want to take a look at New Leaf Market, check out their website: http://www.newleafmarket.coop/ They have a detailed history on their About New Leaf page and you can look at some of the things they do to promote the store. I was off on some of their timeline, but that will give you the facts. It's instructive if you want to start a co-op this may give you some information.