Comments on: The Pros and Cons of Joining a Local Food Co-op

By: Save Money Hound

Save Money Hound — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:37:35 +0000

I joined a CSA recently and find that it works well. It provides the benefit of a weekly box of fresh organic certified vegetables at a reasonable price. I like the weekly surprise of seeing what is in your box depending on the season and also the challenge of deciding what to cook!

By: kelligirl

kelligirl — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:21:25 +0000

Just wanted to say that we joined a CSA here in Kansas City area this year. We paid a $25 fee to register which came with 2 large reusable grocery bags, your choice of an apron or T-Shirt and a very thick cookbook. I choose whether to pick up my order on Mon. pm or Sat. am and I must let them know ahead of time if I will not be picking up my order. It is convenient–however, not really cheaper than buying organic in the store. Ours is not just veggies but has included milk, cheese, tofu, sausage, bacon, steak, honey, zum soap,etc. While I have enjoyed it and I like the surprise aspect of what I get each week (some things I simply would never have purchased) and there is a table where we can trade in items for other similar point value items, I do not think that we will participate next year despite my desire to help local farmers. I think that it is a shame that the pricing is not comparable to the supermarket, but as we pick up at a high end grocer it could be that there is a mark up for the grocer–don’t know this for a fact.

By: emily edmonds

emily edmonds — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:38:58 +0000

I joined a co-op in my town recently and signed up for the seasonal basket, it was about $1,200.00 (do the math that is $100/month for produce). The fees to join the co-op are about $35.00 a year. I think if you’re going to volunteer, that fee should be waived, but they don’t at mine. I don’t think I’ll ever be doing it again, their claims that it will save you money are completely bogus. The food at the co-op is not always local either, sometimes it’s brought in from nearby California and they call it local. It is a huge hassle to get to the co-op during their narrow pick-up window (when the rest of us have real jobs), and if you miss it you don’t get your money back instead they give your food to charity. I thought it was a good idea but I really don’t think co-ops are all that they’re cracked up to be, honestly I think it is just a bunch of hype on the next grocer trend. There are of course some really good co-ops in Portland and San Francisco that are better than mine, but this is the last year I’ll ever do it.

I would recommend farmers markets instead. The prices there are expensive for organic, but they are still cheaper than a co-op and a lot more accessible/convenient. Unlike co-ops, you don’t have to pay a fee to go to the farmers market. They also have more local produce available and you get to talk to the farmers directly.

Finally, if you have your own garden, I would recommend growing your own food. I frequently go to my boyfriend’s house to get herbs for my kitchen, so I don’t have to spend $4.00/herb packet at the store.

By: Savings Accounts Girl

Savings Accounts Girl — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:56:09 +0000

You can always grow some easy growing vegetables in your garden. My parents grow most of their vegetables in the garden.

Sometimes if you can bargain – you can get a good deal on produce from local farmers. But usually it’s pricey. Everyone these days are buying into the “go green” movement and it actually costs a bit more than they realize.

By: The Happy Rock

The Happy Rock — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:16:38 +0000

We recently just ended our stint in a coop for the winter. We paid $32 a week for a box of organic fresh veggies and fruits that varied each week. We did get a little choice each week, although some things could not be subbed. The price was pretty much the same as the grocery store, although the more you bought the cheaper it got.

We are now in a organic CSA for the third straight year and the cost savings there is extremely good. We get a box of crop each week and they have two 4 our pick up slots each week. We are paying about $10-15 a week if my math is correct. The variety is awesome, although it takes some work to use it all, especially the wide varieties of leafy greens.

At this point we are hooked. The cost, healthy, and interest factors are all huge benefits.

Finally the local farmer’s market is around every Saturday and some stands are much cheaper than the store, and some stands are much higher priced.

By: Cash Back Rewards

Cash Back Rewards — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:12:41 +0000

Jeremy it sounds like you just only have access to a very small co-op. In your circumstances it probably doesn’t make sense to shop there. At the co-ops I have been, they were just like regular grocery stores and I think their prices were comparable.

By: pays to live green

pays to live green — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:28:58 +0000

I actually joined a local CSA and paid an initial amount of money to get produce for the entire year. The prices I pay for all the produce I receive is far cheaper than I could possibly spend at the grocery store. That’s a little different that a co-op, but I think it’s a great investment as long as you eat lots of produce. In general, some farmer’s charge similar prices to what you would find in grocery stores, but usually local produce is organic and tastes way better.

By: Rosa

Rosa — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 04:13:26 +0000

Jimmy, when I was on a super-tight budget (mostly dumpster diving, plus brown rice & cheese) was when I joined a coop. They do fill up the store with high-margin stuff, to stay in business – I’ve belonged to a coop that catered to the frugal and health conscious, and it is now no more.

The benefits, if these apply to you:

Being able to buy exactly as many of something as you want – one carrot instead of a bag, four potatos, half an ounce of a spice you only use rarely. (one time, we bought 3 bay leaves for 5 cents – they didn’t even register on the scale so the checker said “a nickel?”)

Bulk. Rice, dry beans, oatmeal, barley, flour – if you base your diet on whole grains, you’re going to be eating cheap, but the variety & quality at the coop are going to be better, unless you have good ethnic grocers near you.

Scratch & dent – most coops are more careful about waste than mainstream grocery stores, and have a discount bin of produce that’s getting imperfect. It’s the best source of fruit for drying or saucing, and if you’re willing to say “dinner is whatever we can make out of what’s in the scratch & dent” you can eat healthy, fresh food for very cheap.

Volunteering – for a while when I was super broke, I did my volunteer shift in the deli, and got to take home a *lot* of food at the end of shift. That’s going to vary by coop, of course.

Now, none of these may apply to you – if you’re feeding several people or don’t cook from scratch or eat a lot of animal products.

(Diana – New Pioneer? I have a special place in my heart for New Pioneer, and they refunded my membership when I moved away, which was nice ’cause I was broke.)

By: Diana

Diana — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:34:47 +0000

The co-op here we have (Wisconsin) is more like a regular grocery store, anyone can shop there, but certain items only members get a discount. Membership fee can be paid at $25/yr for 8yrs, or one time fee of $200 for just one card.

I have joined other co-ops for $60 (Iowa) and $80 (Seattle) that get me two cards. When I left the Iowa one, I got my membership fee back…not sure if it works the same everywhere, but just something to keep in mind.

Since $200 is a lot more than other co-ops I’ve joined, I never joined this one but simply shop there when I need fresh vegetables or organic meat.

By: Jen

Jen — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:01:17 +0000

It’s possible that the food in the grocery store comes from large, corporate farms that can sell at a bulk discount. At least, that’s what popped into my head when you detailed the price difference.