Vegetable Co-op. Deal or Dud?


Feeding our families can be a stressful business! First we have to decide what to feed them, then load up in the car to go find it, and pray that you can find it organic and remotely affordable. I was leaving the store stressed out, over-budget, and little to show for it. Then we learned that a vegetable co-op was coming near our house. It just had to be the solution to all of my problems, right? Well almost…The co-ops are a great idea and certainly perfect for some families, but they may not meet everyone’s needs.

Here are the pros:

–       Organic and local! No more reading the tiny print with the place of origin in the produce section. The coops buy local first and then branch out for items that aren’t grown  locally. Everything was grown domestically.

–       Cost saving. This one is a little gray. If you shopped at the most expensive grocery stores and bought only organic items, then the co-op can save you money.

–       Time saving. The produce pickups are right in your backyard. You walk right up and they hand you a crate full of veggies. I also found it a little exciting to see what was going to be inside.

–       Exposure to new foods. We tried some new foods that we were not familiar with like rainbow radishes, rhubarb, beets, and various greens.

Now the cons:

–       Cost is also a con. You have to pay an annual membership fee in addition to monthly fees ranging from $60-$150 dollars depending on how much produce you want. The charges occur whether you need the food or not, ie: traveling, illness, surgery, people bringing you meals.

–       No control over the selection. While it could be a nice surprise, you may have none of things you need and a lot of things you don’t. We seemed to go through the fruit quickly, but back-up on veggies.

–       Subject to weather. We started the co-op last spring. It started great, but then when the drought kicked in the produce started to decline. Variety and quality went down. Now, at the same time, grocery produce was more expensive too, but at least they bring in the missing items that can’t be provided locally.

–       Pick-up constraints. Someone HAS to pick up the produce in the designated window. If you don’t show, your produce goes away.

So, is it a deal or a dud?

I think that verdict must be measured by each family. Depending on the size of your family and how you eat, this may be perfect for you. If you are making baby food or juicing, you might love the quantity and variety of produce. If cost savings is a major goal and you only by organic in the “dirty dozen” then you might be disappointed.

Well…are you interested? If so, here are some local options for you to explore.

Urban Acres

Your Health Source

Eden-Dallas

Anyone else have experience with a food co-op. How about non-produce items? I would love to hear your experiences!