Friday, December 17, 2010

Food Co-ops

Our friend Rachel writes:


I have been able to save money by using a co-op to purchase high quality groceries, bulk organic grains, nuts, dried fruit and beans; some co-ops also offer fresh produce. Being part of a co-op allows you to purchase at discounted prices based upon the purchasing habits of the other people involved. There are also monthly sales that can reduce your costs even further and allow you to really stock up.

I recommend you call first to see if they deliver to your area,  then compare prices with your current costs, and find the coordinator. If you have more than one option, weigh the benefits of the two; for example, what kind of membership costs are involved? You may find it beneficial to use more than one.

It will be a little effort on the front end but the money savings and health benefits are worth the effort. With grain prices on the rise, now is a great time to plug-in to get your stock up.

The following information is about co-ops and bulk ordering companies that I am familiar with across the country; I personally use UNFI:


Country Life
Dutch Valley Foods
Walton Feed
United Natural Food (UNFI)

Frontier Co-op

Submitted by Rachel

**Currently, the operators of Penny-wise Women are not familiar with the use of co-ops, although we are thankful for this helpful information. As we learn more, we will add to Rachel's information. If any of you uses a co-op and can provide us with additional information, please do not hesitate to e-mail us.**

2 comments:

  1. A great co-op for fruits and veggies is Bountiful Baskets (http://www.bountifulbaskets.org ) whenever I buy a basket from them, we always end up with at least 2 weeks worth of fruit and vegetables. And their 9-grain bread is absolutely delicious too!

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  2. My friend also recommended Azure Standard. You have to create an account to see price information, but they have some GOOD STUFF! I will be placing an order today, and I'm so excited!!

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