GR Food Co-Op

[gunder14]

Wondering if anyone out there is getting the ball rolling with a food co-op anywhere around uptown..?

[egrguy]

Wondering if anyone out there is getting the ball rolling with a food co-op anywhere around uptown..?

Not quite uptown, but we went with friends when we were in town.

West Michigan Co-op

[twoshort]

we're members of the west michigan co-op, it's pretty slick.

[twoshort]

We're members of the co-op, it's a nice system. We just signed up for the Visser Farms CSA which does pick ups on Wednesdays at the Fulton Street Farmers Market.

Visser Farms CSA

[egrguy]

I wonder how the Co-op will handle the opening of the new Farmers Market on Division, I have to assume a lot of the same vendors will frequent both locations and some may choose the flexibility of the market over the once a month system at the co-op.

[tonyspeller]

A city the size of, and as progressive as Grand Rapids should have no problem having the farmers market and co-op exist side by side. The small rural town of 12,000 that I live in has a (large) food co-op, two weekly summer farmers markets (one with around 60 vendors), a winter farmers market, many many CSAs... and most surrounding towns have their own farmers markets, two of which have very successful food co-ops as well.

I also think that GR could have a pretty successful physical food co-op store if one is ever built. Is there anything preventing the members of the West Michigan Co-op from banding together to make a physical store? I'd love to see that happen.

[tonyspeller]

Well, it looks like nobody has participated in this thread in a while. If whoever is interested in inspiring a GR food co-op, I think that it is really needed. This is coming from a GR native who unfortunately no longer calls the city "home."

If anyone is interested in learning how GR's food co-op could be, based on it's size and progressive nature... check out the co-op in the small mountain town where I currently live. it has a long history, and a lot to give budding cooperatives.

http://brattleborofoodcoop.com/

Glad to see that people are interested in this.

[elcelc]

I keep seeing this topic at the top of my screen and think it's time to update the most current post from 2012 (!)

Grand Rapids Food Coop Initiative has had a couple write-ups lately...

https://www.facebook.com/GRFCI