Latest Neighborhood Produce Co-op Haul

Co-op Haul

We had a great co-op haul this past week! And many thanks to the ladies who did our shopping. They did an incredible job! Since we have had an early cold snap here in the deep south (60's in September is unheard of !) I made some delicious tomato soup with the tomatoes and made some cheese toast to go with it. It was so good! I do hope we will get a few more tomatoes before the end of the season.

A basket of fresh produce will last a family or 3-4 about 2 weeks.

Our co-op is a very simple one. We pay $15 per basket. A large family may get 2 baskets. A small family, like ours (we are now empty nesters) may need to find someone to share with. A full basket will last a family of 3-4 about 2 weeks.The shopping is done 2 times a month. All of our members take turns doing the shopping. Everyone gets an opportunity to shop 1-2 times a year. The shopper(s) get their basket for free the week that they shop. We also have an "Angel" basket. We are able to purchase enough to fill an extra basket to give to a family who needs a "blessing". All of the money collected for the shopping is spent. It is a great way to economize and get those fresh fruits & veggies!

Some basket items may be purchased from wholesalers. Still fresh just not local.

There are several different kinds of co-ops. As I mentioned, ours is simple and inexpensive. I know of a couple of other co-ops that have only organic produce. They usually work directly with the organic farmers to provide the produce for their members. And still, so much cheaper & fresher than shopping in the local stores. Of course, working with local farmers, they will have locally grown produce. Our co-op is more of a combination. We purchase what is available at the market when our shoppers go. And we have to get there early!!!! I am talking before 6:00 AM. At 4-5:00 AM the selection is even better. The last time that I did the shopping I was able to get several cases of organic tomatoes and huge bushels of organic corn (all locally grown) for a very good price. I also purchased some of our basket items from local commercial farmers. Sometimes we find fresh items that are not local, but still great for our basket.

Below I have a YouTube of our latest haul:

And here is a link to a recipe for the parmesan crusted chicken w/zucchini that I mentioned in the video. I have made it several times and it is so good!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken w/Zucchini

Finding A Neighborhood Co-op

If I were looking for a co-op, I would first go to Facebook and Google to do a local search. Be specific. If you want organic, make sure you put organic in your search. You can even be specific about your city or neighborhood! 

Ask around. Find out from friends if they know of one. Ask around at your church or local community centers. As you are asking around, be sure to make a list of anyone you speak to that mention that they are also interested in a produce co-op. Hang onto that list because if you do not find a local co-op, that list will be a great start to a co-op!

This Haul Will Last Us At Least Two Weeks!

Starting A Co-op

• First you will need to determine what type of co-op you will be. All organic, combination, etc. 
• Recruit members. For decent hauls you will need a minimum of 10 committed members. These will be members who will participate in every haul. 
• While you may need a minimum of 10 members participating, you will need to max at about 30. When my family shops, we have had as many as 26 members and subs participating. We do not have a truck, van or suv. It takes us 3 cars (totally packed!) to transport the produce to the collection point.
• A sub list. These will be members who do not want to participate every time, but will be glad to fill in once in a while. 
• Schedule-Weekly? Bi-weekly? Once a month?
• Who will do the shopping? One person every time or each member take turns?
• Collection & basket drop-off point-you will need a place for that
• Price per basket-I am thinking that this may very depending on what area of the country that you live in. For instance, in winter months, we still get fresh produce from central & south Florida. 
• Do you want to break during holidays and winter months? We have found that there is low participation on holiday weekends, so we change the schedule to start back the following week. Winter months we will have hauls once a month and raise the price to $20 a basket. We still have plenty.
• Set up a communication system (We have a Facebook group page and a text system.)

Do you belong to a produce co-op? How does yours work? Please feel free to post, add links to your pages and hauls. Also, if anyone has any ideas on how to prepare Greek peppers (besides salad), please feel free to post. 😃