Alternative Solutions For Eating Well

This article was originally written for The New West

When the average North American sits down to eat, each ingredient has typically travelled at least 1,500 miles to get to the table. Canadians are paying a premium for transportation on out-of-season foods, often filled with pesticides.

Like many others, I want to eat well, but can’t always afford the extra dollars to buy organic food. My curiosity and concern led me to a discovery that there are things out there called food-buying co-operatives.

A food-buying co-op is a group of members finding opportunities to buy organic, locally-sourced foods, cooperatively, in bulk. Valerie Stephenson was looking for better buying opportunities when she got involved with her Calgary-based natural foods buying cooperative two years ago. Cindy Bablitz, a more recent member, initially got involved to save a few dollars feeding her family of five.

Bablitz and Stephenson’s co-op has been capped at thirty families, which equates to more than $100,000 per year spent on food. This does not include their produce, though Stephenson and her group are currently exploring other opportunities to bulk buy fresh produce from B.C. They also order grains from Lethbridge, nuts and coffee.

So how does it work? Each member is given a deadline to order food from the catalogue of their distributor. Stephenson then gathers all of the information on a spreadsheet and places one order with Horizon Distributors , also the wholesalers for Planet Organic Market . All orders are case-lots, which means the co-op pays a significantly discounted price. The shipping costs are divided equally among its members. Every other month, their shipment arrives and the participants come together with a blank cheque to divide and sort all of their food. Once the distribution is complete, the blank cheques are filled out and the amount for each family is posted online.

Anyone can start their own co-op, but if you do, both Bablitz and Stephenson suggest that you have clear guidelines in place before you begin:

1. Start Small. “Only do what you can manage,” says Stephenson. “Starting with a membership of six to eight families is a prudent choice. You still have enough buying power and are able to split cases, but may not experience some of the challenges involved with managing a larger group. You can grow from there if you are able and if you want to.”

2. Establish Clear Rules. Make sure members are aware of the expectations regarding participation, shipping, sorting and particularly payment. You will need to set up a bank account for the co-operative and arrange clear guidelines regarding payment. Members should also know that they are expected to participate with the distribution.

3. Location. It is important to have an area where you can comfortably sort your purchases. Stephenson and her group are fortunate enough to have a member with access to a community hall for $5.00 a day. For smaller groups, you can always start where any great enterprise in North America finds its roots—in your garage!

4. Have Members with Different Skill Sets. Stephenson has experience with spread-sheets and an accountant, for example, is a huge asset to a fledgling organization such as this.

5. Accept Members by Referral Only. Start with your friends and family. You need be able to trust the people you are dealing with.

6. Be Patient. Most co-ops encourage controlled growth. The logistics for a large versus a small group can be huge, and you can avoid the growing pains by remembering the old adage that slow and steady wins the race.

Does this sound like too much work? Well, it can’t be any worse than braving the aisles of Superstore on a Saturday. Bablitz says that belonging to a food-buying co-op has really opened her eyes. She explains that it is about understanding that there is a global cost to our consumerism, and that it is our choice—and even our privilege—to be concerned with food-buying ethics:

“I think what we're doing here, this grass roots collective cooperating on sourcing good food for our families at the best buying price afforded us is the kind of advocacy that can change the world. I really believe this.”“I first joined this cooperative to save a few bucks on my grocery bill ... but my reasons for staying are growing with each passing order we place.”