Why I Love the Co-Op

Yesterday (Saturday) morning, I went grocery shopping. Did I battle the throngs of people at the local grocery store who also do their weekly grocery shopping on Saturday mornings? No, I did not.

Rather, I sat at home, in front of the computer, wearing my pajamas, and eating a bowl of cereal while grocery shopping.

A year ago, my husband and I joined West Michigan Co-op. Through this organization, local farmers post their products on the Co-op's web site, and then consumers/members of the Co-op purchase food from the farmers through the web site. You order the food online (which is what I was doing yesterday), and then go pick it up at the designated pick-up date and location.

Besides being able to do a portion of my monthly grocery shopping in my pajamas while eating breakfast, here are some other reasons why I love the Co-op:

• Support local farmers.
• Get fresher food (its not shipped from South America like a lot of the food in grocery stores).
• Much more environmentally friendly.
  
• You can read about each of the farms and their farming practices before ordering their products.
• You can select foods that are certified organic, free-range, grass fed, pesticide free, etc.
• You can minimize dealing with the shopping cart traffic jams and long check-out lines that occur in traditional grocery stores.

Yes, you might pay slightly more for buying through the Co-op compared to a traditional grocery store. However, the Co-op farmers often put their products on sale too.

And while you're writing your check, think about the good that you're doing. It's win-win for everyone: the Earth, West Michigan farmers, and you.