Food Coop or Buyers Club near Davis?

[siirim.livejournal.com]

Hello,

I'm new to the area and am looking for a food cooperative or buyers club in the area. The only thing that I've heard of so far is Harvest Coop, which is great, but I'd like to find something closer to Davis that focuses on local produce and building community.

I am coming from Washington DC where I was a member of a fantastic small food cooperative that was located in a friend's house. It was very informal but provided the members with a great sense of community and cheap local/organic produce and bulk goods. We bought produce, bread, cheese, coffee, chocolate, granola, pasta, etc. at bulk rates and sold it to members for the wholesale price plus a mark-up.  It was only open on Saturdays and was run by member labor (which was only 3 hours every 6 weeks).

Is there anything like this around here? These types of places make for a great alternative to Shaw's and a good supplement to the farmer's market. It's also a great way to get to know people with similar interests. If not, would anyone be interested in starting such a group?

Thanks!
Siiri

Comments

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

It's not a co-op, but there's a farmer's market every Wednesday (including today!) in Davis. It's behind the plaza that's next to the Starbucks. Just an FYI.

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

do you know what time that runs until? I get out of work at 5.

[narya.livejournal.com]

I think it runs until 6.

[ron_newman]

And another farmer's market in Union Square on Saturdays.

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

Is there info online anywhere? I get out of work at and by the time I sit in traffic Im surely going to get to Davis tonight right as it ends.

[ron_newman]

http://www.unionsquaremain.org/committees/farmersmarket.html

Every Saturday, 9 am to 1 pm
June 7 through October 25

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

Awesome. Thanks!

[ursamajor]

For all Massachusetts farmers' markets, see http://www.massfarmersmarkets.org/t-allmarkets.aspx . (For metro Boston, scroll down to "Eastern" - in case you don't work in Camberville, maybe there's one you can make it to near your workplace at lunch?)

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

Thats a great idea! I work in Bedford and apparently there is a farmers market on Mondays so I can go on my lunch hour :D

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

In fact, there is a farmers' market somewhere in Cambriville every day of the week during the season:

Monday - Central Square
Tuesday - Harvard University
Wednesday - Davis Square (and Arlington Center too)
Thursday - Kendall Square
Friday - Harvard Square
Saturday - Union Square and Cambridgeport
Sunday - Harvard Square

[ron_newman]

See http://www.massfarmersmarkets.org/ for a complete list throughout the state.

[aki.livejournal.com]

Also on Thursday is Medford Square (the end of the 94 and 96 bus lines, among many that go through there)

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

I remember shopping at one of those with a friend who lived in D.C. many, many years ago. I'm tapped out for things I'm doing now, but I would love to know of one if one gets started...though with the farmer's market and farmshares around, it might be tricky...

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

http://www.sfcoop.org/

[siirim.livejournal.com]

Thank you! This looks perfect...

[ellf.livejournal.com]

It's like an advertisement for http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Haha!

[firepail.livejournal.com]

I feel threatened by your new avatar.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

TELEFRANCAIS FANTASTIQUE!!

[firepail.livejournal.com]

zut alors!

[aki.livejournal.com]

Un ananas qui parle? C'est impossible!

[badseed1980.livejournal.com]

Moi, je pense que l'ananas se ressemble a un poisson avec les levres comme ceux-la.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Hahahhaaaaa, I am glad I'm not the only one who watched Telefrancais.

Je suis Pilote!

[ron_newman]

It sounds like you might want a farm share (also known as CSA, Community-Supported Agriculture). This post has more info on that.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

To be quite honest, I'm not sure that that would be legal in Massachusetts. There are a lot of regulations about the safe and hygienic storage and sale of food by retailers, and I doubt that private homes would meet them.

[rosiewoodboat.livejournal.com]

There are many home-based food co-ops and buyer's clubs in MA.

[siirim.livejournal.com]

do you know of any in somerville? the aforementioned somerville food coop is closing down, apparently..

[rosiewoodboat.livejournal.com]

There is a raw milk and egg co-op. Drop me an email if you want info.

[ron_newman]

Why is it closing? (I don't see anything on their web site about closing.)

[siirim.livejournal.com]

membership is dropping, they said.

[ron_newman]

Could be that CSAs (farm shares) have cut into their membership.

[rosiewoodboat.livejournal.com]

Not likely. Buyer's clubs like this deal generally in dry goods.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Because several of the key members have moved (or will move) out of Somerville, leaving not enough to sustain the group. Unfortunately, nobody was able to run a successful membership drive (they say they put a lot of effort into trying to get new members, and while it's true that people did work hard and try, I think the effort was not well-used and we could most definitely fatten the group up if given the chance, but it's too late now) so the group is effectively disbanding into news one at the new locations of the more active members.

The coop doesn't work with produce so the CSAs complement it rather than conflict. The problem I had is that I just don't use that much non-fresh food (and my roomie likes to buy things like paper products at a warehouse club), and the particular items I do use and wanted to buy weren't necessarily any cheaper through the coop than at the supermarket.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

I don't see how that's an argument against what I said.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

And since you were all "drop me a line" rather than giving information, I'm guessing that the groups to which you were referring are operating on a private basis, rather than as public entities.

Which was my point--if there are any of these in Massachusetts, they're not the kind of thing that would be announced on the Internet, because they'd be operating in a legal gray zone.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

Note: I was distinguishing between "buyers' clubs" like the Somerville Food Co-Op, that buy and redistribute purchases from a bulk seller, and someone operating what amounts to a grocery store out of their house, which was what the OP's description sounds like.

The sale of dairy products is very closely regulated in Massachusetts, and for good reasons.

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

http://www.justdairy.org/

They deliver raw milk to communities around Somerville. It's more economical and greener to have someone pick up for a group than to have individuals head to the dairy farms.

[jadelennox]

I know Harvest isn't right in Davis, but I'd like to put in a plug for it anyway. The prices on the bulk food are really good, and they do a lot of effort into building community. Admittedly, their customer service could improve, but check them out anyway.

Boston Organics

[samsdaddy.livejournal.com]

We get organic froots 'n veggies delivered to our door by Boston Organics. Good stuff cheap! http://www.bostonorganics.com/

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

There's Serve New England:
http://www.servenewengland.org/

I don't think it's organic, but you can save a lot of money on food, I believe. There used to be a distribution center in Somerville, but it looks like there isn't anymore.

Buyer's Club

[ethanfield.livejournal.com]

Millstone Co-op (http://www.millstonecoop.org/), near Morisson Ave and Willow Ave, hosts a buying club that people outside that coop can join. Food comes monthly from UNFI (http://unfi.com), which is the major organic food distributor in town. They supply Harvest with their stuff.

Re: Buyer's Club

[abilouise.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you posted that. Now I don't have to! Also, nice hat!

Re: Buyer's Club

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is great to know, thanks. (The Someville Coop used UNFI as well.)