The Community Food Co-Op of Utah

Our friends the Shumways told us about "The Community Food Co-Op of Utah". Here is their website. foodco-op.net/index.html Seriously, you need to check it out.

This is what they say about themselves "We are a volunteer-powered, nonprofit food buying network, bringing people together for food, community & savings of up to 50% on high-quality fresh foods" We have only participated for one month but I think that this food co-op is a blessing that is going to help my family afford eating healthy foods.

This month we bought a Harvest share and this is what we got (for $14)-
1 5-lb. Bag Red Potatoes
8 Oranges
1 Head of Broccoli
4 Cucumbers
1 Head Red Leaf Lettuce
1 Head Cauliflower
10 Bananas
6 Tomatoes
2 lb. Strawberries
Stone Ground's Artisan Wheat Loaf
16 oz. Brown Rice

I had planned to do a little test to see how fresh the food really was, I was going to set aside a few pieces of fruit and a tomato to see how long they last. It seems to me that most of the food I buy at the store is starting to go bad before the week is up. I wasn't able to do my test as I had planned, because I was hungry, and so I ate the fruit. But I can say this, The Bananas were the perfect stage of greenness for me! I don't like my bananas too yellow, and especially not with brown spots. Baby J and I ate the last banana over a week after they were picked up from the co-op and it was still pretty perfect. Strawberries! I love good cheap strawberries, I don't love that they start going bad just a few days after you bring them home. I picked up one more pound of strawberries at the store 4 days after we got our co-op strawberries, the store bought ones started to go bad before the co-op strawberries did. I still have a few tomatoes almost a week and a half later and they look pretty much like I bought them yesterday, so I think the food is pretty fresh, and will last a little longer and thus feed my family well for a few more days.

We will probably start getting two Harvest Shares per month, I have hope that this will mean I can cut out at least one weeks worth of shopping, maybe two, and that will save my family gas!

Every few months we are going to buy Standard Share, this is what that share included this month.
1 4-lb. Whole Roasting Chicken
1 Pckg. Lean Salisbury Steaks
1 Pckg. Lean Pork Cubes
1 Pckg. Lean Ground Beef
1 5-lb. Bag Red Potatoes
5 Oranges
1 Head of Broccoli
3 Cucumbers
1 Red Leaf Lettuce
7 Bananas
4 Tomatoes
1 lb. Strawberries
Stone Ground's Artisan Wheat Loaf
16 oz. Rice

You don't get to pick what you get, but you can see, they don't really give you anything weird or unpronounceable. You also have the option of adding on some extra items like a second loaf of bread or extra meat products. And if you have ever heard of the Nutty Guys, you can often buy 4 pounds of their nuts too.

So- if you are looking for a way to cut cost on good food, check them out, sign up, do some volunteering around your neighborhood (church service counts) or go up and volunteer at the crossroads center itself, and make the world, and your tummy, a better place.