Food Co-ops: Good Food and Good Prices

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If you find that none of the Directory's more than 1,300 food co-ops is near you, check out the book's register of federations and regional contact centers, and write to the closest one. The folks at such places will often know about a local group that hasn't been listed.

Of course, you may still not discover just the type of co-op you're looking for. In that case, you might want to start a food-buying group of your own. This difficult-sounding task is actually not all that imposing: You and a small group of friends can tackle it . . . if you know what you're doing. To help you in your enterprise, here's some "how-to know-how" garnered from wise and experienced co-op folks.

[1] Get MORE advice. Contact every food co-op and federation outlet near you to get all the nitty-gritty informational help you can. The folks in such organizations will know a lot about the realities of starting a co-op in your area. They may even offer concrete assistance in making up bulk orders or storing food.

[2] Don't try to grow too quickly. "Great dreams are nice," says Susan Long of the Burnsville Food Co-op, "but you have to work with reality." "Start off small and let the group grow at its own rate," counsels Mike Corley of Sevenanda. "Remember, you're not funded by the government," quips Lance Hughes of the Tahlequah Foods Co-op. In fact, just about any experi enced co-op "hand" will advise you not to push beyond the limits of your membership's size, commitment, and financial resources.

[3] Keep your books straight. Tracy King-a staffer at Ozark Cooperative Food Warehouse who's seen plenty of coops flounder as well as prosper says (in a downright italicized tone of voice): "Remember that a co-op is a business ... and keep good records!" Norman Weiss of Weaver's Way expresses a similar thought: "What's my shtik? Be organized." And Mike Corley combines the ideal with the real by saying, "We're motivated by serving people ... and by having our accounts balance."

[4] Don't make it a one-person operation. Even though a dynamic, tireless go-getter may sometimes be necessary to get a co-op started, a food group will not last long with such monopolistic leadership. Work out a good structure for using volunteers-one that is approved, understood, and enforced by the members-and make sure that several folks know how to run the co-op (so you don't have to shut down when "number one" isn't around).

[5] Do some reading. Although "book learning" won't replace the know-how you'll gain by talking to co-op folks "live", it can certainly flesh out your knowledge by covering areas your mentors may neglect. The two national coop groups-Consumers Cooperative Alliance (7404 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48202) and Cooperative League of the U.S.A. (1828 L Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036)-both publish helpful pamphlets and other materials.

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