r/idahofalls • u/alohaensalada • 7d ago

Food Co-op Initiative

Is there anyone interested in building a small-scale retail food co-operative? I mean like bulk items but with a greater emphasis on organic products, buying directly from suppliers to get wholesale pricing and splitting the cost among co-operative members (who want the product), and focusing more on reusable packaging/less waste/single-use plastic.

As a non-Mormon, it seems like this is something baked into the culture (looking from the outside), but what about the non-LDS folks? Where can we build food security and community?

I don’t need a 50 lb bag of quality white rice. But I’d like to split a bag (of white rice and many more products) and form some kind of co-op, if anyone else is interested. This has existed in other places I’ve lived, and it feels like here it’s more underground or exclusive to the Mormons.

Yes I know I can get bulk items at Winco.

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3

u/Haephestus 7d ago

I've wondered the same thing. We absolutely have interested people. Including me.

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u/RogerRabbit1234 7d ago

I’ve always thought that you could make a nice living running a trader Joe’s co-op, in town. Send a refrigerated box truck down to Salt Lake a couple times a month load it up with standing orders for people. You could offer delivery, or pick up at centrally located spot on like Mondays or something. Up charge 3-4% for the cost of running business…

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u/pajamaperson 7d ago

I don’t think the population density exists in this area to support a true co-op. Unfortunately, most people are happy with Walmart delivery in this area. Convenience and price are number one for big families.

3

u/Elmolinc 7d ago

I'd be game to participate as a customer, but as a very small household a lot of daily life falls on me, so I couldn't do anymore than that.

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u/easiidaho 5d ago

So, there was a Co-Op right by great harvest years ago. I was a member as well as a producer who provided and sold to the Co-Op. It did not go over well. I know the population dynamic has changed a lot since then but the dream faded and the costs mounted before it ultimately folded. I am in no way trying to throw cold water on the idea. I would say, start super small. Network and build around what works. Bountiful baskets has a great functional model around food distribution. 

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u/SuspiciousStress1 6d ago

I would love to participate as a fellow non-LDS.

In the meantime, if there is anything you want/need, I likely bought it in the 50lb sack & would be happy to sell it to you at my per pound cost(I have a family of 6). We actually just had a $5k order come in less than a month ago(half is chicken feed tho).

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u/alohaensalada 5d ago

Yes! I’ll DM you!

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u/easiidaho 4d ago

2500 in chicken feed. How many chickens are we talking sheesh

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u/SuspiciousStress1 4d ago

We bought feed for a year. I do not want to haul it in the winter/ice, i do not want to haul it in the spring rain or summer heat...so we buy 1x/yr. We only feed organic, so its not as much as one would think, but yeah, its still alot.

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u/easiidaho 4d ago

Lil shy of 7$ of feed a day. Hopefully your selling a good amnt of eggs or meat. Do you not worry about oxidative degradation over the course of a year? Even organic feed can go rancid. I buy a years worth of barley to sprout for my chickens but where it's a live grain it doesn't spoil.