- By Kristin Wright

Food for thought: How much of the food you buy when grocery shopping comes from a local source? Any of it? Do you know if it was once sprayed with harsh pesticides or pollutant fertilizers? What about the farming methods; are the foods you purchase being grown in a way that horribly degrades our planet? More often than not, the foods and products we purchase at supermarkets and supercenters skimp on the details of their origins. Foods and products certified Organic by the USDA are typically rather sparse on the shelves, those certified Fair Trade are few and far between, and those grown using sustainable methods are even fewer still. There's also the issue of price; organic, fair trade, or sustainably grown foods and products come at a higher price, making that generic brand look all the more cost effective. And since local foods are virtually nonexistent in chain stores, chances are pretty good that none of the money you spend grocery shopping at the supermarkets and supercenters goes to local farmers.

But there is now an opportunity to buy healthy, wholesome foods that don't threaten our wellbeing or that of the environment. Friendly City Food Co-op just opened on July 6, providing the Harrisonburg area with an impressively diverse selection of healthy and tasty foods that can be local, organic, fair trade, and/or sustainably grown. The mission is simple: to create the co-op as a "consumer-owned, democratically-run cooperative that will operate a retail grocery store that emphasizes healthy foods, quality goods, and local products."

The co-op has been community driven and community focused since its inception. It all began when the Little Grill Collective opened the Little Store, a rather small shop that attempted to sell natural foods and products. Unfortunately, the Little Store lasted only a little while, but the idea was kept alive by some of its more loyal supporters. After much hard work, an increase in the number of members, considerable fundraising efforts, and jumping through the necessary legal hoops, that idea became its own entity, a formal co-op, in 2007. Several members, two grants, and one lease later, the Friendly City Food Co-op opened their 4,000-sqaure-foot grocery store at 150 East Wolf Street in downtown Harrisonburg.

At the foundation of the co-op are the almost 1,400 local households who have donated a minimum of $200 to become co-op members. Nevertheless, Outreach and Owner Services Coordinator, Suzi Carter, emphasizes, "…this is a place for everyone." No matter who you are, all members of the community are welcome to shop at the co-op. Carter mentions that the intention is for the co-op to "serve as a gathering place—an opportunity to share the special community around food." The co-op is also an educational center that offers flexible and diverse opportunities where, if you want to learn more about something, then you can. Customers can learn about topics ranging from food safety and types of foods to why organic matters, and how to make healthy, nutritious choices. Additionally, if you're like this author, and not content with relying on a single source for nutrition information, I personally recommend the Mayo Clinic, Nutrition.gov, and Medline Plus (nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/nutrition) websites to provide supplementary information that is accessible and based on peer-reviewed scientific research. The information available through these sites will nicely complement the wealth of various educational opportunities at the co-op.

The store looks tiny when compared to our mental images of supermarkets and supercenters, but it is full of a highly multifarious selection. Glance too quickly down a shelf and you could easily overlook not one but several different products. The focus of the co-op is on local organic goods, and its heart is the local organic produce. The Shenandoah Valley Produce Auction is a vital source for the co-op, which boasts a selection of over 100 fruit and vegetable options. Also available is a wide selection of both dry and liquid bulk. And to ensure that the spices you use in your favorite recipes are fresh, spices are available in micro or single-use quantities in the bulk department. The store offers an excellent selection of dairy and fresh meat, as well as alternatives for both. But the co-op has more than just food. As you peruse the aisles, you can find natural dog and cat foods, environmentally friendly household cleaners, natural hair care products and soaps, natural sunscreens and bug sprays, and even a Friendly City Food Co-op branded supplement line.

The co-op also offers a grab-and-go deli section, as well as a coffee bar and a salad bar, all of which provide delicious local and organic comestibles. Local restaurants such as Dave's Taverna, a Bowl of Good Café, Mr. J's Bagels and Deli, and the Local Chop and Grill contribute sandwiches to the deli section. Another distinctive aspect of the co-op store is its use of shelf tags to tell the stories of the local farmers. Carter mentions, "We want our customers to know where their food is coming from." The store carries several local names, such as Newtown Baking, Homestead Creamery, T & E Meats, Glen Eco Farms, and the famous Polyface Farms. In addition, the co-op has many well-known and respected national organic brands, several of which are also co-ops, in order to further improve the selection of products. However, in order to maintain the incredible selection available, some produce and other items in the store are conventional and from non-local sources.

Whether you buy into the whole health food craze or not is irrelevant because the co-op has delicious local foods that are good for you and the environment. The selection is quite impressive; the store not only has the mainstream items you're always looking for, but they also have the specialty items that add a little pizzazz to your diet. Moreover, fresh means fresh—fresh bread is still warm on the shelf. And perhaps equally as important, shopping at the store is actually an enjoyable experience. Despite its relatively petite stature, the store is large enough that it doesn't feel crowded but remains small enough that you don't feel lost. It really is a very welcoming atmosphere. The staff members are all genuinely friendly and helpful, making the shopping experience significantly less stressful. And I don't know if it's because everyone shopping there is eating all those healthy foods, but all the customers seem happy and in a good mood. The co-op store is a delightful neighborly environment where it's possible to just strike up a casual conversation and enjoy the community shared around food.

Even if you personally don't identify as an organic food shopper, the Friendly City is well worth visiting. It certainly is a place for everyone; their incredible selection of foods and products means that you're bound to find something you need, something you want, or something you're just plain curious about. (Chai soda, anyone?) If cost is a contributing factor in your decision making process, consider that the co-op offers numerous coupons and bi-weekly deals on organic products that help to keep prices down. But in all honesty, the prices are reasonable since the co-op has to make it affordable for the customers but also fair to the farmers. All the profits stay local to feed back into the community, the co-op members, and the farmers. Furthermore, Friendly City offers substantial benefits to our local farmers, gaining them exposure so they can sell their crops more easily, and even allowing them to diversify their crops.

The Friendly City Food Co-op welcomes everyone to contribute to the community in a delicious and healthy way and is always interested in customer feedback. For more information, visit www.friendlycityfoodcoop.com or visit the store from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.