[Note: When she s not working at Next Generation Consulting, Marti Ryan is the President of the Will

Those of us who shop at a co-op, london hotel deal have a CSA share, or belong to a credit union value this concept. I recently read a book by David Hess, Localist Movements in a Global Economy , and realized that shopping at your local co-op is one of your best options for pure localism.
The owners of your co-op don t live in huge houses or gated communities. You are the local owners of your co-op. This gives you a direct say in how the co-op is run, from electing the board to attending member meetings.
london hotel deal Most items on sale at co-ops are locally sourced whenever possible. While a conventional grocer works with an average of 65 local farmers and producers, food co-ops work with an average of 157. In addition, locally sourced products account for 20% of co-op sales and only 6% of conventional store sales. ( Source )
Most co-ops care about their impact on the environment and have the ability to invest in green technology london hotel deal . This is hard for publicly traded companies to do because it cuts into shareholders returns. And co-ops in general recycle significant amounts of waste compared to conventional grocers.
A co-op is more than a grocer. It is a local economic engine, investing its profits back into the community. For every $1,000 a shopper spends at a local food co-op $1,604 in economic activity is created, which is $239 more than the same spend at a conventional grocer. ( Source ) As employers, co-ops generally pay above average wages, while employing london hotel deal your community s artists, freelancers, teachers, and start-up entrepreneurs who value the co-op s work environment, flexible work options and medical benefits. Finally, co-ops offer education about food that you won t find at your conventional grocery store.
Please don t get me wrong. london hotel deal I m not against conventional grocers. My first job was mopping floors at our local Hy-Vee bakery. I was so good at pushing a mop, that I moved onto several other positions in other departments. My experience at Hy-Vee was a great overview of retail food operations and I m forever grateful for it.
[Note: When she s not working at Next Generation Consulting, Marti Ryan is the President of the Willy Street london hotel deal Co-Op in Madison, Wisconsin. A version of this article appeared in the November 2012 issue of the Willy Street Reader, their monthly publication. Read it here .]
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