Why a co-op grocery store has such value in the community
This is my final column for the
the as sunsets.
This column first appeared 11 years ago in the then-independent
The new editor visited the newly opened MOON Co-op Grocery, liked what he saw, and offered the co-op a weekly column.
MOON is an acronym for Miami Oxford Organic Network. MOON Cooperative Services, Inc. was incorporated in 2004, and the store opened 7 years later.
I ask — as I did a decade ago — why Oxford has or needs a co-op grocery.
The reason is to fill otherwise unmet needs in the community. I devote this final column to one of the unmet needs, which can be summarized in one word: LOCAL.
“Local” includes the accountability and responsiveness of local ownership. MOON Co-op is owned by around 1,010 households, most of whom live in the Oxford area. In other words, around 15% of Oxford’s non-university student households own the store.
“Local” includes the availability of healthy nutritious products from trusted local sources. By local, I mean Southwest Ohio and the western-most tier of Indiana counties.
For most people, “local” suggests produce. Oxford is fortunate to have a wonderful year-round Farmers Market for 3 hours on Saturday mornings. MOON Co-op Grocery provides local growers with an outlet 7 days a week.
This time of year, local produce is, of course, scarce. Yet MOON Co-op currently has locally grown squash, lettuce and mushrooms.
“Local” extends throughout the store. I can easily fill the remaining space of this column by listing local food other than produce, much of which is not available at any other location.
Here is a quick list of some locally produced groceries available at this moment in MOON Co-op Grocery: Eggs, milk, cheese, cream, yogurt, hummus, other dairy products, scones, muffins, breads, gluten-free pastries, beef, lamb, pork, kombucha, sauerkraut, tomato-based sauces, soap, and other beauty aids.
“Local” also suggests a “mom-&-pop” neighborhood store recalling times past for many shoppers. In this era of super-sized stores and digital ordering, the ability to walk into a grocery store and be greeted by name and concern for well-being is a priceless asset.
Personalized attention requires a dedicated staff embedded in the community, and that’s something small MOON Co-op Grocery has big-time. A caring staff who know the names, preferences, and concerns of the regular shoppers.
While this column will no longer appear in the
it will start to appear in a few days in newspaper, which plans expanded print coverage of Oxford in the upcoming university semester.
Looking further ahead, a strong effort is well underway to restore a community-based weekly newspaper to Oxford, in both print and digital formats.
To conclude, I want to say thanks to current and past staff at the
and the for 11 years of support for this column.