Joining the Food Co-op - Good deal? Progressive?
The Park Slope Food Co-op is quite a high-profile target these days. On Gothamist, Phoebe Maltz claims that it is "taboo to insult the Park Slope Food Co-op. Even if you are not a member, you are supposed to understand that joining is both a good deal andâ€â€Âmore importantlyâ€â€Âa progressive act."
"I happen to believe it is neither, and have already made this semi-public by writing about it on my semi-read blog. If revealing this to a larger audience means I will be banished to, say, a townhouse in the West Village, so be it." Read more...
"I happen to believe it is neither, and have already made this semi-public by writing about it on my semi-read blog. If revealing this to a larger audience means I will be banished to, say, a townhouse in the West Village, so be it." Read more...
Comments
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soooo tired of discussing the coop . . . yet soooo in love and always irritated by the pot shots, so here we go again
recent thread that hits the high points:
http://www.chowhound.com/boards/outer/messages/78080.html
presently inactive product blog for the coop:
http://www.psfc.blogspot.com/ -
I like the idea of the Co-op. I wanted to join when I moved to Park Slope a dozen or so years ago, but with two little kids and a full-time job, I couldn't even figure out how I was going to make it to the mandatory orientation sessions, let alone work my shifts. And since then, I've been so put off by the attitude of some Co-op members, who act like not joining the Co-op is both immmoral and idiotic. I had one woman try to recruit me to the Co-op with the fervor of a born-again Christian trying to get someone to go to Bible Study.
And then you hear all these stories -- "I missed my shift, I got kicked off my squad, now I have to do 47 make-ups . . . ." It just seems like so much trouble.
Also -- I think this was part of the point of the article, which I just skimmed through -- how do you have the moral high ground when you're essentially removing jobs from the community? Okay, I don't know if this is true in NYC, but where I grew up, supermarket jobs were union jobs that paid pretty well. And they're jobs that get filled by blue collar workers who don't necessarily have college educations. So not only have lower-income people been forced out of Park Slope by gentrification, even the jobs in Park Slope have been taken over by the yuppies at the Food Co-op. (Yes, I know that is a huge generalization, yes.)
Anyway, I don't have anything against the Co-op, really, but I think I'll stick with C-Town. -
Subject: Not a moral issue for me
Co-op member for 4 years. Think both the evangelism for the co-op and the criiticisms of it (e.g., "47 makeups") are exaggerated. It is an outstanding deal. In exchange for 2.75 hours of work a month, I get organic produce for less than what I'd often pay for nonorganic in Slope markets. I have a couple kids and cook a lot, so I save a lot of money -- I save about 10 bucks a week on organic milk alone. Above all, quality, especially of produce, is even better than Fresh Direct, and I like Fresh Direct.
I could give a crap less about most of the moral arguments for co-op membership. But I've also never had problems of persecution by overzealous, patchouli-reeking lefty scolds, though everyone seems to have "a friend" who has encountered them. I've made a couple decent friends on my work shift. Outside that, I do my shift, buy my stuff and go home. It's not a freakin' life commitment for me. -
my wife took the class, and we never followed up on it.
i have two fears about the co-op:
1) even though it's a 2-3 hour a month commitment, my time is going to come every month and i'm going to say, "wait, wasn't i there yesterday?"
2) i'll make some completely innocent joke, the whole place will go silent, and someone will turn to me and say "please leave."
of course, i could be exagerrating, as the former poster said. probably not, though. nah. -
Rose wrote: Also -- I think this was part of the point of the article, which I just skimmed through -- how do you have the moral high ground when you're essentially removing jobs from the community? Okay, I don't know if this is true in NYC, but where I grew up, supermarket jobs were union jobs that paid pretty well. And they're jobs that get filled by blue collar workers who don't necessarily have college educations. So not only have lower-income people been forced out of Park Slope by gentrification, even the jobs in Park Slope have been taken over by the yuppies at the Food Co-op. (Yes, I know that is a huge generalization, yes.)
The Coop is as diverse as the subway, and probably a lot lighter on the yuppies. The place works.
Anyway, I don't have anything against the Co-op, really, but I think I'll stick with C-Town.
And I get a great deal on Epoisses, delicious fancy French cheese.
The Coop *does* have paid staff - 50 or so people that have pensions, health insurance and vacation pay. It probably employs more people than C-town, just to wrangle all us members...
Soooo tired of people's half-assed criticisms of the place! If it doesn't fit your sked, no problem. The Key Food on Fifth Ave is a good grocery store. -
Rose wrote: So not only have lower-income people been forced out of Park Slope by gentrification, even the jobs in Park Slope have been taken over by the yuppies at the Food Co-op.
The Park Slope Food Co-op has existed and thrived long before the word gentrification was bandied about.
The pressumption that only yuppies are members of the co-op is a lie. There are orthodox jews, rastafarians, lesbians and all kinds. Not just the stupid stroller army. It's actually an incredibly well balanced membership base. That includes many truly well known writers and artists. And tons of people who are simple work-a-day workers who simply wan to buy cheap and good food.
As far as supermarkets go, the Park Slope Food Co-op has never forced jobs out of the neighborhood. The exitsence of Key Food on 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue as well as green grocers all over belies that conceit.
It seems that when all is said and done, people simply attack the coop becuase of laziness. They are too lazy to join and becuase of that, they attack the coop with ad hominem attacks. I wish people wold just be honest and say 'sounds good, but doesn't fit my schedule'. Becuase that's the honest reality of what it means in many of these negative pieces.
I hope Gothamist runs and equally scathing assessment of Whole Foods or other retailers. I just got a Washington Mutual acocunt and was treated like crap by the staff. Can I complain for paragraph and paragraph? -
I used to belong to the co-op, but quit after four months. I found the whole atmosphere of the place so controlling. They talk a good game about community and trust, but restrict access to dues-paying members and then make them go through several security checkpoints when entering and leaving. So much for trust. The lines were always horrendous - you know something is wrong when you wait for 30 minutes to be checked out and consider that to be quick. What did it for me was when I was working on a crew that dismantled and cleaned the produce rack. While doing this, we had to pick through the stock and set aside anything that was going bad, which would in turn be used for compost. If some things were "so-so", then we placed it in another box that went to a homeless shelter. As I was doing this, a staff member came by and said that a lot of the stuff that I had placed in the compost heap was in good enough condition to be sent to the homeless shelter. Being the obedient citizen that I am, I complied. As I placed one rotten beet after another into the box for the homeless folks, I thought: "Good enough for homeless people, but not good enough to sell to co-op members. Now that's what I call a true sense of community." I quit shortly afterwards and never looked back.
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Jack Krohn wrote: As I placed one rotten beet after another into the box for the homeless folks, I thought: "Good enough for homeless people, but not good enough to sell to co-op members. Now that's what I call a true sense of community." I quit shortly afterwards and never looked back.
It's not like that beet would have been placed on a plate and given to a homeless person and someone would say 'don appetite!' That's disgusting.
But the food that is not completely rotted goes to a soup kitchen. You take food that might be unsalable as is and then chop away the bad stuff and make soup out of it. Lets say a tomato is smashed on one side but the other side is good. Chop off of the bad part and use the good part.
If you're upset that that is being done, please realize the historical reason for the existence of soup to begin with is to do something with food that cannot be eaten as is or used as is. -
I joined the Co-op about a month ago and I'm not 100% sold yet. I like their principles, especially, "let's all work together so our groceries will be cheaper." I'm not being sarcastic here -- this is a major selling point for me. I don't have a lot of disposable income and I like saving money.
But, there are still a few things that irk me. First, I was kinda surprised to find that they selection there is pretty crappy. Why do they have a WHOLE WALL dedictated to vitamins? Then, in the back, there is another WHOLE WALL dedicated to cookies and other random sweet crap. I would really like to see more of a selection in healthy, edible food. And also, I haven't been real impressed with their fruit and veggie selection...but, at least it's organic, which is a + in my book.
The other thing that bugs me is that they hounded my roommate because I'm on "Alert" (I missed my first shift). WTF? My roommate is not my mother, and she doesn't need to be harrassed because I was irresponsible. Period.
And, lastly, although I don't hold this against the Co-op, because it's in large part out of their control, but they *really* need a bigger place. It is so hard to maneuver with all the shoppers, carts, strollers, boxes and workers congesting every possible square inch of the place.
But, I'm also going to say a few things I like about the Co-op. It is a pretty diverse enviornment, not just a bunch of hipsters and yuppies. Also, it cracks me up when people get on the intercom and say things like, "Is there a God?" I like the jokes.
Please, Co-op die hards, don't get defensive and attack my opinions. Can you also admit that the Co-op has it's faults, too? These are just my opinions and I'm not offereing them up for debate or a huge argument.
Thanks and much respect. -
PHeightsGirl wrote: I joined the Co-op about a month ago and I'm not 100% sold yet.
Like pretty much every grocery store in NY, the produce available in the winter is not all that impressive, especially if you come from warmer, sunnier climates like California. In the summer, though, the Co-Op can't be beat - the produce selection is great.
...
And also, I haven't been real impressed with their fruit and veggie selection...but, at least it's organic, which is a + in my book.PHeightsGirl wrote:
Unfortunately, I don't think there is any more expansion room available - their first expansion took over the building next door, where the produce section is now, and the only building left to expand into is the fire station. Occaisonally there are a few things that I wished the Co-op would carry, so I end up going to Key Foods to get them, but more often I'll just do without the item (pepperocinis, in case you were wondering). Luckily, I work from home (which is very close to the Co-op), so I can go there on a weekday afternoon and not have to deal with the crowds. It's a very different experience than on a weekend afternoon - it's relaxing, quiet, and the lines are short or non-existant. I think if I could only go on weekends I would have a very different opinion, and would probably have quit after a month or two.
And, lastly, although I don't hold this against the Co-op, because it's in large part out of their control, but they *really* need a bigger place. It is so hard to maneuver with all the shoppers, carts, strollers, boxes and workers congesting every possible square inch of the place. -
PHeightsGirl wrote:
I would NEVER join the coop with a roommate. You only have to do that if you are in a food-sharing collective household, or married to your roommate. WHich is the same thing as being in a food-sharing collective household...
The other thing that bugs me is that they hounded my roommate because I'm on "Alert" (I missed my first shift). WTF? My roommate is not my mother, and she doesn't need to be harrassed because I was irresponsible. Period.
Seriously, unlink asap. Tell the office that you are in the same apt but you do not cook together (if that is the case.)
The vitamin aisle...I don't use it either, but alot of people do. The retail markups are particularly egregious on that stuff. I figure the bee pollen officiandos tolerate my cheese and organic lamb habits and I'll do the same for them! The produce? Looks as good as Gourmet Garage but at half the price, so . . .
Get your zen on, because the next month is complete coop mayhem - the holidays throw the stock completely over the edge. Although I was there saturday AND sunday morning and it was fine in the express aisle...
Someone told me there's over 13,000 members now.
:shock: -
I didn't choose to be "linked" with my roommate. We didn't join together -- she joined about 2 months before I did. It was unintentional and I didn't know she was going to be getting "updates" on my status as a member.
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PHeightsGirl wrote: I didn't choose to be "linked" with my roommate. We didn't join together -- she joined about 2 months before I did. It was unintentional and I didn't know she was going to be getting "updates" on my status as a member.
so call the office and fix the mistake!
if you don't, you might as well quit the place -
Your roommate isn't getting updates on your status and she isn't being harrassed. She is being told, when she goes to the co-op and swipes her card, that you are on alert for work. The reason she is being told this is because if you do not clear your alert, your entire household will be suspended. In other words, it's not just YOU who is on alert, it is your whole household.
If you don't share food, you can ask to be separate households. That way, she will not be suspended if you are. But obviously if you do separate household, it wouldn't be right to have her shop for you should you get suspended. -
yesterday when i was at the co-op everyone was SO nice... almost TOO nice.. i got freaked out. but it's cool, i like it.
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pitu wrote: The pressumption that only yuppies are members of the co-op is a lie. There are orthodox jews, rastafarians, lesbians and all kinds. Not just the stupid stroller army.
I don't have any yet, but what's so stupid about having kids?
Oh, and yeah, I love the coop. Cheap food, friendly folks. -
steveo wrote: [quote=NOTpitu]The pressumption that only yuppies are members of the co-op is a lie. There are orthodox jews, rastafarians, lesbians and all kinds. Not just the stupid stroller army.
I don't have any yet, but what's so stupid about having kids?
Oh, and yeah, I love the coop. Cheap food, friendly folks.
oferchrissakes, I didn't say THAT either
(please see above, and check out how the quote thing works)
:evil:
double shifts for misquoting!!! -
pitu wrote: I am all powerful! The puny denizens of Park Slope must bow down before me and grovel for their lives!
I can't believe you said that! :twisted: -
pitu wrote: [quote=steveo][quote=NOTpitu]The pressumption that only yuppies are members of the co-op is a lie. There are orthodox jews, rastafarians, lesbians and all kinds. Not just the stupid stroller army.
I don't have any yet, but what's so stupid about having kids?
Oh, and yeah, I love the coop. Cheap food, friendly folks.
oferchrissakes, I didn't say THAT either
Oops -- apologies. I'm scrubbing the toilet now.
(yeah, it was a guest that said what I said pitu said) -
Carnivore wrote: [quote=pitu]I am all powerful! The puny denizens of Park Slope must bow down before me and grovel for their lives!
I can't believe you said that! :twisted:
umm, where's the emoticon for dry ice and lightning? -
I had to quit because they did not sell my favorite product, Steak-Umms. That, and I find the sight of lentils extremely unpleasant. Best thing I ever did.
If they rethink the Steak-Umms issue and maybe start carrying some nice veal chops, I'm back in. -
Drano wrote: I had to quit because they did not sell my favorite product, Steak-Umms. That, and I find the sight of lentils extremely unpleasant. Best thing I ever did.
Joke all you want, but the food coop has excellent grass-fed beef and other high-quality meats for good prices.
If they rethink the Steak-Umms issue and maybe start carrying some nice veal chops, I'm back in. -
Yes, yes - we all know the coop is God, feel free to tout it again in your response to this brief comment.
Edit: Eh, disregard. I'm in a cranky mood, and I hate talking about the GD coop, which prompted me to to make my initial sarcastic comment. Yeah, I realize that adding to a conversation about the place isn't the best way to let the subject fade away. My bad. -
Subject: peace and quiet disrupted.
My work shift is 5:45AM on a Sat. Up to fairly recently, I loved this
shift because the co-op opened at 8AM. Now it opens at 6AM so there
are shopppers shopping when my squad is stocking. I preferred working
without the shoppers but I guess it's great for the earlybird shoppers.
Anyway, I love my co-workers, it is always fun to see them once a month
and catching up with their lives, their kids lives, etc. Once we all got together and went to see a play that was directed by our co-worker. The co-op can be a lovely connection to the neighborhood and it has enriched my life despite minor complaints like long lines during prime times.
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Drano wrote: Yes, yes - we all know the coop is God, feel free to tout it again in your response to this brief comment.
I know, I know -- I'm normally a sarcastic SOB myself, so this earnestness thing is tough for me. But the coop a has good meat, dangit, and I can't help myself!
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When I lived in Boston, I loved the Harvest Co-op (http://www.harvestcoop.com) precisely because I didn't have to join and work in order to shop there. Does such a beast exist somewhere in Brooklyn?
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meganlibrarian wrote: When I lived in Boston, I loved the Harvest Co-op (http://www.harvestcoop.com) precisely because I didn't have to join and work in order to shop there. Does such a beast exist somewhere in Brooklyn?
I've heard good things about the Flatbush Food Coop at
1318 Cortelyou Road (between Rugby and Argyle Roads), though I've never been myself. Their website is http://www.flatbushfoodcoop.com . -
And you do not have to join the Flatbush Coop to shop there. They just charge you a bit more...
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NOTpitu wrote: The pressumption that only yuppies are members of the co-op is a lie. There are orthodox jews, rastafarians, lesbians and all kinds. Not just the stupid stroller army.
Well, the presumption that orthodox jews, rastas and lesbians can't ALSO be YUPPIES is a lie, too. -
Wow! Lesbians! The co-op is keeping it real! Jews! Wow -- hello, diversity! That is SO MUCH COOLER than stupid Park Slope people with kids! You know what's the worst? People who use STROLLERS to transport their babies from one place to another! I hate that! Go back where you came from, breeders! We don't want your kind here!
Rastafarians (none of whom have kids): excellent!
Parents (none of whom are rastafarians): boo!
Finally, a socially, environmentally, politically progressive community that is accepting of all lifestyles, except those I don't like or approve of. Where do I sign up?
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