YPSILANTI, Mich. (WXYZ) — Now I know many people want to save money, but you don’t want to short yourself on organic, locally sourced and sustainable foods. Don’t worry. I’ve got you covered with our Smart Shopper series.
Let's get real: oftentimes, the cheapest items at the grocery stores aren't always the healthiest. And being food conscious may mean forgoing what's on sale to buy what's sustainable.
Shopping organic instead of opting for what's the most economical, but at Ypsilanti's food co-op, owners try to offer both.
“We have about 1300 owners, members. And the point is to serve them with something they want in their community, and not a business that’s started to make a profit," said Corinne Sikorski, the co-op's general manager.
And because making a profit it's the goal, you will find good prices on good quality food. Anyone can shop here, but Gold Care "Owners" receive a 4 percent discount that jumps up to 12-14 percent if you pick up shifts or volunteer.
Robyn Spedel did both, working in the bakery for a decade and then volunteering to help with compost and recycling.
"We did the compost for a long time," Robyn said. “The volunteering was definitely because of the discount for me...some of the things that they have here are definitely cheaper than you would find other places and other things are not, but I think it balances out."
Tim tells me buying bulk items like coffee, rice, nuts and grains keeps his costs down.
“We also give back patronage dividend if we have a profit at the end of the year so the owners actually would earn a profit back," Tim said.
Ypsilanti's food co-op will soon celebrate it's 50th anniversary, one of eight in the state. The newest kid on the block, Detroit people's food co-op, opened last year.
Although 40 miles apart, the mission is the same.
“Co-ops keep market in communities where there is not the ability to have a small store anymore," Corinne said.
