I ❤️ the Co-op — Live in Everett

"The fruits of my labor, I enjoy 'em while they still ripe" -Lil Wayne

Fall is the time when food gets real.

The butter comes out. Onions sizzle. Cranberries pop on the stove.

Let me tell you right now that I love good food.

I love the food of the Sno-Isle Food Co-op forever.

Let me tell you why.

1. QUALITY

Most of the produce, dairy, and bread at the Co-op comes from farms and bakeries in Washington. These produce items are clearly marked with the farm and city of origin. If I want to buy a bunch of lacinato kale I can truly know where it came from (“local” is a devilishly ambiguous buzzword and advertisers know it).

A hundred years ago the idea of not knowing who grew your food would be laughable. For me this is an essential part of being a human: knowing that someone close to me grew something I’m going to eat.

2. VALUE

The shrewd shopper will do well at the Co-op. It’s true that some of their regular grocery items are at a higher price point than your conventional grocery store. This raises the ethical question of how much *should* food cost—especially when you take into consideration quality and value of labor. But let’s set that aside for a moment.

You can shop the ads at the Co-op. If you’re a member you get a once-a-month 10% discount.

The value of the Co-op lies in their produce and bulk sections. The produce is competitively priced compared to conventional stores like Safeway. Check it out.

Bulk food is a good place to save money. There is no packaging so you, the consumer, aren’t paying for the extra material it takes to wrap something up in plastic or cardboard.

I have often bought a couple tablespoons of this or that for a given recipe. I don’t always need a Costco-sized container of paprika. I can’t easily store that much spice and by the time I get to the bottom of the jar the paprika’s gone stale, anyway.

You will be surprised what you can buy in bulk at the Co-op (I always am)—coffee, peanut butter, balsamic vinegar, flour, noodles, nutritional yeast, dried mushrooms, and tea.

3. SPECIAL DIETS

Like a lot of people I’ve jumped around the dietary spectrum in my time. I’ve pretty much been a vegetarian since age 16, but have dabbled in veganism (militant and non-, lol), raw foods, and pescatarianism.

The Co-op gets it. They have lots of gluten-free products. They have probiotic products. They do lactose-free, paraben-free, BPA-free and so on. They have "chicken" nuggets made out of mushroom protein. They have things made out of tofu that you wouldn’t think possible. Explore.

If you’re a conscientious consumer, adhere to a strict diet, or both—the Co-op truly is a relief. It’s a place where you can find food that you can eat.

4. COMMUNITY

Everett, like most small cities, touts its close-knit community. Maybe nowhere is this sense of unity more manifest than the Co-op.

My wife and I fell in with the Co-op crowd when we moved to Everett. We’ve played Christmas carols on the freezer (they’ve changed the codes since). I’ve taught classes there. We’ve ducked in for a quick ciders to go before walking to Pigeon Creek.

KSER hosts regular shows there and the Co-op hosts art for the monthly Art Walk. They're always doing wine tastings or handing out samples of cheese.

You get to know the crew after awhile and they’re great. There’s a camaraderie there that isn’t baloney and that’s something in this day and age.