Q&A with the Oklahoma Food Cooperative
Submitted by Lindsay Gibson – proud member number 333 of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative since 2004, which she will tell anyone who will listen.
What is the Oklahoma Food Coop? The Coop is a way for local Oklahoma farmers to connect with their customers. It’s Like an online farmer’s market that fills a gap in distribution and allows farmers to reach a larger market base.
When was the Coop founded? The Coop was conceived in the early 2000s. The first delivery day was November of 2003.
Who founded the Coop? Bob Waldrop conceived of the Coop and has been the driving force behind it since its inception. Bob is also a founder of the Oscar Romero Catholic Worker Community, an autonomous lay community within the Catholic tradition that provides delivery of food to people in Oklahoma City who suffer from food insecurity and do not have access to transportation. This personal mission of social justice and food security (among others) led him to seek a way to connect family farmers with customers, benefiting both parties as a result.
How many members do you have? The Coop has over 10,000 paid members in total, of that around 300-400 members are active in any given month.
How many producers do you have? It varies from month to month but typically around 60.
How are producers selected? The Coop is open and welcoming to producers who meet the standards of the organization; that all offerings are completely produced in Oklahoma by family farms or small businesses. While they are recruiting producers of fruits, vegetables and grains, they’ve currently capped producers of eggs, dairy, poultry, and meats to protect the market share for those producers.
What types of products are carried? Almost anything you can find in a normal supermarket you can find through the Coop. Meat, eggs, dairy, personal care; around 500 unique products in any given month. Many are organic or natural and producers are always available to answer any questions about a given product.
Which products are most popular? By percentage, the biggest seller is meat. In a given month about 60-65% is locally raised meats. Eggs are also a high demand item.
How do you become a member? Anyone can become a member at oklahomafood. coop by filling out a membership application. While a lifetime membership is around $50, the first month is free as a trial, after which shoppers can choose whether to become full members, get an annual pass, or withdraw their application. Potential members facing financial hardship may apply to have the membership fee waived.
How does the ordering process work? Once a new member signs up, everything can be done through the website. The website acts as an online grocery store. Operating from the first of the month through the second Thursday, members can add the products and quantities they want to their shopping basket. On the morning of the third Thursday of the month, all orders are delivered to the Coop’s central distribution location at the Historic OKC Farmers’ Public Market in Oklahoma City. Once products are sorted and packed in coolers, they are loaded onto trucks and small trailers by a team of volunteers and sent out to 45 different pickup locations across the state. With delivery sites from Ardmore and Altus to Claremore, Tahlequah, Owasso, and Ponca City, a delivery site is bound to be convenient to most Oklahomans.
Why is the Coop important? Without it, many of the farmers that sell through the system have few other options for selling to the public.
One of the Coop’s beef producers had a contract to have their beef in a single Dallas store of a popular high-end grocery chain, but in order to do that, they had to share their market with 30-40 other similarly sized farms in order to serve just that one outlet for a year. The Coop allows that producer to remain an autonomous family farm, not contract to a large farming corporation and instead sell directly to their customer while retaining more of their income.
It’s keeping the door open to allow generations of farmers to continue their legacy.
What value does it bring to the state? The Coop is not here to turn a profit, it is primarily a service organization. It provides a service to family farmers as a venue to sell their product, and provide a buying opportunity to people who want to buy directly from local farmers.
Is home delivery available? Yes, in the Oklahoma City, Norman, Stillwater, Midwest City, and Tulsa areas for an additional $20 per delivery.
Are there volunteer opportunities with the Coop? YES! Members are welcome and encouraged to volunteer on delivery day at either the central distribution center in the morning or early afternoon, or at the delivery sites across the state in the evening. All volunteers earn work credits of $7.25 per hour toward future coop orders too.
What is something you wish more people knew about the Coop? Our biggest challenge is articulating the fact that we work exclusively with local farmers. The difference between us and your neighborhood health food or organic grocery store is that this is our sole purpose. Supporting local family farmers. Knowing EXACTLY where your food comes from. Having a relationship with your food source. We wish people understood why they should even care.
