Ever heard of food co-ops and kitchen collectives?
What are they? Here are some definitions:
Food Co-op: “Run by the community for the community, Montreal food cooperatives or co-ops — better known as “groupes d’achat” or “achat collectif” in Quebec — allow members to spend less on higher quality produce by pooling their money together to buy groceries in bulk directly from local farmers, wholesalers and/or producers. Savings range from significant to dramatic and the produce is often organic. This video inside a food co-op gives a feel of what to expect.”
an expert from: http://montreal.about.com/od/foodwine/a/food_coops.htm
A food co-op really is just a group of people, friends or strangers, joining their money together to buy food in bulk. It’s a great way to save money. Think about it, imagine you are a student or recent graduate from university and have to pay off a million student loans. Maybe you are have a family that keeps growing and you cant keep up with the grocery bills. Imagine this, you go to Costco to buy some salsa except Costco sells them in huge bottles, sometimes even in sets of 3. You think you are getting a great deal but you’d never go through 3 jugs of salsa before the expiration date. This is where joining a food co-op would be helpful. You pool money together with maybe 4 other couples or a few individuals and you buy these huge amounts, and separate them accordingly, saving you a ton of money. Brilliant!
Ever hear of those people who save a couple thousand dollars a year just by being conscious of sales and using a ton of coupons? A food co-op is kind of a similar idea. Plus, if you get groceries in bulk from local farmers, your produce will not only be cheaper, but fresh.
Check this link for more info about food co-ops and some existent food co-ops you can join in Montreal or the Greater Montreal Area. [If anyone in the West End is interested, please e-mail me at caryn@montrealnutrition.com]
Kitchen Collective: This is very similar to food co-ops except it takes you one step further. Not only do you buy all your food together, but you also exchange recipes and cook your food together and divide it accordingly. Sure, it probably takes a bit of extra time and effort for planning, but in the end, it really could help if you’re new to the kitchen and just looking for a way to meet people in the neighbourhood. Consider the advantages!!!
I’m thinking of maybe starting one this coming fall at Mcgill Macdonald Campus? What do my fellow Macdonald campus students think? Leave a comment!! [What a wonderful idea! I think you should do it and then blog about it! – Caryn the dietitian]
Here’s a list of kitchen collective associations you can get in touch with to get started or find out more!!
Thoughts?
-D the Intern
Montreal Nutrition 