Fostering Fair Trade & Cooperative Values
When Equal Exchange began importing coffee grown by Nicaraguan farmers in 1986, “fair trade” was a concept still unfamiliar to most Americans. Today Equal Exchange is a leader in the movement to empower small-scale farmer co-ops worldwide. It is also one of the largest worker-owned cooperatives in the country, and fair trade coffee remains its […]
Another Great Year!
Cooperatives are unique businesses in several ways. One important difference between the Oneota Community Food Co-op and other grocery stores in our area is that part of our cooperative’s profit can be returned to member/owners in the form of a patronage dividend. The good news is that our store was more profitable than we expected […]
What’s the Buz?
By: Kristin Evenrud, Grocery Manager Everyone is buzzing about our newest local honey producer – Highlandville Honey Farm. This honey is beautiful, rich and golden goodness that can be eaten plain, drizzled on whatever your heart desires or to sweeten up your baking creations. The folks behind Highlandville Honey Farm are Joel and Rachel Fassbinder, […]
The How & Why of Bulk Foods
By: Carl Haakenstad, Bulk Buyer To many long-time Co-op shoppers the Bulk department is thought of as the heart of the Co-op and has been since the Co-op’s founding in 1974. After all, the beginning of Oneota Co-op was primarily about pooling resources to buy product in bulk quantities and then split them between the […]
A Visit to Kalona Organics
By: Beth Hoven Rotto, Cheese & Dairy Buyer On a lovely fall day, I visited Kalona Organics in rural Washington County, Iowa to be part of their tenth anniversary celebration. Kalona Organics produce high quality and minimally processed dairy products that we have started carrying at Oneota Community Co-op. That morning a small group of […]