OSHKOSH (NBC 26) — Less expensive free range eggs is one of the ways you can save money and support local farmers by shopping at the Oshkosh Food Co-Op.
- More than 30% of the food available at the Oshkosh Food Co-Op is made local in Wisconsin, according to the general manager.
- The co-op offers daily deals and discounts to make shopping local more affordable.
- The co-op often sells less expensive free-range eggs.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, edited for web).
Steve Horstmann says he shops at the Food Co-Op every week.
“For me it’s really about getting local foods that are fresh and supporting the community,” he says.
He doesn’t do it to save money.
“I know that the money that I am spending is supporting the local community,” he says.
Some of the food is still pretty high priced.
“Usually when someone decides to make a local product, they’re also making a premium product,” Jeremiah Mcduffie, general manager of the Co-Op, says
But Mcduffie says by using local suppliers for things like eggs and offering daily sales, it’s an inexpensive way to shop local.
“What can we do to save money for the average shopper? We're always looking to do that in all of our pricing decisions,” he says.
Member fees are about $16 a month.
“We have a few special perks for member owners,” Mcduffie says. “We have a free item of the month– this month it’s a free block of local cheese”
But you can also shop as a non-member.
“Everyone is welcome, the deals are for everyone,” Mcduffie says.
This year is the co-op’s third year of business.
Mcduffie says shopping at the co-op is an affordable way to keep your grocery dollars local.
“Think about the power that that has recirculating to your neighbors, to your friends, to family members,” he says. “The people of Oshkosh own this store.”
