Farm Fresh Windermere

Is Farm Fresh Windermere a Food Co-Op? Ok, so a lot of people seem to ask this question. So, let’s start with a definition of a “food co-op.”

As defined from WiseGeek, a food co-op is described in the following way:

A food co-op is a collectively owned grocery store. Most frequently, a food co-opfocuses on making natural foods more affordable for co-op members, although other products may be carried as well. There are a number of different styles of food co-op, but all of them share common values of group management and decision making, social responsibility, and equality. Towns of all sizes have food co-ops ranging from very small to quite large, and it is usually easy to find a food co-op near you.

In a private food co-op, only members may shop at the store. In order to become a member, someone pays a small initiation fee and usually invests a set amount of money in the food co-op to purchase a share. Some food co-ops allow members to purchase multiple shares, or require an annual fee, which causes long term members of the food co-op to own more shares. In some cases, members also join work crews, contributing a few hours of work to the running of the co-op. The frequency and duration of work shifts varies from co-op to co-op.

And from Wikipedia, a food co-op is defined as:

A food cooperative or food co-op is a grocery store organized as a cooperative. Food cooperatives are usually consumers’ cooperatives and are owned by their members. Food cooperatives follow the 7 Cooperative Principles and typically offer natural foods. Since decisions about how to run the cooperative are not made by outside shareholders, cooperatives often exhibit a higher degree of social responsibility than their corporate brethren.^[1]

The cooperative movement started in the 19th century and the first notable food cooperative was started in Rochdale, England by industrial weavers known as the Rochdale Pioneers. The cooperative movement saw a resurgence in the 1970s when many “second wave” cooperatives started.

In the United States, the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) is a cooperative federation that is composed of 146 food cooperatives.

Ok, so now we have defined a bit better what a food co-op should be.  Now according to these definitions, we can definitely tell you that Farm Fresh Windermere is NOT a food co-op. We don’t get better pricing. We don’t get a better deal or even ASK for a better deal. INSTEAD, we look for a BETTER FOOD from farmers that do NOT cut corners on the quality of  their land and animals. These farmers feed their animals the highest quality and CORRECT food for them, i.e. grass being the correct food for cows, and take extra care above and beyond to nourish the soil in which this grass is grown.

So, to answer this question as to whether Farm Fresh Windermere is a co-op for Windermere, Winter Garden and Dr. Phillips in southwest Orlando, we can only say kinda…  only if a co-op meant getting the HIGHEST QUALITY farm fresh, local, and beyond organic raised food, but it doesn’t seem to be the correct definition, now does it? INSTEAD, I think we could best be described as a super high quality food delivery service or buying club.