Three local moms frustrated with the lack of healthy options in grocery stores have decided to form their own membership-based food co-op in Clear Creek County.
With Demeter’s Market, they hope to provide organic, healthy and locally grown foods while offering education to help other moms provide better options for their own families. This isn’t simply fruit and vegetables, but meat, bread, flour, spices and other offerings.
Meredith Rogers, Dawn Alley and Stephanie Brown met while dropping their children off at preschool in Idaho Springs.
The name “Demeter” comes from the Greek goddess of the harvest. The business officially started four weeks ago with just friends and family members as customers, so the three could work out any kinks.
Alley said the idea for a food co-op came in part from her son’s food allergies to certain processed food.
“And I wanted to find a way to reduce costs for food for my family,” Alley said. “I thought that (a co-op) would be a great way to get the community involved. That way, it will benefit everybody.”
Alley talked with Brown and Rogers, and the idea began to grow.
Rogers said the difficulty of trying to find healthy food became a common irritation among the three, so when Alley brought up the idea, they all jumped at it.
“We’re going to read the labels and only sell the stuff that we find (that is wholesome),” Rogers said.
In February, the three began researching their new venture and talking with existing co-ops in other towns. All the advice indicated they should start small and slowly build up their customer base.
For a $25 annual fee, members fill out a price checklist once a week on what type of items they would like. Then the three co-founders seek out the items from local farms and suppliers. Right now, the food is delivered to subscribers, but as the service grows, they plan to have pickup locations throughout the county, while making delivery a paid option.
“We want people to tell us what kind of food they want us to carry,” Brown said. Volunteers or members who get others to sign up earn discounts on their orders.
Brown added that Demeter’s Market will offer classes like “basic canning 101” to help secure high-quality food all year round.
“We want to teach people. I think in the last two or three generations, we’ve really lost home cooking, and it takes away from the family, it takes away from your community, and we want to bring that back,” Brown said. “We really want to help moms learn to cook these things. … It’s really important to feed your family good foods. We want to help empower moms to learn how to do that.”
Rogers added that they hope to give a portion of any proceeds to community nonprofits or to a disadvantaged family. Seniors would also receive a discount and free delivery.
“It’s a membership club. It’s not just us running a business, and you just get food from us,” Alley said. “We want our members to feel like they are a part of something, and that it is improving their life and their lifestyle and their families’ lifestyle.”
For information, e-mail Demetersmarket@yahoo.com or call membership director Stephanie Brown at 720-209-5149.
Contact Ian Neligh at couranteditor@evergreenco.com, and check www.clearcreekcourant.com for updates and breaking news.