A food cooperative customer is not confined to someone in a tie-dye t-shirt and Birkenstock shoes on a quest for granola. The only thing you need when shopping at the Swarthmore Co-op is a hunger for fresh, locally-sourced, fair trade and organic foods… a few reusable bags couldn’t hurt either.Instead of stopping at multiple stores to craft a locally-sourced meal, customers can find everything at the Co-op, whether they are looking for First Field Ketchup from Jersey to grass-fed beef from Philly Cowshare. Under the co-op’s 10,000 square foot roof, you can find deli meats, meat and poultry, produce, prepared foods, seafood, dairy, cheese, baked goods, flowers and grocery items from over 100 local vendors. Beyond your weekly grocery shopping, customers can pick up sandwiches, whole grain salads, soups, quiches, sushi or prepared foods for a quick lunch or dinner.
The Swarthmore Co-op is taking sustainability to new heights, with plans to install a green roof with five bee hives from Two Gander Honey. The co-op has an ongoing pledge to recycle, compost and reduce packaging waste as often as possible. Since the co-op chooses to source from so many local superstars rather than one mega company, their loading dock is buzzing with deliveries from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day.
“To me, our current food systems are not run sustainably in a lot of ways. We are going to have to change the way that we shop, the way we cook, what products we buy and we have to rethink the whole idea of our shopping dollars and where it is going,” said Marc BrownGold, Swarthmore Co-op’s General Manager.
“When you buy an apple here, you are buying from a company like Beechwood Farms that doesn’t spray their apples. We know the farmer and we know what he does. You are buying a pork chop from a company like Sweet Stem Farm. I’ve been out to the farm in Lancaster a couple of times. I know Phil and Dee and how they feel about their animals.”
The Swarthmore Co-op was founded in 1937 and is the third oldest food cooperative in the country. The co-op is owned by its 1,100 members and everyone is welcomed to shop there. The co-op was recognized as a “Best of Philly: Gourmet to Go” by Philadelphia Magazine in 2006, “Best Locavore’s Heaven on Earth” in 2010 and “Best Local Produce” in 2011 by Main Line Today.
Membership benefits include events and classes, member appreciation days, specials and discounts, home delivery twice a week, and being a shareholder of the Co-op. To become a member, the Co-op requires a one-time life-time investment of $300, which can be paid upfront or in installments and can be refunded at any time.
“One of our goals is to be a community center, we are much more than a food market,” said Marc.
Each month, the Co-op hosts a variety of movie screenings, lectures, classes, tastings and events. The Swarthmore Co-op is located at 341 Dartmouth Ave and open Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays and can be reached by calling 610-543-9805.
