Feeding Community
With plenty of local products and neighbourly vibes, small Canadian food co-ops are shaping local food systems — and making a big impact.
By Valerie Howes | Illustrations by LeeAndra Cianci
FOR MANY CANADIANS, it’s routine to load up on groceries every week at a big-box store. But for those seeking out a sustainable, community-focused alternative, it’s worth considering joining your local food co-operative (co-op). Operating from storefronts or distribution points, co-ops are designed to benefit their members, who generally pay an annual fee to vote on how the co-op is run and take advantage of favourable pricing. Many co-ops host community events to help members connect with one another and with their food producers. They typically prioritize local, seasonal and fair-trade products. You might not find strawberries in December, but you will find fresh fruits and veggies in season, friendly neighbours and opportunities to learn more about the people who grew (or made) your food. The history of food co-ops in Canada dates back to the 1860s in Nova Scotia, where British miners wanted to replicate the model they’d used back home to buy collectively and save on food costs. In the early 1900s, southern Ontario farmers got in on the action, creating a co-operative designed to serve the interests of local fruit farmers in the Niagara region. During the 20th century, co-op popularity waxed and waned with the economy and world wars. They truly came into their own in the 1970s, when organic farming took off. Today, there’s a resurgence of interest in how food co-ops support local communities, as the price of groceries has increased and economic uncertainty has made many people think more deeply about where their food comes from. Now, with a growing appetite for food that’s reasonably priced, local and rooted in community, co-ops across Canada are proving there’s more than one way to stock a pantry.
“Good for the spirit”
Back in the 1970s, when Winnipeg was a city with no health-food stores, a group of local families founded Harvest Collective, a food-buying club. When the Collective shuttered in 1999, several members banded together to form Organic Planet Worker Co-op. Over the decades, it has evolved through growth spurts, fire and financial ups and downs; today, Organic Planet is run as a workers’ co-operative, with employees buying shares of the business and making decisions collectively. “It feels good for the spirit to be operating in a structure like that, where we all play equal parts,” says worker-owner Brandon Enns.
The co-op is a vibrant hub for organic, local and wholesome foods, with a grocery store and vegan deli. Customers come by for tasty sustenance like tofu salads, spicy lemon soup and nutty fudge bars, all made in-house.
Enns calls the co-op a “gathering place” in a rooted neighbourhood, and says the worker-owners thrive on all the positive feedback. “We have one long-time customer with cancer, and we make her very specific foods that suit her dietary needs. She’s been telling us that we’re keeping her alive,” Enns says.
Connecting with local farmers
Founded in 2016 by farmers, food workers and community members, Fireweed Food Co-op supports small-scale regenerative farming across Manitoba with the aim of making good food accessible to all. “Food producers are often spread pretty thin, farming the way they do here,” says sales and delivery coordinator Peter Hill. “If we can consolidate deliveries and handle communication with the different types of customers, it saves them a ton of time.”
The co-op runs Winnipeg’s South Osborne Farmers Market weekly from June through October; it’s a popular venue where folks can purchase a range of fresh and prepared foods while connecting with neighbours and enjoying live music, a kids’ crafts tent and a beer garden.
The co-op also runs the warehouse-based Fireweed Food Hub, selling directly to wholesale clients such as restaurants and community groups. Household food club members can order online — everything from wild mushrooms to Lake Winnipeg-caught fish to locally harvested grains — and pick up their boxes at one of two craft breweries. Fueled by donations and volunteer efforts, the “Veggie Van” brings local food to underserved communities on a pay-what-you-can basis.
Fireweed’s next project? A community cookbook with recipes and tips from farmers, chefs and home cooks alike. “It’ll be in the vein of when school parents put together a cookbook,” says Hill. “We wanted it to feel pretty grassroots — it fits with where we’re at.”
Big community benefits
A self-described “small big store,” Steep Hill Food Co-operative has served Saskatoon’s Broadway community since 1978, providing a way for locals to share the cost of organic, fair-trade and bulk goods. When a larger chain grocery store closed on Broadway’s vibrant strip of music venues and indie shops in 2023, Steep Hill stayed, expanding its grocery offerings while staying true to its co-op roots.
While the store has core staff, volunteers stock shelves, sort compost, write the newsletter and sit on the board. Shoppers range from university students to families to seniors. “We get complimented all the time on how fun it is to shop here — on how kind our employees are. How friendly we are to kids. How open we are to having a chat with our regular customers,” says manager Amielle Christopherson. What’s more, Steep Hill donates surplus food to a community fridge or to neighbourhood folks in need, hosts cooking classes and participates in street fairs and events. Christopherson says, “I think communities... would be better if spaces were less focused on how many dollars they could squeeze out in profits, and more on the larger community benefit they could provide people coming into their building.” CAA
If you enjoy your food with a side of community, a co-op might be your jam (locally made, of course). Search online to find a co-op near you, then visit in person to learn first-hand about the benefits of joining. Check out the edible offerings and friendly vibes, sign up as a member and help shape the food system you want to see.