I am Kristina, and this co-op belongs to everyone! Although I may be the creator and chief co-operator, I share this co-op with all of you for it holds a very special place in my heart. My story is all over this site, so I hope that everyone will introduce themselves here so that we can get to know one another...that is, you can introduce yourself to the others in the co-op!
Hi Kristina and everyone!!! I'm so grateful and blessed to have found this Co-Op!!! Kristina, not only have you helped me to be able to AFFORD to eat ORGANIC, but you have given me a way to support the local farmers who put their heart and soul into what they do for all of us! What a joy it is to eat healthy and be supported in such a way! ((((HUGS)))) to YOU!!!!
Oh, I started a new discussion where I introduced myself!!! :-D
I'm glad that you have been able to put together the co-op. I hope one day to be able to enjoy a box (several months from now). Thank you!
I'm starting to see that Houston is becoming a "fruit island" if you go to the grocery stores and see what they have and what they should have according to season. A fruit island is similar parlance to that of "food island," which is roughly defined as a resident having to travel at least twice as far to a grocery store as they would a convenience store/fast food place, leaving them with very little in the way of healthy food (Detroit is an example, with NO NATIONAL CHAIN GROCERY STORES IN DETROIT!). The other day, I had to travel to HEB, Kroger, and Randall's to buy what was on sale - that's how my food budget stays at $225 per MONTH - enough to last me for TWO days. Everything else was apples, bananas, oranges (and I'm tired of them), or supposedly "in season" fruit that did arrive completely green and will never ripen. There appears to be competition for imported produce (probably because of the rise of China and Asia in general), so I'm not seeing what we used to see here in Houston, or it's very expensive. Whole Foods is the worse price gouger there is (jee, why is it always 60 degrees in the entire store?).
If you can get big enough, maybe you can drive the prices down through volume. That would help some of us way down here on the totem pole. We're going to become increasingly dependent on people like you who can bring in extra fruit not available to the average customer.