Central City Co-Op

An Amzing and innovative way to approach «Go Green»! In fu

Central City Co-​op is great for those just getting started on the real/​whole food path or for the seasoned foodie who knows they have found something really good when they see it.
I’ve been a Central City Co-​op member for almost a year now and I am impressed by the variety and commitment to local, organic and sustainable foods offered. After moving from the Pacific NW to Houston, I was looking for a food source that carried similar values of what I was exposed to beforehand: dedication to supporting the local economy and its farmers/​gardeners, foods grown in season, all organic or sustainable, and community connectiveness.
They offer a fruit share, small, medium, large, and an all local Gundermann share, plus local free-​range eggs and local hormone free meats. You can shop the open market which offers produce and dry goods individually priced, but the real buying power is in the shares, which vary every week. My family of 2 adults and 2 children, who eat loads of fresh fruit & veggies, order a fruit, medium and eggs every Wednesday.
The big things that I notice with the produce at Central City Co-​op are the bright colors, rich smells, and homegrown tastes of what’s offered. You just can’t buy this level of quality at a big box grocery store, nor can you find out your source as easily as you could with a co-​op like Central City.
Lots of buying options for all range of budgets. Start out like I did as a volunteer to help with the costs of ordering a share and membership. If you have a great skill you can offer to CCC, be vocal and talk to them about bartering your time and services for food! They take cash, credit cards, and even SNAP EBT. Central City even makes weekly donations to the local food pantry’s as a way to ensure low to no waste.
Just go check it out and see what the good people over at Central City Co-​op have to offer you… open only on Wednesdays from 9AM-​6PM.

Local Fruits and Veggies, the way to go! Happy that I have found several co-​ops in Houston!

I guess I am going to be the jerk here and say that I was really disappointed with this Co-​Op. I’ve been to Co-​ops before and the concept as I know it is: you become a member or volunteer your time and in exchange you get great deals on local vegetables, meat, eggs and more health food friendly items. The Central City Co-​op doesn’t have the same set of rules, as far as I could tell.
You do need to become a member or you can volunteer but what you get in exchange is the ability to «buy a share.» I felt sort of awkward not buying anything, so I signed myself up for a small share, which I was allowed to do without becoming a member (the first time’s free, like drugs). But sadly, I did not get hooked on this experience.
When I returned the following week for my share I was so dissatisfied by the selection. I had to dig for three potatoes that weren’t already soft, the same deal with the spinach. Actually, the spinach I brought home lasted me all of 2 days. I thought it was local and therefore should last longer?
Also, I found the prices to be outrageously expensive! Look, I totally support local, I totally believe in organic and I was even setting aside some time to become volunteer — but the experience I had at the Co-​Op was really a locavore buzz kill.

The fine employees and volunteers of Central City Co-​op are passionate about offering fresh organic produce to the community at reasonable prices. They work during the week with vendors to get the best selections for co-​op members. Locavores take note — they take precedence on choosing organic first, then local. I’ve been visiting the co-​op for several weeks now and have enjoyed having a kitchen full of not only fresh produce but pastas, quinoa, beans, rice, organic coffee, and even local honey. Right now it’s apple season and there’s something to be said enjoying a delicious honeycrisp apple when they’re just in season — it’s like candy. Hours are 9am-6:30pm on Wednesdays and the earlier you get there, the more selection you’ll have. They have veggie, fruit, and mixed shares of different sizes that vary from $ 15-​$ 37. Make sure to order your share no later than Sunday evening so you can pick it up Wednesday of that week. If you’re hesistant to try a share, then come for the open market and pick what looks good to you that week.

I’ve only been going for a few weeks, but I’m in love already. After reading Michael Pollan’s «In Defense of Food», I decided to radically change my eating habits to eliminate processed foods from my diet and start cooking from scratch on a more regular basis. One of Pollan’s suggestions is to join a community co-​op as a way of forcing you to eat more vegetables, work with what’s ripest and in season, and eat organic and local produce. I realized a former Glassell classmate had mentioned (ages ago) that she got her veggies from Central City Co-​Op. I popped online, checked to see that they were still around, and immediately bought a membership ($ 48/​year) and made plans to visit the open market the next day.
When I walked inside Grace Lutheran at lunchtime (yes, it’s inside and air conditioned – a big relief in this Houston heat!), I was greeted by an incredibly kind volunteer who walked me through the entire process of buying in the open market and picking up the share I would receive next week. If you’re not a member, you pay $ 1 «admission» to buy on the open market, which is available to any member of the public. Some veggies and fruits are bought by the pound, others by the unit; either way prices are clearly displayed and you add up what you’ve purchased on a small sheet attached to a clipboard. Once you’ve become a member of the co-​op, you have the option to order shares in advance for the next week. A share is basically a grab bag of organic fruits and veggies portioned out by what size you’re buying (small, medium or large). There’s also a «fruit share» composed entirely of fruit if that’s more your speed, though the mixed share includes both fruits and veggies. You can pay for next week’s share in person at the market, or online through Paypal (though you have to order by Sunday so the co-​op knows how much to request from the growers in total).
If you’re not used to cooking your own food on a daily basis, or have a small family or are just cooking for yourself, I’d recommend starting out by just visiting the open market and picking out what looks good that day. After a few weeks of this, you could probably get up to speed enough to handle a share. What’s included in the share varies from week to week, but to give you an idea of what the «small» share includes (a total misnomer), this week I received an eggplant, an avocado, a lemon, one pound of red potatoes, one pound of onions, a half pound of green beans, a bunch of swiss chard and a small bunch of mint. Whew! I think I can use everything with some careful planning, but it definitely takes some thought. On the bright side – I received all this for $ 15. Not only do these ripe, delicious foods taste so much better than their grocery store counterparts, I’m not sure you could get them cheaper, either.
In addition to the fresh produce, dried goods like beans, oats and grains are available for purchase in the open market. Occasionally other vendors come in to sell as well; this week Pat Greer’s Kitchen was selling readymade foods, and a farmer was selling naturally-​produced eggs (I snapped up a dozen). The co-​op doesn’t have everything, though – if I could buy local honey and naturally raised meat here, I’d have almost no reason to darken the door of a grocery store again, but there are other resources in the neighborhood that provide these items.
Truly a community treasure. Check out the co-​op!

I love getting my fresh, organic, fruits and veggies from the co-​op! When I order shares, I not only get organic produce for a far better price than in the store, I also get knocked out of my food rut, and increase the variety in my life. And getting local produce makes my day– it is sooo full of flavor and juice, you’ll be amazed at the difference!
Take your time when you shop here– the co-​op is always full of great people, who love to chat about their favorite kale recipe, how to get their kids to eat parsnips, and how to make the world a better place. I love it!

The Co-​op is a fabulous place to find great organic veggies and support local farms and businesses! The new location (Since November 2009) is a warm and welcoming place with good parking and a well-​lit, open space.
The open market section features open bin shopping for local (in season) and nationally distributed organic produce. The selection is best early in the day.
Pre-​ordering a share of veggies is a great way to have budget-​certainty in part of your weekly food shopping.
The volunteers work hard to create a welcoming environment and to answer any questions you might have.

Check the co-​op website for a location near you, as well as the hours of that location (both have been known to change semi-​frequently).
Here’s how the co-​op works:
Option 1: You pay in advance for a «share», which is a certain amount of local/​organic fruits and veggies (not everything is local). On your appointed day, you go and pick out your items according to the posted list. You then return to your house with nutritious, in-​season, farmer-​subsidizing produce.
Option 2: You don’t pay in advance, so you show up and shop like you’re at a farmer’s market. You pay a little more for some items, and maybe don’t get access to others, but you still get the benefits of local/​organic/​karmically-​fit produce.
It’s not always the most convenient way to shop, but it sure is tasty. Bring your own bags/​boxes for your veggies.