Idaho Falls Natural Food COOP, anyone?
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My husband and I are very interested in helping to start a Natural Foods Coop in the IF area. We understand that a group of people have started some work on a coop, including a website. We have not been able to get in touch with anyone associated with this start-up however. We have emailed and called all of the contacts and so far we have not had a response. If anyone knows who to contact let us know.
We feel that there is a desire in this area for more organic produce, more NON-GMO foods, special diet foods (gluten free or raw for example). We would like some input on what others think. Right now we buy a lot of our food off the internet or we travel to Salt Lake to shop at Good Earth or Wild Oats. Lots of other cities our size have run successful food coops so I know that we can do this here.
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Comments
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0 
0 Funny you should mention this! I was telling my girlfriend not two weeks ago that this town could use a “Whole Foods” market. Since moving up here from S.Fla last year I’ve been struggling to find a good place to buy organic all natural foods and decent produce. There was a great chain in Florida called “Whole Foods” and they carried that absolute best stuff! They had anything and everything organic from all over the world.
I was really interested in looking into a obtaining franchise a couple months ago, but I haven’t followed through with it as of yet. However, I do believe it would fare quite well here in Idaho Falls.
Good luck Cacaocraver. I hope things work out for you. I for one support it 100%!
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0 0 Thanks John for the info. Yes those are the contact numbers I have been trying.
What kind of presentation is Marilyn giving on that Sat?
Chrisr671 that would be great if we could get an already est. market like Whole Foods to come to our area! Is WF a franchise or a corporate owned store? Wild Oats is corporate and they did say they were looking for places to expand to so maybe an email campaign from this area would help them decide to come here!
If not the best way to go is the Coop for now.
Thanks so much.
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0 0 I’m new here.
I have heard rumors about this new COOP (apparently still in utero) and in fact it was due to the feverish search for more information on it that I landed upon this site.
I live in St. Anthony and order 85% of all my organic / preservative free food from “Azure Standard” which delivers once a month (my pick up location is in Rexburg - but I know there are pick ups in IF).
The other 15% of my vittles come from Fred Meyers - you know - the two aisles and the organic produce section.
I’m going to put 3 March on my calendar. Thanks for the information!
Newbie - Gypsy
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0 0 Whole Foods is the worlds largest retailer of natural and organic foods with over 155 stores throughout N.America and the United Kingdom. I think their a corporate owned store. They have one opening soon in Boise. It would be nice to get one opened up here as well. Check out Wholefoodsmarket.com for more information.
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0 0 According to the Whole Foods website some of their critera include:
200,000 people or more in a 20 minute drive time
Large number of college-educated residents.
I am not sure if we have the 200,000, but certainly if the IF area can support two Wal-marts, we should be able to support a place like WF’s.
I did email their Idaho contact to see what it would take for them to come to this side of the state.
Gypsy, I am interested in learning more about Azure Standard, I have not heard of them before.
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0 0 I know what you mean. I thought it was rather strange myself to have TWO super WalMarts in a town the size of Idaho Falls.
We’ll keep our fingers crossed!
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0 0 OK so I checked out the Azure website, looks great. How do go about ordering and finding out where a pick up is? Just to tide us over until the COOP is up and running mind you 
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0 0 cacaocraver -
I’ll see if I can find some IF people who order.
The way I found out about Azure Standard is from a friend up here - so I just started ordering through her - then eventually got my own account (I spend a few hundred dollars a month).
You just fax in your order then a couple weeks later it is sent on a truck - which lands in a pre-determined location in your area. We used to drive clear down to Ucon, but in the past few months Azure has gotten enough orders from Upper Valley people that they now offer a Rexburg stop.
Regarding the mega-stores. It DOES seem odd that we can have two Super Walmarts but not ONE Whole Foods, Wild Oats, or Trader Joe’s. (I spoke to a Trader Joe’s manager a few years ago and I guess the reason we won’t be getting one of those up here is because of Utah and Idaho’s strange liquor laws - Trader Joe’s - for anybody who is not familiar - does a lot of wine and beer.)
I’ve lived in the Upper Valley for thirteen years and Azure Standard is the ONLY decent way to go I’ve found. More options would be wonderful.
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0 0 What kind of presentation is Marilyn giving on that Sat?
I don’t have a detailed itinerary, but she’s scheduled to talk about the many progressive organizations making a difference in Idaho Falls. She was also asked specifically to comment on the status of a Food Co-op.
Unfortunately, I’ll be in Boise on March 3rd.
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0 0 Thanks Gypsy that would be great to hook up with people ordering up here!
John, thanks also, I will be putting this meeting on my calander.
This is the (very quick) response I got from Ruth, the person in charge of the Idaho Region of Whole Foods:
We are in the process of putting a store in Boise and Idaho Falls currently is too small of a market for Whole Foods to consider. Our store in Boise will open sometime in 2008/2009.
now me:
I don’t think that corporations realize the buying power that IF represents. I mean if you included all of the shoppers from Jackson/Driggs/Rexburg, Upper Valley/Pocatello/all of the various small towns around here then you would have 200,000 shoppers, at least I think that you might :). (just not in the 20 min. range that they require….I mean we drive three hours to SLC to get groceries!)
IF represents a pretty big hub of commerce for this area of the state. How do we get this across? I am a teacher not a business person so I’m not sure how to go about compiling numbers.
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0 0 cacaocraver
When I contacted Whole Foods several years ago - they said “We’re thinking about it”.
I guess they “thought” and decided we’re to miniscule to care about. You are correct that they are probably simply looking @ Idaho Falls and a few miles radius for their demographics - they do not likely factor in Jackson Hole and it is likely they may not consider Driggs. I wonder if they even consider St. Anthony (up here in the nosebleed seats).
Here’s an interesting tid bit for ya. My step-mom is friends with the woman who, with her partner (or husband - I forget now), started that company back in the day (it had a different name then). I wish I’d have known then that I would be living here NOW. When I lived in Los Angeles there was of course no shortage of healthy food options.
I’ll see what I can do to network my way through Azure Standard to IF for you - I’m sure one of my Upper Valley people must know somebody down in IF and if not I can call the regional distribution center and ask the woman who runs it.
Gypsy
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0 0 I think Idaho Falls is in a slim window of opportunity right now for a locally-owned natural foods store / co-operative to open.
We are big enough to have one open and thrive on business from outlying areas, but still too small for the bigger boys to move in, who would certainly crush locally owned markets that try starting out.
I think one could do well, especially if it could get small organic farmers around SE Idaho to bring their produce in regularly. I have heard free-range meat products are also a big part of this.
The only problem I see with this is the store may not be able to function through the winter months. The local food supply chain would be obviously interrupted.
If one can find out how other co-ops survive winters and apply that here, you could have a valuable local market.
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0 0 Or can one buy in huge lots from this Azure Standard for reselling?
That could also form the backbone of a local natural food market.
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0 0 Joe Vandal -
I was just reflecting on how a local COOP would do well to purchase items (such as produce in season) from a company like Azure. Their organic produce, to the best of my understanding, is locally grown on their land in Oregon - so it would not be a HUGE waste of fuel to get here.
I would purchase items from a local COOP that I could purchase through Azure even if the prices are a tiny bit higher than what I could purchase them for directly. I would do this because of the convenience of purchasing on a weekly basis rather than a monthly one.
I agree also that a Big Box SuperStore could chew up and spit out a small COOP in a nanasecond so yes I would prefer to see a good COOP take off in this area rather than a Big Box. But - I will take what I can get. If a Big Box Shop shows up first - so be it.
I do root for the little guy though, being employed by a sole proprieter who owns a small family run business.
If there are enough of us who would not jump ship if a Big Box ever arrived in town, I bet a COOP could work well here for a long time - indefinetely.
I would shop @ a decently well-stocked COOP before I would shop @ a Big Box.
cacaocraver -
I have contact information for you regarding Azure Standard. Please email me @
Thanks.
Gypsy
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0 0 What I notice about Azure is the prices are good, but of course the more you buy the better the price. My little family loves apples but I don’t think we need 50lbs at one time.
So in that respect a coop and Azure together would be great. We could even start a coop that works out of someone’s house to start out…like these people in Texas.
Hsa anyone been to Bins and Barrels up in Driggs? They have a pretty happening little shop up there that seems to be doing well, organic produce, bulk organic items, frozen and staple items. We were impressed with this little mini Wild Oats.
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0 0 Not sure why my last post was flagged.
I think using Azure to start the coop would be great. That way the coop could buy the largest amounts of whatever for the smallest price and pass that on to the customer.
I agree that the time is right for this type of endeaver to occur. The quality of our food is so poor right now and we wonder why so many are obese, have diabetes, cancer etc. We are what we eat. More and more people are realizing that they can spend their money now on quality food or spend it later on pharmaciuticals, Dr.bills and hospital stays.
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0 0 cacaocraver -
I added that site to my favorites and will check it out tomorrow. Thanks!
I often work in Driggs and I go to Bins and Barrels every time we are up there. The store changed and grew a great deal last year (to compete with Broulims).
The food that is commonly available @ this point in most stores and fast food restaurants is toxic, in my book anyways. I have an autoimmune disease (Hashimoto’s Thyroid Disease - layperson’s term “dead thyroid caused by my immune system attacking and killing it”) and I notice a huge difference in how I feel when there is “real food” in my tummy as opposed to chemical laden food. With an overactive immune system like I have - chemicals, colorants, and additives of many kinds set my body on FIRE on the inside and I inflame and feel terrible. Achy, exhausted, listless, depressed. The better I eat - the better I feel. It’s a direct corrolation that is highly obvious.
I believe this inflamed condition happens to many people but they don’t realize it’s the food they are eating (or the soaps they are cleaning themselves and their homes with). They take more and more drugs to combat depression, arthritis, chronic fatigue, anxiety, fibromyalgia, insulin resistance - when what they COULD do (for much less money) is change to healthier foods.
Many people balk @ the “high price” of organic - but my dr. bills have been cut tenfold since I went to almost all organic. My friend (who has seven children) has not taken one of them to a dr. in five years - she attributes it to feeding them healthy foods.
If people only realized how much healthier organic is for EVERYBODY - themselves, the farm workers, the planet - it would possibly do damage to the Big Pharms!
Shucks.
Thanks again.
Gypsy
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0 0 Point well made Gypsy!
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0 0 There is also a organic/natural place in Victor that is decent (can’t remember the name). One thing that our family is doing this year is buying a share in the Cosmic Apple organic farm in Victor. We will have to make a weekly drive up there to get the fresh produce, but it will be worth it.
I think a coop is a great idea, but I have a feeling that the one that has been in planning won’t ever materialize. It seems to be way to big of an idea and I don’t think they will get the financial backing without a large private investor.
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0 0 I’m probably buying shares in Cosmic Apple this year too. Put it off for a few years because I can’t guarantee I could be in Victor on a Friday - but I’m going to try to get another person in my area involved so if one of us doesn’t make it - the other can.
There is a wonderful bakery up in Driggs too - Idelia (I hope I spelled that correctly). The young guy who owns and runs it is very kind, hardworking, and generous with treats for my dogs - he has a dog too. If you guys get up that way check his store out - it is hard to explain where it is over the internet (it’s off the beaten trail) but if you go to Dark Horse Books or Miso Hungry - somebody there can give easy enough directions.
I’m also excited for Farmer’s Market season. Although we live in St. Anthony we hit the IF Farmer’s market almost every Saturday - the supply of good stuff there is amazing for a smaller city.
I agree that it will be hard to do a COOP here but I would love to see something like that. I’m very used to ordering my stuff on a monthly basis and having it show up in bulk - but it would be NICE to have the ability to shop @ a store like a normal person too.
Cheers all.
Gypsy
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0 0 “Like a normal person” that made me smile
I don’t think I’ve ever been normal, but I digress.
I would agree that I think people might be over thinking the COOP thing and wanting it to start out big. It doesn’t need to be fancy. I haven’t talked to anyone about it thought, do you know more Davin?
Tell me more about Cosmic Apples.
We just found out about shares in the Harvest Connection CSA, I believe their pickup is in Pocatello.
I also can’t wait for the Farmer’s Market! Good stuff.
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0 0 Cosmic Apple info:
http://www.cosmicapple.com/
Gypsy: We are signing up for the Tuesday in Victor pick-up.
I do have thoughts about how a COOP could successfully start up and thrive around here. This space is not very conducive for details. If anybody is interested, they can contact me via my website (click my name above).
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0 0 OK Davin I contacted you!
Thanks for the Cosmic Apples site. Looks great. I never knew Driggs was such a happening place, where have I been?
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0 0 Driggs IS happening. For a tiny town there is much to recommend it - especially in the warmer months. There is a fantastic little book store, a couple of amazing high quality and organic food restaurants, a couple of healthy food stores, and possibly the world’s best thrift store (I got two hundred dollars worth of stuff for four dollars last year). There are also two CSA groups up there (Cosmic Apple and another one whose name I am not recalling right now - but it will come to me). We would do well maybe to look toward Driggs for how to grow our own little self-sustaining organic community.
We almost moved to Driggs thriteen years ago when we were new to Idaho - decided not to because of lack of work.
Now we regret that - I’d MUCH rather live in Driggs than St. Anthony (although it is great to live by the sand dunes).
Davin, I shall click on your name and see what thoughts you have to offer on a COOP in the area.
Thanks.
Gypsy
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0 0 I got your emails. I will reply shortly.
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0 0 wow
just spent a couple hours in the Bozeman food coop you guys would go krazy it is an awesome two story building solar power and plenty of sampling and organic and range fed choices if you ever make it up there you got to check it out …wonder if arangements could be made to have a bozeman anex and run a truck up there and start it from people that know what it all means mr natural they been truckin since the early 70’s and the place was packed even have an organic espresso bar rockin the bozone
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0 0 Nice big run-on sentence there! Stop and take a breath.
Thanks for the info though. 
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0 0 Please keep me in the organic food loop
Since moving from California, I am having the hardest time finding decent organic produce (I so miss Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and Wild Oats). I would be very interested in ordering from Azure with others as well as working with any type of coop here in IF.
Thanks
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0 0 My husband went to the meeting last Sat. with Marilynne Manguba. She believes that the Coop will start having meetings again in about two months.
We had previously signed up to be involved but we weren’t on her list.
It will be called the Eagle Rock COOP and they have about 400 people on their contact list.
They are looking at The Savings Center as a site. I think it would be great (close access to the Farmers Market), but rumor has it that Frank V. would also like it for expansion of the Melaleuca Store.
All in all things sounded positive, but Marilynne is very busy with the Nature Conservancy so I think she will need some reliable help to get this off the ground.
In the mean time support our local growers and let your wallet do the talking when you shop. If businesses know we will support organic and non GMO foods they will provide them.
Did you see the letter that PETA sent to Al Gore, telling him that if he really wanted to help the environment he would adopt a vegetarian, or even better, a vegan lifestyle?
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0 0 I think a food coop would help that spot more than an expanded private retail club.
Nothing against the Melaleuca store, but a food coop would be more diverse to a larger public. Maybe the Melaleuca store could find a location in the new Taylor Crossing or Snake River Landing, and get a larger store there? A newly designed Melaleuca store would probably be much more beautiful and inviting than their current location.
That would open up the current Melaleuca store to a new business that might serve more of the public.
A Reed’s Dairy ice cream store would really make the whole area a hot spot.
Everyone could be extremely happy.
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0 0 cacaocraver -
We looked for that meeting last Saturday and could not find it. @ JBs, right? We drove clear down from St. Anthony for it and felt like we HAD to do breakfast somehwere so we went to Smitty’s and had breakfast by ourselves.
How do we get in touch with others who want orgainc? How do we get on a “list” for this kind of thing?
Ah non e mus -
I’m from California too and MISS Trader Joe’s passionately. I was raised within walking distance to the first Trader Joe’s (it was called “Proto Market” so I was raised on the stuff. This is over thirty years ago.
If people here could get a taste of Trader Joe’s food they would insist on having one. ALL my Idaho friend for whom I have brought back TJ vittles from my trips home have become addicted.
Sigh.
I miss it a lot.
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0 0 Are Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods corporate-owned or franchises?
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0 0 To the best of my knowledge both are corporate.
I could be wrong on that.
The problem with Trader Joe’s coming here has nothing to do with lack of population (from what I’ve been told) but because their “local distribution center” would be in Utah - which has horrible liquor laws. Trader Joe’s is a “cheap gourmet” food / wine store - so much of their profit comes from the kind of wine and beer you can’t buy in the local grocery store (or liquor store, depending on where one lives).
Trader Joe’s has no desire to come here because of odd-ball liquor laws, not because we don’t have enough population. All Trader Joe’s stores are quite small and they have a very select assortment of food, so they could survive (thrive) in Idaho Falls. I am extremely confident of this. People who GO to a Trader Joe’s almost always keep going BACK to a Trader Joe’s. They offer amazing food choices - for instance they offer a spicy tuna sushimi wrap that is the best I’ve ever had - and this includes what I’ve had @ Japanese restaurants. They also offer an unfiltered apple cider that is the best on earth in my opinion. They also carry “ginger animal cookies” that are scrumptuous. They have a Kona blend coffee that is supreme. They have Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Dog Treats, cat nip bubbles, and organic dish soap. They also have “Trader Zen’s window cleaner” which works better than Windex and has no toxic chemicals in it (it smells like cedar).
They also offer top notch vitmain supplements, fresh bread - I’m getting hungry now thinking about their molasses cookies.
ALL these products are VERY VERY economical. I am sure they’de be less so by the time they made their way clear up to Idaho Falls - but the prices are not @ all what one would expect to pay for extrmemly tasty food.
I’m barely scratching the surface.
Most of Trader Joe’s selections have their own name on them, though they do carry a small array of products from other companies - Blue Diamond Almond milk comes to mind, as does “Seventh Generation”.
Trader Joe’s stuff is primarily organic and / or preseravtive free. All “real” ingredients. That’s why it tastes so good.
If nothing else - a big turn on for Trader Joe’s fans is their monthy mail out “The Fearless Flyer” - the artwork is funny.
If it’s not obvious, I am a huge Trader Joe’s fan.
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0 0 Here’s a link to Trader Joe’s website (it’s important to the discussion so that’s okay, right?)
Gypsy
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0 0 Yes, thanks Gypsy that is an excellent example of an allowed commercial link, because it is absolutely relevant to the discussion.
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0 0 Gypsy, I am sorry that you missed the meeting 
It was held inside the Guesthouse Inn hotel on Lindsey Blvd.
Email me at cdiihills@gmail.com and I will give you Marilynne’s email so that you can contact her.
Trader Joe’s sounds great!
Joe, I agree with you on the location of the Melaleuca Store. I think it would impress the people who come out of town to go to the store if they had a nice new store in Taylor Crossing. At least four times a year Melaleuca brings people from all of the country to its headquarters for further training. Melaleuca certainly has enough money for a new place and that location is so perfect for the COOP.
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0 0 cacaocraver -
I appreciate your willingness to get me her information. I just got a new laptop and because I’m a computer dunce I am unable to fix the few glitches - including why my yahoo email won’t load. I tell you this so you will know I AM interested but it could take me a day or two to get the glitch fixed.
Thanks!
Gypsy
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0 0 Hey everybody just wanted to update you on the lastest for the COOP.
We saw Marilynn at the Earth Day event last Sat. and she let us know that the next meeting about the COOP will be:
This Friday May 4th
5:30pm
O.E. Bell
Hope to see you there!
Donna
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0 0 Just thought I would mention that my husband and I will going and we will post any findings here for those who can’t attend.
Donna
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0 0 Here’s an excellent reference for help in setting up the co-op. Moscow, ID has a fantastic one operating, so it seems, quite well. When we lived there, we shopped there extensively for GF items.
I can’t imagine that Marilynn doesn’t know about them or hasn’t talked with them. But on the odd chance, here’s the contact info:
Moscow Food Co-op
221 E 3rd St
Moscow, ID 83843
208-882-8537
I saw the local group at last year’s taste of Idaho and, I thought, put my name on thier list. I haven’t heard a thing from them though…
Can someone post contact info here?
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0 0 I attended the Eagle Rock Coop meeting last night and it looks like we could have a coop up and running by the end of the Farmer’s Market season!
Pretty exciting stuff. They have a business plan and will be applying for grants and holding fundraisers this summer, perhaps even preselling memberships.
This is what the Pocatello Coop did and they are opening around the end of June.
If anyone wants to get involved let me know. Also Marilynne has a new blogspot for the Coop.
eaglerockcoop.blogspot.com
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0 0 Who would they get a grant from? If it can’t survive on customers it shouldn’t be started.
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0 0 Has anyone ever been to the Boise Co-op store on the north end of Boise? I loved going to that store for the vegetables, desserts and the wine selection. Would love to see something similar to that in Idaho Falls.
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0 0 Trader Joes is awesome. I don’t think the wine and beer issue would be a problem though. If you go to their website they list quite a few stores that are already operating that do not sell any beer or wine.
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0 0 Kristi-
I’ve been to the Boise Co-op and I love it. I missed it a great deal when I first moved here.
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0 0 Hi,
I would love to join a coop. Please let me know. clile@cableone.net.
Melissa lile
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0 0 Hi I checked out the links but cannot find current information. Any new contact news about the COOP? I had some delicious hummus from them at the Taste of Idaho and want more.
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0 0 To all that truely care, I will be moving to the if area in oct. I make and sell many varieties of all natural salsas, mustards, and other condiments. its far froma coop but its a start in the right direction for those of you who are sick of artificial everything. i look foward to meeting all of you as it seems you are all eager to stop the crap that so many people consider “food”. if anyone knows of a commercial kitchen that may be willing to share some space for me to produce let me know.
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0 0 Andrew, thanks for stopping by the booth. I hope you had the homemade hummus from my kitchen! It is such an easy recipe, we make it all the time. In fact you can see lots of people making hummus on youtube. Sorry I have not heard of anything with the COOP since the Taste of Idaho. The Pocatello Coop should be opening by the end of next month. Good for them!
Jono I am so excited that you are coming to our area. My husband and I are raw foodist and are wanting to get something going here as well. I just visited an amazing Raw restaurant in S.F. It was incredible. Everyone I was with (not all raw foodist) were very impressed.
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0 0 http://www.eaglerockcoop.blogspot.com
Check out the blog now, lots of info being added weekly.
Also there is a CONTEST for designing the ERcoop Logo, prize is a lifetime membership to the Coop. Check out the blog for more details, but contest ends soon so hurry!
Also a committee is meeting weekly and things are starting to happen, they have a site (downtown) and will soon need people to help get it ready with the hope of being open early/late fall.
Great developments to be sure!!
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0 0 Join us today at the building next to Great Harvest Bread Co. downtown and help get the physical building ready to go. We will be there from 10am to about 2pm.
We need people who can build shelves, carpenters, donations, painters, plasterers, also just physical laborers of any skill level.
Email us at absoluteflooring@gmail.com if you have any questions or if you can help on other days.
Thanks we are really coming along, but we will need more people to get involved at this point to really make it happen.
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0 0 The Idaho Falls Co-Op is underway so I understand. Do a google search for Eagle Rock Co-Op. Its down on 368 A St undergoing construction. Plus I think they have a blogspot page.
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0 0 oh for goodness sake 8^)
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0 0 And because they haven’t yet opened, the lifetime membership fee is still only $75.00 (will double when they open). The Post Register had a nice story on it recently.
I want to see them have goods for sale that I can’t get elsewhere in town. I like ethnic stuff and funky flavors, etc.
I’m sure sales items will be limited by considerations such as “green” plus things such as locally grown, organically grown, free range, chemical free meats, and fair labor/trade laws, etc.
But I’m excited and I can’t wait.
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0 0 Id love to see a Whole Foods store here in Idaho Falls, or a Co-Op or something! there is little availability here for organic fruit and veggies, only Fred Meyer sells organic produce as far as I know but very small selection.
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0 0 I see some organic produce in almost all the stores now. I’m still waiting to be contacted by the local co-op, I don’t think they’ve even cashed my membership check yet…so I’m a bit concerned.
But, I haven’t driven by lately. Anyone know the scoop on where they are with regards to opening?
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0 0 I’d love to see Whole Foods or a major organic store come to town. It won’t happen in the near future though since WF requires at least a 200,000 local area population to allow a franchise.
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I know that Marilyn Manguba has been one of the leading advocates for a food coop. She works for the Nature Conservancy.
There’s a very out of date website here which has some contact info (but no names). I don’t know if that’s the contact info you refer to.
Marilyn will be making a presentation at the next Bonneville Democrats’ Pancakes and Politics meeting on Saturday, 3 March, at 9:30 am at JB’s (in the GuestHouse Inn). The meeting is, as always, open to everyone, regardless of party affiliation or non-affiliation.