RE: the Idaho Falls Food Coop and thoughts of bringing in another store of
that type.
Someone posted the idea of Whole Foods locating to Idaho Falls. I would like
to make another suggestion that people look into……….Sunflower Market or
Sprouts. I live in Denver and am contemplating a move to IF, but am spoiled
by the number of wonderful organic and natural markets in the area.
Sunflower and Sprouts are a cross between Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
Less expensive than Whole Foods. I contacted the corporate hdqt of
Sunflower and Idaho is on their future plan list. I explained how IF was the
regional shopping area for eastern Idaho and western Wyoming. A mass
writing campaign to their hdqt is a great idea and might speed
things along as they are already in SLC area and this could be on their
distribution route.
Popularity: 9%
Related posts:
Gato got runned over by Marcus many moons ago. Be ye daft, 2486? 
Let's have a new poll, alright, Joe?
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{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d kill for a Trader Joes in this town. If Sunflower is 3/4 as good as Trader Joes, and doesn’t charge a membership like the coop, I wouldn’t mind strangling a drunken cowboy or two to within an inch of his life if it’ll help get them here.
It will never come here, and if it did it would die a fast painful death in Idaho Falls, so don’t get your hopes up.
and I think we have a pessimist.
There is no reason it can’t come here and be successful. If the prices are alright and the product is good there will be a market for it. I get kinda frustrated when people don’t think Idaho Falls can grow in a quality way. There are a lot of people around that if they knew such a thing was available they would quickly go check it out. And if they find it’s good they will continue going. Unlike the oodles of flowershops we have here (too many for the population) we could actually use something like this.
I’ll have to check it out
Hey Cowywaaz… you have a website or some other way to find out more info on them?
NVM found it
http://www.sfmarkets.com/
I’m not sure this place, or a Whole Foods, would make it here. The idea sounds great, but with the high amount of people who garden in their own backyards – or professionally farm, equals less shoppers than a metropolitan city where they get EVEYRTHING from a store.
Perhaps it’s the same reason why both co-ops in Poc and Idaho Falls are struggling.
I swear, a lot of the kids I went to high school with on the east coast couldn’t tell you a sqash from a zucchini to save their lives!
I wouldn’t mind trying out an organic store. I do have to admit I haven’t made it to the co-op yet, mainly because of the membership fee, but also because I just never think about it at the right time.
I was just noticing today, as I took an alternate route to work, how many vacant buildings from failed businesses there are. I would think, and I may be wrong, that this might be a good time for a new business like that, with so many others going under.
Of course I’m just another optimist
Well, if Sunflower has alcohol like Trader Joe’s it will NOT come here. I talked extensively with the managers at Trader Joe’s (I grew up ight down the street from the original) and Utah is too much of a mind-screw to distribute through (liquor laws are lame).
Whole Foods (wich, up until recently, was run and originally owned by a woman my step-mom went to college with) needs a population of 200,000 before it will open a store.
See? I have done a lot of work in this regard. Go to the co-op, people. It is the best and currently only way to ensure we have organic options around here. And the Farmer’s Market. Hit that every week for the season. The vendors really appreciate it.
hummm…. last I look we were talking about Idaho Falls. What does Utah’s laws have to do with anything? Stange comment rain.
I refuse to pay a membership fee just so I can purchase organic foods. Same reason I won’t shop at Sams Club or Cosco. I’ll continue buying my fruit and veggies from the farmers markets and other local supermarkets. I don’t see the IF co-op lasting much longer.
I didn’t even know there WAS a co-op till this post!
They have a small place downtown they opened up last Fall I believe it was. Or it may have been last summer. But from what I’ve heard their barely surviving.
Why pay a fee to shop at a coop when you can get organic products at the farmers mkt? Most supermarkets have begun carrying a nice selection of organic products to.
In this economy most people find it difficult to pay a fee on top of products that already cost a premium to purchase.
Candice, for someone who never goes to the coop store you sure act like you know all about it. You and reader are wrong because the fact is they are not struggling and their business is growing every month. You should really stop in there sometime and check it out. They will let you do that without joining. You can even shop there without being a member but members do get a small discount. I’m proud to be a charter member and those of you who never go there have no business spreading false gossip about the store.
I have been in the coop a couple of times to look around. As for them not doing very well, I was merely going by what was reported on one of the local news stations a few months ago. I’ll try to find the story for you online. If the co-op is thriving, great. I wish them much success. I personally dont feel it necessary to pay a membership fee in order to buy organicly grown or produced products when I can get the same products at any number of places in town without having to pay a fee. Thats just my opinion.
The Idaho State Journal ran a specific article about how the Pocatello coop is struggling. Contact them for archival access if needed. The Idaho Falls coop – I’m only going from info of three friends who are members and say business is very slow every time they shop. I guess time will tell, and I do hope both are able to survive in the failing economy. Fact is, most people have started cutting back and shopping for cheaper products, including food, when times are tough.
I think a lot more people this year have started their own gardens due to the bad economy.
That would be an interesting poll for next week.
We planted one of those upside-down tomato gardens with other plants on top, only because I thought it would be fun. I really don’t think we are saving any money, especially since the first round of plants died (too early) and we had to buy replacements.
Anyone can buy at the co-op whether you are a member or not. If you are a member the benefit you get a discount. The amazing co-op started the way Idaho Falls has started theirs, small and it’s members and community members who wanted it invested their time and ideas to allow it to grow. That is what I say to those who want something like this in Idaho Falls. Quit complaining and get off your duff and offer to participate in the Co-Op’s growth. They could use volunteers who want to make it happen.
I’d like to point out that you do not need to purchase a membership to shop at the co-op!!! It only saves you 5% and gives you voting right at the members meetings. Buying a membership makes you an OWNER of the co-op along with 700 or so other local people. Even if you can’t afford a membership you can still help support the local economy by shoping there or at the farmers market etc. Please do more research before you make statements based on assumptions!! Part of the reason the co-op is struggling is the spead of these misperceptions about what it is and how it works. A quik search about what co-ops are and how they work really helps
Could someone tell us again what the hours are at the Co-Op?
Thanks.