Who are we?
We are residents of Central Brooklyn committed to providing healthy and affordable food options for our community.
What is a food co-op?
Food co-ops are started by people working together to take back control of their food. Because they are largely volunteer-run, they can provide a less expensive alternative to supermarkets. Food co-ops are committed to consumer education, product quality, and member control. They often support their local communities by selling produce grown locally.
Why do we want to start a food co-op?
We want to collectively improve local food options. By establishing a permanent community-based and member-run food cooperative, we can make it easy and affordable to buy good food, while strengthening ties between neighbors. To read more, see our mission, values and agreements.
Where will the co-op be?
We are opening on the ground floor of a new building at Fulton Street and Saratoga Avenue, in Bed-Stuy and Ocean Hill. The co-op serves Bedford-Stuyvesant, North Crown Heights and the surrounding low- and moderate-income neighborhoods of color.
In spring 2018, CBFC Members determined that the commercial corridor along Fulton Street (between Ralph and Nostrand Avenues) would be the best general area for the CBFC storefront. That is where we landed.
What are the benefits of a food co-op?
Health benefits
- Provide fruits, vegetables, and other foods that address heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and other health challenges.
Environmental benefits
- Increase the supply of local and organic produce that has not been genetically modified or treated by pesticides.
- Provide food that often has less packaging and therefore generates less waste.
Social benefits
- Engage residents in their community.
- Act as a focal point for community members to meet up and work together.
- Provide a more sociable place to shop.
Economic benefits
- Help to support local producers by providing an outlet for their goods.
- Help ensure money spent stays in the local economy.
- Offer volunteers work experience that could be used in other settings to gain paid employment.
