Food Co-op set to launch in month
A steering committee to start a new food co-op for residents is set to happen in about a week.
Carol Simontacchi, owner of Island Nutrition on Sanibel, is getting ready to launch a food co-op that will benefit residents on Sanibel and Captiva.
“It’s going to be great to expand services and products, especially in the organic lines,” Simontacchi, a lifestyles educator said.
Simontacchi held a meeting in early April to explore residents interest in creating a food-co-op.
An enthusiastic response led to the creation of the islands food -co-op which will cost about $40 a year for membership, Simontacchi said.
At this point, about 50 to 70 people are interested in joining the food co-op, Simontacchi said.
The benefits of becoming a member are having access to organic and health-oriented groceries, natural-based cleaning supplies and dog food. Members will also be improve the quality of their diet at substantial cost savings. On a more universal level, participating in the food co-op could help decrease our carbon footprint, Simontacchi said.
“People are very excited,” she said.
A steering committee will meet in about a week to iron out the details for the new co-op. Aside from the annual fee, food co-op members will have to commit to about five hours of work every month. The work detail necessary to keep costs down will include ordering and distributing products.
Simontacchi hopes to be able to get organic fruits and veggies for food co-op members this summer. She is also hoping to expand her grocery line she carries at Island Nutrition. Her health store recently relocated to the Palm Ridge shopping area on Palm ridge Road nest to the Island Pharmacy.
For more information about joining the food co-op email Simontacchi at csimontacchi@earthlink.net.