SALT LAKE CITY — What if your neighborhood grocery store was owned by the people who shop there? That's the idea behind Wasatch co-op, where shoppers can find everything from Utah-grown produce to locally made specialty foods.
"It feels a lot more than just going to your grocery store," said Jaleigh Jensen, owner of Silo and Seed Farm. "It feels like a place you can come in and really feel welcomed."
A co-op is a grocery store that is owned and operated by the community. Wasatch Co-op Operations Manager Cameron Silva says anyone can shop at the grocery store, but member-owners pay a lifetime fee then receive benefits including discounts, a voice in how the co-op is run, and the potential for dividends once the grocery store becomes profitable.
"Customers come in to support the community, and they know that when they spend their money here, it's returned back to the communities that they're in," Silva said.
For farmers like Jensen, that means bringing her produce directly from her farm in Layton to your cart, and if you're planning on stopping by Wasatch Co-Op soon, she has a recommendation: grab one of her fresh heirloom tomatoes.
"If you can get a tomato that was picked that morning and put it on your plate that night, I don't think it can really get that much better than that," Jensen said.
At the co-op you can also find other local vendors like Parea, Salsa del Diablo, and The Salted Roots. Ivy Watrous, owner of The Salted Roots, makes flavored salts designed to add something extra to anything you're making. "The dill pickle salt, for instance yes, popcorn, but you can use it for deviled eggs, potato salads, steaks, burgers, Bloody Mary rims, anything like that," Watrous said.
Whether you're growing a tomato, selling salt, or just stopping for groceries, the idea is to keep more of that money and support in the community. "We all need food, and we all need to eat, and what better way to do it than with the community," Silva said.
If you're interested in becoming a member-owner or learning more about Wasatch Co-op's upcoming events like Party on the Patio, you can go online to wasatch.coop.
