Indy’s Eastside receives sustainable food source

In January, Indianapolis celebrated the opening of its first food cooperative.  After years of planning and hard work, Pogue’s Run Grocer held its grand opening celebration on January 15 at their 10^th and Rural Street location. Creating nutritious food accessibility was a key factor in the creation of Pogue’s Run Grocer. The mission of the cooperative is to provide public health education, as well as create economic opportunities for low to moderate income residents in the surrounding neighborhood.

Local Harvest, a local food sourcing website, describes food cooperatives as “worker or customer owned businesses that provide grocery items of the highest quality and best value to their members. Coops are committed to consumer education, product quality, and member control, and usually support their local communities by selling produce grown locally by family farms.”

The co-op is an exciting addition to the neighborhood, offering a wide range of produce (from juicy apples to gluten-free products), in-store deli menu, and various workshops and fun events. With 315 members and countless volunteers, the grocer is sure to become a staple in Indy’s sustainable food community.

Pogue’s Run Grocer is open Monday thru Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday Noon to 5 p.m. Visit www.IndyFoodCoop.org for more information.

Food cooperative locations are not limited to central Indiana; other existing food co-ops include 3 Rivers Food Co-op in Fort Wayne, Bloomingfoods Market & Deli Co-op in Bloomington, Brighton Food Co-op, Maple City Market in Goshen, Clear Creek Food Cooperative in Richmond, and River City Food Co-op in Evansville.

This post was written by Brittany Smith, an intern with the Indiana Humanities Council. Brittany is a senior Communications major at Butler University. A strong passion for food and agriculture brought her to the Council’s Food for Thought campaign.