Idaho Co-Op to Sell Organic, Local Foods

"IDAHO FALLS, Idaho - Organizers of a new eastern Idaho food cooperative say they want to provide farmers a place to sell their goods and consumers place to find a range of locally grown organic products.

Organizers of Eagle Rock Food Cooperative, expected to open in Idaho Falls next month, say the market is ripe for food considered healthier to eat and easier on the environment.

"I think Idaho Falls is ready for a co-op, and it's time," Marilynn Manguba, a leader in the effort to bring a co-op to the city, told the Post-Register. "We have a critical mass of people who want to do it."

She said consumers want local, organic food because they like knowing where it comes from and the belief that the shorter journey from field to market cuts down on pollution.

Federal studies show organic foods are attracting consumers because they are grown by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water. Organic meat comes from animals that aren't given antibiotics or growth hormones, and organic food is grown without synthetic pesticides, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture."

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