Dibbleville Food Co-op Offers Natural and Local Food Sources

Everyone is looking for ways to save money and eat better these days. It can be difficult to find time to drive to several stores looking for what you need. 

For many families, joining a co-op is the answer. It allows families the opportunity to receive discounts on natural food products and bulk pricing on many nuts, spices and other items.

The Dibbleville Food Co-op in Fenton has been around for almost 40 years, said coordinator Robin Schroeder.

"I joined myself when my son was in middle school and he's 29 now," Schroeder said. "And we even have some members who grew up being involved in the co-op."

The Dibbleville Co-op does its ordering with United Foods, Frontier and several local farmers. Members generally place their orders online about once a month and help unload the truck when it comes. 

"United offers a lot of organic grocery brands--the fresh cheese is wonderful--and from Frontier we get the Simply Organic herbs, Maggie's socks, Burt's Bees, etc.  It's all really good, quality product."

The membership fee is $25 and people can place an order every month or as little as once a year, depending on the need.

An added bonus of joining the Dibbleville co-op is its cooperation with local farmers. Members can order farm-fresh eggs and locally raised meat.

The benefits of this are numerous, farmers say.

"When you taste the difference between a store-bought egg and a farm-fresh egg produced by a chicken who has been well-fed and well-treated, there's no comparison," said George Passatino, who owns Serenity Acres Now farm in Tyrone Township and sells eggs through the co-op.

Serenity Acres Now, which Passatino runs with his wife, Trase, is also a goat farm where the couple raises goats for milk. They offer a goat-sharing program where people can buy a "share" of a goat and in exchange, receive fresh goat milk.

The Dibbleville Co-op also places orders to the Westwind Milling Company in Argentine, which makes organic flours from locally grown grain and to a hog farm in Yale, offering hog meat and chicken.

"We have 25-45 families ordering every month," said Schroeder, "Including doctors, homeschooling families and people with special dietary needs. Anyone can join."

The Dibbleville Co-op offers a 10 percent discount on all orders placed. 

"I like being a part of the co-op because I feel good about what I'm buying," said Schroeder.  "I'm a firm believer in buying local and giving fair wages to farmers and I feel like the products I get are consistent with that."

For more information or to join the co-op, visit their website at www.dibbleville.com, email contact@dibbleville.com or call 810-629-1175.