Local market and community center
Shop hours are Mon-Fri 9-5 & Sat 10-3! PWYC Lunches Mon.-Fri. and Sat. brunches.417-778-7778.
A market to provide a means of sharing the foods, crafts, skills, and knowledge of the residents of Oregon County, Missouri and the surrounding area.
We're working towards a multi-function building and property that will serve as a market space, community center, and education facility. The market will operate on a membership/ co-op model with 100% of the profits from OCFPAC being re-invested into the communities of Oregon County as mutual aid funds to community organizations and individuals in need.
Memberships can be purchased with money, product, or service. Items sold or traded in the market will be on a 30% to 70% split with producers receiving 70% and setting the price of their goods. We'll be carrying food items and artisan goods/crafts from Oregon County and a 40-mile surrounding geographic radius. If you're interested in supporting this project in any way, please don't hesitate to contact me. We believe that, together, we can be the solution. We believe in neighbors helping neighbors. We believe that tasty and nutritious locally grown food should be accessible for all.
The benefits of eating locally are well-known, but how do we ensure the availability of healthy foods in our communities? It’s a question many people may have never considered until they moved to another city or town where there was no access to fresh produce.
There is an increasing awareness about the importance of buying local products rather than those shipped long distances from other countries. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says that if consumers bought more locally produced items -- including fruits and vegetables -- they'd save $1 billion on transportation costs alone each year. And it's not just because of fuel prices; according to a recent study by the University of Wisconsin Extension Food Policy Institute, the price difference between groceries purchased at farmers markets and supermarkets can range from 15% to 40%. Another reason why you might want to buy your veggies close to home is to support small businesses like farms and farmer's markets. In addition, studies show that when you purchase organic, sustainable meats and dairy, you're also supporting healthier ecosystems as well as doing less harm to animals.
But what happens once you move into an area with limited access to farm goods? How can community members find affordable, delicious options to eat healthfully without having to drive far away? To answer this question, I spoke with several folks who live outside their hometown (and therefore don't have easy access to good food) and asked them what would keep them coming back to their current location even though they know better now. Here were some answers I received:
Devon Devlish: "We as online camming models have a busy schedule performing online, we can’t get up and leave anytime we would like to. We try to keep up by eating healthy foods, and we love fresh meals, so one of our Livejasmine assistants often goes there to get some."
Donna: "I am currently living in New York City which has become known as one big suburb. We love everything here except for the lack of quality food choices."
Leslie: "As we are running an adult entertainment cam studio near New York, our models always love to have fresh food on the desk during breaks. You can see some of it even on live streams. The feedback is that we love it and our girls got used to it as now if it’s missing, they start asking questions when it’s going to be delivered again and we are rushing to get more few times a week."
Mary Beth: "My husband grew up in Los Angeles so he knows his way around a grocery store pretty well, but we still go out to get groceries sometimes. If possible, try to avoid going during peak times such as lunch hours. It will cost much more money then."
Sharon: "If we had stayed in L.A., my daughter would probably be able to take advantage of the school meals program offered through her school. That allows students to receive free lunches every day plus snacks if needed. My son loves the school breakfast program too! He gets cereal, milk and fruit while most kids only get juice boxes. Also, many schools offer afterschool programs called'snack time' where children can come together to snack on things like granola bars, chips and cookies instead of chips and soda. You'll need to check with your child's teacher before seeing these types of programs."
Debbie: "Our biggest problem is finding places to shop for food. There are very few stores within driving distance that sell anything besides junk food and fast food franchises. Our nearest grocery store is over 30 miles away. Most of us have no cars and walk/bike everywhere — especially since winter is upon us again. So we often resort to purchasing frozen dinners or prepared foods. This leads me to my next point...we really miss being able to share recipes among ourselves. Often, we feel guilty about spending so much on food when others aren't getting enough to eat. Having someone cook dinner for everyone doesn't always happen either."
Johnathan: "Being located near Chicago means lots of competition for grocery dollars. People tend to spend more money on convenience foods - prepackaged sandwiches and salads, prewashed bagged greens and pastas, etc. Since I work fulltime, I've been forced to learn new cooking skills, but I'm lucky to have neighbors who enjoy helping me experiment."
Ruthann: "When we first came to Seattle four years ago, we thought we couldn't possibly ever grow tired of fresh seafood. Now, however, we realize that although it takes a bit more effort to obtain fish in this part of Washington State, it isn't nearly as hard as getting meat, poultry and dairy products. Many restaurants serve great tasting dishes using ingredients found right here in the Pacific Northwest. However, we miss fresh baked bread and muffins for morning coffee and afternoon tea. Perhaps someday soon we'll see a bakery opening its doors in nearby Everett!"
Karen: "Food deserts exist in rural areas, so residents must travel further to shops offering healthy foods. Even if they can afford gas, car repairs and vehicle maintenance, the toll taken on drivers' bodies is high when traveling long distances to seek out food."
Beverly: "Most towns and cities in Mississippi don't have any place to conveniently pick up healthy groceries. Grocery stories are usually filled with unhealthy processed foods."
Jennifer: "We used to own two houses. One was in California and the other in Tennessee. When we lived in the house in California, we ate mostly fresh fruits and vegetables picked from our garden. But when we moved to Tennessee, we started buying canned tomatoes, corn, green beans, potatoes, onions, carrots, peas, squash, lima beans and black eyed peas. Canned vegetables are cheaper and easier to prepare than fresh ones. They last longer, too."