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Produce Sales The produce department continued with another year of strong sales. Overall sales were up each month of the year over 2010. We came very close to having our first ever 100K sales month in May, and I am hopeful that we can continue these trends and that the produce department will contribute close to 1 Million dollars in sales to the store by the end of 2011.
  As you can see, Jan/Feb and Aug/Sept are our slowest sales months of the year and April/May/June are the best sales months of the year for the produce department. Local Sales The season for locally available produce on the Palouse is limited. Fresh greens, vegetables, and fruits are only available June through October with limited storage crops available throughout the fall and early winter.
That being said, locally grown produce purchasing and sales are as strong as ever during that time. The Co-op produce department remains committed to buying as much local produce as possible at a rate that is fair and sustainable to the grower and which allows us to retail the product at a price that is fair for the consumer. We are always interested in meeting new farmers or helping established ones grow and expand their operations. We are proud to have worked with 32 local growers in 2011 and to have signed produce purchasing contracts with 10 of those individuals. Contracts are meant to provide price guarantees for the season and many small farmers find them beneficial. In 2011 we started tracking local purchases using 3 new designations: Local50, Local100, and Local200. Produce sales in the Local50 and Local100 range (which best represents our truly local growers) looks like it will be around $75,000 for 2011. Annual Local Produce Sales 2005 | $6,700 | 35 Unique crops | 2006 | $37,000 | 99 Unique crops | 2007 | $44,000 | 113 Unique crops | 2008 | $43,000 | 113 Unique crops | 2009 | $59,000 | 119 Unique crops | 2010 2011 YTD | $78,000 $65,800 | 113 Unique crops 118 Unique crops |
Upcoming We look forward to yet another season of cultivating the Co-op as the focal point of the local food community on the Palouse. We will be hosting our annual growers meeting in the month of February, and look forward to receiving input from the local farmers about ways to improve our relationships in time for the next growing season. If you are a new or beginning farmer, this meeting is your opportunity to get involved and make your contribution to the Co-op food community. It is our goal to get more growers set up with purchasing agreements, and increase the amount of locally grown produce we carry at the Co-op. Here’s to an abundant new year! |
