New Co-op Brings Local Produce To Brentwood

Buying local produce just got easier and more affordable with the newest Community Helpings Co-op drop-off in Brentwood.

The cooperative takes orders on its website from St. Louis-area residents and makes bi-weekly deliveries to several locations around the city and county, with Brentwood being the newest on the list. Shoppers can order produce, dry goods and preserves from local and regional farms. Residents then can pick up their order behind on Brentwood Boulevard.

Steve Long, owner of Complete Fitness Results, found out about the co-op when one of his clients had to leave a training session early.

“All I had to do was be a location and they’d help me out. I just had to volunteer some time,” Long said. “So we got started. We’re glad to be able to use our success with Complete Fitness Results to be able to do some things to help the community.”

The co-op’s Brentwood location had its third delivery last Wednesday, July 27. The most popular item ordered was the produce basket.

“It’s $23 for a giant bag of produce,” Long said. “Some of it’s local, some of it’s from around the country, but it’s whatever’s in season right now.”

The co-op takes the money from produce basket orders and buys as much in-season produce as possible. On pick-up days, the delivery truck drops off the fruits, vegetables and other orders. Long and a few volunteers sort the produce into blue Ikea bags for pick-up.

Because they try to buy in-season produce and are limited by how many people order, the produce is different every delivery.

“When the truck comes it’s a little bit of work because it’s a hustle,” Long said. “It usually takes about half an hour to get everything loaded in the bags and ready for everybody to pick up.”

Many residents said they liked the produce baskets because they were better quality and value than offered in grocery stores and they like the surprise of not knowing what fruits and vegetables they’re going to get.

“I’m not sure what I’m going to get so I have to be creative to find stuff to do with everything,” said Julia McIntyre, who was picking up her first basket. “It’s exciting, kind of like Christmas.”

Last Wednesday, 31 produce baskets were ordered. They contained a melon, papaya, bananas, nectarines, plums, red apples, green beans, zucchini, green peppers, ears of corn, heads of lettuce, a small box of mini cucumbers and a five pound bag of potatoes.

The Brentwood Community Helpings Co-op has a Facebook page where it posts recipes for the new produce each week and reminds participants about ordering and pick-up days. It also calls for volunteers to help unload the truck.

“Volunteers are always great because we just got this going not too long ago and it’s me and a couple people unloading the truck and putting it all into bags,” Long said. “The more volunteers who come and help unload the truck and distribute the better.”

He also said that just ordering a basket can help too. The more people who order produce baskets, the more food everybody gets.

“That’s really as much as we can ask for,” Long said.

Orders for next Wednesday's delivery can be placed after 11 p.m. today (August 3) and can be picked up on August 10 at 4:45 p.m.