Now a related trend has arrived in Portland: A community supported kitchen. Local Sprouts Cooperative Catering, which has been cooking up local and organic food for nonprofits since last summer, has just started signing up members for its community supported kitchen. Beginning July 16, it will start cooking up weekly meal shares in the Public Market House’s community kitchen. The organization will be run similar to a CSA, where you buy a six-month subscription and then have a credit to use daily, weekly or monthly.
“We’ll put out a weekly menu and people will place their orders based on that menu,” explains Jonah Fertig, one of the founding members of the cooperative. “We plan on being really responsive to what people want. If they want more frozen meals or more soup bases, we’ll do that.”
Local sprouts aims to use as much locally- and organically-grown and raised vegetables, dairy products, eggs and meat as possible. Of course, items such as chocolate will have to come from elsewhere, but in such cases the organization will source fair-traded and organic versions.
“There’s a perception that local and organic means high-end and expensive,” Fertig says. “We want to make it accessible.”
As members begin to sign up, they will be asked about their food preferences, meal needs and any dietary requirements, such as vegetarian or gluten-free. This information will be used by Local Sprouts to craft each week’s menu.
In addition to selling food shares, Local Sprouts also aims to be a worker-owned cooperative, which will help keep prices low.
Hanifa Washington, who is the head chef, says “most cooperatives grow out of a need that’s not being met. What do people need? Local, healthy food that is affordable is something people need.”
The cooperative ownership structure allows people with limited financial resources to still score high-quality whole foods. Rather than paying the full cost of membership, members can opt to work a regular shift in the kitchen for their share. Paying members also can put in time in the kitchen, allowing them to become worker owners with distinct responsibilities and later work up to being on the board.
“Where can you go and get an accessible, clearly priced local meal?” Washington asks.
Come July, the answer will be Local Sprouts.
— Avery Yale Kamila