Eat Local Month 2023

All September long, we are making it even easier for you to eat local.

We are putting many local products on sale, giving away local products, offering free samples of local products, and celebrating local farmers and vendors. Owners can save over $75 on Owner-only sales this month, plus more on our sales for all customers!

Not an Owner? You can join today for $10, or less if you qualify for financial assistance. See our Ownership page for details. You can also stop in at the Co-op and check out one of our three stores before you make a decision; everyone is welcome!

Three reasons to eat local

It's fresher. Local foods tend to be fresher than those shipped from across the country or farther away, and fresh food has more nutrients.
It helps local farmers and vendors. You're supporting your local farmers and keeping the agricultural viability of their communities alive. Most small farms were struggling even before the pandemic, and now many are facing bankruptcy.
It helps our community. Buying local keeps money circulating in local communities, which helps keep our neighbors employed and more financially secure.

Sales

Local product sales for all customers—members and non-members—are listed here.

Some of our Owner-only local product sales are shown here, and check our Owner Rewards page each week in September for more sales. At the link, you can also sign up to receive the weekly flyers via email. Willy Street Co-op Owners can save over $75 on Owner-only local product sales during the month.

Giveaways

We'll be giving away prizes every week in September. Each Monday at noon, starting Aug. 28, you'll have one week to enter to win one of six tote bags full of local products—each one a $100 value! That's $3,000 worth of local products we're giving away! Enter to win on online via our website (a link will be posted on this page), on Instagram, and on Facebook; and enter in any of our stores. Six winners—two per prize pickup store, one from online entries, one from paper in-store entries—will be randomly chosen.

Week one entry form (this drawing is now closed)
Week two entry form (this drawing is now closed)
Week three entry form (this drawing is now closed)
Week four entry form (this drawing is now closed)
Week five entry form (entry form live by noon on Monday,Sept. 25)

Stories from Local Vendors

Read stories from some of our local vendors!

Eat Local Cooking Challenge

**Update: the boxes are now sold out, but you can still watch the Challenge!**

We're excited to be partnering with Edible Madison to hold our first-ever Eat Local Cooking Challenge! Sign up to receive a mystery box featuring 12+ local products from Willy Street Co-op vendors! Then join our LIVE virtual cooking event on Thursday, September 28th where we watch talented local chefs create dishes from the mystery box ingredients (and hopefully get inspired to create your own local meals at home!). Each box will include a bounty of local ingredients, including local produce, meat, and dry goods worth $95+! Tell your neighbors and gather your friends for this fun Iron Chef™-style challenge! More of a watcher than a cooker? You can watch the event online! For more information, see the Edible Madison event webpage.

Local Produce Availability

What locally grown fruits and vegetables will be available in September and October? Check the list here! Would you like to get weekly updates about what's new in the Produce department and what's about to be done for the season? Sign up for our "Word on the Beet" email - you can unsubscribe at any time.

Local definition graphic

How do we define "local"?

Lots of stores talk about shopping local. What does that really mean? The definition varies depending on where you shop; there is no set definition for "local" in the grocery sector. At our Co-op, local means the product was sourced from anywhere in Wisconsin or from within 150 miles of the State Capitol building. Local products are highlighted with purple icons in our stores.

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