I enjoy posting neighborhood history. This year, I have been concentrating on Civil War-era history. But I am concerned that as the years go by we are losing some of the more recent stuff that precedes the internet.
Case in point, does anyone have more info about a natural food cooperative storefront that used to exist on Pine Street back in the 1980’s? This is not to be confused with the Earthlings’ buying club, which seems to be in hibernation.
I could be wrong, but my understanding is it was in this building, now for rent, at the corner of Pine and Idlewood.
It was good to see people remembering Grace Place.
The food coop began in the 1970’s as a buying club. As more people, became involved in the buying club, the Cornucopia food storefront was opened at Idlewood and Pine (where Padow’s grocery store was formerly located). Cheryl Marschak was the excellent manager of the store for many years. Bulk bins of whole grain foods were popular. Later money was raised to install a walk-in cooler, which allowed a large variety of cheese, yogurt and other perishable products to be sold. Volunteers engaged in such activities as cutting and packaging cheese, meeting and unloading food shipments, cashier work, and, of course, the clean-up detail. This successful enterprise filled a great need, because at the time it was difficult to purchase “natural foods,” or even yogurt, at the chain food stores. Cornucopia had democratic business model with the membership voting on important issues. As mainstream grocery stores gradually began stocking “natural food” items, the demand for Cornucopia diminished.
There use to be a faded mural on the side of the building in the 60’s and the early 70’s. I believe it was a market at one time in the 50’s.
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This was the original Padow’s store ran by George Padow before building the bigger one across the street on Idlewood.