People's Food Co-op turned 55 this week. The Kerrytown grocery store opened in 1971 as a University of Michigan grad student buying club, and it runs on the same idea: neighbors getting good food to neighbors. You do not need to join to shop there, so this is a good week to walk in.
Two grad students in the U-M School of Social Work started the co-op to get fresh food to people who needed it. They drove to Detroit's Eastern Market, then split what they bought into five-dollar bags for neighbors. The co-op filed its official paperwork on August 10, 1971, so this week marks 55 years since that day.
Walk in and head for the bulk aisle. You scoop your own peanut butter, lentils, and honey into whatever container you bring. The co-op also runs a Meet the Locals program that names the farms behind its produce, including Tantre Farm, a name most Ann Arbor shoppers recognize.
Find the co-op at 216 N. Fourth Ave (at the corner of Catherine, in Kerrytown). It's open every day, 8 am to 9 pm. Call 734-994-9174 or check peoplesfood.coop for more. Insider tip: park in the county lot across the street for free after 5:45 pm on weekdays or all day on weekends. The three spots out front only give you 15 minutes.
Fifty-five years is a long run for any Ann Arbor business. This one started as a school project. Stop in this week and see what your neighbors built.
