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What Does “Local” Mean?

Products labeled "LOCAL" at Berkshire Food Co-op have been raised, grown or made within 100 miles of our store, as the crow flies.

To be defined as local, a product must also satisfy one or more of the following requirements:

  • Grown locally on sustainable farms;

  • Cooked, prepared, assembled or otherwise produced locally;

  • Products that add to and enhance economic development through job and business creation that involves more than simple transportation or distribution.

This means that if a product is not significantly altered by the local business, it is not a local product. For example, a local meat distributor may simply receive and reship product without changing or preparing it in any way. This product will not be considered local. But, a local business that brings in coffee beans, roasts them and packages them to sell, will be considered local.

Local Producers

We sell products from nearly 200 different local vendors! Click below to learn more.

 

Local producers at Berkshire Food Co-op

 

A commitment to local

The Berkshire Food Co-op's commitment to providing local foods and products is an integral part of our business model. It's written into the Ends that have guided our Co-op from the beginning.

We work hard to build strong business relationships with local farmers and producers. The nearly $2 million that we spend yearly on purchasing products that are grown, raised or made within 100 miles of the Berkshire Food Co-op directly supports our local economy. When you purchase local products from the Co-op, you become part of these local social and economic networks that we work to create.

The local farmers who grow our produce and raise the animals that supply our local meats, milk and eggs utilize sustainable and humane production methods that are in the best interests of workers, animals and the earth. When you put locally grown and locally raised food on your table, you become part of a sustainable local food system.