The co-ops primary reason for existance, is to give eco concious people a chance to buy wholesome pantry essentials with MINIMAL WASTE & MAXIMUM SAVINGS. We keep the costs of the co-op low by buying bulk & having minimal overheads.
These savings are passed straight on to you.
My Journey to this point is what follows...
So those that know me personally, know that I am slightly obsessed with food. When I’m eating breaky, I’m dreaming about what Im having for lunch. When Im having lunch, Im planning my dinner.. it kinda consumes my mind.
They also know that I have a few chronic, but not life threatening, health issues that I have been struggling with on & off for years. Please don’t pull out the tissues- Im A ok- It just helps put my story into context.
Real food excites me, I love the way it looks & feels, I love its ability to change adapt & combine with other foods to tickle my tastebuds & fulfil my demanding belly, but most of all I am downright fascinated by its role in running our bodies & its ability to keep us well.
Ha ha, Please don’t misinterpret my words, I am in NO WAY a health expert, or here to offer advice - my story is purely anecdotal.
Just a moment of truth- despite my health issues, this interest in food was not always the case. Lets be honest, I loved eating food, but all the rest was just superfluous nonsense- food was for taste & enjoyment, period..
In my family, I was the last cab of the rank in terms of health- on holidays my family would be eating carrot sticks & doing sit ups whilst I would sit on their feet eating a packet of bbq shapes & wondering why everyone around me was so crazy.
I took no responsibility & ownership of what I put in my mouth & refused to notice & acknowledge the effect it was having on my body. I found healthy boring, time consuming & maybe even a little self centred?!
I bet your waiting for the “but all this changed when” line aren’t you! Well thats not really how it happened. There wasn’t some pivotal moment in my life that projected me fast & furiously into the world of health & wellness. It was gradual, slow & circumstantial.
As I said, I wasn’t taking any responsibility for my health. I felt if I ignored my niggling pain for long enough it would go away but instead it got worse.
I have been diagnosed with Ankylosing spondylitis, Endometriosis IBS, Arthritis & Anxiety. None of these diagnosis’s made me change my diet, I was just after a pill to fix them. Unfortunately none existed. All avenues (much to my frustration & dismay) led to change in diet.
So as it was the only avenue I could pursue, I just started looking into food & becoming more aware of how I felt when I ate something… it kinda grew from there.
After four years I can say with certainty that FOR ME Diet is essential to my wellbeing. Managing myself, my lifestyle & what I eat is directly linked to the level of inflammation in my body which effects the pain I feel, which in turn affects my mental health.
I am not cured, but I now have the tools, resources & knowhow to help make my life much more enjoyable!!
While all this was going on, another avenue of thought was opening up for me. I was building up a bit of resentment towards the food industry & its addiction to packaging. I became disheartened at the state of our oceans & angry at big business & government for being nonchalant about it. But I knew my anger wasn’t going to alter anything. The government wasn’t going to change its mind just because some pipsqueak of a girl was stamping her foot up & down up in Newcastle (was it?).
So I again, I tried to take responsibility & own MY OWN behaviours. I changed my shopping habits, bought my fruit & veg locally, & tried buying at bulk whole food stores for pantry goods but… alas this almost sent us broke!! Responsibility is expensive!!
One would think that food that is processed less, packaged less & transported less would cost less right? Not so!
The Pantry is sort of a merging of my brain-space over the last year. An answer to my Wallet issues, health issues & my burning “what can I do” question. Its a way for me to be responsible in the areas I had been irresponsible. A way to OWN my thoughts & put them into action, An avenue not to make money but to perhaps inspire, encourage, get alongside & provide resource to those who are struggling with the same desire to live a personally responsible life.
