What We Carry & How We Choose It

At Purple Porch Food Co-op, we select items that will serve our community with a full range of high-quality and fairly-priced food, personal care, and household products. As a full-service food store, we actively seek out Local (L), Regional (R), Certified Organic (O), Fair Trade (FT), Gluten-Free (GF), and Vegan (V) options, as well as products made by fellow Co-ops (Coop).

Our Purchasing Standards

When making product choices, we prioritize the following attributes:

  1. Local or Midwest Regional
    Defined as within 60 miles (Local) or 300 miles (Midwest Regional) of our front porch. Check out our full list of local producers (updated regularly).

  2. Certified Organic or Organically Grown
    Certified Organic means a farm has completed the USDA's formal certification process, verifying their products are grown without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or GMOs. Organically Grown means the same practices are used, but without the official USDA certification — common among small local farms for whom the certification process can be costly and time-consuming. We trust our local growers and encourage you to ask us about any product.

  3. Community Supported
    Products requested by our Member-owners and products that fulfill unique community needs.

  4. Products Made and/or Sold by Cooperatives
    Examples include Organic Valley and Eden Foods — both cooperatively owned.

  5. Fair Trade Certified
    Fair Trade Certified means a product meets internationally recognized standards ensuring farmers and workers were paid fairly, worked in safe conditions, and that environmentally sustainable practices were used in production. The certification also guarantees a price floor so producers aren't undercut by volatile market prices. Examples include Endangered Species Chocolate, GoMacro Bars, and Rishi Tea.

  6. Humanely Raised and Cruelty-Free
    Humanely Raised means animals were given access to the outdoors, raised without growth hormones or unnecessary antibiotics, and treated with care throughout their lives. Cruelty-Free applies to non-food products — like soaps and personal care items — meaning they were not tested on animals. We prioritize products from farms and makers who meet these standards because how food is raised matters as much as what it is. Examples include Jake's Country Meats, Ridge Lane Farm, and Horn of Plenty Farm.

Individual products may meet one or several of these standards. We encourage our customers to read product labels and to contact manufacturers with questions about ingredients.

What’s On Our Shelves

Groceries

Refrigerated and Frozen

Bulk Foods

Our Bulk Department is filled with a wide variety of over 100 items. You'll find everything from spices and fresh nut butters to baking ingredients, Fair Trade coffees, cereal, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, soaps, loose leaf teas, and much more. Most items are Certified Organic and Fair Trade when applicable. We have containers provided, but you are encouraged to bring your own reusable ones. Everything in our bulk section is sold by weight.

Produce

We work hard to provide you with the freshest variety of local produce — including seasonal vegetables and fruits from Ridge Lane Farm, Horn of Plenty Farm, Green Bridge Growers, Storey Family Farm, and Bennett Farms. We carry organic options when possible, as well as conventional products based on seasonal offerings, pricing, and availability.

Pantry Staples & Specialty Items

Personal Care and Wellness

Household Products

The essentials! Paper towels, toilet paper, tissues, dish soap, laundry soap, coffee filters, parchment paper, and more.

But Wait… There’s More!

See our full list of local and regional producers to learn more about the farms and makers behind what's on our shelves.