New Pioneer Food Co-op — Local services in Iowa City

This location is my favorite. I've been shopping here since 2022. The people who work here are clearly passionate about their jobs because they know the New Pioneer Food Co•Op is providing healthy options for their members. People may think organic prices are too high, but the way I see it is that you are paying for your health, one way or another. Meaning, if you pay more for quality food, you're going to be paying less in medical expenses when unhealthy, chemical-sprayed food consumption catches up to you. There are always trade-offs, and the food industry hides a lot of the truth from us about what we are actually putting in our bodies. Not to mention that this store sells Fair Trade foods/products and they support many local farms + businesses. That being said, I trust the New Pioneer Food Co•Op to provide safe and fairly sourced food options. Processed foods are good to limit, in general, but their options are often (if not always) organic/non-gmo. I can consume their organic dairy products with peace of mind that I'm not going to get ill. Their seafood options are sustainably sourced, and their fresh seafood options (in Coralville) are outstanding in quality. 🐟 This operation is the pathway forward for humanity. The more people who consume organic/non-gmo, the more this will become the norm. Thank you for...

Local hippy grocery store. All natural, organic, locally grown, vegan, etc. options are abundant. Popular brands of household products as you would find at Walmart or Target are not available, only organic/local/etc brands. Speciality foreign foods also available, such as European cheeses and wines and pre-prepared Asian-style dishes like sushi. For example, this is the only place I could find edamame & edible bugs downtown. Prices are high, products are reliably of high quality. I recommend primarily patronizing for fresh produce, as the higher prices are the most worth it for these high-quality products, generally. Very clean and organized store and helpful employees. Patronage is primarily democrat/left-leaning upper middle class and wealthy Iowa City citizens. Staff is mostly middle class 20-somethings. Debit card preferred over credit, but accepting all forms of payment. Paper bags only. An ATM is...

My favorite grocery store. They stock lots of organic produce and other items, I can get my local whole organic chicken here, and they carry Co-Op Basics as well as many bulk items.

To those saying they are pricey: It is an organic store that reflects the true cost of food. Regular supermarkets are saturated with big food conglomerate interest that artificially drive down the cost of food. Real, good food costs money. That's a fact. You want better food, it will cost more. I myself have saved lots of money at the Co-Op by shopping sales, not buying junk, and buying bulk staples. A few weeks ago, my favorite brand of pasta was on sale and I had a coupon so I got a box of pasta that's normally 3.29 for .99 and I stocked up on several of them. A few months ago they had a flash sale of red bell peppers for .99/lb. You just need to be smart and know when to shop and what to stock up on...