Best of Butler County winners sneak peek: MOON Co-op, the best place for healthy food

MOON has been celebrated in this year’s Best of Butler County contest as the winner in Best Health Food Store and Best Natural Food Store and runner-up in Best Grocery Store.

We’re preparing to release all of our Best of Butler County winners on Friday, and we’re providing an early look at a few of those winners this week. To get the winners before anyone else, sign up for our Midday Break newsletter.

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Unlike traditional grocery stores, a cooperative, or co-op, is collectively owned by shareholders and managed by an elected board that represents shareholder interests.

MOON Co-op’s offerings include locally raised meats and dairy products and locally grown vegetables, as well as fair-trade coffees, teas, and wines. MOON Co-op offers extensive bulk offerings that allow consumers to fill their own containers, in order to eliminate unnecessary packaging.

“We are uniquely responsive to and interested in supporting and advancing our local suppliers,” Blackmar said. “Many of our suppliers and growers are members of our cooperative, and we represent a place where they can sell our products all week long, without having to staff multiple farmers markets. We are proud to work together to build our local economy in this way. We also have a history of assisting local startups as they look to bring their wares to market, providing shelf space to folks just getting going in retail.”

It is this community-forward focus that Blackmar loves so much about being involved with MOON. She enjoys checking customers out and talking to them about what they plan to make with their purchases and their favorite offerings at the on-site prepared-foods deli.

“In a world of delivery and self-checkout, this kind of interaction and community is becoming all too rare,” Blackmar said.

HOW TO GO

WHAT: MOON Co-op

WHERE: 512 Locust St., Oxford

WHEN: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sundays.

CONTACT: 513-280-5020

Source: journal-news.com