Moscow Food Co-op kicks off the holiday season with samples and live music
The Moscow Food Co-op may be 41 years old, but its age doesn’t reflect on the fresh and innovative take it has on everyday grocery shopping.
Genie Tran | Rawr
Co-op kitchen manager Sean Knox sang and played guitar last Thursday night at the first Tasteful Thursday, Uncorked and Unplugged.
According to Co-op Education and Outreach Coordinator Misty Amarena, the Co-op has always had roots in hard work and an appetite for healthy living.
“We just started with a group of people that really had a passion for organic, natural food,” Amarena said. “They came together and worked really, really hard and it’s slowly grown from there.”
Amarena said the Co-op being community owned creates a community-rich atmosphere. However, shopping at the store is not exclusive to owners.
The Co-op prides itself in offering the Palouse organic and natural food choices that come from local and regional sources. Amarena said she believes this is part of what makes the Co-op beneficial to Moscow.
“We’re all about empowering consumers to make the best choices for them, in terms of their health,” Amarena said. “We’re here to support and inform and be a resource for people.”
The shifting seasons brings a change in the Co-op’s variety of produce, baked goods and local products. To emphasize this change and bring attention to seasonal treats, the Co-op is hosting Tasteful Thursdays every Thursday evening throughout the holiday season. Each week features new vendors, seasonal foods and live music from various local artists.
Nov. 6 featured the first Tasteful Thursday of the 2014 holiday season. It was titled “Uncorked and Unplugged,” referencing the wine tastings and acoustic music in the event. The aisles of the Co-op were scattered with local farmers and merchants, all showing off samples of their livelihoods. Kate Jaeckel, who owns and operates Orchard Farm in Moscow, was at Uncorked and Unplugged to showcase her botanically based body care products, which are sold at the Co-op year-round.
“Our business has been up and running for 12 years, and the Co-op has been our cornerstone,” Jaeckel said.
Upcoming Tasteful Thursdays will feature Paradise Creek Brewery, massage therapists and Derick Jiwan, a local henna tattoo artist who will donate his proceeds from Tasteful Thursdays to local charitable organizations.
Amarena said the Co-op’s roots in the community, combined with the opportunity for consumers to meet vendors face-to-face is what makes Tasteful Thursdays not only important for the business, but for growing the natural foods community and Moscow as a whole.
The Moscow Food Co-op will host Tasteful Thursdays every Thursday, excluding Nov. 27, until Dec. 18. The event is from 4:30-7:30 p.m. and takes place throughout the store.
Lyndsie Kiebert can be reached at [email protected]