money in the hands of The (Right) Man

Inspired by the advantages of eating locally and just more eco-friendly, I took a short walk from my apartment to The Common Ground Co-op. This wasn’t my first visit to the co-op, but as I stood in line I started thinking about how truly awesome this place really is.
I have never encountered an employee at any store, let alone a grocery store so knowledgeable and genuinely excited to inform you about produce. Not only does the website have a thorough list of farmer profiles, but even in the store employees were more than willing to answer any question as to how any product was grown, where they were grown, and with what methods. I never realized that so much thought could go into buying groceries, but the Common Ground’s website lists the email address of the store’s buyers to encourage input from members/customers and reasons each farm was selected.
It was like no other grocery shopping experience I have ever had. It was refreshing to be surrounded by like minded people who genuinely care about the food they eat and where the money they spend on food actually goes.
So my jar of organic peanut butter, spinach, apples, and hummus probably cost a bit more at the co-op than what say Sam Walton would charge, but I really felt like I was buying more than just groceries. I felt like I was helping the local economy and acting upon my beliefs. (I realize how pretentious that statement sounds, but in this age of big agribusiness, I guess any effort helps). Also, I looked on the co-op’s website and found their mission statement:

Common Ground Food Co-op is a cooperatively owned grocery store that promotes local and organic production, fosters conscious consumerism, and builds community.

I thought it would be interesting to compare this mission statement with Wal-Mart’s, but couldn’t really find an official statement released by the company (other than the company’s slogan, emphasizing “Always low prices!”). The company claims that people are not concerned with their mission statement as much as they are with their prices.
I guess it’s just a difference in opinion, but I’d rather buy my food from people who care about the environment, the community, and the health of their customers than a company whose sole concern is an obsession with price.