[nominusllc]

The co-op in Gays Mills, WI has been going strong since the 80's. All you need is a homogeneous community and some hippies. It's hard for one side to get one over on the other side when everyone shares the same corner store, pool, pub, and one-eyed barber. Love that place. You can smell the spices and herbs about 20ft from the door and it's just amazing. Like a spicy masala with a little skunk to it.

I think co-ops work in more rural areas because it's not a fad to be there, it's the smart choice. Places in Cali are competing with an entire world of food on the same 10 square miles.

[mcdan]

One of the oldest food coops is in Park Slope Brooklyn, which is not rural but sure does have a bunch of hippies.

https://www.foodcoop.com/

[ch4s3]

That place is notoriously kind of a cult. I can see it from a place I frequent, and some of the staff at that place are co-op members. They occasionally engage in illicit gossip, any the co-op sounds awful. They also boast among their members several 60s era leftist terrorists, and weather underground hangers on.

Wild place, but their apiary is cool.

[kritiko]

It's not a cult. Sure, there are busybodies pushing weird issues at the general assembly meetings, but I'd compare it to Trader Joe's if it were staffed by mostly volunteers who only work every 6 weeks - bit incompetent, but very normal.

[tomcam]

That was super informative except for the term “one-eyed barber”

[candiddevmike]

Kickapoo exchange? Driftless folks on HN?

[nominusllc]

Yep you know the one. It's on the other side of the street from the barber shop and knicknack place the barber's wife owns. the one with those welded metal sculptures of people made from forks and scrap iron and stuff. You from around the area?

[candiddevmike]

La crosse area, love going down to viroqua during this time of year though.

[nominusllc]

Lots of great memories having malts at the viroqua dairy :)

[germinalphrase]

Driftless adjacent.