The Greene Hill Food Coop

I recently joined the Greene Hill Co-​op and it’s been a game changer for me.
I moved back to New York from LA this June and until I started going to the Co-​op, one of my favorite pastimes was complaining about how expensive groceries were in New York, especially produce. I used to belong to the Santa Monica Co-​op, and there wasn’t a work commitment, but I like that I have a work commitment for the Greene Hill Co-​op – it keeps prices down.
I’d say a lot of the organic produce (almost all of the produce sold is organic) is cheaper than most conventionally grown produce at a place like Key Foods. Greene Hill buys a lot of produce from the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative. If you see that sticker, snatch that produce up. When you shop at Greene Hill, you get that great produce that I didn’t think was possible outside of California at decent prices. I’m talking beautiful produce as if it just got plucked out of the earth yesterday, so far the highlights have been the tomatoes, apples, delicata squash, summer squash, beauteous garlic and onions, and spectacular kale.
I like to do a lot of vegetarian and sometimes vegan cooking, so being a member here has really elevated my cooking game because the produce is so awesome.
It’s rather small and you unfortunately won’t be able to buy your entire grocery list here, but you have a lot of essential staples and goodies.
The organic peanut butter is $ 4 more expensive at Key Foods. The hand soap is about $ 2 more. Amy’s canned soup was at least $ 2 more.
You can do a two-​month trial without working shifts there.
I just started working my shifts and I find it quite enjoyable. I’m really into lining products up neatly on the shelves and making sure produce prices are clearly marked. But there are all sorts of work shifts available if working in the store is not your thing, some people choose to be on committees.
This Co-​op wants you to check them out. Everyone is invited, neighbors are invited, people outside of the neighborhood are invited. They really want to bring affordable, local and organic food to everyone.

Walked into this coop after being curious about it for a while this Sunday, and walked out with a free two month trial membership. Like folks have said, it’s not a giant supermarket, but it has the best prices I’ve seen on organic food anywhere in Brooklyn. Quart of organic Seven Stars yogurt, $ 3.50. Pack of free range chicken thighs, three bucks. The hours are limited, and the produce selection wasn’t huge when I came, but I’m so happy that there’s a place where I can get eggs, yogurt, meat, milk, almonds, etc, that are organic/​free range for really cheap prices within walking distance to my house.

It’s maddening that Unilocal will not fix the hours and days the Co-​op is open.
Monday — 3 – 9 pm
Wednesday — 3 – 9 pm
Saturday — 10−6pm
Sunday — 10−6pm

A coop of any sort is only as good as the sum of its members’ contributions, which enables the leverage. And such is the case with Green Hill.
It’s small right now. Resources (funds and members) are limited. But the potential is significant, IMO.
I joined yesterday on their 2-​month free trial– which allows unlimited shopping – but I will be paying into the coop sooner than later. I want to see this coop succeed.
Is it perfect? Nope. In fact the sour crème I purchased yesterday was spoiled and unusable. I bought a lot of other stuff that was great and exactly what I wanted.
They’re open only 4 days per week with limited hours, so spoilage is an issue when perishables just sit on the shelf in the dark – be it due to too few shoppers or too few open hours.
I think the planned expansions will help.
But again, a coop is only as good as the sum of member contribution and participation. I look forward to contributing to the coop, seeing its expansion, and enjoying the benefits.

Don’t waste your money. I have been trying to get my deposit back since Sept 2013! Pricing was too expense, quality of product was hit and miss. I was kind in my many request until recently. I will have to sue them to get my money back. Didn’t want to have to do so however they are ignoring my request and that’s just not right.

I have never written a review, but I don’t want others to fall into the same trap. I joined the coop because I thought it was an intriguing concept and I also misunderstood that I could shop at the Park Slope Coop which is not the case.
I paid a $ 175 joining fee, which was refundable according to their website. After visiting the store in BedSty 3 times it became very clear that the stock and the quality of the merchandise was not even close to what I expect from a decent supermarket. Half of the products were out of stock and what was left looked like what I could get for free out of a Trader Joe’s dumpster if I wanted to. Each time I left the store with empty bags because there was just nothing worth buying, and it wasn’t exactly cheaper than other supermarkets with a decent assortment + quality either.
I decided to leave after 3 weeks — thinking no harm was done since I was going to get my deposit of $ 175 back as it promised on the website. (I SHOULD HAVE READ THE 1* REVIEWS BEFORE I JOINED!) Every email and call so far have not been responded to. $ 175 is a bit too much to pay for a 3 week membership! I am determined to not let this slip. If anybody with the same experience reads this and wants to join forces please email me. I will get my money back somehow.

Avoid this place.
Just about everything is out of stock pretty much every time you walk in, and whatever they do sell costs as much or more as at the Met supermarket down the block. The quality is hit or miss. The management seems to be more interested in chatting with each other than in fixing any of the problems. An good luck getting your deposit back if you decide to leave this coop.

As others have mentioned, there are minor kinks that need to be worked out — however, the Co-​op has shown improvement in the past year. For example, the Co-​op has extended store hours and upgraded the refrigerators. And the store should continue to improve as long as it attracts more members.
The products aren’t noticeably cheaper, but the selection of products are decent and 2 hours of work per month is not a big burden.

Well they said I would get my deposit back when i chose to quit but after 6 months of trying to get it back, they have not responded or answered an email and I thought I was leaving on good terms. So here is something to think about if you join this «CO-​OP»: your first 175 items will EACH cost you a $ 1 more considering you will never see your deposit again.
I am beginning to think that this was their plan all along. The item on the shelves are too specialty like high end bottled water for instance or $ 5 jams. I quit because the items were just too pricey for what they were and esp because the fresh vegitables just were not that fresh, always wilting after only a few days in the frig. I joined to try and participate in making something work like a co op in my neighborhood. This is not it.

I’ve been a member since it opened and have had a great experience. Great people working hard to collectively build a community. There are definitely kinks that need to be worked out as with any new organization — but I think everyone is doing their best. The more people that participate the better it becomes.
Great produce and friendly folks. Hard to beat!

I love the coop, it’s intimate (read three aisles), has practically everything I need and is super cheap. I’ve been a member since 2010 and it has grown with suggestions. Yes the hours are limited, but you can make it work. Working is enjoyable, everyone is nice. All organic, as local as they can get (obvi your avocados and bananas aren’t from NYS, but I won’t judge you).
Ya people can talk about how much they hate GMO’s and monsanto and big government, but the only way to prove it is with your wallet! Put your money where your mouth is!!!

Love this coop! The prices are great for bulk foods, eggs, dairy, and produce. Oatmeal only costs 1.10/lb! So much cheaper than Quaker Oats. Plus, they have a great selection for vegans… Lula’s ice cream is to die for.
Working here is fun. Everyone is so friendly

The Coop is a nice, friendly place to shop and an even better place to work. I think that it’s important to be involved in your community, and what better way than helping to run the store where you buy your food?
As a shopper, I usually come to stock up on staples like lentils, hummus, and tofu and to scope out whatever greens are available (mmm, kale) or pick up some fresh fruit. When they had local strawberries in the spring it was one of the best days of my life.
As a worker I’ve done shifts at the check-​in desk and behind the scenes in the office. Everyone is very friendly and makes sure you know what to do, and there is a great team atmosphere. Two hours every four weeks isn’t a huge commitment and even in the middle of a long work week it’s fun to do something different with fellow Coop members.
Since I joined last spring, I’ve seen the opening hours increase, number/​organization of shifts go up, amount and variety of products improve and (perhaps most importantly) the prices of numerous items go down. If I wasn’t so busy and had more time to cook, I’d probably buy all my food here (like I did over the summer).
No, the Coop is not a supermarket — sometimes they run out of things, the food you want might not be in season, and the lines can get long. I think of it as an opportunity to slow down and realize that food doesn’t grow on supermarket shelves.

I have been a member of the co-​op for several months and I love it. The store hours aren’t great, but they’re working on expanding. I’ve been lucky enough to get there and beat the rush every time. The produce is awesome and eventually the products available will be better. My life has changed considerably since joining. The only thing that bothers me is the attitude of the people at the registers. They are very giggly and slow most of the time and seem to not care that there’s a huge line. I know they are just working their co-​op hours and may have never worked in an actual store, but the line would move faster if they at least knew the products they were selling and the difference between an heirloom tomato and a roma tomato. I spend a great deal of time running back and forth to see the price of things for them. It still beats shopping in a chain store and paying higher prices for shittier products. You can’t beat local seasonal produce either. I’d say give it a try if you’re interested, but be prepared for a line until they expand their hours, and have patience with the people at the counter.

I really try to like this coop. I love the idea, the location, and how different it is to the Park Slope version.
However.
I have been a member for a long time now and I keep hoping that all of the many kinks will slowly be worked out. Long lines, short shopping hours, produce almost completely gone 2 hours after opening… Countless times I have watched people walk in, and immediately turn around after seeing a line that stretches up and down the aisles. I’ve also noticed different charges for the same items between customers. Also, it’s not noticeably cheaper than my usual organic shopping places.
I’ll keep at it for a while longer, but if I find myself continuing to go OUT of my way to shop elsewhere rather than deal with the headache of the coop, I will have to rescind my membership. We’ll see. I’m really trying.

OK, so you love to cook. You love community. You live in Clinton Hill, or Fort Greene, or Bed Stuy, or Prospect Heights, or Crown Heights. You care about sustainability, local farms, ethical standards for your food, and your wallet. You want to be part of building something new and great for the neighborhood. What are you waiting for? The Greene Hill Food Coop is open! Join, dammit!
I’ve belonged to the Park Slope Food Coop for 6 years, mostly loving it, warts and all, so perhaps I’m biased in my excitement about the new Food Coop right in my neighborhood. As you might expect, the herculean task of getting a member-​funded and –run establishment off the ground and functioning means that some kinks are still being worked out, but overall I’m really pleased to see how well it’s working, how much fun it is to do my monthly two-​hour shift, and how much great food the GHFC is offering:
Duck eggs! Did you know? Because I didn’t, but now breakfast will never be the same!
Just-​the-​right-​size packets of fresh herbs for like $ 1! Because you don’t need a quarter pound of sage to cook for 2 people!
Beautiful fresh rainbow chard! Beautiful squash! Some meaty stuff I don’t know about, but that you might like!
So, join, duh.
**Pro tip: the Fulton Grand is right around the corner, and in this cold weather, your perishable items won’t suffer too much if you grab a beer there between shopping and heading home.