A Lifetime of Good Food: 42 Years at the Arcata Co-op
My experience with food co-ops started long before I moved to Arcata. My father joined the Berkeley Co-op in the late ’30s (member #639) and I don’t remember ever shopping in other stores during my childhood.
The Shattuck Avenue Co-op even had a Kiddie Corral, a spot for parents to drop off children to give themselves a more pleasant shopping experience. I still remember Sonya, who read to us and let us play with the toys in the sandbox.
My mother followed the Co-op nutritional guides religiously. No white bread (except sourdough, of course) or sugary cereal in our house! Dinner always included green salads. Childhood sleepovers were fun because there were so many cereal choices, but strange because other homes had Jell-O at dinner and called it salad! Jell-O was occasionally dessert at my house, but never with carrots or marshmallows in it.
I so appreciate learning early about the value of fresh foods. I have to admit that my mother did humor me by putting my salad on a separate dish before adding tomatoes and avocadoes, slimy things that I did not want touching my food, to the family salad. I have outgrown that.
When I came to Arcata for college, I was happy to find a Co-op here that even carried some of the Twin Pines/Co-op items I was familiar with, like peanut butter, a staple of so many student diets.
I worked in other parts of the Humboldt food chain before making it to the Co-op, but at 26 I set my sights on getting hired there. I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t be “cool” enough. I was a vegetarian and a fairly knowledgeable cook, but I did like to bake with white sugar. That worry was dispelled pretty quickly.
What has changed in 42 years? Food trends come and go. Soy milk was bumped by almond, then coconut and then oat. Everyone used to buy the ingredients for lasagna on Fridays, but now Fridays are pizza night. There was no Taco Tuesday or Pi Day, and no one made charcuterie boards. I think people are getting better about eating food that makes them feel good and a little less concerned about following outside advice.
Local food has definitely come into its own since the ’80s. When I started, produce was “organic” or “conventional,” with conventional produce up front and the not-as-pretty organic produce at the back. Now the Co-op’s wet case is all organic — and beautiful, and local whenever available. And delicious!
But Thanksgiving has remained amazingly constant. I’ve always thought it such a funny holiday, with everyone buying so many similar items. But I love Thanksgiving food as much as anyone. Our dinner is pretty traditional, minus the turkey. I used to make tofu turkey and shared my yummy recipe with hundreds of folks through a Co-op handout. Soy is no longer in my diet but I think tofu turkey still graces many tables.
My recently retired co-worker, Larry, said he loves Thanksgiving because it is a holiday without gifts! I always offer to work extra at Thanksgiving because I love seeing what everyone is buying and enjoy talking with everyone about their holiday plans.
Which brings me to my favorite part of my job: the customers. I love the customer relations aspect of my job. I’ve made great friends at the checkout. Most started out as casual food friends, but I’ve seen babies grow up and come back in with their own children, been invited to weddings and memorial services, been regularly called “kiddo” on Senior Day, traded recipes and jars of jam, offered my 2¢ on topics that do and don’t involve food, and just really enjoyed being a part of a special community that comes through Checkstand #1 at the Arcata Co-op.
Mara Segal of Arcata is a Co-op fixture.
