The Oshkosh Food Co-Op is more than fresh produce; it’s redefining the local grocery store experience by hosting community cooking classes and making healthy food more accessible for students and low-income residents in Oshkosh.

“The co-op is a member-owned store that seeks to serve the community,” Jeremiah McDuffie, chief visionary officer and store leader of the Oshkosh Food Co-Op, said. “This store is accessible to all of our community members.”

Forget fast food, the co-op offers Oshkosh residents “$5 Hot Lunch Days” and free or low-cost cooking classes to teach people how to make healthy meals at home.

In 2013, the co-op was founded as a non-profit to provide the community with an independent grocery store that sells healthy, locally sourced food.

By combining education and access to discount programs, the co-op is building the community around budget-friendly classes and tasty meals that never come at the expense of nutrition.

McDuffie said these classes are part of the co-op’s mission to help its neighbors, and one of their most popular classes was taught by Madame Chu using her homemade Asian sauces.

“We had 80 to 85 people in our last Asian cooking class with Madame Chu, a lady who makes her own sauce from scratch and demonstrates how to use them,” McDuffie said.

Dylan Schommer, a UW Oshkosh student and shopper at the co-op, said the idea of learning recipes through affordable classes is something that sounds like fun.

“I like the idea of a cooking class, I enjoy cooking but don’t do it often, so it’s a cool concept to me the co-op will teach people how to make nutritious food,” Schommer said.

The co-op also offers Hot Lunch Days, McDuffie said, selling full dinners like chicken, asparagus and roasted potatoes for just $5 to make healthy eating accessible.

“We have $5 community meals called Hot Lunch Days, and just offered our organic chicken, with asparagus, salad and your choice of potato,” McDuffie said.

Schommer said other students need to hear about Hot Lunch Days because the co-op already offers healthier options than most fast-food options in the area.

“I think more people need to know about Hot Lunch Days, the meal they’re offering at the co-op is definitely better than most other quick lunch options,” Schommer said.

In addition to occasional Hot Lunch Days and cooking classes, McDuffie said the co-op offers a Food for All program to make healthy foods affordable for low-income people.

“We have an income-eligible program that’s called Food for All, and you can save 20% on everything, except for alcohol,” McDuffie said. “Most students qualify for it.”

Funding for the program comes from customer donations at the cash register, any independent contributions received and grant support.

“Food for All is funded by rounding up at the register, and grants to make the store more accessible,” McDuffie said. “A lot of people in downtown are income-challenged.”

Schommer said the Food for All program is exactly the kind of assistance he looks for as a Pell Grant student trying to manage expenses.

“I would definitely be interested in participating in Food for All, seeing as I am a college student, and I do receive the Pell Grant for school,” Schommer said.

McDuffie said Hot Lunch Days are impactful and recalled a mother who thanked him for feeding her five children a healthy supper for $35 during one of the events.

“The first time we did one of our lunch events, I had a mom come up to me in tears, because she’s got five kids, and she’s going to feed her family a nice meal for $35,” he said.

Schommer also said the $5 price tag is too hard to beat since college students can get a good meal at a price they can afford, too.

“I think $5 is a pretty good price; it’s hard to get a substantial amount of food for that, much less anything that would be remotely good for you,” Schommer said.

McDuffie’s approach to management and addressing his customer base perfectly aligns with what Schommer wants in a fresh organic grocer.

“Gen Z and millennials are the two largest generations buying organic products in

America, so we’re seeing a lot of people embrace healthier options,” McDuffie said.

Echoing the community impact of events like Hot Lunch Days, Schommer said he believes any effort to provide a healthy alternative for lunch counts.

“I think Hot Lunch Days could have a very positive impact on people’s health, and that every little bit of encouragement to eat healthier can help,” Schommer said.

Beyond selling groceries, McDuffie said the co-op’s larger goal is to build a stronger, healthier and more connected Oshkosh.

“Everything we do is a way to say we’re more than a grocery store, we’re not just here to make your money, we’re here to serve the community,” he said.