“The Co-Op is still important to me. It's not just out of habit that I come back. There's something more about the Co-Op”.
- Rania Truelly
In this episode, host Randy Wilburn sits down with Rania Truelly, a former employee and dedicated member of the Ozark Natural Food Co-Op. Together, they unpack the riveting history of this Arkansas staple. Originating as a modest buying club back in 1971, the Co-Op had a simple mission: to provide wholesome, nutritious food to the local community.
Rania offers her unique insights into the Co-Op's evolution, detailing its journey from humble beginnings to its current standing as the largest food Co-Op in Arkansas. Don't miss this deep dive into an organization that has touched the lives of many in the community.
What You Will Learn In This Episode:
Delve into the transformative journey of the Ozark Natural Foods co-op from a modest buying club to a thriving retail business.
Empathize with the challenging hurdles this Co-Op maneuvered through during its ambitious relocation and growth phases.
Appreciate the sense of community and belonging that the Co-Op has nurtured over the years while staying true to its roots.
Recognize the Co-Op's unwavering dedication to superior-quality, organic food and sustainable practices.
All this and more on this episode of Ozark Natural Foods The Co-Op Podcast.
We get by with a little help from our Co-Op Members and Friends!
Please consider rating and reviewing our podcast on Apple Podcasts or your Podcast player of choice. A little Love goes a long way.
Transcripts
ONF – COOP – RANIA TRULLEY
ONF OPEN [0:00]
Welcome to Ozark Natural Foods, the Coop Podcast featuring stories and information about the largest food Coop in Arkansas based in Fayetteville and serving all of Northwest Arkansas. The Coop has been around for 50-plus years, providing community and encouraging a love of food that is good for us and our planet. Learn our history and standards of quality. Meet our Coop members, employees and vendors and understand why being locally focused is vital to our food, products, and economy. The Coop has leveraged Cooperative economics here in Northwest Arkansas to bring the freshest and the best food to our whole community. Listen to Ozark Natural Foods, the Coop podcast today to learn why.
Randy Wilburn [0:58]
rogression that happened from:
Rania Trulley [1:55]
I'm doing well and thank you for inviting me.
Randy Wilburn [1:58]
Absolutely. Now you're originally not from Northwest Arkansas. Is that correct?
Rania Trulley [2:02]
Yes, it is. I grew up just south of Chicago and I've lived in quite a few places besides that.
Randy Wilburn [2:09]
But for the most part, you've been here for more than 40 years. [RT – 40]. 40. That's a long time. Well listen, I want you to tell or share with the audience a little bit about the history as you know it to be Ozark Natural Foods, the Coop. You're going to go far back so why don't you take it away and I'll let you share this wonderful story that you've put together about the Coop, and I'll ask you some questions afterward.
Rania Trulley [2:36]
that the buying club began in:
Randy Wilburn [6:01]
I really appreciate you taking the time to capture those memories, some of which are yours, some of which are some other friends of yours that you connected with and spoke with the original people if we could say that of the Coop. And so thank you again for sharing that. Before you joined the Coop, before you even started working there, were you familiar with the whole concept of a Coop?
Rania Trulley [6:28]
No, I wasn't. I had been in a buying club in Dallas, but I did not know about Coops.
Randy Wilburn [6:35]
So what did you think about it once you joined it and grasped the whole premise?
Rania Trulley [6:41]
It was great. I liked that we could get bulk foods and things were very different when it was small. We even got to a point where there was only one person working in the store at a time when we were on Rock Street and that was because of the money situation.
Randy Wilburn [6:59]
It sounds like those that were members of the Coop back in the day, a lot of people were willing to volunteer.
Rania Trulley [7:06]
Oh, yeah, it was absolutely necessary. Whatever needed to be done. That's what I was told last night.
Randy Wilburn [7:14]
So then even though you were an employee you were just one of a few employees that they had at that time. [RT – Yes]. Did the store have regular hours back then? [RT - Yes, it did]. So it functioned in some way similar to how it functions today, but just on a much smaller footprint.
Rania Trulley [7:30]
Much smaller.
Randy Wilburn [7:32]
What do you have a really fun memory of that time? Is there anything that just stood out in your mind about it, because you're still a member to this day? The Coop is still important to you. It's not just out of habit that you come to the Coop, there's something more about the Coop. Is there anything that you personally can put your finger on in terms of why you keep coming back to the Coop?
Rania Trulley [8:01]
When I moved here, I was just learning about organic foods. And so as I learned more and more, it became more and more important to me to go to the Coop. There were no other natural food stores in the Fayetteville area.
Randy Wilburn [8:17]
So you didn't really have a lot of other choices. [RT – Not at that time]. So did you ever get to meet any of the farmers that were supplying the Coop? Do you ever remember them coming into the store and getting to meet them? [RT - Not really]. So you didn't have those interactions? Well, what else is it about the Coop that you really enjoy? I want to share something with you that probably lines up with what you just shared a second ago about the food itself. Standards of Quality - this is something that you'll find on the Coop website. It says we evaluate every product that the Coop sells with your health in mind, we stand behind the principle of not carrying genetically modified foods in the store. And then it goes on to say that all products sold at Ozark Natural Foods are free of artificial preservatives, artificial colors, artificial flavors, artificial sweeteners, chemical additives, added MSG, and non-irradiated foods organically grown and locally sourced whenever possible. So clearly not the bad stuff, but the good stuff. And that's been your experience since day one.
Rania Trulley [9:26]
Yes, and way back when all the produce was not organic, which is a very nice thing that it is now all organic.
Randy Wilburn [9:34]
I would also say that back then it was probably at the start of the Coop that the level of pesticide use was much different back then than it is now which is one of the reasons why people choose to have organic food on their tables, at their homes and why they choose to purchase organic food in the first place. They know that there is a certain standard of quality that the food is just healthier and that it also doesn't have a lot of those bad additives in the food due to them trying to make sure that crops aren't destroyed and things of that nature. So any other memories that you want to share of the Coop or anything that comes to mind?
Rania Trulley [:
My daughter who's now 41 reminded me that she remembers climbing up and down the stairs, and that would have been the Rock Street store.
Randy Wilburn [:
Okay, so you have pretty much been in every store?
Rania Trulley [:
Almost.
Randy Wilburn [:
So what is and you mentioned it briefly, in terms of what you shared, but when you saw the transition, and I will say this, there were several shifts where employees helped to move things from the Evelyn Hills location to the brand new location at the corner of Lafayette and North College. When you first saw that building for the first time and walked in there, what was your instant reaction to the space?
Rania Trulley [:
The one on Rock Street that we were moving to? Is that what you’re asking?
Randy Wilburn [:
No, the brand-new one. The one that you go into now.
Rania Trulley [:
It's phenomenal. A lot of the things that are there are not things I use but for younger people especially. I understand that college students come and study there.
Randy Wilburn [:
During the pandemic, when a lot of the college students didn't have places to go, a lot of the buildings on campus are closed, most of them would come up and hang out in the Tap Room and they would just sit down there and they would have their study groups and people would be distanced apart and they'd grab some coffee or something to drink, and then sit down there and get their work done. And thankfully, even, post-pandemic, even we're coming out of this, and even with all of that they still come to that area to get together. And actually, you see a lot of study groups now. So they spent a fair amount of time there. So what's it like when you run into some of the other folks that you knew from back in the day when you were in the Coop? Does that happen at all?
Rania Trulley [:
If you're talking about people that I worked with, not necessarily and to tell you the truth, I can't even remember who they all were, but I do see people around town that I remember.
Randy Wilburn [:
Did you also participate in the farmers’ market?
Rania Trulley [:
No, I've not ever participated in it.
Randy Wilburn [:
Well, listen, I really appreciate you taking the time to kind of share that story. Any last minute thought that you want to add to the conversation?
Rania Trulley [:
No, I can't come up with anything. But I want to thank you and I appreciate this opportunity.
Randy Wilburn [:
Oh, no, it certainly is my pleasure. It's our pleasure, actually. Because like I always tell people that have been around the block once or twice that they are walking history books. And so you are a walking history book of the Coop and your experiences at the Coop here in Fayetteville. And so, Rania, I want to thank you for joining us today, just to give us a quick glimpse into what the Coop has been, and is now and so we really appreciate you taking the time to do that.
Rania Trulley [:
I am glad to be here.
Randy Wilburn [:
Thank you so much. Well, folks that was Rania Truelly, a former employee of the Coop as well as a long-time Coop member who shared some really cool, interesting historical stories about the genesis of the Cooperation. So we appreciate her coming out and sharing that with us today. We also appreciate you taking the time to learn more about Ozark Natural Foods, the Coop. This podcast was developed to highlight a community created more than 50 years ago with a focus on the love of food that is good for us and our planet. We have plenty of stories to tell so stay tuned for more. I'm your host Randy Wilburn and we will see you back here soon.
ONF Open [:
Thanks for tuning in to the Ozark Natural Foods, the Coop Podcast. Whether you are new to the area and looking for a healthy grocery store, or you've been here for ages but didn't know the whole story about Ozark Natural Foods, the Coop, this podcast is one of the best places to start. For more information about the Coop, please visit our website at onf.coop to learn more. That's onf.coop@ozarknaturalfoods, the Coop we mean it when we say keeping it local since 1971.
