Interview with Ocean Beach People’s Organic Food Market

 

Kylie Oliver, Membership Coordinator, was kind enough to answer some questions about their unique business here in OB. 

Me: I can’t help but feel that between the ocean breezes and the availability of fresh organic fruits and vegetables that your market stocks daily that our community must be the healthiest place to live.  Did you grow up here?

Kylie: I did grow up in Ocean Beach/Point Loma. My family immigrated to OB in 1980 and we lived across the alley from People’s. I was 5 then and have fond memories of the store, from a child’s view of course. Fast forward to 1995 and I was hired as a bagger.

Me: Cooking with organic produce has never been more popular.  And People’s shows us that organic fruits & vegetables can be beautiful, flavorful and well-priced compared to conventionally grown produce (which you will not find anywhere in the store, by the way) What a revolution that has been! Someone had a lot of foresight. Who was that at People’s and what was their inspiration?

Kylie: Ocean Beach People’s Food Co-Op was born as a small neighborhood buying club in 1971.  The people that nurtured it’s growth were activists in a local movement to create alternatives to established institutions, including grocery stores.  Their dream was a store providing healthy, non-polluting, cruelty-free food at a fair price. A store that belongs to the community it serves. A year later, on August 19, 1972, we set up our fast growing enterprise in an apartment storefront at 4859 Voltaire Street. In 1973, People’s moved up the street  to a former pool and dance hall. As the store’s reputation grew, People’s became known as a truly people-oriented market with a unique selection of food and uncompromising standards for quality. For the first 14 years, People’s operated as a worker’s collective.  Then, in 1985, the workers decided that since People’s had always been a community store, its future was to become cooperative.

Me: As a grandmother who has 4 of 5 grand kiddos living locally, I am so thrilled to see our toddlers prefer to eat apples  over any packaged snack.  Of course their mothers (our daughters) shop at People’s too. How many varieties of apples do you carry?  They all have a different flavor and all wonderful! Where do you get most of your produce?

Kylie: We carry on average 20 varieties of apples. Most of our produce comes from within 100 miles. Our produce buyer looks at about 100 local sources and 7 wholesalers on average when making buying decisions. 

 

          

Comments

[Hanna]

Thank you for this interview. What a special place OB People's is; we are so thankful to have them close by.