MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – After a brief period of closed doors, Lake Co-op restarted operations in February of this year.

Customers of the well-loved online food ordering and delivery service were pleased.

“Our customers have shared their relief. They really became aware of how fortunate they were to have the fresh, organic and local produce and other products that the Co-op provided when they had to go without for a period of time,” noted board president and co-op farmer, Jim Leonardis.
 
Lake Co-op closed in August of 2014 with the sudden departure of key personnel.

It has since reorganized their offerings, moved operations and garnered a new management team, Val and Veronica Rasmussen.

“We just couldn't stand by and see this well-loved community-based organization with such an important roll in our community die,” said Val Rasmussen. “Veronica and I knew we had to step up and, fortunately, we're at a time in our lives when we can devote a lot of our time to community.”
 
Lake Co-op is the only cooperatively owned online ordering and distribution system in California and was founded in 2008 by a group of local citizens wanting to help shift the food system paradigm in Lake County.

“Technology, awareness of what was happening in the larger food system, and community involvement really created the conditions for our success at the time,” said JoAnn Saccato, a founding member of the co-op and current consultant to the board.
 
The co-op's model focuses on supporting local producers of organic products first, but their product offerings include a vast array of items to give their customers a wide selection.

“Some of our customers do all their fresh food shopping through the Co-op,” said Lake Co-op Board member Peggy Barthel.
 
From standards like local organic olive oil from The Villa Barone in Middletown, regional cheeses from Spring Hill Organic in Petaluma and fresh seasonal produce from Golden Rocks Permaculture Farm, Leonardis Organics and Ron & Bibana Love Farms, to the unusual, like sea veggies from the north coast, fair trade quinoa from Bolivia, or mangos from Mexico, Lake Co-op offers a large variety of products through their online shopping Web site.
 
Customers can pick up their orders at one of ten drop point locations throughout Lake County or receive home delivery for a nominal fee.

Orders are placed from Sunday, 12:01 a.m., through Tuesday, 12:30 p.m., and picked up on Thursday afternoons.
 
For more information on Lake Co-op, visit www.lake.coop or call 707-513-5226.