For six months now the Missoula Community Co-op has been providing members with affordable, healthy, and local food.

Saturday, members of the Co-op met to do some strategic planning to implement a more economical way for Missoulians to shop.

One member of the Co-op recently visited the Park Slope Food Co-op in Brooklyn, which is a landmark for co-op values.

Officials say, in a time where everyone is looking for lower prices on food, the Missoula Co-Op may be the solution.

They say a grocery store has mark up margins around 40% where as the Co-op falls around 21%.

Mission Mountain Cooperative Development Program Director Jan Tusick says, "It is the democratic form of business. It's one member - one vote. So when you make decisions, it can be challenging because you have to more structure and planning. More policies and more organizational work but in the end it will show the values of the membership."

Co-Op members put a big focus on selling "local" food so that members know where their food was grown and packaged.