  One of my favorite activities with the kids is going to the local urlLink organic fruit and vegetable co-op .
Unlike at a grocery store, here the kids get to roam around and interact with people, they help me pick items from the crates and boxes. Ellie's developed a beloved ritual of carrying her own small canvas sack around, just like my own large canvas bag.
I tell her, pick two apples, and she usually gets it right. This must be the peak of the local growing season because right now the selections are so diverse and abundant. This morning I spent nearly an hour at the co-op because I kept running into people I know. I love that the co-op has turned into a community hub for the ecologically-mindful. In this city of four million people, community is vital and hard to come by. 
