About 50 Bethlehem residents jammed a basement room Wednesday night in the Bethlehem Area Public Library to discuss how to combine the convenience of regular grocery store shopping with healthy, fresh, mostly locally grown food.

Or in other words, what they consider having the best of both worlds.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say the initial Bethlehem Grocery Co-Op Community Visionary Meeting and Potluck meeting had the feeling of an outdoor music festival, as residents learned about how the vision and implementation that would be required to successfully have a grocery co-op.

“There is a lack of basic organic shopping downtown,” said Center City resident Jaime Karpovich, one of the organizers of the meeting. “You have a couple of very small stores that may not necessarily carry the ingredients you need or you are trekking to Wegman’s or to Giant.”

Many in the crowd replied like a congregation at a Sunday morning church service in response. “Yes.”

“I think a lot of people recognize that we need this, but just nobody has come together to figure out the way. And that’s what this is about tonight,” she added.

“Co ops support local farmers and producers, invest in eco-friendly, healthy products and contribute to the health and wellness of a diverse community.

Or put more succinctly, according to the literature co-ops are “awesome.”

Ms. Karpovich is spearheading the effort along with environmental activist Cathy Frankenberg.

A grocery co-op is an independent, democratic organization owned, operated and financed by its members, committed to the people it serves and the communities in which they live, according to planning meeting officials.

Although major grocery chains have long carried organic products, there is still a need for a co-op in Bethlehem because it would be an economic asset to the community, offer healthy food at affordable prices and it would support locally-owned farms and business, according to Bethlehem

After hearing about the history, principles and types of co-ops, the crowd entered into what was called “ break out, brain storming group” where they discussed topics such as the biggest challenges a co-op would face and what exactly would be included in the co-op and planned for the next steps.

The vision extends beyond groceries alone, and could include a community room to hold a cooking class, include crafts and handmade items from members of the community and a modest café.