Her pipeline to cheap food is no secret to more than 6,000 Utah households who are part of an exploding Salt Lake City-based food co-op. Nearly 1,000 new households have joined since the beginning of May.

Founded in 2006 as a project of Crossroads Urban Center, a nonprofit serving low-income residents, the deep discounts at the Community Food Co-op of Utah enable families of all incomes to eat well for less. Word of mouth is a major promoter, but so is the economy, organizers say.

"Our orders are going up so fast we can barely keep up with it," said George Neckel, the co-op director. "Inflation is our best salesman."

A family can purchase a variety of "shares" each month, none of which is higher than $21. A standard share contains fruits, vegetables, grains, bread and about 5 pounds of meat, at about half its estimated cost in stores. Because the food is bought in bulk, it is sold to members at a major discount.

Members are asked to make a small donation to join, but it's not required. Volunteering is encouraged either at the co-op or in the community.

Once a month, teams of volunteers pick up the food at the Salt Lake City warehouse and deliver it to about 50 sites around the Wasatch Front. The teams hail from Ogden to Provo.

Nava's family joined last fall when her husband became a full-time student and reduced his hours as a FedEx courier. A mother to four children and a guardian to her teenage niece, she can feed her family better meats and fresh vegetables rather than canned - all while saving $50 to $100 each month.

"I have a lot of peace of mind because eating whole foods and fresher food, it's a lot healthier," she said.

Dee Rowland joined the co-op with her husband hoping to express their solidarity with the community.

"My understanding is that the larger the number of people involved the better the deal for everyone," she said. "So it's an indirect way of helping people."

Much of the food is locally grown and produced, something co-op members value, whether it's mushrooms from Fillmore or sausage from Colosimo's.

But with food prices rising, even the co-op is feeling the pinch. Neckel said he will have to raise the price on some shares, which have not gone up since the co-op began.

jlyon@sltrib.com