A group of western Queens residents are bringing the motto "will work for food" to life.

Fed up with the dearth of inexpensive local produce in their neighborhoods, they're creating the borough's only food cooperative in Long Island City.

Their goal is to have the Queens Harvest Food Co-op up and running on member labor by the fall of 2011.

"We hope the food co-op will increase access to affordable, fresh, healthy foods," said one of the organizers, Maggie Ornstein, 31, of Woodside. "The hope is to have what you'd find in your supermarket. The main difference is as a [co-op] member, you have decision-making ability."

She and a few friends got the idea last year. They chose Long Island City because it's a "food desert" as well as a transit hub.

About 15 people have been meeting monthly to discuss the project, she said. More than 100 people have expressed interest.

They plan to fund the co-op's launch through grants and member contributions, she said. But nothing's been finalized just yet.

"We're in the early stages of development," Ornstein said. "It takes a lot of time and effort, but it will be worth it when it happens."

Co-ops are typically able to keep prices low by having members work at the stores instead of many paid employees.

Some co-ops - like the famed one in Park Slope, Brooklyn - are open only to members. Others allow nonmembers to shop there, but they don't receive the discounts members do.

"There are a lot of advantages to becoming involved with a co-op," said Erika Lesser, director of operations and special projects at Slow Food USA, which promotes sustainable food and agriculture.

"It's a great way to attract people to a neighborhood," she said.

But, she cautioned that running a co-op can be tough with so many people involved in the decision-making process.

"People are not as familiar with how it works and how to do it well," Lesser said.

Leah McLaughlin, publisher and editor of the food magazine Edible Queens, believes the co-op could be a boon to locals.

"People are very interested in food in this borough," she said. And "it's a very low-cost alternative to a fancy supermarket."

Providing an affordable food destination for the community is important to Christine Caruso.

"Trying to travel to Brooklyn or Manhattan to join a co-op just didn't seem feasible," said Caruso, 34, of Sunnyside. The co-op "just seemed like it would be a great addition to the community."

Written by Clare Trapasso for the New York Daily News. Read the original article here.