The East Lansing Food Co-Op (ELFCO) is a grassroots East Lansing organization with a mission to provide access to healthy foods to the community while helping build the area's economy by buying primarily local produce and other products, supporting environmental sustainability and social justice by buying organic, fairly traded food and products. ELFCO's slogan is "Food for people - Not for profit." The ELFCO was founded in 1976 by 30 members from the Oakhill neighborhood as a buying club for MSU campus community members who wanted inexpensive healthy food. Soon after, they opened a cooperatively-owned grocery store "Food of Our desire Co-Operative, Inc" at 211 Evergreen Street in East Lansing. Within two years, the Co-Op grew into a store on W. Grand River, still serving the University as the primary market. In 1980, they opened a second concurrant larger location to serve the suburban market including Okemos and Haslett on 4960 Northwind drive in East Lansing. The Co-op struggled financially for many years. In May 1987, the campus location closed due to dwindling interest in co-ops and financial losses. They closed their Northwind store in 2017 due to competition with Foods for Living and the new Whole Foods chain presence and continued financial loss.