community

Food Co-ops Lead Industry in 2023 Sales of Local, Organic and Fair Trade

By Kelly Kristl|2024-04-23T18:42:38-04:00April 23rd, 2024|

Community-owned grocery stores last year led all food retailers nationwide in percentage of sales derived from local, organic and fair-trade foods and products. In fact, the average food co-op grocery store on average sources products from 169 local farms and producers. Read the details on the vast and generous impact locally-owned food co-op grocery stores have on food systems in general and their local communities in particular. The report comes from National Co+op Grocers, which represents 161 food co-ops with 1.3 million U.S. member-owners and combined annual sales of $2.5 billion.

Prompts from a Racial Equity Challenge: A Tool for Board Engagement

By Hether Jonna Frayer|2024-03-27T15:55:54-04:00June 27th, 2023|

I serve as a co-chair of the board of directors of PFC Natural Grocery and Deli in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a co-op that identifies as being anti-racist. Dismantling systemic oppression is an ongoing journey. As the primary organizer of our board’s work together, I aim to make sure we are holding ourselves accountable for this work. I don’t want it to get lost or forgotten amidst all of our other roles and responsibilities.

Introducing Tamah Yisrael: A Community Connector

By Allison Meyer|2023-05-17T18:25:56-04:00May 17th, 2023|

Tamah Yisrael, an energizing and experienced new member of the Columinate team, connects and organizes the community. Thanks to her work as a co-op board member, start-up co-op leader, comptroller, chief financial officer, loan officer, musician, and education/outreach coordinator, Yisrael is invested in figuring out new solutions to old problems from within her community. “The ultimate work is power shifting. What is the path towards shifting power—does it look like cooperatives, does it look like strategies that include cooperative values and principles? I’m happy to offer part of the solution,” says Yisrael.

Fresh Food is Fun!

By Allison Meyer|2023-05-05T20:04:38-04:00March 22nd, 2023|

While an aide in her children’s school years ago, Frayer observed young eaters’ behaviors in the lunchroom. Many were opting not to bite into fresh-looking vegetables and fruits, and much was wasted. Indeed, it is one thing for whole, unprocessed food to get onto the tray; it is quite another for it to reach the mouth. Hether’s inspiration to make fresh foods fun is rooted in those lunch hours. Eaters of all ages have propensities, and perhaps biases, around food. Eaters of all ages can benefit from reminders to appreciate the bright colors, flavors and textures that fruits and vegetables provide. Frayer says, “As a Fresh Food Fairy, I encourage good nutrition by making fresh food fun with high-energy, joyful experiences to begin or deepen one’s relationship to fresh food. And anyone who has fun with food is a fresh food fairy!” This inclusive and enthusiastic ethos led her to design classes around food preparation and cooking.

Columinate Supports Ohio Startup Gem City Market

By Columinate|2023-05-05T20:04:54-04:00September 29th, 2019|

Consultants bring innovation, passion to the groundbreaking project (from Left) Corrine Saunders, Kenya Baker, Lela Klein, Wynston Estis and Amaha Sellassie participate in the Gem City Market ceremonial groundbreaking. Dayton, OH September 30, 2019: A groundbreaking engagement is underway between Columinate consultants and Gem City Market in Dayton, OH. The consulting cooperative is providing managers-on-contract to support a 2020 store [...]

Restoring Trust and Vibrancy in a Co-op Community

By Columinate|2023-05-05T20:25:56-04:00January 9th, 2019|

Central Co-op Seattle, WA Year founded: 1978 Number of members: 14,200 Consumer member investment: $100 Worker member investment: $6,340 (12 years) Number of employees: 120 Locations: Seattle and Tacoma (opening date late spring TBD) When the Central Co-op in Seattle, Wash. proposed a vote to merge with the Tacoma Food Co-op in 2015, the memberships of both co-ops overwhelmingly approved it. Both communities saw [...]

Community Connections, Co-op Opportunities!

By Columinate|2023-05-05T20:25:58-04:00December 7th, 2018|

Cindee Lolick, General Manager at First Alternative in Corvallis, OR shares several exciting tales of opportunities that First Alt has been given because of their deep and lasting involvement in the Corvallis community.

Customers, Community, and Cost: A Pathway to Success

By Columinate|2023-05-05T20:26:00-04:00December 7th, 2018|

Michael Faber, General Manager at the Monadnock Food Co-op in Keene, NH, shares his top 3 areas of improvement and growth for the success of his co-op. These are: Customer Experience (CX), Pricing, and Community Involvement. Sit back and listen to Michael share the stories and lessons from his Co-op's struggles and successes since their rocky start in 2013 to their double-digit growth and [...]

Gain Sales and Impact from Great Storytelling

By Patricia Cumbie|2023-05-05T20:27:10-04:00August 3rd, 2018|

Local food is a powerful branding force in grocery retailing. The huge shift in mainstream consumer demand regarding fresh, healthful eating and a desire to know where food comes from has changed how food is marketed and merchandised. Concurrent with the rise of “local” food, online retailing has changed how people buy food. It’s not enough to say its geographic origin. It’s not enough [...]

Telling the Story of Local and Fresh

By Columinate|2023-05-05T20:05:13-04:00August 3rd, 2018|

For a long time, the Moscow Food Co-op had dreamed of “telling beautiful stories” about the co-op. They made the investment in 2015 to launch a co-op magazine called Rooted. Since then, their dreams have come true, and then some. The publication is full of attractive photography and great stories about the co-op, local producers, and the natural beauty of the area. Putting resources into it has really paid off—in good community PR and increased sales.

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