Antitrust laws are laws against monopolies consolidating corporate power in an economic sector. Two speakers are set to argue later this month that the US federal government stopped enforcing the existing antitrust laws in the 1980s, and this allowed retail giants like Amazon and Walmart to rig the playing field and radically reshape the grocery sector. However, they say, there’s a promising movement to enforce laws still on the books to restore fair competition, and the movement could benefit community-owned grocery stores like Hunger Mountain Co-op. 

The talk is at the annual Consumer Cooperative Management Association (CCMA) gathering in Duluth, Minnesota next week. CCMA is an annual, national conference for food co-op board members, management, staff, and sector allies. I’ll report back on what we learn. 

Rest in Power, Nathan Suter 

The line of visitors to the family of Nathan Suter snaked through the parking lot of Guare & Sons and down the block on May 20. The “Rest in Power” epitaph was written on one of the many tributes to him at the funeral home. Nathan was a skilled local facilitator, planner, board member, executive director, track coach, husband, father, and more. Hunger Mountain Co-op reached out to him starting in 2023 to facilitate the Annual Meeting and, later, to assist both the council and managers in various ways. We appreciated his steady and kind presence and his ability to help keep us on track while giving room for unscheduled conversations that needed to happen. His sudden death by a heart attack last week shocked all of us who knew him, and we’ll miss him deeply. 

Co-op Visions archive 

Because we are about to begin envisioning the future of Hunger Mountain Co-op, exploring how other co-ops have adapted, grown, and diversified is invaluable. Our mission statement goes beyond food and groceries; we’re broadly committed to creating and sustaining “thriving cooperative commerce.” 

Columns in this series about the range of business models for co-ops: 

Willy Street Co-op in Madison, Wisconsin expands to three stores (and more!) 

A network of co-ops dominates the local economy in the Mondragon region of Spain 

Metamorphosis of the Plainfield Co-op 

Look for an upcoming column on a food co-op in our region that also sells Exxon-Mobil gasoline and fixes cars, and for more information on the visioning process. 

The Wrap 

A man walked into the Co-op café with a dog and said to the cashier, “This is a talking dog. I’ll bet you a cup of organic coffee.” The cashier took the bet, and the man said to the dog, “Describe sandpaper.” The dog replied, “Rough!” The cashier said, “You gotta make him say more than that.” The man asked, “What major league baseball player’s home run record lasted almost 40 years?” The dog replied, “Ruth!” At this point, the cashier was getting fed up. The guy asked the dog, “Where are the solar panels for this Co-op?” The dog said, “Roof!” The cashier had had enough; she made the man buy her coffee and threw the dog and the man out of the store for attempted fraud. As the two walked out, the dog looked around the parking lot, turned to the man, and said contritely, “I forgot the solar panels are on the carport here.” 

—Carl Etnier, Council President

Do you have any questions or comments about the council? Do you know any jokes even faintly related to food and/or co-ops? Please email them to me!