Happy October and happy Co-op Month! The Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) reports that in a recent survey they found that there are 60 food co-ops in New England and New York State, locally owned by about 290,000 members, generating estimated annual revenue of $625 million, and employing more than 3,300 people. These co-ops are engines of our regional economy, reporting an average of 30% of sales being local products. And food co-ops are not alone: from farmer co-ops to worker co-ops, credit unions to mutual insurance, and housing co-ops to energy co-ops, co-operative businesses thrive across the U.S. economy, where one in three people are co-op members. 

That’s a lot to celebrate and there is so much more, go co-ops! 

This time of year has us anticipating our busy season and preparing for it. We will have turkey order forms soon, we are starting to reorganize in preparation for an influx of large quantities of product, and we have been evaluating the logistics to utilize our new property for additional product storage and staff parking.  

With all that has been going on, we have not lost sight of the looming reductions to the SNAP program. Set to go into effect today, we didn’t want to miss an aptly timed opportunity to again speak out against these cuts. Our Community Relations Manager, Rowan Sherwood, participated in a press conference alongside Vermont Treasurer Pieciak and leaders of Capstone, Vermont Foodbank, and Hunger Free Vermont to raise attention and awareness to the issue. These cuts will not only impact the people relying on the program, but grocers, farmers and the local economy will feel the effects as well. You may recall that we participated in Peter Welch’s recent press conference on the same topic. We will continue to look for opportunities to voice our support for broadening access to healthy food rather than reducing it.  

I would like to close with appreciation and gratitude for all of the kind words of support and shared excitement we received after announcing the purchase of the new property. It is an extremely exciting time; this purchase opens so many new possibilities for our future. It was heartwarming to receive those wonderful messages and to see how much of our community deeply cares about the future of our co-op.  

—Mary Mullally, General Manager