We continue to celebrate Co-op Month throughout the month of October. Being able to focus on the collaboration and positive outcomes that co-ops generate in the world is a nice alternative to other realities at this time. Erbin Crowell, from Neighboring Food Co-op Association, mentioned in a recent article in Green Energy Times that “an estimated 1 in 4 Americans are members of a co-operative, and the International Co-operative Alliance estimates that a billion people worldwide belong to co-ops.” The UN declared 2025 to be the second International Year of Co-operatives, with the theme “Cooperatives Build a Better World.”

There are numerous opportunities to participate in the cooperative model. There is a diverse range, including worker’s co-ops, farmer co-ops, food co-ops, credit unions, and more. Our Co-op collaborated with the Neighboring Foods Co-op Association to request a proclamation from Governor Scott to recognize Co-op Month. The proclamation was announced at the beginning of October. It is great to see our state government officially recognizing the benefits of the cooperative business model.   

In other news, we have had some inquiries about the next steps with our new property, so I thought this would be a good time to provide an update. Our immediate goals for use are to utilize it for much-needed additional staff parking and for product storage and office space. We learned that we need to apply for a new parking plan through the city, and we are in that process now.  We are also in the process of evaluating costs to repair the fire damaged exterior. Thanks again for all the support and excitement shared about this new opportunity for our future. I can’t wait to see how we decide to shape it!