New food co-ops are showing up in communities all around the country. Once mostly popular in college towns and urban areas, they are now opening their doors in marginalized areas and rural communities as well.
Exciting news from our friends and fellow food co-ops in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Virginia—they are all planning to open early next year! Even in the midst of the pandemic, their membership and capital campaigns grew along with their new buildings. Soon, they will be serving their member/owners and their communities with fresh, healthy food in their brand-new stores. Read on to see how these co-ops are transforming each community from food desert to food oasis…
Oshkosh Food Co-op: Located in downtown Oshkosh, Wisconsin, OFC has over 1400 owners and will be opening their doors in the summer of 2021. They will be Northeastern Wisconsin’s first food co-op and have been incorporated since 2013. They plan to focus on locally grown, organic produce. The store will be part of a development that includes 53 apartments above the store, and is easily accessible by car, bike, and public transportation.
Gem City Market: West Dayton, Ohio will soon be home to a brand new 8,000 square foot co-op with over 3,000 members. Gem City Market plans to open in early 2021 to bring healthy food to their neighborhood. Not only are they bringing food options, they are also providing needed jobs to the community. Residents are excited, as this area has been long overlooked by city planners. What started with inspiration from another co-op in Cincinnati led to community meetings in 2015, incorporation, membership and capital funding drives, and soon their doors will be open.
Fredericksburg Food Cooperative: Slated to open in early 2021, FXBG Co-op has over 1600 owner-members. The store will feature local produce to help support local growers and keep a focus on environmental sustainability in all aspects of their operation. It will be a full-service grocery store, as well as a community gathering place. It’s located less than a mile from a university, so students will certainly benefit from the new store. Owner-members will be participating in annual surveys to make sure the store meets everyone’s needs.
Please click on the links below for more information about these three food co-ops. Gem City has a newscast video and Fredericksburg shares a brief background of what a food co-op is. Seeing is believing. Please help us reach our goal of 1200 Owners soon so that we, too, can open our doors.
Main Sources:
https://www.wbay.com/content/news/Oshkosh-Food-Co-op-hoping-to-open-new-grocery-store–564294611.html
https://fredericksburgfood.coop/october-2020-update-from-gm-chris-roland/
http://blueandgraypress.com/2020/11/15/food-co-ops-and-their-appearance-in-fredericksburg/