A Look Back in Thanks // NFCA News January 2026

A look Back in Thanks

As we look back on the Second International Year of Co-operatives, we’re thankful for the collaboration and partnerships that make our work possible.

In March of 2025, Congressman Jim McGovern addressed the 14^th Annual Meeting of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) as almost 100 representatives from our food co-ops and partners gathered for a day of networking, dialogs, and workshops.

“The reason I love co-ops so much is I believe in them,” said McGovern. “You are strengthening local food systems, strengthening rural economies, fighting climate change, and fighting hunger. And you are doing it in a way that makes those choices accessible to everybody.”

The past year was one of many challenges for our food co-ops, as well as opportunities to work together to support each other and our communities.  The theme of our Annual Meeting was one of hope, aligning with the International Year of Co-operatives and how we could contribute to the goals of raising awareness of the co-operative movement, promoting growth and development, advocating for co-op friendly policies, and inspiring leadership and engagement, especially among young people.

As a regional co-operative of food co-ops, the mission of the NFCA is the heart of the 6^th Principle of Co-operation among Co-ops: leveraging the collective resources, creativity, and experience of our members for shared success.  And over the course of 2025, we worked to…

…Provide Opportunities for Networking & Collaboration.

Peer to peer collaboration for networking, innovation and shared success has been central to the work of the NFCA since its beginning, and more than 180 representatives from more than 35 food co-ops registered for the 24 online dialogs that we hosted in 2025.  In addition to sessions for general managers, directors, and department staff, we held special dialogs on organizing for International Co-ops Day and National Co-op Month, information sessions with Provisions International, the Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association, and the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership.  We are thankful for the support and collaboration of past food co-op leaders in this work.  Kari Bradley, former General Manager at Hunger Mountain Co-op (VT) facilitates our peer group for senior managers while Sue Miller, former General Manager at Upper Valley Food Co-op (VT) has provided invaluable support to our smaller food co-ops.

As we work to continue to build stronger relationships among co-operators in our region, we are particularly excited to have welcomed Chatham Real Food Co-op (NY), Rising Tide Co-op (ME), Tip Top Co-op (MA), and Tom’s Natural Foods Co-op (NY) into our association in last year.

…Raise Awareness.

Over the course of the year, we were pleased to continue to support the next generation of co-operators, working with interns from the Department of Economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, who helped us raise awareness of the difference that food co-ops and other co-operative enterprises make in their communities every day.  Students conducted research on historic sites in the Northeast, wrote profiles of regional co-ops, and helped us update our annual impact survey, which found that there are 60 food co-ops operating 70 storefronts across New England and New York State, locally owned by more than 290,000 members, employing 3,300 people, and generating estimated annual revenue of $625 million.

These numbers were particularly useful in raising awareness through regional advertising, which we expanded to include local editions of Edible magazine in collaboration with our partners at Cabot Creamery Co-op and Organic Valley as we celebrated how “Food Co-ops & Farmer Co-ops Build a Better World, Together!”  We also placed major articles featuring the Year of Co-ops in regional publications including Green Energy Times and Edible Vermont, and spread the word at events including the Common Ground Country Fair, the Cooperative Maine Business Alliance P6 Conference, Co-op Connecticut, the National Cooperative Business Association’s (NCBA) Co-op Impact Conference, NOFA Mass and NOFA NH Winter Conferences, and at several food co-op annual meetings. 

With support from our partners at Cabot Creamery Co-operative, and co-op friends at FEDCO and Real Pickles, we provided our food co-ops with special incentive membership incentives – including an overnight stay at Liberty Hill Farm & Inn, a Cabot member farm in Vermont. More than 450 people took advantage of this opportunity to join their local food co-ops as membership continues to grow.

…Influence Public Policy

Changes in federal food system and economic policy were particularly disruptive for producers, consumers, and our co-operatives this past year, and our partnerships with CoBank, the New England Farmers Union and the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) on co-op business and family farmer friendly policy advocacy were more important than ever.  In a contentious political environment, we worked to strengthen relationships with policymakers, participating in three legislative fly-ins visiting the DC offices of Congressional legislators from across the Northeast.  We provided our members with opportunities to act on issues including protecting the tax status of co-operative credit unions, advocating funding for health insurance, and supporting food security programs such as SNAP threatened by federal cuts.  We promoted civic participation through National Voter Registration Day and worked with New England Farmers Union to update their policy book, which represents many of our shared priorities on family farming, sustainable agriculture, food security, and co-operative enterprise.

October offered a special opportunity for us to work together to engage state governments in the important role of co-operatives in our communities, and we are proud to have successfully introduced five statewide Co-op Month proclamations across the Northeast – more than any other region in the country.

…Provide Education & Training.

We also contributed to co-operative education on a wider level, serving on the planning committee for CCMA, the national food co-op conference, and collaborating with our partners at the International Centre for Co-operative Management at Saint Mary’s University to deliver a course on Co-operative Business Strategy as part of the Master of Management: Co-operatives & Credit Unions, and workshops on how to operationalize Principle 6 and leveraging the Co-operative Values for business advantage (Visit this LINK for more information on an online offering coming up in February.).  We also joined CDF, NCBA, and the Co-operative Management Education Co-operative in signing an agreement with the Co-operative College of the Philippines and CLIMBS Life & General Insurance Cooperative to foster international collaboration in co-operative education, youth engagement, and sustaining the global solidarity of the co-operative movement.

We were honored to work with our partners at Saint Mary’s University in nominating J. Tom Webb into the Co-op Hall of Fame in recognition of his commitment to co-operative education and specifically the establishment of the Master of Management: Co-operatives & Credit Unions, which has touched many leaders in our region’s food co-op movement as well as other co-operative sectors in the U.S. and around the world. In addition to shining a light on Tom’s work and the importance of co-operative education, we are thankful to all the co-ops, support organizations, and individuals who helped us raise more than $20,000 in his honor to support the work of the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) at a critical time for our national movement. 

…Strengthen Our Regional Food System.

In a particularly unstable time for our local producers, we worked to leverage our shared purchasing power for a more resilient and sustainable regional food system.  We celebrated 14 years of collaboration with regional distributor Provisions International on the Cave to Co-op program, a partnership promoting local artisan cheesemakers.  Dairy farms are an essential part of our agricultural landscape and economy, and we are proud that 90[SS2] % of our Member Co-ops have signed on to the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership, an effort to build demand for our region’s organic family dairy farmers in the wake of lost contracts.  A collaborative grant with the Partnership enabled us to provide free tastings of local cheeses and other dairy products for food co-ops across our region.  We also continued our partnership with the Local Food Safety Collaborative, working with the Farmers Union to promote education, training, and other resources to help small producers access food co-ops and other local markets.

Building on our member co-ops’ commitment to local producers, we launched a collaboration with the New England Food System Planners Partnership to ensure that food co-ops across the Northeast are well represented in the Local Food Count, which aims to strengthen the region’s food system with the goal of having 30 percent of the food produced in New England consumed in the region by 2030.  (Food Co-ops: Register HERE for our Jan 14 webinar the Local Food Count and how you can participate.)

…Contribute to a Stronger, More Resilient Co-operative Movement.

As our national movement faced unprecedented disruptions to government funding and support, we worked with NCBA to raise awareness of the importance of co-operative associations and chart a course for the future.  On an international level, we were proud to contribute to DotCoop’s mission of uniting and connecting our global movement and the Cooperative Identity Advisory Group’s review of our values and principles and their relevance to the challenges that we face moving forward. 

We celebrated International Co-ops Day at the ICA Global Cooperative Conference and General Assembly in Manchester, UK, and joined co-operators from around the world in celebrations at the Rochdale Pioneers Museum where we represented North America at the Working Group on Cooperative Cultural Heritage.  As a result of this work, last fall saw the launch of the inaugural world map of cultural sites, which includes Adamant Food Co-op in Vermont, America’s Credit Union Museum in Manchester, NH, and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Rural Training & Research Center in Epes, AL.

…Build a Better World for Everyone.

Looking back to our last Annual Meeting in 2025, the Year of Co-operatives was an extraordinary opportunity for us to join together in celebrating our food co-ops and advance our vision for a more healthy, just, and sustainable regional food system and economy — and to think bigger. “It’s easy to get a little siloed into thinking ‘we’re just here selling food in our little corner of the world’ — but we’re really part of something much larger than that,” said John Crane, NFCA President and General Manager of Portland Food Co-op (ME).  “We are part of a movement, [and] the United Nations recognizes that the world needs more of us.”

Indeed, one of the core goals of the Year of Co-ops was to highlight the enduring impact of co-operatives and credit unions as essential solutions to today’s global challenges, and to encourage the movement to be leaders in advancing the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development, which concludes in 2030.  A plan of action for “people, planet and prosperity,” the agenda includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals that are critical to our common future.  With just five years before the conclusion of this ambitious effort, and many of these goals at risk, co-ops and their members must continue to offer hope and a vision for a more inclusive economy, addressing climate change, and strengthening food security. As we look forward to celebrating 15 years in 2026, we know that by working together over the last decade and a half we changed the landscape for food co-ops in the Northeast.  From promoting our collective impact on the local food system and economy to influencing policy makers, providing opportunities for peer collaboration and innovation to offering workshops and trainings on the co-op business model, supporting the next wave of food co-ops to partnering with regional, national and international organizations, we have had an influence far beyond our region.  Our members, directors, partners, and supporters have made our collective work possible, and we are deeply thankful for your commitment and collaboration.  In a world facing profound challenges and unprecedented change, we have the opportunity and responsibility to continue to work together to build a better world for everyone.

Thank you.

Erbin Crowell, Executive Director
Suzette Snow-Cobb, Associate Director

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Upcoming Peer Dialogs

Retail Grocery Co-operatives established the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) with the goal of providing themselves with opportunities for peer-to-peer networking, collaboration, and innovation, enabling staff and directors to build stronger relationships and support shared business success.

Each peer session features new topics to be discussed or insights to share on topics like staffing, member and community engagement, sourcing and marketing, product information, and expansion challenges and successes. By providing opportunities for informal conversations and exploration of topics that are relevant to day-to-day operations, ideas and innovation can be brought forward, supporting shared success.

Upcoming sessions include:

NFCA & NOFFP Session with Cheese Producers
Jan 21 — 1:00-2:00 PM — Online  

NFCA Peer Dialog for General Managers
Jan 28 — 1:00-2:00 PM — Online  

NFCA Peer Dialog for Bulk Departments
Jan 29 — 2:00-3:00 PM — Online  

NFCA Peer Dialog for Board Leaders
Feb 04 — 6:30-7:30 PM — Online  

We surveyed participants asking what they felt was one of the most valuable aspects of the Peer Dialogs? Here’s some responses:

• “Multiple takes on approaches to solve common problems.” —Food Co-op General Manager
• “Feeling part of a bigger group and listening to what others’ have to contribute.” —Co-op Board Member
• “Connecting with peers on bulk foods management and merchandising. Thank you!” —Bulk Department Manager
• “Regardless of the topic, I always enjoy gathering with other co-op folks. Making connections, hearing how other co-ops handle our common topics ­— it’s very enriching.” Marketing Manager, NFCA Member Co-op
• “Meeting people from other co-ops and hearing their experiences and ideas.” —Bulk Department Staff

These free dialogs are organized based on feedback from our Member Co-ops on their needs and priorities, and currently include online opportunities for Board Leaders, Bulk Departments, General Managers, and Small Food Co-ops.  We also coordinate more focused dialogs on projects such as the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership (NOFFP) and planning for Co-op Month. In 2025, we held 24 online sessions with over 180 co-operators participating.

In addition to our Annual Meeting & Member Gathering in March, the NFCA’s Peer Networking Groups provide forums for ongoing communication, collaboration and problem-solving for Food Co-op Directors, Managers, and Departmental Staff.  

The Business Advantage of Co-op Values

Many businesses profess to be purpose-led. But what sets food co-ops apart is our Co-operative Identity. Join us for an online educational session to explore the how (and the why) behind putting our shared Values into practice.

Co-operative professionals commonly refer to the Principles underlying our unique business model. However, there is less familiarity with the underlying Values that are foundational to these Principles. This 2-hour mini session will build your understanding of how being a values-aligned co-operative sets you apart in a competitive marketplace. In particular, we will explore the how (and the why) behind putting the Values into practice, with a focus on demonstrating and optimizing business advantage.

Register Now: Mini Executive Education Workshop: The Business Advantage of Co-operative Values (Online), Feb 25, 2026 (12:00-2:00pm Eastern Time).

This free online workshop with the International Centre for Co-operative Management (ICCM) is designed to support Managers, Directors and Staff of food co-ops, credit unions, and other co-operative enterprises interested in expanding their understanding of the Co-operative Identity, leveraging our shared values for competitive advantage, and learning from other co-operators and their sectors.

The session will be led by Karen Miner (ICCM Managing Director and Board of Co-operatives & Mutuals Canada), Dr. Sonja Novkovic (Co-operative Economist), and Erbin Crowell (Executive Director of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association and Board Member of the National Cooperative Business Association and the Co-operative Management Educational Co-operative) and will include opportunities for dialog and exchange among participants.

The Co-operative Management Educational Co-operative (CMEC) invites members and the broader co-operative community to this event offered by ICCM. For more information on the Centre, please visit https://managementstudies.coop. 

Food Co-ops: Get Counted!

The Neighboring Food Co-op Association is partnering with the Local Food Count to ensure that food co-ops are part of the effort to strengthen our regional food system by tracking local food purchasing and sales.

Food co-ops across New England are invited to Get Counted in the 2025 Local Food Count, a regional effort to measure how much food is sourced locally by schools, hospitals, dining services, food co-ops and other organizations.

Learn More:

• Attend the Local Food Count Webinar for Food Co-ops, Wed, Jan 14^th, 2:00 p.m.
• Register HERE to learn more about the project and how to complete the survey.

The Local Food Count is part of the New England Feeding New England initiative, which aims to strengthen the region’s food system and increase local food sourcing. Data collection is now open and the information gathered will help identify current purchasing patterns and opportunities to expand local procurement.

“We are excited to partner with the Local Food Count this year in collecting this data,” said Suzette Snow-Cobb, NFCA Associate Director. “We know that food co-ops in our region are important contributors to building our local food economy and their participation in the count is an excellent way to demonstrate that impact and communicate our difference.”

Participation in the Local Food Count is open to organizations in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. The NFCA will also be surveying food co-ops in New York State as part of our ongoing effort to communicate our shared impact across the Northeast.  All data submitted will be kept confidential and used only in aggregate to show regional trends.

Organizations can complete the survey today and join a growing network committed to supporting the regions’ farmers, fishers, and food makers. Resources, including project overviews, past results, and state-specific data, are available online.

How to Get Counted:

• Visit our website for a complete list of definitions and to see past results
• Complete the Local Food Count survey  (our goal is to have preliminary data at the NFCA Annual Meeting in March)
• Share this opportunity with leadership and peers

The New England Food System Planners Partnership (NEFSPP) is a collaboration amongst seven state-level food system organizations and representatives from the six-state agricultural, economic and environmental departments in New England. New England Feeding New England (NEFNE) is the Partnership’s primary initiative and aims to have 30% of the food produced in New England consumed in the region by 2030. The Local Food Count is a cornerstone project of NEFSPP’s Feeding New England campaign, designed to increase local food sourcing and build resilience across the region.

https://nefoodsystemplanners.org

Co-ops in the News

January Cave-to-Co-op Special

This month’s special cheese is Four Corners from Cobb Hill Creamery, Hartland, VT

Nestled in Hartland, Vermont, Cobb Hill Cheese crafts raw Jersey-milk cheeses using traditional farmstead methods with care for their herd and the land.  Four Corners is a Welsh-style cheddar made by hand on the farm from the milk produced by their cows, which graze on fresh grass from May through October.

The cheese is golden when made from summer milk and snowy white from late fall through early spring milk, reflecting the seasonal character of the herd. Each batch is crafted in a Dutch vat with culture, vegetable rennet, and salt, then brined in a whey-salt solution and aged in the farm’s natural cave. This process develops a natural rind and allows the cheese to mature with a firm yet slightly crumbly texture, buttery tang, and subtle farmstead richness. As a Caerphilly-style cheese, a traditional Welsh cheese known for its mild, tangy flavor and approachable texture,

Four Corners is versatile on a cheese board, excellent on its own, or incorporated into cooked dishes. Wonderful as grilled cheese or cheese and apple paninis. It pairs well with apples, pears, seasonal fruits and nuts on a charcuterie board or with crisp dry white wine or pale ale.

Cobb Hill is an intentional cohousing community comprised of people learning to live lightly on the earth and building community among themselves and with their Hartland neighbors. The intention of sustainability underlies the living, farming, land stewardship, learning and teaching activities across all components of the community.

Makes 4 servings

• 1 tablespoon butter (15 g)
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon English mustard powder (or Dijon)
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1–2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, plus extra to serve
• ½ cup beer (150 ml)
• Pinch of sugar (optional)
• 10 oz. cheese (300 g) — ideally a 50:50 mix of Four Corners and mild cheddar
• 4 thick slices good quality white sandwich bread

1. Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook
   for 1–2 minutes.
2. Add the mustard powder, cayenne, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir, then
   gradually add the beer. Cook for another 2 minutes to cook out the flour.
3. Reduce heat to low. Add the shredded cheese a handful at a time, stirring
   until fully melted. (Adding all the cheese at once can cause the mixture to
   split.) Allow to cool slightly. This mixture can be made ahead and
   refrigerated.
4. Preheat your broiler (grill) to high. Toast the bread slices on both sides.
   Divide the rarebit mixture among the four slices and spread evenly.
5. Place under the broiler until the cheese is molten and bubbling, 1–3
   minutes. Score the top with a knife and drizzle with extra Worcestershire
   sauce if desired.
6. Serve with a leafy salad and mustard dressing for a light lunch or add a
   fried egg on top. Alternatively, pair with fine chutney as a post-dinner
   cheese course.

Recipe adapted from Chef Alex Vines on Wales.com

Each month, your Neighboring Food Co-ops feature our region’s artisan cheesemakers by offering a specially selected cheese at great price. Look for the “Cave to Co-op” sign in the cheese section at your local food co-op. To find one near you, visit www.nfca.coop/members.

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Farmers Union Annual Meeting

Join New England Farmers Union Members for our Annual Meeting as we look back on 2025, consider updates to our policy book, and plan for food system advocacy in 2026!  Please click HERE to register.

As we welcome 2026, it is more important than ever that we work together to advocate for better food system policy.  When you join or renew with the New England Farmers Union, you are helping us work with the Neighboring Food Co-op Association to…

• Support Food Security. As we work to help our communities rebuild, local producers need access to markets and families must be able to access healthy, nutritious food.
• Strengthen Rural Communities.  We need reinvestment in our rural hospitals and mental health resources, improved broadband connectivity in rural areas, and repairs to the damage done to our postal service.
• Fight Consolidation of our Food System.  Our regional producers and processors need more direct access to markets, greater transparency from buyers, and more stable prices for dairy and other farm commodities.
• Combat Climate Change.  Farmers need the resources, technology, and information necessary adapt to climate change – and a seat at the table and a strong voice in the development of climate policies and programs.
• Grow Our Co-ops.  We will continue our work together to promote and protect co-operative business and advocate for policies that will help our co-ops grow.

These efforts are vital for the future of our regional food system and economy.  But we need your help by helping us grow our membership.  We hope you’ll consider joining or renewing with the Farmers Union and help us spread the word with your friends and neighbors at this critical time!

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