Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Subscribe here to keep up to date on NFCA News!
In this edition:
Please Feel Free to republish these Stories in your Co-op or Organization’s Newsletter or Blog, or Link to them in Social Media, crediting ‘Neighboring Food Co-op Association’ and linking to our website at https://nfca.coop.
Education for Identity
This summer, Neighboring Food Co-op Association intern Mia DeMichele from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, explored the role of education in grocery co-ops in our region in her final research report, Strengthening Regional Co-op Identity.
When Michael Delchamp, general manager of the Island Store in Isle au Haut, Maine, redesigned the business’ logo, he added two simple words: “Food Cooperative.” He made the change after realizing that long-term seasonal visitors to the island had been shopping there for years without knowing the only store on the island is actually a co-operative that strengthens their local economy.
It’s a small example of a larger pattern. Across the Northeast, staff and shoppers alike often don’t fully understand what sets their business apart, nor the value that being a member of a co-op brings to their communities. My research suggests that the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) can strengthen the Co-operative Identity by offering shorter, more flexible, and locally tailored education resources that build on a co-op’s existing foundation.
What is the Issue and Why Does This Matter?
In my survey of food co-ops, only 32% of respondents said they had either a formal orientation or education program, and most of these materials rely heavily on general HR onboarding rather than content specific to co-operatives.
Respondents made it clear that this issue is not a matter of interest or financial obligations, as most general managers expressed their appreciation of the initiative, but rather a matter of capacity. Co-operative identity education often is moved to the metaphorical back-burner when regular day-to-day operations take priority. Examples of this outcome can be seen at co-ops that once ran an education program, but lost focus when a responsible staff member moved on or the co-op experienced operational strains.
At other food co-ops, staff have observed that members who have a direct conversation about the meaning of membership tend to stay more engaged than those who join primarily for a discount or other benefits. This suggests that education and outreach is connected to whether members participate, vote, and stay invested in their respective co-ops over time. My conclusion is that co-operatives value education but sustaining it is difficult and can involve a substantial amount of effort.
What the Co-ops Are Asking For
Across the NFCA Co-operative Identity Education Survey and conducted interviews, staff consistently emphasized their preferences for short videos, collaborative discussion groups, and materials on their own co-op’s history. Other useful tools that co-ops are asking for are editable templates for slide-decks and handouts, rather than a single fixed program that may not apply to their organization.
Why NFCA Resources Are Going Unused and What are the Solutions
The good news is that the NFCA offers many of these resources. But when survey participants were asked if they engaged with the Neighboring Food Co-op Association’s Co-operative Education Webinar Series (CEW), an educational resource already integrated in NFCA’s website, 64% of respondents said that they were not aware it existed. Some respondents noted that the survey itself was what first pointed them towards the webinar series, and they went to check it out afterward. Those who were aware of the webinars expressed appreciation for their content but mentioned the series’ general on-size-fits-all format made it difficult to feel a personal connection towards their own co-op’s story and daily operations.
The data points to manageable problems, lack of awareness and time and the feeling of disconnect from their own co-operatives. Interviewees stress their interest in educational materials but also reiterate that these core problems remain a barrier. The solution is curating adaptable and adjustable resources that allow co-operatives to customize them into materials they will use to educate their members and staff. Although lower on the list of priority, many expressed appreciation for expanding their co-op’s more history-focused resources, as they believe it would bolster member engagement and strengthen their identities.
The most consistent response in the survey, with almost 80% agreement, was on the question
asking members if they believe that the success of other co-ops in the region directly ties into the success of their own co-op. The overwhelming consensus alludes to the fact that co-operative values are not disappearing but rather need to be nourished and revitalized through educational efforts.
Delchamp’s logo change made the Island Store’s co-op identity visible to its own community, and now the members of the NFCA has a similar opportunity at a regional level. Co-ops still value education and are asking for shorter, flexible, and locally relevant educational resources that will strengthen their identity. These resources along with initiatives that increase co-op visibility, like adding co-op to their names or utilizing the “.coop” domain, will deepen awareness within their members and their greater Northeast region.
Please join us in thanking Mia for her valuable research and enthusiasm for the co-operative model and wishing her all the best in the future! For more information on NFCA educational resources, please visit our website.
Co-op Month is Coming!
October is National Co-op Month — a great time to stop in at your Neighboring Food Co-ops to learn more about how co-operatives and credit unions make a difference every day!
Observed nationally since 1964, Co-op Month is an opportunity to learn more about the co-operative movement and how these businesses empower people from all walks of life to meet their own needs and make a difference in their communities. From in-store events to membership drives, special sales on co-op products to community activities, your Neighboring Food Co-ops are preparing to spread the word in October.
For example, we’re working in collaboration with Cabot Creamery Co-op to support membership drives by offering a special opportunity to be entered to win a weekend farm stay at a Cabot Member Farm as well as other great prizes from Real Pickles, Fedco Seeds, and La Riojana Wine. We’re growing the co-operative economy by highlighting products from other co-ops through special promotions in collaboration with regional distributor Black River Produce. And together with other co-ops and credit unions across the Northeast, we’re spreading the word about Co-op Month in local editions of Edible Magazine.
Visit our website to learn more about how you can “Go Co-op” or visit your local food co-op. Together, we can Build a Build a Better World.
Welcome Rutland General Manager
Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) member Rutland Area Food Co-op in Vermont welcomes Tres Weddle as its new General Manager.
In July, Tres Weddle was hired as the General Manager of Rutland Area Food Co-op (RAFC). “Tres brings not just the skills of an experienced manager, but the heart of someone who genuinely loves this store and this community,” said the RAFC Board of Directors in a statement. “He has seen us at our best, worked through our challenges alongside us, and chosen to plant his family’s roots right here in Rutland.”
Tres moved to Vermont in 2022 with his family, settling in Rutland. He has experience in restaurant management and has owned and operated a fermentation business. Tres has worked at the co-op for the past four years, most recently serving as Assistant Manager.
“I knew I wanted to work [at the co-op] even prior to setting foot in here my first week in town. The local/organic food and lifestyle spoke to me, and I liked the vibe. My initial job was as the cooler and freezer buyer,” said Tres in an interview with Theresea Hayward, Rutland’s Board President.
“I did not know a lot about cooperatives, but knew about employee-owned businesses, which I related to as a worker,” Tres continues. “VT has a lot of food co-operatives and trailer park [co-ops], and I love both, since housing and food are significant challenges for families. I think that COVID was a stress test related to food; what happens if suddenly a main supplier of food is not available? I love that our community is more resilient against the world’s problems with a food co-op. I love this building and the spot; I love to stand out front and see the sun come up or go down.”
The Rutland Area Food Co-op was established in 1995 and is a founding member of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association. Today their membership includes over 2,400 member households and is a mainstay of its community and local food system.
Please join us in welcoming Tres and if you are in the area, please stop in and say hello! For more information, please visit Rutland Area Food Co-op’s website.
Dairy Month Winners
During Dairy Month in June, your Neighboring Food Co-ops partnered with Cabot Creamery Co-operative to grow awareness of our region’s family dairy farms and grow sales of their products.
Spring is calving season for our region’s dairy farmers, and milk production soon reaches its peak as cows enjoy the bright green pastures that are central to the Northeast agricultural landscape. At the same time, this growth in output tends to push prices down just as farmers face increased expenses as they begin planning for the coming year.
As far back as 1937, the National Dairy Council has worked to address this challenge through promotional efforts aimed at increasing demand for dairy products during the summer months. June was established as National Dairy Month just two years later and today offers an opportunity for food co-ops to partner with producer co-operatives to help sustain family farmers.
This year, Cabot Creamery Co-op and the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) partnered to offer to a special incentive to help increase demand for local milk, recognizing food co-ops that increased their annual sales of the co-operative’s products. Winners include Rising Tide Food Co-op (ME), Littleton Food Co-op (NH), River Valley Co-op(MA), and Cambridge Food Co-op (NY).
“Our Dairy and Marketing teams had lots of fun collaborating on this,” said Anastasia, Marketing Coordinator at Littleton Food Co-op (NH). “We did promotional efforts across all of our marketing channels… had an A-frame sign at the store entrance to promote National Dairy Month with a special shoutout to Cabot, and for the month of June, we ran a basket lift promotion” on their products.
Congratulations to all the food co-op staff and members who helped raise awareness of our local dairy farmers — and many thanks for Cabot Creamery Co-op for their ongoing partnership as we work to build a sustainable food system and a vibrant co-operative economy in our region!
For more information on Cabot Creamery Co-op, visit their website.
High Falls Food Co-op Celebrating 50 Years
What began in 1976 as a buying club, has grown into a community hub — built by neighbors, nurtured by shared values, and sustained by generations of members.
On September 19th, Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) member High Falls Food Co-op will be celebrating 50 years of co-operation, and the community is invited! The free gathering will include good food, shared stories, children’s activities and great music — a chance to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate everything co-op members have built together over the years.
“The High Falls Food Co-op has always been more than a grocery store. It’s a place where people who care about healthy food, supporting local agriculture, sustainability, and one another come together,” said Ginny Redgate, Board Member and co-chair of the 50th Anniversary Planning Committee. “If you’re a member, you’re more than a shopper. You’re a steward of something much bigger than yourself.”
Please join us in congratulating High Falls Food Co-op on five incredible decades building their community, strengthening the regional food system, and growing the wider co-operative economy. For more information, visit their website.
Co-ops in the News
Celebrating, Educating, And Advocating About the Importance of Local Farming
The Co-op Spirit
Farmington Food Co-op awarded $15,000 grant to expand bulk foods and sustainable shopping options
Bangor Daily News
and don’t forget to check out our Co-op Month Ad Campaign, beginning with the Fall Edition of Edible Vermont!
Has your co-op been in the news recently? Send your item to info@nfca.coop.
September Cave-to-Co-op Special
This month’s Cave to Co-op cheese is Vermont Herdsman from Parish Hill Creamery, Westminster West, VT
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.
Made in Westminster West with raw milk from cows grazing the hillside pastures of Elm Lea Farm at The Putney School, Vermont Herdsman is made only during pasture season and aged for at least 12 months. The result is full and slightly sharp, with notes of pineapple and hazelnut, a straw-colored edible rind, and a texture that becomes beautifully granular with age.
Parish Hill Creamery produces seasonal, handmade, raw milk cheeses inspired by the traditional cheeses of Italy. They love making cheese and make cheese traditionally, simply, as near to home as possible, and with the highest quality ingredients and results as can be had.
Under the legendary direction of Peter Dixon and Rachel Fritz Schaal, Parish Hill uses natural, propagated cultures made from the milk of individual cows in the herd — cultures that have been maintained at the creamery since they began making cheese. These native cultures, combined with raw milk, seasonal pasture, traditional cheesemaking, and the work of the cheesemakers themselves, allow the character of the place to come through. As Peter and Rachel put it, natural cheese can be an expression of “the land, the animals, the milk, their hands.” Vermont Herdsman is a delicious example of exactly that: Vermont in a wheel of cheese.
Herdsman pairs well with roasted pears, dried apricots, roasted hazelnuts, honey, brown ales, cider and your favorite cornbread!
Working together, the NFCA is leveraging the purchasing power or our food co-ops to support local producers. Each month, we work in collaboration with Provisions International to feature a specially selected local cheese at great price. Look for the “Cave to Co-op” sign in the cheese section at your participating food co-op.
Family Farmers Need You!
With midterm elections on the horizon, family farmers from the Northeast and across the country will gather for the National Farmers Union Fall Legislative Fly-In from September 14-16, 2026 — and you can help strengthen their voices!
New England Farmers Union members Robert Chang of Echo Farm in Connecticut, Mary Castonguay, Vice President and Organic Valley dairy farm member from Maine, and Ella Kennen, Coordinator for the New Connecticut Farmer Alliance will be representing the Northeast at the Fly-In, and you can help!
For as little as $15, you can become a “Friend of the Farmer,” supporting Robert, Mary, and Ella in DC and strengtheningthe voice of our region’s farmers and consumers before our policy makers. Together, we can work 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. Working together, we can recruit more representatives to the Congressional Cooperative Business Caucus, protect and promote our business model, 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 to 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!
Join the Farmers Union! For as little as $15, you can become a “Friend of the Farmer,” helping to strengthen the voice of our region’s farmers and consumers, advocating for better food system policy, and supporting co-operative business.
For more than a decade, the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) has partnered with the New England Farmers Union to build a more healthy, just, and sustainable food system for everyone. There is strength in numbers, and more than ever we need you. For more information on the benefits of membership, please visit the New England Farmers Union website.
Upcoming Events
National Voter Registration Day on September 15 is an opportunity for co-ops and their communities to strengthen civic engagement across the country.
And this year, celebrations will coincide with the International Day of Democracy, allowing us to join with people around the world in ensuring that the ideal of democracy can be transformed into a reality to be enjoyed by everyone.
