The US National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) has announced the addition of seven new and returning food co-ops to its membership.
The food co-ops joined through the apex’s P6 Membership Surge, which offers co-ops that are already members of a national or state association, or a federated co-op, the chance to join its network.
As existing members of National Co+op Grocers, the new co-ops below were eligible for this exclusive offer of discounted membership dues for two years.
They include Belfast Community Co-op , which has been selling locally sourced, affordable, organic and natural food to Midcoast Maine since 1976.
In 2022, the co-op (formerly Belfast Food Co-op) rebranded itself as Belfast Community Co-op to help people understand that the store is community-owned and open to everyone, adding the tagline “Owned by you. Food for all.”
In 2024, it hosted a welcome back party after completing a major renovation that included an expansion of its café. Today, it counts more than 5,000 owners – including more than 500 new owners in the past year alone—and US $11m in sales.
Another new member is Pittsburgh’s East End Food Co-op, which has been in operation for 40 years.
Related: US co-op grocers outpace traditional rivals in sales growth
East End sources its produce, meat and cheese from small family farms, all located within 250 miles of the co-op. In 2022, it hit the 16,000 member mark and in 2023, Sustainable Pittsburgh recognised its commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainable food.
A younger co-op Friendly City Food Co-op, opened in Harrisonburg, Virginia, in 2011, selling fresh and locally sourced food in the Shenandoah Valley.
Since 2016, the co-op’s 99¢ Table has sold more than 300,000lb of produce. In 2024, the co-op passed the 3,000 -member mark and it has partnered with 177 local producers.
Marquette Food Co-op is Marquette, Michigan’ss only full-service natural and organic community-owned grocery. Owned by more than 6,000 households, the co-op has been serving Marquette and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula since 1971.
In addition to selling organic, local and fairly traded food and products, the co-op hosts farm tours, cooking classes and educational workshops about food and environmental issues that foster a thriving, equitable and resilient community. Through its partnership with the UP Food Exchange, Marquette offers a Farm-to-School Fundraiser programme that allows schools and youth groups to raise money by selling locally grown and produced food and craft items.
The co-op counted $14m in sales in 2024; it spent $4.3m on local goods, services and supplies
Menomonie Market Food Co-op, which has locations in Menomonie and Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was started in 1974 by a small group of residents as a food-buying club. Since then, more than 5,000 people have become owners.
Profits are used to support for local organisations in the Chippewa Valley and surrounding areas. In 2018, it launched the Menomonie Market Cooperative Community Fund (MMCCF). MMCCF is now part of the Twin Pines Community Fund, which leverages $40m for co-op development.
South Dakota’s Sioux Falls Food Co-op offers sustainable, healthy and fairly traded products, alongside education about the co-operative model, food and social responsibility.
Every Wednesday, it hosts a $5 community dinner which served 7,000 people in 2023. The co-op’s Big Change programme invites customers to round up their purchases, with 100% of proceeds going to local nonprofits.
Three Rivers Food Co-op was founded in the early 1970s as a natural foods buying club with over 200 members who ordered food monthly and, in 1976, opened a storefront in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. The co-op’s current store boasts 6,300 square feet, including a kitchen and eat-in deli and café.
Three Rivers participates in National Co+op Grocers’ Co+op Explorers program, which promotes healthy eating for kids and works to create a more engaging and fun shopping experience for parents and children.
