Common Share Food Coop: What’s New?

By Madeleine Charney, Monica Garcia, Lisa Depiano, and Mick Mandeau

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of articles that we are posting in recognition of National Co-op Month. See our first entry in the series here. 

Many of you have seen lawn signs around town over the years, reminding you about Common Share Food Coop. This full-service grocery store will be co-owned by members and workers (a hybrid model). Over the past year, we’ve been working to secure a fabulous site in East Amherst. It has capacity for community space, is on a bus line, and near affordable housing, Fort River Elementary School,and a community garden. Located in a USDA-certified food desert, the co-op will provide access to fresh, local food that reflects the diversity of the Amherst area. 

Lawyers and business consultants are guiding the way, along with experts at the Food Co-op Initiative. A supermarket design firm has been hired and a fiscal sponsor identified. Business plan — check. It’s all happening! The next step will be to launch a fundraising campaign to physically build out the store. Before we can do that, we need to address the timeline question. 

Naturally, people often ask us, “When will the food co-op open?” Our response is, “The co-op moves at the speed of the community.” Democratic control of the cooperative is one of the most essential features of any cooperative. In our case, both consumer and worker owners are invited and needed to participate in our development and governance. We have a dedicated team of member owners who are volunteering their time to build the co-op right now, but it isn’t enough. Common Share’s vision isn’t about giving agency to a small group of dedicated volunteers, it is about working together as an entire community. Our group needs many more hands to open our doors and continue making decisions democratically. Whether you look forward to using our community room, seeing local products on our shelves or being part of a broader political movement to put people over profit- we need you on the team!

Hare are some ways YOU can help Common Share Food Coop’s progress:

• Become a member owner; just takes a few minutes here.  

• Already a member? Write to five local friends and neighbors and tell them why you joined. Send them the link. 

• Stay up-to-date by reading The Buzz, the coop’s monthly newsletter. Subscribe here.

• Join a committee (IT, Governance, Business Planning, Community Engagement, Store Design)

• Join the Capital Campaign team 

• Offer to write a grant 

• Run for the Board of Directors

• Donate to the coop with a Solidarity Share

• Purchase a preferred share (when the capital campaign is launched).

A question and answer session is scheduled for Monday 10/21 from noon to 1pm on Zoom: Come for part or all. 

You may also reach us at info@commonsharefood.coop

We look forward to hearing how YOU want to be part of this exciting process!