Co-ops are owned by people who live in the community in which they’re located. The co-op’s management is governed by a board of directors that the local owner-members elect, not a faraway group of executives who never visit our area. This gives co-op members and customers much more direct control of the co-op. Also, the co-op’s money is kept in local banks and the co-op’s profits stay in our area instead of being sent off to pay for regional and national levels of management.

Co-ops also tend to have an approach of “working with” consumers instead of “selling to” consumers. For example, co-ops typically conduct ongoing food and nutrition education programs for their customers and in local schools. The Great River Co-op hopes to include a greenhouse area where school classes can start seeds in the late winter, watch them sprout, and then transplant them in the spring. In addition, many co-ops work directly with local farmers and food producers to encourage – and, in some cases, financially support – tests of new crops, new food products, and expanded production. Supermarket chains rarely become so deeply involved in consumer education or in the agricultural economy of a local area.

In Hanover and other areas where co-ops operate, the number of growers, farmers markets, and farmstands has actually increased. The presence of a co-op tends to encourage not only new growers and the expansion of existing farms, but also educates and inspires consumers to increase their purchases of a variety of local foods. The Great River Co-op can become an engine that supports and encourages business development for local farmers.

As of 2024, the coop is pursuing the empty lot at the old Robertson Paper Mill across from 30 Island Street in Bellows Falls. We will build a new structure that will include a retail space, commercial kitchen, food processing and storage facilities.

We are excited about the potential to drive more business to downtown Bellows Falls while providing a walkable food store to town residents.

To finance the store, we need to show lenders that there is a base of customers who will shop at the co-op after it opens. One of the best ways to do that is to register 1,000 paying co-op member/owners. The sooner you join and help us reach that number, the sooner the store can be built and will open.

Yes! Start ups take time. We are continuing our work to bring not only a brick and mortar coop store to the Great River area, but to unite our communities with shared efforts toward food security & sovereignty.