According to the Food Cooperative Initiative - Guide to Starting a Food Co-op, a cooperative is a business voluntarily owned and controlled by the people who use it - its owners. It is operated primarily for the benefit of its owners to meet their mutual needs.

A food co-op is different from a regular grocery store in its reinvestment of profit back into the community and mission to promote the health and viability of the local economy.

The average food co-op:

• Sources 80% of their stock from local farms and purveyors, thus creating a reliable source of revenue for farmers

• Offers more organic produce than a traditional grocery store

• Understands how local farmers grow/raise their food, thus is able to provide opportunities for nutrition education. Did you know that local/seasonal produce contains more nutrients?

• Is focused on giving back to employees, the environment, and the community because they usually:

  • Pay above average wage

  • Promote sustainability measures for a greener planet – like recycling, composting, and reduced waste

  • Donate 13% of profits to charity

  • Add $1.63 to the local economy for every $1 spent in the food co-op

Learn more about food co-ops here.

Kennett community Grocer is still in the Organizing Stage, which means we do not have a physical location at this time. Once we hit a certain level of ownership buy-in and equity in the bank, we can decide on a physical location. With that, we are always keeping our eyes peeled for the perfect location to come available. In the meantime, a KCG Member-Owner card still holds value! Learn about our Member Benefit Program.

A cooperative is a community initiative. We need to have 50% ownership be in the community. This way, one large corporation or bank cannot call all of the shots. Each owner gets one vote and there is equality; the member community at-large is responsible for our store. We need the support of the community to raise equity and work our way toward opening our doors. Without the cooperation of the community, there is no store. Helps us reach our goals and take back control of our food system!

The exact benefits of becoming a Member-Owner are still to be determined, but some potential benefits include:

• Voting rights

• Opportunity to be on the board of directors

• Special owner discount days at the store

• Daily Discounts

• Member Benefit Program

• Dividends

• Owner-only events/classes

Drop us a line and let us know what are some benefits you would like to see as an owner!

Simply fill out the membership application and submit a one-time payment of $300/household or sign up for the 12-month $25 monthly installment plan* (plus a small processing fee).

No really, it is only a one-time fee per family. There is no annual fee. However, per the needs of the cooperative and as we grow, there may be increases in the fee** over the life of your membership.

* By signing up for the monthly installment plan, you IMMEDIATELY have the benefits of an owner as long as you are up-to-date on your monthly installments. After THREE PAYMENTS you will have voting rights in the Co-op.

** As part of the Membership-Owner Agreement, Member-Owners agree to invest in equity share fees deemed necessary by the Co-op Board of Directors of Kennett Community Grocer. A member equity share increase is an additional contribution to KCG’s capital fund beyond the current initial $300 Member-Owner buy-in fee. Such a contribution would only be requested in order to preserve KCG and after all other avenues of financial viability are exhausted. A membership vote would be conducted to determine the amount of money that members would be asked to contribute, and the Board of Directors will honor the democratic vote on this issue. Members-Owners may choose whether or not to contribute and still have full access to the store either way. However, without the additional contribution specific member benefits – such as potential profit-sharing and member discounts – would cease.

While we are still searching for our ideal location, the goal is to keep the co-op in the borough of Kennett to allow accessibility and walkability for our community.

The store will be open to all shoppers, so you do no need to be a Member-Owner to shop at the store. However, owners will have benefits that the standard consumer does not.

We are aiming for at least 80% of the products to be from local producers, like the ones currently featured in our Member Benefit Program. We will also have staples and items requested by KCG Member-Owners and the Board of Directors.

We love the Kennett Food Cupboard and encourage anyone to sign up for a CSA, but the Co-op is neither. That being said, we are forming relationships with the community and intend to have partnership with local farms and the KFC. In the future, we may be a pick up point for a local CSA or partner with KFC for special projects, but we are not affiliated with either for now.

The quick answer here is no, we are not planning on being ALL organic. However, the ultimate decision on this is up to the owners. If the board finds a strong desire to be an all organic store, the owners votes and the majority rules on all converting to only organic items, then this could happen.

Ultimately, the store is controlled by the owners so the best way to influence what is on the shelves is to become a Member-Owner!

YES!

While we are not quite at the stage of choosing producers and retailers to stock our physical store, we are interested in hearing from you! If you would like to talk about becoming a retailer at our store, please contact us for more information. Also, even before we open, we’d love to have your voice in the project as we move forward.

Meanwhile, we would love to include you in our Member Benefit Program! Email us at info@kennettcommunitygrocer.coop for more information.