Building a sustainable future: how to support our local Food Co-op

The Free Range Food Co-Op (FRFC) is busy raising funds for its future home at Hwy 2 and NW 1 st Avenue in Grand Rapids. They currently have over 1137 owners and are growing but need the community’s help in raising approximately $5 million for the project cost. Following the announcement of their future location, the FRFC Board officially began the important step of early fundraising with a series of events they are calling “Owners Hosting Owners”, which will provide owners with information on how to deepen their financial investment in the co-op. Co-op Board Chair Brandon Otway said, “Now that we’ve identified a location, we are working on entering contracts with the construction/design experts that will design our future store and nailing down the costs of the next steps to determine what the final store will be.

Simultaneously, we are writing grants, raising capital, and building out our base of owner volunteers that have expertise in the areas we are about to enter to help save on costs needed to pay for additional professionals. Every dollar saved gets us closer to open doors.”

A food co-op is built by the community, for the community. Free Range Food Co-op will be a full service, community-owned grocery store that will provide affordable, healthy, local, organic and sustainable food and products. The co-op will be a leader in socially responsible and sustainable business practices in all aspects of its operations and will collaborate with others in working toward positive environmental and social goals for our community.

After the Owners Hosting Owners fundraising phase, there will be a Community Investment Campaign. To support the FRFC Community Investment Campaign, you can purchase preferred shares ($100 per share with a minimum investment of 10 shares), make a donation to the FRFC Fund at the Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation (GRACF), or become a co-op owner.

For more information about FRFC and how you can support them, please go to their website at freerangefood.coop. There you will find information on how to purchase preferred shares and

become an owner. If you wish to donate to their fund at the Grand Rapids Area Community

Foundation, you can go to the GRACF website at gracf.org and click on Donate. You can also

mail or drop off a check at GRACF, 350 NW 1 st Avenue, Suite E, Grand Rapids, Minnesota

55744.