Would a food co-op work in downtown Lewiston?

Would a food co-op work in downtown Lewiston? A walk in and around Lewiston’s downtown neighborhoods reveals several corner markets and convenience stores, but also, a glaring lack of options for residents desiring something other than processed foods.

What is a food co-op, or co-operative grocery store?

A cooperative (co-op) is a business that belongs to its members. A co-op is founded and organized voluntarily by people who want goods or services provided to them through a democratically controlled enterprise. It is owned by the people who support the business, use it, and invest equity into it. The member-owners share equally in the control of their cooperative. They generally meet once a year at an annual meeting. They also elect a board of directors from among themselves. The directors in turn hire management to run the day-to-day affairs of the co-op in a way that serves the members’ interest.

Are there other co-ops in our area, or in Maine?

[Fair Share Co-op, Main Street, Norway, Maine]

Fare Share Market, in Norway, is an example of a co-op. An integral part of their community, Fair Share is locally engaged, helping educate their neighbors about healthy food, sustainable agriculture, nutrition, and a host of other things. They also provide tangible demonstrations of democracy, cooperation, as well as fostering a spirit of self-reliance.

Another food co-op, around since 1976, is the Belfast Co-op, in Midcoast Maine. From humble beginnings, first operating out of a small storefront, in 1985, they moved to a building three times the size, their current 2,500 square foot location on Lower Main Street.

[Belfast Co-op, Belfast, Maine]

There are a number of resources available to learn more about co-ops, and the nuts and bolts of how to get one off the ground.

The CGIN (Cooperative Grocers’ Information Network) is a membership organization founded to support the growth and development of food co-ops. Given that the grocery market has grown increasingly competitive, CGIN offers help and support to co-ops, aiding them in maximizing their collective resources and keeping them, as independent groups, from being put at a competitive disadvantage.

They have an online how-to guide that’s worth checking out.

So what do you think? Would a food co-op work in downtown Lewiston?