The Amherst Food Co-op... invites everyone from Amherst and the neighboring communities to join us for a community-building event:
867 North Pleasant St.
Amherst, MA
The evening's events will include speakers from River Valley Co-op, the UMass Sustainable Food and Farming program, Grow Food Amherst, and Amherst Food Co-op.
Music will be provided by local folk musicians and Co-op member-owners Peter Blood and Annie Patterson of Rise Up Singing, as well as by the local multicultural and soulful duo, Moonlight and Morning Star.
This is a FREE, FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENT!
Food and refreshments will be donated by our sister co-ops, River Valley Co-op and Franklin Community Co-op, as well as by Dean's Beans Organic Coffee Company and Equal Exchange. We also invite those who are able to bring a small dish to share!
Please join us for your opportunity to learn more about the Co-op's history, to get updates on our progress, to hear more about our vision for the future and to learn how you can become part of this great project for our community. Everyone's participation is encouraged and valued!
We believe strongly that now, more than ever, communities must come together to invest in inclusive and supportive common spaces that we ourselves have chosen, created, and will manage. The core mission of the Co-op is to build a sustainable, community-created and focused business, a store that is accessible to all: economically, physically, and culturally.
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A bit of background....
The Amherst Food Co-op project was originally conceived by Laura Mason, a 2011 graduate of UMass Amherst. Laura's vision was to create a community- and worker-owned cooperative grocery store selling local and wholesome affordable foods. She and three other young women started the Amherst Community Market project. In 2014, the co-op, known then as Amherst Community Co-op, was incorporated. In May 2016, we ratified our bylaws and elected a board of directors. By the fall of 2016, Amherst Food Co-op took on its current name, but kept its original vision of building a full-service, cooperative grocery store by and for the entire community. We invite you to join us in making this exciting vision a reality!
Amherst Food Co-op is committed to making a difference right here in our own community, and we hope you'll join us in that effort!