Celebrate Co-op Month!

This October marks 15 years since I moved to Viroqua. I had recently graduated from college and was looking for a place to call home. One requirement for my new home was that it had a food cooperative where I could get local and organic foods.

I clearly remember walking into the Viroqua Food Co+op for the first time - the produce aisle was filled with food from local farmers, the bulk section was plentiful, all my favorite dairy and grocery products were on the shelf, and there was a humble deli that made delicious food. The employees were inviting and everyone shopping was friendly, too. How could a town of 4,500 people have such a thriving food cooperative? I was astounded and hooked. The Viroqua Food Co+op is one of the main reasons I moved here and remains one of the reasons that I continue to call Viroqua my home.

October also marks one of my favorite times of year - Co-op Month! It is when we celebrate all that cooperative businesses do for our community! If you live in Vernon County, you likely belong to or get services from one or more co-ops. Did you know that Vernon County has over 20 cooperatively owned businesses? This includes an electric co-op, a credit union, a communications co-op, an artist's co-op, a solar energy co-op, dairy and other producer cooperatives, farmers co-ops, our food co-op and more!

The Viroqua Food Co+op thrives because of YOU - co-op owners and shoppers! Every time you shop at the co-op, you support our mission to provide access to local and organic food and superior customer service to our community. Together we strengthen the cooperative movement and create a work of enduring value right here in Viroqua. With your support, we continue to build a business we cherish one local producer, one shopping trip, and one round-up at a time. By doing so, we have a powerful impact on the local economy, the environment, and our community.

This Co-op Month, join me in celebrating our remarkable co-op!

Bjorn Bergman, Viroqua Food Co+op Director