Last year, the Macomb Food Co-op was planning a move from its current location as the building was up for sale and it wasn't feasible for the co-op to purchase the building from McDonough Telephone Cooperative (MTC). But then a co-op member stepped in, and now the longtime local food cooperative will remain at its 211 S.
McArthur St. location.
A co-op member purchased the building last month for $110,000.
According to (John) Lane, the Macomb Food Co-op is paying rent to Jamie, like they did with MTC, and will remain at the place it has called home since 2016.
The co-op was set to move a few blocks north to the Enchanted Florist building on Lafayette Street; however, due to costs and other stumbling blocks along the way, it became apparent that moving was going to be more of a process than originally planned, he noted. 'The financial magnitude, timeline and uncertainty of total costs really hit us when we did another walkthrough,' Lane shared.
As for the 'new-old' home, the co-op board plans to improve its kitchen and facilities, including an enhanced kitchen area and cold storage for food hub/local food distribution activities. The co-op also recently was able to purchase a refrigerated truck through a grant from the Chicago Regional Food System Fund, which will be a part of the food hub, Lane explained. They're also planning on hosting classes and sponsoring local food entrepreneurs after kitchen renovations are completed, as well as get a deli program up and running someday.
Grant applications are currently underway for the improvements. The co-op board – Lane, Dave King, Julie Anne Pickett, Aaron Ferguson, Lisa Ferguson and Brandon Thompson – also plan to make the building and grounds more vibrant and visible.
'Looking a bit beyond our little corner of Illinois, with an impending global food crisis brought on by fertilizer disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, local food will be increasingly relevant in the coming years. With staple foods being fungible global commodities, we will see price increases even if American food growing is not as disrupted as Africa and Asia,' Lane shared. 'The founders of the food coop 10-15 years ago understood the delicacy of our globalized food system and the need to develop local food systems. Now, that work is looking more relevant and mainstream as food inflation ratchets up.'
The co-op is also training new volunteers so the organization, which features local growers and organic/ sustainable items, can be open additional hours. Currently, the Macomb Food Co-op, is open noon-6 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturdays. They'll also take part in the Macomb Farmers Market, selling eggs and cheese. Some of the featured items available at the co-op include local dairy, produce, meat, eggs and honey, along with organic flour, grains, spices, tea, coffee and other unique selections/items.
'We are working hard to bring our prices in line with 'market rate' on most items.
We are also working on EBT approval. We want to be a corner grocer for everyone in central Macomb regardless of income, as well as a local and an organic grocer for the region,' Lane concluded. 'Balancing locality, organic/high quality and affordability is tough, but we're getting better at it.'
For more information, follow the Macomb Food Co-op on Facebook facebook.com/macombfoodcoop. To donate to the Macomb Food Co-op Foundation, visit prairiehillsrcd. org/macomb-food-co-opfoundation. html
