Member Letter, April 2026

Apr 20
4 min read

Welcome to the new monthly letter just for the BFC community.

We are going to have a little fun as we work together to build a more resilient local food system! Thank you for being here, and for sharing in this mission.

Announcements & Opportunities

Still looking for the light

We continue to be on the lookout for new table lamps to light up the shelves. Bring a lamp or two by anytime and we will put it to good use!

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Pick up New Member-Owner Cards

If you have recently purchased your membership — or did not receive your card in the first batch that was sent tout — stop by the co-op to pick up your member-owner card! Note: We print these in batches, so if your membership was purchased only in the last week or so, it will not be there yet

Blackberry Food Co-op is Seeking New Board Members!

Calling all member-owners!

We’re inviting you to help shape the future of our community-owned grocery.

Over the past year, you’ve helped us organize the co-op, build membership, and lay the groundwork for transitioning the Coast Fork Farm Stand into a community-owned store.

We’ve formed our cooperative entity, established a working board, purchased the Farm Stand, and begun operations as Blackberry Food Co-op.

Now, with the foundation set, we’re ready to grow.

What’s Ahead in 2026

Our priorities include launching a capital campaign, hiring a general manager, joining the National Co+op Grocers, and deepening direct relationships between local farms and our community. This is a pivotal moment to help build a resilient, locally rooted food system.

We’re Looking for Board Members Who Bring:

Volunteer coordination and management experience
Legal or governance background (nonprofit, cooperative, or business law)
Knowledge of food co-ops or grocery operations
Community outreach and organizing skills
Fundraising or capital campaign experience (or willingness to learn)

How to Join

Board service is open to all members. If you’re interested, please submit a brief statement describing your background, skills, and connection to our mission. We also encourage you to attend a board meeting to connect with current directors. Directors are elected by the membership at our annual meeting.

This is more than a role—it’s an opportunity to help build a lasting community institution that strengthens our local food system, increases food access, and reflects our shared values of cooperation and resilience.

If you’re ready to contribute your skills and perspective, we’d love to connect. Reach out to blackberryfoodcoop@riseup.net or speak with a current board member.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to support Blackberry Food Co-op!

In cooperation,Blackberry Food Co-op Board

People of the Co-op

Have you met our Board President?

Jim has been an unceasing force in bringing the BFC to life, and in every step of the legal hoops, paper work, and monumental minutiae required. He is always ready to learn a new skill in order to get things done right, AND he makes a killer smoothie!

Q: Tell us about your role with the BFC.

I love food co-ops!

Blackberry Food Co-op is the 4^th food co-op I've been a member of since I joined my first one in 1977. Plus, I love and have done a lot of shopping at a 5^th food co-op, Placerville Food Co-op, in Placerville, California. My mother-in-law was one of the founders of that co-op and an inspiration for me. So, when Scott got serious about forming a food co-op, I jumped at the chance to help make it happen.

After we moved the Farm Stand to its current building on May 10, 2024, I joined a group of volunteers who were dedicated to converting the Farm Stand to a food co-op and creating a public market within the building. After drafting bylaws for the co-op and getting them reviewed by an attorney, we incorporated on May 30 last year, at which time I joined the Board of Directors and became the President. Since then it's been a wild and fun ride with a bunch of great people on the board, on the store staff, and volunteering!

Q: Have there been any challenges for the Co-op that led to serendipitous results or unexpected solutions?

Yes, the Farm Stand's slow but steady decline led us to take over operating it in mid-October with a donation to pay for the staff and a loan to build the inventory back up. Though it was challenging, since we were not fully ready to begin operating the store, it did give us experience running the store.

Q: Do you have a favorite product in the store you would like to share? What do you love about it?

Purple sweet potatoes, they are great for our health. They are loaded with anthocyanins, an antioxidant. They are great in blackberry sweet potato smoothies.

Q: What are you most excited about for the co-op moving forward?

I'm most excited to see the co-op grow to become a one-stop grocery store where we can purchase all or most of our local, organic, and natural foods right here in Cottage Grove at a co-op owned by the whole community, that supports a resilient local food system by partnering with local farmers and producers.

Q: If you could have a billboard over the Blackberry Food Co-op building, what would it say?

Own it, support it, shop at Blackberry Food Co-op!

Q: When you are not working on the BFC, what are you doing?

Helping manage our conservation land at Cerro Gordo. Also, cooking and eating!

Thank you, Jim!

We appreciate you more than you know.

Product Highlight

Sweet Poh-tay-toes!

Boil ‘em, mash ‘em, stick ‘em in a smoothie. Was there ever a more delicious, versatile superfood?!

Sweet potatoes are nutrient rich, support heart health, enhance digestion, boost your immune system, and fight inflammation. They are chock full of antioxidants, vitamins, and fibers, and throw in some protein just for kicks.

Fun fact: Although boiling is often the least efficient method for retaining nutrients in your food, sweet potatoes actually retain more — and more absorbable—beta-carotene when boiled, AND when consumed with a little fat. Mashed potatoes just got a glow up!