Standing Up for Our Cooperative Values

The following message was published in the Winter 2025 issue of GreenLeaf Quarterly…

Greetings Fellow Cooperators,

Your Co-op is in a great place as we enter a new year. We know 2025 will bring unique challenges – both foreseen and unforeseen – and your Co-op will continue to stand up for the cooperative values we’ve always held.

Safer space for LGBTQ+ and Immigrant community members. GreenStar will continue to be a safer and welcoming place for our whole community and we are stronger for it. We will continue to stand up to anything that violates these values and build our welcoming environment.

Responding to Deregulation in the Food System. We will continue to uphold our quality standards and develop new standards to ensure offerings in the Co-op continue to be wholesome, good for your family, and good for the community. Supporting our local farmers, makers, and other suppliers is central to who we are and we will continue to offer solutions to support our local food system.

Responding to Tariffs and Supply Chain Increases. Your Co-op will continue to be out there on your behalf, working with our hundreds of suppliers to find the best deals, products, and equipment based on any changes that impact what your Co-op provides.

Potential cuts to EBT/SNAP. In 2024 our members used EBT/SNAP for over $600,000 in Co-op purchases. GreenStar offers a 13% Fresh, Local, Organic Within Everyone’s Reach (FLOWER) discount program for members in need, which saved members over $220,000 last year. We will continue to work to build affordability for our community members in need and others.

We have already been advocating for our Co-op values by supporting the Improving SBA Engagement on Employee Ownership Act, and Main Street Employee Ownership 2.0 Act, and building our partnerships with allied organizations to magnify our community and legislative impact.

Cooperatives are resilient in hard times, from Sri Lanka’s Co-ops rebuilding their communities after the 2004 Tsunami to the Mondragon Co-ops perseverance through Franco’s Spain, to 52 years of changes in our community we’ve grown through.

We look forward to continuing to build a thriving, caring community, and thank you for your part in it!

Jeff Bessmer,

General Manager