The Board of Directors of your Co-op is wishing you a healthy and happy New Year! As we approach the end of a second full year of the Coronavirus pandemic, at times, we all feel discouraged, maybe also isolated, frustrated, anxious, or worried. I’m not going to try to dispel those realities for you. Rather, I want to share some of the good news coming from our Co-op.
Recently, Michael Faber was recognized by the Board with a donation to the Monadnock Food Co-op Farm Fund in his honor on his 10th Anniversary as General Manager! The Board hired Michael before the store opened in April 2013, and his dedication and steady presence have guided our path since then.
We now have a thriving community of more than 3,900 Member-Owners who share a common vision of healthy food and robust local farms with over $18 million in sales and 125 stable jobs contributing to the local economy. We are grateful for Michael’s leadership. Please congratulate and thank him when you see him in the store.
We are grateful, too, for the hard work and perseverance of our wonderful staff during these very difficult two years. When you’re in the store, you’ll see posters expressing our gratitude and support for the staff. I hope that you will join us in showing them your appreciation as well. With the stress of the pandemic, staffing shortages, and supply chain problems, your personal experience at our Co-op may sometimes be different than in the past. However, the staff is still there, ready to do their best to help you. Let them know that you see them and appreciate they are there, day in and day out!
In the last few months, the Monadnock Food Co-op has purchased two pieces of property, each adjacent to our current store location. Each provides significant future opportunities for growth and development. The first is the building at the end of our parking lot that houses the MamaSezz production facility. In December, we purchased the strip of land that runs between our parking lot and Cypress Street. Some of you may have thought it was part of our property, and now it will be protected from other development and become a resource for our Member-Owners and the larger community.
So, looking back, it has not been such a bad year. With the support of our Member-Owners, our Co-op continues to meet its intended purpose and will become an even more important player in Keene’s downtown future. I, for one, am eager to see what comes next!
