Voluntary, Open Membership
Open to all without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
We are neighborhood store and year-round farmers market. We are gardeners and artisans. We are a unique, local gathering place full of real people making community connections, providing education, advancing empowerment and assisting others. We are the place you’ll find quality food, products, services and experiences.
We are independent, caring and consistent, leading with our hearts and passionately devoted to being a good friend to our community and good stewards of Earth. We are actively involved with these environmental programs – Certified Green Business, Environmental Leadership and Food Waste Recovery Challenge.
Mission
The Co-op at 1st is committed to providing quality foods, products and services while supporting the health and wellness of our members and our community through education, information, service, sustainability and collaboration. We also work hand-in-hand with a variety of organizations and businesses who align with our mission and values.
What’s a Co-op?
We remember as children watching parents, teachers and others encouraging us to be kind, patient and to work together. A co-op does exactly that in the grown up world. To some, it may seem like we function like any business, but behind the scenes, there are many differences.
A cooperative is a farm, business or other organization that is owned and run jointly by its members, who share the profits and/or benefits.
Rather than rewards going to outside investors, a co-op returns surplus revenue to its members in direct proportion to how much they use the co-op. This democratic approach results in a powerful economic force which benefits the co-op as a whole, its members and the communities it serves.
Core Principles
Cooperatives worldwide generally operate under these same 7 core principles
Our Cooperative Values
- Self-Help
- Self-Responsibility
- Democracy
- Equality
- Equity
- Solidarity
- Honesty
- Openness
- Social Responsibility
- Caring for Others
- Perpetual Existence
