Our 48th Annual Meeting and Celebration was a Resounding Success!
On Tuesday, September 10th, a record-breaking number of member owners gathered at American Flatbread for the Co-op’s 48th Annual Meeting.
We heard presentations from our General Manager, Greg Prescott, who updated members on the state of the Co-op at the end of Fiscal Year 2023. Members of the board gave presentations about a variety of policy-governance topics, and both Greg and the Board took questions from member-owners.
In 2024, MNFC became WIC qualified, meaning we can now provide a vital service to families in our community with limited income. To mark this notable achievement, WIC Nutritional Assistant Taylor Murray gave a presentation on the impacts of WIC, and provided figures on how it is utilized by people in Middlebury, Addison County, and across the state of Vermont.
And of course, we were treated to the amazing salads and pizza from American Flatbread!
If you missed the meeting (or even if you didn’t!), keep scrolling to see photos of the event. If you would like a PDF copy of the FY23 Annual Report, you can download it here.
Special thanks to the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op Board for coming together for a rare group photo!
Great coffee shops offer more than a good cup of joe; they provide a pleasant sensory experience for their patrons. It’s hard to deny the allure of the aroma and energy emanating from a great cafe. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing space to pull a caffeine-fueled remote work session or you’re seeking an inviting atmosphere to meet up with friends over a great cup of locally-roasted coffee, we invite you to check out Royal Oak Coffee! We’re thrilled to have Royal Oak as part of our Co-op Connection lineup, offering responsibly sourced, high-quality artisan coffee in a welcoming atmosphere along with a sweet 10% discount for card-carrying Co-op Member-Owners. Read on to learn more about this vibrant local business named to the list of the nation’s best coffee shops by Food and Wine Magazine, and the family that brings it to life:
Armed with 20 years of combined experience in the coffee industry, Matthew and Alessandra Delia-Lobo (known as Matt and Aless to their regulars) opened the doors to Royal Oak Coffee on Middlebury’s Seymour Street in May of 2019. The couple met in a Connecticut coffee shop back in 2011, so it only seems fitting that their lives together since then have revolved around a shared passion for coffee.
Royal Oak Coffee at 30 Seymour Street in MiddleburyRoyal Oak Coffee
Despite having traveled the world exploring coffee and cafe culture from Boston to Italy to Sweeden and the UK, the couple (thankfully) chose unlikely Middlebury as the home for their shop. Why Middlebury? The couple shares that over the course of six years visiting Matt’s mother, who lives here in Vermont’s shire town, they fell in love with the town, the pace, the gorgeous landscape, the kind people, and the sense of community. They decided it would be a great spot to settle, open up shop, and eventually start a family.
Matt behind the counter
At Royal Oak, Matt and Aless exclusively feature beans roasted in Winooski, VT, by Vivid Coffee Roasters. The couple prioritizes supply chain transparency and equity. They feel that the agricultural roots and vibrant local food scene in Addison County foster a community that understands the importance of supporting specific farmers and sustainable methods of production.
The smiling team at Royal Oak
Their cafe is artfully curated to create the kind of welcoming, unpretentious vibe that they feel is more in keeping with the rural Vermont scene. When the business initially launched, Matt and Aless were a team of two, handling all aspects of the business and serving each cup of coffee with a conversation and a smile. This gave them the opportunity to introduce themselves to the community and get to know their patrons. As the business and their own family grew, they recognized the need to hire a small team to support cafe operations, but they remain heavily involved with all aspects of the business. As for the name of their cafe, Aless shares that the Royal Oak moniker was a nod to her late father’s business — a reference to the tree where Charles II of England hid during a battle.
According to Aless, “our whole shtick is to do things intentionally, consider everything and be nice. That’s it. We want people to feel like they’re welcome, that their order isn’t wrong or bad because they want decaf or something with sugar in it.” And clearly, they’re onto something. Despite the challenges of opening a new business in the midst of a pandemic, Matt and Aless have managed to keep their community blissfully caffeinated and elevate the coffee conversation along the way. We’re grateful that they’re here and thrilled to have them in the Co-op Connection lineup!
This October, the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op joins over 65,000 cooperatives across the country in celebrating Co-op Month. This year’s theme, The Future is Cooperative, emphasizes how co-ops across nearly every industry – from housing and insurance to food and agriculture – are shaping stronger, more inclusive communities through shared ownership and values.
The cooperative model stands apart from other business structures because it is owned by the people it serves, ensuring that our priorities reflect the needs of our community, not the demands of outside investors. While traditional businesses are focused on maximizing profits for shareholders, co-ops operate with values that emphasize community involvement, member participation, and collective responsibility, ensuring our operations benefit both our members and society as a whole. Most co-ops, including MNFC, voluntarily adopt seven core international principles to guide their mission and operations.
Bags of fresh produce (subsidized in part by donations from MNFC) from Farmacy, a program that provides free CSAs to limited-income Vermonters prescribed produce by their doctors.
Food co-ops in particular play a vital role in local economies. According to the 2023 Food Co-op Impact Report by National Co+op Grocers (NCG), co-ops across the country generate $2.5 billion in annual sales, with 38% coming from organic products. Vermont food co-ops alone sold over $43 million in local products last year. At MNFC, local products made up 33% of our sales in 2023, down from 38% the previous year, largely due to late summer flooding that destroyed thousands of acres of local crops. MNFC honored all existing contracts with producers by purchasing as much as they could provide, even if it differed from the previously agreed-upon volume. In some cases, we paid higher costs to ensure that our local farmers received the support they needed during these difficult times.
Environmental stewardship is another area where food co-ops are committed to making a difference. Simply purchasing food from local suppliers makes a huge impact, cutting down on fossil fuel consumption and pollution from long-distance food transport. At chain supermarkets, most food travels over 1,500 miles, consuming massive amounts of fuel and energy for shipping, refrigeration, and packaging. Fewer “food miles” mean fewer greenhouse gas emissions and less harm to the environment.
Spoilage is always a challenge in the food industry, and reducing food waste is of paramount importance to reducing our carbon footprint. MNFC is proud to have donated over $89,000 worth of food to local food shelves HOPE and CVOEO in FY23. This food is completely good, but may be approaching a sell-by date or have minor blemishes that disqualify it from being sold. Food unfit for human consumption is not sent to the landfill – instead it’s picked up by local farmers to feed their animals. Whatever is left—like coffee grounds and meat scraps—is collected by Casella Waste Management to be composted. These efforts not only help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food waste in landfills but also ensure that the energy used to produce this food doesn’t go to waste. Individual departments are always thinking of new ways to improve as well, and this year our bulk department introduced the Bring a Jar, Leave a Jar program, which encourages customers to donate unwanted clean glass jars to be sanitized by our staff for re-use by other customers. Jars are free to take, and so far the program has been a very popular success!
MNFC’s Bring a Jar, Leave a Jar program encourages customers to donate clean glass jars for re-use by other customers.
The cooperative model traces its roots to the labor struggles of the industrial revolution and has long been a tool for creating economic opportunity for marginalized communities. From Civil Rights activists to local farmers, people across industries have used co-ops to build fairer and stronger systems. Shared ownership strengthens the bond between co-ops and their communities, ensuring that decisions reflect core values like openness, social responsibility, and concern for others.
As we celebrate Co-op Month, it’s clear that the cooperative model is more than a business structure—it’s a blueprint for a more equitable and sustainable future. Whether it’s food, housing, finance, or energy, co-ops across the board are leading the way through collective ownership, social responsibility, and a commitment to sustainability, building a better tomorrow for everyone.
Throughout the month, we’ll be promoting some of our favorite Co-op-made products that are actively growing a more inclusive economy. Check out our Weekly Sale and Member Deals displays October 17-23 for deals from co-op owned companies, and be sure to clip the $3 off any co-op owned product coupon in the October 17th Addison Independent.
To find co-op-made products throughout the store, look for the “Co-op Trade” signs (like the blue circle above) on the shelves. You might be surprised to learn how many co-op owned companies there are! Cabot Creamery Co-op and Organic Valley, Fair Trade coffee, tea, chocolate, bananas, and avocados from Equal Exchange, La Riojana wines, orange juice from Florida’s Natural, body care products from Alaffia, naturally fermented vegetables from Real Pickles – they’re all co-ops!
Co-op Made Products that are also part of our Co-op Basics Program
Thanks to the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA), when you join our Co-op anytime throughout the month of October, you’ll become eligible to win a two-night farm stay at Cabot Farm and Inn, or one of three Cabot ultimate gift boxes. New and existing members can enter to win this Co-op Month giveaway by clicking here.
For a deep dive into the relevance of co-operatives to the economic and social challenges we face and their contributions to a more just, equitable, and sustainable world, check out this webinar from NFCA director Erbin Crowell:
This month we’re shining an extra bright Member Deals Spotlight on Singing Cedars Apiaries! From October 10th – 16th, Co-op member-owners can enjoy a 20% discount on all of Singing Cedars Apiaries’ honey products. Read on to learn more about this family-owned business and their commitment to providing you the best honey the Champlain Valley has to offer.
Singing Cedars Apiaries is a family operation started by native Abenaki Roland (Wants To Be Chief) and his wife Deborah (Little Cloud Big Storm) in the basement of their teepee in 1971. According to their website, they specialize in producing pure raw honey for retail sale, and nucleus colonies and queens both for their own enterprise and to sell to other beekeepers. A feature in American Bee Journal also points out that they sell their beeswax to candle makers and crafters, maximizing the use of every material their bees produce. In true family fashion, Roland, Deborah, and their four children developed this apiary which now manages over 1100 colonies with their grandchildren and Son-in-Laws Christopher (Hates to Bee Sticky) and Tim (Aboriginee) doing much of the work. Deborah was heavily involved with the beekeeping in the beginning, though now she has her hands full managing the office handling all of the orders of honey, queens, and nucs.
Over the years they’ve established authentic relationships with each of the local retail outlets that offer their honey. Roland points out that the customers they’ve served for 20-plus years, with whom they have developed strong working relationships are the foundation of their stable business. Their bees are spread out over both sides of Lake Champlain in both Vermont and New York. Their forage primarily consists of white Dutch clover, honeysuckle, basswood, goldenrod, and asters. In a good year, they’re able to produce 100 – 150 pounds of honey per hive!
Singing Cedars offers a variety of honey products, including creamed honey flavored with natural oils. Their honey is unpasteurized to retain all the natural goodness nature provided in its enzymes and pollen, and unfiltered yet strained to remove any wax and propolis sometimes associated with raw honey to provide a rich smooth product for your enjoyment.
