Our Beginnings
The Nashville Food Co-op started as an idea of a small group, that has since expanded! Two of our founding members lived in Vermont, where food co-ops are everywhere and an integral part of the food system. They got together with some like-minded locals and started the Nashville Food Co-op to bring this model, which is popular all over the country, to this city we love. We started with a Kickstarter campaign to fund a market study. We wanted to make sure a store would be feasible before we moved forward. We were so humbled when the Nashville community stepped up and raised over $15,000! That money funded our professional market study, which after a year came back incredibly positive! We knew then that the community was ready for a local co-op grocery store.
Since that day several years ago, we have learned a lot (growing pains included), grown our community, and received a Seed Grant from the Food Co-op Initiative. We are using their expertise to learn and grow to make YOUR store a reality. If you are looking for a place to share community over local food, a place that’s better than your average big box grocery store, we welcome you to join our community today!
Our Goals
- Keep capital in the community
- Offer educational programs about food systems
- Label all items in the store so that consumers know what they’re buying
- Host in-store cooking classes that highlight local eating
Our Vision
Our year round, locally owned store will provide local, seasonal, and consciously sourced products as season allows. Nashville Food Co-op will be a full service grocery, providing:
- Local meats
- Local dairy
- Local produce
- Dry goods
- Bulks and spices
- Home health and lifestyle products
- Paper goods
Local food cooperatives support the community. They provide local farmers an important revenue stream outside of farmers markets and CSAs; this provides stability, especially for new and young farmers, who face the greatest risk. It also provides more options for the consumer and opportunity for members to create the shopping experience desired within their communities. Because we are a local, member-owned system, all proceeds not retained for stability and growth will be returned into the community through education or other programs.