JANUARY UPDATE FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER

January 4, 2020

As we turn the page on the calendar and enter a new year (a new decade!), it’s normal to reflect a little. 2019 saw some interesting things for the natural-foods grocery world. There was the continued (d?)evolution of Whole Foods by Amazon, and the plant-based meat explosion, but maybe none as powerful as the “zero-waste” movement’s growth throughout the grocery store.

In 2019, towns across the country enacted taxes on bags, berry producers developed plastic-free strawberry containers, and in New York someone even opened a completely package-free store. So, how “green” should our store be? Well, the cool thing is that we get to decide for ourselves, because it’s OUR store!

Our vision for the Fredericksburg Food Co-op will be the focus of two discussion sessions Jan. 18 at the Fredericksburg Area Museum. You can attend either at 2-3 p.m. or at 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Come out to talk about questions like waste reduction and much more.

I’ve spent 17 years in the natural-foods grocery business and I’m so excited to share with you some of the things I’ve learned and why I think co-ops are such a powerful and inspiring model. I’ll lay out some of my visions for the Fredericksburg Food Co-op and hear more from you about your dreams for the Co-op, this year and beyond.

2020 is going to be such a momentous year for us, and I’m thrilled to be able to work with all of you to build our amazing store! I hope to see everyone on Jan. 18th at the Fredericksburg Area Museum.

Chris Roland
General Manager