Member Benefits

"A co-op is as strong as the members who own and participate in it."

The Benefits of being a Member / Owner

• You are an owner in a cooperatively run local business.
• You are a member of a store that specializes in providing the best locally grown, certified organic and natural products.
• You can vote on issues regarding the Cooperative’s management and elect the Board of Directors.
• You benefit from monthly member-only specials.
• You receive 10% off all purchases on MAD (Membership Appreciation Days). The sales are held every two months, starting at 4:00 on Friday afternoons and continuing through the weekend.
• You can order products through the Co-op’s Buying Club at below retail price.
• You receive a free subscription to the Co-op’s newsletter, The Natural Buzz, which includes notice of community and Co-op events, in-store specials, recipes and other information to help you live a healthy lifestyle.
• You can run a free classified ad, of up to fifty words, in the newsletter.
• The dollars you spend benefit the local economy.

Receiving member-owner rebates

The member-owners of the co-op are eligible to receive a financial rebate when the Co-op is profitable. This means that when the organization achieves a positive net income for the fiscal year, the Board of Directors may designate a portion of that profit be returned to the members in the form a of a dividend check.  

The way a dividend is calculated is like this: each time a member shops the co-op, we scan your member card, allowing us to track your total purchases throughout the year. In years when the Co-op is profitable, and the Board of Directors approves a dividend payment, each member would receive percentage of their total purchases in the form of a rebate check or membership shares. However, during any year in which the co-op does not achieve a positive net income, members would not receive a rebate check, thereby sharing in the Co-op’s financial ups and downs. Checks would be mailed after the annual audit is complete in late autumn, pending approval by the Board of Directors.

Member Equity

The member equity requirements to join the Co-op are:

• $100 Equity Contribution per household. Equity is payable all at once or in quarterly installments. Low income memberships are available.
• One household member may vote on Co-op issues. Each additional voting member per household requires an additional $100 equity investment.
• Equity Investment is refundable should you ever move or choose to leave the Co-op.

The cashier can add your equity payment [and dues] right to your grocery bill. You will be given a membership card that you can show to the cashier at each visit to the Co-op to receive your member discount.

How to Join the Co-op

It’s easy to become a member of the Co-op. During your next visit, tell the cashier that you would like to join. The cost of membership is $100 per household. You’ll have the option of paying your equity all at once or in quarterly installments. Members who choose to pay all at once receive a $10 coupon toward that day’s groceries.