It has been an honor to serve the members of the VFC. After a year on the Board of Directors, I have come to appreciate the everyday hard work of the staff and General Manager. We have come a long way from the little store I remember shopping in as a child with my parents, but we do have further yet to go.

The holidays are always a time of anticipation around the Co-op, but this year was especially exciting as the work on the new parking area was in full swing. Thank you to all of our customers for your patience and willingness to walk extra steps so that we all have plenty of parking during VFC’s future growth.

Hopefully you are staying cool and enjoying the abundance of summer we find in our gardens, farmers markets and shelves of the VFC. My first full year as a Board member has been a rewarding and learning experience. I am impressed with the level of focus and awareness of our Board and the leadership of our General Manager Jan Rasikas, as we chart our path forward. We need your participation to insure we stay true to our mission and address the needs of our membership and greater community. The Board members are elected to represent the membership and function as stewards of the Cooperative; we greatly value your input and I encourage you to reach out directly to us, or with the multiple opportunities for your voice to be heard.

The Board has been busy finalizing the land purchase of the corner lot on Broadway and Center Avenue. This allows for expanded customer parking and facilitates plans for expanding the Viroqua Food Cooperative Store. There is more on that topic on the Expansion Blog. Also take a look at the Expansion Q&A page.

If you shop regularly at the Viroqua Food Co-op, chances are you’ve seen theP6 labels and signs sprinkled throughout the store. But do you know what the label really means, and why we’re so excited to support products with that label?

For some of us, it’s our favorite time of the year. Autumn is here and it is time to reap the bounties of our hard work and pile up the harvest. Loads of local organic produce is on the shelves at the Co-op, including my favorite: squash. All the beautiful colors and shapes are a reminder of the wonderful diversity that is welcomed at our Co-op. What a blessing it is to live in an area of such abundance. The P6 Program continues to grow, with the VFC as a core participant. August was P6 Month. With chances to meet local producers during the scheduled tastings through the month, what a great opportunity that was to meet our P6 Producers and taste their local P6 products!

As summer progresses it’s wonderful to see the store blooming with local produce and products. The amazing bounty of the Driftless Region together with dedicated organic and sustainable farming practices bring the highest quality food to our shelves. Be sure to look for the P6 designation on the shelves to ensure that you are taking advantage of local products and producers.

Do you love shopping at the Co-op, value its contributions to our community, and think the cooperative business model is the bee’s knees? If so, you should consider running for the Viroqua Food Co-op Board of Directors!

Well, maybe there is no free lunch per se, but there is free coffee and baked goods during our Coffee with the Board events. We host these from time to time to get feedback from our owners and to be able to introduce ourselves. The upcoming events will take place: Saturday, Jan. 17, and Saturday, Feb. 21, both from 9-11am in the VFC deli seating area.

If you are uncertain what to talk about, simply come and tell us your “Co-op story.” We all have one, and each is unique.