Discovering the Rutland Food Co-op

By Max Tempel

Local co-op champions community, wellness, and small businesses

Imagine walking into a store filled with organic and locally grown products everywhere you look. This is the reality at the Rutland Area Food Co-op located at 77 Wales Street in downtown Rutland. I had the wonderful pleasure of taking a trip over to this community-owned business and talking with the General Manager, TJ Allen.

The proud GM, who came to the Co-op in August of last year, had plenty to say about the Co-op and put a huge emphasis on its community-based outlook. “We try to stay as local as possible for our products and as a business, we are here to serve the community. We support our workers and our shoppers,” said Allen with a smile.

Co-ops emphasize on bringing in locally sourced produce, foods, and wellness products. They work largely in sustainability and with charities as a whole. Vermont is home to 15 food co-ops throughout the state. 

The business model that a cooperative follows is different from many others. Cooperatives are run by groups of individuals that use the product or service provided and benefit from what the company has to offer. Essentially cooperatives are created to help collective need and work with others to meet that need. Often times members of a cooperative also help operate, volunteer or work at the cooperative.  

Co-ops are known for their support of local businesses with the goal to grow the local economy. Allen’s goal at the Rutland Food Co-op is for 60 cents of every dollar in purchases to go back towards the local economy.

Whether you’re a member of the co-op or not, the doors are open to everyone. When you walk in you’ll be greeted with a smile and have an impressive selection of organic, natural and locally produced foods and products to choose from. I recommend heading to the bulk section where you can get various snacks, treats, cooking and baking ingredients at any quantity. You simply just grab a bag or bring a container from home and scoop to your desire, then they weigh it at the register for you.

Not only is the store stocked with quality products, but their efforts to sustain the environment and community are also a priority.

“We went through the process with Efficiency Vermont to make sure we are running as clean as possible. We also donate any left-over food to reduce waste, and serve as a plastic bag drop-off for our customers where we will recycle them or use them around the store,” Allen said.

The Co-op is actively looking to donate or help out anywhere they can within the Rutland community. Whether it be by donating food, products, or time, they want to lend a helping hand. Over the past few months, a round-up program was started where customers could round-up their purchases to the nearest dollar and donate that amount to local causes.

The Co-op holds a variety of products, everything from produce to wellness supplements. The store contains local dairy products including milk, yogurt, and ice cream. They also hold locally raised meat in the freezer section of the store. They even have a whole aisle dedicated to organic snacks and spreads.

The wellness section was what I found most impressive with all types of organic vitamins, minerals, oils, powders, and supplements that help people optimize their life. And to top it all off, they have a section where you can grab local coffee, some freshly made wraps, soups, and other lunch items to go.

The Rutland Co-op started more than 25 years ago as a place for a few people to buy organic and natural foods, and today has grown into a building a structure that supports the community, people, wellness, and home-grown businesses.

You can learn more about the Rutland Area Food Co-op by finding them on Facebook, Instagram and at rutlandcoop.com.

Max Tempel is a Senior Media and Communication major at Castleton University, he is currently interning at the Downtown Rutland Partnership.