Starting tomorrow, March 10th, face coverings will be requested but not required while shopping at the co-op. Employees will continue to wear masks during their shifts.

This change in our policy reflects the most recent guidance from the CDC. Owners and shoppers should be aware that we will require masks in the future based upon updated guidance from the CDC or our state and local health authorities, or if there is a sudden surge in cases in our community.

We encourage anyone who wishes to wear a mask to continue to do so, and we will continue to have masks available at customer service.

Thank you to everyone who has treated our staff kindly and sacrificed comfort for the sake of community.

To Our Owners & Community,

In the interest of transparency, we want to inform you that we have learned that one of our front-end staff members has tested positive for COVID-19. They were exposed to the virus outside work.

The employee last worked at the co-op on Wednesday, January 5th, and wore a face mask at all times while working.

We have informed our other employees and encouraged them to seek testing. Our co-op has a generous sick leave and vacation policy, and we will work with staff members on a case-by-case basis to ensure that they have the support they need. As part of our standard policy, we ask that any employee exhibiting any symptoms of respiratory illness or fever stay home, contact their supervisor, and notify their physician.

Throughout the pandemic, we have followed recommendations from state, local, and national health authorities. We pride ourselves on our cleanliness and food safety standards, and we are taking multiple steps to serve you, care for our staff, and be a responsible member of our community. For example, we sanitize and disinfect high-touch areas (e.g., freezer door handles, bathrooms, bulk food bins, shopping carts, check stands) frequently throughout the day.

Furthermore:

• We screen all employees for temperature and symptoms before each shift.
• All staff self-monitor and stay or go home if sick.
• We require all employees and shoppers to wear cloth face coverings at all times while in the store. The only exception is for employees who are eating in our break room, and we only allow two people in the break room at any given time.
• We ask all employees to practice social distancing in the store and in other public spaces.
• We maintain Plexiglas barriers at all registers to limit contact between cashiers and the public, and contactless payment is available.

If you have any questions about our COVID-19 policies, please contact Dennis Hansen, Interim General Manager.

Wondering why you’re not finding some of your favorite products on our shelves?
COVID-19 continues to impact our food supply. Demand for many products is again exceeding supply, reducing our ability to keep our shelves fully stocked.
Early in the pandemic, panic buying caused many of the out-of-stock situations that grocers experienced. Although the food industry was able to rebound somewhat, the problem has resurfaced due to the sustained nature of the pandemic combined with the slow pace of vaccination globally and the recent Delta variant surge. Many raw materials remain scarce, and labor shortages persist for national manufacturers, distributors, and transportation companies alike.
Frozen foods, baking products, snacks, supplements, beverages, paper products, household cleaners, and pet foods have been particularly affected, but our co-op has experienced out-of-stocks in many categories.
While the food industry is taking many steps to mitigate the problem, recovery estimates continue to be pushed out and out-of-stocks on some products from national suppliers are likely through the end of the year.
We’ve adopted many strategies to keep our shelves stocked. When we can’t get old favorites, we look for different brands. Sometimes we must offer fewer flavors or sizes on some things. Please know that we continue to order, and whenever we’re unable to stock an item, we do our best to find substitutes. We encourage you to try something new, and when in doubt or if you need assistance, please ask!
Our food system is strong, and these challenges will be resolved in time. Thank you for your support and patience as we continue to navigate the effects of the pandemic. We’re all in this together!