Co-op News Round-Up 3/25

All the co-op news that's fit to print, March edition

🌹The Food Co-op Initiative (FCI) announced in a press release that the 2026 Up & Coming conference would be put on pause in favor of a 2027 gathering hosted by the Detroit People's Food Co-op. “Detroit People’s will be the first-ever startup food co-op to attend U&C as an organizing startup and now to host it as an open cooperative grocery store,” said Executive Director JQ Hannah in the release.

🌹Registration is open for the 2026 CCMA conference in Tacoma, Washington. The gathering brings together staff, board members and leaders from the food co-op movement. Garlic and Roses will provide media coverage of this year's conference.

🌹The Bethesda Co-op in Cabin John, Maryland announced that it would be closing at the end of May after nearly 51 years in business. "We have watched generations of neighborhood kids hold down their first real jobs. As the Coop winds down its final weeks, we encourage all of you to come shop with gusto, pick up all your personal favorites, share stories & hugs, and help support us as we bring this iconic store to a close," the store wrote in the announcement.

🌹The Berkshire Co-op in Great Barrington, MA is soliciting donations to help keep their doors open. The store is seeking to raise $150k in working capital, as well as increase shopping from their community.

🌹Peyton Bigora and Catherine Douglas Moran from Grocery Dive wrote about state bills being introduced across the country to combat dynamic and surveillance pricing at grocery stores. Concerns cover both online grocery stores and electronic shelf tags being implemented by retailers.

🌹The Fredericksburg Food Co-op in Virginia is turning 5 years-old and is celebrating with a weekend of sales and events.

🌹FCI is hosting their online FCI Live! 2026 event March 23rd-April 2nd. The event features two dozen live video streams on different topics that relate to starting and operating a food co-op.

🌹Wasatch Co-op in Salt Lake City, Utah announced their opening day will be May 20th. Organizing efforts for the city's first food co-op began back in 2009.

🌹At Garlic and Roses we're big fans of cooperative and worker led journalism. Beloved Community Incubator in Washington DC held a webinar featuring the founders of 51st News who discussed organizing and sustaining a worker-led newsroom, and the collaborative decision-making process.

🌹Finally, as always, we commend an article from the Cooperative Grocer archives. With Spring arriving around the country, this article by Ellen Michel called Replanting the Gardens of Eagan from 2013 talks about the team at The Wedge running a farm and increasing organic produce growing in their community.