Garlic and Roses CCMA 2026 Coverage
Garlic and Roses is thrilled to provide coverage before, during and after this year's CCMA Conference in Tacoma, WA. CCMA is the premier annual gathering of food co-ops. We'll be setting up some of the sessions with companion articles, and providing daily recaps live from Tacoma each evening for cooperators who aren't able to attend.
Below find articles related to the various tracks at CCMA. This post will be updated in the coming weeks as new articles are posted.
Track 1: Foundations at The Foothills: Building Strong operational roots
Food Apartheid: History, Cooperation, and Justice
I. Introduction: Naming and Framing the Problem The language we use to describe inequities matters. For decades, policymakers and researchers have used the term “food desert” to describe neighborhoods, often Black, Indigenous, and poor, where residents have little or no access to full-service grocery stores. At first glance, the metaphor
LaDonna Sanders Redmond
Track 2: Cultivating an Evergreen Workforce: Growing resilient, inclusive teams that thrive in every season
Passing The Baton: Littleton
Editors note- This interview was filmed on 8/25/25
Staff
Five Steps to Resolving Conflicts
How to Keep Your Side on Your Side or Five Steps to Resolving Conflicts Pretend you’re the leader of a group. You all know what the mission is. You may even have specific plans to accomplish specific things. And then conflict breaks out. People are arguing. Others are taking
Shari Gross
Track 3: Cascading Connections: Creating authentic relationships that ripple through communities
Local Is as Local Does: Lessons from Produce Buyers at Five Urban Food Co-ops
The National Cooperative Grocers Association reports that its members sell on average over 10 times the local products that conventional grocers do. As consumer-owned grocery stores, food co-ops have a unique opportunity to contribute to their local economy while delivering great value to their members. Many co-ops name local purchasing
Noemi Giszpenc
Welcome to Garlic and Roses
Something happened to me recently. I started in grocery in 2009 as a cashier at an independent store in Brooklyn called Perelandra. It was a job. During my time there I came to love the industry and worked my way up to store management. I identified strongly as a natural
Mike Houston
Track 4: Peak Leadership: Reaching new heights in board effectiveness and cooperative governance
Survey: Help Tell the Real Story of General Manager Sustainability in Food Co-ops
For this text, ‘GM’ will be the term used when speaking of co-op GMs, CEOs and any top staff position that reports directly to the co-op board. If you have ever been a General Manager (GM) or worked closely with one, you know the role carries a lot. It is
Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Davis
Board Presidents’ Roundtable: Why It Works
After attending the Consumer Cooperative Management Association (CCMA) 2025 conference in Duluth, Minnesota, I came home energized. I was inspired by the people I met, the ideas exchanged, and, perhaps most importantly, the realization that so many of us are grappling with similar challenges. I didn’t want that spark
Toni Stevens
Managers Utilize the Compensation Database
“We all have to commit to making this right and then follow through on that commitment.”
The concept of pay equity affects all co-ops, no matter who their general manager (GM) is. The ability of our stores to attract, train, and retain quality candidates creates
Mike Houston
Track 5: Currents of Change: Harnessing trends and technology to navigate toward a sustainable future
A Dose of Hope
The pinpoints of a dozen CCD spaces across a half-mile radius laid out a vision for the possible future of CCD in this historic West Baltimore community.
Mike Houston
Digital Infrastructure for a Truly Cooperative Food System
When food co-ops and producers coordinate through platforms they collectively steward and govern, local food systems can become economically competitive with corporate alternatives while building the solidarity and economic power the movement was designed to create.
Learner Limbach
Who You Gonna Trust?
The last month has seen a number of headlines that signal the government retreating from public health and safety. The state of Florida plans to end school vaccine requirements. The USDA is cancelling contracts with food safety and animal health inspectors. The administration pulled back funding to study forever chemicals
Mike Houston
Keynotes
Minnesota Cooperatives Stand Together
Minnesota food co-ops are joining businesses all across the state on Friday 1/23 to take collective action against ICE operations which have terrorized their communities. Many stores are closing for the day or supporting the protest in other ways. The statewide protest is called A Day of Truth and
Staff
Just For Fun
CCMA Playlist
Garlic and Roses in-house record freak Tyler here! Prepping to head way out West to Tacoma, WA and I’ve handpicked a slim 30 minute playlist of what I’m sure is merely a tiny sampling of local talent. Neko Case has lived many places in her life, and she’
Tyler Kulp
CCMA Is Coming. Take Care of Yourself While You’re There.
As you get ready to head to Tacoma for CCMA, let’s name something that happens at every good conference: there’s a lot of good stuff. Thoughtful sessions, meaningful conversations and people you’ve been wanting to connect with. It’s a full experience in the best way, and
Gabrielle ‘Gabby’ Davis
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