Create Positive Change
Each time you shop at the co-op, you have a chance to directly support local community partners by donating your 10-cent reusable bag credits and rounding up your purchases to the nearest dollar. It may only be a few cents or spare change, but your generosity makes a huge impact — to the tune of over $10,000 each month for our Positive Change recipients!
The Food Group
April’s Positive Change recipient is The Food Group, which works across the food system for food equity — from farming and production to distribution and mobile markets. They believe in a food system where everyone has access to local, nutritious, and culturally relevant food, partnering with over 265 food shelves and meal programs and distributing nearly 2 million pounds of food each year. The Food Group recognizes the importance of culturally connected foods and provides Latinx, Asian, Halal, and Indigenous foods for their partners who serve those communities but lack the resources to purchase things at full cost.
The Food Group also owns Big River Farms, which helps beginning farmers learn sustainable practices and gain experience in organic agriculture. Immigrants and refugees, BIPOC, and women — people who have been under-represented in farm ownership — benefit from the specialization and opportunity to be involved in both the production and marketing of crops.
Donations collected at the registers will support distributions of fresh, quality food to 200+ food-access partners in Minnesota, emerging farmers and businesses at Big River Farms, and accessibility for affordable groceries at 54+ mobile market sites across Minnesota through Fare For All and the Twin Cities Mobile Market.