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Minnesota Ag News Headlines
Business Sprouting Rapidly at New Food Co-op
Minnesota Ag Connection - 05/23/2017

As the only locally-owned food cooperative on the Iron Range, Natural Harvest Food Co-op in Virginia has for years been doing well.

However, with the late April opening of a new 9,000 square-foot store, business is now booming.

"In the first three weeks, sales went from $50,000 weekly to $75,000," said Anja Parenteau, general manager. "That's a whole lot of new customers."

Whether it's locally-produced meat, eggs, dairy, bread, honey or barbecue sauce -- or a wider selection of wholesome grocery products -- the new $3.2 million store, is answering a growing national and local trend to eat healthy.

"The Iron Range doesn't have another natural foods store and more and more people have become interested in eating healthy and knowing what's in their food," said Parenteau. "We are attracting people who have never been to the co-op before because of our new and bigger location and more product offerings."

The brightly-lit, energy-efficient store on Fourth Street North near Silver Lake is more than double the size of the former co-op.

That's allowed the co-op to expand its meat section, double the size of its produce and refrigerated sections, and triple its deli business with the addition of a salad bar.

"We've had a lot of people coming in to eat lunch," said Parenteau. "People are coming in to eat healthy."

An education classroom with a view of Silver Lake can be used for cooking, beekeeping, solar greenhouse, do-it-yourself classes, or as a community meeting room.

The co-op "couldn't be happier" with the public response to what was a "very big step" in constructing the new store, said Parenteau.

And it's showing.

Over the past three years, membership in the co-op has grown by about 250 per year to 3,100 members.

Employment at the co-op has also grown to 35 at the new store compared to 25 at the former location. Another five employees may be added this year, said Parenteau.

IRRRB supported construction with an infrastructure development grant to the City of Virginia.


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