Learning From Others: Big River Grocery Joins a National Food Co-op Peer Group
Big River Grocery is continuing to move forward thanks to learning, collaboration, and shared experience. Recently, members of our steering committee team (Amoz Eckerson, Ruthie Pride, and Reteisha Byrd) joined a Peer Learning Group hosted by Food Co-op Initiative (FCI)—a national organization that supports startup food co-ops across the country.
This peer group brings together communities that are at similar stages of building community-owned grocery stores. It’s a chance to learn from one another, share challenges, and explore real solutions together.
Learning From Co-ops Across the Country
During our first sessions, we connected with other startup co-ops from a wide range of communities, including:
Androscoggin Food Co-op (Berlin, NH)
Bay City Cooperative Market (Bay City, MI)
Cultivate Community Food Co-op (Benicia, CA)
Hopewell Food Co-op (Hopewell, NJ)
Lewiston-Auburn Community Market (Lewiston, ME)
Magdalena Food Co-op (Magdalena, NM)
Mountain Provisions Cooperative (Lake Arrowhead, CA)
Winchester Co-op Market (Winchester, VA)
Many of these groups are working through the same questions Big River Grocery is facing right now. Knowing we’re not alone in this process is both reassuring and motivating.
A Shared Commitment to Respect and Learning
The Peer Learning Group follows a simple but powerful Community Agreement that helps keep discussions meaningful and productive. Participants agree to:
Be present and ready to engage
Listen actively and respectfully
Speak up while giving others space
Respect confidentiality
Welcome disagreement while focusing on ideas, not individuals
These values align closely with the cooperative principles Big River Grocery is built on.
Topics That Matter to Big River Grocery
In these sessions, Big River Grocery is focusing on real, practical questions, including:
How to fundraise effectively in the early stages
How to use our current space to generate rental income
How to attract member-owners before the store physically exists
How and when to incorporate at the state level
FCI also shared helpful tools and frameworks, including budgeting templates and planning resources that will help guide our next steps.
Why This Matters
Building a food co-op is not something you do in isolation. It takes learning, patience, and a willingness to listen to others who have walked similar paths. Being part of this peer group helps Big River Grocery avoid common pitfalls, learn proven strategies, and move forward with confidence.
We’re excited to continue this journey—learning from others while shaping a grocery store that truly reflects the needs and values of Helena.
More updates coming soon as we put these lessons into action.