Congratulations on your grand opening, Hudson Grocery Co-op!

On September 21st, Hudson Grocery Co-op (HGC) in Hudson, WI (on the St. Croix River, just 15 miles east of St. Paul, MN) celebrated its grand opening with its 1,000+ owners and entire community! After 11 years of organizing, HGC found a unique and powerful way to open their store - instead of building a new store to house their co-op’s mission, they purchased a locally-owned natural food store that was for sale, Fresh and Natural Foods, which had been serving the Hudson community for 17 years! HGC seamlessly took over operations of the store in December of 2023, continuing Fresh and Natural’s work, retaining all employees, and bringing the power of community ownership to the business. 

HGC Board President Joe Rouleau expressed “We are grateful to partner with the Larson family and see the thousands of volunteer hours and efforts come to fruition. This strategic move aligns with our vision of a locally-owned grocery store that offers diverse food and product choices including organic, sustainable, and regionally sourced options for our community.”

FCI is honored to have supported the Hudson Grocery Co-op over all 11 years of their organizing, including approving an FCI Seed Grant to the co-op in 2012, their first year of organizing for early training and legal incorporation fees! They have participated in the Up & Coming Conference multiple times since 2013 and became very active members of the FCI Peer Learning Groups in 2022 as they built the leadership and momentum that got them to their opening day. 

Converting an existing local grocery store to a food co-op is still an uncommon method for starting up a new food co-op, but the trend is growing in recent years, especially in USDA rural communities. To learn more, check out our new FCI Action Guide, created in partnership with the Rural Grocery Initiative at Kansas State University, “Converting Your Store To a Co-op” HERE and our video about how to utilize the Action Guide HERE.  

Congratulations, Hudson Grocery Co-op owners and community!

All photos from Hudson Grocery Co-op's social media.

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