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  • Keith Adams hands out cheese samples during an open house at the new St. Peter Food Co-op Thursday evening. Pat Christman

    Co-op

  • Visitors to the new St. Peter Food Co-op were greeted by samples of fresh foods. Pat Christman

    Co-op2

April 7, 2011

Member investors tour ‘pretty amazing’ new co-op

Manager views project as next level of local commitment

By Tim Krohn Free Press Staff Writer

ST PETER — It was a common observation among visitors who got a peek inside the new St. Peter Food Co-op Thursday night: “It’s just like they have in the Cities.”

Co-op member investors who helped fund the new $3.3 million downtown store toured it a week before its opening, seeing some shelves stocked, but the bulk of the inventory yet to be moved.

“It’s beyond my expectations,” said Irene Timm, of Kasota, who has been a member since the early days of the co-op in the 1970s.

“I like to support the local producers. We don’t like to see our gas spent on transportation.”

Jo Sargent, of rural St. Peter, pronounced the spacious new store, “pretty amazing.”

She shops regularly at the current co-op, citing the desire to buy locally produced food. “And they have such a variety, the organic. Lots to choose from.”

Long-time General Manager Margo O’Brien said the fast-track re-construction of the new building went about as well as possible as they move toward closing the current store and moving into the new location.

“We think we’ll make it. There will be a few landmines between now and then, but we’ll see how lucky we are.”

The current store will close Tuesday at 2 p.m. and be closed Wednesday, as employees and volunteers move products, office equipment and some furniture to the new store.

“We’ll open sometime on (Thursday), but we’re not promising when,” O’Brien said.

The co-op has always benefited from strong community support and O’Brien views the new project as the next level of local commitment.

“It’s kind of a community celebration. We’ve used so many local people and local talent and local volunteers and local money.

“When I’m getting bleary-eyed from everything, I step back and get excited about that stuff.”  

The new 10,000-square-foot co-op will have an expanded deli, more fresh foods selections, an expanded and staffed wellness counter, a teaching kitchen and more education and class offerings.

It is in the former Nielsen Chevrolet building in downtown St. Peter, which closed in late 2009.

The group raised more than $750,000 by selling new shares in the co-op. The group also had about $250,000 in reserve, so it could bring about $1 million toward the project.

The rest of the financing comes from loans from Wells Federal and North Country Development Fund, which lends to cooperatives.

The co-op, a longtime business and the only food co-op in the region, leases its current space. The drive for a new location has been in the works for years while the capital campaign started nearly two years ago.

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