More About the Silver City Food Co-op

The Silver City Food Co-op originated in 1974 and some of the founding members are still active in the co-op today. In the late 1980's, the Co-op moved the store to its current location and bought the building a few years later. During the past twenty years, the store has been remodeled several times to meet our growing needs. Two years ago, we purchased the building across the alley and remodeled it into office and warehouse space.

The Silver City Food Co-op is a thriving downtown natural foods Co-op. As Silver City changes and grows, the Co-op remains a vital hub of downtown energy. Members and customers, from a rural area of 60 miles radius or more, come to the Co-op to shop. During the past four years, sales have increased from $1.5 million to $2.3 million in 2007.

Since we installed the POS system several years ago, our membership has grown by leaps and bounds; we currently have 2100. Members are eligible for discounts on case lot purchases of selected items and on everything in the store during the three Member Appreciation Days each year. We purchase mainly from UNFI and Nature's Warehouse but use many other smaller distributors also. La Montanita Co-op in Albuquerque operates a Cooperative Distribution Warehouse as part of their Food Shed project. The warehouse provides the Silver City Food Co-op with a variety of foods grown or produced within our food shed.

Our current staff of 25 includes several staff members who have been employed here for more than 5 years. Over the past several years, we have emphasized providing all employees with a living wage.