Astoria Co+op

Astoria Co+op is community-owned—and community-loved. At its 50^th anniversary party last year, hundreds of members—from original founders to newcomers—celebrated how the Co+op lives up to its motto: good. local. food.

“For 50 years, the co-op has brought the community together by offering fresh, local, and organic food. What started as a small group in 1974 has grown to serve thousands of households in our region,” says Matt Stanley, general manager. “We love connecting our shoppers to local providers who grow and produce fresh, healthy food right here in our community.”

Shoppers love the Co+op back. “Our customers are our biggest advocates,” says Matt. “A recent shopper survey-taker said, ‘The energy in this store is absolutely refreshing and amazing. The staff is always available and super friendly.’"

The Co+op has about 7,000 members, although everyone is welcome at the store located just east of downtown Astoria. In the light-filled, vibrantly decorated building, shoppers can browse a wide variety of healthy items, from organic fruit and vegetables fresh off the farm to humanely raised meat to products and deli food that meet the needs of vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and other special diets.  

Committed to organic food and local growers long before it was fashionable, the Co+op strives to offer products that are truly local—not simply made in Oregon and distributed nationally. Its most locally sourced item is the bay shrimp, which comes from a company located just across the Columbia River.

Community at its heart

Community lies at the heart of the Co+op’s philosophy—and its success.

“We are community-owned. We don't answer to distant shareholders, just to our community of supporters,” says Matt. “As a consumer-owned cooperative, we exist to serve our members with the best food and service, and we deliver on this promise.”

A local artist painted the colorful mural that decorates one wall in the Co+op’s small eat-in area, while another artist created the gourd-inspired lamps that hang overhead.

Local gardeners maintain the beautiful gardens planted with native species that surround the Co+op and its outdoor seating areas. In addition to their aesthetic appeal and peaceful environment, the gardens support local wildlife and help offset noise and pollution from the nearby roads.

The Co+op’s participation in two programs also reflect its commitment to creating positive change in the community.

The Co+op is the only grocery store in the lower Columbia area to participate in the Double Up Food Bucks program, which helps put more healthy food on the plates of low-income families. The program matches the value of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) dollars spent on fruit and vegetables.

Through its Change for Community program, in which shoppers round up their purchase total or donate pocket change, the Co+op has raised over $225,000. The local nonprofits that benefit range from food pantries and conservation groups to health organizations and arts associations.

The concept of community also extends to the Co+op’s 50 employees. The 47 full-time employees—classified as working over 28 hours a week—are eligible for benefits. Every year, the Co+op recalculates its definition of a living wage. In recognition that the Astoria area is an expensive place to live, the wage is based on local, not state, conditions. Employees also receive a 20% discount on products. 

“Our goal as an employer is to offer people gainful employment that meets their financial needs at a place where they are happy and want to work,” says Clarissa Barrick, human resources manager. 

Building a healthy future

The Co+op’s past informs and inspires its future. In the store’s eat-in area, the oak tables are made from a redwood tree that had to be felled to make way for the new store five years ago.

Roof-top solar panels offset about 25% of the Co+op’s electricity use, an impressive achievement considering that the store’s large banks of produce refrigerators run 24 hours a day.

A commitment to environmental stewardship extends to other day-to-day operations. Aiming to be a zero-waste operation, the Co+op donates food products nearing their sell-by date to local organizations and people, including staff. Food scraps from the deli go to local farms to be composted.

Behind-the-scenes, the Co+op only has a small storage area, ensuring that products are delivered fresh three times a week and the building uses it space efficiently.

At the Co+op’s 50^th anniversary party, hundreds of members turned up with their picnic blankets and lawn chairs to enjoy a free lunch, listen to live music, and participate in a raffle for free goodies. Matt Stanley says, “The party embodied the best part of being a co-op—community members getting together to enjoy great food.”

Looking forward to its next successful half-century, the Co+op will continue to draw on its community-based philosophy.

“We want to continue to grow our customer base and serve more families in our region,” says Matt. “As we grow the co-op, we also grow our positive impact on the local economy. That means more local producers sell more products on co-op shelves for more local households to enjoy. Because we are a co-op, we'll continue to respond to the needs of our members, too.”