Our Motto
Live Locally - Local food, Local culture, Local choice

Our Mission
“The Medford Food Co-op strives to offer a variety of high-quality products and services with emphasis on natural, organic and locally produced food. We foster diverse and sustainable community while upholding the seven cooperative principles”

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Dear Medford Food Co-op Owners:

As your new Co-op president I thought it time to give you a “State of your Co-op.”

In December we elected new Board members. Your new Board of Directors is now up to speed. We are reviewing a number of potential locations in Medford for our planned store, organizing the expansion of our membership base, and have had several positive discussions with local financial institutions.

Fortunately, we are not starting from ground zero. We have some assets to build on: The Feasibility study, Business Plan, and Market Study purchased by the prior Board of Directors and remains viable for operation of a store with between 7,000 and 15, 000 Square feet of retail space. By comparison the prior Hubbard’s location, not under current consideration, had 7,000 square feet of retail space. Those consultant’s studies remain a valuable asset of the Co-op ….. a $30,000.00 value that we won’t have to duplicate.

A sound financial plan and proper location selection process aren’t the only assets your Medford Food Co-op has going for it. We also have some 1200 motivated owners and we are the only major city of our size in the Pacific Northwest that doesn’t have a food co-op. There is a paucity of natural food store locations in the Medford market area for local organic produce, hormone free meats and cheeses, healthy frozen foods, healthy cosmetics, and supplements, and our market study finds that there is little competition in this intended market niche.

In addition, our market studies show that 20% of the customers that shop at the Ashland Food Co-op drive there from the Greater Medford area. When our Co-op first organized a few years ago the local support and membership growth was unequalled in the experience of other national food cooperatives. We still have a lot of good will in our community.

All the loans that the Co-op previously received to support the Hubbard’s location were refunded to the donors 100%. Now, over the ensuing several months we are again going to gear up organizationally, reenergize our membership base, arrange bank financing, and open for business. We need your support to make this happen. You know how to do it. You did it before. We all know that Medford needs a Food Co-op and for the investment of less than you probably donate to Jefferson Public Radio and SOPTV over a two year period we can make it happen. And, this investment will entitle you to a share of the Medford Food Co-op’s profits.

We’ll hold all memberships and loans we receive in a Refundable Trust for you until all the preconditions to the Grand Opening of your Medford Food Co-op store are in place.

Sincerely,

JIM SIMS
President
Medford Food Co-op