Letter: Dedication, hard work have fueled co-op for 45 years

I want to say a public “thank you” to the board, staff and owners of the French Broad Food Co-op for a great annual meeting on June 3.

From the scrumptious edible delights created by a co-op staffer to the physical setup (thanks also to The Orange Peel for letting us use their space) and the well-organized content of the meeting, it was a pleasure to attend.

There are exciting things happening at our community-owned store. Visions are becoming realities, and the co-op is about to embark on a major effort that will allow it to continue to serve the community, but in even better and more creative ways.

Cooperative economics has much to offer in these very unstable, insecure times. Money and power are not its bottom lines, but the welfare of people and planet interacting in socially and environmentally conscious economic ways is.

It has taken the dedication and hard work of many to keep the co-op alive and well over the past 45 years. Our current board, management and staff are committed to its continued organizational health.

To the co-op owners (2,010 at last count) who were not able to attend or who chose not to: You missed a great meeting — the most important meeting of the year for our store. I hope to see a lot more of you there in 2018!

And to those of you who want to learn more about our store, check out our website at: www.frenchbroadfood.coop.

— Anne Craig
Asheville