Food co-operatives — customer-owned and -operated grocery store models with an emphasis on natural and organic products — have been a mainstay in Madison for decades, with Willy Street Co-op leading the charge after Common Market moved operations out of the near-eastside neighborhood it called home in 1974.
“When Willy Street Co-op opened, there were six full-time staff members and a few hundred owners,” said marketing and communications director Brendon Smith. “Today, we have almost 400 staff members and nearly 34,000 owners with three stores, a production kitchen, a community space and a business office.”
Now one of the largest food co-ops in the country, Willy Street came about when a dedicated group of people united to help provide quality food for their own families. Although anyone is free to shop at the stores, customers who choose to join the co-op and buy in as owners receive additional benefits like exclusive sales, discounts and perks.
“We call those who join ‘owners’ instead of ‘members’ because they are truly part-owners of our business,” Smith said. “Owners have a voice in how the cooperative is run, they can run for a seat on our board of directors and are able to vote on major co-op decisions.”
Willy Street Co-op customers and owners who care about where their food comes from and how it’s being produced can feel good knowing that many of their purchases go to help support farmers, suppliers and staff who live and work in the region, as opposed to subsidizing imported and mass-produced processed items.
“About one-third of all the products we sell are local — made in Wisconsin or within 150 miles of the State Capitol building,” Smith said. “In addition, our customers and owners come to us for Fair Trade-certified products, plastic-free products, produce from farms that use biodynamic processes and special-diet foods.”
A diverse range of educational classes and workshops give customers of all ages even more incentive to spend some time at the co-op. The operation also maintains a community space called Aubergine that includes a commercial kitchen and event space available to rent out for private parties.
“Our cooking and knife skills classes taught by Chef Paul Tseng have developed quite a fan following, and Chef Mike Tomaloff launched a series of cooking classes for kids last year called Sprouts that are becoming very popular,” Smith said.
For the past 14 years, Willy Street Co-op has celebrated Eat Local Month in September with sales on local products, free samples from vendors, $2,400 worth of product giveaways and a cooking challenge in conjunction with Edible Madison featuring locally sourced ingredients.
“Earlier this year, we partnered with Lakeview Library to bring back the DIY Homesteading Fair,” Smith said. “We’re proud to donate more than $100,000 to local schools, nonprofits and activities annually, and we’ve collected more than $4 million for Community Shares of Wisconsin through donations at our registers for distribution to more than 70 nonprofits.”
Willy Street Co-op locations include Willy East and Willy North in Madison, and Willy West in Middleton. For a full schedule of upcoming classes and events, to find out how to become an owner or for more information, visit willystreet.coop.
