From the Board President | October 2026
More than a decade ago, a group of neighbors came together around a simple but powerful idea: What if we could create a grocery store that belonged to our community, supported local farmers and food producers, provided jobs with competitive pay and benefits, and kept more of our food dollars circulating right here in McHenry County?
Today, thanks to our 2,753 owners, that vision is a reality. But opening our doors in May 2024 was only the beginning. Building a financially sustainable grocery store that fully delivers on our mission has proven more challenging than we anticipated.
The encouraging news? We’re making real progress!
Consider our average daily sales during the first quarter (July–September) of each fiscal year:
| Fiscal Year | Average Daily Sales |
| FY2025 | $6,654 |
| FY2026 | $6,767 |
| FY2027 | $7,725 |
That’s a 14.2% increase over last year and a 16.1% increase over two years ago! Those percentages are well above the industry average
Our sales trajectory is encouraging. Combined with improvements underway in store operations (Read more about that in the GM Minute article), financial management, merchandising, and customer experience, we’re moving toward the financially sustainable Co-op our community envisioned.
Investing in Our Continued Growth
When we raised the money to build and open the Food Shed, our financial plan included a 3-year cash reserve to support operations while we grew sales toward profitability. Unfortunately, escalating construction and startup costs consumed more of those reserves than originally anticipated. We’ve made mistakes along the way, too, but we’ve learned from them.
That meant we began our journey toward financial sustainability with a smaller financial cushion than planned.
Meanwhile, rising costs for nearly everything, from groceries and labor to utilities, transportation, and energy, continue to challenge our business and the households we serve.
Despite these headwinds, our sales are growing, and we’re making meaningful progress. While we haven’t yet reached the point where revenues consistently cover our operating expenses, we’re working toward that goal.
To build on this momentum, we’ll soon be inviting our owners and community supporters to help replenish the working capital needed to carry us through this next stage of growth.
Many of you have already contributed generously, and we don’t take that support for granted. Your continued belief in the Food Shed is what makes our progress possible.
Reasons to Believe in Our Future
We’re working to strengthen our financial discipline, improve store performance, reduce unnecessary expenses, and deepen our relationships with local farmers and producers. These aren’t simply business objectives. They’re essential to fulfilling the promises that inspired our community to create the Food Shed in the first place.
We recognize that asking for additional financial support comes with an obligation to demonstrate responsible management, meaningful improvements, and a credible path forward.
We’re committed to keeping our owners informed about the improvements underway, our financial goals, and opportunities to help shape the Co-op’s future. Just as importantly, we’re renewing our commitment to the mission that brought us together in the first place. One exciting example is our first-ever Growing Together: Local Food Roundtable, planned for January 2027. We’ll bring area farmers and food producers together for an open exchange of ideas, to better understand one another’s challenges, strengthen relationships, and explore new ways to work together to build a thriving local food system.
Stay tuned! There’s much more to come as we turn our mission into meaningful action.
What Can You Do Right Now?
There are several meaningful ways you can help strengthen the Food Shed today. You don’t need to wait for our upcoming capital campaign!
- Shop your Co-op! Make the Food Shed a regular part of your grocery shopping. Every dollar you spend helps move us closer to financial sustainability.
- Spread the word! Encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to become owners and discover what makes our community-owned grocery store special.
- Give the gift of ownership! With the holidays approaching, consider purchasing a Food Shed ownership for someone you care about. It’s a gift that keeps giving back to our community!
- Invest in our future! You can purchase Food Shed preferred shares for $1,000 each, even before our official capital campaign begins. Eligible Illinois residents age 18 and older may purchase up to 10 shares. Preferred shares offer interest under their stated terms, with repurchase by the Co-op anticipated in future years, subject to the investment agreement and the Co-op’s financial condition.
- Make a donation! If you’re considering year-end giving, a donation to support the Food Shed is one of the most direct ways to help strengthen our financial foundation. Donations provide valuable capital without creating additional repayment obligations. Tax deductibility depends on the applicable donation arrangement.
Ready to help? Click HERE to learn more about investing or donating.
Together, we’ve already accomplished something remarkable. We turned a dream into a real, community-owned grocery store. Now, let’s build on that achievement and make sure the years of hard work, generosity, and commitment that brought us here result in the thriving, sustainable Co-op our community envisioned.
Now, with continued community support and growing momentum, we can take the next important steps toward fulfilling its promise and securing its future.
Thank you for believing in the Food Shed and for helping us build something that matters.
In cooperation,
Scott T. Brix
Board President
This article was originally published in the Owner Beet newsletter as part of the Cultivating Cooperation series by Board President Scott Brix (October 2026).