After more than 40 years working in the food industry, I have developed a deep appreciation for what our modern food system does well. It helps feed more than eight billion people around the world by moving enormous quantities of food efficiently across long distances and providing year-round access to products from nearly every corner of the globe. But recent headlines—including Cyclospora linked to leafy greens, food recalls, and weather-related supply disruptions—also remind us that efficiency and productivity alone are not enough. Resilience matters too.
Efficiency Is Not the Same as Resilience
That does not mean local food is automatically safer or that we should abandon the larger food system. Quite the opposite—we need both. Communities are stronger when they complement the efficiency of global supply chains with shorter, more transparent regional and local food networks. When food comes from closer to home, we better understand where it was grown, who produced it, and how it made its way to our tables. Those relationships strengthen trust while making our communities more resilient when disruptions occur.
These ideas are at the heart of a presentation I will be giving this coming Wednesday evening at Green Drinks, hosted by Environmental Defenders of McHenry County. My talk, The Food System We Built—and the One We Need, explores how our highly concentrated food system evolved, what it does remarkably well, where it is vulnerable, and why rebuilding local and regional food systems is one of the greatest opportunities facing our communities. If these topics interest you, I hope you will join us for what promises to be an engaging discussion. Click for details.
Where the Food Shed Fits In
Our store is one small but meaningful part of that work. As part of a much larger cooperative movement across Chicagoland, North America, and the world, we are helping demonstrate that communities can play an active role in shaping their own food future. Every local product we place on our shelves, every relationship we build with a regional producer, and every purchase made by an owner helps create a food system that is more connected, transparent, and resilient. We are not simply operating a grocery store. Together, we are building the kind of food system we want our community to have for generations to come.
Turning Vision Into Progress
That vision inspires the work we do every day at the Food Shed, and recent results give us renewed reason for optimism. July sales reached $232,072—approximately 9% ahead of July last year and our strongest month of 2026. Sales also exceeded both last year and budget for three consecutive weeks. Transaction counts are trending upward, and our average basket size continues to perform above the national grocery co-op average. One strong month does not complete our journey toward long-term financial stability, but it does demonstrate that progress is possible and that momentum is beginning to build.
Your Board of Directors has also engaged an experienced grocery and food co-op retail consultant to work alongside our GM, Nathalie, and her staff. Together, they are focusing on stronger merchandising, a better shopping experience, expanded owner benefits, and helping first-time shoppers become loyal customers. Over the coming weeks, you will begin noticing changes throughout the store as this work moves forward.
Helping More People Find Us
Many of you have also told us that our biggest challenge is simply being found. Acting on your feedback, the Board has ordered a new sign to put up on US HWY 14 sign to help introduce our store to the thousands of people who pass by every day. It still surprises me how many people assume we are a food pantry, a CSA pickup site, or a store that requires a membership to shop. Every new shopper who discovers that everyone is welcome brings us one step closer to achieving the vision we all share.
Thank you for your continued support, your honest feedback, and for telling your friends, neighbors, and coworkers about your community-owned grocery store. Every conversation, every shopping trip, and every new owner strengthens not only our co-op, but also a more resilient food system for all of us.
Scott T. Brix
Board President
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This article was originally published in the Owner Beet newsletter as part of the Cultivating Cooperation series by Board President Scott Brix (July 2026).