Mad River Market coop receives funding

WINSTED — Mad River Market, a food co-op start up based in Winsted, was recently awarded a grant from the Howard Bowers Fund for Food Co-ops, a project of the Cooperative Development Fund, Washington, DC.

“We are grateful and proud to have been awarded this $1,500 matching grant, which will be used to support board education through participation in the 2019 Up & Coming Food Co-op Conference in Milwaukee, WI in March,” said the market’s project manager, Phillip Allen, in a statement.

To celebrate the award, coop members are inviting the public to an open house party on Sunday, Nov 18, from 3-6 p.m. in its business office at Mad River Lofts, 10 Bridge St., Winsted.

“Since this is a matching grant, we are doing special fundraising to raise our match, including an Equal Exchange holiday gift catalog sales campaign,” Allen said.

Residents can visit the market’s catalog at tinyurl.com/MRMHoliday and place an order at the open house for delivery in time for holiday giving, Allen said.

The Howard Bowers Fund strengthens the food co-op community through training and scholarships, according to the statement. Since its establishment in 1994, the Bowers Fund has given more than $500,000 in grants to support the food co-op sector. The fund is a project of the Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF), a public charity headquartered in Washington, DC that promotes and develops cooperatives to improve economic opportunities for all. Learn more at www.cdf.coop.

“In 2017, Mad River Market was awarded a USDA Rural Seed Grant through the Food Co-op Initiative,” Allen said. “This continued support for our work is very encouraging. Our board has been strengthened by participating in national and regional meetings, like Up & Coming, and the Bowers Fund grant will help us continue that important part of our work.”

Mad River Market began in 2016 in response to the closing of the last grocery store in downtown Winsted, and was incorporated in April, 2017 to bring a full service grocery to Winsted.

The intent is to serve the Northwest Corner and Litchfield County with a community owned, democratically governed “for-community-profit” business dedicated to access to good, healthy food, supporting local agriculture and business, and building community, according to the statement. With almost 200 shareholder owners, Mad River Market’s next goal is 300 shareholders, when work can begin on the pro forma and business plan, members said.

For information, find the market on Facebook @MadRiverMarket, and at www.madrivermarket.com.