Part 1: The Local Grocery Store

Wed, 09/10/2008 - 10:42 — Steph Larsen

Editor's Note: A few of us in the Center for Rural Affairs office are having an ongoing conversation about what pieces of critical infrastructure are necessary to keep a rural community vibrant and viable. While by no means a complete list, some of what we came up with include a school, a grocery store, the post office, bars and restaurants, and churches. A basic hardware store, general store of sorts and drug store are also important, though perhaps less crucial than a school and grocery store. This is the first in what we hope will be an occasional series of posts discussing how each of these pieces contributes to the overall health of rural communities.

Critical Rural Infrastructure Series, Part 1: The Local Grocery Store

A recent radio series on NPR called "Take me to your Leader" was, in the words of its producer, “an attempt to get away from the hype surrounding the political conventions in Denver and St. Paul, Minn. — and to talk to people from Chicago to Phoenix about whom they see as their leaders.”

Last Friday, they had a great piece about Walsh, Colorado. You can listen to the segment here and look at the photo gallery here (see photo right). Walsh has a population of 723 and the median household income was $24,911. This is a town remarkably similar to the Center's home.

As I listened, the segment told the story about the town grocery store, and this is where I got really excited. In their own words:

About two years ago, the company that owned the store said they were closing down and moving out. For a time, that meant a half-hour drive out of town to shop. That's when the community took over. A group of residents came together to form a co-op and sold $50 shares around town, and the store reopened.

Rick Mills chairs the grocery store's board. He also owns the auto supply store on Main Street. The grocery store, he says, brought in more than $1 million in its first year and has been the engine of the little economy.

"Once the dollars leave, they don't come back," Mills says. "They're gone to the city and that's where they stay. People from the city aren't going to come to Walsh, Colo., to do their grocery shopping — or any other shopping, as far as that goes."

This story really impressed me. The residents of Walsh faced the closing of a critical piece of their town’s infrastructure and the prospect of having to drive a half hour to buy food. For a lot of rural residents, especially those with low incomes and who lack reliable transportation, the closure of the grocery store could literally mean going hungry some of the time or having to make unhealthy food choices based on what is available.

Not a lot of people would choose to move to a town without a grocery store if they had the choice of a different town that had one. Allowing the grocery store to remain closed would make the town less attractive to newcomers and perhaps continue the pattern of depopulation that many rural communities are facing. Instead of accepting that closure, Walsh residents figured out a way around it that benefited the community and kept a million dollars circulating in the local economy.

To me, this anecdote exemplifies the reserves of innovative and entrepreneurial energy that exists in rural communities -- it often just takes a challenge to bring it to the surface. It also highlights that success that comes with local input and involvement. Buying a share of the grocery co-op means that Walsh residents have a stake in whether the co-op is successful, and acts as an added incentive to shop locally.

Rural grocery stores are a vital part of the fabric of a community. Not only do they provide the healthy food that everyone needs, but they can fill other roles like economic driver, community builder, employer, and meeting place. Perhaps there are other voids that your local grocery store fills, and I hope you share them with us in the comments.

Part I: Feeding More than Stomachs: Strategies for Sustaining the Small Town Grocery Store
The best creative solutions for saving the small town grocery store begin within the community and help residents identify a plan that works for their particular locale. This piece explains the ways several rural communities are keeping the grocery store open in their town. [More...]

Part II: The Challenges
Small town grocery stores face many of the same hurdles that any small business might in a rural community. But, they also face several that are unique to the grocery industry, including: meeting minimum buying requirements; competing with big chains; access to fresh produce; and high energy costs. This piece explores those challenges and offers solutions for meeting them. [More...]

Part III: Federal Resources Can Assist Rural Grocery Stores
This piece highlights some of the federal programs that can be used to support, expand, and update rural grocery stores to help them compete in today’s marketplace, including Rural Business Enterprise grants, Community Food Projects and assistance through the Rural Energy for America Program, among others. [More...]

America's Youngest Grocer: Nick Graham
As the Center of Rural Affairs' Brian Depew wrote of the then 17-year-old Nick Graham, who brought and took over Truman, Minnesota’s only grocery store when it closed: "Rural main streets across America are struggling to survive, and the shuttering of a grocery store, drug store or hardware store is all too common. As Nick is demonstrating though, innovation, new energy, and the commitment of a new generation can help turn around the fate of a small town." [More...]

More information, resources and news at www.cfra.org/renewrural/grocery

Comments

Nice article

Wed, 09/10/2008 - 22:15 — Michael L. Holton (not verified)

Good job Steph on highlighting one of the better stories out there. The Center has already played a role in several grocery stores in Nebraska remaining in the small communities. Lindsay comes to mind as a place much like Walsh and they have successfuly created a cooperative grocery story with the help of Mike Heavrin and others.

I am currently working with Brunswick in creating a grocery outlet for the community. They have a school building that could be converted to at least sell necessities to the residents.

Whether or not the grocery store is the number #1 infrastructure need for a community is questionable but I would agree that it still remains as one of the top needs always listed.

I look forward to this list and some lively debate.

Coincidentally, it happens

Sun, 08/01/2010 - 07:01 — Angelina Merle (not verified)

Coincidentally, it happens that many smaller gas stations, restaurants, bars, and even schools become that cohesive glue. I have witnessed villages with 50 or fewer people remain vibrant simply because they were able to bring people together. warts home remedies

good to hear from you

Thu, 09/11/2008 - 22:44 — crabtree (not verified)

Michael, good to hear from you, and good to hear about Brunswick. North Dakota has some really cool community or cooperatively owned community infrastructure - grocery stores, movie theaters and my favorite is a cooperatively owned restaurant. I think I'm up next in this series so I better get to work. thanks, john

what about gas stations

Tue, 09/16/2008 - 09:00 — David Porter (not verified)

I am starting to see communities in rural Texas that have no gas stations for 10 - 20 miles. When people have to go that far to get gas a fair percentage of them will also shop for other items there instead of their home communities. We are rapidly approaching a time where every cross roads no longer has a gas station. With the distributors wanting huge stations capable of selling mega gallons of gas each month as well as the enviromental rules on tanks rual stations are closing all the time. I know that people in bigger towns still have plenty of options but its starting to become a problem in small rural communities.

re: gas stations

Fri, 10/03/2008 - 10:34 — Steph Larsen

I completely agree...gas stations are outlets that people need on a regular basis, especially in rural America where public transportation is nonexistent. I think retail establishments that people need to go to at leats once a week are the vital ones for a town because they usually represent people's needs, and they'll spend that money regardless because they have to. I'd rather see them spend it in the town they live in. On a different note, it will be interesting to see is what happens to gas station infrastructure as we (eventually) move away from an oil based transportation system. Are electric cars on the horizon, and if so can we transition some of the current transportation infrastructure so that stations don't go out of business?

Keeping the place social

Wed, 09/17/2008 - 07:07 — Michael L. Holton (not verified)

As I have been taught several times, the infrastructure is important in only as far as the impact is with social gatherings. What you are describing is based upon needs which dictate the economic climate of small communities. Even with relatively little infrastructure in place, a small village can remain somewhat vibrant (by definition!) if a social gathering place is established. Coincidentally, it happens that many smaller gas stations, restaurants, bars, and even schools become that cohesive glue. I have witnessed villages with 50 or fewer people remain vibrant simply because they were able to bring people together.

I also realize that economically there isn't a strong retail or service base in many of these communities but as E.F. Schumacher once said in "Small is Beautiful", if the community wishes to remain small without many of the infrastructures that have been described, then so be it. It is their choice.

We (my wife and I) own and

Wed, 10/08/2008 - 20:15 — Larry Pollard (not verified)

We (my wife and I) own and operated a grocery store in a Rural North Missouri town with a descriptions much like Walsh, CO and Frederick, SD. We have been in operation for 4 1/2 years, starting after the former store had been closed for about 2 years. It has not been easy economically. We are making progress and may reach sustainability one of these days. I had heard it takes about 7 years for such a business to become economical. I thought we could accelerate the seven years and we may, but it did not happen in the first 4 years. It is of interest that I picked up on the million dollar first year in Walch, CO. That is great, A million dollar year would get my business into the viable catagory. I am sure the potential is there.

I am interested in hearing more from or about rural grocery stores as they relate to community sustainment. The discussion about the elements making up community is interesting. Schools, churches, oppotunities for social interaction, and commerce (with grocery store near the top) would have to be the description of most viable and sustainable communities. I can imagine some not having one or two of those elements and still be viable and sustainable but it is a stretch and not a place I personally would want to live!

Larry Pollard

Keytesville, Missouri

Community Owned??

Fri, 12/26/2008 - 00:15 — Trina Soria (not verified)

This year I bought a grocery store that had been in this town for 100 years and renovated it back to the orignal flavor. Due to family circumstances of the prior owners it was either I buy the store/building or they were going to close the store. The store is center to this small town with a population of high 700 in the county and we grab and east and west of two other counties. My goal was to keep the store open and it has been well received but my goal was to keep it there for the town. This was a personal mission of mine and just wanting to keep it viable. I am very interested in offering my place to the community or someone else who would love a small town and to run a grocery store. I would love to introduce the idea of a coop to this community and would like to formulate a plan for them. I just don't know how to start. I have really fine tuned the store in the reduction of operating expenses but again, I need some guidance. Really, there is an incredible amount of passion I have for this place in which I live and my thoughts on the subject of supporting a small town would take up TOO much space.

I am located outside Billings, Montana. Again, I would love to have someone take me in the right direction.

You have to have heart for small town!

Wed, 06/17/2009 - 20:54 — Judy (not verified)

I'm not sure how I ended up here but very glad to have read all these posts. Your story is much like mine only in the Land of Oz (NE Kansas that is.) I took the grocery store over 2 years ago when it was going to close. It too had been a grocery for over 75 years. I had been working there one day a week thank goodness though that wasn't much experience to call upon. My heart is embedded in this town. I believe it was meant for me to keep it open but because of my personal situation I now need to find a couple that would like an investment project with what I believe has very good potential. There are so many people retiring at an early age that are looking for that second (or third) career so hopefully it's just a matter of time before they find Oz (or Montana!) Best wishes in your endeavor. If I can be of any help from here please let me know.

Having grown up in a small

Sat, 01/31/2009 - 11:21 — David (not verified)

Having grown up in a small town very similar to this one I cant help but love this story. My father was a self employed contractor and my uncle owned the auto shop. Neither made a ton of money but both worked really hard and had the entrepenurial spirit that makes America great.

I myself grew up working in a

Tue, 02/17/2009 - 09:11 — Mike in San Bernardino CA (not verified)

I myself grew up working in a small, local, family-owned grocery store, which was really an integral part of the community. I always fret when I see small stores going out of business in communities due to larger, chain stores coming in the area.

walsh co

Tue, 03/31/2009 - 01:28 — corriemcswane (not verified)

i spent one really weird year in walsh when i was 14 and my dad was a preacher for a year at what was then the quaker church. i got drunk for the first time,lost my virginity(not in that order)and realized that every place no matter how small or large is pretty much the same. good and truly evil people exsist everywhere. it will always be a surreal and somewhat detatched kind of year to me. is bens cafe still there? that was my first job. thanks for breaking me out of my suburban shell. the librarian at the time was right when she told me "this place will grow on you" i will never forget it. to this day its the stranest place i've ever been

Walsh Grocery Store

Tue, 04/14/2009 - 12:38 — Bonnie (not verified)

I recently moved to a small town in Arkansas and there are no grocery stores. There is an empty building where there was a grocery store. I would like to know more about how to get started getting one here. People in this community comment that they wished we did have a store again. Anyone have any suggestions other than having a town meeting?

Information on starting co-ops

Fri, 05/15/2009 - 08:04 — Stuart Reid (not verified)

Food Co-op 500 exists to provide information and advice to communities that are considering opening a co-op food store. We have a lot of documents and links on our website, www.foodcoop500.coop. Please check it out and contact me if you have questions.