For food lovers on the hunt for fresh local produce and healthy, sustainable products, the local food co-op may be a hidden gem. Why hidden, you ask? Many people, including co-op shoppers, are not entirely sure how co-ops work—or how to get involved. Luckily, the most common misconceptions can be cleared up in a snap. Read on to get the real answers to frequently asked questions about food co-ops. You may be surprised by what you find!

Myth #1

I have to be a member to shop at the food co-op.

Fact
Everyone is welcome to shop at nearly all co-ops. Just do your shopping like you would anywhere else. Once you’ve discovered the benefits of co-op shopping, you might want to find out more about the benefits of membership, too.

Myth #2

I have to be a hippie/liberal/vegetarian/etc. to shop at the co-op.

Fact
Same answer: everyone’s welcome. Liberal or conservative, hippie or yuppie, veggie lover or bacon lover—anyone can shop co-op (that means you!).

Myth #3

Being a co-op member means I have to join the board (or work part-time at the co-op, or do something else I’m not really sure I want to do).

Fact
All you really have to do is enjoy shopping at the co-op! Sure, you can run for the board or participate in co-op events if you like, but your level of participation is always entirely up to you.

Myth #4

I have to pay an annual fee to be a member of the co-op.

Fact
To become a member of most co-ops, you invest a small amount of money in the form of shares. Most co-ops allow you to buy them all at once or over time (but most member benefits start at once). Your shares make you a co-owner of the co-op along with the other members. If for any reason you decide to leave the co-op, there is a process to get your investment refunded.

Myth #5

There’s no reason to become a member if I can shop at the co-op for free.

Fact
While co-ops welcome everyone to shop, there are definite benefits to becoming a member.

For instance, members can vote in co-op issues, so they get a say in how the co-op works and where it spends its money. And speaking of money, when the co-op turns a profit, members may be eligible for a patronage refund in proportion to their purchases. There’s also a host of other member benefits that are specific to each co-op (just talk to the staff to find out more).

So even if you only shop at the co-op once a month, the benefits are likely to exceed your investment, and you’ll get to play a part in a vibrant community resource.

Deep Roots Market Board of Directors Meetings

We welcome all Owners to attend our monthly Board of Director meetings, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Grab a seat at our meetings held in the Community Room or attend via Zoom. To attend virtually, email boardofdirectors@deeprootsmarket.com prior to the meeting for a Zoom invitation.

2025 Meeting Dates & Main Topic of Discussion

• Monday, January 27—Business Planning and Asset Protection
• Monday, February 24—Financial Condition Review
• Monday, March 24—Staff and General Manager Relations
• Monday, April 28—Owner Rights and Responsibilities
• Saturday, May 3—Annual Owners Meeting
• Monday, May 19–Welcome New Board Members and Roles
• Monday, June 23—Customer Experience
• Monday, July 28—Global Executive Constraint
• Sunday, August 24 (date to be confirmed) Annual Board Retreat
• Monday, September 29–Financial Condition Review
• Monday, October 27—Communication and Committees
• Monday, November 24—Financial Condition Review
• Monday, December 15—Business Planning

We are delighted to introduce Debra Smith as the newest member of Deep Roots’ Board of Directors. Pictured in the center and surrounded by the other members of the Board, Debra has hit the ground running with her vast experience in financial matters and keen attention to detail. A Deep Roots owner since 2018, Debra attests to the value of healthy, organic foods for changing her life for the better. Read more about Debra Smith here.

Debra will be completing the term originally held by Eric Smith (no relation) who regrettably stepped down from the Board to attend to health and wellness matters. Eric’s service to Deep Roots most recently culminated with his involvement in the new General Manager (GM) search, a time-intensive commitment that required his insights and wisdom. We wish Eric, a professional Santa Claus, all the best and will miss his wit at our monthly meetings.

Speaking of monthly meetings, you may be wondering what is in store for Debra now that she’s become a Board Member as well as an owner. Here’s a glimpse of what the Board does. At our last Board Meeting, we reviewed monthly financials as we always do with General Manager Matt Davis and received a report from our Owner Engagement Committee of owner responses to questions about what makes Deep Roots Market special to you and the community. The data will inform a new, concise statement of what distinguishes Deep Roots Market today from other markets and co-ops (one of the Board’s three goals for this year).

What else, you ask? Recently, the Board’s Finance Committee researched, crunched the numbers, and with our General Manager, developed a multi-year plan to retire outstanding owner loans that supported Deep Roots’ operations in challenging times and move to the downtown location (another of the Board’s goals for the year). The Board approved the plan which will begin in 2024, asking our GM to distribute $80,000 in debt repayment by the end of the year, an ambitious step that clearly demonstrates strong commitment to this goal on the part of the Board and the new management team. As one aspect of the ambitious loan repayment plan, the Board will launch a year-end fundraising campaign, asking customers, owners and Deep Roots supporters to consider year-end contributions to help Deep Roots cover costs that extend beyond store sales and ownership shares. More on this soon!

Finally, our Board Development Committee is already preparing candidate packets for owners interested in running for a three-year Board position at our May 2025 Annual Meeting. We intentionally hold elections annually to re-elect or replace at least three Board Members and we hope you will consider running for one of the positions so you can work with an amazing, dedicated group of people to deepen Deep Roots’ place and impact in our community!

At the end of August, your Board of Directors spent a full day together to establish goals and a work plan for 2024-2025. What distinguished the day was the flow of positive energy, show of strong commitment, and affirmation of the collective dedication to serve the community.

We established three goals which you’ll be hearing more about in the months ahead. We hope you, as owners, will join us in developing these goals through our many Board committees that involve smart, fun people working together to enhance our experience and engagement with Deep Roots!

✅ Goal #1: Develop a strong statement of what distinguishes Deep Roots Market today from other markets and co-ops so that we can communicate that clearly and consistently in all messaging. This task, one that will build upon our roots while also recognizing the changing community landscape, will involve soliciting input from our owners in the coming weeks and months. This goal is designed to directly and positively impact our other goals and the overall operations of Deep Roots Market.

✅ Goal #2: Achieve robust financial health and increase Deep Roots’ vibrancy to be able to initiate new programming, store changes, and pay off all outstanding owner loans by 2027. We will release plans later this fall about new programming, fundraising, and details about an ambitious owner loan repayment schedule (and we’ll communicate directly as well with the owners who graciously provided loans to make Deep Roots what it is today!). We know many of you who loaned us funds have been patient and we thank you for that. We are committed to paying off all owner loans and promise to communicate in the next 90 days our specific plans for how to do that. You can expect significant loan repayment to start in 2024. In the meantime, we ask that you please refrain from asking our market staff about this...we will keep you updated as soon as our plans and projections are solid. Keep in mind that you can always write to the Board President with questions at boardofdirectors@deeprootsmarket.com.

✅ Goal #3: Support the onboarding of our new General Manager. As announced previously, we are thrilled that Matt Davis has taken over as Deep Roots’ new General Manager, effective July 1, 2024, a job that requires him to wear many hats and take on new tasks and responsibilities. Our core values of equity, democracy at work and in the community, care for others, sustainability, and social responsibility will guide our effort to work with Matt to ensure Deep Roots continues to grow and serve the people of Greater Greensboro.

Many thanks to you, our owners and shoppers, for supporting Deep Roots Market.

Greensboro, NC — Long-time Deep Roots Market employee Matt Davis has been named the store’s new General Manager, effective July 1, 2024. Davis was promoted to the co-op’s top position to ensure Greensboro’s only downtown market continues to serve the surrounding community. With more than 10,000 engaged owners, Greensboro’s residents actively support the co-op’s mission of promoting local, natural, and organic foods and products for a healthy, equitable, and sustainable future.

Davis brings a wealth of experience in the natural foods sector, with previous diverse roles in front-end operations, finance, and human resources. Davis is highly respected within the organization and in the community, owing to his commitment to behind-the-scenes responsibilities, his aptitude for resolving everyday and unexpected crises, and making sound decisions in consideration of the impact on all of Deep Roots’ stakeholders.

According to Davis, “Deep Roots is poised to excel in the coming years as it serves Greensboro’s residents and importantly, a growing number of tourists who are taking full advantage of the downtown’s cultural offerings.”

Deep Roots began in the 1960s as a small vegetarian buying club at Guilford College. By 1976, it opened its first storefront. Just prior to moving to the expanded, current downtown location in 2013, it operated for more than 20 years on Spring Garden Street.

Deep Roots features fresh foods from local farmers as well as health and wellness products. Most recently, it has prioritized sustainability initiatives including drop-off composting, community glass recycling, and a station for electric car charging.

Deep Roots is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. As a co-op, Deep Roots demonstrates how people working together can successfully address one another’s needs and implement desired solutions. As such, Deep Roots serves as a living example of an economic, social, and political alternative to corporate-owned businesses. While anyone can shop at the co-op, Deep Roots’ owners invest $100 for a lifetime membership allowing them to vote in co-op elections, run for a seat on the voluntary board, and receive discounts on products throughout the year.