In time, this small and loosely organized group of pioneers realized they could secure higher quality food at better prices if the burden of the work could be shared among more members. Word spread throughout the community and in just over a year, the Co-op’s membership had reached 100.
In these early stages, people drove empty rented trucks as far afield as Boston and then returned having filled them with grains and fresh produce. The trucks were then unloaded at various peoples' houses. Unloading spots changed from month to month, but one location was a residence that is now the Barncastle restaurant and, for a time, the Co-op operated out of the barn located behind 50 Main Street.
For several years, the Co-op rented a space that had once served as a schoolhouse in Sedgwick. In 1991, the first paid manager was hired and the store purchased its first cash register. However, the store remained a bare bones operation. A variety of donated freezers and refrigerators were put into use, and volunteers installed shelving to display food for sale to its customers.
The store was open several days a week, although lack of funding kept the store from becoming very well stocked and hours were erratic. In 1992, a rent reduction from $500 to $400 a month provided a great relief.
Even with these difficulties, membership swelled to over a thousand and the Co-op became a location for a farmers’ market. The first Co-op newsletter was sent out during these Sedgwick years.
Although more and more families were using the Co-op, it was becoming apparent to many that the store was not very conveniently located. Often, people would come far out of their way to shop, but the volunteer staffing scheduled for that day would fail to show. There was a division among its members about whether the Co-op should remain a buying club or open a storefront.
After many heated conversations, the decision was made to move the Co-op into a storefront. A small but suitable rental was found in downtown Blue Hill, at the base of Greens Hill and a lease was signed in the spring of 1993. At that point, the store only occupied a small portion of the current building footprint. In its new space, the Co-op increased the number and regularity of its hours, but the offerings were still quite slim. Despite this, the Co-op’s new store thrived and was soon ready to take over one of the other adjacent rental spaces.
In 1995, the store underwent the first of several expansions. With many helping hands, a center stairwell was relocated and walk-in coolers were installed. Pain de Famille, a local bakery, subleased a portion of the store, drawing even more customers. Although crowded into this space, the Co-op continued to flourish, serving as a meeting place for residents and meeting their needs for healthy, local, organic and whole foods.
The Co-op Board announced the first Blue Hill Co-op mission statement in the spring newsletter. They took on the task of clearly stating the reason for the co-op's existence and place in the community. In other news, the store used printed shelf tags for the first time, freeing staff from the need to price each item individually.
Also in 2007, the Co-op's website went live!
A site was nominally found and design work started to determine costs and feasibility.
In the autumn of 2014, the Co-op officially purchased 5.5 acres of unimproved land on South Street as a home for the relocation.
Also in 2014, the Relocation Committee surveyed over 500 owners for opinions on the relocation and future direction of the Co-op.
The Co-op began a capital campaign, raising money via the sale of preferred shares. Owners responded well! By the end of the year, we sold almost $160,000 in preferred shares.
By January 2018, the Co-op's Capital Campaign had raised over $1 million. Fundraising and planning continued over the year and, in September, we broke ground at 70 South Street. By the end of the year, the foundation was finished!
On July 27, Blue Hill Co-op opened the doors of 70 South Street for a soft opening, but there were some wrinkles still to be ironed out. Once that happened, the Grand Opening Celebration was held on August 10! The solar array was installed that winter. 2019 ended with the Co-op’s new location exceeding all expectations for growth in capital and community, and it’s still growing to this day.
Initially, it seemed as though the solar array project would need to be delayed until additional funding could be secured. But, thanks to a grant and a generous owner's donation, the solar array was fully funded and installation began in the autumn of 2019. The work was done by a fellow cooperative, ReVision Energy. The work was completed that winter and the 414 solar panels went live on December 16, 2019. In a year, our 414 solar panels generate enough power to: brew 7,828,640 cups of coffee, bake 183,483 chocolate chip cookies, light a home with LED lightbulbs for 244 Years, cook 440,361 bowls of chili, offset driving the perimeter of the United States 36 times, keep 143,998 pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere.
When the COVID-19 Pandemic started in early 2020, the Co-op began taking extra precautions early on. We implemented masks, sanitation stations, sneeze gaurds at the register, and closed the bulk bins, hot bar, and café seating. For the immuno-compromised people in our community, we first set up a simple online form for purchasing offsite and curbside pickup. Shortly thereafter we launched WebCart, our fully intregated online shopping platform. Briefly, we closed the Co-op to shoppers and used only WebCart, but the logistics were not navigable so instead we implemented limitations on the number of shoppers in the building and closed for an hour midday to sanitize surfaces throughout the store. Over the next two years, the Co-op coninued to stay abreast of the ever changing regulations and precautions, adjusting our practices accordingly. The Pandemic was a scary time for everyone but we weathered it as a community.
This year we're celebrating the amazing achievment of reaching our 50th anniversary!
