The Sweetwater Economic Development Coalition and Wild Sage Market are teaming up to work together on Wild Sage Market’s goal to start a co-op grocery store in Green River.
Kayla McDonald from SEDC and Nick Walworth and Laurie Carollo from Wild Sage Market spoke with the Sweetwater County Commissioners Oct. 5 to inform the commissioners about their partnership and their goals for the project.
McDonald said SEDC was approached by Wild Sage to find a way to partner together in getting the word out about their group and their goal. The coalition decided to partner with Wild Sage on a public information event that will be designed to bring in the community and get out more information about the co-op’s plans.
“We’re excited at SEDC to be partnering with them,” McDonald said. “I think this is a great opportunity to get a grocery store here in Green River that is definitely needed, and it has a great direction in what they want to do with the clean and conventional style grocery store.”
“Ever since City Market left, the citizens of Green River have been expressing the desire for another grocery store,” Walworth, President of Wild Sage, said. He also said a retail gap analysis study showed that there is a need for a specialty store in Sweetwater County.
“With Wild Sage Market and what we’re doing, we’re aiming to combine both of those needs into one grocery store in Green River,” he said.
Walworth explained that in 2017 a group of volunteers, including Walworth and Carollo, began to look into what it would take to start a local grocery store in Green River, and since then the Wild Sage Market co-op was started to work towards that goal. A cooperative style store, or co-op, is owned and governed by members of the community, but open to the public and designed to meet the needs of the community.
Since a co-op would be locally owned, the profits and taxes from the store would stay in the community, Walworth pointed out. In addition, the store could adjust to local needs, as well as provide a place for local producers to sell their products, possibly allowing them to expand their business.
Carollo explained that Wild Sage Market is working with the Food Co-op Initiative, a nonprofit group that helps food co-ops open. The goal is to not only open a grocery store, but for it to be a clean and organic specialty store. Wild Sage Market conducted a market study last year that determined this type of hybrid store in Green River is feasible, according to Carollo.
Wild Sage Market is currently in stage one of their development plan, which involved selling membership equity shares, Carollo explained. Anyone who is interested in supporting the co-op can purchase a one-time equity share for $300. Carollo said they need 300 members to move on to stage two, and they currently have 233 members. The next stages of the process will continue to be based on member benchmarks, so the project needs community support, Carollo said. Although it will take time, money and support, Carollo believes Wild Sage Market’s goal is attainable.
Commission Chairman Randy Wendling agrees, saying the grocery story is both amenable and attainable.
“I think it’s a great opportunity for Green River and Sweetwater County,” Wendling said. “We just wish you the best of luck, and we’re especially pleased that you’ve partnered with Sweetwater Economic Development Coalition.”
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