About Us
About Us
Regular Store Hours
Open 8am - 7pm every day of the week
Holiday Hours
New Years Eve - 8:00am to 5:00pm
New Years Day - Closed
Easter - Closed
Memorial Day - Closed
July 4th - 9:00am to 4:00pm
Labor Day - Closed
Thanksgiving Day - Closed
Christmas Eve - 8:00am to 5:00pm
Christmas Day - Closed
About Our Store
Learn More: History | Employment
Mission Statement
The Middlebury Natural Foods Cooperative is a democratic, member-owned cooperative committed to providing healthy, competitively priced foods; encouraging ecologically sound and healthful patterns of production and consumption; and responding to members' needs accordingly.
Board of Directors Statement of Ends
MNFC member owners, customers, and the community benefit from:
- Healthy Foods
- Vibrant Local Economy
- Environmentally Sustainable and Energy Efficient Practices
- Co-operative Democratic Ownership
The Seven Cooperative Principles
1st Principle: Voluntary and Open Membership
Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
2nd Principle: Democratic Member Control
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary cooperatives members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and co-operatives at other levels are also organized in a democratic manner.
3rd Principle: Member Economic Participation
Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative. Members usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing their cooperative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the cooperative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.
4th Principle: Autonomy and Independence
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter to agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their co-operative autonomy.
5th Principle: Education, Training and Information
Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their co-operatives. They inform the public - particularly young people and opinion leaders - about the nature and benefits of co-operation.
6th Principle: Co-operation among Co-operatives
Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
7th Principle: Concern for Community
Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.
About Our Store
MNFC began in the early 1970s as a pre-order buying club. Its purpose was to provide members with wholesome, natural foods that were not available elsewhere. To maximize savings, members bought in bulk and packaged the food themselves. Over the last 30 years, the Co-op has expanded several times to include an extensive store-front operation that is open to members and the public seven days a week and includes a prepared foods section and deli with indoor and outdoor seating. As a cooperative we are owned by our members and our mission is to serve them in the communities in which they live, work, and shop, strengthening our communities through jobs, services, and community involvement.
Shopping at the Coop
The Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op is member-owned and dedicated to providing wholesome natural foods and environmentally sound household products at the best prices possible. We strive to set prices that are affordable for the consumer while fair to the growers and producers. We offer personal service and a friendly community atmosphere for all shoppers.
Buying Criteria
The MNFC Buying Criteria are the guidelines we use when ordering products. The Co-op buys many items in bulk, avoiding wasteful packaging and allowing us to pass our savings on to you. Whenever possible, we buy produce from local growers and organic farms. We offer locally baked goods, a large variety of cheeses, quality wines and beer, products for special dietary needs, and much more. If you cannot find what you need on the shelves, please talk to a staff member. We may be able to special-order it for you.
Products are selected with a primary and increasing emphasis on organic and local items.
In addition, in line with MNFC established buying criteria, s/he will not knowingly allow the following items on the shelf:
- Irradiated foods
- Foods containing artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors
- Meat products from animals raised with hormones or antibiotics
- Fluid milk, ice cream, frozen yogurt, or dairy products containing the Bovine Growth Hormone (rBST)
- Foods containing hydrogenated oils or trans fats
- Products tested on animals
- Foods containing high fructose corn syrup
- Products containing parabens
The buying criteria refer to artificially produced ingredients and processes and do not apply to naturally occurring ingredients or processes.
If MNFC discovers that any of its products do not meet these criteria, MNFC will remove the item from the shelf.
Local Producers
Local produce doesn’t have to endure the rigors of being handled many times, shipped long distances, and held at stores for days or weeks. Only hybrid varieties developed to withstand these hardships can be widely grown and shipped. Local growers aren’t restricted by these demands, so they can grow heirloom fruits and vegetables and diversify to get the most out of the short growing season in the Northeast. And small local growers don’t produce the genetically modified vegetables and fruits that commercial farms do—whose effects on our health are still unknown.
When you buy food that was produced nearby, you’re supporting small family farms, preserving a time-honored way of life, and keeping farmland in production so it won’t grow up into forest or be developed. The barns and cultivated fields that characterize our rural landscape will remain. You can even visit the land where your food is grown and see it being harvested.
Over the past couple of decades, small-scale food production in Vermont has grown by leaps and bounds. Now there are numerous dairies making award-winning cheeses, organic farms that provide us with colorful, healthy vegetables, apiaries where we can find healthy raw honey and honey products, small kitchens that turn out ethnic and traditional New England foods, and bakeries selling an amazing variety of artisan breads and pastries. Purchasing these foods not only sustains the people who produce them—in many cases your friends and neighbors—but also strengthens the economy of the region and diversifies its lifestyles.
To see our impressive list of food grown, harvested and processed within 100 miles from our store click here.
Additional imformation about eating local:
http://www.eatlocalamerica.coop/ Eat Local America
http://addisoncounty.locallygrown.net Web based farmers market for Addison County
www.acornvt.org Addison County Relocalization Network and the Addison County Localvore information
www.eatlocalvt.org Burlington
www.vermontlocalvore.org Mad River
www.uvlocalvore.com Upper Valley
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
At the Co-op we are continually looking for ways to help conserve resources. One huge expense for us (as well as the planet) is the consumption of paper bags. In 2006 the Co-op spent $14,000 on paper bags for the store.
If you need a reusable shopping bag, we sell 100% cotton canvas shopping bags with our Co-op logo in many colors.
When shopping bring your own bag whenever you can. You may also want to consider bringing bags for bulk foods like rice, beans, coffee, nuts, oats or produce. You may also bring your own containers for bulk honey or maple syrup and other bulk items. We will weigh your container for you before you fill them so we can subtract the weight at the check out counter. We encourage you to bring your own coffee mug and we will give you a $.10 mug discount. You may bring your own plate or bowl for food from our deli, just be sure to have a staff member weigh it for you first.
Contact: info@middleburycoop.com