business

By Larry Lough LARRY@THEWOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM

Think of it as a “farmers market with the convenience of a grocery store.”

That’s how Scott Brix describes the Food Shed Co-op’s plan to build a food store at the northwest corner of of U.S. 14 and Lake Shore Drive on Woodstock’s east side.

“We grow lots of food in McHenry County,” said Brix, co-op vice president, “but we don’t have access to it.”

Small, specialty farmers often sell their products elsewhere, including co-ops in Chicago, Brix said.

The Food Shed Co-op and its more than 760 members plan to change that, giving small local farms a store with regular hours to sell their products.

The co-op, which started in 2014, announced last month it had bought land across from ShadowView Brewing where it hopes to break ground for the building in the spring of 2022.

“The Food Shed Co-op proudly joins the growing number of community-owned grocers across the country focused on empowering their communities to make healthy food choices for themselves and the environment,” the co-op announced in a news release. “The new store, offering local, organic, and healthy food options, will be open to the general public, but will provide significant benefits to co-op owners.”

Brix, a Marengo resident, said several such stores are in Chicago and northern Illinois, but none in McHenry County. He said the local co-op draws customers from Woodstock and Crystal Lake, so the store’s location will be convenient to both.

The Scandinavian ethic of community in the upper Midwest has made Wisconsin and Minnesota “the co-op capital of the universe,” he said.

Having such a store in Woodstock will “increase food security in the county,” he said, and be part of what he called “a restorative economy.”

“The Food Shed aims to advocate for local farmers and artisans, support the local economy by circulating dollars within the immediate community, and benefit the environment by lessening their carbon footprint,” the news release said. “By choosing to support local and sustainable food businesses, co-op member-owners and shoppers will help build a stronger, more resilient local food system.”

Brix explained the pandemic demonstrated the need for local food stores, which had to raise prices when the health crisis led to a global breakdown of the food chain.

“This is a movement, not just us in McHenry County,” he said, “to take control of the food chain from corporations.”

MAP PROVIDED BY FOOD SHED CO-OP

While the co-op’s website reported last week it had 764 owner-members, Brix said the building plan – “grow, fund, build” – had a goal of 1,200 by July, drawing from McHenry County and surrounding communities.

People may became members for $200 – a payment plan is available – at foodshed.coop, the co-op’s website.

Brix said the co-op had been “thrilled by the response” of its announcement.

After an increase in membership will come financing in early fall, offering equity shares for member-owners and preferred stock for outside investors. Brix said the co-op would need about $3 million to build, hire a general manager and staff, and operate for the first year.

If all goes according to that plan, he said, the building phase will begin next spring.

That co-op store will give Woodstock two new grocery stores. Aldi has announced plans to build a new store on Lake Avenue, across from Walmart, that will be about 25 percent bigger than its present store on Route 47 just south of Country Club Road.

The co-op’s announcement reported collaboration was already underway with the new Center for Agrarian Learning at McHenry County College as well as other programs.

For more information, visit the website or email info@foodshed.coop.

Transactions filed in the McHenry County ■ Residence at 114 Schryver Ave., Recorder’s Office Oct. 8 to 19. Woodstock, was sold by Edwin J. Sass Revocable Trust, Woodstock, to ■ Residence at 9020 Robin Hill Drive, Rebekah Sass, Woodstock, for $80,000. Woodstock, was sold by The Ann M, ■ Residence at 13013 Pleasant Valley Kummerow Trust, Crystal Lake, to Road, Woodstock, was sold by Harvey Brian Michael Freese, Woodstock, for A. Berninger, Woodstock, to Bill J. Kel$260,000. ley, Woodstock, for $294,000. ■ Residence at 604 N. Rose Farm ■ Residence at 1958 Joseph St., WoodRoad, Woodstock, was sold by James stock, was sold by Constance Mittman, F. March, Baraboo, Wis., to Brian Ber- Muscatine, Iowa, to Brix and Stix Real rettini, Woodstock, for $365,000. Estate LLC, Naperville, for $105,000. ■ Residence at 1007 Tappan St., Woodstock, was sold by Artistic Artistry, Inc., Wonder Lake, to Lance A. Grove, Woodstock, for $157,000. ■ Residence at 8804 Alden Road, Wonder Lake, was sold by Douglas S. Cicero, Mount Prospect, to Geoffrey T. Lee, Wonder Lake, for $190,000. ■ Residence at 800 Winslow Ave., Woodstock, was sold by Ray Jakubowicz, Woodstock, to Kathy Alvins, Woodstock, for $302,500.