Franklin Community Co-op Exceeds $1 Million in Member Loans to Support Expansion

GREENFIELD — Franklin Community Co-op’s capital campaign recently exceeded $1 million in member loans to support the expansion and relocation of its Main Street store, Green Fields Market, to the historic Wilson’s building. The food co-op, which operates Green Fields Market in Greenfield and McCusker’s Market in Shelburne Falls, has more than 5,600 member owners.

The capital campaign kicked off in late April with a goal of reaching $1 million by the end of June and a final goal of $1.5 million in member loans by Oct. 1. The minimum loan amount is $2,000, with potential loan interest rates as high as 4%.

The move to Wilson’s will more than double the sales floor and fill a vacant storefront on Main Street that has been empty since late 2019. The co-op employs over 90 people at its two stores and has an annual revenue of $11 million, including $2 million in local sales. In 2022, about 10% of its membership was enrolled in Food for All, a program that provides a 10% discount to eligible members who receive SNAP, HIP, or SSI. Customers do not need to be a member to shop in the stores.

The new store will be located on the first floor of the building and will include larger produce, prepared-foods and bakery departments, as well as an onsite community room with a teaching kitchen. The larger store will enable the co-op to bring in more products at lower prices and serve a more diverse section of the community.

“We are so thankful to our member owners who have invested in the future of our co-op and downtown Greenfield,” said Peter Garbus, capital campaign team lead and member of the board of directors. “The renovation of Wilson’s and expansion of Green Fields Market will help to transform the downtown and provide a full-service grocery store on Main Street. We couldn’t have done this without the help of our deeply committed capital campaign team, our staff, and our members.”