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Why Our Vendors Appreciate Co-op Owners

Voss Organics

Organic Seedlings

My seedling sales at the Co-op have grown by leaps and bounds in the last 20 years as the Co-op has grown. Offering high quality organic seedlings to gardening Owners gives me great satisfaction. We are growing our gardens together. The seedling carts at the Co-op locations are a perfect compliment to my farmers’ market presence on the Square and at the Northside Market. 

Qet Botanicals

Natural deodorant, facial cleansers, serums, and other plant-based, locally made treatments. 

Families know that when shopping at Willy Street Co-op we can expect healthy food and lifestyle options. Having our plant-based face and body treatments sprinkled in the Wellness aisles makes us not only proud to be there, but it’s helped to create brand awareness and it gives the confidence that we can find safe and clean ways to care for our bodies. 

Wisconsin Grassfed Beef Cooperative

Grassfed Beef and Pastured Pork

Our cooperative of over 200 sustainable Wisconsin Family Farms would not be in business if it weren’t for dedication and commitment to true local foods shown by the Owners of Willy Street Co-op. Thank you for your support of Wisconsin sustainable family farms. Your support has made rural communities across Wisconsin stronger and more resilient.

HeD Peace 

Headbands

By allowing us to share our message of hope and education about addiction, we truly believe Willy Street Co-op plays a large part in saving lives in our community. Willy Street Co-op is the perfect platform as we share our message with like-minded people who are compassionate and truly care about our communities.

Ferndale Market

Turkey

Willy Street Co-op has been a steadfast supporter of our farm and turkey products! They “walk the walk” when it comes to sourcing sustainable foods and supporting independent farms like ours. It’s a true partnership. Members of the Willy Street Co-op staff visit our farm each year to see again how we raise our turkeys and to learn how we can continue do more together. We’re incredibly proud of the relationship we have with Willy Street Co-op!

West Star Organics

Spring Garden Plants

Our relationship with Willy Street Co-op continues to flourish and helps us offer the best quality plants to the local community.

Cress Spring Body Care

Facial Care Products

I am grateful for the opportunity to sell at Willy Street Co-op. As a small business owner, the Co-op’s Owners have been super supportive and excited about my local, organic skin care products and given me more confidence to continue building my business. I have since then expanded my line and retail locations. Thank you for your support.

American Provenance

Deodorants, Men’s Grooming

Willy Street Co-op was one of the first retailers to carry our products! Their support, through on-going customer purchases, has allowed us to gain a regional and national presence.

Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin, Inc.

Housing, Clothing, and Food—including the Double Dollars program

Willy Street Co-op Owners make INCREDIBLE contributions to the Double Dollars Fund by shopping with reusable bags and making donations using the scan cards at the check out lane. Owners’ contributions are a big reason why we are able to offer Double Dollars—a matching program for people who shop with FoodShare benefits at participating farmers’ markets and the Co-op. Double Dollars gets fresh, healthy, local food into kitchens and onto tables of families throughout our community. Thank you!

Rally Energy, LLC

Caffeinated Mints

Willy Street Co-op opened doors for us we never could have imaged. The name recognition of the Co-op is very strong. Our shared success at the Willy Street Co-op locations has helped us tremendously!

Cedar Road Meats

Bacon, hot dogs, summer sausage

Willy Street Co-op has allowed us to grow our business by adding more staff and new equipment to better serve all our customers. It has been a great partnership with all three stores and we appreciate the relationship. 

Equal Exchange

Coffee, chocolate, bananas, tea, and more!

For more than three decades, Willy Street Co-op Owners have worked hand-in-hand with Equal Exchange to build truly radical alternatives to conventional commodity trading, and push the food industry to become more just, equitable, and environmentally sustainable! Equal Exchange imported the country’s very first container of fair trade coffee 33 years ago, and Willy Street Co-op Owners have supported us since nearly the very beginning. There is no question that without committed customers like the Co-op’s Owners, we would never have survived the first few years. After all, in 1986, who had ever heard of paying more than market prices for coffee? 

Over the years that Equal Exchange and Willy Street Co-op have worked together, Owners have supported fair prices for thousands of small-scale farmers growing coffee, chocolate, bananas, and more. Collectively, the Willy Street Co-op Owners’ financial contribution to small farm communities outside of the United States is substantial. The tens of thousands of dollars that Owners send to family farms in the form of fair trade premiums each year go directly to supporting projects that keep farm communities thriving and vibrant. The projects themselves might sound technical and unexciting, like infrastructure improvements or supplies to improve organic crop yields, buy they are pivotally important to making sure that small-scale farming remains a viable option for generations to come. 

Beyond the financial impact for farmers, Willy Street Co-op Owners who buy Equal Exchange products are also participating in a fully cooperative supply chain, as we are a worker-owned cooperative ourselves! In fact, there are three Equal Exchange worker-owners who live in Madison (with a fourth owner-track employee who will hopefully be an owner by the end of the year!) And the cherry on top is that many of our products are delivered to the stores using a cooperative distributor (CPW). 

To sum up, as Owners of one of the country’s largest and most innovative cooperative grocery stores, you are not just buying delicious, quality food for your family—you’re also actively participating in a revolutionary supply chain that supports thousands of farm families here in Wisconsin, in the United States, and around the world. Thank you for fighting for a more just and equitable food system with us!


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