Operating the only grocery cooperative in the state of Tennessee has many challenges. You may have noticed some of your favorite products out of stock on the shelves or wondered if your annual member owner interest payment is worth it. Or you may be like some others who feel that shopping at the co-op is expensive when compared to some of the larger national chain grocers.

Last year we hosted Jon Steinman, who is the author of Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants (New Society Publishers). Jon held a series of cooperative dialogue workshops in the Three Rivers Market dining room, and recently published an article where he addressed the often-times false perception that a grocery co-op is more expensive:

“Claims that food co-ops are more expensive than other grocers often … Read More »

This month we would like to share an update on our progress establishing committees for this year and insights from our new Directors after attending a Cooperative Board Leadership 101 training.

Committee Update

At our January meeting, the Board voted to establish the following committees for this year:
• Member Linkage Committee
• Board Perpetuation Committee
• Staff Involvement in Governance Committee

Draft charters for these committees are being prepared and will be reviewed for our February meeting. For now, the member participation sections will remain open as we continue to reach out to those who have expressed interest in serving. If you’ve already filled out the interest form—thank you! We’ll be in touch after our February meeting with more information.

The Board is also continuing discussions about convening additional committees, including the Audit and Ethics Committees. These topics will be addressed at our January … Read More »

The Three Rivers Board of Directors is thrilled to welcome three new members, the winners of our 2024 Board Election.  Mary French, Teri O’Meara, and Debbie Sharp were elected to serve three-year terms, and were welcomed into the Board at our December 12th meeting.  578 members voted in the election, a turnout rate of 14.8%.  They have already started the Board orientation process, and will be undergoing our standard cooperative governance trainings in the upcoming months.  The returning members look forward to working with Mary, Teri, and Debbie, and we’re all excited for a productive 2025 for our market and cooperative.

The Board also expresses sincere gratitude for the service of our three outgoing members: Jackie Kittrell, Drew Rutherford, and Kathryn Tilson.  Jackie joined the Board to fill a vacant seat in 2024, and her skilled facilitation and communication advice helped … Read More »

Your friendly neighborhood co-op is not immune to the end-of-the-year hustle and bustle. There is no shortage of activity at Three Rivers Market – from a contested Board of Directors election to our Annual Meeting for members, to planning for next year’s board committees, you have many opportunities to engage with and support your co-op. 

Please read on below to learn more about how to vote in our election, how to register for the Annual Meeting, and keep an eye out for an upcoming committee interest form! 

CAST YOUR BALLOT IN TRM BOARD ELECTION

When one becomes a member of Three Rivers Market co-op, they accept certain responsibilities. No, I don’t mean putting your shopping cart back when you’re done – although, we all thank you for doing so. I mean the responsibilities of ownership.

Our co-op is a democratically controlled organization, which means … Read More »

We have exciting news! For the first time in three years, Three Rivers Market can report a profit for fiscal year 2023-2024. Our General Manager, Fadi Aboush, and our amazing staff have worked hard to achieve this, while maintaining our commitment to paying every employee a living wage and offering monthly discounts to our members. This also couldn’t have happened without you – the members and customers who continue to patronize our store, and who contribute to our cooperative not just with your money, but your time and passion as well. Thank you for your commitment, and we hope you feel proud of your co-op.

After consulting with the General Manager and reviewing our financial condition, the Board has decided to reinvest this profit into our store instead of allocating an end-of-year patronage dividend. In the course of implementing a strengthened … Read More »