Littleton Coop Expected to Boost North Country Economy

SOUNDS OF SPOON ON METAL BOWL, SCRAPING AND THEN MIXER STARTING.

Diane Richey is hustling around her kitchen in Whitefield.

She is baking gluten-free French bread.

Thirty miles away in Woodsville Mike Wilson makes ice cream in his house on Pine Street.

What do they have in common?

They are among the small, North-Country businesses likely to get a boost from the food co-op opening next month in downtown Littleton.

It’ll look like a grocery store and anyone will be able to shop there.

But a few things make co-ops quite different.

First, they’re owned by members who are less interested in maximizing profits than in giving shopper owners a good value for their money.

Second, co-ops, in general, put an emphasis on buying local.

“They support the local community and they support the local growers, the local producers, the local suppliers.”

That’s Bob Hayes.

He’s the manager of the Littleton Co-op.

“And, they try to keep the money in the community and keep the local growers and farmers sustainable.”

Hayes figures the co-op will offer locally grown produce, grass-fed beef, ice cream and bakery goods.

All the suppliers have to meet quality standards and state safety standards.

Rodney Mitton is the produce manager.

He’s been working with area farmers.

He’s been figuring out what they will be growing, and how often it can be delivered.

“I’m pretty much trying to get daily deliveries from the farmers.”

He says the co-op will not be trying to squeeze local suppliers financially although it may mean lowering the store’s profit margin.

“We don’t tell any of the farmers what we want to pay for, I am asking them what they want for their product.”

This attention on local vendors could be a good thing for the North Country economy.

The Hanover and Lebanon co-ops, in the Upper Valley have provided a significant boost to businesses in their region.

Last year they sold about $5.5 million worth of locally produced goods.

That’s about nine percent of their total food sales.

Those stores, however, are far larger than Littleton’s will be.

In addition Littleton co-op has promised to use a portion of its profits to set up a loan fund to help local suppliers.

In Woodsville, Mike Wilson is looking forward to supplying his home-made ice cream,

His three year old Connecticut Valley Ice Cream company already sells to the co-ops in Hanover and Lebanon.

He figures adding Littleton to the list will help a lot.

“The co-ops have been a tremendous help to me.”

WHIRRING, MIXING SOUNDS.

In her kitchen in Whitefield Diane Richey has been baking gluten-free goods since 1998.

That’s when she was diagnosed with celiac disease, a digestive disorder that’s made worse by eating wheat and other grains. .

About a year ago she began selling her bakery and mixes as “D’s Delights.”

She’s excited about selling at the co-op.

“I try to stay local because I think that it is way it should be. You support your town.”

By late morning Richey is finished mixing that French bread.

It is time to get it into the oven.

SOUND OF SLIDING INTO THE OVEN AND BEEPS AS THE TEMPERATURE ON THE OVEN IS SET.

“There you go. All set. Now, we just wait.”

The Co-op is scheduled to open on May 13th.

For NHPR News this is Chris Jensen