This year has been wild. I don’t know how else to describe it. 

In every facet of my life, new challenges have been popping up seemingly daily. I’m having to rethink how I do everything from educating my child to doing my job to shopping for groceries.  I know I am not alone in this because I have heard and seen my friends and neighbors struggle with similar challenges. 

The thing about challenging times, though, is that they are often the catalyst for opportunities and growth. Necessity is the mother of invention. Diamonds are made under pressure. And a hundred other adages about growing through challenging times. 

I know this has been the case for the Whitewater Grocery Co.

This year, 12 Owners of the Whitewater Grocery Co-op joined 250+ other people working on start-up food co-ops or operating food co-ops around the nation at the Up & Coming 2020 conference.

One of our fantastic Owners, Therese McKenzie, made a very popular chili for the recent Whitewater Freeze Fest!

Since a number of people are jonesin' for the recipe, we are eager to share it!

"I became a GroCo member because it will be a great economic boost to our community and I like good food."

This is Owner #227, Grace Crickette, the Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs at UWW! We sat down to learn a little about her to find out her thoughts on becoming an Owner.

Lets face it, we all need to eat, and for many of us, it’s one of the most enjoyable parts of life! Unfortunately, money is often a barrier holding us back on the variety of things we would like to explore in life. In the U.S. the average person spends around 11% of their disposable income on food (USDA). This guide’s purpose is to show some of the easiest ways to cut costs on food, while still providing ourselves delicious and nutritious meals! 

"I wanted to get engaged in the critical actions of the community so I quickly joined the Whitewater Grocery Cooperative, the Rotary, League of Women Voters, the Historical Society, and the Greater Whitewater Committee."

This is Owner #592, Dwight Watson, the recent new Chancellor of UWW! We sat down to learn a little about him to find out his thoughts on becoming an Owner.

"I wanted to give back to this community with so many great people.  I'm hoping future students will be able to make healthier food choices once they have a proper grocery store."

This is Owner #616, Cameron Scholze, a student studying environmental science at UWW, and one of our few student owners before the store! We sat down to learn a little about her to find out her thoughts on becoming an Owner.

"I have belonged to other Co-ops like PCA, Badgerland co-op, Equity Feed and Fuel co-op, and Equity livestock. They all were created by people that banned together to get a better price and save money."

This is Owner #295, Michael Schwabe, a dedicated volunteer of many organizations including the Gro Co! We sat down to learn a little about him to find out his thoughts on becoming an Owner.

"Our interest is in sustainability and alternative food systems. We'd like a store that will better listen to our needs (reducing plastics) and better support our local farmers and food systems."

This is Owner #535, Dr. Eric Compas, a current professor of geography at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater! We sat down to learn a little about him and his wife Lori to find out their thoughts on becoming an Owner.

"I may not still be in Whitewater when the GroCo officially opens, but I still care deeply about how what I do today will effect future students to come."

This is Owner #465, Alex Ostermann, a current student at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater! We sat down to learn a little about him and find out his thoughts on becoming an Owner.

"I really love the grass roots effort of building a grocery store together with my neighbors, and being able to choose what WE believe is in Whitewater's best interest."

This is Owner #159, Krista Mikulski, supervisor at UPS and laser engraving extraordinaire! We sat down to learn a little about her and find out her thoughts on becoming an Owner.