For 17 years St. Johnsbury, Vermont hosted a small, 1,100 square foot storefront co-op in a renovated house on Portland Street. That store struggled for reasons of size and location and closed its doors in 2016. The Caledonia Food Co-op aspires to be something entirely different.  The Caledonia Food Co-op, a startup retail food store, will be anchored in exceptional customer service and a commitment to natural and local foods. As a cooperative business, we will focus on products and opportunities that promote the long-term health of our customers, the environment, and our community. We strive to be an enduring asset to the local economy and a tangible demonstration of the power and strength of community action. Our vision is to establish a cooperative grocery store upwards of 10,000 square feet offering predominately natural/local foods along with some conventional products. The Caledonia Food Co-op strives to emulate the success of other peer cooperatives, drawing on their experiences as well as guidance from co-op industry experts whom our group is already engaged with.We anticipate enthusiastic support from several thousand members in St. Johnsbury and surrounding towns, including Barnet, Burke, Danville, Lyndon, Newark, Peacham, Ryegate, Sutton, Walden, Wheelock, and Waterford. Grant funding will be used to reach these consumers and secure additional member-owners for our Co-op which moves us one step closer to store opening.