Patronage Dividends

Together with the Board of Directors, I am pleased to share that the Brattleboro Food Co-op has closed the 2025 fiscal year in a strong financial position. In a retail environment that continues to bring cost pressures and industry-wide uncertainty, this outcome reflects thoughtful stewardship, operational discipline, and most importantly your continued support as owners of our cooperative.

Because of our collective success, the Board has declared a patronage dividend. Patronage is one of the most tangible benefits of cooperative ownership. It reflects a core cooperative principle: members share in the financial success of the business they own.

Your individual disbursement is based on how much you shopped with us during the fiscal year. The more you supported the Co-op through your purchases, the greater your share of the dividend. This structure reinforces our shared investment in the health and sustainability of the Co-op.

63.96% of our sales came from purchases made by shareholders in FY 2025. Based on the year end financials and the Co-op’s tax liability, the Board has declared a patronage dividend of $1,328376.00, 20% of which ($265,676.00), will be distributed to shareholders in proportion to their spending (patronage) at the Co-op during FY25. The remaining 80% is retained and reinvested in our business. Patronage strengthens our balance sheet, supports future improvements, funds critical infrastructure investments, and ensures we remain a resilient, community-based enterprise for years to come.

Your dividend will be available at the register as a paperless patronage credit and may be redeemed toward purchases, taken as cash, or donated to Foodworks.

Patronage is more than a financial transaction, it is a reflection of shared ownership, shared responsibility, and shared success.

Thank you for being an active owner of the Brattleboro Food Co-op and for helping us build a strong and sustainable future together.

Emilee Hobbs, General Manager

Michele Meulendyk, President, Board of Directors

On behalf of our Board of Directors: Kevin Brennan, Calvin Dame, Denise Glover, Anneka Kindler, Evan Silber, Sheena Tesch, Jerelyn Wilson and Johanna Zalneraitis.