Garden Department Update
We will be moving as much product as possible back into the
Westside Co-op with EBT-eligible plants and seeds receiving top
priority. Our hope is that this move will help increase access to
garden supplies rather than decreasing it, as members will no longer
need to be available during the garden center’s limited open hours.
The Garden Department at both stores will continue to prioritize the
most local, ethical and sustainably produced seeds, plants, starts
and supplies that we know our community wants to support.
The Staff Collective has a dedicated team working on plans for the
future of both the Garden department and the property that will be
vacated by the Garden Center. We are exploring a number of ways
this property could be used to benefit the organization and our
members. We will share more details with the membership as we
develop more concrete plans.
We are so grateful for the support and business the Garden Center
received over the years. We look forward to this opportunity to find
new and better ways of helping you with your gardens and serving
our wonderful community. Thank you.
Since 2014, the Garden Center has strived to promote food
production, encourage home gardening and food preservation,
improve local food security, and encourage a hands-on relationship
with the earth. It has been an honor and privilege to serve our
membership in this way. We loved supporting you in your amazing
and inspiring garden efforts.
However, due to the Co-op’s commitment to offering fair prices to our
members and fair wages to our workers, the Garden Center has never
been able to make enough money to cover its operating costs and has
operated at a loss these past 9 years despite our best efforts. After
long and careful deliberations, the Staff Collective has concluded
that closing the Westside Garden Center is the best choice for our
organization, working to integrate sales for the Garden Department
into the main store operations, much like the Eastside store.