Our History

We were born in the Berkshires, created by and for families
who wanted good food on the table and a better way to get it.

Back in the late 60s and early 70s, folks formed buying clubs. Picture neighbors gathering in garages and community centers, splitting big bags of oats and cases of peanut butter so everyone could save a little money and eat a little better.

But people still craved fresh produce and a steady source of good food. So in 1980, a group of locals came together, raised just under $5,000, and opened a small grocery store in the Granary building on Rosseter Street. By opening day in 1981, 160 families had signed on as members.

Exterior of a rustic building with signs for a brewery and other businesses

From there, we grew—first expanding the Rosseter Street shop in 1993, then packing up and moving across town to Bridge Street in 2003. Owners made it happen by raising $420,000 in loans, and the new store quickly became a hub for good food and community.

Two people exchanging a cardboard box on a city sidewalk at night, with parked cars and storefronts in the background.
A small town street with a market building in the foreground, trees, shrubs, and a mountain in the background.

By 2019, once again bursting at the seams, Owners rallied to raise $1.4 million and we moved to our current home at 34 Bridge Street. For the first time, the Co-op had a space designed just for us, with room to grow, wider aisles, and a bright café to gather in.

Through every move and expansion, one thing has stayed the same: the Co-op has always been about neighbors rolling up their sleeves, pitching in, and making something bigger than any one of us could do alone.

People sitting outside a glass-fronted building with a sign reading 'Berkshire Food Co-op' on a sunny day.

Now, our original Rosseter Street sign hangs proudly in our café, a reminder of where we’ve come from and the people who got us to where we are now.

Sign reading 'Berkshire Co-op Market' with a painted red apple with a green leaf on a rustic wood background.
A loaf of white bread partially inside a loaf of whole wheat bread.