Last year, Willy Street Co-op celebrated its 50th year of offering sustainably produced groceries to the greater Madison community. Purchasing Director Liz Muñoz and the Co-op’s General Manager Anya Firszt chatted about local food—their decades of involvement with it and why customers care about it so much.
Liz: How long have you been involved with local food?
Anya: In November, 1985, I moved to Madison. One of the first people I met said, “You have to go to Willy Street Co-op; they have the best local food.” So I shopped there, then I volunteered, was hired as a clerk, and became the Assistant Produce Manager in 1989. I learned that local food is all about building relationships. These relationships were the groundwork in establishing our farmer program, where farmers could commit to selling us certain crops so that we’d have a consistent supply, and we’d commit to buying those crops so they had a guaranteed market. As General Manager, my role now is more about encouraging others to build and strengthen their own relationships with smaller local vendors.
Liz: That farmer program continues to be really beneficial both for our growers and for the Co-op. As the Purchasing Director, I see firsthand how the care and emphasis we place on local foods and producers, at all levels of our organization, really comes through. We track the number of local vendors we work with—about 500 right now—and our team works to grow that where we can.
Anya: I believe people still care about where their food comes from and how it's grown. That was one of the original reasons Willy Street Co-op was founded, and those values are still very much alive today. I love knowing that my food didn’t have to travel a thousand miles for me to enjoy it. But local sourcing isn’t always as easy as just buying from a distributor, is it?
Liz: No, it can certainly be less efficient! Often a family or small group is running all aspects of an operation, and they may be actively producing or packaging their products rather than responding to emails. Many new local vendors are just learning, so we may spend more time with them. We get a ton of interest from local vendors, and when we’re able to bring them in and be a part of their success it's a great reminder of why we’re here doing what we do for our local food community!
To learn more about Willy Street Co-op, visit willystreet.coop or any of their three stores. You don't have to be a member to shop!
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