Mass Food history

According to legend, Lawrence “Chubby” Woodman, owner of Woodman’s of Essex, fried his first clam in 1916 at a friend’s suggestion.

Two brothers started the business in 1948, and with the business acumen of salesman Ray Kroc, turned it into the fast food conglomerate it is today.

In 1972 the Atkins family began making apple cider doughnuts.

Herrell’s was founded in 1973 by Steve Herrell, the guy responsible for Steve’s Ice Cream in Somerville, once a local institution.

Donald Worster (1979) argues that the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression occurred simultaneously because they were both products of the same American society, culturally oriented toward rampant expansionism, which destroyed balance, both economically and ecologically.

While Americans have long eaten with good health in mind, 1980 marks a turning point as food, nutrients, and health became fused in the American consciousness when the US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services published the first Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

1997 Community members meet at Forbes Library to discuss the development of a consumer-owned store in Northampton.

1998 A series of meetings at the Northampton Fresh Pasta Company leads to the formation of a Steering Committee, a Site Search Committee and an Outreach Committee.

1999 The co-op incorporates as Northampton Community Cooperative Market, Inc.

2000 The co-op receives a development grant from the Northampton-based Solidago Foundation, a Rural Business Enterprise Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, and a generous donation from an anonymous family foundation.

2001 CDS Consulting completes its first market study, and the Hill and Dale Mall is chosen as a strong candidate for a potential site.

2002 Member-owners vote to continue searching for a site in Northampton and negotiations begin on the Potpourri Mall site soon after.

2003 The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative provides a $400,000+ Green Building Grant and the co-op purchases a liquor license.

2004 Cooperative Grocers’ Association Northeast [CGANE] provides $100,000 to the building of our co-op, leveraging a $50,000 business planning advance from the National Cooperative Bank Development Corporation [NCBDC]. The National Cooperative Bank [NCB] extends a $100,000 line of credit.

2007 The co-op closes on all financing and construction begins.

These seven guideline statements contributed to growing public awareness of the connections between consuming foods high in fat, sodium, and cholesterol and disease, from strokes to diabetes (Vileisis 2008: 224).

2012 Development begins on a Food for All program to highlight reduced prices on select popular items throughout the store.

2015 The co-op begins exploring opportunities for expanding into a second store.