For more than five decades, Coos Head Food Co-op has served as a community hub along Oregon’s southern coast. Founded in 1971, the co-op serves 2,850 members from its downtown Coos Bay store, where shoppers find quality food, friendly staff and commitment to community.
Located 2-4 hours from the nearest major cities, Coos Bay is a rural coastal community facing high poverty levels and unique challenges when it comes to keeping essential businesses and local dollars close to home. Coos Head Food Co-op was built as a collective effort to strengthen the local economy and expand access to quality food.
Today, that mission continues through partnerships with 25 local farms and more than 100 local producers, helping sustain a food system that benefits shoppers, growers and the broader community.
Another way Coos Head Food Co-op supports food access is through The Beet Food System, a nonprofit organization founded by the co-op. The Beet supports the local food system and improves food security by operating a community fridge stocked with free produce, much of it purchased from local farmers. The organization also hosts gardening workshops throughout the spring and summer and coordinates donations with local food pantries.
Coos Head also participates in Double Up Food Bucks, helping make fresh produce more affordable for shoppers using EBT benefits. When customers use EBT to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, the co-op matches their produce total up to $20 per transaction. Those Double Up Food Bucks can be used during future visits, expanding access to nutritious food for local families.
Through Community Cooking with the Co-op, a partnership with the Coos Bay Library, Coos Head hosts free monthly cooking classes focused on healthy vegetarian recipes for beginners. Each month, the co-op provides 10 free ingredient vouchers, worth $25 each, to help attendees put what they learn into practice.
Sustainability is another important part of the co-op’s work. Its Green Team Committee brings together co-op members and board members to encourage sustainable business and shopping practices, like recycling and upcycling, passing out free reusable produce bags, and promoting bulk shopping. Recently, the co-op converted its front lawn into a native plant rain garden. A renovated parking lot now includes space for a bioswale that will also feature native plants.
In June 2026, Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield visited Coos Head Food Co-op to see firsthand how the co-op strengthens the local community and improves access to healthy food. The visit highlighted shared priorities around food security and support for neighbors who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/EBT) benefits.
“Coos Head Food Co-op has lasted so long because it prioritizes community,” one co-op supporter shared. “When you’re at the co-op, you feel like you’re supporting your neighbors and they’re supporting you.”
For General Manager Patrick Franks, membership in NCBA CLUSA connects their local work to a larger movement. “We believe in the power of cooperatives to build stronger communities, create shared opportunity and keep people at the center of business,” Franks said. “NCBA helps connect us to a national cooperative movement, gives us a stronger collective voice and supports the values of cooperation, democracy and community impact that guide our work every day.”
NCBA CLUSA is proud to have members like Coos Head Food Co-op that live out Principle 7, or “concern for community,” every day by committing to tackling challenges like food insecurity.