Check out this great article from our friends at The Assembly as we continue to celebrate 50 years of co-operation in 2026!

Zero-waste shopping has been trendy for years now, and it's a trend that *should* go viral. At Deep Roots Market, it is very easy to reduce your packaging waste by shopping in the co-op's extensive bulk department. As a fun history tidbit, Deep Roots started as a bulk-buying club in the dorms of Guilford College. We have stayed true to our roots by having the *best* bulk section in the Triad.

Yes, that is an astonishing 360 items available in Bulk! 

How to shop bulk:

1. You can bring your own container (bag/jar/etc.) from home. Write the weight (tare) on the container. Write the PLU # on the container. Fill it up!
2. There are paper bags located in the bulk department. Write the PLU # on the bag. Fill it up! 

Why shopping bulk is good for the planet: 

1. Eliminating Packaging Waste: Bulk goods come to the co-op in 25-50# paper bags. Packaged goods get repacked into smaller portions (often being packed in plastic) & packed into boxes. When you shop bulk you can use your own container or use paper bags.
2. Reducing Transportation:
Bulk goods: Packed in 25-50# bags > Sent to warehouses > Sent to Grocery stores
Packaged goods: Bulk goods are sent to companies > Items get repackaged into smaller portions & boxes > Sent to warehouses > Sent to Grocery Stores
3. Reducing Food Waste: When you shop bulk you can purchase *just the right amount* if you need ½ a cup of an obscure ingredient for a recipe, you can buy just that amount and not have a package of food sitting in your pantry unused.

Next time you are in the store take a walk through bulk, and don’t forget your reusable bags & jars!

This November, get ready for gatherings with friends and family with big savings on all Field Day products at your co-op.

Save on more than 300 Field Day items — from maple syrup to wild-caught tuna to paper towels — from Nov. 5 through Dec. 2, 2025. Field Day is our value brand that offers high-quality, delicious food and household products at more affordable prices every day through Co+op Basics, making this savings event even more spectacular. Our lowest prices will be even lower!

Stock up on staples like rice, pasta, beans and olive oil. Save on tons of spices and herbs, as well as baking essentials including sugar, vanilla and chocolate chips. Find the foods you want for holiday meals, like gravy, pumpkin puree and stuffing mix.

Gathering with family and friends for a Thanksgiving meal is a familiar ritual for many people, and we strive to serve our entire community well during this busy time of year. In recognition that the story of the first Thanksgiving perpetuates an inaccurate and harmful version of history, food co-ops across the country are making a collective donation to North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems (NATIFS) this November.

Food co-ops will donate 5¢ for every Field Day product sold during this promotion.

NATIFS is a nonprofit organization founded by Lakota Chef Sean Sherman (known as the Sioux Chef), dedicated to revitalizing Indigenous food systems and promoting cultural preservation within Native American communities. Through initiatives like the Indigenous Food Lab, NATIFS offers training programs, educational workshops and support for Indigenous entrepreneurs to empower individuals and foster economic development.

By addressing economic disparities, food insecurity and the loss of Indigenous food knowledge, NATIFS aims to restore health, wealth and cultural identity to Indigenous populations. The organization's commitment to promoting Indigenous foodways education, facilitating food access and revitalizing ancestral knowledge underscores its mission to create positive social impact and support underserved communities.

To learn more about NATIFS, visit natifs.org. If you want to get involved, follow NATIFS on social media, sign up for the NATIFS newsletter or make your own donation. You can also lend a hand by sharing their mission and vision on social media with your friends and family.

Taking advantage of low prices on Field Day items not only saves you money, but it also supports the vital work that NATIFS is undertaking. If you are interested in doing more, consider learning about and supporting the initiatives of Indigenous people in your local community. Start by visiting https://native-land.ca/ to learn whose ancestral land you live on.  

To see all the Co+op Deals available, visit deals.coop. 

October is Co-op Month and co-ops are getting major international attention from the UN this year: They declared 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives! In today’s world where corporate decisions are governed by profits and individualism is the norm, cooperation is truly radical. Now is the time to lift up the people-centered businesses at the heart of our communities and economies.

Under the theme “The Future is Cooperative,” this year’s Co-op Month is an opportunity to envision a cooperative future. The United Nations International Year of Cooperatives 2025 (IYC 2025) was launched at the ICA Global Cooperative Conference and General Assembly held in New Delhi in June 2024. The conference attracted around 3,000 delegates from over 100 countries who discussed how cooperatives build prosperity for all.

IYC 2025 highlights cooperatives’ contributions to sustainable development across social, economic and environmental dimensions and emphasizes the unique ability of cooperatives to foster inclusive growth and strengthen community resilience. According to the United Nations General Assembly, the resolution “notably focuses on the capacity for cooperatives to drive inclusive development, particularly in developing countries. It recognizes the role of cooperatives in promoting the economic status and capacity building of women and the wellbeing of vulnerable and marginalized people.”

Co-ops continue to be organized by communities across the U.S. and the world, anywhere people are interested in exercising more control over the kind of products and services they’re able to buy.

• There are more than 30,000 cooperative businesses in the U.S.
• The food co-op communities across the country that own National Co+op Grocers (NCG) work together collectively to strengthen our ability to positively impact our food system and grow the cooperative economy in an inclusive and environmentally regenerative manner.
• Thirty seven percent of food co-ops’ sales come from organic products (compared to 3% at conventional grocers), and 24% of sales at co-ops are from local products (as opposed to 2% at conventional grocers).
• Annually, $9 million was collectively donated to local community organizations by NCG co-ops.
• Co-ops work within our supply chain and industry and with the federal government to advocate for product labeling, disclosure of potentially harmful ingredients or contaminants, and protections for workers within our supply chain.

Want to know more about how to support cooperatives? Here are a few ideas:

• Look for the Co-op Trade signs around food co-ops to find cooperatively owned brands.
• Learn more about the history of food cooperatives.
• Read the Cooperative Values and Principles, which serve as guidelines to provide a democratic structure for co-ops around the world.
• Find a co-op near you and start shopping there!