Dear Owners, Shoppers & Supporters of Deep Roots Market,

As 2024 comes to a close, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on what we’ve accomplished together and share my gratitude for your continued support. This year has been one of growth, connection, and progress—and none of it would have been possible without you.

A Year of Transition & Growth

In 2024, we faced our fair share of challenges, but we also made great strides in our mission to continue providing fresh, sustainable, and local products to our community. Some highlights include:

• We supported more than 100 local farmers and producers, ensuring that the highest possible seasonal percentage of our offerings are sourced locally.
• We reduced our environmental impact by continuing to focus on initiatives like encouraging the use of reusable bags and boxes, reducing single-use plastic containers, and promoting our composting and glass recycling availability.
• We hosted a number of community events, including classes, samplings, and workshops, bringing together neighbors to learn and grow.
• We saw the completion of major projects like rebuilding our vestibule after it was destroyed by a vehicle, updating and enhancing our point-of-sale system, and making significant repairs to several parts of our refrigeration equipment.
• We, through your generous support, raised $4,141.15 for Hurricane Helene relief in Western NC. Those funds were combined with funds collected by co-ops all across the country, and with the addition of a $100,000 matching donation from National Co+op Grocers, resulted in a total contribution of $201,940.13 through the Cooperative Development Foundation’s Disaster Recovery Fund.
• Our Board of Directors announced a renewed focus on the repayment of outstanding owner loans, with the initial step of committing up to $80,000 to repay all 5-year owner-lenders (the longest overdue) by the end of 2024, and the formation of a multi-year plan and significant fundraising efforts to address the remaining loans. Already, we have seen tremendous support by a number of owner-lenders and foundations who have agreed to forgive all or part of their loans as a donation to the co-op and we cannot thank them enough for their generosity.
• Most notably, we saw a major management transition with the departure of our previous General Manager of almost 7 years, the appointment of an interim GM team, a nationwide search for candidates undertaken by our Board of Directors, and yours truly humbly accepting the position in July. With my transition to GM came the need to fill my previous positions at the co-op, Finance Manager and Human Resources Manager. Between filling those positions and other staffing changes, we also onboarded a new Grocery Manager, Wellness Manager, and Community Outreach Coordinator, all of which were filled internally from our pool of exceptionally dedicated, hard-working, and talented staff members.

Looking Ahead

As we plan for 2025, we are excited about the opportunities to serve you better. Some of the initiatives on the horizon include:

• Consistently working to expand our product range to include more diverse and inclusive offerings that cater to all dietary needs and preferences, while maintaining the high standards you’ve come to appreciate and expect of your co-op through our Food Commitment.
• Diligently reviewing prices and pursuing promotions in this difficult-to-navigate landscape of continued inflation, product supply and availability, and intense competition, to ensure we are offering the very best value and selection to our shoppers while still maintaining a reasonable margin to cover our operating expenses and financial obligations for the continued survival of the business.
• Thoughtfully continuing our efforts to fulfill our financial obligations to our outstanding owner-lenders and to raise much-needed additional capital, not only to ensure the continued survival of the business but also to make necessary improvements to the shopping experience and investments in technology and practices to lay the foundation for a more successful and sustainable future.

Thank You for Your Support

Your loyalty and engagement are the heart of our co-op. Whether you’ve been an owner for years or recently joined our community, your contributions make a huge difference. Together, we’re not just running a grocery store; we’re building a movement that prioritizes people, planet, and prosperity.

Stay Connected

We’d love to hear from you! Your feedback helps us grow and improve. Please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts by visiting the Contact & Suggestions page on our website.

I truly wish you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year. Thank you for being part of our Deep Roots family. Here’s to another year of shared success and community!

In Co-operation,

Matt Davis, General Manager