City of Keene Mayor Kendall Lane proclaimed the Monadnock Food Co-op as the winner of The 2014 Monadnock Green Business of the Year Award during the Monadnock Earth Day Festival. Also during the ceremony, State Senator Molly Kelly spoke about the importance of this award and Pamela Slack delivered a letter of congratulations to the Co-op from US Senator Jeanne Shaheen.
Each year, this award recognizes one socially and environmentally responsible business in the Monadnock Region. The City of Keene has set substantial goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase community resiliency — goals that it knows it can’t reach alone. This award, by promoting for-profit businesses, encourages others to make the changes needed to reach these goals.
Bill Whyte from W.S. Badger shared his business’ accomplishments since winning last year’s Monadnock Green Business of the Year Award, including supporting Benefit Corporation legislation and expanding their employee childcare program.
The nominees for this year’s award were the Amazing Flower Farm, Clark-Mortenson Insurance, Dave’s Automotive Enterprises, Hillside Spring Farm, Monadnock Food Co-op and Monadnock Paper Mill.
“From day one, the Monadnock Food Co-op has been an incredible contributor to the Monadnock community and the city of Keene,” shared nominee Christopher McIntosh from Clark-Mortenson about this year’s winner. “We are so lucky to have such great neighbors in our back yard!”
This honor is awarded by the Keene Cities for Climate Protection Committee in partnership with the Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce, Hannah Grimes Center, Monadnock Buy Local and Monadnock Sustainability Network.
MAYOR’S PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS: The Monadnock Food Co-op, incorporated in April 2010, opened in April 2013 and located in Keene, NH, is a community-owned grocery store, owned by close to 2,000 individuals, focusing on local, organic and healthy food.
WHEREAS: The Monadnock Food Co-op exists to meet the community’s need for:
- An accessible, community-owned downtown food market
- A marketplace that welcomes and connects community
- A healthy, sustainable food system
- The support of local farmers and producers
- Appropriate education and training for the community
- A strong, sustainable and improving local economy
WHEREAS: At a time of growing questions about the quality and safety of food, the Monadnock Food Co-op is a place that empowers and educates member-owners and shoppers about food safety and health, and prioritizes directly supporting the local farmers and producers in our region by carrying products from over 175 local farms and product producers located within 100 miles of this store.
WHEREAS: During the Co-op’s building construction last year, $100,000 in additional capital was invested in green building improvements.
WHEREAS: The Co-op’s Healthy Food for All Program is making healthy food more accessible to those in financial need.
WHEREAS: The Co-op created close to 60 jobs in its first year, and expects to pay over $1.25 million in wages this current fiscal year. The ripple effect of these local jobs will strengthen our local economy and community.
WHEREAS: The Co-op reduces waste by having the largest bulk department of any grocery store in our community, offering reusable bowls, plates & utensils for in-house dining, collecting food scraps produced by its kitchen and produce departments and picked up by local farmers — diverting roughly 1/3 of the Co-op’s waste from the landfill to area farms, ensuring these valuable nutrients are recycled as animal feed and farm compost, and using other waste-reducing measures.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kendall Lane, Mayor of the City of Keene, do hereby congratulate the Monadnock Food Co-op as the recipient of the Monadnock Green Business of the Year Award for 2014 and extend an official thank you for their valuable contributions to our community; and do further ask that all citizens of Keene join me in saluting them and wishing them continued success.
The nominees for this year’s award included the Amazing Flower Farm, Clark-Mortenson Insurance, Dave’s Automotive Enterprises, Hillside Spring Farm, Monadnock Food Co-op and Monadnock Paper Mill. Learn more about all the nominees.
Monadnock Buy Local is proud to partner with the Keene Cities for Climate Protection Committee, Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce, Hannah Grimes Center and Monadnock Sustainability Network to award this honor to one for-profit business this year.
Leave a comment