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Local food co-op will remain independent

Merger with La Montañita of N.M. is ‘off the table’
Geoff Wolf, current Durango Natural Foods board president, opens the food co-op’s annual meeting Saturday at the Powerhouse Science Center. Among the topics: a year in review and the co-op’s maligned future.

Durango Natural Foods held its annual meeting Saturday at the Powerhouse Science Center to review its fiscal year and discuss its future.

As April elections for its board of directors already are under way, six of seven candidates – Rachel Bennett, Jules Masterjohn, Patricia Ey, Dan Randolph, Kim Randazzo and Root Routledge – addressed a group of about 50 people, seeking one of five open seats.

There was talk of board members playing a more central role in the more than 40-year-old co-op. Last year, many of its 1,400-plus members were miffed when they learned the current board was negotiating a merger with New Mexico cooperative La Montañita – with its six stores and 17,000 members in Albuquerque, Gallup and Santa Fe – without consulting general members.

Two petitions quickly were formed by DNF co-op members, who pay $100 annually, includes: one to reject the merger and the other to remove seven DNF board members.

A website also was created – www.TheUnheardHerald.com – that outlines the negotiations.

But the merger – what some members called an outright sale – never left the drawing board, according to board president Geoff Wolf.

“It’s off the table,” he said. “Too much local opposition, too much contentiousness, so we said, ‘Listen, we don’t need to push a rock uphill.’”

Former board member Paul Kosnik said La Montañita also withdrew interest when it learned of Durango’s public disapproval, but that potential change may be unavoidable.

“Whether it’s this year or next year, it will come back to discussion; this is just a very competitive market here,” Kosnik said. “For surviving, it’s going to be difficult in the long run.”

bmathis@durangoherald.com



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