We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
Shown here are kids of all ages enjoying shopping after school at the Big Flat Grocery Store. Maggie Kimmel, manager of the store, is happy to see the kids after school and looks forward to serving you! Stop in and see this great asset to our little community!!
BIg Flat Grocery Store in 1925. It was built by Smith and Kessel. It supplied locals with groceries, a butchering shop, Christmas and Gift shopping,and farm supplies. In 1969 the road between Harlem and Turner, known as Hwy 241, began seeing some paving, this was a help as well as a detriment to the survival of the store. People were driving more and vehicles were made better making trips down the line more feasible. This in turn saw more people shopping out of town and today, online. Through the formation of a community co-op and a strong 73 shareholders, the store is alive and thriving.
In April, a Statewide Meeting of the Montana Cooperative Development Council was held at Fairmont Hot Springs. The Big Flat Co-op was asked to attend to share their success as they were the "poster child" for cooperative success.
Shannon Van Voast, secretary of the Big Flat Co-op, was the representative of the co-op from Turner. She met Sam Rikkers who was the keynote speaker at this conference and apparently what Van Voast had to say made a lasting impression on him. After the conference, both Rikkers and Van Voast were both interviewed by a reporter. It was some time later that Van Voast would be contacted by Rikkers and asked to share her story once again for the Department of Commerce and also for a panel at Penn State. She remembers being very honored, excited to share the story again, and nervous all at the same time.
Shannon and her husband, Alan, began making plans and reservations for their trip in early October. They flew from Great Falls to Denver to Baltimore/Washington International (BWI).
They were able to get in a little sightseeing the day before the conference. They met up with Matt Perduc, Sam Rikker's assistant. Matt gave them a tour of the USDA building, then traveled to the Department of Commerce. Shannon presented her story about the Big Flat Coop at a "federal interagency" workgroup meeting. After presenting, the Van Voast's rode with Rikker's and Perduc to State College, PA.
The following morning they went to a ballroom on campus. They met the Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, and his security team. That evening, they went to Tuscarora Organic Grower's Cooperative where they were honored to join Sam and his wife at their home for supper.
The next three days were sight-seeing days where they toured the Capitol building, library of Congress, Holocaust Museum, The Museum of Natural History, Vietnam War Museum, Korean War Memorial, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson Memorials. They closed out their trip by returning home that Sunday.
A bit of what Van Voast spoke about was the history of the Big Flat Grocery Store and how the Co-op in Turner came to be. The theme of the meeting was how the co-op model came to be a tool of economic development and economic survival for Turner. One point made was how the co-op model proved viable where the traditional business model was not able to survive over time. A bit about Turner and it's store was shared at each meeting.
The original store was built in 1925 by Smith and Kessel. They sold a variety of goods including groceries, butcher shop, Christmas and general gift giving items, and farm supplies. Several long term owners committed to the store over the decades.
In 1969, the road between Harlem and Turner began a paving process. It would take a few years, but eventually the entire stretch between Harlem and the Canadian border would see a paved road.
The Railroad left and CRP began in the farming industry. Both of these would change the farming dynamics. In 2012, the owners of the store listed their building for sale. The 501c (3) foundation began earnest discussions about the formation of a co-op. Again, at last minute, private owners came forward and saved the store by purchasing it.
In February of 2013, the owners closed the store as they were unable to continue operating primarily because of the loss of their supplier. The loss of the store also confirmed for many people how vital the store was to this community. The Board of Directors were elected on June 17, 2013.
There are 73 shareholders to date. In January 2014, The Big Flat Grocery opened for business. Some of the urgent needs were finding a supplier, equipment, licenses, remodeling and maintenance, employees, and collect stock subscriptions.
Finding a supplier was of top concern due the community's remote location. This location was not on any delivery route to any supplier. The building was in poor condition but the board worked out a very accommodating lease with the landlords with the understanding that they would do building maintenance.
The roof needed fixed, new windows would be put in, and a general clean up to the interior. On August 1, 2013 the board hired Maggie Kimmel as their general manager. Martha Warren was hired as a part time employee.
The Community makes the co-op work by an array of "many hands make lighter work!" Time was donated to help clean up the building, a family donated new flooring, donated labor to install new floor, replace the ceiling, lights were replaced, and windows were installed. The landlords were very generous with the improvements they put into the building. They paid for all the maintenance including a new roof on the existing building.
On April 2015, the building was purchased. Finance was possible through the landlords. An upcoming stucco repair job on the building exterior is in order.
The Big Flat Co-op and Grocery is blessed for all the community support, whether it be labor, donations, shopping, etc. The store is truly a blessing to the many people and families in this community. The community is genuinely invested in the success of the store.
Some of the tools that the Co-op has utilized are Montana Cooperative Development Center who provided invaluable guidance, the Bear Paw Development was a huge resource, talented community members, donations of labor and materials to maintain the building.
There are approximately 150 co-ops in the state of Montana. We are truly blessed.
