(March 22, 2012) Presentation at the 2012 Illinois State Section Spring Conference for the American Planning Association (APA).

1. Real Food Happens Here
Local Food Infrastructure, Programs, and Projects in
Urbana-Champaign
Todd Sweet
Director, Common Ground

2. History
• Urbana, IL
• Founded in 1974
• Moved to current location in mid-2008
• 3,550 Owners (last I checked)
• $60 equity investment
• 45 full and part-time employees
• One of the fastest growing grocery co-ops in
the nation past four years

3. Voice of the Owners

4. Mission Statement (Our “Ends”)
1. The co-op is the center of a vibrant, inclusive
community
2. The cooperative movement is strengthened
3. The co-op serves as an educational resource on
food issues
4. Our local food chain is more equitable,
robust, and environmentally sound.

5. Local (&Regional) Defined
32 Local Sources
23 Regional Sources

6. Educating Consumers

7. Intertwined
Common Ground Sales
80% Regional & Other
Products
20% Local Products

8. Economic Impact
$3,500,000 80%
70%
$3,000,000 $2,914,751 70%
64%
60%
$2,500,000
$2,204,348
50%
$2,000,000
38%
$1,599,813 40%
Sales
$1,500,000
32% % Growth
30%
$975,739
$1,000,000
20%
$573,225
$500,000 12% 10%
$- 0%
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

9. On the Horizon: Expansion!
• Construction starts April 1, 2012
• $2.5 million total project budget
• $1 million raised from owners
• 250% increase in retail sq ft to 5,580
• Projected sales $5.6 million in 1st year
• 65 FT/PT employees post-expansion

10. Breadth & Depth

11. Threats?
• Demand is obviously there, but will supply
keep pace?
Bottlenecks:
• Cost of farmland
• Availability of farmland (zoning?)
• New farmers
• Regulations

12. Opportunities?
• Local food is huge economic development
opportunity
• $2.3 billion spent by agriculture industry in
Central IL buying inputs from outside the
region.¹
• $3.9 billion spent by Central IL consumers on
food from outside our region.¹
¹ Source: Ken Meter at Common Ground Co-op Grocery — Urbana, Illinois (September 10, 2011). Facilitator for
strategic planning session involving local planning, economic development officials and city council members, along with
local foods leaders.

13. Thanks!
Todd Sweet
tmsweet@gmail.com
Presentation available at:
http://toddsweet.com