2026 Annual Meeting

On Sunday, March 8, Lost River Co-op & Cafe help its 2026 Annual Meeting to share the state of the co-op, plans for the year and to hear from co-op members. Here is a recap of the meeting.

Recap of 2025

2025 was a great year for produce. Last year marked the start of the mobile farm stand, which traveled to multiple counties with fresh produce. The co-op had 52 CSA participants. This year, the goal is to increase that number to 75.

And we collaborated with many community partners to distribute Food as Medicine meal kits and free produce bags to the community.

• These programs are implemented in partnership with Orange County Food Trust, SICHC, Purdue Extension, Hoosier Uplands, Orange County Community Garden, Safe Haven, Grace Haven and others.

• These programs serve a dual purpose for the co-op: they bring in revenue for the co-op while feeding people in the community.

Finances

The projected deficit at the start of 2025 was -$75,000. Through the revenue from the activities just mentioned (produce, CSA, farm stand, catering), co-op revenue increased and that decreased the deficit to a net loss of -$33,000. If we include mortgage principal and other recurring debt and tax expenses, the true deficit is -$51, 000. The co-op has run at a deficit for nearly every year of operation and 2025 was no different.

Operating with a deficit means that not all of our bills are covered. Each week, payroll and vendors are prioritized first. But that leaves many bills that we are unable to pay in a timely manner and prevents the store from having cash on hand to purchase new inventory for the shelves. There are a few pathways to profitability that we'll be working towards in 2026. But the immediate need is to raise funds to purchase inventory for the shelves and to pay key operational expenses.

That is why we’ve launched a "Make up the Deficit" Fundraising Campaign. As part of the fundraiser, we will be hosting the Talent & Treasure Auction on March 28 at 6:30. It will be a lively night - with a live auction, a silent auction, appetizers, and sweet treats.

• Auction items include art from Ray Beauregard, Anne Marie Mahler, handmade items like tea towels, a table runner, private classes on how to make a bowl, cutting board or other item, a private chef and more!

• We’ll also have an in-store silent auction during the week leading up to the Talent Auction night. So please join us for the auction night to raise funds for the co-op while having a good time!

On Donations

Last year, the board mentioned that it is not the goal to rely on donations to cover the deficit. That is still true. And in 2025, we had far less donations than previous years (nearly 80% reduction in donations). The goal is still to find a way to “break even” through business activities alone. And there are a few pathways to profitability.

Pathways to profitability

1. Catering

   1. Catering has been steadily increasing throughout the past year and we are projecting a 10% increase in catering revenue this year. Typical catering customers are organizations hosting luncheon meetings, buffet-style hot meals, and even weddings.

   2. To help increase catering, we’ll be doing more promotion. And implementing a catering referral program.

   3. Meeting room activity - this community room continues to be used as a place for meetings and events and this has lead to more catering orders. All of this activity brings in revenue to the co-op AND helps to foster community.

2. Food access programs

   1. This includes the CSA (produce boxes), the mobile farm stand, and the partnerships with organizations to feed the community.

   2. All of these activities bring in revenue for the co-op. These activities allow us to be the food distribution partner for our area - where we’re gathering produce from local suppliers and distributing it through various programs.

3. The final pathway to profitability is re-evaluating the co-op as a food store

   1. The co-op started as a grocery store 17 years ago. But now, there is the cafe, coffee, catering, meeting space, and all the produce activity. Due to a shortage in cash-flow the last few months, the grocery shelves have been a bit bare.

   2. So it’s a good time that we examine our definition as Lost River Co-op as a food store and to what level we should carry grocery items.

Shawn Hughes, Orange County Food Trust

During the annual meeting, we heard from Shawn Hughes about his role as part-time local food coordinator with the Orange County Food Trust. Through a Being For Others project grant, the Food Trust secured funds for this role. In this role, Shawn will work on connecting local partners with funders who want to feed the community through bags of basics, produce bags, meal kits, snack kits, etc.

Thank you to SICHC

Debbie Turner shared a word of thanks and recognition to SICHC which has been an instrumental partner in the mobile farm stand, securing equipment, and connecting food access programs to those who need it.

Food Store

In the final portion of the annual meeting, attendees split into small groups to discuss what the co-op means to them, what items should be stocked on the shelves and to what level. Major themes from these discussions were:

• Meat, Dairy, Produce, Eggs and Bulk were mentioned multiple times as the main reasons members shop

• Focus on locally made items

• Focus on items that cannot be bought at Walmart

• Consistency is key with inventory

Thank you

Thank you to every who attended the annual meeting and shared thoughts. Thank you to our members, our community partners, the board of directors, and all customers who visit, gather, and shop at Lost River Co-op & Cafe!

If you have any thoughts you'd like to share, please send them to email.lostrivercoop@gmail.com.