Waterville Co-op Seeks Support

After years of saying they wanted a grocery store back in the village, Waterville residents are not using the one they have.

Huddle Farms Village Market-the non-profit co-op in the Triangle Bank building on the corner of Main and White Streets-has expanded its offerings in the past year to better serve as a grocery store, Board members said.

But at their annual meeting recently, they said they were running out of ideas to lure people into the store.

“We’ve gone from three years when we had no store to a fully stocked one,’’ Board President Tom Olin said.

The store works with local producers and vendors for its stock. While that helps keep food costs low, the store has taken a hit in revenues in the last 12 months.

The last payment of $40,000 of a federal grant was pulled.

Utility costs have increased their cost for renting the space, and the overall higher pricetag on food has had a negative impact.

The store was one of the projects recommended by the Local Planning Committee for funding from the New York Forward grant, but did not receive any money.

The idea for a Cafe does bring people in for sandwiches and soup for lunch, Olin said.

But rarely do those customers venture into the store to make other purchases.

“We thought the Cafe would give them incentive to look around and shop,’’ he said.

The idea for the co-op was to address the food desert along Route 20 between West Winfield and Waterville.

It would also focus on local growers and healthy options.

In the past year the store received its status as a non- profit.

People do not need to be members of the co-op to shop there, but membership does give discounts.

They have applied to accept SNAP and EBT benefits.

Another hinderance is the lack of volunteers.

Fifteen people help out at the store, with seven of them members ...