Valley Natural Foods, Burnsville, Minn., recently hosted a two-hour Spring Social for co-op investors. The event, held on April 25, featured a short presentation and Q&A, along with hors d’oeuvres, sampling of social tonics and conversation about the benefits of investing in the co-op and the cooperative community.

The purpose of the event was to engage owners interested in exploring opportunities in C-Stock investment. According to Ashley Greywitt, Valley’s marketing brand manager, the open-house-style event was a success.

“Approximately one-third of attendees signed up on the spot,” she says. “And the remaining two-thirds committed either through mailed checks or verbal agreements to participate in C-Stock investments before the fiscal year’s end.”

Greywitt described an atmosphere of “community and shared enthusiasm for sustainable investing in our community-owned cooperative,” with discussion also focused on the co-op’s future events and goals.