YFC Timeline
The Ypsilanti Food Cooperative is the only not-for-profit food store in Ypsilanti, but it was not the first such enterprise in the community. During the Depression of the 1930’s, some area residents came together and formed the Ypsilanti Consumer Co-op, a buying club, to provide better quality food at cheaper prices. The club lasted for seven years and was housed on Cross Street.
The present Ypsilanti Food Cooperative grew out of a “bag co-op” which operated in the early 1970s, supplying produce and cheese purchased fresh at the Eastern Market in Detroit. The orange 1954 Hotpoint “Super-Stor” refrigerator (still located in our kitchen) would be moved on a monthly basis to various local churches where the food would be distributed to members.
The transition to the storefront occurred when the bag pick-up site was moved to 955 Sheridan. On April 11, 1975, members of the bag co-op formed a not-for-profit corporation under the laws of the state of Michigan, called the “Ypsilanti Cooperative Initiative.” Under the articles of incorporation, the membership was empowered to not only provide high quality food at the lowest possible prices, but also to “organize and support community efforts aimed at improving the quality of life…” These activities could include health, child care, education, recycling, non-polluting energy systems and cultural development. The Co-op remained loosely organized and was staffed mainly by volunteers; if a volunteer was not available to cash them out, customers paid on the honor system! Bulk food was offered from 5 gallon buckets displayed on milk crates and a 3- door glass cooler displayed refrigerated items, along with the orange refrigerator. The Co-op was forced to close in April 1978 when the building was sold.
In September of that year, the store reopened at 308 Perrin, where it sold natural foods to a small, yet diverse, clientele of students as well as community folks. At a General Membership Meeting in 1982, the membership charged the Board of Directors with developing a Five Year Plan to provide a framework for growth and financial stability. This brought about various changes including a one person management system to replace the collective structure which had become cumbersome and inefficient. A capitalization plan was developed to raise money through the system of Fair Shares, which made the members actual owners. Site relocation became the next major step as the rented space in the Perrin Street building was in poor condition and in a bad location, with a dilapidated house on one side and a liquor store on the other. A new location was sought and in February of 1984 the Co-op was moved to 312 North River Street, a historic building in Depot Town.
In 1986, the building came up for sale, but the Co-op was unable to purchase it at that point. A group of concerned members formed the Mill Works Partnership and bought the Mill Works building to guarantee affordable rent for the Co-op and its continued use of the space.
The Co-op expanded into the adjoining storefront in 1986 and underwent renovations. Simultaneously, the Depot Town Sourdough Community Bakery was opened next door and a wood-fired brick oven was installed. When the bakery failed, the Co-op took over the business and it has been running successfully as the River Street Bakery since 2005. Continuous additions and renovations have occurred to the Co-op through the years, as a new tile floor was laid, coolers were added, new windows were mounted, an awning added, new bulk bins were installed, and shelving was built and rebuilt. In 2008, the Co-op obtained a liquor license and began to carry beer and wine, focusing on local and organic brews. In the winter of 2010-2011, staff offices moved into a vacated second floor space to allow the Co-op to expand again, into the entire ground-floor footprint of the Mill Works building.
History of our mill works building
Built in 1840 through 1860, the Millworks Building was originally a factory where grinders for flour mills were manufactured. Through various owners, and eras in history, the building has become one of Depot Town’s landmarks. As the Ypsilanti Machine Works, it also produced scalpers, centrifugal reels, elevator heads, and boots with pulleys. A special reel for separating salt was manufactured here for the Diamond Crystal Salt Co. of St. Clare, Michigan.
The building was purchased in 1986 by a group of 5 people interested in historic preservation and community development. They formed the Ypsilanti Mill Works Partnership and, through much labor and capital investment, have renovated the building to its current multi-use with 4 upper apartments, 4 offices and 10,000 sf of retail space. Since 1984, the Mill Works Building has been the home of the Ypsilanti Food Co-op, a not-for-profit corporation, and has been providing natural foods in the community since 1975.
One of the few grocery stores in the city of Ypsilanti, the Co-op provides a full line of groceries, with an emphasis on organic, local and unprocessed food. The Co-op has been expanded steadily into the remainder of the building. Further expansion began in 2011 into the remainder of the ground floor to enlarge the bakery, create additional retail space, and add an official in-store eating area/café.
The Depot Town Sourdough Bakery was created next door to the Co-op in 1989, building a wood-fired brick oven into the back wall of 310 North River Street. Designed to produce whole grain artisan breads, it continues today as the River Street Bakery, and is owned and operated by the Ypsilanti Food Co-op since 2005. The bakery provides sourdough-started breads of all kinds, plus healthier alternatives to typical baked goods, including granolas, pies, cakes, cookies, brownies, soft pretzels, scones, and cupcakes. Also in 2005, YFC wrote a grant and installed our first four solar panels on the roof through a volunteer effort called Solar Ypsi.
Over the years the Co-op has participated in ownership of several cooperative warehouses, Michigan Federation of Food Co-ops, North Farm and Blooming Prairie, but these have all succumbed to competition. As natural and organic foods have become more widely accepted, corporate retail stores and wholesalers have entered the marketplace.
In 2010, the Co-op founded a demonstration beekeeping effort called the Local Honey Project. We’ve since had to discontinue this effort due to colony collapse, but who knows what the future holds?
In 2011, the Co-op underwent further building renovations and expansion. Materials recycling, in-line heated hot water, increased renewable energy, high-efficiency heat and light fixtures, all show our commitment to a sustainable future for our community. Today our solar array has grown to 60 panels, which allows our bakery to be 100% renewably-powered and also helps power the store.
Now, in 2024, we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor since a huge store expansion was completed in 2022. We have a fully functional bakery, a great deli serving up sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and more, plus a seating area with a mini-library in our cafe. YFC has seen a lot of changes in our nearly-50 years, and we’re excited to see what the future holds!
*If you are interested in reading a complete history of YFC, below is The Ypsi Food Co-op at Fifty 1975-2025 written by Rodolfo Alvarado and Corinne Sikorski.*
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