The boards of both co-ops have explored the possibility of merging several times over the years, with this instance beginning in October of 2019. Find a timeline of cooperation in the Election Voter Guide to learn more.

After close to two years of hard work, both boards came to the conclusion that JLF and MMFC would be stronger as one cooperative and have signed a Merger Agreement. Now they are presenting the question of whether or not the co-ops should merge to both ownerships so they may vote yes.

Should the ownerships of both co-ops vote yes, the merger will close within a few months, and both co-ops will become one entity with one combined board and ownership. Shoppers at JLF will also immediately gain new services and programs offered by MMFC, including a more powerful POS system, eCommerce, Double Dollars, Round Up for Good, Meet The Locals, and more. For both boards’ vision of a combined co-op, see the Election Voter Guide.

Because the unified co-op will be larger, it will have more buying power than each had separately. This will result in our ability to lower prices in many instances.

Yes. Although there may be a few changes at both stores, their product selections will largely remain the same so they can continue serving the needs of their unique communities.

The boards hope to have the merger closed by December 2021, which means most changes will take effect in January 2022 and in the months after.

(Updated) The voting period begins at 8:00am on Sunday, August 29, 2021 and concludes at midnight on Sunday, September 12, 2021. Voting will take place electronically. Our electronic ballots are verified by Election Runner, a secure third-party audited website.

Anyone who is an active owner of JLF and/or MMFC on July 21, 2021, when the Merger Agreement was put into place, may cast a vote. 1,472 JLF owners and 2,938 MMFC owners are eligible to vote. The name listed on the back cover of the mailed vote guide is the owner eligible to vote. If you are an owner of both co-ops, you may cast a vote at each co-op for which you hold a valid membership.

The boards have finalized the merger as of July 21, 2021. That includes the new board structure, all merger documents, and the vision for the new co-op’s next five years. All owners will be asked to provide is a yes or no vote on whether the co-ops should merge. Both boards unanimously recommend a YES vote.

Come back to this web page to access the link to the secure voting website once the election starts at 3:00pm on August 29, 2021. You will be asked to submit your owner number. You will also enter your first name exactly as it appears on the back cover of the mailed voter guide; if your name is misspelled on the mailing label, please enter it misspelled. You can also vote at the Annual Owner Meeting. Online voting must be completed by Saturday, September 11, 2021 at 5:00pm.

The results of the merger election will be announced after voting ends at the MMFC Annual Owner Meeting.

The boards have provided all of the necessary information regarding the merger in the Election Voter Guide that was mailed to all active owners of both co-ops and on this web page, and they are hosting several meetings in August at which owners can learn more. Find links to these materials and the list of events above.

You can submit questions or feedback about the merger by scrolling to the bottom of this page and filling out the form.

Owners of JLF will automatically become owners of MMFC upon merger. Throughout their histories, MMFC owners have invested $100 in ownership equity while JLF owners have invested $150. At merger, all equity of all JLF owners will become equity in MMFC in the form of Class A and Class B shares. JLF owners will simply have more investment in the co-op and be eligible to receive that full amount back should they request to leave ownership. People that are owners at both co-ops will have their total investment accounted for on the co-op’s books, but like all other owners they will only receive one vote in elections after merger. After merger, the Board of Directors may decide to repurchase these normalizing shares and refund extra equity. After merger, people applying for ownership to the co-op will be asked to invest $100.

We don’t know yet. An announcement about owner numbers will be shared if the merger passes.

Yes, once owner numbers are finalized, you will be able to use the same number at both stores.

We haven’t ironed out the details for owner benefits yet, but they will largely remain the same. Owner discounts will still be offered, for example; how we will offer them will be shared at a later date.

Absolutely. Should the merger pass, all owners are welcome (and encouraged) to attend meetings held by the new board.

Only owners who joined on or before July 21st, 2021 are eligible to vote on merger.

JLF and MMFC will become one co-op under the MMFC brand. See the Election Voter Guide for more information on how the boards made this decision.

The new co-op will begin with an initial board of nine directors, composed of five directors from MMFC and four directors from JLF. Over the next two election cycles, one board seat will be vacated until we arrive back at a seven-member board. Elections will be held according to the Bylaws proposed as part of this merger agreement, with approximately 1/3 of the board being elected in a given year. The board members are listed in the Election Voter Guide.

There will be no staff layoffs as a result of the Merger. There may be restructuring of roles and duties to best use skills and fulfill desires, but all staff will remain employed and maintain their current or higher rate of pay. We believe there will be more opportunity for advancement to new or expanded roles, and opportunities to increase both pay and benefits across all levels in the organization. Our staff are crucial partners, and we want to continue that partnership as we shape the next chapter.

Both co-ops have historically been big supporters of local growers, producers, and processors. This will not change. Our goal is that 37% of our product selection at both co-ops be locally sourced by 2026.

The boards and staff intend to expand the Eau Claire location by 2026. Merger positions our combined co-op to be ready for this. If we are ready to take on this opportunity before another grocer does, it is easy to imagine our total sales across both locations doubling.