The Caledonian Food Co-op Shares Their Journey

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Created on Thursday, 22 October 2026 17:00

Written by Asher Ballantine

The Caledonia Co-op, the community-owned grocery store, shares its road to progress since opening back in July.

For Sarah Kodada and Amanda Gangell, who serve as the Operations Manager and General Manager respectively, the dream was to give back to the community—to allow for a truly welcoming space.

“A wholesome place for people to enjoy not just as a grocery store, but have your coffee in here in the morning and hang out with your friends. That’s really what we want, and to have a safe and comfortable environment for people to enjoy,” says Gangell.

The community aspect is a defining trait of this store, not just in its ownership, but in the way it serves its customer base. Making the co-op into a home was a major goal for Amanda Gangell.

“You know, you can drive past Price Chopper, and it’s just Price Chopper,” says Gangell.

The Caledonia Co-op is an INFRA co-op, which has a different operational model than a typical NCG co-op. Thus, the Caledonia Co-op has a unique selection of products that differ from an average co-op.

“We’re really trying to make this Caledonia County Co-op, and making it a little different than Littleton, Hunger Mountain, or Buffalo,” says Gangell.

This, however, can also serve as a challenge for the Caledonia Co-op.

“People who come into co-ops who are familiar with co-ops are like, ‘I have expectations of what I’m gonna see here.’ So sometimes people see the Kellogg’s next to the Nature’s Path and say, ‘What is this?’” says Kodada.

The goal for the co-op is to create a closer connection between the customer and the food they choose to purchase, allowing for a stronger sense of community and also supporting the many local farms and companies in the state. There’s a strong emphasis on the co-op not just being a grocery store, but being a home for community members—a third space for people to enjoy.