In September, Forty Acres Fresh Market opened in Austin, and is one of the only full-service grocery stores in the neighborhood of over 95,000 people.
The Austin Community Food Co-op is working toward adding another grocery store to Austin, this one owned by community members who buy into it. Sponsored by the local nonprofit Austin Coming Together, the initiative launched in 2017 and now has over 40 owners.
“Our vision is to strengthen the health, wellness and local economy of the Austin community through a cooperative,” said Alyssa Sherman, Austin Community Food Co-op’s community relations coordinator. She said the co-op’s mission aims to address the continued disinvestment from Austin that has left the neighborhood without food access and stability.
Though the Austin Community Food Co-op started years ago, it was officially incorporated in January. Throughout this year, staff has been looking for community members to join in the ownership and development of the future grocery co-op.
“This is something that’s for us, by us,” Sherman said. The idea is to keep money in Austin, building individual and community wealth.
According to the co-op, Austin residents annually spend over $159 million dollars on food outside of their neighborhood.
“People have to go out of their way to get groceries and food,” Sherman said.
Sherman said both her mother and grandma – Dollie Sherman, who’s an engagement specialist at ACT, block club president and steward of the block club’s garden at 624 N. Lorel – are already a part of the co-op, which means she is too since the ownership extends to everyone in the shareholder’s household.
“A lot of the disadvantages that I see in my community, that I grew up with, were things that either were never really taught to us or never fully explained to our community. I feel like Austin has been an area where we had to depend on people, depend on outside help, depend on outside funding,” Sherman said. “I feel like this is a very good start in helping Austin build itself up to a point where it can fully sustain itself without any outside help, a community that literally creates wealth for itself and others and the communities around it.”
What is a co-op?
Those who purchase a share in the Austin Community Food Co-op pay a one-time fee of $200 to be a part-owner. Owners have a say in the store’s direction by electing and serving on the co-op’s board of directors. Once the store opens, they get discounts and could potentially collect dividends if the co-op becomes profitable enough.
Sherman said the co-op is looking into fundraising to create a fund for those who want to be owners but need a bit of help to afford it.
“One thing we are very much pushing for is Black leadership because of how the Black community was brought down in the Austin neighborhood,” Sherman said. “Co-ops are something that have always been in Black communities. Famous people like W.E.B. Du Bois, Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, they created a lot of cooperatives.”
She added that everyone is welcome to be an owner of the co-op, even those who don’t live in Austin.
The Austin Community Food Co-op is holding its first annual owners meeting this month. While people can join the co-op whenever they want, current owners will elect their first permanent board of directors and share ideas for the future of the co-op.
“We want to get to know the people who are owners but also see exactly what they feel like their ownership will look like in a community and how they feel the co-op can help the community in ways besides the grocery store,” Sherman said.
The co-op isn’t the only priority for Austin Forward Together. Since 2018, ACT staff and volunteers have provided education about food and health at community events and farmers markets in Austin.
For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, ACT distributed food to 1,000 families every week. The co-op has been involved in food popup events, giveaways and donation drives.
Sherman said she will continue hosting weekly meetings for those interested in joining the Austin Community Food Co-op.
To find out more and become an owner, visit www.austincommunityfoodco-op.com.
Nov. 12, 2025, 3:45 p.m.: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the co-op’s timeline and affiliation to Austin Coming Together. The co-op launched in 2017, before ACT’s Austin Eats initiative. The current version clarifies the role of co-op part-owners, perks of being an owner and topics of the first annual owners meeting this month. Owners can elect and serve on the co-op’s board of directors and potentially collect dividends if the store becomes profitable. We apologize for the errors.
