Lawrence’s community-owned cooperative grocery store, The Merc Co+op, is turning 50 and the public is invited to mark the milestone.
On Saturday, the Watkins Museum of History will open a free exhibit, “50 Years of Cooperation: The History of the Merc Co+op.”
The exhibit will feature the co-op’s original signage and explore the store’s origins during the politically charged 1970s while examining The Merc’s growth and community impact over five decades, according to a news release from the museum.
“The Merc Co+op’s first 50 years are a fascinating story, covering five store locations and thousands of members,” said Andrew Stockmann, the museum’s exhibitions manager. “The store has done a great job preserving its history through photographs, handmade artwork, signage, and oral histories.”
The exhibit will be on view in the first-floor community gallery from Saturday, Sept. 28 through Saturday, Nov. 16 at Watkins Museum of History, 1047 Massachusetts St. Admission is free. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday.
Museum visitors can also share reflections in a guestbook during a public celebration with refreshments from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19. For more information about the free events and exhibit, visit watkinsmuseum.org or email info@watkinsmuseum.org.
But first, community members have the opportunity to attend a free screening of the 2021 documentary film, “The Co+op Wars” on Friday.
“The film explores the political and economic organizing efforts of a passionate group of people building an alternative food economy in Minneapolis in the 1970s — the same moment the Community Mercantile (now The Merc Co+op) was forming,” according to a news release from The Merc.
A brief panel discussion on the co-op model’s impact will follow, facilitated by Rita York Hennecke, general manager for The Merc. Panel guests are Tom Buller, Kansas Rural Center; Erica Blair, K-State Research and Extension; and Mark Sprague, board member of The Merc.
Doors open at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27 for refreshments, and the film begins at 6:30 p.m. on the mainstage at Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St. The film screening and panel discussion are free, but registration is requested to reserve your ticket. Register and view a film trailer at this link.
The public is invited to visit The Merc Co+op from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12 for a free slice of birthday cake. Throughout the weekend, the Lawrence store will also offer giveaways, local vendor samples and the opportunity to purchase limited-edition 50th anniversary merch.
The store is open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and is located at 901 Iowa St.
Nearly 10,000 community members have joined the co-op since 1974. The public can shop at either of its two locations in Lawrence or Kansas City, whether or not they’re a member.
“As we celebrate a half-century of community-driven success, we want to appreciate everyone who shops at our stores and the 9,622 member-owners of our co-op,” York Henneke said in the news release. “Your support has not only sustained us but has allowed us to expand from Lawrence to Kansas City, where we continue to grow and make good, local food more accessible in Northeast Kansas. Here’s to fifty more years of nourishing our neighborhoods together.”
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Tricia Masenthin (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at tmasenthin (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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