By Linda Ball
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

The Delridge Grocery Cooperative is much closer to becoming a real store rather than a farm stand as it has been the past few summers near the Delridge P-Patch.

At the annual meeting of co-op members last weekend, Andrea Wilmot, manager and president, was able to share the news that the co-op was chosen for a $100,000 grant from the King Conservation District.

KCD director of food and farm programs Josh Monaghan said it received 33 grant applications this year, all related to strengthening local food economies. Of those, 11 projects were ultimately funded, including DGC.

“This project met the criteria of providing fresh food to an area that doesn’t have access to healthy food,” Monaghan said. Although KCD has been in existence since 1949, this is only the second year it has provided grants for better access to healthy food for vulnerable populations. Traditionally, KCD helped farmers with issues such as soil erosion and water quality.

Wilmot said that approximately 20 members attended last Saturday’s meeting. The next steps, which begin next month, include a required market study, which will cost $12,000, and a feasibility report. Fundraising will continue, as well as applying for a loan to fill any gaps. Wilmot projects that by February 2017, the co-op will be in a position to apply for permits for build-out of the space being held for the grocery store in the ground level of Cottage Grove Commons, the DESC-owned supportive-housing complex at 5444 Delridge Way SW.

Renovations will continue through August 2017, with opening of the co-op projected for September. DESC is still holding the space in Cottage Grove for the co-op, but it hasn’t had any recent talks with the co-op board. But Greg Jensen, director of administrative services for DESC, said the space remains open for the co-op, and DESC doesn’t have any other plans for the space.

The co-op now has 452 members, with a goal of 600; membership information is here. Additional grants have come from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and Neighbor to Neighbor, each contributing $5,000. Co-op members have donated $40,000. And today, the city’s new list of Neighborhood Matching Fund “Small and Simple” grants included $25,000 for DGC.

The co-op is still recruiting for board members – contact information is on its website at delridgegrocery.coop.