Checkout: Durango Natural Foods Co-op still thrives after 50 years

With the rugged San Juan Mountains to the north, a vast high-desertscape to the south and a rushing river bisecting the town, Durango, Colorado, is one picturesque place. The small city in the state’s southwest corner is a magnet for mountain bikers, rafters, hunters, sightseers, musicians, artisans and pretty much anyone seeking adventure, inspiration or awe.

While most are just visitors, about 20,000 people proudly call Durango home, and this tightknit community is every bit as colorful as its natural surroundings. Fittingly, its beloved hub, Durango Natural Foods Co-op, rocks a mostly sky-blue exterior, with the sides painted a mountain sunset’s palette of colors.

DNF, as locals call it, celebrates 50 years in 2024—no easy feat for any small-town business. But with its rich legacy of supporting local producers and doing right by people and planet, the co-op continues to win the hearts of Durango residents and visitors alike. 

Ryan Waldman, DNF’s marketing, communication and education manager, dishes on what makes this outpost so special.

What led you to work at the co-op?

Ryan Waldman: Well, I’ve always been a co-op guy. I’m super drawn to “fine foods,” and I consider anything that’s grown or processed with care to be a fine food. Then I moved from Madison, Wisconsin, to Durango, and some close friends were working at Durango Natural Foods Co-op, which had just parted ways with the marketing manager. So it was kind of kismet. I said at any cost, at whatever salary, I’m going to work here.

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What was it about DNF that dazzled you—and still excites you today?

RW: It’s such an adorable space and special community, and very few businesses are more synonymous with Durango than Durango Natural Foods Cooperative. The town has just over 20,000 people total, and the co-op has just over 2,000 members. So, rough math, about 10% of the town owns a local grocery store together. That’s something I haven’t seen with other co-ops in larger markets. Because of that 10%, there are so many hands from the community being put on the co-op in terms of projects we do, community activations we’re part of and the products we carry. It all feels wildly hyperlocal.

This year marks a big milestone for DNF. Congrats!

RW: Yes, this is our 50th year, which is extremely special. Generations of families have been part of this co-op. It’s hard for any business in any town to make it half a century, let alone one that operates on such small and fine margins. The co-op isn’t here to be a large commercial driver. It serves as a melting pot for local, organic and non-GMO products, many of which come from Durango and the Four Corners region.

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That’s another thing that’s special about us: There are only a handful of co-ops in Colorado and the Four Corners region. But this is an incredible region for farming, livestock and food production, so we’re lucky to, geographically, have access to so much amazing local food. We’re able to bring in a diversity of products based on the relationships we’ve developed with producers over 50 years.

Do lots of producers want to work with the co-op, or does DNF have to hunt for suppliers?

RW: It’s both. We have natural blend of farmers seeking us out and the co-op seeking out farmers who grow specific goods with practices that align with our values. We don’t just take from producers, sell their products and be done. They become a part of our cooperative effort and mission to bring natural goods to this community, so it’s extremely familial. We have a responsibility to uphold our seven cooperative principles. We give back, create accessibility, create experiences and educate community members about the importance of supporting local.

What is the main criteria when selecting produce to stock?

RW: Local and organic are two main signifiers. In our pursuit for the best produce we can possibly offer, the co-op traditionally looks for goods that are grown locally in Durango or the Four Corners region, raised using minimal to no pesticides and grown using regenerative practices.

How does DNF engage with the community?

RW: Durango definitely feels small—in a great way. We see the same shoppers every week. It’s a habit and ritual to come to the co-op. People pop in for their morning coffee, or for our full-service deli that does sandwiches, smoothies, bowls and great grab-and-go options, and we engage with them. We know their faces, and those faces know our faces too, which makes it a better experience for shoppers and our staff. We don’t feel like nameless, faceless cogs in a machine. Instead, we are respected community members who are contributing to something highly revered.

On that note, people are always jazzed when I tell them I work for the co-op. It’s seen as a weirdly desirable place to work. I say “weirdly” only because, traditionally, grocery isn’t the sexiest space. Other industries can provide more income and less hands-on work. Working in a co-op is hard and takes passion, and you have to want to show up every day and contribute.

This monument marks the only site in the United States where four states meet. The Navajo Nation Parks & Recreation owns and operates the monument. Credit: Canva

Durango is a college town, so how does that impact the co-op?   

RW: We’re the closest grocery store to Fort Lewis College, which presents a unique opportunity. It keeps our workforce agile and fresh, and we get to engage with the students and provide them with good, clean, healthy food. We have a large student member population, as students gets a 5% discount storewide, no strings attached. That helps us get local and sustainably produced goods into the hands of this younger demographic.

But only if they’re interested! We’ll never cram our ideology down someone’s throat. Certain goods at the co-op can be more expensive, and we totally understand that. We’re constantly shaving our margins as thin as we can to ensure that food stays accessible.

We also do events up on campus frequently, including a career fair to talk to students about what the co-op does and what impact they can make by working here. We also partner with the school’s food accessibility organizations to get grant funding to do a farmers market on campus, which lets us provide produce, snacks and local goods 100% free to students and faculty.

Durango is also a big tourist town, so is your business somewhat seasonal?  

RW: The co-op is definitely self-supported by the locals, but yes, we have large seasonal swings. In the summer, we see a huge influx of tourism tied to the Animas River, which runs through town. We have a huge rafting culture here, and Durango is the mountain biking capital of the world. People also come from far and wide to see the mountains, and we’re a fantastic jumping-off point for other places in the Four Corners such as Moab (Utah) or Sedona (Arizona).

We get winter tourism as well. We’re a 30- or 40-minute drive from Purgatory Mountain, just a bit farther from Silverton and about 90 minutes from Telluride, so a lot of skiers stop in to stock up on food. Overall, we find that tourists coming to Durango are often foodies or earth conscious and want to invest their dollars into the co-op.

What do you love most about your work?

RW: My favorite part is the community aspect of my title. I get to help wrangle community members into meeting our producers though events, education, our newsletter and social media. Sometimes these activations feel small, like I’m just sitting at my desk and punching at my phone. But in reality, I’m a bridge between our shoppers and producers—a connector from the co-op to the community—and it’s an honor to have this opportunity.  

That’s awesome. Congrats again on 50 years!

RW: Thank you! I always say it takes a village to run a co-op. Our business would be a fraction of what it is in terms of revenue, scale and importance in Durango without the people. We couldn’t do it without producers, the cashiers, the buyers or the community. It doesn’t work unless everybody shows up, so the fact that everybody has continued to show up for 50 years is incredible.

Durango Natural Foods Co-op
575 E. Eighth Ave.
Durango, CO 81301
970.247.8129
durangonaturalfoods.coop