EP 30: Durango Natural Foods, Why Co-ops Matter, And The Life of A Small Business with Mads Root

Hello, and welcome back to the Shadows Run Podcast! 

Today’s guest is Mads Root. Mads is currently the Assistant Manager to the General Manager at the Durango Natural Foods Co-op (DNF) in Durango, Colorado. He has spent over 7 years in various different roles at the Co-op, and continues to play an integral role in its growth and success. 

I moved to Durango in January of this year and have spent the last 4 months working at the Co-op and integrating into the DNF and broader Durango communities. 

In this conversation we talk about:

• the origin story of DNF back in the 70s and how things have evolved over time
• the value of community-building and working with local farmers and producers
• a period of crisis the Co-op experienced in 2018/2019 where the store very nearly had to shut down
• how DNF has come back with an incredible few years of growth and success
• some of the growing pains a small business experiences as it starts to expand
• what Mads envisions for the future
• what it is about this work that is so meaningful to Mads!
• ...and a whole lot more

Thank you for being here!

Durango Natural Foods Website: https://www.durangonaturalfoods.coop/

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