Rural Issue

Making it work in a small town

Debbie Turner of Orange County, Indiana has been affiliated with the Indiana Cooperative Development Center since they started to develop the Lost River Market and Deli in Paoli.  Turner said the concept for the grocery came because the community was underserved.   She says the area had a Wal-Mart and a Save-A-Lot grocery and that was it.  Board members would ask members of the community if and how often they would go away for a major grocery trip and most said they make the trip to Bloomington or Louisville at least once a month.

Turner tells Brownfield one of their goals was to figure out a way to keep those dollars local.  She says they now do business with well over a hundred local and region vendors.  Another key to Lost River’s success is their deli which provides the community with “grab and go” sandwiches since there aren’t a lot of restaurants, either.  Turner says they even have a baker on-site.

While the Lost River Market and Deli is always looking for more customers, they are doing very well serving the community of Paoli.  Because of Turners involvement with the market and her dedication, she was honored for her Community Service at the Indiana Cooperative Development Center’s Coop Summit last week. 

You can learn more about the Lost River Market & Deli

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