Who is Earthfoods?

Earthfoods Cafe was founded on April 12, 1976, by a group of students concerned with the lack of economical, healthy food on campus. Today we continue as a not-for-profit student-run business at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in a web of six other student-run co-ops. 

Our Mission is to provide high quality vegetarian and vegan food at an inexpensive price to the UMASS community. Co-managers of Earthfoods take part in running an ecologically, economically, and socially conscious business based on the principles of cooperative management. 

The success of Earthfoods is due to the collective structure and the enthusiastic students who take hold of the business’ reigns. Twenty years ago, Earthfoods fed less than fifty people per day and only had a few members. This past year, seventeen co-managers served upwards of two hundred people per day. Our cafe is a prime example of not only how student-run businesses can succeed, but also how collectively managed businesses can grow, prosper, and achieve their goal of serving the community. 

Last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Earthfoods took a huge economic hit, as we were no longer able to serve our wonderful customers safely. We are asking for donations of any amount in order to continue serving the UMASS community and to preserve the legacy of student-run co-ops that we have been able to sustain for the past forty-four years. Your donation will be split between Earthfoods and the rest of the student businesses. Half of it will go directly to Earthfoods cafe to cover the cost of lost inventory, payroll for our dedicated co-managers, and other essential business functions. The other half will be donated to an account set aside for all seven of the student businesses on campus. It is imperative during this time that we support not only our own co-op but the other student businesses through times of hardship.