Many natural products retailers launch mission-driven nonprofit arms, but rarely does it work in reverse, where a nonprofit births a grocery store. But that’s exactly what has happened in Battle Creek, Michigan, where Sprout BC, an organization committed to expanding food access and bolstering the local food ecosystem, catalyzed the development of Uproot Market and Eatery.
Getting the city’s first member-owned food cooperative up and running was not a speedy process. Securing grants and restoring an old building downtown—a location chosen strategically to serve underserved communities—created several delays. But the tenacious team kept at it, and the full-service grocery store and café celebrated its grand opening November 12, 2025.
Although Uproot is now a completely separate entity from Sprout, the co-op and the nonprofit maintain close ties, working together to promote events, help local food producers get on-shelf and much more. NFM chatted with Stacy Niemann, general manager of Uproot, and Jessica Hatch, Sprout’s kitchen manager and marketing director, to learn more about these mission-aligned organizations and their unique trajectories.
Since Sprout came first, let’s start there. What are some of the nonprofit’s key initiatives? …