We strive to protect and preserve the natural world through practices that promote sustainability and environmental ethics.

The Bluff Country Co-op has a number of programs that work to support their cooperative principle of “environmental integrity”, including an EV charging station and rain garden located in the BCC parking lot. To learn more about our efforts, read below.

Bluff Country Co-op Rain Garden

The Bluff Country Co-op received a grant from the State of Minnesota to develop a rain garden in the parking lot. The rain garden reduces the amount of sand and sediment entering the Mississippi River by collecting and filtering polluted storm water through the roots of the garden’s native grasses and perennials.  To learn more about the Rain Garden, follow the link below.

Winona Co-op EV Charging Station

EV Charging Station

The Bluff Country Co-op is the first in downtown Winona to have a public access EV charging station. The EV charging station is a medium speed, (Level 2) charger that adds about 25 miles of battery range to an EV’s battery in an hour.  It is 240 volts AC, 32 amps output, similar to an electric dryer for power consumption.  It has a J1772 plug, which works with all EVs. Public chargers are for convenient long distance travelers. Plugshare.com and the Plugshare app show all the chargers needed for your traveling & trip planning needs.

Benefits of Electric Vehicles

Save money:
Fuel costs per mile at $2.99/gallon & $0.15/kWh: A Chevy Equinox 4 cylinder costs 10.7 cents/mile, Chevy Bolt EV costs 2.5 cents/mile, Tesla Model Y AWD costs 2.4 cents/mile, Ford F-150 5L 8 cylinder 4WD costs 16.6 cents/mile. Save an average of $1461/year with 32 miles per day commute with an EV.  There are no oil & filter changes for EVs.
Save Time:
No more trips to gas station or jiffy lube service garage.  Like your smartphone, plug it in at night and it’s full by morning.
Save the Environment:
Xcel Energy’s electricity in our 5 State area is 62% carbon free, as of 2020. When you drive your EV, their are no emissions in your neighborhood or garage. Warm your EV up without opening the garage door & backing it out. Even if the electricity were from 100% coal, the coal power plant creates less harmful emissions generating the power for your EV, than your gasoline or diesel-powered vehicle’s engine emits.
Ann Lichliter - Bluff Country Coop

Bulk Department

We love our bulk buy section – it’s a great way to practice environmental sustainability while you shop! Buying items in bulk allows you to purchase just the right amount of whatever it is you need while also using reusable containers to store your food products. Got a mason jar or cloth bulk bags? Just bring them in, fill them up, and check on out – it’s that simple!

When shopping with reusable containers, don’t forget to stop by the cash registers to get your container weighted. Bulk products are charged by the weight, and reusable container weights are subtracted from your grocery bill to ensure you’re only paying for the total cost of the food itself.

Zero-Waste Containers

Forgot your containers? No worries! We are excited to announce that zero-waste reuse containers have returned to our bulk department. Look for a selection of assorted containers in the corner of our bulk area. The containers we offer have been pre-washed in a commercial dishwasher and marked with their tare weight for easy shopping. Fill up with bulk foods and the container is yours to keep and reuse again next time!