Crooked River Co-Op Opening a Success

Glass flowers created by MoMorial Gardens is just one of the many unique handmade items for sale at the Crooked River Co-op in Waverly, NY

(WAVERLY, NY) The Crooked River Co-op located on the second floor of the former Waverly
Village Hall reported an exceptional turn out to their grand opening on Saturday. Visitors to the event were welcomed with refreshments and by several local artisans who talked with them about their wares that they have on sale in the co-op. The co-op itself is owned by TEAOGA Development Company and staffed by the artisans who sell their hand-made gift items and antiques as a part of their membership agreement. TEAOGA's Deb Twigg explained, "The artisans that join are given options on their sales commissions based on whether or not they can staff the co-op. While some artisans want to volunteer to work several days a month, many work as little as eight hours a month and get a larger commission payout. This helps the co-op to have volunteer staffing and for more of the revenues to go back to the artisans, who we are trying to support."

The co-op currently has 16 member artisans and has several more joining over the next weeks. Co-op member "MoMorial Gardens" is owned and operated by artisan Kathy Higgins and her daughter of Athens, PA who use vintage glass pieces to make garden flowers and bird feeders. Another member, Janelle Mitros raises goats in Towanda, PA and uses their milk to create goat's milk products that she now sells in the co-op."The collective creativeness of our artisan members is what makes a co-op such as Crooked River a unique shopping experience for everyone who shops here, " Twigg continued, "and why we are so proud to have added it to the downtown Waverly shopping experience."

The co-op also has a section dedicated to local antiques, and was clearly another popular piece of the co-op opening celebration. The section includes several local antique vendors to include the Susquehanna River Archaeological Center, (SRAC) who has had antiques donated to them for resale.
The Crooked Rover Co-op is located on the second floor at 358 Broad Street in Waverly, NY and is open Wednesday through Fridays 1-6 pm, Saturdays 10- 6pm and Sundays 10-2pm. To learn more, visit www.CrookedRiverCoop.com.