St. Paul, MN – August 4, 2025 – The INFRA community came together at the INFRA Annual Conference to celebrate members, partners, and staff who have made a significant impact on our cooperative and the natural foods industry at the 2025 Brix Awards ceremony. From groundbreaking community engagement initiatives to visionary strides in sustainability stewardship, each recipient exemplifies the values at the heart of our mission: strengthening our members through collaboration to forge a sustainable future.
At this year’s conference, we celebrated 20 years of empowering independent retailers to thrive. Special celebrations included the Building Blocks Award, meant to recognize the outstanding contributions of INFRA’s four founding retailers: Jimbo Someck from Jimbo’s Naturally, Scott Roseman from New Leaf Community Markets, Mike Cianciarulo from Earth Fare, and Jonathan King from New Frontiers. Pat Sheridan, INFRA President and CEO, said, “What began in 2005 with four pioneering independent retailers has grown into a nationwide cooperative of 385 like-minded retailers thriving at the heart of 633 communities. What an honor to recognize these individuals and businesses who have given so much of their time, passion, and energy toward our shared vision of strengthening local economies and making healthy, sustainable food accessible to all.”
We are proud to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the 2025 Brix Award winners. Their dedication and forward-thinking approach to a regenerative future continues to raise the bar for excellence across the natural foods industry.
Member Awards
Building Blocks Award – Jimbo’s Naturally, New Leaf, Earth Fare, New Frontiers
Cheryl Hughs Leadership Award – Adam Stark from Debra’s Natural Gourmet, Jason Bander from LifeThyme Natural Market
Trail Blazer Award – Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery
Community Catalyst Award – Uncle Dean’s Natural Market
Small But Mighty Award – A Clean Plate Local & Organic Grocery, Good Health Market, Natural Food Store
Retail Excellence Award – Healthy Way Market, Highland Nutrition Center
Equity in Action Award – Mandela Grocery Cooperative
Vendor Awards
Rookie of the Year Award – Bachan’s
Member Champion Award – Natural Factors
Sustainability Stewardship Award – Hi-Bar
Leading Innovation Award – Ocean’s Halo
Vendor Impact Award – Host Defense Mushrooms
INFRA Staff Award
Catalyst Award – Pat Rector, Member Business Advisor
About INFRA
The Independent Natural Food Retailers Association (INFRA) is a cooperative of independent natural food and wellness retailers serving hundreds of communities across the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. INFRA offers independent natural food retailers the purchasing power, operational excellence, and peer support they need to thrive in today’s competitive grocery landscape. By making day-to-day operations easier, we empower retailers to focus on what really matters – making healthy, sustainable foods accessible to all. For more about INFRA, visit naturalfoodretailers.com or check out its social media channels: LinkedIn and Instagram.