From the Board President: Top 10 Co-op Updates

Last week, a friend asked me a question that I hear a lot: “So, what’s new with the Co-op?” When I concluded my answer ten minutes later, my friend, whose eyes had become a bit glazed over, probably regretted asking that question. And I hadn’t event gotten the chance to talk about our new refrigerator magnets (which you can pick up for free at Co-op events this fall.) Truth is, there’s so much going on with the Co-op that I could have talked twice as long. With a promise not to bore you too much, here’s a quick countdown of my top 10 favorite things currently going on with the Co-op:

  1. Local Businesses Show Their Co-op Love

Not only is our Business Partner program growing each month, including the addition of our new Waverly partner, The Fainting Goat, but lots of other area businesses are stepping up to help us grow. From Bike Tech’s help with our June campaign, to Hansen’s insistence on having Co-op fliers in their store, to the numerous businesses who are signing up to be a part of this year’s Fall Food Fest, the businesses throughout the greater Cedar Valley are some of our biggest advocates.

  1. The Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber

Speaking of local businesses, the Co-op is delighted to be one of the newest investors of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber. This association works tirelessly to promote local economic development, which is right up the Co-op’s alley. Watch for details about the Chamber’s ribbon-cutting for the Co-op at the Third Annual Fall Food Fest on September 27.

  1. Third Annual Fall Food Fest

Well, since I mentioned it twice already, I might as well take finish up and say that we’ve got a lot of fun things in store for this year’s Fall Food Fest. New exhibitors, new hours, fun door prizes, and a chance to vote on the name for the Co-op Carrot…it’ll be a “don’t miss” event for the whole family this year. Selfies with the Co-op Carrot will be strongly encouraged. See you on September 27!

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  1. Co-op Peer Network

One of my new favorite resources is our local Co-op Peer Network, a subset of the 130+ co-ops across the country that are working towards opening a physical store, just like us. This group of 4 Co-ops is actively applying the 6th of the 7 Co-op Principles through regular conference calls where we share best practices and other helpful information. I’d like to give a quick shout out to the others in our network: Food Shed Co-op in Woodstock, IL, New Leaf Market in Green Bay, WI, and Wild Root Market in Racine, WI. You rock!

  1. Existing Co-ops

Not only do other start-up food co-ops provide support and resources, so do co-ops that are already open and doing business. This past weekend I was able to visit one such co-op in Oak Park, IL: Sugar Beet Co-op. They opened their doors just over a year ago. I loved how comfortable the space felt, and how much they had to offer in their 6,300 sq ft store. Congratulations Sugar Beet on your one-year anniversary!

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Sugar Beet Food Co-op

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Sugar Beet Food Co-op

 

 

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Sugar Beet Food Co-op

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Nearing the Finish Line

The Cedar Falls Food Co-op still has lots of work to do before we can open our doors like Sugar Beet did. But we’re beginning to see the end of the tunnel. With projections ranging from summer 2018 to early spring 2019, we know we are on the right track to opening a successful business. Since this is September, I can’t help but feel a little reflective, as it was this month 4 years ago when we held our first community meeting to discuss this possibility. My goodness, how much we’ve grown!

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1st Community Meeting 9/6/12

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1st Community Meeting 9/6/12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. New Volunteers

This past summer we’ve had a number of new folks join our efforts. We have new members on our Finance Committee and on our Communications Committee. We’ve also witnessed our first corps of Member Mavens step up to the plate to help our efforts. They’ve energized our campaign in fantastic ways. Maybe you’ll be the next volunteer?

  1. Board Happenings

If you haven’t seen it yet, we’ve added a new feature to our Garlic Press newsletter – Board Happenings. This article will give a brief synopsis of the monthly Board meetings keeping you up to date on key decisions and directions. I urge you to look for this article each month!

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Board of Directors

 

  1. Board Elections

Speaking of Board activity, in this month’s edition of the Garlic Press is an article about the Board elections. We’re still accepting applications to serve on the Board, so if you’re interested in sharing your skill set with our efforts, I strongly urge you to declare your candidacy. Just as important to note, though, is the fact that this year we are moving to an all on-line voting system. We believe this is in keeping with our sustainability efforts and it encourages greater member participation. Watch for details about our upcoming elections in September.

  1. Annual Member-Owner Meeting and Social

Please mark your calendar for the annual Member-Owner Meeting and Social on Tuesday, October 18 from 6:30-8:30 pm. We’ll be packing a LOT into this program, so you don’t want to miss it. The annual member-owner meeting is the hallmark of cooperatives – take advantage of this ownership benefit and meet other owners of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op.

Whew! It’s a good thing I’m not taking this opportunity to talk about things like the Strong and Small Food Co-op Conference, or your eyes might be glazed over by now!

In cooperation,

Tom Wickersham

 

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