From the Board President: Excuse Me While I Get a Little Sentimental

With the conclusion of this year’s board elections, we now have three new people  stepping up to help the Co-op’s efforts to establish a community-owned, and community-grown, grocery store. It’s exciting to see our passionate members step up to serve in this very important role.

I want to take a moment, though, to acknowledge the three outgoing board members. Over the years, I’ve taken advantage of this platform to share my appreciation for many of the Co-op volunteers who I’ve been lucky to work with. Those include steering committee and the initial board members (Melanie Drake, Erica Graen, Julie Halevan, Steve Hoodjer, and Jaime Wilson), and many, many other volunteers. However, our three outgoing board members have been engaged since the very beginning and deserve some recognition.

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From the Board President: Membership vs. Ownership – Even We Mix ‘Em Up

 

I’m a card-carrying member of an elite group, a membership-based organization that rarely makes national or local news. I joined in the late 1980’s, and I still proudly have the card. One thing that I’m proud of is that it’s so secret. In fact, it’s so obscure; I’ve never met another member. Yes, in full confession, I’m a member of the Oingo Boingo Secret Society.

Over the years, I’ve been a member of many other organizations – museums, gyms, even the PPFA. I’ve known others who are members of Boy Scouts, AARP, the Sierra Club, and the NRA, although probably not all at once. What organizations are you a member of?

Right now in my wallet, I have a membership card issued by the Cedar Falls Food Co-op. But is it really correct to call it a “membership?” The newer cards say “Member-Owner” on them. What’s the difference, and why does it matter?Continue reading

From the Board President: By the Numbers: The Co-op Index

As our Co-op continues to move closer to opening a full-service, community owned grocery store, we tend to gauge our progress on one factor: how many members we have. As I’ve written before, our progress is determined by multiple factors: sales projections, annual budgets, capital raised, number of house parties, etc. At our last board meeting we spent a lot of time discussing how to increase the number of member-owners attending the upcoming annual Member-Owner meeting (save the date: Tuesday, Oct. 24 in the evening).

This got me thinking: It’s all about the numbers. It’s not, for example, as powerful to tell people that we have a Business Partner program where local businesses are supporting our efforts by offering discounts at their stores for Co-op members. It’s more powerful to say that 57 businesses are part of this program!

So, with apologies to the Harper’s Magazine, I’d like to present to you, The Cedar Falls Food Co-op Index:Continue reading

From the Board President: Year End Updates: Happy New Year!

Like many businesses, the Cedar Falls Food Co-op operates on a June through July fiscal year. That means July is the beginning of our “new year,” and it also marks the beginning of our 4th year of operations. But this is no ordinary year of operations. It’s during this year that we’ll be tackling some of the most exciting steps in the Co-op’s development. Let’s take a moment for some updates and then a look ahead at what’s in store (pun intended) for your Co-op…Continue reading

From the Board President: The Advantages of Community Ownership

Six years ago, when my wife and I were considering a move to Cedar Falls, we met with a group of residents, and, over lunch, listened to them explain what they liked and didn’t like about living in this part of Iowa. “What’s one of the best things about living in Cedar Falls?” we asked. Do you know what they all agreed on? It was the municipally-owned Cedar Falls Utilities. They said that with the local control, there’s better service and better prices.Continue reading

From the Board President: We Will Survive

Shortly after the new year began, the Co-op board received some sad news: The Dubuque Food Co-op, after almost 3 years of being open, was closing. (They officially closed on Jan. 22.) I will admit that this news took a bit of the wind out of our sail. When other co-ops struggle, or fold, it is natural to wonder about the likelihood of being successful here.

It’s important to note, however, that most co-ops that have opened within the last 10 years are still open. In fact, many are thriving. In addition, the board of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op is learning some important lessons from Dubuque, lessons, (including the importance of following the advice of your market survey!), that will help us ensure being successful for years to come.

Let’s be inspired by some other food co-op’s successes!Continue reading

From the Board President: Looking Ahead to 2017

Happy New Year! I’m very excited as to what 2017 will bring for the Co-op. This year will mark some major milestones in our development. I’m so proud of our committees and the board and all the groundwork they’ve done in the last two years to help prepare for some exciting steps in 2017. As a result, we’re poised to accomplish the following this year:

Fully Elected Board

This year marks the end of the transition from a steering committee to a fully elected Board of Directors. Over the summer, the final three seats on the Board will be up for interested candidates, and once the final votes are tabulated, each of the nine-member Board will have been elected by the Co-op’s membership. This is important to us, as we value the second of the 7 Cooperative Principles: Democratic Governance.

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