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…
June’s Membership Drive
As I write this, the dust has not yet settled from the crazy – and AMAZING! – membership drive we just completed. This past June we had more individuals become members of the Co-op than in any previous month since we incorporated almost 3 years ago. Late in June we passed the 52 mark, which was the previous record. The official results may be posted on Facebook, but will for sure be announced at our upcoming Bike Ride & Ice Cream Social. That will be a great event to celebrate the Co-op’s growth and our big step closer to 1,000 members. Please join us on July 9!
Yard Signs
Who knew? Who knew how big of a hit the Co-op yard signs would be? Volunteers have placed every single yard sign that we had made up, but the membership called out: “more!” In addition, we’ve had several new members join who cited the yard signs as one of the reasons they joined. And since they’ll be on display through August, we hope to grow the Co-op’s membership even more. So, if you wanted a Co-op yard sign, but weren’t able to get one this year, don’t worry, we’ll be ordering more for next summer’s yard sign campaign. Just send us an email and we’ll be sure to add your yard to the list for next summer.
Join the Board
One of the truly amazing aspects of your Co-op is the fact that any member can serve on the board of directors. The Co-op fully embraces Cooperative Principal #2, Democratic Governance, and wants you to know that if you’ve got the passion for bringing a full-service grocery story that focuses on local and healthy, and that is an investment in our community, then you should consider running for the Co-o’s board of directors. Each summer there are 3 positions open on the board. Information on how to file as a candidate will be posted on the Co-op’s website later this month. Please consider serving in this very important role.
Save the Date: Fall Food Fest
Okay, I know our annual Fall Food Fest isn’t until September 26 (it’s a Tuesday evening, folks!), but our planning crew has got some cool things lined up for this year’s family-friendly event. So I just wanted to make sure you’ve blocked that off on your calendar. If you’re interested in helping plan this amazing community event, drop us a line so we can add you to the planning team!
Stage 3
Best practices in the food co-op development model means that the hard work necessary to open a full-service grocery store—complete with stocked shelves and paid staff—involve not only raising the necessary capital, but also all the other details like developing policy, creating a website and brand, recruiting advocates, conducting a market analysis, etc. With dozens of community volunteers serving on various committees, the Cedar Falls Food Co-op is doing all the necessary work. We’ve completed all of the tasks during Stage 1, and are almost complete with all of the steps in Stage 2. The model says that between 600 and 800 members, we should have completed all the other necessary work, and that we’re ready to being the third and final stage: Stage 3: Implementation. It is during this stage that we embark on the most anticipated step: site selection. All of that is to say that we will begin the negotiations and lease discussions in the area and hope to announce the future site of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op within the next 4-6 months. Stay tuned!
I look forward to working with the rest of the Co-op’s board, the dozens of superstar committee volunteers, and all the Co-op’s membership in this coming year as we get closer to opening the doors on one of the area’s most exciting businesses. Please consider helping in this effort – send me an email to let me know you’re interested, and we can discuss how to best connect you with this amazing effort!
In cooperation,
Tom Wickersham