From the Board President: A Smorgasbord of Updates on Your Co-op

Before we get into this month’s column, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who helped make this year’s Fall Food Fest a smashing success! From the farmers, producers, and restaurateurs to the musicians, to the face painters, to all the volunteers who helped move tables and chairs, hung posters around town, and more. This is what it means to build community. This is what happens when people work together for a cause. It’s amazing to see. And it’s exciting that we crossed the 1,000-member mark at the event. This is a win for our entire community!

ELECTIONS

As of press time, the deadline to apply to serve on the Co-op board of directors hasn’t arrived, but will have by the time you read this. So I won’t be able to announce the slate of candidates here. We’ll do that in a separate email. Stay tuned for more details soon, as the voting period begins Oct. 14.

ANNUAL MEMBER-OWNER MEETING

One of the trademarks of a co-op is the annual member-owner meeting, something like a shareholders meeting. This year’s event will be Tuesday, Oct 22 at Lark Brewing. Full details will be announced soon, but mark your calendar from 5-6:30pm. You can grab a tasty Lark beer and join us to hear about our work over the past year. A major part of this year’s meeting will be a comprehensive overview of our site search history—find out what spaces the Co-op has considered and rejected over the years and why. (Please note that this is for members only. Non-members, you can sign up to become a member at the event!)

SPEAKING OF SITES

The Co-op’s site selection team is still looking at numerous sites in the area. I wish I could tell you we are close to signing a lease, but we’re not there yet. Please be patient as we do our due diligence to find the best possible site for our grocery store. You can read my post from last month to learn why this is taking longer than most of us thought. Of course, if you have any ideas for a possible site, please don’t hesitate to share them with us (info@cedarfallsfood.coop).

THE NEW NAME

This spring the Co-op board announced it would be changing our name. Over the summer we lead a number of programs to solicit input from members and the community on what the new name should be. The board has narrowed the list down to a number of exciting options. Despite our best attempts, we won’t be announcing the new name at this year’s annual member-owner meeting. We hope to have the announcement made by the end of this year. We think you’ll be pleased with the new name that represents our regional impact and our planned growth beyond the first grocery store in downtown Cedar Falls.

Thanks for all your support. Have a great National Co-op Month!

In cooperation,

Tom Wickersham

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