Store Front Co-Op Meeting

[NashvilleKate]

Food Coop Store Front Meeting Notes from 08-25-10 please correct for
errors/omissions
Present: Jacki, Debbie, Tiara, Ben, Kate

Notes on visions, goals & ideas (some views are shared, some are not).
The visions are not necessarily conflicting, just different. It also
appears that we may have different definitions on what is the meaning
of the concept "social justice". A healthy discussion on the meaning
be useful.

Three visions (not necessarily conflicting or competing):

Vision One:

Jacki & Debbie fr. Market Place Coop (buying club): club currently has
15-20 families ordering on regular basis – many folks would join if
delivery day could be Saturday – current location not feasible for
Saturday delivery - discussed Farmers Market as potential location –
possible caveat: Metro regulation for stores that sell foods ( are
there special rules for non-perishable items about only stores, what
about bulk bin stores?) - there is a contact for Fmkt to look into
this option – preferred business model not for profit, community owned
– social justice driven – volunteer labor in exchange for better
pricing – if ever wages paid, they should be a living wage - Jacki
suggested others take a look what is being done in Oklahoma City

Vision Two:

Tiara & Ben fr. Belmont area project: have spoken to several area
people - have good community support - market (feasibility?) study
being done some time soon - preferred business model: for profit – not
financially feasible to pay living wage (benefits?) for labor – a
steady market for local producers – similar to Turnip Truck - ready to
start membership drive soon

Vision Three:

Kate: wanting to see series of Food Desert based community stores in
vacant corner store locations - central ordering system for the
buying power of a large entity and the convenience of a neighborhood
store – quick special orders from catalogs for members only - need a
central location for 1st store - could begin as a publicity store at
the Farmers Market recruiting folks who wish to have a healthy grocery
store in their neighborhood - social justice driven - eventually
paying living wage and benefits for staff important – access to those
living in poverty – community education - store open to all - better
pricing for members - if wages paid, goal needs to be living wage and
benefits for workers

[Todd Liebergen]

Nice notes on a meeting that didn't appear to be publicized and doesn't appear to have any plans for additional action.

 

Am I missing something here? You're posting this for what reason?

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[Nate]

Oooooh. Burrrrrn. Good one Todd ;) Good notes though, and 2 cents to add: What incentive is there for people to join option 1 of a buying club. CSA's are essentially buying clubs, and they're already set up, the money goes directly to producers, there's no "middle-man" to support and drive up prices. If you go this route, you would have to be sure to diversify your product enough to make it more attractive than joining a community supported agriculture program. Dry Goods would be a good incentive, as would cost savings. Maybe you could buy wholesale from a group of CSA's then mix and match product. More variety and the ability to choose would be a good incentive for people to join, because with CSA programs, it's luck of the draw mostly. For meat, you could buy a pig as a club, share butchering costs, then have a workshop day where you process and preserve the cuts. There's a good article in Backwoods Home Magazine on how to do that this month. Cows, chickens, rabbits, etc. work too. The Turnip Truck does need competition. I was run off from their dumpster once for taking home gallons and gallons of gourmet ice cream when their freezers failed a couple of years ago. Nevermind that it's wasteful for it to not be consumed. Anyhow, I'm glad to see you all still working on this project. If I hadn't moved to Denver last year I'd be pushing more locally to make this happen. 

Sincerely, 

Nate Cougill