Please enjoy this reflection on the Co-op’s past, present, and future by current member of the Board of Directors, Kathy Faith
I had just finished paying for my Co-op groceries, packing up my three canvas bags filled to the brim, lifting the recycled box filled with bulk items into the cute little cart that never seems to fit my bounty, trying to zip the soft cooler closed with beautiful chard leaves being unruly out the top, when a young woman came up to the register to check out.
She had one sandwich.
When the checkout person asked, “Are you an owner with us?”, the woman with the sandwich answered proudly, “Yes. I am.”
I wondered...was she a student from afar, who happily found out she had moved to a community that had their own food co-op, where for $20 you could own a share in it? Or did she grow up shopping in the Co-op, like my kids, and was now an adult carrying on the tradition? Did she ride in a cart and lean way over stretching her arms out to snag a snack while her parent, distracted, chatted with an old friend they never see except when shopping in the Co-op?
I am sure she and I see the Co-op in very different ways, just as someone who has known her all her life will see her differently than someone who just met her.
I see the Co-op from its infancy, before we had a storefront, when we all sat on the concrete parking lot and raised our fingers for how many pounds of lentils we wanted. For me it was usually one, since I lived alone with my dog, Mr. Tumnus, in an old shed in Chapmantown while I attended Chico State. But others who lived in groups might raise all 5 fingers, or two hands! Our fearless leaders counted fingers until we got to increments of 25 pounds, to be able to order full bags. After the lentils were tallied, then came the rice. And so on.
This was the parking lot of 15th and Park, the site of our first store.
So I see all of that, the bulk bags and buckets on the floor when we finally got the keys to the store. The shelves being built by members, the product line and process moving from a buying club to an actual grocery store! And then throughout the years, the growth and the risky moves that were debated for months and sometimes years. Everyone had very strong opinions--about everything!
Our first big move was over by the railroad tracks and then later to the building across from where we are now. Wow. What a thing. And the Co-op was ours. And it still is ours. Now, more than four decades later.
Now is the time to invest in this local treasure. Our Owner Investment Campaign and remodel make the store more attractive, more effective, and an all-around better experience. We can increase membership, grow sales, and continue to be a force for good in our community.
Check out everything you need to know about the Owner Investment Campaign at www.chiconaturalfoods.coop/oic or by calling the store at 530-891-1713 and asking to set up a meeting with Liza or Joey.
Yours in Cooperation,
Kathy
