The Value of Co-operatives: Part 3 of 4 - Volunteers in Action

Part 3 in the series highlights the recent work of co-operative volunteers and their organizing efforts. Submitted by Victoria Sprang.

It's a great day to report back to all of you that the food co-op dream is beginning to take shape. We have a name, a vision, a mission:

Cascade Roots Co-op (local food for local people)

Vision 1.0
To create a year-round food hub that provides sustainably, locally
grown food from small-scale Washington producers in order to
efficiently supply the community with quality food products.

Mission 1.0
To support Washington state agriculture and community wellness by
providing distribution and public access to healthy, delicious and
sustainably-produced foods year-round.

The steering committee meets once a week and we work hard. This is a
group of dedicated individuals bringing an impressive set of knowledge
and skills to a very involved process. Since coming together, our
primary activity has been on a thoughtful discussion on why Cascade
Roots should exist. What will we sell that is different from all of
the other co-ops in the area? The final outcome, from which emerged
the vision and mission, is a three-tiered structure:

1. Local and sustainably-produced (WA state wine, grains, meat, cheese, dairy, eggs, produce);
2. From small-scale producers;
3. Locally produced value- added products, but allowing origins from out of state (coffee, olives, soap, tea, salt, tea, baked goods, nuts, etc)

This three-tiered system emphasizes local food from small-scale
producers, with an exception for non-local food products that are
value-added within our state. The additions of products are up for
vote by members, within the parameters of our three tier system (with
emphasis on sustainability),

The next phase is to raise money and solve the very big, but we
believe surmountable, challenge of creating a distribution hub to help
bring the small-scale producers’ products to market. Do you have any
ideas on delivery, storage, transportation or other distribution hub
logistics? Post them here or share your thoughts with a committee
member. The more brain-power attached to this challenge, the better
chance we have of solving it. No idea is too wild. Really! You should
hear some of the committee brainstorming sessions. And from those
sessions we have a name and a reason to exist. I call that a success.

To attend an organizing committee meeting or to join the discussion in our Google group, send e-mail to heidi@21acres.org.

Co-op volunteers will be available to answer questions at the 21 Acres Open House, Friday, August 26, 4-7 p.m.