TDC still feels Weaver Street is an excellent option, and the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) verified that Weaver Street is the only hybrid coop (consumer and worker owned) in their membership of 109 cooperative groceries. NCGA feels they innovate on a range of fronts, serve as an excellent model, and serve a diverse community.

If folks like the sound of any of the following options better than Weaver St, please pipe up soon!

--Alissa

DETAILS

A suggestion from TDC from our runner's up:

1) South Bronx Co-op, NY, NY - A relatively new coop that is distributing online or through existing distribution centers (no retail location - yet). The poorest Congressional district in the nation, lots of great community-based work going on related to food justice.

Other NCGA suggestions of coops serving diverse communities:

1) La Montanita, NM - 5 stores, very diverse shopper base, developing a foodshed project. Starting a distribution center to help local producers stay in business. ALSO FEATURED BY USDA AMS STUDY.

2) Outpost Natural Foods, Milwaukee, WI - 3 or 4 stores, each one serving a distinct shopper base in a traditionally working-class city.

3) PCC in Seattle, WA - running a farmland trust. Consumer members have option of donating their repatronage benefits into the farmland trust instead of into their own pockets.

4) The Wedge, Minneapolis, MN - Runs a farmland trust like PCC in Seattle. Also just bought a local farm that was in danger of going out of business (one of the biggest local organic suppliers). ALSO FEATURED BY USDA AMS STUDY.

5) Lindon Hills Coop, Minneapolis, MN - great work in local and supporting sustainability in general. Only retail distributor for a new environmental passenger vehicle.

6) Co-op Food Stores, Hanover and Lebanon, NH - Founded 1936. Old wave coop, oldest in NCGA membership. Making their community and community ownershp a cornerstore of what they do, visionary in operations and support of other coops and local food producers. Very strong consumer education.

7) Weaver's Way, Philadelphia, PA - One of the few coops running a farm project (community garden), as opposed to partnership with such gardens. Supports the coop by providing produce as well as other retailers and restaurants. Started as educational tool, outreach to schools, now a cornerstone of the business.

The South Bronx coop is probably too new for our purposes.  but it does look very much in line with wkkf work and will be a great phase two link for us

I am good with Weaver Street.  But let's do our best in writting it up to avoid stiring up incorrect images of hippie dome with no bussiness sense. 

john

Thanks for the go-ahead, John. Glad this feedback -- and the additional information from Kevin Edburg -- makes you feel more comfortable that this Weaver Street is worth including. We'll proceed with them for now, as they get us the grocery store and worker coop that Michael is looking for.

Thanks, also, for taking a moment to reply via the intranet!

Alissa