Monthly Gathering & Potluck Tomorrow

Just a reminder that we're having our first Monthly Gathering & Potluck tomorrow, August 22nd, from 5-8pm at Franklin Park. Please join us!

This will be an informal event for our community to get together and talk about the vision for the co-op, hear updates and progress, talk about committee work opportunities, meet fellow member-owners and, generally, to have a good time. It's a potluck-type event, so please bring a dish to share and some utensils with which to eat. The Co-op Steering Committee members will provide the beverages.

Hope you can make it, and please bring some friends!

The Wedge :: Minneapolis, MN

This past Monday, the 4th of August, a group of Tacomans descended on the fair state of Minnesota and visited The Wedge Co-op near downtown Minneapolis. It is a 13,600 member, 11,000 square foot store that brings in over 20 million dollars of revenue a year! Think about the fact that the majority of that money goes back into their community!

One of the things that we learned and that stood out to me (Adam) is that there is a common misconception that Food Coops are non-profit. They are really just a different type of for profit. It takes a radical shift in understanding in a community. It takes a great deal of education from the Coop to its members and community. Once the bills are paid and paychecks cut, the profit of the Food Coop goes fully back into the community whether through dividends or other incentives. 

I think one of the greatest examples of this concept at the Wedge is the fact that in 2007 the Wedge purchased a local farm. The former owners of the farm were retiring and their children did not want to take over. They though, "The Wedge has over 13,000 family members and most of them have children." Now The Wedge owns the farm. It has created incredible opportunities for job training, it has created more jobs for community members and amazing opportunities for its members to learn more about and experience organic farming.

We just wanted to give a shout out to our new friends in Minneapolis. The Wedge Co-op has been an inspiration to all of us in the process of developing our membership structure, incentives and even our bylaws. Thanks for all the help Wedge. We look forward to continued cooperation between our stores. Thanks for welcoming us into your store for a while!

(Look at their bike racks! This is only half the length!)