June 2022 Newsletter
Our 2nd annual "Spring into Growth" owner drive was a success! A warm welcome to 17 new Free Range Food Co-op owners and congrats to Jessica & Nate Johnson (owner #939) who were the winners of the "big basket" of plant starts.
FRFC volunteers would like to send a huge THANK YOU to the owners of Bryndlewood Gardens, Wil & Brynden Lenius! Without their generous partnership and plant donations this fun spring ownership drive wouldn't be possible. Thank you, Wil & Brynden, for helping FRFC and our new owner's gardens grow!
Miss out on the owner drive? That's OK, you can still join as an owner and get the reward of knowing you're an integral part of building our community grown, cooperatively owned grocery store!
6 co-op owners have traveled down to Madison, WI together to learn from some of the co-op world's most knowledgeable, passionate leaders at the Up and Coming Conference for start up food co-ops! They took time off work and from their busy lives to be there to gain insight and network with other co-ops, so you know they're dedicated to seeing this grocery store through. Thanks to Lydia Williams, Laine Yandell, Katie Christenson, Shara Dabrowski, Brandon Otway and Anna Johnson for representing Free Range Food Co-op!
Want to get involved? Click the button below to fill out our volunteer survey.
““I also love learning new things and sharing information about Free Range Food Co-op by volunteering with the Marketing team is a chance to engage with my community through different types of media, something I learned how to do with Rapids Rising and GRIP Coalition. I enjoy the flexibility of volunteering with FRFC and appreciate how welcoming and caring everyone has been!””
Woohoo, it's almost election time again! Elections are in October and we're ready to welcome 3 new directors to our team - will one of them be you?! Upcoming projects include:
Finding our site
Securing funds
Hiring a general manager
Planning store layout & products
Candidates must:
Attend twice-monthly board meetings & serve a 3-year term
Collaborate with at least one co-op team & attend its monthly team meetings
Complete an application
Be able to commit at least 10 hours per month (including meetings)
Be excited to build a community-owned grocery!
A board term lasts for 3 years (or less if you are filling a vacancy) and provides opportunities to:
Represent and engage with other co-op owners
Grow your existing skills and cultivate new ones
Expand personal and professional networks through co-op development
Email freerangefoodcoop@gmail.com to request a meeting with a current director for more information.
Downtown Art Fair
FRFC volunteers will share our booth space with local artist, Susan Clandon, outside on the lawn at the Old Central School.
Email Shara to represent our co-op at the Downtown Art Fair.
Volunteer needs for this event:
1 or 2 owners for 1st shift from 9:00-12:30
1 or 2 owners for 2nd shift from 12:30-4:00
1 or 2 owners to either help collect supplies and setup from 8:15-9:00am or help take down and return supplies from 4:00-4:45pm.
Clean Up Your Community
This twice a year effort helps keep our county a little bit cleaner, and gives volunteers the chance to get to know each other a little better. Email Shara to join the next cleanup crew this fall!
Congrats to Bethlehem Food Co-op on breaking ground!
Read the article here about their groundbreaking ceremony on May 5th at the site of their future store! More than a decade in the making, they finally have their site secured and can move forward with building their store. Funding got a big boost last summer from a $2.9 million federal grant secured by their state representative. Grants generally make up only a small portion of the funding available to food co-ops. Most of the funds for co-ops to get "doors on the store" come directly from owners via preferred share purchases, loans, or donations and that's how FRFC will obtain building funds during our Community Investment Campaign. The success of Bethlehem Food Co-op is motivation for all start up co-ops to keep working towards their collective dream of a better grocery shopping future!
Book Club
(Send us an email for the details!)
"Material: Making and the Art of Transformation"
by Nick Kary
In our present age of computer-assisted design, mass production and machine precision, the traditional skills of the maker or craftsperson are hard to find. Yet the desire for well-made and beautiful objects from the hands (and mind) of a skilled artisan is just as present today as it ever has been. In Material, Kary takes readers along with him to visit some of the places where modern artisans are preserving, and in some cases passing on, the old craft skills. His vivid descriptions and eye for detail make this book a rich and delightful read, and the natural and cultural history he imparts along the way provides an important context for understanding our own past and the roots of our industrial society.
Pick up this book and join our book club! Anyone is welcome to our discussion on June 9th regardless of how far you got through the book.
Miss the last co-op board meeting?
Catch up by reading the latest meeting minutes on our website:
Owners are encouraged to join Work Sessions & Board Meetings!
Email us if you are interested in joining one of our teams.
Marketing Team
Wednesday, June 1st, 6:00-7:00pm
Marketing, graphics, & social media.
GM Search Team
Sunday, June 5th, 6:00-7:00pm
Planning strategies to find the best future store General Manager.
Capital Campaign Planning Team
Monday, June 6th, 6:30-7:30pm
Planning & implementing the capital campaign.
Work Session
Tuesday, June 7th, 6:00-7:30pm.
Open to all owners! Click to join via Zoom
CO-OP EVENT - Book Club
Thursday, June 9th, 6:00-8:00pm.
Join our discussion, chat with old friends and make new ones. Open to everyone!
COMMUNITY EVENT - Bigfork Wilderness Days
Friday, June 10th, 11am-7pm
Saturday, June 11th, 11:00am-9:00pm
Visit our booth at the Bigfork Wilderness Days event on Friday and Saturday! Our friendly volunteers will be there to chat about your co-op's progress.
Board Development Team
Tuesday, June 14th, 6:00-7:00pm
Strengthening our board through education & policy management.
Site Selection Team
Tuesday, June 14th, 7:00-8:00pm
Locating, researching, & comparing possible store sites.
Capital Campaign Planning Team
Monday, June 20th, 6:30-7:30pm
Planning & implementing the capital campaign.
Board Meeting
Tuesday, June 21st, listening session with Casey 5:30-6:00pm
Open to all owners! Click to join via Zoom
Board meeting follows listening session 6:00-7:30pm
Open to all owners! Click to join via Zoom
Support Local - Buy Local
Grand Rapids Farmer's Market
In person at 11 Golf Course Road, Grand Rapids
Every Wednesday and Saturday
8:00am to 1:00pm
http://www.grfarmersmarket.org/
Thank you for keeping in touch with Free Range Food Co-op!
Know somebody who should be a Free Range owner? Send them the link below to sign up.
