Notes from Food Lobby Meeting on 11 Jan 2009 at the LA Ecovillage
Present: Maeve, Kathy, Jonny, Andrea, Melba, Heineken, Lentil Soup, Nichole, Lara, Michelle & Ron (facilitating)
Agenda: Sign in sheets, The Book, The Store, Membership dues, newsletter content, food.
Sign in sheets. Jonny, Ron and Ben developed a Sunday Shifts list with names and a sign-in for one month at a time. Andrea used for her cell today and found it helpful, especially phone numbers. It will become a feature of “The Book”.
The Book is under development, a loose-leaf notebook kept in bike room; will feature a list of all shifts and tasks, who is signed up for each one, a checklist of cell leader tasks with instructions (now on wiki), farm contact info, job descriptions, a place to note problems (no-shows) and track transactions, copies of newsletters and the coop flyer. There will be a “Comments” section to make notes, and a retail price list. Ron will see Dave about easily updated printouts from the database, Ron will help make sure the database, the Book and the wiki all synch, Ben will check the Book monthly to see who is working. Kathy is assembling the thing soon. With the Book it should be easy to update the wiki with what jobs are open.
The Store has been granted permission to use the bike room kitchen for six months rent-free, with a review at that point. Jocelyn is in Korea (has phone and email) but has been planning stock order and sourcing shelves and containers. Freecycle.org an option. Only about $100-$200 currently in the slush fund to purchase stock. Melba offered good wholesale contacts. George P offered to help build shelves.
Bulk Buy: system is being adjusted so all can participate (no separate work requirement). Anticipating less work to split the order (arrange splits with friends in advance, Store purchase and sell items, order smaller units). Jocelyn planning next order. Jonny offered to help put it together.
Newsletter: Has been well received. Ideas for content: Notes re. what shifts need workers, highlights of meetings and link to wiki, recipes and health stuff continue, info about how to access the dehydrator with instructions, local veggie eateries, raw recipes, farmers market info, instructions how to get items into newsletter, letters to the editor, notes from Ron, editor, cell leaders, others, how and why to get on the listserv,
Financial structures: To raise capital for store start-up choices include: Increase current markup (X dollars skimmed for every $100 in each week’s order), annual dues, initial application fee, refundable share purchase, mandatory deposit. One benefit is this process defines who is a member, and when a refund is requested, who is not. A $100 annual share or deposit could be paid quarterly. Another is that by being (formally) a private club or cooperative we escape regulations. Good to keep the whole process affordable for as many people as possible Can have higher price for nonmembers to encourage membership.
Food source, quantity and quality - last few boxes have been a bit thin. Once store starts, could stock onions, garlic, apples, potatoes. Could have new work shifts to cope with extra work/complexity of ordering from more than one farm each week or returning to alternating farms; not so hard if order totals $300 or more. Becca and Lara looked into options. Lack of variety is one reason people leave. Michelle recently visited South Central Farm; 20 acres under cultivation, 40 more to be irrigated; their major problem is labor, but we could send work shifts there. Would help to have an easy way for people to trade (honor system, put in and take out when boxes picked up). Can be done on the listserv too (I will take your broccoli if you take my lettuce).