Food Coop 2-8-09

Meeting Minutes for February 8, 2009

Present: Jeremy, Jessica, Lara, Ron, Dave, Jocelyn, Sarah Z., Michelle, Kat, Melba
Minutes: Jessica

Issues:
BULK
MEMBERSHIP FEES/INVESTMENT
FREE BOX FOR BOOKKEEPING
DATABASE
WORKSHIFT TRACKING UPDATE
COORDINATOR MEETING UPDATE

BULK
There was a meeting held on Fri, Feb 6 by Johnny, Fernando, Jocelyn about Bulk room
-immediate order: people can order directly to the website w/ credit card

• individuals can be responsible for split orders
• on website - people should leave a note to have their order dropped at LA Eco-Village
• Sarah & Johnny have offered to teach people how to use the wiki/database for this purpose
• Bulk pick-up by participants: each item would have a name-tag for identification
  -stocking bulk room (dry goods)
• people could purchase the amount they want w/ a small mark-up for the bulk room
• stocking the room would be worked into the Sunday pick-up days
  

		-cells need to be built up to assure enough people are helping each Sunday
		-organize WHO is responsible for managing/overseeing the veggie/bulk/bike room each week
	*the Azure Standard truck drops order at Eco-Village (we are the first drop-off of the day for them)
		-minimum $600 order for this to happen-send out emails, flyers in veggie boxes, etc. to get the word out about bulk options
-Possible move to buying more LOCAL bulk items (not only from Azure) in future
-BULK ROOM shelves currently being built by Fernando & Johnny

MEMBERSHIP
-Joceyln research: standard annual mark-up for co-ops is 6.4-7% (regular grocery store is around 15-25%)
-Randy still holds some $ for co-op fund
-calls need to be made to all participants asking about membership fees and bulk

• ask participants what they think would work best for investments into co-op
  

		-Annual shares
		-One large payment
		-When people invest, then decide to leave, they get their money back
		-$20-25 annual membership fee amount was suggested-We are currently a “buying club” - which we can still offer membership to

• buying club - no resale, no food codes
  FEES:
  -First membership $ should go to starting bulk room (building room up, making space for food storage)
  -paying admin that goes along with expansion of co-op
  -offering more variety in veggie boxes (possible fruit? other farms?)
  -to generally help w/ costs currently being absorbed by current “members”
  • NEED to start a co-op bank account!
    

	-possible legal umbrellas under "Co-opportunity", a local organization.	

• Jocelyn proposed a free box of veggies each week for her admin. time accounting and prepping orders
  

	-The free box will be added to the total number of boxes each week
	-All paid boxes will receive slightly less veggies to fill the one free box
	-Proposal was presented and discussed
	-We have consensus! Ahoy!

DATABASE
-Dave updates
-Current goal is to track peoples’ work shifts

• who showed up to work, who didn’t, etc
  -Orders currently get assigned to a household AND will be listed by individual, as well.
• this is 1/2 finished - March 2009 is his goal for completion
  -“Members” = about 75 total (with approx 15-30 per week)

WORKSHIFT TRACKING UPDATE
-Ben is the coordinator
-Wiki will generate a workshift sign-in sheet
-Workshifts will hopefully soon be generated by the database, as well as the sign-in sheet

• This will be most helpful as the co-op grows, expands, participants come and go
  GOAL is to get things “synched” as much as possible

COORDINATOR MEETING
-Jeremy working on this
-Hasn’t gotten much response yet, phone calls need to be made, will contact Dave for numbers

NEXT MEETING: SUNDAY, MARCH 8TH, 2009