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Local Foods Buying Coop

Hart recently started a buying co-op at the college. She collected orders to Paul's Grains and then submitted them together. Last Saturday a car-full of people traveled to Laurel, Iowa to see the land and setup of the operation. She also conducted an interview about the farm and its history and the decision to go organic in the 1960s.

This is the start of a great program in Grinnell and this project will expand the foods available for the co-op and organize the co-op so that it will be open to both students and community members, user-friendly, and manageable for the people putting the larger order together.

We will begin by researching other possible businesses we could support with the co-op. We will rely on the GALFA directory as well as other resources when developing these contacts. We plan to contact the businesses and see if we could establish a relationship similar to the one with Paul's Grains.

Hopefully, we will set up an ordering system online to make things easier for everyone. If an web-site is developed we could also include a section for local producers during the growing season so people and businesses can see what is available and in what quantities. Hart and I are both internet-ly inept so if anyone is interested we would love your input and e-expertise.

OUR PROGRESS

1) We will interview Kamal and Laura at the Cafe Phoenix early next week.

Interview Questions for Kamal and Laura at the Cafe Phoenix

2) We have applied to become a student group. We heard back.

3) We are advertising the next order for carrots, beets, and cabbage from Andy Dunham of Grinnell Heritage Farm. We will pick up the order on March 8th.

4) Vince Eckhart, head of the Biology Department, will advertise the Co-op to other biology faculty and students. We hope that this will increase campus involvement.

5) We are investigating refrigerator space in Noyce Science Center, the Shabbat Table kitchen, and Multicultural Suite. This will allow us to store perishable orders until pick up days.

What's next?

 - Interview Andy Dunham on March 8th
 - Contact local dairies (Radiance Dairy, Kalona Organics, Picket Fence Creamery) and egg-eries (Rich Dana, Kalona Organics, Grinnell Heritage Farm)
 - Establish permanent storage facilities
 - Develop electronic order form
 - Establish a mailing list of interested eaters 
 - Talk to Jon Andelson about establishing a Local Foods Buying Coop bank account
 - Develop the Community Garden (produce more and learn how to store it)

STRATEGIC PLAN:

1)Who will sponsor the Local Foods Coop?

Vicky and Hart will apply to SGA to make the Local Foods Coop an independent student group. This will give us access to funding and an e-mail account. We will need to purchase a large ice chest for transporting dairy products. The group will probably be a sister organization of Free the Planet, the environmental organization on campus, and the Campus Community Garden.

2) Who can order local foods?

Students (FTP, Vegan Coop, Jon Andelson's Classes, Off-Campus, Community Garden)

Faculty & Staff (Heads of Departments, Campus Memo, Dining Services, Facilities Management, Old Glove Factory)

Community (Imagine Grinnell, Chamber of Commerce, Buy Fresh Buy Local)

3) How will they order?

In the short term, electronic order forms can be e-mailed to the Local Foods Coop account. Eventually, we would like to put this form on-line. We will work with Sam Calisch and Ben Stallings to develop this system.

4) How will they pay?

For the first order from Pauls Grains, students sent money and checks to Hart's mailbox and she wrote a check to the Paul family upon pick-up. Eventually we want to establish a bank account for the Local Foods Coop through the Center for Prairie Studies. This would reduce the risk put on individual students.

5) How will the food get from the farm to the table?

Educational Experience: Students will car-pool and travel to farms close by to pick-up the orders. The food will be brought to a central location at a designated time when all the members will pick up their orders. We will probably use this system for Pauls Grains, B&B Farms, the local dairies.

Direct Delivery: The farmers will deliver order to the Colleges at a designated time. Members will pick their orders up from the truck. We will be able to use this system for Pauls Grains.

Store & Celebrate: We will work with the Multicultural club, Dining Services, the Voicebox, and Shabbat Table to find space to store perishable and non-perishable items from various sources. That would allow member to go to one pick-up for a variety of local food items. This pick-up could then be paired with a local foods dinner or a environmental film night. This is a long term option.

6) What kind of food?

Pauls Grains: local, organic buckwheat, rye, spelt, soybeans, corn, soup beans; non-local organic quinoa, millet, carob chips, banana chips, & other snack foods; local humanely-raised chicken (for donations)

B&B Farms: local, humanely-raised chicken, goat, and beef

Picket Fence, Kalona Organics, & Radiance Dairy: local, organic dairy products, including milk, cheese, yogurt, and paneer

Maasdam Sourghum

Ebert Honey

East Wind: nut butters

7) How can we learn more?

Over the long term, Vicky and Hart will develop a comprehensive, online local foods guide for Grinnell. It will draw from the Local Foods Directory published by the Center for Prairie Studies and the Local Foods Google Map that Hart, Ami, and Vicky have already started.