In Our Own Words: Member Testimonial (Herbert J.)

In my profession as an Episcopal priest, I have the opportunity to work with young people and am one of the leaders of our church youth group. One of the themes I have been trying to develop just a little over the past few months is how we take responsibility for the gifts we are given through our stewardship of our environment, both our social environment and our ecology. I have been emphasizing concepts like consumerism, sustainability and fair trade. When I saw that The Richmond Food Co-op was opening, I was delighted to be able to become a member and to “walk the walk” in these areas.

Of course, I have my own reasons for joining as well. I do want to live the life I extol, but I also want to be able to purchase the things I need with some assurances. I want to know that the product hasn’t traveled a great distance. I want to know that the persons on the other end of the transactions are getting a fair price and can pay a fair wage. I also want to save money myself!

It’s not that often that we get a chance to benefit personally from behaving altruistically. Being a firm believer in the reasonableness of mixed motives, I am happy to become a member of the Richmond Food Co-op and invite my fellow humans to do the same!

-Herbert Jones, Richmond Food Co-op Member/Owner

Cooperative Principles

Founded on the principles of private initiative, entrepreneurship and self-employment, underpinned by the values of democracy, equality and solidarity, the co-operative movement can help pave the way to a more just and inclusive economic order. 

-Kofi Annan

At the heart of any cooperative venture there is a core set of guiding principles - the guidelines that help put our values into practice. The International Co-operative Alliance lays out a framework of 7 guiding principles that stem from the Rochdale Pioneers who started the movement in 1844.

These principles serve as the foundation upon which the Richmond Food Co-op is laying its roots. In the coming months we will be taking a deep dive into each -- bringing you a monthly blog post reflection on how our efforts put the principles in action.

Stay tuned and stay cooperative!

-Michele Lord, Co-Founder & Project Manager

In Our Own Words: Member Testimonial (Grant H.)

If you have ever had to brave the Ellwoods parking lot after work or on a weekend, then you will understand why Richmond needs more grocery store choices. The demand is there. And another big national brand like Whole Foods is not going to satisfy that desire for everyone. Not for me. I want a Richmond grown organization. Something that I can feel a part of and work together with my neighbors on. Something woven into the community. A grocery store that aggressively supports local vendors and farmers. Local products aren't just a feature on the end of an isle in the very back of the store. They are more than that. They are part of the mission statement and the focus.

I also want more value. Being part of a member owned store, I will eventually get return on my investment, that will help save me money on a small part of my groceries. There will also be featured specials for members and other opportunities to save and get more bang for my buck, while still eating healthy. I also appreciate the income based reduced pricing. Eating right should not just be for the wealthy and privileged.

The co op is also about a community of people. There are notifications about events and get togethers with people in my neighborhood. There is a book club and other opportunities to meet people I would have otherwise never come across. It brings people with a similar desire to make a difference through food, health, and well being, under one roof.

-Grant Hunnicutt, Richmond Food Co-op Member/Owner

In Our Own Words: Member Testimonial (Kathy T.)

I grew up on a farm in North Dakota. My parents (Mel and Vangie), 2 brothers (Russ and Rod), and I worked the farm. We raised cattle and chickens, grew crops and a big garden. I learned how to bale hay, butcher chickens, and can vegetables, amongst many other things just by growing up on my family’s farm. When I went off to college I had to buy meat for the first time. It was a quite the culture shock and confusing because I remember being in the store and thinking this meat doesn’t look at all like the meat I ate on the farm. But I had no choice and when I ate it I was not impressed because it wasn’t half as good as what I grew up eating and that had a real impact me. So when I heard of the Richmond Food Co-op the first thing that came to mind was hope. Hope that someday I could be eating the type of food I was familiar with eating as a kid.

I am a firm believer in supporting farmers. There aren’t many left and I want to help save them. By being a Co-op member I will be able to help the farmers stay in business and contribute to saving their livelihood. That was the driving force behind my decision to sign up as a member of the Richmond Food Co-op.

Who doesn’t want to know where their food is coming from? Who doesn’t want to eat food that hasn’t been sprayed with a bunch of chemicals? Joining the Co-op should be a no-brainer. Not only will you be helping save a farmer but you’ll feel good about yourself knowing that you’re contributing to something great and saving lives, yours included! We are currently almost 700 members strong but we need a 1000 to open our doors. Come on and join me...join the Richmond Food Co-op movement today! What are you waiting for?

-Kathy Tatum, Richmond Food Co-op Member/Owner

In Our Own Words: Member Testimonial (Doug P.)

“How strange is the lot of us mortals!  Each of us is here for a brief sojourn; for what purpose he knows not, though he senses it.  But without deeper reflection one knows from daily life that one exists for other people.”        -Albert Einstein

Indeed, we are on this earth for such a short period of time.    How are we going to allow our spirits to grow?  How are we going to self-actualize?  How are we going to make a difference? 

As I approach 60, it has become clear to me over the last few years that we make the biggest impact, the biggest difference – together.  We do it through collaboration, we do it through cooperation.  Is it difficult?  Is it challenging?  Indeed, without a doubt.  But the exponential impact of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts – is so absolutely fulfilling, so absolutely thrilling…that I’ve become a huge proponent of it.  To the point, that being a facilitative leader of it is what gets me up in the morning.  

Our community is so hungry for cooperation.  There is such a poverty of it in our region’s governments, our nation’s leaders and in our everyday dealings.  What better subject and focal point to lead our community in the practice of cooperation, than FOOD?

As a pretty simple guy who is privileged to help facilitate and lead FeedMore and the newly formed RVA Food Collaborative (the Food Co-op is a proud “member”), I was thrilled to learn more about the Richmond Food Co-op.  It brings together so much of what I care about - people working together for the common good and people who understand that food was the original medicine.  These same folks know that the reason many of FeedMore’s clients living in food deserts suffer from hypertension and diabetes is because of their lack of healthy and sustainable food!

I came to believe in and joined the Richmond Food Co-op for all of the above good reasons.  But I must also fully disclose that I’ve recently lost a lot of weight - weight that came about through stress eating and limited knowledge of any good, proper nutritional consumption practices.  Having worked hard to lose it – I have NO intention of gaining it back!

Can you imagine a better group of folks or organization to help shepherd me to a new lifestyle of healthy eating and living?  I have so much to learn, but am excited to know that there are many who will help.

So, indeed I’m thrilled to be a new member and looking forward to all that the Coop will bring to our community, my life and my health.  Here’s to OUR success!

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”  -Henry Ford

-Douglas Pick, Richmond Food Co-op Member/Owner

In Our Own Words: Member Testimonial (Kristen K.)

As a Richmond transplant, setting down roots and finding my place within the community is an ongoing process. Finding good food options has been the same. That is why when I saw the Co-op booth at the Boulevard Pumpkin Festival last fall, joining was a no brainer. 

Let me give you a little background. I came to Richmond via Durham via New York City via Southern California. All of those places have especially developed food scenes and a passion for fresh, local produce. It was a combination of caring about what was going into my body, about the effects of producing that food on the environment, and reducing my overall carbon footprint that led me to the cooperative concept in NYC. 

What a great idea! A member-owned grocery store: a democratic approach to the food that we are putting into our bellies. A way to see first-hand the decisions that go into how food gets into the aisles: from working with farmers, to being able to provide produce in the off-season, to operating efficiently so that your doors can remain open. A way to be involved in the food process, and not just by what foods I choose to buy at the farmer’s market or grocery store.

And so when I saw that there was going to be a co-op starting in Richmond, I knew that I had to be a part of it. I signed up immediately after receiving the brochure. And now the hardest part is waiting for the rest of Richmond to realize how incredible a co-op is for the community and JOIN THE MOVEMENT! Because I want a storefront today!

-Kristin Klein, Co-op Member/Owner

Know Your Board: Tom Karnes

This is me and my wife Susie at one of our traditional Thanksgiving celebrations. We have a group of friends from college who get together at our house each year along with whatever family happens to be in town. We meet at our house since I am the best cook of our group, although many assist. It is a real  "Big Chill"  weekend. Last year we came up with 29 dishes, mostly vegetarian. Susie, who makes the pies, would say that this is a bit "over the top" but what can I say, I am passionate about food and occasionally get carried away.

My interest in the Food Co-op comes from my passion for food. I love everything about food. I love growing it, preparing it, learning it, teaching  it, shopping for it, writing about it, serving it,  cooking it and of course eating it. My favorite dishes tend to be ethnic dishes like Thai and Indian dishes but I cook and have cooked just about everything including Norwegian Baccalau (salted cod and potato stew) shown in the picture below.

I wish I could say I have always been a natural healthy food guy but I have not. I have always loved fatty flavorful foods. As my interest in quality food has intensified, and I have been forced by age to pursue a more healthy diet and lifestyle, I have become nearly militant about avoiding overly processed food and have become a seeker of  vendors that I can trust to provide me with fresh  high quality and healthy foods at a fair price. Admittedly, this has become easier of late, except for the fair price part, because of the  movement toward healthier foods. I have been extremely troubled by the predominance of  over preserved, de-flavorized and nutritionally deficient food that is made available to us by high volume producers through our neighborhood supermarkets. I am appalled by the way foods are promoted as healthy in the media as "sugar free", "non fat",  "lite" and so on. The US FDA has done a good job with labeling for the most part, except for  things like genetically modified ingredients, and product ignorance prevails even for those who spend the time to read labels. The answer to this is local sourcing from responsible producers and that is what co-ops can do so well.   

Although affordable high quality food is the main issue for me, I have learned the Co-op is also about helping the community, volunteerism, social responsibility and a sense of belonging.

It is about maintaining the right balance between the economy and the ecosystem. These are all values your board is dedicated to. In this, my first year serving on your board, I have participated in a number of events and have found our members to be delightful people. I can assure you, our board is very competent,  fun to work with and focused on our common goal of opening a highly successful co-op as soon as possible.

-Tom Karnes, Co-op Board Member

In Our Own Words: Member Testimonial (Cynthia S.)

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will live as one

“Imagine” by John Lennon

I admit being an idealist and a dreamer, and I now know I am not the only one! Since joining the Richmond Food Cooperative, I have met and continue to meet others who are willing to commit to and invest in a shared dream. We are a diverse group, a collection of ages, races, ethnicities, yet we share a common vision of a new possibility. We envision a business centered not on maximizing profit, but on maximizing the benefits to the community in which we live. The Richmond Food Cooperative promises a new way of “doing business,” empowering and enriching our entire community both individually and communally. 

Shortly after joining the Richmond co-op, I visited the Weaver Street Market Cooperative in Carrboro, NC (thank you, Tracy Citeroni, for telling me to do so!) Weaver Street Market (WSM) is over twenty-five years old and has more than 14,000 members with three locations. It is a model of what we might dream of being one day. While exploring the produce department, I found myself in conversation with Charles, a member/employee of WSM. He knew all about our nascent effort to create the Richmond Food Cooperative. He shared with me his passion about the power of cooperatives to change our economy. After a career in the Massachusetts legislature, Charles became convinced that cooperatives have the potential to bring greater positive change to our economic structure than any legislative efforts. 

Marjorie Kelly, Associate Fellow at the Tellus Institute, voices a similar view of the power of cooperatives. She describes cooperatives as a piece of an emerging “generative economy.” An economy where “economic activity is no longer about squeezing every penny from something we imagine that we own. It’s about being interwoven with the world around us. It’s about a shift from dominion to community.” * 

If you are not yet part of our Richmond Food Cooperative community of five hundred dreamers, please come dream with us! If you are one who has already invested in the dream, keep spreading the word of what we can do together! 

-Cynthia Schmitz, Member/Owner

* “The Economy Under New Ownership: How Cooperatives are Leading the Way to Empowered Workers and Healthy Communities”, Yes! Magazine, Spring 2013

Know Your Board: Tim Vidra

Coming clean on this post — before learning about the Richmond Food Co-op and becoming an owner I do not ever recall stepping foot into a cooperatively owned grocery store. Of course, that has changed and I have visited several in my travels over the past couple of years, growing to love and advocate for the Co-op concept here in Richmond.

So, what have a I learned serving on the board and becoming a part of this positive movement in Richmond? Well, quite a bit and I'm excited to share the major points that have resided with me:

1. Did you realize we are surrounded by Co-op's in Maryland, DC, North Carolina, and Virginia, but have yet to open one in Richmond? Yeah, we need to change that.

2. Co-op's are all about volunteering and working in the community! I can't tell you how much I've learned about Richmond and the new friends I've made through volunteering opportunities with the Co-op. Here's a favorite shot from the group of us volunteering at Feedmore's Community Kitchen and another from our visit to Shalom Farms here in Richmond:

Richmond Food Co-op volunteering at Feedmore

Dominic Barrett of Shalom Farms during the Co-op volunteer day

3. Co-ops are all about giving back to the community! One of my favorite holiday memories was having the opportunity to help cook a Thanksgiving meal for a family in need through the Co-op's efforts this past season:

2013 complete Thanksgiving meal donation

4. Co-op's are about working with local farmers so we know where are food comes from! I met Josiah and his family of Lockhart Farm through the Co-op — learn more about Josiah, another board member in this post.

Josiah, Jocelyn, and Alexander of Lockhart Family Farms

5. Member owned Co-op's are about educating and giving owners a voice in their grocery store. I couldn't be more excited for this opportunity in Richmond.

Richmond Food Co-op's first annual member meeting

Finally, and most importantly, the Richmond Food Co-op is about fellowship, open minded conversations and engagement surrounding our community, our local economy, and the local, seasonal, organic, and ethical means our farmers use to bring food to our store and ultimately the table for our families.

Co-op 2nd annual picnic

If you would like to be a part of this growing grocery here in RVA you can become a member here. You can also gift a membership (hint: Father's day is Sunday), or you can help with our indiegogo campaign by making a contribution or sharing it with your friends and family to help spread the word.

To stay in touch with the Richmond Food Co-op follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Tim Vidra Vice-Chair, Richmond Food Co-op

In Our Own Words: Member Testimonial (Inderdeep H.)

I joined the Co-op because I love healthy food. I came across the Richmond Food Co-op at a First Friday a while back, where they had a booth. It sounded like a very interesting grass roots initiative. I signed up for their mailing list. I received emails about their events such as pot lucks, meet and greet happy hours and their efforts to grow the membership through such initiatives. I thought to myself – “hey these guys have very fun events”. So, I decided to go one of their information sessions. Susan and Michele made their pitch – and I was sold! I became the 300th member/owner and I am a proud card carrying member of the Co-op!

I grew up in India – where it was not uncommon to go pick up fresh produce from the small market or a cart outside a local farm on a daily basis. The fruits and vegetables tasted delicious and distinct. The colors and the smells are so deeply ingrained. When I came to the US, and got vegetables from the grocery store – I wondered why the vegetables were so tasteless!

I try to eat healthy and believe that local organic sustainable food is a key to that lifestyle. Food should not be transported thousand miles across the country. The key things about the Co-op that are very attractive to me is other than their mission to open a grocery store selling affordable and healthy food, is their entire supply chain – collaborating with local farms and other like-minded businesses. Additionally, the process is democratic and we are all co-owners. What more could you ask for?

I really enjoy spending time with the members of the Co-op, they are engaged and informed and fun to be with. There is diversity in their backgrounds and a wide age range. The founders are passionate about the values of the Co-op and so are many of the members. I would strongly encourage non-members and fence sitters to take the plunge, so that we can have a community of a thousand members or more. We then will all be able to enjoy great affordable food from the Co-op and make some delicious meals!

-Inderdeep Huja, Co-op Member/Owner

Know Your Board: Kelsey Miller

The reason the Co-op's vision resonates with me is simple: I see it as a way for Richmonders of all socioeconomic standings to get fresh, local produce onto their plates while keeping dollars in their wallets. If you’re on the receiving end of our monthly board updates and you attend our monthly meetings, then you know how we’re all working towards that common goal.  

So how do we live our food values until opening day? Here are three ways that I’m using my dollar to vote for good food pre-Co-op.

1. Put a Plant In It: There are few living situations that are completely devoid of growing opportunities. From Chia Pets to full-fledged raised garden beds, there’s a gardening method that’ll suit just about any house setup.

The Problem: Alas, one cannot live on basil and tomatoes alone.

The Solution:  The Co-op provides Mozzarella to make a caprese diet a little more manageable.

2. Sharing is Caring: Richmond has so many great options when it comes to community shared agriculture, making this the perfect base around which to build meals.

The Problem: The CSA calendar only gets us so far and then we’re left cold and hungry in the months of December, January and February.

The Solution: Even when winter weather necessitates buying products that are a little more preserved than fresh veggies and fruits, the Co-op means we can continue to support local vendors.

3. Breaking the Chain: Again with the Richmond love--we have so many options for restaurants that are locally sourced, making it easy to skip the chains and go local.

The Problem: These local restaurants need to know that this is what their diners want if they’re going to keep moving closer and closer to being 100% locally sourced.

The Solution: Supporting a thriving, successful Co-op--and moving away from Big Box stores--means that we as individuals and as a community can make our food values heard, continuing this move towards 100% local sourcing.

To sum it all up, you are what you eat and I see the Co-op as making all of us member/owners local, sustainable and healthy.

-Kelsey Miller, Board Treasurer