I joined the co-op!

 

Become a member today!

 

I am so happy (really beyond happy- more like jumping up and down and singing that “I’m Excited” Pointers Sister song – happy! –  maybe a little Pharrell too). Last week I was voted into the Manchester Food Co-op Board of Directors… this is a really big deal for me.   Being part of this team gives me the opportunity to get involved in my community and give back in a way that will impact thousands of people and our local economy.

So what is a Food Co-op? Basically – in the most simple terms it is a member owned local grocery store … A grocery store dedicated to selling local and natural produce and products.  PLUS the store is a hub for community events such as cooking classes, wellness workshops, book signings, wine tastings, gardening 101 and anything else you can imagine (that’s part of where I come in – wink wink).  Co-ops have other amazing features like cafe’s, coffee bars, community gardens, bakeries ..and of course – so much more.  Every Co-op is unique in it’s own wonderful way- bringing together all who have common values and all who believe in local, natural, and neighborhood… (which is so important for all of us — i’ll refrain from any big anti-corporate soap-box comment)

All the goodness sold inside the store is locally sourced as much as possible… think about the impact of the support to the local community… local farmers, local bakers, local artisans, etc.  The goal is always to get all that you can from your immediate community and stretch your arms out from there – always working with small manufacturers in the US who have strong values and roots – and most importantly who are passionate about what they do.

How membership works is pretty cool… As a family or an individual you purchase one “share” per household for $100.  That $100 dollars goes directly towards running the co-op — during the early stages these dollars go towards getting the doors open and if you become a member after a co-op is already open the money goes directly towards any of the amazing components of the daily workings and supporting local farmers and the local economy.   As a member you are an owner… and you have voting rights, you share profits in the form of dividends and are privileged to other great member benefits like discounts and special events.  Seriously — who wouldn’t want to be part of this?!

Then there is a Board of Directors .. the primary role of this team is to work together to rally the community to grow the number of owner-members. This group also executes the business plan and works through all the happenings to get the store open and then managed once the ribbon is cut… seriously everything from hiring a general manager to negotiating the real estate  (even wearing pea-pod costumes to generate awareness and excitement) – there is no job this team doesn’t tackle.

I asked to join this board so that I could make a difference.  I met Carla, a board member at the Made in NH Expo this past spring.  Carla was a delight with huge amount of passion, she let me know about the open board position… I immediately jumped on the opportunity.  My diverse background which is rooted in experiential marketing, creative problem solving, and creating memorable consumer experiences sprinkled with an entrepreneurial mindset makes this opportunity a truly remarkable challenge.  This is a challenge I take on with great pride, with great excitement, and with a truly open mind to add something magical to our newest community center – The Manchester Food Co-op.

Please follow our progress here https://www.facebook.com/ManchFoodCoop

If you are not a member yet, please join us here:   http://www.manchesterfood.coop/

– For anyone reading this not in the Greater Manchester NH – I urge you to visit your local community co-op and consider becoming a member!

Grow it like you mean it

Growing is so symbolic – not to write about a tacky cliché or analogy – but really it all comes down to growing…

We grow as humans – obviously from baby to adult. As we grow, our strengths and personalities evolve and become more and more defined. We have the power to grow our own “things”… we grow gardens, children, each other, careers, and our ideas and dreams… (see where I am going with this yet?)

I have a garden that I “grow”, this little garden brings me so much happiness and pride it’s kinda’ pathetic – and I get obsessed! Seriously obsessed… with how to make it bigger, more productive, and how I can add just one more plant or take over another few feet of what’s left of the yard. I start the seeds inside in early March – (this year I accidently used a concentrated manure mixture vs. potting soil and stunk up my entire house. I couldn’t bring myself to throw out the little stink bomb seedlings so I tried to dry out the poo pods by putting the seed tray on the porch during the day – the closed-in sun porch that gets to be over 100 degrees – the sun porch that you have to walk through to get into the house – like sewage up the nose – there was no escaping it! It was really bad – more then bad – it was absolutely disgusting… so I had to eventually give up on that batch and start over)

Anyways – I am obsessed with this garden! This year I drew out the plans to figure out how many seedlings I needed of each plant– oh yes – I said draw – with a pencil and crayons, color-coded and all! Also, this year, I spent weeks digging out new garden beds and then asked my boyfriend to help make hand-made strawberry planters that I saw on pinterest… (he couldn’t resist the opportunity to help and to make something awesome! He is always up for a good challenge and the next weekend we had badass strawberry planters! Love him!!) 

Once the garden beds were all ready and the custom mix of organic fertilizer had been tilled into the ground, all of the plants were placed. I check on them at least once a day – giving them water, plant food when needed, picking off any wilting leaves, pulling weeds, etc. I learn a lot about how to prevent bad munching bugs, and about preventing mold and which organic plant foods are best. Then it’s time for the reward, filling a basket with the mother load of fresh fruits and vegetables (almost everyday). I love to share with friends and family and try new recipes.

All of the planning, planting, caring and harvesting that comes along with the garden (and cooking, and pickling, and baking too) – it’s an accomplishment, it’s something to be proud of and it represents so much…

Which brings us to the moral of the story – we all have the power to grow, ourselves and our ideas and dreams. If you can see the end result and take the proper care and planning steps – if you put in the effort and don’t give up… even when things get stinky or weedy, great things happen (or in this case – bloom).

I look at my little garden as a reminder to myself that I have the power to grow anything I want; that things will be hard, that some times I will need to start over, that I need to be open to learning, and I will need help from others – but If I keep my focus – keep working at my idea(s) – it/they will GROW into something amazing.

It’s all about growing…. Growing ideas and dreams into realities: step-by-step, day-by-day – just like a garden.