This keynote presentation was given by Ruth Tyson, Coalitions Coordinator for the Food & Environment program at Union of Concerned Scientists, from Neighboring Food Co-op Association's Eighth Annual Meeting & Celebration. Tyson facilitates the Good Food for All Coalition, which unites grassroots and national organizations around a vision for a just, equitable, and sustainable food system. Tyson asked NFCA's member food co-ops to consider: "How well does your Co-op’s Membership, Staff, and Board represent your community’s demographics? What are you doing to increase this representation and participation, and how can you, as an association of Co-ops, use your collective purchasing power and policy advocacy to support racial equity in the food system?”
Falcon Invoice Discounting: Empowering Your Business Growth
From Soil to Sovereignty—Good Food for All
1. EIGHTH ANNUAL
MEETING
From Soil to
Sovereignty:
Good Food for All!
23 March 2019
Morning Sessions
Greenfield
Community College
Greenfield, MA
NEIGHBORING
FOOD CO-OP
ASSOCIATION
Images courtesy of Union of Concerned Scientists.
2. 1. Adamant Food Co-op, VT
2. Brattleboro Food Co-op, VT
3. Buffalo Mountain Co-op, VT
4. City Market, Onion River Co-op, VT
5. Co-opFoodStores,HanoverCo-op,NH&VT
6. Fiddleheads Food Co-op, CT
7. Flatbush Food Co-op, NY
8. Franklin Community Co-op, MA
9. GreenStar Co-op Market, NY
10. Honest Weight Co-op, NY
11. Hunger Mountain Co-op, VT
12. Leverett Village Co-op, MA
13. Littleton Food Co-op, NH
14. Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op, VT
15. Mohawk Harvest Co-op, NY
16. Monadnock Food Co-op, NH
17. Morrisville Co-op, VT
18. Old Creamery Co-op, MA
19. Plainfield Food Co-op, VT
20. Portland Food Co-op, ME
21. Putney Food Co-op, VT
22. River Valley Co-op, MA
23. Rutland Area Food Co-op, VT
24. Springfield Food Co-op, VT
25. Ticonderoga Food Co-op, NY
26. Upper Valley Food Co-op, VT
27. Wild Oats Co-op Market, MA
28. Willimantic Food Co-op, CT
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
WELCOME, FOOD CO-OPS!
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3. 1. Androscoggin Food Co-op, NH
2. Assabet Village Co-op Market, MA
3. Common Share Food Co-op, MA
4. Electric City Food Co-op, NY
5. Granite City Co-op Grocery, VT
6. Great River Co-op, NH
7. Mad River Co-op Market, CT
8. Merrimack Valley Food Co-op,
MA
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
WELCOME, START-UPS!
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4. ¡ Artisan Beverage Co-op
¡ Cabot Creamery Co-op
¡ Cooperative Fund of New
England
¡ CDS Consulting Co-op
¡ Federation of Southern
Co-operatives
¡ Firebrand Cooperative
¡ Food Co-op Initiative (FCI)
¡ National Co+op Grocers
¡ National Cooperative Bank
(NCB)
¡ New England Farmers Union
¡ Real Pickles Co-op
¡ Saint Mary’s University
¡ Seven Roots
¡ Shared Capital Cooperative
¡ UMass Amherst Interns
¡ Union of Concerned Scientists
¡ Valley Alliance of Worker
Co-ops (VAWC)
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
WELCOME, PARTNERS & GUESTS!
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6. ¡ Keynote Speaker
§ Ruth Tyson, Union of Concerned
Scientists
¡ Board Report
§ Faye Mack, President
§ Sue Miller, Treasurer
¡ Staff Report
§ Erbin Crowell, Bonnie Hudspeth,
Suzette Snow-Cobb
§ Legislative Update: Roger Noonan,
New England Farmers Union
¡Lunch
§ Neighboring Co-operator Award
¡Peer Dialogs
¡Afternoon Workshops
§ Integrating Impact into Planning
§ Addressing Climate Change
§ Feasibility Assessment
¡Elections & Appreciations
§ John Crane, Vice President
¡Evaluations & Raffle
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
AGENDA FOR THE DAY
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7. Ruth Tyson
¡ Coalitions Coordinator for
the Food & Environment
Program, Union of
Concerned Scientists (UCS)
¡ Good Food for All Coalition
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
OUR KEYNOTE
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9. Overview
● Key takeaways
● Intro to ruth and UCS
● Defending science and equity in food system
advocacy (why we can’t separate
sustainability from justice)
● Farmer disparities and distribution of
resources
● Food retail disparities
● Policy and Equity Opportunities and Solutions
for Co-Ops
10. Key Takeaways
1. There are many problems with our food system, and the impacts often affect
communities of color disproportionately.
2. We must advocate for policies that promote sustainable and equitable food
production, procurement, and distribution by minimizing harm and increasing good.
3. Co-Ops occupy a critical role with their advocacy potential, purchasing power,
ownership/employment opportunities, and distribution of fresh healthy affordable
food.
4. Cooperative development, ownership, and operations must be inclusive, centering
restoration and reparation to ensure we don't perpetuate the inequities persistent
throughout our food economy.
29. Food Sovereignty
“Food sovereignty is the right of peoples to healthy and culturally appropriate food produced through ecologically
sound and sustainable methods, and their right to define their own food and agriculture systems. It puts the
aspirations and needs of those who produce, distribute and consume food at the heart of food systems and
policies rather than the demands of markets and corporations.”
– Declaration of Nyéléni, the first global forum on food sovereignty, Mali, 2007
Credit: U.S. Food Sovereignty Alliance
31. Where are the black-owned grocery stores in Detroit?
A preliminary assessment of racial equity in retail food ownership
Sarah Reinhardt, MPH, RD, and Ruth Tyson
The Union of Concerned Scientists
“In Detroit, a major city that's 80 percent African
American, there are no black-owned grocery stores.”
Detroit Metro Times, March 2017
“[Dwayne] Boudreaux is one of the nation’s few
remaining Black people operating full-service
supermarkets. No organizations track the number, but
sources familiar with the situation and some of the
remaining grocers suggest that fewer than 10 Black-
owned supermarkets remain across the entire country.”
Civil Eats, January 2018
39. Policy and Equity Opportunities
● Good Food Purchasing Program
● Good Food Communities Campaign
● Conservation Stewardship Programs (CSP,
CRP, EQIP)
● Child Nutrition Reauthorization
● Dietary Guidelines
● Local Foods Programs (FINI, HFFI, LAMP)
● Defense of SNAP + WIC
● Local and Federal Policies that support
cooperative development and sustainability
● Get out of your comfort zone! Inclusion requires
diversity at the table not just on the receiving end of
decisions
● Share policy opportunities in your member
newsletters
● Collect data to demonstrate the socioeconomic
benefits of cooperatives
● Set up meetings with your members of Congress to
share your stories and key asks ( you know your
experience best!)
41. Continuing the Conversation (Small Groups)
QUESTION 1: How well does your Co-op’s Membership, Staff,
and Board represent your community’s demographics? What
are you doing to increase this representation?
QUESTION 2: How can we, as an association of co-ops, use our
collective purchasing power and policy advocacy to support
racial equity in the food system?
43. ¡ Faye Mack, President (Board Member, City
Market, Onion River Co-op, VT)
¡ John Crane, Vice President (General
Manager, Portland Food Co-op, ME)
¡ Sue Miller, Treasurer (Co-General Manager,
Upper Valley Food Co-op, VT)
¡ David Durfee, Secretary (General Manager,
Wild Oats Co-op Market, MA)
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
BOARD OF DIRECTORS REPORT
¡ Katharine Arnold (Management Collective
Member, Buffalo Mountain Co-op, VT)
¡ Kari Bradley (General Manager, Hunger
Mountain Co-op, VT)
¡ Neomi Lauritsen (General Manager,
Springfield Food Co-op, VT)
¡ Michael Wells (Board Member, Putney Food
Co-op, VT)
¡ Chris Whiton (Operations Manager, Littleton
Food Co-op, NH)
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44. ¡ Draft Minutes in Packet
¡ Edit to Item 3, Approval of Minutes:
A vote of 2/3 of Member Co-op present was required for
passage, and the amendment was approved with 20
Members Co-ops voting for the amendment, 0 voting
against, and 2 abstaining.. The minutes were approved as
written
¡ Thank you, Joanne Todd, Willimantic Food Co-op!
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019 43
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2018
45. ¡ Each Member Co-op has 1
Vote
¡ Call for Motion to Approve
as Amended
¡ Second
¡ Any Discussion
¡ Call for a Vote
§ In Favor (Raise Voting Card)
§ Opposed (Raise Voting Card)
§ Abstain (Raise Voting Card)
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2018
44
46. NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
TREASURER’S REPORT:
INCOME 2018
45
74%
8%
18%
Dues Income Frozen Sales Other Income
49. Peer Networking
§ Peer Networking Event for
Board Members
§ Expand Impact of HFA
Program
Marketing & Education
§ Inclusive Economy
§ Hoffer Study 10th
Anniversary
Regional Sourcing
§ Invest in Partnerships
§ Project Sustainability
Organizational
Development
§ New Members
§ Opportunities for Alignment
with NCG
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
2018 PRIORITIES
48
51. The Neighboring Food Co-op
Association (NFCA) is a
regional federation of food co-
ops working together toward a
shared vision of a thriving co-
operative economy, rooted in
a healthy, just and sustainable
food system, and a vibrant
community of co-operative
enterprise.
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
VISION
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52. The Neighboring Food Co-
op Association supports
growth, innovation, and
shared success among our
member food co-ops
through collaboration,
education, and
partnerships.
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
OUR MISSION
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53. ¡ Peer Training
§ Board
§ Co-op Café
§ Executive Education
¡ Start-Up Support
¡ Healthy Food Access
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019 52
PEER NETWORKING & TRAINING
54. § Start-Up Peer Calls:
18 Group Calls
§ 3rd Annual NE Start-up
Workshop Day
§ Site Visits
§ Collaboration to Support
Urban Greens (RI) to
Open
§ CDS CC, FCI, Firebrand
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
SUPPORTING START-UPS
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55. NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
CO-OP CAFÉ 2018
¡Co-hosted by NFCA
¡Food Co-ops and Start-Ups
from across Northeast
¡Focus on Inclusion and
Expanding who our Co-ops
Serve and Represent:
“Expand the Vision of ‘We’”
¡Co-op Café 2019 Date:
Saturday, Oct. 19th
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56. NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY
CO-OPERATIVE BUSINESS TRAINING
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57. Executive Education Course – 2 Days
Enhancing Business Performance through Co-operative Management
Practices: How to Strengthen Identity, Loyalty and Participation
Interactive professional development opportunity:
– How to approach the management of a co-operative
– Competitive advantages using the co-operative model
– Co-operative economic trends
Hosted with Neighboring Food Co-op Association
(NFCA discount)
Greenfield, MA
October 24-25, 2019
Registration open!
www.ManagementStudies.coop
59. NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
EDUCATION & IMPACT
¡ UMass Co-operative
Enterprise Collaborative
¡ 2018 – 9 internships
¡ Hoffer Study 10 yrs Later
§ Revenue grew 39% to $224M
§ Local Products 23% to $64.7M
§ Membership 38% to 88,000
§ Employment 20% to 1,485
¡ Welcome Sansha, Jacob,
Marc, Emily & Kyle
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60. Harnessing our shared
purchasing power…
¡ Programs
§ Cave to Co-op
§ Farm to Freezer
¡ Partnerships Essential
¡ Part-time Staff
¡ Federation of Southern Co-ops
Collaboration
§ Welcome Ben Burkett
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
REGIONAL SOURCING
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61. NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
FARM TO FREEZER
¡Food Co-ops as Food System
Innovators
¡Northeast Grown Frozen
Fruits & Vegetables
¡Available Exclusively to
Member Co-ops
¡2018: Three Years since
Relaunch
¡New Product: Northeast
Grown Green Peas!
60
5,505Pounds of NFCA Northeast
Grown Frozen Fruits &
Vegetables Purchased
by Member Co-ops
in 2018
64. Legislative Update
¡ 117th National Convention
¡ Green New Deal
¡ Collaborative Advocacy
§ Farm Bill
§ CT Co-op Statute
¡ There is Strength in
Numbers
§ We Need Your Members to be
Our Members, Too!
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
ROGER NOONAN, PRESIDENT
NEW ENGLAND FARMERS UNION
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65. ¡ Go-To Resource on Co-ops
¡ Influence on Policy Issues
¡ Strengthen Diversity &
Inclusion among Co-ops
¡ Co-ops as Community Hubs
¡ Grow the Co-operative
Economy
¡ More Successful Start-Ups!
NFCA Eighth Annual Meeting 2019
2019 PRIORITIES
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