Newsletters: September-October 2009
Model: Cooperative
Natural Times September/October 2009
By Paul Rutkovsky
A healthy and functional food cooperative is like Twitter or Facebook. If virtual members don’t interact with the online sites, they’ll wither away. And so it is with any cooperative—without owner participation, the organization has a tenuous relationship with its public and is less responsive overall. New Leaf Market is a cooperative, but unlike Twitter and Facebook, it needs more than virtual participation. A truly vibrant food cooperative demands hands-on participation from owners, operating like a democracy.
Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative owners believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.
New Leaf Market is like most food cooperatives, either worker or customer-owned businesses that provide grocery items of the highest quality and best value to their owners. The key difference between New Leaf Market and conventional grocery stores is that cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their owners, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. The Board Directors live in the Tallahassee area and are committed to maintaining a healthy and responsive local food store. Owners can attend meetings and also run for the Board of Directors. If you’re interested in being on the Board of Directors, ask at the front desk about the Board’s next meeting. The most recent election is ending September 6, 2009. Most grocery stores, especially the national big-box variety, do not have local board elections. Their presence in the community is minimal, other than providing products for sale. Cooperatives, and New Leaf Market specifically, offer a host of important seminars such as how to clean your house without harsh chemicals, or local practitioners discussing health issues and trends.
A very good reason for shopping and supporting New Leaf Market is because of its commitment to our community. New Leaf Market supports many farmers and producers of healthy food who are located in our region. Local products save energy, support our community and taste delicious. A cooperative like New Leaf Market is contributing to the national renaissance, or rebirth, of small organic and “free-range” farmers.
The New Leaf Market North Florida/South Georgia Farm Tour, which began in 2003 with three certified organic farms, will take place this year on October 24 and 25, and include 33 participating farms and gardens. The activities will range from holding a workshop to inviting the public to tour the farm. As a cooperative, New Leaf Market actively works for sustainable development in our community, which is why farms participate in the tour for free. This is another great reason for supporting cooperatives.
For more information about New Leaf Market and a listing of activities, go to www.newleafmarket.coop.
