Early Spring Updates from your growing Co-op!
Welcome to our March newsletter. We now have over 645 paid members! A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has already joined us. For anyone who is interested in becoming a member, you can do that here:
https://charlesriverfood.coop/join
Our next membership goal is 850 members by July 1. You can help us spread the word by forwarding this email, by printing and posting a flier on a local community bulletin board, or by sharing our posts on social media.
First Annual Membership Meeting and Board Elections
We now have enough co-op members to hold our very first annual membership meeting! We are planning an in-person event in the fall where we will share a “state of the co-op” style presentation with an opportunity for the community to ask questions, meet new people, and grab some snacks, prizes, and co-op swag. Members and non-members will all be invited. The date and location are currently in the works, so stay tuned!
Also coming up this fall, we are planning our first official board election. We will conduct this using a web form that we will send out to all our members via email, so keep your eyes peeled. Our board meetings are open for all current members, and if you are a member, you are eligible to run for a board seat!
Please reach out to us at info@charlesriverfood.coop if you have any questions about running for the board or if you’d like an invitation to join our meetings.
Member Spotlight
This month’s member spotlight is Chanthal Harris, of Waltham, MA. We spoke with Chanthal to find out more about why she joined the co-op.
Why did you decide to become a member of the co-op?
I joined because I am intrigued by the idea of a community run resource of food in our area and all the benefits it could bring to our communities. I also see this as another way to deepen my involvement with our local community & find folks who may want to work together on local initiatives at the intersection of food & climate justice.
What is your favorite fruit or vegetable and how do you prepare it?
One of my favorite comfort foods/veggies is Black Eyed Peas/Collards. However, I eat Roasted broccoli most evenings, and that is my go-to favorite Veggie at the moment!
What do you do for fun?
I enjoy trying new things, but some of my interests include gardening, video games, reading, and traveling.
Message from the Board
This month we have been working on our Pro Forma (financial calculator) and learning about funding options such as grants and capital campaigns. Melissa attended a webinar from the Food Co-op Initiative featuring a talk by Katie Novak of Katie Novak Cooperative Coaching. This gave us an overview of the work involved in launching a capital campaign. We’re not quite there yet, but we’ve checked many of the boxes and we’re now better informed for when we have enough members to start our capital campaign, which occurs in Stage 2b and/or 3a (see below). We are also researching options for how to take tax-deductible donations.
For more information on the steps it takes to open a food co-op, you can read the FCI’s Food Co-op Startup Guide. It’s long, but super interesting. We are working through their list of tasks. According to their timeline, we are currently in stage 2a:
Community News
If you’re interested in organic landscaping, the Watertown Public Library is offering a lecture series. Thanks to Debra Smith, the series moderator, for letting us know about this one. The first event of the series was on March 16, but it will continue on the third Thursday of the month: April 20, 2023, May 18, 2023 and June 15, 2023 from 7:00-8:30 P.M. by Zoom. Registration for the April 20 event is here: https://reservations.watertownlib.org/virtual-organic-landscaping-series
It’s CSA (community supported agriculture) signup season! There are several high quality local options in our area, such as Waltham Fields and Red Fire Farm. You can find more options in Edible Boston’s CSA guide.
Speaking of Waltham Fields Community Farm, they are in the process of negotiating land use with the city of Waltham, and recently published a letter in the Boston Globe. You can read more about it on their website.
How You Can Help
The biggest thing that you can do to help us is simply to forward this email to your friends and community listservs, post on social media and other groups like Next Door, put up a flier in your local ice cream shop or house of worship, and generally help us raise awareness. If you have any other ideas for how we can reach new potential members, please let us know!
Although it’s too cold out for tabling events right now, we are looking for volunteers for specific roles. Here are our top few needs, but please reach out to us if you have any other skills you think we could use!
Newsletter writer
Social Media coordinator
Accountant/Bookkeeper
Gift Memberships Available
You can now purchase a gift membership on the website for anyone you choose. When you purchase a gift membership, an email will be sent to the recipient alerting them of the offer. When they choose to accept the offer, the recipient fills out the online membership form and they and their family become a fully qualified lifetime member. You can use the link below to get started:
https://charlesriverfood.coop/gift
As always - thank you so much to all of you for your support and please spread the word by forwarding this email to a few friends.
In co-operation,
The Charles River Food Co-op Board
(Nick, Melissa, Thomas, Tim, Christina, Lissa, Lew, Benny, & Jen)
P.S. If you missed any of our previous newsletters, you can find them here.
