Learn about our co-op’s latest progress
Thank you to our 746 paid members and our newsletter subscribers who have joined us and helped spread our co-ops mission in our community!
If you’re not a co-op member, we invite you to join us by investing in the Charles River Food Co-op today.
We’re looking for volunteers!
All current members are welcomed and encouraged to join our board meetings every other Monday night from 8-9pm on Zoom.
Interested in getting more involved? Join us at our finance and marketing committee meetings. You can find dates and joining information for all our meetings here:
https://charlesriverfood.coop/calendar
We are also looking for volunteers to participate in Watertown’s Faire on the Square on Saturday, September 23rd, 2023. Volunteers will pick one or more hours from 11am to 4pm to help staff the table alongside current board members. If you are interested, email us at info@charlesriverfood.coop.
Want to help us spread the word?
Forward this email!
Print and post a flier on a local community bulletin board!
Follow us on social media @charlesriverfoodcoop and share our posts!
Member Spotlight
Waltham residents Brian Schick and Sara Sargent first learned about the existence of the Charles River Food Co-op at Waltham Fields Community Farm’s annual fundraiser, and proceeded to win membership #700 in the silent auction that night.
What do you do for work (and/or volunteering)?
Brian works in medical device development, and Sara is returning to grad school for education this fall. As for volunteering, we support social justice, women's health, and nature/environmental non-profits.
Do you have any previous experience with co-ops?
Sara grew up shopping at coops and her parents helped to start Fiddleheads Coop in New London, CT. We also really like the River Valley Coop in Northampton, MA, especially all of the bulk food options and efforts to allow reusable containers.
Where have you been buying your produce since Russo’s closed?
In the summer, we prioritize our CSA at Waltham Fields Community Farm, and also the Waltham Farmers’ Market. Otherwise we often shop at Whole Foods, which has an okay selection, but we really hate the lack of local produce and everything being in single-use plastic.
What is your favorite fruit or vegetable and how do you prepare it?
Fennel! We loved watching the pandemic show "Amy Schumer Learns to Cook"— her chef-husband Chris Fischer is obsessed with fennel.
Message from the Board
This month we finalized the RFP for our market study and sent it out to our top four contenders. An RFP (“Request for Proposal”) is a document that outlines everything we want to get out of a relationship with a vendor, in this case a market research company. Sending all the vendors the same RFP means that we get back proposals that all have the same scope of work, so that it’s easier to compare the different vendors. Another benefit is that an RFP gives specific, written guidance to our vendor about what we’d like them to do for us, so there’s no confusion on either side. When we get the proposals back, we will be able to make a final decision on the vendor.
Community News
Healthy Waltham Announces New Location
On August 8, Healthy Waltham announced that they have identified 123 Felton Street as the future home of their food pantry. This is a significant move forward, after having had problems with several City of Waltham owned sites. The announcement stated that the new location will give them the space and stability to implement a progressive new food distribution model, which will improve food access and give their clients a more convenient, compassionate and dignified pantry experience. No more waiting for hours in frigid temperatures, oppressive heat or pouring rain, no more missing pantry days due to work or caregiving commitments (or missing work for pantry days).
Did you know that there are a lot of Co-ops out there?
There are a lot of cooperatively owned businesses in New England, and one of the best known is Cabot Creamery. Established in 1919, they have the distinction of being the first B Corp certified dairy co-op. Cabot is owned by dairy farm families throughout New England and New York. The brand is mostly known for their cheese, but they make a wide variety of products including butter, yogurt, and other cultured dairy products. Some other co-ops include: Upstate Farms, Equal Exchange, Florida’s Natural.
Co-op Principle: Autonomy and Independence
We wanted to highlight why our co-op is different from other organizations, and we'll be doing a monthly segment on each co-op principle for the rest of the year!
Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.
For more information about the 7 co-op principles, check out the International Cooperative Alliance website.
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,
Board members: Melissa, Tim, Nick, Jen, Lew, Thomas, Benny, Lissa, Christina
Newsletter team: Joelle, Simone, Scott, and Kathy
P.S. If you missed any of our previous newsletters, you can find them on our website.
