Spring Ponder 2011 - Envisioning a Cooperative Community in Northeast Minneapolis
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On Saturday, April 16, Eastside Food Co-op sponsored the Spring Ponder, our annual member visioning event. This year's Spring Ponder was "Envisioning a Cooperative Community in Northeast Minneapolis" and we asked our members what economic or social need did they have that could be served by a cooperative in our community. It was a great event, well attended, and sparked some great ideas about new co-ops we could form.
What's next? How can we build on the enthusiasm and excitement generated at the Spring Ponder, and engage more stakeholders to collaborate in a cooperative future? This web page is a beginning. Below you will find a listing of the "Co-op Dream" idea from the ponder, along with contact people for each concept. EFC has agreed to host a formative meeting for any of the concepts that get to the planning stage, and will provide support in developing an appropriate structure for the fledging co-op.
If you have another idea to add to the list, please email us at board@eastsidefood.coop.
NE Community Composting Cooperative
This co-op will be neighborhood residents who learn about industrial composting, compost at home, and deliver their compost to a drop-off site in the neighborhood. The City of Minneapolis solid waste department will pick up the compost.
Needed to start this Co-op:
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Cost to site and pick up 3 65-gallon composting carts
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Number of households needed to make pick-up cost effective
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Equity requirements for household
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Documentation for co-op membership
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Bank account for equity payments and to pay City hauling fees
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Training component so all member households correctly compost their waste
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Security (padlocks) for the composting carts, and record-keeping on access information
Benefits the Community:
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For each 65 gallon composting cart, an estimated 4 tons of food waste will be removed from the waste stream. Assuming 3 carts, this program would reduce food waste into the Hennepin County incinerator of 12 tons per year
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Serve as pilot for other composting co-ops
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Increase supply of compost material for agricultural and gardening uses
Interested?
Contact Amy 612-843-5401
NE Community Real Estate Acquisition and Development Cooperative
This co-op will be neighborhood residents who pool their investment funds and collectively purchase and management rental properties in Northeast Minneapolis. This co-op will have a limited number of shares, and will require an equity investment of at least $10,000 over four years.
Needed to start this Co-op:
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Incorporation as a cooperative in the State of MN Election of board of directors
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Definition of mission statement and Ends policies for the co-op – is it to provide affordable housing, the acquire and turnaround “problem” properties, to focus on a specific geographic area
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Set up banking – all equity investment must be electronic;
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Identify Co-op Manager who will locate and assess prospective properties, and eventually be property manager
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Recruit shareholders, holding funds in escrow until sufficient share-holders have committed to co-op
Benefits the Community:
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Reduction in number of absentee landlords in community
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Increased equity in community by neighborhood residents
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Improved housing stock, better maintained properties
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Increased community involvement from tenants and landlords
Interested?
Contact Amy 612-843-5401
NE Crafts Cooperative
The Northeast Crafts Cooperative seeks to bring together avid crafters interested in finding a place to sell their handmade goods. Doing this together as a cooperative allows us to organize and strategize about the opportunities to sell those things we love making.
Needed to start this Co-op:
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Crafters interested in selling their original and handmade goods.
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Cost of an Etsy store (20 cents to list item, 3.5% for sale)
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Store organizer
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Photographer for store listings
Benefits the Community:
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Start up a home business with friends and neighbors
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Team up to sell handmade goods
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Access to a built-in audience for handmade goods on Etsy
Interested?
Contact Manisha at mpls@yahoo.com
NE Canning Cooperative
The purpose of this co-op would be:
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To divide the work of home processing between more hands.
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To teach community members how to process their own food safely.
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To make expensive equipment like pressure canners more accessible to the community.
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To pool funds to purchase larger quantities directly from local growers.
To start this co-op, we would need:
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Canning equipment (either purchased through the group or that members can bring to share)
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A location such as a home kitchen for small groups, or a community center / parks kitchen for larger groups.
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Someone with a car or truck to help transport produce.
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An interest in the topic!
Interested?
Contact: Angela Mazur, on Facebook or canningcoopNEMpls@gmail.com
We’d love to get started this year, so check out our survey at: http://tinyurl.com/3ku2v8c
NE Community Yogurt/Kefir Cooperative
Yogurt is a custard-like food with a tart flavor, prepared from milk curdled by bacteria, especially Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, and often sweetened or flavored with fruit. Usually, it is retailed in a plastic tub or cup.
How would the Co-op work:
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Members will make 12 quarts of yogurt once every 12 weeks (four times a year)
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Members will receive 1 quart of yogurt every week
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Cost: $50.00 for a 24-week term ($2 per quart of yogurt)
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No yogurt-making experience would be required
Benefits the Community:
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We will learn how to make a probiotic food at home
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By using glass jars, we will reduce plastics use
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We will save money and control quality
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We will meet neighbors with a similar interest
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We will support local milk-producers
Interested?
Contact Amy - 612-843-5401
NE Bread-Baking Cooperative
The purpose of this co-op would be:
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To purchase ingredients in bulk to save money
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To make lots of dough at one time that can be baked or frozen for later use
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To share recipes and experience
To start this co-op, we would need:
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Members willing to get together every few weeks to make bread.
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A buying club membership or ideas for sourcing ingredients
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A location such as a home kitchen for small groups, or a community center / parks kitchen for larger groups.
Interested?
Contact: David Hirschboeck or Angela Mazur, on Facebook or ammazuratwork@gmail.com
NE Community Garden & Main Street Market Cooperative
The Background:
The City of Minneapolis owns a large, sunny lot across from the Grainbelt Brewery along 13th Street, between Main and Marshall Street (next to Northeast Bank). The property and adjacent historic building is currently for sale. The City is soliciting proposals starting May 2, with a deadline of August 1 and appears to be contemplating a housing development for the site.
The Idea:
A cooperative could form to purchase the land and the building for an organic community garden, food processing site, and market. The garden would include accessible spots for seniors and the disabled and perhaps eventually host wind and/or solar energy production. The building could be converted to a year-round food processing and indoor market to sell foods processed from garden produce.
Needed to start this Co-op:
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A committed group of founding members who can work together to assemble a proposal to the City by the August 1 deadline
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A comprehensive plan for developing and financing the project
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Advocacy to the City to preserve this land for non-housing use
Benefits the Community:
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Preserves green space and avoids creation of additional development in an already saturated market
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Creates green jobs in the neighborhood
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Promotes sustainable, local food production
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Provides gardening access to seniors and the disabled
NE Child Care Cooperative
A child care cooperative consists of a number of families in a community who decide to share child care among themselves without the exchange of money. Members agree to share responsibilities of record-keeping and providing and using services. Child care co-ops usually are intended for occasional child care.
Needed to start this Co-op:
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5-6 interested families
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Point system
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Record-keeper
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Ground rules
Benefits the Community:
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Gives parents and children an opportunity to make friends in their neighborhood
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Parents can exchange parenting tips, and perhaps even toys and clothes
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Children make new friends and develop social skills
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Children can become close with many families
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No money is spent for child care
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Families are helped with occasional day, evening, or emergency overnight care
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Parents have free time when they need it
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Parents can see their children interact with other children and adults
NE Meditation Cooperative
A cooperative meditation group. I will have a place to host it in about a month. It does not follow any one set of meditation "rules" or dogma but devises the "order" of meditation through consensus. It has no head honcho it follows. We are all capable of ringing a bell and saying profound things. My thoughts now to open my common room from 6:30-8:30 am 5-7 days a week. Ring a singing bowl every 15 minutes, one tone for the 15 and 45 and one tone for the 30 and hour so folks can meditate for as short as 15 minutes or as long as 2 hours. There may be a section-the last 30 minutes where folks can share deep thoughts? This all would be for the members to decide.
Interested?
Contact Scott, scottsueker@gmail.com
NE Home Brew Cooperative
Beer is one of the oldest known alcoholic beverages in the world. Some claim that beer was the driving force behind agriculture and therefore civilization itself. Beer was brewed in people's homes for much of history, and it's still easy and rewarding to brew at home today. Join together in this micro-cooperative to brew beer. A typical batch is 5 gallons (roughly 48 bottles)
Needed to start this Co-op:
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People interested in teaching and learning homebrewery
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Cost of purchasing home brewing equipment
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Bottles
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A site to home brew
Benefits the Community:
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Share in a unique skill
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Share brewing equipment and resources
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Put science into action
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Learn the process of brewing beer
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Learn how to make your own special blend
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Enjoy a brew with small but noticeable differences in each batch
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A homebrew is cheaper than its commercial equivalent
NE Fair Trade Chocolate Making Cooperative
This co-op would be a home for chocolate lovers and people interested in chocolate. Co-op members would make their own chocolate, perhaps even to sell.
Interested?
Contact: Vianna Papasodora, coony2@gmail.com
NE Trades Show Cooperative
The purpose of this co-op would be:
- To provide retail exposure for craftsmen work at scale too small support their own shop
- The Co-op could include all kinds of practicing craftspeople, including those who do leather work, custom cooking, sewing, furniture repair, upholstery, etc
Needed to start the Co-op:
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A group of people with a shared interest in retailing their skills
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A storefront or market space to host a trades fair on a regular basis
Interested?
Tom Dunnwald - tom@dunnwald.com
NE Health Services Cooperative
This co-op’s purpose would be:
- To provide alternative as well as traditional health services
- To promote healthy living, physically, mentally and emotionally
- To assist the community and educate individuals and communities at risk
Needed to start this Co-op:
- Dedicated helath care practitioners with an interdisciplinary mindset
- A locale to practice in
- Media and community outreach
NE Organic Lawn Care Cooperative
The purpose of this co-op would be:
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To purchase organic fertilizers, soil, etc.
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To share rental of a pickup to transport materials
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To help each other learn how to have an organic lawn
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To provide examples of organically grown lawns
Needed to start this Co-op:
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A group of people motivated to learn about organic lawn care and make the switch
Interested?
contact Bobbie Fredsall - bfred@visi.com
NE Sewing / Mending Cooperative
The purpose of this co-op would be:
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To connect people with different sewing skills so that all needs could be met
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Co-op members would share skills such as hand sewing, embroidery, machine sewing and mending
Needed to start this Co-op:
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we would just need 4-5 people with skills and need
Interested?
Contact: Adelheid Koski - 788-6431
NE Garden Share Cooperative Project
The purpose of this co-op would be to connect people who have unused yard space and garden space with neighborhood people who re interested in local produce and nutritional gardening. We could launch out the idea into the Eastside Food Co-op community and the local media and create a database of available parcels, and then examine and evaluate them for specific uses.
NE Energy Efficiency Cooperative
This co-op would exist to help people insulate and otherwise improve the energy efficiency of their homes and properties.
Interested?
Contact: David Grider, 612-781-4560
