There is a new blog available for folks seeking news about food issues in New Orleans, LA. The byline is “Local food news, action and surveys about our Alligator territory bioregion” and you can find it here http://nolafoodnews.blogspot.com/

We are getting a storeroom for our buying club! We can hold our divvies/grocery pickups there. We also have donations of a refrigerator and a freezer.

Getting this storeroom is a vital step towards a retail store. With the storeroom, the club can buy surplus items that will help make full cases for our orders. Then throughout the following month sell off this surplus.

We had one workday already, where we emptied out the space. This next get-together will be a planning session where we will lay out the space, design our shelving, etc.

Location is 3217 1/2 Toulouse St., near the bayou, between Rendon and Hagan streets, come to the back of the house (there will be signs!).

We will hold two more storeroom workdays, on the following Saturdays, Sept. 1st and 8th.

Everyone is invited to these. We would especially like to see buying club participants! Remember it’s YOUR buying club!

3217 1/2 Toulouse St.

near the bayou, between Rendon and Hagan streets

come to the back of the house ( there will be signs!)

Well, the New Orleans Food Co-op is still homeless. But we are resuming full steam with finding the perfect home for our first grocery, and we are now in the first leg of our road map to a storefront. The image below describes our plan in general terms…

We are on this road right now, but there is nothing that says this is the only way it will work. As close as we have come in the past, and as much time as we have spent working and practicing on these ideas, we know that a start-up co-op storefront requires a strong engaged membership. Once this membership is built, the concrete work of finding a property, possibly refurbishing it and opening a storefront are just an exercise to be completed. As with all small businesses, just starting-up is less a part of long-term success than than the enthusiasm and skills of those involved. And in a co-op, the enthusiasm and skills collectively originate from the membership.

Basic requirements for a storefront

We are considering either renting or buying. In this post-Katrina environment, there is potential for buying property fairly cheaply, and getting volunteer labor to help with renovations. Other criteria to consider include a minimum size of 2000 square feet, parking, 18-wheeler accessible, the presence of commercial zoning and what type, and structural soundness. The target area surrounding the storefront must simply have enough members, and since membership is open to everyone, that could really be anywhere people are living in New Orleans.

We can’t do it without you!

There are several ways you can help with the search for a store location. If you see or hear of a space available that might meet the above criteria please send email to info@nolafoodcoop.org, and provide us with the location and contact info, if you have it. Even better, if you can join our Location Search Committee, then send us your contact info and we’ll let you know when the next committee meeting will be. Membership is also crucial to this entire process and our eventual storefront, consider becoming a member today and help spread the word to new potential members in your neighborhood.

The NOFC Buying Club got a mention in the Times-Picayune Living section today in an article on
how to save money on groceries:

“43. Join a food co-op. The New Orleans Food Co-op Buying Club is up and
running, according to its Web site. Members order organic food online
and split the cases as well as the work to sort it into individual
orders. Details are at www.nolafoodcoop.org”

Here’s the link to the full article, we’re on pg 7 of the on-line story.