Michael Smith, NOFC President, was interviewed by WWNO at Mitch Landrieu’s recent sustainability task force meeting. It aired on WWNO (the New Orleans NPR affiliate). Listen here.

The New Orleans Food Cooperative shows support for vegans

April 5, 10:09 AMNew Orleans Vegan ExaminerDerek Goodwin

New Orleans Food Co-op

by permission from NOFC

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The NOLA Veggiefest is coming!

One of the signs of that the Crescent City is on the road to a brighter future is the imminent arrival of the New Orleans Food Cooperative (NOFC). Vegans and other health-minded people living in the heart of the city (French Quarter, Marigny, Bywater, St. Roch, St. Claude, and Central Business District) have long been deprived of a consistently good source of affordable organic produce, bulk food items and natural foods. With a combination of community support and funding from some outside sources, the NOFC could soon fill that void.

The co-op will be located in the future New Orleans Healing Center at 2372 St. Claude on the corner of St. Roch. The Healing Center is taking over the 55,000 sq. ft. former historic Universal Furniture Building and transforming it into a space for for yoga, therapeutic healing arts, a garden, an organic restaurant (with vegan options!), a performance hall, art galleries, a women’s center, an interfaith spiritual space, retail, and of course the co-op.

Food Cooperatives are owned by their members and are driven based on the community’s needs - keeping prices reasonable and quality high. The NOFC store will offer local, regional, organic and natural products, as well as some conventional items.

The New Orleans Food Co-op is currently conducting its founding membership fund drive. Membership is a $100 capital investment which can be paid at once or in five $20 installments. There is a $25 membership available for low-income residents, also available in installments. NOFC currently has over 630 members and is hoping to reach a goal of 1000 members by June.

Benefits of membership include:

• part ownership of the NOFC
• a patronage refund program
• special members-only discounts
• discounts from other participating businesses
• a vote in Board member elections and on special issues
• eligibility to serve as a Board member

Michael Smith, president of the co-op, has been vegetarian for over 8 years and says that there are lots of vegans and vegetarian amongst the existing membership already, which is not surprising seeing that we are a population desperately in need of a reliable source of healthy foods. In the parts of the city the co-op will serve, Smith sees a “general lack of access to food, and really no access to specialty items and vegan proteins at a fair price. I think it will make it a lot easier to have a healthy vegan or vegetarian lifestyle.”

The New Orleans Food Cooperative is also showing its support for the vegan community by being the lead sponsor for the upcoming New Orleans Veggiefest on May 16th. The NOLA Veggiefest is an event featuring vegan food, speakers, entertainment, animal rights organizations and animal-friendly businesses. NOFC will have a table at the event and hopes to attract new members from the hundreds of veg-friendly people who will be attending.

NOFC currently has a Buyers Club where members can order groceries online once a month and pick them up at the Saturday Hollygrove Market. While it is not as convenient as being able to walk in to a grocery it does offer the benefit of cheaper prices, and access to bulk food and other items that can’t be found anywhere else in New Orleans. It is currently the only local source for bringing home the soy and dairy free Daiya Vegan Cheese, which has been causing quite a stir nationally amongst vegans.

NOFC’s Sunday Grocery is set to reopen in a farmers market style. Details of the location will be announced soon. In order to make this happen NOFC needs volunteers and equipment. If you would like to get involved in the Sunday market you can find out more on the NOFC web site.

Everyone is welcome to attend co-op work group potlucks, the next to be held at Holy Angel’s convent (3500 St. Claude) at 6pm on April 21.

The estimated time frame for NOFC’s store opening is early 2011. Stay informed by visiting www.nolafoodcoop.org and if you are not already a member, sign up online today!

The New Orleans Food Cooperative (NOFC) seeks qualified applicants for our part-time position of Project Manager. The NOFC is on track to open its store in September 2010, and the Project Manager is the sole paid employee at this time. The purpose of the Project Manager is to manage and coordinate the various efforts of our volunteer Board, Action Team, and others; to assist the NOFC in the myriad of tasks required as we gear up to open the store; and to maintain a consistent public interface. The Project Manager reports to the Board, and the job requirements may evolve as the needs of the organization change and grow.

Responsibilities include proactive volunteer outreach, development, and coordination; facilitation of our Action Team meetings (every other Monday evening); project coordination and tracking of timelines; bookkeeping with Quickbooks (in coordination with our Treasurer); member database maintenance; general office staffing (such as answering phone calls and emails); and occasional representation of the NOFC at community events. The Project Manager will be responsible for either doing, or finding and supervising volunteers to do, the following types of activities: creation of documents for member communication and outreach, updating the website, coordination of our informational potlucks, and whatever else of the work can be done by volunteers.
The NOFC needs a Project Manager who will take our Co-op to the next level. Candidates should be outgoing, flexible, creative, actively engaged self-starters with a positive interest in the success of our Co-op, preferably with experience in volunteer coordination and meeting facilitation. They should be community-oriented, friendly, and professional, and possess exceptional written and verbal communication skills. Candidates should also have excellent computer skills, be detail oriented, and be comfortable working in an interactive, cooperative environment. The NOFC also has a strong need for grantwriters so if our Project Manager has experience with grant proposals that would be a plus; we have a pool of volunteers but grant research is needed in particular.

Compensation is $15/hr, 20 hours minimum per week (more hours are possible for grantwriting activities if applicable). The schedule is flexible, but the Project Manager must be able to sometimes work in the evenings or on weekends, and should be able to start work during the first two weeks of August 2009.
Please send a resume and cover letter, which should include a personal statement about why you want this job, to (puma@nolafoodcoop.org) info (at) nolafoodcoop (dot) org, by July 20, 2009. There will be at least two rounds of interviews, to start the week of 7/20/09, with the decision planned for August 1.
For information about NOFC see our website at www.nolafoodcoop.org. The Co-op’s current employee, Project Assistant Yasmin Bowers, has taken a job in Washington DC and is leaving us; she has our well wishes in her new endeavor.

Resumes, cover letters, and personal statements:

send to (puma@nolafoodcoop.org) dr.puma (at) gmail (dot) com by July 20, 2009

First round of interviews: July 21–23

Decision: August 1

Start work: August 15 or earlier

The following article appeared in the June 11, 2009 issue of the Times Picayune, in the Living Section. The article was written by Judy Walker, the Food Editor of the paper. The online version can be found at http://blog.nola.com/judywalker/2009/06/no_food_coop_seeks_members_to.html.

N.O. Food Co-op seeks members to support their new grocery store

Want to own part of a grocery store — one that sells healthy, low-cost foods?

It’ll cost you $100, and you can even make payments.

The New Orleans Food Co-op has 505 members and wants to have 1,000 by the time its long-anticipated grocery store opens in the New Orleans Healing Center, inside the old Universal Furniture building at St. Claude and St. Roch avenues, in September 2010.

The Healing Center, at 2372 St. Claude Ave., will have an open house Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will include remarks by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.; a free catered brunch; live music; spoken word performances; children’s activities; a crafts bazaar; and information about the services to be offered there. (More information: www.neworleanshealingcenter.org.) Those with questions about the co-op, or who want to join, can receive information and talk to members there, said Cassandra Snyder of the membership committee.

The main thing that makes a food cooperative different from any other type of market is that the store is owned by its members.

Founder John Calhoun explained, “Members of the food co-op are all part owners, and because it’s owned by members of the community, we will be able to meet and respond to the needs of its members in a way that a typical grocery store wouldn’t.

“Another difference is that we are able to have these products at affordable prices because we’re driven by our mission and not by profit, ” Calhoun said. “Once we meet our operating expenses, profits go back into the co-op and will bereflected by fairer prices.”

The cost to become a member is a one-time $100 investment, Calhoun said. The startup cost of the store is $1.5 million, and “an important part of that funding comes through member equity, ” Calhoun said. “Really, one of the best ways anyone can support the co-op and the opening of this grocery store is to become a member. Not only does it help raise capital, but also more members mean more community support.”

Calhoun said the full-service store will encompass 5,500 square feet, and its mission is to carry healthy, affordable food, with a strong emphasis on local and regional products. Some conventional products will be offered, too, and there will be an extensive bulk-food section.

Although anyone will be able to shop there, co-op members will receive some kind of financial incentive — one that will be determined by the members.

The store “will include local produce, fish, meats, dairy, rice, sugar, etc. Anything we can find a local source for, we will want to carry that before something else, ” Calhoun said. “It’s fresher and healthier, and it’s what the members of the community and the co-operative want. It supports local farmers and the economy and small businesses.”

The New Orleans Food Co-op has been around since 2002, and for the past five years has operated a monthly order-buying club.

Food co-ops are not new. Many have operated around the country for decades. (At least 150 are listed as members of the Cooperative Grocers Information Network, an online resource group.) Since members make collective decisions, cooperatives are run in a variety of ways.

The New Orleans store will have professional management, Calhoun said. It will be open to the public, and it will not be a requirement of membership to work in the store. However, the store probably will have member volunteers who can get a discount on groceries.

Calhoun pointed out what community food activists repeatedly have said since Hurricane Katrina: New Orleans lacks enough access to grocery stores and, in particular, lacks access to healthy, affordable food. Providing that is the cooperative’s goal.

Michael Smith, secretary of the board, said diversity has been a goal and a challenge, “as it is for all community-based organizations in this town. Financially, even $100 is a barrier for a lot of people, especially in the part of town where we’re opening.”

The co-op’s multipronged fundraising campaign includes asking current members to consider making long-term loans to help start the store. Smith said the loan campaign started two weeks ago, and, so far, at least 10 people have said they will make loans.

“I’m definitely going to loan some of my own money, ” Smith said. “I’m going to get (a return of) 3 percent (annual percentage rate). If you loan between $1,000 and $10,000, it’s a 3 percent APR; and more than $10,000, it’s 4.5 percent APR. The terms are between six and 10 years. That’s a real direct economic benefit to our membership, for those that are in a position to loan money.”

The co-op also is applying for grants and is planning to seek bank financing, too, Calhoun said. He added that the co-op hopes to receive some of the $7 million allocated for fresh food retailers through the city’s Office of Recovery and Development Administration.

For more information, see www.nolafoodcoop.org, or e-mail (info@nolafoodcoop.org) info (at) nolafoodcoop (dot) org.

-Judy Walker, Food Editor, Times Picayune, June 11, 2009

Hello Co-op friends!! This is a very exciting time for our co-op. I want to let you know of some recent developments and about a couple of upcoming events.

Last week our board met with representatives of the Healing Center. They recently received some good news in regard to their fundraising efforts that will make it feasible for them to include us as a tenant in their project. They hope to begin construction on the Healing Center this Summer, which means that their timeline will fit in with our timeline for opening our store in 2010.

Our board is supportive of moving forward with the Healing Center as our future site. We encourage our members to attend our next Action Team meeting to discuss this possibility. Our next Action Team meeting will be held Monday, February 16 at 7 p.m. at 623 North Rendon. We will be discussing the Healing Center as a site in the beginning of the meeting before moving on to other topics related to opening our storefront.

Don’t miss our next potluck this Thursday, Feb. 12 at 333 Burgundy. This will be hosted at the French Quarter Wedding Chapel, which should be a fun location for our co-op dinner. The potluck will begin at 6:30 p.m. and as always is open to anyone and everyone. Please spread the word.

Our co-op is continuing to get closer to opening a storefront. Last week we hired a project assistant, Yasmin Bowers, to assist the co-op with accounting and to work with the board and Action Team to open our grocery store. Having the assistance of a part-time employee will go a long way in helping our co-op reach its goal of opening our storefront in Spring of 2010.

Our board is currently recruiting members to fill a couple of board vacancies. We are looking for a member who is committed to our vision and is able to attend monthly board meetings and spend about 5 hours a week on co-op activities. Ideally we would like to have someone with business or real estate experience sit on our board. If you are interested in serving on the NOFC board please send an e-mail to John.

Our current member total has grown to 479!! This includes 454 fully paid members and 25 members making payments toward membership. We plan to have at least 1000 members by the end of this year with a short-term goal of 600 members by May 1. Please encourage everyone you know to join by visiting our website at www.nolafoodcoop.org. I hope to see you at an upcoming potluck or meeting.

John Calhoun
President
NOFC Board of Directors