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Blog Digest:
C.E. Pugh, stops by the Company
Shops Market building.
Last week we got a call from C.E. Pugh, the national development
director for the National Cooperative Grocers Association. He was in
town on business and wanted to stop by. We are thrilled that he took
the time to come check us out and enjoyed the opportunity to show
him our building and chat with him about about the business of co-op
groceries. Over dinner at one of our delicious locally owned
restaurants, he agreed that we’d chosen a great location and felt
that the market would certainly contribute to downtown
revitalization.
Ceiling Demolition Postponed. Co-op Work
Weekend Still Happening
We met with the Burlington Fire Department and with our current
sprinkler system contractor. They were quite nice, gracious, and
supportive of our efforts, but after discussing our short and mid
term goals, we have determined that it would be cheaper and in the
co-op’s best interest to wait until just before the beginning of the
official roof renovation to remove the tiles. The tile demolition
party will happen eventually, but has been officially postponed. We
still look forward to seeing anyone still interested in coming down,
there’s still plenty to keep us occupied.
Read more about it...
Company Shops Market Isn’t An Organic Food
Store: A discussion of local vs organic
Nate Perry shares his opinions on why organic isnt everything and
why local matters.
When I mention to friends that I am working with Company Shops
Market now, it usually results in some sort of comment including
“oh, I love organic food!” It’s usually at this point that I
begin a small conversational venture into the true meaning of
that statement. This usually starts with an observation that
Organic is just a certification from the US Department of
Agriculture, declaring that their limited set of rules have been
followed. Organic means that steps have been taken to limit
unnatural or potentially dangerous chemicals and procedures from
being applied to the food you are considering buying. In other
words: it’s a marketing term....
It’s getting easier and easier for consumers to confuse the
myriad of terms applied to good, wholesome food. Keeping our
food natural and less synthesized, and less contaminated is a
great step in the right direction. Whether they are doing it
under the USDA Organic seal in California, or sparingly
fertilizing and applying just enough pesticides to make sure
their produce makes it to market down the street, it’s all
inspiring to see. We just need to remember that great food
doesn’t have to be organic to be great for you, and great for
North Carolina. Buy local, responsibly raised produce and
meat when you can, buy organic or all natural when you can’t get
local. Mind what you put in your plate, your well being and in
many cases the well being of your farming neighbors depends upon
it.
Read more about it...
Weekend Work Party
Day 1 (Friday): Friday night’s objective was to tear down the
corner office while salvaging as many usable materials as possible.
Thank you to Matt Heidel, Bob Held, Paul Bogdan, Bill Dunn, Kevin
Helvey, Eric Michel, Sharon Dent, Greg Frazier, and Nate Perry for
spending their Friday evening working to bring the co-op one step
closer to opening our doors for business.
See day 1 photos here...
Day 2 (Saturday): Saturday’s objective was to cut away the
drywall covering the glass block windows in the front of the
building, tear down the office partitions upstairs, and remove nails
from the wood salvaged during tear down last night and today. Thank
you to Otto Afanador, Wayne Holmes, Ralph Macy, Kevin Helvey, Eric
Michel, Eric Henry, Sharon Dent, Greg Frazier, Bob Hykes, Nate Perry
and our other volunteers for spending their Saturday working to
bring order and light to the co-op building.
See day 2 photos here...
Local vs Organic: new thinking for
sustainable textiles?
Board member Sam Moore writes to us from on the road at the Organic
Exchange meeting in Seattle, WA. "I am writing you from the OE
meeting (Organic Exchange) where the organization is moving beyond
organic into sustainable textiles: locally produced, recycled fibers
and fabrics, new LCA-based uses for apparel materials. This is the
same message Nate Perry just gave in his blog post, Company Shops
Market Isn’t An Organic Food Store."
Read Sam's full message on the blog...
Quick Update: $11,000 in investments
received over the last 10 days!
That brings our Community Investment total to $263,500 so far! We
currently have 1,430 Owners and $2263,500 in Community Investment
Notes. Invest in your co-op! For complete detail on the
Community Investment Note Program, please refer to our
investment page and carefully read the
Prospectus before making any investment decisions.
News from the OE Expo: shifting back to US
made textiles?
Board member Sam Moore writes in again from Seattle to tell us about
Anvil's commitment to buy US grown organic and transitional cotton
first. And to tell us about the sustainability and local community
commitment of the Seattle community. "If we can get this money
raised and get to work on the (CSM) store, perhaps we will have a
nice vibrant scene in downtown B’ton, but I doubt we will throw
salmon around like they do at the
Pike Market
in Seattle."
Read Sam's message here...
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