Food for Thought - February 2021 - owners.foodshed.coop

monthly eBlast for followers and supporters of the Food Shed Co-op - February 5, 2021

We have a goal to reach 1200 total owners by July 2021. Help us move to the next step on our journey to open our community owned grocery store in the fall of 2022 by clicking HERE or on the Become an Owner button!

What is a food co-op? Just in case you forgot, a food co-op is a grocery store owned by your neighbors (and by you, if you choose). Unlike corporate chains, co-ops are totally independent and owned by folks in the community that shop there.

Store Location Announced

Hopefully by now you have heard that the Food Shed Coop has a place to call home. We purchased a plot of land at the intersection of US HWY 14 and Lake Shore Drive between Crystal Lake and Woodstock. Our current member-owners are thrilled about the convenient location, boasting access to the Prairie Trail bike path and neighbors like McHenry County College (MCC) and ShadowView Brewing. We were happy to make this important announcement and celebrate with our owners, in 2020 fashion, via Zoom party on December 11, 2020. The festivities included showing a video COMPILATION, complete with drone footage of the site and highlighted a song written and recorded for the Food Shed by local singer/songwriter Cassandra Vohs-Demann.

We intend to start construction of our new grocery store in the Spring of 2022, pending a successful capital campaign. We’re looking forward to celebrating with everyone in person when that day comes!

We Are Not Alone

In case you missed it, there was an excellent article, on the front page of the Chicago Tribune last weekend about food co-ops. The Food Shed was mentioned as one of several startups in the Chicagoland area.
The article highlights the amount of time, commitment, and community support needed to open a successful co-op by saying, “These food co-ops serve their neighborhood so they move slowly and deliberately. It is the communities’ resources, not a sole proprietor risking their money.”
The article also touches on how COVID has impacted food supply chains and impacted how people respond, noting that “[during] these periods... people get together and solve problems on a community level.” They emphasize that buying from numerous local vendors and farmers has been mutually beneficial, helping to sustain the food on the shelves and their businesses.
We, at the Food Shed, wholeheartedly agree that we want a shopping experience that meets our values, especially “when we are trying to nourish ourselves in this time.” Or, anytime really.

CLICK HERE to read the article and learn more about why food co-ops are so “cool.”

Help us spread the word about our community owned grocery store by sharing our posts with your followers on social media. And why not BECOME AN OWNER now?

Mission
Our mission is to build a LOCAL food COOPERATIVE promoting a HEALTHY, ETHICAL and RESILIENT COMMUNITY.