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Co-operative buying in New-Hampshire

Co-operatives

some basic resource material: definitions, notes, etc.:

Wikipedia on Co-operatives
Statement on the Co-operative Identity, International Co-operative Alliance
Choose a Co-op - video on why to choose a co-op

In New-Hampshire, we are starting a new co-op. We have the benefit of the experience of a couple of real pros at co-oping, so that'll help.

Workshops on co-operatives:

  • 2 January 2009, Friday - 7PM, Alt Expo Co-op workshop, Henniker
  • 5 February 2009, Thursday - 7PM, Alt Expo Co-op workshop, Henniker

Organizational meetings:

Other calendar events of interest:

Here's where we stand so far:

(If you want to be put on the invitation list for our organizational meetings, please write to us at info@shireco-op.com.)

We have had a couple of organizing meetings and many presentations of the concept.

We have chosen the name Shire Co-op, short for Shire Co-operative.

We plan to eventually obtain the web address: shire.coop, but an approval is required to get the .coop TLD.

We have started by registering the address: shireco-op.com and also registered shirecoop.com which will re-direct to shireco-op.com.

We have created a YouTube channel called shirecoop where we can upload videos of meetings or of eductional and instructional material.

We have recorded one video, Introduction to Co-operatives, which is uploaded to the above YouTube channel.

We have more to settle on, e.g. a business structure and other details.

We will make decisions at meetings for now by general consensus.

We will start ordering from Associated Buyers in January of 2011 (if possible) before we have settled on a final structure. We expect that our structure will evolve and change a bit before we really settle in.

Sources we'll be able to choose to buy from (we will start with Associated and we can add others as we go):

United Natural Foods, Inc., Chesterfield, New-Hampshire warehouse

Associated Buyers

INJOY Organics, Northfield, New-Hampshire

Frontier Natural Products Co-op - pdf of catalog

Loving Naturals, New York (moving to New-Hampshire soon)

  • sample products are being sent to us (not received)

Local farms and CSA's (we've chosen a research co-ordinator to list, find and qualify the farms)

  • a certified organic farm in Bradford offers us eggs, veggies, several types of berries.
  • a farmer near the Connecticut River offers veggies and pigs,
  • ...and many more....

 Additional suggestions from those we've invited to meetings.

Meeting place (business meetings and product pick-up):

Liberty Books
75 Allison Street
Concord, New-Hampshire
tel: 223-0335

Early meetings - agenda:

We have selected a meeting facilitator who will serve until we have a more formal structure with by-laws and elections. Our meeting facilitator will take suggestions for meeting agenda items and will submit an agenda to the meeting. We will always allow a sufficient amount of time for newbie questions, concerns and suggestions.

Please submit meeting topic suggestions to info@shireco-op.com.

We have usually been having an "Intro to Co-operatives" session an hour before the business meeting to give a little history and to answer the frequently asked questions.

Mission:

Statement to be developed, but, generally, to co-operatively own and run our own pooled buying club which allows us to purchase in quantity directly from major distributors and manufacturers in order to get the lowest possible prices for our daily needs. We will stress mentoring to co-operatively develop a healthy, functional, thriving community who will have the skills to run the co-operative sustainably and fairly.

Structure:

We have the opportunity to create and structure our new co-operative in a way that suits our needs from the start. Experience has shown some things that work well and others not so well.

by-laws of other operating co-ops for our consideration:

  • Southfield, Michigan
  • others

Education and programs:

We are supportive of our members desire to become better informed on issues of health and nutrition, as well as survival,co-operative enterprise management and communications. To that end, we plan a full program of cross-training, mentoring, online and video education.See our education/programs page.

Frequently Asked Questions about our new co-op (to be moved to a separate page soon)

  1. Will you have fresh vegetables?
  2. Will you have a bricks and mortar store?
  3. Who will run the co-op?
  4. Can I be involved practically if I live far from Concord, the home location?

Some of these quesions are answered in this Introduction to Co-operatives video on our YouTube channel.

Co-op alliances, networks:

Co-operative Maine seems to be a good model for a state-wide network of all variety of co-operatives.
Co-op Power is a Western Massachusetts renewable power co-op that states a willingness to work with us.
Northeast Co-operative Summit

Types of co-operatives:

Business co-operatives

Electric power co-operatives
    N.H. example: New Hampshire Electric Co-operative
    video about Elec. Power Co-ops: NRECA: The Electric Cooperative Story

Farmer (producer) co-operatives
    Vermont example: Cabot Creamery

Food buying (consumer) co-operatives
     Co-ops that run a market (like the Concord Co-operative Market on Main Street)
     Working "drop-off, pick up" co-ops (what we are proposing) that do not have a store-front and where each member has some task, including breaking down the delivery when shipment occurs.

Health Care co-operatives (eg: Health Partners, Minnesota)
     small- and medium-sized businesses are banding together into co-ops called self-insured groups

Housing co-operatives

Worker co-operatives
    Article: THIS WAY OUT: A Guide to Starting A Worker Cooperative
   Article: Building the Worker Co-op Movement

Financial co-operatives (Credit Unions)

Notes log:

7Jul09 - learned of an OCA, Organic Consumers Association.

7Jul09 - learned a new Concord Co-operative Market store will open up in New London, New-Hampshire

Additional reference material:

We are not suggesting incorporation, but here is the section of the New-Hampshire statutes on co-operatives.

Some co-op concerns

The above article is subject to editing to update the reference material and to finalize details about the meetings of the new co-op.

last edited 24 January '011, AM