Expanding Coop Access

This proposal is to allow non-members to be able to shop from the coop, while reserving voting privileges to dues-paying members.

Background

The mission of the coop is to provide access to cheap, high-quality, local food to the residents of Ward 2. As a secondary benefit, the coop desires to provide a social environment for its members.

Problem

The size of the active membership has dwindled to 5-10 per week, and our weekly purchases from the farmers market have dropped to $0 for the July 6 pickup and $10 for July 13. The problem with the reduced purchases is that:

• we are failing to meet our mission of providing food to people, and
• the farmers are less interested in working with us and giving us discounts because we are failing to bring business to them.

The major hurdles involved in shopping are the geographic restriction (Ward 2), the requirement for a separate payment of monthly dues, and the requirement for a pickup at a specific time and place behind a locked door. This proposal does not address the hurdle of the pickup location, but it addresses the first two hurdles and leaves space for a solution to the third.

Solution

We open up access to the Meso app to any resident in DC, provided they are willing to pick their order up from the Lutheran church on Sunday (or other negotiated pickup location).

Instead of dues, the coop reserves the right to institute a percentage surcharge to each order. This surcharge would be raised in the future if a need is assessed, but based on the greater need for increased order volume than for increased coop funds, this proposal recommends a 0% surcharge to begin with.

Only dues-paying members would be able to vote at coop meetings.

Conclusion

We are failing to meet our mission of feeding people. By allowing non-members to shop at the coop and take advantage of our budding relationships with the farmers at the market, we'll be able to feed more people, both in Ward 2 and beyond.