In as much detail as you can could you define what you think a co-op is, or what you think a co-op should be. I know it’s in the name co-operative, but there is much more to it than that, and there are many different types of co-ops. Purchasing co-ops for small businesses, food co-ops for cities, insurance co-ops for struggling families, housing co-ops, etc. I know that the food co-op just opened downtown, its not exactly struggling, but it does need more business and I am hoping that we all might benefit from the following discussion. What would you like to see offered? What kind of services do you expect? Are you willing to volunteer, and if so what are you willing to do? If you are a member of one or have been in the past, please talk about your experience. It’s always hard for small businesses to get off the ground, but feedback from the community can really help out alot, so if you have criticism please make it constructive somehow. I know some people are not pleased with the Idaho Falls co-op, but it is a co-op and it is best if you offer you services to help fix the things you don’t like, especially if you are a member. Co-ops are very similar and very different at the same time from large corporations and shareholders or members do have a say in the direction the business goes via voting, and close involvement with other members. Many large food co-ops exist across the country and it took decades for them to become large, and it all happens because people (we, us) talk about it regularly and get involved.
Popularity: 11%
Related posts:
It WAS all he had to say about it!
:@:)
Loading ...
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Good topic.
Cooperation should exist on many levels. In an organization, the cooperation should be amongst: members and members, members and leadership, leadership and leadership, suppliers and suppliers, suppliers and leadership, and ideally suppliers and members. Also between the coop as a whole and the community. This cooperation works only if everyone is cooperating towards a mutual end.
That end, in a food coop, should be a. the reduction of prices and b. the improvement of the food.
Cooperation is the antithesis of capitalism. If humans come together as a community for the community to make a bounty of good food for ourselves instead of acting as individuals trying to profit off of one another, we will certainly eat better.
Everyone in a cooperation needs to cooperate in one more way: time. Everyone involved in a coop needs to donate time and physical or whatever other effort to the development of the actual coop interface itself.
The more that this whole ensemble, including the greater community outside of the cooperators, can be brought together to intermingle the better.
Great luck in your efforts, If everyone puts their co- into the operation, all will be well.
I’ve heard it said and it seems to be true that money is the root of all evil.
Lets see you try to live without money compost. You won’t last very long.
Also, our family eats very well without being a part of a co-op. More often than not, food at a co-op is much more expensive than a grocery store, so it’s not cost effective for most people to shop there. Which why they aren’t all that popular with the general public. The local co-op that opened up in Idaho Falls earlier this year is currently in dire straights and is close to going out of business because they aren’t getting the amount of support from the community the way they thought they would. But that’s because it’s just too expensive for most people to shop there. Especially during this financial crisis we’re in.
From reading this comment and others you’ve left, it appears that you’re all for a socialist society.
The reason I posted this was because I feel that alot of people here dont really know what a co-op is. It is possible to eat well without being a member of a co-op, however it is possible that you couold eat alot better being a part of one. for alot less i might add. The prices you see when you go to a co-op are for the general public, members always get a discount at the register, or the co-op is not open to the general public.
The statement that co-ops are not that popular just doesnt hold its weight. There are co-ops all across this country and the world to boot. Farming as we know it would not be possible with out them.
The reason prices seem high at a co-op is because they generally cant make a profit on items that everyone else is selling so they tend to carry unique, organic, or health foods in the store front to raise the money they need to operate. which for members is stillusually less than at the health food stores.
Thats generally not where the savings come in to play. The saving are the best if you are ordering bulk items and case goods. yes its more upfront, but how much tomato sauce do you go through in a year, why not buy it all at once and save 40 to 50 % and store it on your own shelves? The Food Co-op orders case goods at cost plus 10% to cover shipping, and most food co-ops will do that for members. Other stores will order case goods for you but only give you a 10% discount, and sometimes that is a big difference.
Being a member of a food co-op during a financial crisis can be very beneficial. I don’t mean to argue with you guest 2, I just want people to know.
I haven’t read compost makers other comments yet but have to say that as long as the socialism is voluntary I have no problem, its when the gov’t forces it all down our throats that we have a problem, and we do have problems. However I think it is vital for communities to take care of themselves, in doing so they take power away from the big wig politicians who would otherwise attempt to.
Are you talking about chicken coops here? My Daddy used to raise chickens and he had himself a real sturdy chicken coop made from some type of reinforced titanium alloy infused copper. Did a mighty fine job holdin in dem chickens I’ll tell you what.