CCFC acknowledges that our co-op grocery store, once it is built, will be situated on the unceded ancestral lands of the Karkin, Patwin, and Miwok people. We pay respect to their elders, past and present. During November’s Native American Heritage Month, we highlight the importance of this acknowledgement as we currently meet on these lands, and most of our owners live in the area. As stated in Honor Native Land: A Guide and Call to Acknowledgement, it’s “a simple, powerful way of showing respect and a step toward correcting the stories and practices that erase Indigenous people’s history and culture and toward inviting and honoring the truth.”
It will probably come as no surprise that the Native American cultures of North America have a societal foundation we can see echoed in the co-operative structure, with a focus on taking care of each other. This ensures resiliency, shared resources, and a democratic business model where every owner has a voice. Today, many Native Americans are transferring these values to their businesses.
For example, the Ancestral Rich Treasures of Zuni (ARTZ) is a cooperative of 32 artists who operate their own retail store where they ensure artists receive the full monetary value for their art. Another cooperative is Ohe·láku, or Among the Cornstalks, consisting of 15 families who grow traditional corn that is divided among members based on the number of hours they invest. Dream of Wild Health is a seed-keeping cooperative with youth food system programs for all ages.
What all these co-ops have in common is a strong sense of community, and working to protect their cultures, traditions, and foodways. They also serve as community hubs, providing space to train others, and establishing networks where community members care for each other. As we continue to expand our ownership and get closer to putting “doors on the store,” we hold these same values as part of the foundation of CCFC, and we acknowledge the lasting and valuable contributions of our indigenous neighbors.
Sources:
Honor Native Land: https://usdac.us/nativeland
Library of Congress dedicated page: https://nativeamericanheritagemonth.gov/about/
Center for Rural Affairs: https://www.cfra.org/blog/not-your-average-co-ops-native-americans-share-cooperative-insights
This October, CCFC is joining over 65,000 co-operatives and credit unions across the United States in celebrating Co-op Month, observed nationally since 1964. This year’s theme is “Co-ops Build Economic Power,” and highlights the cooperative business model as the best way to build an economy that empowers everyone. Co-ops and their members are working together to build stronger, more inclusive, and resilient communities.
As businesses face inflation and supply chain challenges, cooperatives provide stability and opportunity. As employees question their role in the economy, cooperatives are creating dignified, empowering jobs with paths to ownership and wealth-building. As communities tire of rhetoric, cooperatives are creating the meaningful diversity and equity at the heart of an inclusive economy.
Co-ops are all around us and in several business sectors: Agriculture, Housing, Finance, Utilities, and more. Across the country, people have used food co-ops to improve access to healthy, local, affordable food, and build stronger, more inclusive communities. Most of these grocery stores got their start during times of social and economic change, enabling people to access healthy food, support local producers, and provide good jobs. A new wave of startups has been growing, representing renewed interest in food security, and racial and economic justice.
Food co-ops are not alone in their contribution to more inclusive and resilient communities and empowered workers. From farmer co-ops to worker co-ops, credit unions to mutual insurance, and housing co-ops to energy co-ops, co-operative businesses thrive across the U.S. economy, where one in three people are co-op members. Around the world, around 1 billion people are members of about 3 million co-operatives, and 10% of the world’s population—or around 280 million people—are employed by co-ops. And because they are member-owned, co-operatives are rooted in their communities and governed by the people who use them to meet their needs.
Here in Vallejo and Benicia, we see clearly how our food co-op, CCFC, will fill a huge need in our community by providing healthy, fresh food choices, good local jobs, and by keeping the store profits here in our towns instead of going to a big corporate office somewhere else. We can work together to make our community stronger, more inclusive, and resilient.
“I’ll get by with a little help from my friends,” so the song goes. These words have taken on a greater and deeper significance since the pandemic. So many people had to rely on family, friends, and community as never before. In times of crisis, we all need a strong safety net, which is where a local, community-owned co-op can help.
Imagine a store owned by you, your family, your friends, and your neighbors. This is what the co-op model looks like. Not only are you one of the owners, you also get the opportunity to participate in the democratic process by electing a Board of Directors, and having input on the store itself. We will serve the community since we are owned by the community.
We are having more events for people who want to learn more about the co-op model and how this can work in south Solano County. You are invited to attend and explore the enormous, positive impact co-ops make on their communities.
Please forward our newsletter and website on to your family, friends, and neighbors whom you think would be interested. If you are on social media, please “like” and share our posts. This goes a long way to helping expand our reach. You can invite a Board member to speak at your next neighborhood gathering or organization meeting—we have a professional presentation all set.
Let’s all join in together and make Cultivate Community Food Co-op a reality soon!
Out of everything this pandemic has taught us, the importance of community is right there near the top. We all know it’s valuable, but how exactly do you create it?
We each are part of multiple communities. We have our families, our work colleagues, our friends, people we meet at events and classes, and so forth. Many of these form effortlessly, others are created with intention. So, how can we all come together and create a community surrounding and supporting our co-op?
CCFC was off to a great start. People were finding out about us, becoming owners, and telling their friends. We were hosting fun events, participating in parades and other community festivals, getting the word out and growing steadily. Then the pandemic hit and we were all on lockdown. How on earth could we let people know about the co-op and increase our ownership without being out at the Farmer’s Markets and various events around town?
We had to quickly re-evaluate our plans and find effective ways of raising awareness and ownership without the distinct advantage of being out in public. We organized a group of owner volunteers (our Community Cultivators) to help distribute food to those in need in Vallejo and Benicia. We had field trips to local farms and other outdoor activities that were COVID-safe. Behind the scenes, the board fine-tuned our policies and by-laws, and made sure our foundation was solid. Although you may not have seen us as much, we were very busy!
And yes, we are still here! Now that things are opening up more and more, we’ve been able to table at the Farmer’s Markets, the Vallejo Art Walk, and had a lovely “Get to Know Us” event at Avant Garden in Benicia. And now that we are over 500 owners, we are preparing for things to start moving very quickly.
We’d like to cultivate our community of owners by offering more events, potlucks, farm tours, happy hours and such, where you can all meet and get to know each other. We are a vibrant and diverse group! However, we need more hands on deck to make it all happen. If you have the time available, please complete our Volunteer Form to join a team of like-minded owners who want to get this co-op open soon and have fun together. We look forward to hearing from you, and to working side-by-side with you to open our store!
Link to Volunteer Form: https://forms.gle/Nn7m2NYpSookLTKB8
As a country, we value independence as a right and as a desirable trait in people. Yet recently—especially as we navigate through the global COVID pandemic—we’ve seen time and time again how interdependent we all are. Did we ever imagine not being able to buy toilet paper or baby formula? Or how vital our sense of connection with each other is to our mental well-being? Or how our actions could so deeply affect others?
Interdependence recognizes that we are mutually dependent on others in many areas. We need each other and social interaction to thrive. We also need to be able to contribute to others for this system to be viable. This is not to be confused with codependence, which is an unhealthy need for others. One way to look at is that the dependent mindset looks to others to solve their issues, the independent mindset seeks to solve all their issues on their own, whereas the interdependent mindset asks, “How can we solve this issue?”
This really came out strongly during the pandemic. None of us had experienced anything like this before, and it impacted everyone differently. However, it feels like most of us rose to the occasion as best we could and those who were able reached out to help those most negatively affected, especially when it came to food insecurity. We saw food banks serving record numbers, neighborhood free food stands, delivery of food and necessities to the elderly and the impoverished—all kinds of assistance sprung up seemingly overnight to help those who were finding themselves in dire straits. While many of these issues are still affecting our residents, the outpouring of support from family, neighbors, and complete strangers was uplifting and showed what we can do when we work together to find solutions.
The cooperative model is another example of interdependence. CCFC is independent of the large, corporate grocery stores and we are interdependent with other co-ops who are helping us build the strong foundation for a viable business for years to come. Through the interdependence of our owners, we are creating Solano County’s first food co-op. Each time an owner buys a share, you are contributing to the entire community by sharing in this vision. When you volunteer to help promote CCFC—whether you are tabling at the Farmer’s Market, hosting a neighborhood gathering, displaying a lawn sign, or simply telling your family, friends, and neighbors about your co-op—you are helping to spread the word and get us that much closer to the day we open our doors to everyone.
In other words, we need each and every one of you (us!) to build our store so that our store can in turn support and uplift our community. We can all thrive together!
You probably know that Vallejo is ranked as one of the nation’s most diverse cities. And maybe you saw the wonderful First Annual Diversity Festival held in Benicia this past April. We have an astonishing selection of events in which to participate. As the Vallejo-Benicia community’s food co-op, we serve everyone! We would love to be all places at once and be a part of every celebration around town. How can we do this together?
Just in this month of June, we have Pride Month, Juneteenth, Pista Sa Nayon, the County Fair—and wouldn’t it be great to have a CCFC table at these events, as well as the Vallejo and Benicia farmers’ markets? It’s a powerful way to spread the word about our Co-op, meet and engage with our neighbors, and connect with every part of our diverse region.
Here is where you come in! We are growing our team of event volunteers. We’re looking for more Owners to join our team of Community Cultivators so we can expand our reach into the variety of neighborhoods, circles, and groups that make up our incredible region. We will provide complete training, and you can choose the events you’d like to volunteer at. By joining our Community Cultivators, you’ll be helping to bring our Co-op vision even closer to reality!
Please contact us at info@cultivatecommunityfood.coop with Community Cultivators in the subject line. We’ll get right back to you!
Links:
Pride Picnic: https://artvallejo.org/events/pride-picnic-for-solano-county/
Juneteenth: https://vallejojuneteenth.com/
Pista Sa Nayon Vallejo: https://www.facebook.com/VallejoPistaSaNayon/
All kinds of holidays in June: https://www.womansday.com/life/a38347394/june-holidays-and-observances/
Did you know that your CCFC Board Members get the opportunity to go to some tremendous (and fun!) educational events, all centered on the cooperative business model? Last month, Board Members, Paula Schnese and Christy Birkhead attended the California Center for Cooperative Development’s (CCCD) Ca Cooperative Conference in Sacramento. Ed Whitfield, the keynote speaker, shared his wisdom in promoting social change with cooperatives. JQ Hannah, assistant director of the Food Co-op Initiative, walked us through strategy to workplan and how to map out responses in tough situations. This month, these same board members are traveling to Madison, Wisconsin, to participate in the annual Up & Coming Food Co-op Conference. As we mentioned in the Board Update, this is the only national conference specifically for startup food co-ops. How does this help CCFC open our doors?
U&C is an inspiring and informative event, with presentations from co-op professionals, participatory workshops, and case studies from other co-ops in the various stages of development. Your Board members learn from long-time experts in cooperative development as well as from other food co-ops in different stages of development. Then, they bring all that energy back to CCFC with lots of new ideas for making our co-op dream a reality.
In addition to U&C, your Board works with Columinate, a national co-operative of consultants who work with other co-ops to help their businesses succeed. CCFC Board members gain knowledge about cooperative governance, principles, and legal responsibilities through their workshops.
Finally, your Board has monthly peer Zoom calls with the Food Co-op Initiative (FCI) and other co-ops at our same stage of development. This organization sees co-ops through all stages of growth and offers incomparable education and support.
All these organizations exemplify Co-op Principles #5 and 6: Education and Co-operation among Co-operatives. Does this sound enticing to you? Then, perhaps you might want to consider joining our Board!
March is National Nutrition Month, an annual campaign by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. This year’s theme is “Celebrate a World of Flavors”, and they encourage finding nutritious, healthy versions of traditional and cultural foods. The Academy’s goal is to increase awareness of healthy food and lifestyle choices. But how can you make a choice when there are very few or no healthy options available? This is a major issue that we face here in our corner of Solano County.
The USDA has identified many parts of our county as food deserts, and Vallejo—particularly South Vallejo—was one of them. Even in the parts of Vallejo and Benicia with full-service grocery stores, the ability to find affordable, fresh produce, meat- and dairy-free options, and anything organic is practically non-existent. Anyone with further dietary restrictions is hard-pressed to find foods suitable for them without driving up to Napa or across a bridge, which means those without transportation must do without.
However, look for a convenience store or fast-food establishment, and it seems there’s one on every corner. Due to the lack of accessible grocers, people often end up buying a good amount of their food at these places. Additionally, the poor nutrition in these foods can create and exacerbate dire health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.
Add to this already bad situation the impact of COVID-19. A recent study shows that 13.3% of Solano County children live in food insecure households. Many residents are still relying on the food bank, meal distribution centers, and food donations.
This creates a type of food apartheid, where those with means and a car can still get the food they want—albeit by driving several miles—and those without a vehicle must make do with whatever food is available within walking distance, regardless of whether it meets their dietary needs or not. Typically, those who must shop at corner stores pay anywhere from 3 to 37% more than supermarket prices.
It’s a dire picture. Yet there are many people and organizations working on solutions. For example, Heather Pierini set up a small farm stand in front of her home, sharing the bounty of her garden with her neighbors. It was so popular, she set up stands throughout Benicia and Vallejo, where people could take what they needed, no questions asked. Her act of kindness grew into Food Is Free Solano, and still helps the food insecure in our area.
The Food Empowerment Project educates and advocates a vegan lifestyle and helps people on this path. Among other information on their website, they offer vegan versions of cultural and traditional foods. The Vallejo Project works with the community garden on Mare Island. And one of our owners, Chef Amen, is cooking and teaching people the benefits of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
We are thankful for these shining lights in our area. There’s only one thing missing—a beautiful, community-owned, full-service grocery store, full of healthy, nutritious foods and accessible to all. The time is now for Cultivate Community Food Co-op! Join us and let’s put doors on the store!
Sources:
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: eatright.org/food/resources/national-nutrition-month
The health and well-being of children: kidsdata.org/
Our national annual celebration of Black history began in 1926, and is currently celebrated in the US, Canada, and Germany. It takes place in February to honor the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. The event was founded by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
Each year has a theme, and this year’s is Black Health and Wellness. This means honoring not only Black health care professionals, but all aspects of health. From the time of their forced arrival, the Black community faced exclusion from hospitals, medical clinics, and medical schools across the United States. Not only that, there were horrific instances of medical experimentation. This led to African Americans establishing their own health care centers and schools, just as they supported each other with mutual aid agencies and food cooperatives.
From a food perspective, there is much that access to healthy, fresh food can do to improve overall health. We all have the freedom to choose what we want to eat, but when it’s not available to us, what can we do? A study published in the American Journal of Public Health several years ago showed the following:
A pattern of findings demonstrates significantly fewer advertisements for healthier food and beverage products (e.g., fruits, vegetables, and dairy products) in magazines and television shows that target African Americans specifically compared with those that target more general audiences. In addition, a significantly greater number of advertisements for unhealthy products (e.g., sodas, candy, and alcoholic beverages) appear in magazines and television shows that target African Americans. (Pratt CA, Pratt CB. Comparative content analysis of food and nutrition advertisements in Ebony, Essence, and Ladies’ Home Journal. J Nutr Educ. 1995;27:11–17.)
According to the study, not only is healthy food hard to find in food deserts such as ours, communities of color are being specifically targeted with advertisements promoting unhealthy food. It is appalling.
All the more reason to open a community-owned food co-op to serve the residents of Solano County and beyond. CCFC has a vision of fresh, healthy food available to all, a classroom kitchen to teach cooking and nutrition, and engagement with our youth to promote life-long good eating habits. If you’re not already, please consider becoming a Founding Owner today!
Cultivate Community Food Co-op and “The Dream” Most of us are familiar with his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, but how many know of Dr. King’s work to effect economic change and that cooperatives were aligned with his vision?
After seeing the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964 and the Voting Rights Act in 1965, Dr. King began to focus on economic change. He wanted to solve the issue of poverty for everyone. In fact, he supported the cooperative model, where people could actively change their socio-economic environment by coming together to own businesses as a community. This creates jobs and the profits stay in the local area.
Following the Civil War, as the Black community continued to gain more and more of the rights that were due to all citizens, there was still the specter of racism, violence, and economic inequity. As a result, African Americans continued to use the cooperative business model they had used for years in order to serve and uplift their communities from within so they could be self-reliant and free from an economic system that continued to shut them out.
Because co-ops are locally owned, we are focused on our local community. Our advocacy is not for some far-off big corporation or CEO, but for our families, friends, and neighbors right here in Vallejo and Benicia. Our profits will be distributed amongst our owners or reinvested in our store, depending on how our owners vote. We will bring good-paying jobs to the community. The products we sell—from produce to pasta—will be sourced with a focus on local producers.
Our goal in launching CCFC is much greater than opening a grocery store—it’s creating a space to connect and uplift everyone in our entire community. If you haven’t already, come join us now and be a part of this exciting, positive addition to our region!
Very brief highlights about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr:
Most often known for his work for civil rights, voting rights, and non-violent action.
Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, the youngest recipient at the time.
Began speaking out about economic injustice in 1965 and continued to do so until his tragic assassination in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.
Envisioned a “Poor People’s Campaign”, a multiracial coalition of the impoverished.
Photo credit: https://www.foodcoop.coop/; Wedge Community Food Co-op, Minneapolis.
