One of the new additions that I’m most proud of right now is the Clear Creek Food Cooperative, located at 710 East Main Street, right below my company’s new headquarters. The store is open to the public as of this past weekend, and the inventory is still growing as we stock local foods, organic produce, crafts and gifts made by local artisans, and healthy bulk foods, snacks, spices and more.

On one hand, it’s just another place where you can buy food and related stuff here in Richmond.  But behind the facade of a simple grocery is the promise of something that, I think, is much greater than that.  As a cooperatively-owned business, it has the potential to help us return to the roots of what small business is about – a community of people meeting a common need or desire in our town, pooling their resources to do it in a way that everyone benefits.  With a focus on locally sourced items, it helps work toward the promise of Richmond as a self-sustaining place.  With a focus on organic and fair trade items, it helps work toward an economic model that values justice as much as it values monetary wealth.   And so on – you can read about the co-operative identity to learn more.

Four years ago I joined the Coop’s board of directors to see how I could help out.  The Coop was a place that served the primary function of serving a lunch to students on the campus of Earlham College, and much of its other mission – to be a gathering place for a community of people interested in those Co-operative principles, healthy food, education and collaboration, etc. – had been left behind.  Even with that clear role on a college campus – it was still struggling financially, and people in the wider Richmond community who wanted to take advantage of it had a hard time finding it, knowing when it was open, feeling at home shopping there, etc.  And yet, conversations about making changes were hard – students didn’t want to lose this campus gathering space, and the traditions and culture that had evolved up over the years had become sacred to some; the idea of taking a risk on a big change like moving was at times unthinkable.

You may remember about a year ago when I made some snarky remarks about an article in the Earlham Word about the future of the Coop and whether or not it would move off campus.  That was one step in a long process of considering our options for revitalizing the organization, one that goes well beyond my time with the board – so many people have put so much time and energy and passion into making the Coop a better place.  We did decide that the best place for the Coop was out in the community and that it was time to make that leap, and this new beginning in a new space represents not only a success of the current board, staff, membership and volunteer base, but a gradual progression of a decades-long conversations.  And even though the future is uncertain and there are still plenty of things to figure out, it’s a milestone to celebrate!

Shopping at the Coop will not be like shopping at Meijer, Kroger or Walmart, and you’ll still have to go to those other kinds of places to get everything you need.  It won’t be open 24 hours and you cannot get your oil changed or your photos processed while you browse.  But if you find value in the values of small Main Street businesses, one that considers the health of its customers and the local community in its decision-making processes, you’ll find that you belong at the Clear Creek Food Cooperative.

I hope to see you there!

It’s at 3:30 PM at Ivy Tech Community College, 3421 Johnson Hall – I hope you can join us.

In case you won’t be able to attend, here’s a list of 12 reasons that it’s a good idea to support the production and consumption of locally grown food (adopted from a list produced by The Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association):

1. Freshness – Locally-grown organic fruits and vegetables are usually harvested within 24 hours of being purchased by the consumer. Produce from California can’t be that fresh.
2. Taste – Produce picked and eaten at the height of freshness tastes better.
3. Nutrition – Nutritional value declines, often dramatically, as time passes after harvest. Because locally-grown produce is freshest, it is more nutritionally complete.
4. Purity – Eighty percent of American adults say they are concerned about the safety of the food they eat. They worry about residues of pesticides and fungicides. These materials are not permitted in an organic production system either before or after harvest.
5. Regional Economic Health – Buying locally grown food keeps money within the community. This contributes to the health of all sectors of the local economy, increasing the local quality of life.
6. Variety – Organic farmers selling locally are not limited to the few varieties that are bred for long distance shipping, high yields, and shelf life. Often they raise and sell wonderful unusual varieties you will never find on supermarket shelves.
7. Soil Stewardship – Soil health is essential for the survival of our species. Conventional farming practices are rapidly depleting topsoil fertility. Creating and sustaining soil fertility is the major objective for organic growers.
8. Energy Conservation – Buying locally grown organic foods decreases dependence on petroleum, a non- renewable energy source. One fifth of all petroleum now used in the United States is used in Agriculture. Organic production systems do not rely upon the input of petroleum derived fertilizers and pesticides and thus save energy at the farm. Buying from local producers conserves additional energy at the distribution level.
9. Environmental Protection – Soil erosion; pesticide contamination of soil, air, and water; nitrate loading of waterways and wells; and elimination of planetary biodiversity are some of the problems associated with today’s predominate farming methods. Organic growers use practices that protect soil, air, and water resources; and that promote biodiversity.
10. Cost – Conventional food processes don’t reflect the hidden costs of the environmental, health and social consequences of predominate production practices- of, for instance, correcting a water supply polluted by agricultural runoff, or obtaining medical treatment for pesticide induced illness suffered by farmers or consumers. When these and other hidden costs are taken into account, as they should be, locally grown organic foods are seen clearly for the value they are, even if they cost a few pennies more.
11. A Step Toward Regional Food Self Reliance – Dependency on far away food sources leaves a region vulnerable to supply disruptions, and removes any real accountability of producer to consumer. It also tends to promote larger, less diversified farms that hurt both the environment and local economies/communities. Regional food production systems, on the other hand, keep the food supply in the hands of many, providing interesting job and self-employment opportunities, and enabling people to influence how their food is grown.
12. Passing on the Stewardship Ethic – When you buy locally produced organic food you cannot help but raise the consciousness of your friends and family about how food buying decisions can make a difference in your life and the life of your community; and about how this basic act is connected to planetary issues.

What might an improved attentiveness to local food consumption look like in your community?

The Co-op has always been associated with Earlham, from the time it was started by a group of students in the Runyan desk.

To the contrary, the Co-op was actually started inside of a storage bin. At some point when it got big enough, the organization moved into the largest available compartment of an end table, and then worked its way up to reside in a desk in Runyan Center, but not the desk we know today as Runyan Desk. These details are important.

In all seriousness and despite the misquote, the article touches on the key point that the future of the Co-op, currently located on Earlham’s campus, is a bit uncertain right now. As we try to figure out what model is best (and sustainable) for the organization, the Earlham populations it serves, and the larger Richmond community, we invite feedback from others who are invested in the future of a locally owned food store that focuses on healthy, local, organic products and cooperative values.