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Dear Members,
In my last letter, we went over three of the seven cooperative principles, “Voluntary and Open Membership”, “Democratic Member Control”, and “Members Economic Participation”. This came following a letter discussing another principle, “Cooperation Among Cooperatives”. Now, I’d like to share with you the last three principles on which the cooperative structure is built.
Autonomy and Independence
The autonomy and identity of a cooperative is essential to maintaining our members’ rights to participate in the democracy of the cooperative. Co-ops remain independent, even when entering relationships with outside entities, to ensure that the unique connections within the co-op are preserved and to remain focused on the all-important Ends determined by the members.
Education, training, and information
It is my intention with these letters to service this particular principle of cooperation. It is important that members remain informed about their cooperative and cooperatives in general. Our staff and Board of Stewards also go through continual training to ensure that we evolve as the co-op and industry evolve. We also accept the responsibility, as laid out in our ends, to promote healthy and sustainable living through education. Our Speaker Series, which has recently kicked off, will have its next event on June 9th with a talk from Double Spiral Chocolate about their fermentation methods. Check out our Facebook page for the event details and to RSVP.
Concern for Community
As a community owned entity, our local community is the backbone of our organization as is the case with most cooperatives. It is our responsibility to give back by supporting our local vendors, doing what we can to make food more accessible, and offering a welcome and diverse atmosphere. It is a responsibility that we take seriously and are always working towards fulfilling.
Now that we’ve unpacked what it means to be a cooperative and we’ve taken a look at our Ends Policies, I want expand on what’s happening right now at the co-op. In my next letter, I’ll be talking about some of the exciting new projects that Newark Natural Foods it working on. Stay Tuned!
All the Best,
Catherine Hallman
General Manager
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