One More Thing…

Any one who wants me to link their personal blog, let me know! I would love to have members’ blogs be visible through us! I would love you to reciprocate and put us on your blog roll, too!

Exciting News…

…but it’s top secret…shhh.

1. We met with a lawyer on Friday. We’ve got some GREAT ideas on how to set up the Co-op and are one step closer to be able to start a membership and pledge drive. Yes, donations (not memberships) will be tax deductible!
2. We’re talking to an accountant this week to get all the tax stuff figured out-it’s not as easy as one would think. <–sarcasm
3. Our first board meeting is Wednesday.
4. We're taking a field trip to NC to visit some existing co-ops to get some ideas.

All in all, things are trucking right along! I'll keep you updated as things develop.

What do YOU want?

What do you want to see in the Co-op? Is there a farm in town that no one knows about but you and they have THE best strawberries you’ve ever had? Do you want to be able to refill your shampoo bottle from a 50 gallon bin? Do you want to see your handmade jewelry being sold here?

I know we have a lot of ideas of what WE would like to feature in the co-op, but this isn’t just about us-it’s about all of you.

So, let me know what you think-post your ideas in the comments section here or shoot us an email at hubcitycooperative@yahoo.com.

Member Contest

All potential Hub City Co-op members listen up! We are having a logo design contest. While, I love the sunset, I think that something made by one of you would be exponentially better!
Ideas can be submitted to hubcitycooperative@yahoo.com
Be aware that all submissions become property of Hub City Co-op.
Oh yeah, the winner will receive a handmade gift from yours truly!

Update…

Closing in on a location! And, we will be announcing our board members on the 15th!

“The ripest fruit first falls…”

There is nothing sweeter than fresh fruit picked at its peak ripeness. I used to live out in Reidville in an old farm house. I moved in to this home in the fall. I knew there were some plum trees out back and a little broken cherry tree in the front yard-but boy was I surprised when spring came around. The ENTIRE property line in the backyard was lined with blackberry bushes. Nothing satisfies me more than going out early in the morning and picking a bucket full of fresh fruit. I made blackberry jam, syrup, muffins, pancakes, cupcakes, creme fraische, yogurt, and who knows what else I tried to throw them in.

I love fruit. I could life off of fruit alone. Everything from the mundane to the exotic.

I’m conflicted on how to carry fruits that are not grown in this area, but also-what to do in the winter? I know we want to focus on buying locally as much as possible, but we are really going to have to think about sustainable family farms in other parts of the country. Luckily, Florida is fairly close by!

Local Food. Buy It.

Hub City Co-op’s main focus is local. We firmly believe that the only way to improve our lives  economically as well as physically is to support local business.  We are in a hotbed of growth. Local farms are all around us. Locally owned businesses are all throughout Spartanburg County. I personally know about 10 people off the top of my head that are local producers (jewelry, clothing, accessories, breads, artwork, etc.).

We need to put money back in to our own community. We need to help our neighbors, not mega-conglomerate corporations that really don’t care about us one bit aside from taking our money.

Take food-buying locally grown produce affects (or is it effects? I always mess those up!) our community in the following ways:

• It supports your neighborhood farmers;
• It uses less fossil fuels to transport;
• It TASTES better (chances are it was picked either that morning or the day before at its peak ripeness rather than under-rip and refrigerated for a week);
• You know where it comes from-you are able to actually talk to the grower and find out their growing practices-this goes way beyond an “organic” sticker.

And, I’m sure that there are countless more reasons. Of course, you can’t get everything you want locally. In the Upstate, we can’t get citrus fruits. Or avacados, et al.  The goal is (or at least should be) to do the best you can with what you have. And we are truly blessed to have all these options around us.

What is a Co-op?

From Go.Coop:

A cooperative exists to serve its members, but what makes co-ops unique is that the members are also the owners. So, in addition to getting the products and services you need, you also have a say in the business decisions your cooperative makes.

Rather than rewarding outside investors with its profits, a co-op returns surplus revenue to its members in proportion to how much they use the co-op. This democratic approach to business results in a powerful economic force that benefits the co-op, its members and the communities it serves.

In simplier terms, a co-op is a group of people who join together for a common end.  For instance, three families can go in together to buy a 20 pound bag of flour at wholesale prices and split the cost and the product three ways. This saves them money.

A cooperative grocery store works similarly, but on a larger scale. People become member/owners of the store. They are in control of various aspects of how the store is run. They can vote on board members and on special issues like how the profits are to spent.  They can special order, say-wild caught Alaskan Salmon in bulk and spend less per pound than if they were to go to a specialty shop.

Anyway, stay tuned for more information regarding the co-op as it develops. I hope to keep everyone abreast of the events as they unfold.