Harwich Food Coop: How to start a food Co-op!

Starting a food co-op takes a lot of work. But the rewards are many. This book provides an overview of the basic steps and procedures. The manual is not an exhaustive or comprehensive reference document. Groups interested in starting a new co-op are strongly encouraged to check additional references, including those listed throughout the manual.
Starting a co-op is a challenging and immensely rewarding activity. It will require research, careful planning, patience, and uncounted hours of time from you and your members. The co-op may not turn out exactly as it was originally conceptualized. It will inevitably take longer than you wish it would to get started. But when you invest the time and hard work to start a co-op, you will realize abundant benefits. You will learn about business and develop new skills. You will learn how to run productive meetings. Your co-op will provide jobs and meet daily needs in your community. Most rewarding of all, you will become a co-owner, with many others, of a dynamic and valuable business.
Good luck!
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adapted from the original by
Patricia Cumbie and Margaret J. Goldstein
Cooperative Grocers’ Information Network
Copyright © 2010 by the Cooperative Grocers’ Information Network
All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the Cooperative Grocers’ Information Network, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.
Cooperative Grocers’ Information Network
P.O. Box 399
Arcata, CA 95518
866-709-2667 x CGIN
www.cgin.coop
Funding for this project was generously provided by:
Howard Bowers Fund for Consumer Cooperatives
Twin Pines Cooperative Foundation
Cooperative Grocer magazine
The Cooperative Foundation
CGIN members

Mission Statement

The Harwich Food Coop is a member-owned and operated food provider-- an alternative to commercial profit-oriented business. As members, we contribute our labor: working together builds trust through cooperation and teamwork and enables us to keep prices as low as possible within the context of our values and principles.

Only co-op members may shop, and we share responsibilities and benefits equally. We strive to be a responsible and ethical employer if and when we may have employees as wekk as good neighbors.

We are a buying agent for our members and not a selling agent for any industry. We are a part of and support the cooperative movement. We offer a diversity of products with an emphasis on organic, minimally processed and healthful foods. We seek to avoid products that depend on the exploitation of others. We support non-toxic, sustainable agriculture.

We respect the environment. We strive to reduce the impact of our lifestyles on the world we share with other species and future generations. We prefer to buy from local, earth-friendly producers. We recycle. We try to lead by example, educating ourselves and others about health and nutrition, cooperation and the environment.

We are committed to diversity and equality. We oppose discrimination in any form. We strive to make the Coop welcoming and accessible to all and to respect the opinions, needs and concerns of every member. We seek to maximize participation at every level, from policy making to opening a possible retail outlet co-op members store.

We welcome all who respect these values.

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How to start a food Co-op!