Letter from the Board President

Imagining BriarPatch's Future

By Alan Weisberg, Board President

BriarPatch’s success over the past decade in meeting the goals outlined in our Ends Policies allows your Board of Directors to increasingly turn its attention to the future path of the Co-op.

At a retreat some nearly four years ago, we decided to adopt a “multi-store” approach to BriarPatch’s growth. This in turn led to our action late last year to sign a long-term lease and develop one-third of the former Auburn K-Mart Building into another dynamic BriarPatch store.

Prior to the pandemic, the Board held one, and sometimes two retreats per year with our General Manager, other key managers and a facilitator from Columinate, a national consulting group that has served as our advisors on a range of issues, including best governing practices for food co-ops. These retreats really were retreats, i.e. we went away to a comfortable place and spent a day and a half together mixing policy work with some socializing and even a little fun. They played a big part in building the camaraderie the Board now enjoys.

At a retreat some nearly four years ago, we decided to adopt a “multistore” approach to BriarPatch’s growth. This in turn led to our action late last year to sign a long-term lease and develop one-third of the former Auburn K-Mart Building into another dynamic BriarPatch store.

Since March of 2020, all full Board and committee meetings have been on Zoom. After a shaky start, we quickly achieved an impressive fluency in conducting our business this way. Board attendance and attention remain remarkably high. But, we greatly miss the personal contact, and plan to get together “live” as soon as conditions allow. At the same time we will undoubtedly incorporate some remote work post-COVID, especially as we welcome the Auburn community into our co-op community.

Our General Manager and staff will spend a lot of their time in the next year developing and launching the Auburn store. The Board plans to intensify its focus on imagining and planning for the BriarPatch of the next decade and beyond.

Here are topics we will take on in the next several months:

we welcome the Auburn community into our co-op community. Our General Manager and staff will spend a lot of their time in the next year developing and launching the Auburn store. The Board plans to intensify its focus on imagining and planning for the next decade and beyond.

• What changes in Board composition and practices are needed as we grow in the years to come?

• What is the Co-op’s role in efforts to expand the availability of locallyproduced food in our service area and beyond?

• What is our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and how can it be realized?

• What is the Board’s role in integrating the Auburn community into the BriarPatch family?

• How does BriarPatch further broaden our impact after opening the Auburn store?

We will be seeking your ideas as we move forward with our efforts to imagine the Co-op’s future. Lots to think about! We are ready and excited to do this work.