FroM the Board
Call for Board Candidates
by Rob Smith
The Board of Trustees of the Skagit Valley Food Co-op has always been fortunate to have a good group of qualified, involved memberowners who were willing to invest their time and varied expertise in serving on the Co-op Board. This has provided the governance necessary to allow the Co-op to broaden our offerings of high quality, healthy food, support our environment, support our community with relevant education, and support local farmers, international fair trade, and other co-ops. We have been able to manage our finances appropriately to provide a base for growth and a cushion for harder times while still providing support to members of our community in need. We are embarking on a more active mission to identify those individuals who will be our future board members. We are especially interested in bringing in member-owners with skill sets that will enhance our role, and who will more accurately represent the diversity of our community, and increase our impact in communities we feel are underserved and underrepresented in our owner-membership. If you are interested in being on the Board, we ask that you fill out the Notice of Intent (available on the Co-op website’s Board of Director Page) and submit it with the attachments described to: board@skagitfoodcoop.com. To run for the Board, a person must be an active member (which is defined by the bylaws as having “met the requirements of application [to be a Co-op member]…; is current in payment of equity; has made a purchase at the Co-op within the last twelve months; and has provided the Co-op with a current address.”) Everyone is eligible to become a Co-op member. We ask that interested member-owners also attend at least one Board meeting and meet with current Board members to go over what the Board does and what you could expect if you joined. The deadline for next Board election is fast approaching. If you are interested in being on the ballot, you’ll need to submit this paperwork by February 5 and complete the meetings prior to February 19 in order to have your name and info included in the Notice of Election in the April Natural Enquirer and online. If you are interested in being considered for Board vacancies that might arise between elections, the timing isn’t quite as urgent, although it would still be valuable to get the process started. Nota para los propietarios / miembros hispanohablantes: esta solicitación de candidatos para la mesa directiva de la Cooperativa de Alimentos del Valle de Skagit y el formulario que se debe usar para convertirse en candidato están disponibles en español en skagitfoodcoop. com en la página Co-op Board.
Skagit Valley Food Co-op Mission Statement
Local Food Resiliency & Your Co-op Member & Community Engagement Committee
Last October, we hosted our first “community conversation” on the topic of local food resiliency and how our Co-op can be a bigger part of that in these times of change. Over 30 people attended the session during the lunch hour via Zoom. Our first presenter was Cole Bitzenburg from the Skagit Food Distribution Center, and we learned how our local food banks and other partners are coordinating to distribute hundreds of boxes of food to families in need. As this need keeps growing, please contact Cole at ColeB@communityactionskagit.org if you can lend a hand, or make a donation. The next presenter was our own General Manager, Tony White, who gave us an update on Co-op happenings: thanks to our amazing staff and the loyal patronage of our member-owners, we are holding steady - even though we had to temporarily close Third Street Cafe and our Deli hot bar and salad bar due to the pandemic. In the remaining time, member-owners reflected on how lucky we are to have so much good food grown and raised here, by skilled farmworkers and farmers. Strengthening our local food resilience in these times of changing economics and climate is something we can definitely do – and it seems that the top priority is to get ourselves connected and educated. So, for next steps – our GM plans to be closely involved in the emerging food-system collaborations in the community, and our Board’s Member & Community Engagement Committee anticipates hosting more Community Conversations in 2021. We are currently imagining one session each quarter, to keep folks in the loop, with more time for dialogue. We hope to host our next session in February on the “True Cost of Food.” This is important, because liveable wages for the people who work in the food system need to be part of our design for community resilience. Stay tuned for more info, and we hope you can join in the conversation!
The Skagit Valley Food Co-op is a not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to provide good food at a fair price. As stated in the Co-op By-Laws: “The Co-op shall promote member welfare by utilizing their united funds and their united efforts for the purchase and distribution of commodities in accordance with the following criteria: A. Maintaining the non-for-profit status of the Co-op; B. Offering high quality products which contribute to good nutrition;
C. Supporting a low impact, non-harmful approach to the environment; D. Supporting local suppliers and producers; E. A commitment to building a cooperative economy and supporting others who share that commitment; F. A commitment to educational programs relevant to members and non-members in the community.”
The Skagit Valley Food Co-op Natural Enquirer is a quarterly publication of the Skagit Valley Food Co-op. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and may not reflect Co-op policy. No articles are meant to be used for diagnosis or treatment of illness. The Co-op does not endorse the products or services of advertisers. Editor: Nicole Vander Meulen | Layout & Design: Emily Zimmerman Staff Contributors: Contributors: nancylee bouscher, Ben Goe, Jenny Sandbo, Jay Williams, Leigha Staffenhagen, Renée Hall, & Tony White Board of Trustees: Brad Claypool, Kristen Ekstran, Britta Eschete, Casey Schoenberger, Rob Smith, Wayne Rushing, Tim Penninger & Tom Theisen Copyright 2021: Reprints with permission
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Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • January - March 2021
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