THE FOOD CO-OP - Port Townsend Food Co-op

Board
calendar
All meetings are held
in the Co-op Annex at
2482 Washington Street unless
otherwise noted.
Committee meeting
dates/times are posted
on our website.
July 5*
Board of Directors
July 8
Member Relations
3:00 pm
July 13
Product Research
3:00 pm
August 2*
Board of Directors
August 10
Product Research
3:00 pm
August 12
Member Relations
3:00 pm
*Check the Board’s board in
the store or our website at
www.foodcoop.coop for Board
meeting time.
Contact the Board at
www.board@foodcoop.coop
The Commerce
of Food
Growing the
Sustainability Movement
SAM GIBBONEY, Board President
from the board
O for a muse of fi re, that would ascend
The brightest heaven of invention …
(Shakespeare, Henry V, Prologue)
Just as Shakespeare’s chorus calls us to imagine a vivid
scenery and backdrop for his play, these turbulent times call
upon us to invoke our imaginations. The word inspire comes
from Latin meaning to breath in or infl ame. So on these warm
summer days, let’s stoke the fl ames of our imagination and
dream of what can be.
Do we have the courage to imagine a food system that is truly
sustainable? Many of today’s leaders argue that the dominant
system of industrial agriculture is the only realistic way to
meet the hunger needs of a growing population. Christos
Vasilikiotis of UC Berkley counters these arguments and
asserts that only organic methods can help small family
farms survive, increase farm productivity, repair decades of
environmental damage and knit communities into smaller,
more sustainable distribution networks—all leading to
improved food security around the world.
Can we also imagine a food system where farm workers
make a fair living wage? I believe that we have to because
otherwise our very sustenance is based upon another human’s
exploitation. I believe that we must imagine a world where
being an organic farmer does not require taking a vow of
poverty.
Many of us also recognize that the shifts in the global economy
are most likely only previews of coming changes. Increasing
fuel costs and the toll on our planet will make changes in
how we grow and market our food absolutely necessary. The
mission and principles that guide the operation of our Coop
are our foundation. If we hope to change the dominant
paradigm—if we want to demonstrate that our way of
farming, processing and distributing food is better
for our community and the planet—then I
humbly submit to you that we must grow
as a business.
Now I know the word growth can mean different things to
different people. But I want to be clear—I want the Co-op to
grow with a purpose; a purpose that is guided by our mission and
our principles. Can we grow without diluting that very mission
and those very principles? I believe we can. I have to believe that
our way of conducting the commerce of food can become the
dominant paradigm.
We have before us the opportunity to imagine what we want to
create. We can create the reality where the commerce of food
is alchemy of place and human endeavor; where the work of
producing food is a craft that is honored and valued.
How we do this is up to us. We are starting our process for
strategic planning. A strategic plan at its core serves to concentrate
our focus and align our efforts to create our shared vision. It is
essentially a cooperative and collaborative effort. We need you,
our membership, to join in this effort. It is truly a case where the
whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
So here in the full fl ush of summer, where everything is growing
and maturing, let’s imagine how we want to grow. That’s what
I’m fi red up about this summer. How about you?
“We have before
us the opportunity
to imagine what
we want to
create.”
“A man can be short and dumpy and getting bald but if he has fire, women will like him.” - Mae West
THE FOOD CO-OP COMMONS www.foodcoop.coop 4 July / August 2011