To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [permaculture] Local food cooperative organizing workshop
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 13:22:45 -0600
How to organize a local food cooperative with the
'Oklahoma Plan'
The Oklahoma Food Cooperative will host a three
day workshop on May 17, 18, 19, 2007 in Oklahoma
City on how to organize and operate a local food
cooperative internet-based order and delivery
system.
Topics to be covered include organizing campaigns,
producer issues, financial accounting, computer
systems, customer and volunteer issues. The event
will be held in conjunction with the May delivery
day of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative, and
attendees will participate in all aspects of that
activity.
Cost of the 3 day workshop is $125 if received by
April 16, 2007 ($150 thereafter), which includes
all meals (made from local ingredients) and social
events, but does not include your transportation
to and from Oklahoma City or your hotel cost.
Attendance will be limited to 30 people. To secure
your reservation, payment must be received in
full.
Workshop sessions will be held at Epiphany of the
Lord Catholic Church located at 7336 W. Britton
Road in Oklahoma City.
The closest motel is the Courtesy Inn at 6600 NW
Expressway, 405-722-8694. The next closest motel
is the Executive Inn, 6410 NW Expressway,
405-728-9913. We can provide transportation to
Epiphany Church from these hotels, or others
further east on Northwest Expressway, and perhaps
from other areas (check with Bob Waldrop on this).
We will also work on coordinating transportation
to the airport on the final day of the workshop.
To register for the conference, send your name and
full contact info including email to: Oklahoma
Food Cooperative, 1524 NW 21, OKC, OK 73106. Or
send this info in an email to
prez@oklahomafood.coop and either mail your check
or pay with your credit card or electronic check
via Paypal (send money to paypal@oklahomafood.coop
and put in the comments field that it is for the
'Oklahoma Plan Conference').
Bob Waldrop, president and general manager
Oklahoma Food Cooperative
prez@oklahomafood.coop
405-613-4688
About the Oklahoma Food Cooperative:
Organized in 2003, the Oklahoma Food Cooperative
operates an innovative internet-based order and
delivery system that only sells Oklahoma grown or
made foods and non-food products. The cooperative
has both customer and producer members.
The cooperative does not buy wholesale and sell
retail. Members order items from specific
producers, so each produce in effect is his or her
"brand" in the coop product lineup. The producer
members set their own prices, and the cooperative
charges them a commission for selling through the
cooperative. Customer members pay a commission
for buying through the cooperative. The
cooperative operates this delivery cycle once each
month.
Monthly gross revenues are presently ranging from
$25,000 to $35,000, and the coop has 1,000
members. The coop has been completely
self-financed since it was organized via the sale
of member shares and operating revenues.
DRAFT SCHEDULE FOR THE WORKSHOP
May 16, Wednesday:
folks arrive, evening social event
May 17, Thursday
8 AM: delivery day begins (lunch at delivery day
site)
6:30 PM, dinner, followed by opening remarks and
social time
May 18th, Friday
8 AM, breakfast
9 AM: Session 1 - Getting started: the organizing
campaign
10:30 - break
11 AM- Session 2 - What's for sale? Producer
issues
12:30 - lunch
1:30 - Session 3 - The Amazing Portable Oklahoma
Food Cooperative: Delivery Day
3 PM - break
3:30 PM - Session 4 -- How much does this cost?
Financials
Saturday, May 19
8 AM - breakfast
8:45 AM - Session 5 - Internet Commerce and Local
Foods: Computer Systems
10:15 - break
10:45 - Session 6, What's the market? Customer and
Volunteer Issues