As I began writing my article for this month’s edition of The Garlic Press, I knew I wanted to talk about October being National Co-op Month. It’s a time to remind ourselves that co-ops enable people to work together to build businesses that are rooted in and accountable to their communities. And so I would, I had assumed, provide the litany of reasons why the Cedar Falls Food Co-op will be, once the doors are open, a great asset to the community.
But I began my journey by reflecting on the past, reminding myself of some of the history of the cooperative movement. From the Rochdale Pioneers, lauded as the first cooperative effort, to the rural electric co-op movement, to the origins of farmer co-ops, which may have its roots in the civil rights movement, co-ops have a long history of making the world a better and more just place to live and work. As one presenter at the food co-op conference I attended this past winter claimed, co-ops have done more for the benefit of all than have entrepreneurs or governments.
I began to feel emboldened by the history of co-ops and the realization that the Cedar Falls Food Co-op was, and now is, part of that history, part of the global movement to build a better world. It’s a pretty powerful realization, let me tell you.
Whatever I might feel about our part in the history of the co-op movement, it’s the history of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op that really moves and inspires me because this history, our history, is filled with some amazing people. I couldn’t begin to recognize all the wonderful people who’ve helped bring the Cedar Falls Food Co-op from an idea to an incorporated business to an actual physical store. But their efforts have been inspiring.
A UNI student helped craft our bylaws; a John Deere employee donated a folding table so we could set up a booth at various events around town; a mother of a newborn created graphic designs for our social media pages; a local business owner pledged to donate his products to the first 50 members; a Parkersburg resident stepped up to join the Finance Committee; a long-time friend of the Co-op who had developed a complication with her back attended meetings anyway by standing; a member called me out of the blue last year and wanted to know if we needed tablecloths for our Fall Food Fest — the list goes on and on. Dozens and dozens of individuals have made personal sacrifices to help bring a full-service, community-owned grocery to Cedar Falls.
That inspires me. It’s the true meaning of cooperative. So, during this month, let’s celebrate the history of the cooperative movement, and let’s celebrate all the members, committee members and board members who have contributed to the efforts of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op. Cheers!
In cooperation,
Tom Wickersham