Happy ENDings

One of the primary responsibilities of the Common Ground board of directors is to set the long term direction for our co-op, and specifically to draft a set of "Ends policies" which describe to management the change we feel it is important for the co-op  to make in our community on behalf of its members.  These policies can be thought of as an achievable set of goals that, while rather broad and subject to interpretation, are something we we can use to evaluate our progress.  Unlike a mission statement, "Ends Statements" are worded in such a way to describe the change we'd like to make, the "Happy ENDing" that should result from the work of our management and staff and the support of our members and patrons.

When one begins a process of setting goals, it seems like you swim in a sea of possibilities, and it's hard to find footing.  Words like "equitable," "environmentally sound", and "healthy" leap to the tongue, but they're hard to work with systematically.  They express our common values, but how do you set down succinct goals for an entire organization, representing diverse views and opinions?  

We're lucky to stand on the shoulders of giants, having contact with people who have worked with co-ops that have been truly successfully for decades in transforming their communities for the better.   In addition, the members of the board are passionate about food, our community, the cooperative model, and the intersection of those three.  So we started yapping, albeit in a constructive fashion.  We also took into account the results of the last co-op survey, as well as information garnered from conversations with members, comments in the store and on the blog, and feedback from staff and management.   After months of work, we reached four statements that we believe best represent where we're going.

Why Four?

Each of these statements costs money.  In fact, every word of every statement costs money.  By that I mean that our co-op will devote time and money to investigating these goals, and each must be weighed relative to the other by management, but each must show progress.  They are in a natural tension with each other, which adds to the complexity of fulfilling them.  With too many statements, none will receive adequate attention.  With too few, we'll be rudderless, and crucial issues will be overlooked.  As a relatively small co-op, we feel that this represents the best set of goals given our current resources.

What are these goals?

• The co-op is the center of a vibrant, inclusive community.

• The cooperative movement is strengthened.

• The co-op serves as an educational resource on food issues.

• Our local food chain is more equitable, robust and environmentally sound.

Why those Four?

I'd like to discuss each of these in turn, to give you an idea about why we chose them.

The co-op is the center of a vibrant, inclusive community.

This is the most elusive of the four.  It is, as one might say, all in the wrist.  It's what makes some grocery stores feel (in the words of one board member) "icky," and others feel welcoming.  It means being part of something bigger.  As Tom Waits says, "there's one thing you can't lose...it's that feel."  It means constantly listening to members, and constantly looking at the bigger picture of who our community is, how it's changing, and how we fit into it.  It also has to do with how the co-op itself is changing, becoming less exclusive, and yes, becoming bigger.   You could put your pulse on who we were when we were a couple hundred people in a basement.  That's a lot harder now, and this end explicitly says "community is still important, and we expect management to think about that...a lot."  (Not that they don't already!  Writing an end doesn't mean we think there's a failing.  It means we believe something is important enough to make explicit and measure progress toward.)

The cooperative movement is strengthened.

This one is core to who we are.  Running a business cooperatively represents a fundamentally different approach to traditional private ownership models.  It's a model that's based on a different set of principles.  It's a model that has waxed and waned in popularity over many years, and it thrives in some places while struggling in others.  (Minnesota has more food co-ops than Illinois, Indiana, Missouri Kentucky, and Tennessee combined.)   We believe that it represents a viable and crucial alternative in a world that needs them.  This end holds a lot in it.  It means staying true to the cooperative principles, but it can also mean reaching out to other cooperatives locally and in the region, helping new co-ops get started (something our management and board already does, and will continue to do), and constantly educating ourselves on how cooperatives work, why they matter, and how to strengthen our position and visibility.  Notice I say "it can mean..."   How this ends statement is interpreted is up to management, and Jacqueline will be reporting on how she interprets these statements, allocates resources to them, and on what the co-op has achieved, on an ongoing basis.  The board will evaluate her report on all this each year, in order to ensure we're on track.

The co-op serves as an educational resource on food issues.

Food Food Food.  There's a lot of it packed in our beautiful new store.  But not all food is created equal (or equitably.)  The co-op has become a de-facto source of information about food issues in our community, and this ends statement recognizes that role and reiterates our commitment in that regard.  Access to food isn't enough.  Those tomatoes won't cook themselves, and neither does legislation to increase organic production pass without a knowledgeable community of constituents asking the right questions and voicing their support.   Education covers a lot of areas.  Management will have the tough task of sorting through what's needed, based on member feedback.  You've got questions, and this goal says that we'll be here to answer them.

Our local food chain is more equitable, robust and environmentally sound.

This one is probably the farthest reaching of the four.  A few years ago we were doing the best we could just to stay afloat and buy produce from a few local farmers.  We are now in a position to really fundamentally affect the way our local food chain evolves.   We're buying from more farmers, supporting a wider variety of types of farms, and connecting with new farmers and potential new farmers.   We're also participating in collaborations that are directing food policy at a city, county, state, and national level.  This goal is also the most contentious.  Each and every word in this ends statement is worthy of a book, and in fact many books have been written about them.  We spent an enormous amount of time picking those words.  I won't delve into that, but suffice it to say that the conversation was fascinating.   What happens when supporting more farmers means you have to accept a wider range of farming practices, some not as strict as others?  Is that a fair trade off?  Are carrots equitable if the workers weren't paid a living wage?  If they are paid a living wage and the carrots are $30/lb, does that do anyone any good, if only the wealthy can buy them?  What's the right middle ground?   I expect conversations on this topic to continue for at least as long as I live.  The fact that a grocery store is mandating that its management to have those conversations is absolutely revolutionary in the broader context.  We hope to be leaders on this issue. 

What now?

These are the ends as adopted by the board this past Spring.  Now, as described at the last general membership meeting, begins the process of narrowing in on one and really learning about it.  Each of these goals is worthy of study, and the board will be spending about a year on each, bringing in speakers, attending conferences, reading books, contacting other organizations locally and nationally for dialogue, and engaging our members.   If we're going to get somewhere, we have to know really where that is.  If we're going to be responsible for making change in the world, we want to do it mindfully.  After all, your support of the store, which provides the energy with which this change is driven, is no small thing, and we don't take the responsibilty of directing those resources lightly.

What can you do?

We haven't yet picked the first end for study.  We're asking for your feedback on where you'd like to see us devote our time.  What issue really perked up your ears?  More than one?  Which is the most timely to you?  Please post your comments here, or bring them into the store and put them in the comment box, or attend our board meeting, held the second Monday of each month at the Urbana Free Library's conference room.   We look forward to your feedback.

Peace,
-Clint Popetz
Common Ground Board Member