The Cooperative Grocery

Q: Wasn't there a Co-op in Berkeley years ago? I'm curious how this will be different.
A: You're right. There was a Co-op in Berkeley from the 1930's until 1988. For an interesting read, check out What Happened to the Berkeley Co-op?, a series of opinion papers by people involved at all levels; the library has it. We truly believe that the model we're working towards is different in significant and positive ways. Some of us were members of the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn, NY which has been around since 1973 and continues to thrive. Perhaps the biggest difference between the old coop and the CoG is that in our model, you must be a member to shop and all members work 2 1/2 hours a month. The effect of this is that Park Slope is a deeply invested community. The playing field is evened by everyone being a member and working. And the tensions between members and non-members, or working members and non-working members and/or staff, that exist in some other coop models don't come into play. In Brooklyn, there are roughly 13,000 working members and about fifty-five paid staff members, only a dozen of whom are full-time. About 75% of the work of running the coop is done by the members. The huge savings in labor costs go right back to the members, as the mark-up over wholesale is kept to a minimum. One of the reasons the old coop ultimately failed was that as they closed failing stores, senior employees were moved to the remaining stores and the average salary the coop paid its employees rose significantly. They also closed down their Education department, which is something that we are very committed to keeping at the forefront of the CoG.

PRODUCTS

Q: I would love to know more about what kinds of food will be available. Will there be animal products: organic meat, dairy, eggs? What about produce?
A: At the moment, we sell mostly non-perishable food and household products. Although it sounds limiting, think of all the things you buy off the shelves at the store: soy and rice milk, cereals, bulk legumes, sugar, flour, rice, canned food, bottled items, cleaning supplies, paper goods, personal care products, etc. Once we are more established and receive all the required permits for perishable foods, we can begin to purchase refrigeration equipment and offer a larger selection of foods, including dairy, meat and eggs (all sustainably raised and produced, of course!). We have established a relationship with some local growers such as Full Belly Farms (a local CSA farm) who will be able to deliver precise amounts of seasonal produce to us based on what our members order online. By being exact in our ordering quantities, we won't have to store any leftovers. We do expect to be able to move to refrigerated and frozen goods within a relatively short time frame, though.

Q: I'd like to hear more about where the products you will offer will come from.
A: Luckily for us, many great natural food sources are based in California and even right here in the Bay Area. Sustainable is a big word that is getting thrown around a lot these day, but what's important is that the distance a product travels to get to a consumer is a huge part of its meaning for us. There's always going to be a struggle between organic and local - do you buy the apple from New Zealand because it's organic or do you buy the non-organic one from Sebastapol? (or do you simply wait for the local apple season?) There are several viewpoints on the table here, mostly having to do with keeping the CoG open to people who may not yet be as hard-set as some of us are when it comes to the most local, or the most sustainable. There's a middle path that may be more accommodating to more people, and, ultimately, membership numbers are very important. It's a fine line. We are committed to following the Sustainability Guidelines (http://thecog.org/news.htm) as closely as possible, and we will use those guidelines when deciding between several brands of the same product.

Q: I am curious to know exactly what brands you are offering.
A: We are using one of the general distributors that serve Northern Californian natural food stores, so most items on the shelves will be familiar to you if you shop at Whole Foods, Berkeley Bowl, Berkeley Natural, etc. - but the price will generally be much lower! We plan to carry as many local items as possible (as long as they fit our sustainability criteria), so there might be some products you haven't seen on the shelves of the bigger stores. When we are able to offer a local product, we will also likely offer the standard version (again, organic, sustainable, etc.). Just for starters, we will probably carry standard brands like Barbara's, Amy's, Muir Glen, Nature's Path, Eden, Strauss Family Farms, Aubrey Organics personal care items, Organic Essentials, Seventh Generation, but also smaller, local companies like Grateful Body, EcoLani, Vital Vittles, etc. NOT Horizon, General Mills, Kellogg's, Dole, etc. Even if they offer something organic, factory farming is factory farming and not exactly sustainable, even if they do it organically. However, many of your favorite brands may be subsidiaries of megacorporations, and we'll try to make a company's affiliations very transparent to CoG members. This kind of discussion is precisely what the Products/Sustainability Committee (http://groups.google.com/group/cogproducts) talks about at their meetings. You might consider joining the group just to keep an eye on them! You can do that from the Committee link on the CoG website.

Q: I'd REALLY like to join once you have fresh food available. Due to my unusual diet, I don't eat much that isn't fresh/ raw/ live.
A: We have several raw/live foodies on board here at the CoG, so we plan to stock items that will be of interest to you as soon as possible. We already have an agreement with local growers such as Full Belly Farm to deliver to the warehouse exact quantities of whatever they sell twice a week. That way, we won't have to refrigerate it since the orders will have been made the day prior by our members. And we are in conversation with some local raw food suppliers who will hopefully do the same. Ditto with our favorite sauerkraut lady. So we're likely to have something for you sooner than you might think!

Q: I'm currently trying to eat only locally grown food from farms that use sustainable practices. Will you be carrying enough locally grown food to make joining worthwhile?
A: Congratulations on discovering the joys of eating locally and sustainably produced foods. That is a huge part of our motive to open the CoG. When we qualify our goal with "wherever possible" we are referring to those goods that are packaged elsewhere or those produce that don't grow here. For example, bananas don't grow anywhere near us, yet we are still likely to offer them once the retail store opens. Similarly, some of the better green cleaning agents may not be locally produced, but we're committed to offering those that are best for the earth. It's always going to be a matter of finding the balance between local and sustainable. We are lucky enough to live in an area where most of the food we will offer will indeed be locally grown and/or processed. Again, that will depend on how you define "local" - is Strauss Family dairy farms in Marin local? Is Full Belly Farm from the Capay Valley local? What about meats from Niman Ranch? We think so, but others might want to reign in that region a bit more, and yet others might think we are restricting it too much. Members will be able to decide if it becomes a contentious issue. In any case, we will certainly offer many local food products, and we're confident that you will find a worthwhile selection.

Q: Are you going to offer wine?
A: Yes, of course we plan on offering wine. Without wine, this whole CoG business would never have even been discussed by those of us starting it. Without wine, we would never have agreed to take on the daunting task of getting it up and running! We probably won't be able to offer it right at first because of the lengthy permit process, but it's definitely on our list of items to carry. Of course, we will be most interested in carrying organic, Bio or Demeter wines, or other sustainably-minded vintners that aren't necessarily certified (easier to find in Europe than here). But there are a few good organic wines produced here (and very few really good ones), so we'll be carrying those for certain.

Q: We would like to eat more organic food, but are anxious about the cost. What kind of price reduction are we looking at? Is it cheaper than a farmer's market? How will prices will compare to "regular" retail prices (e.g. Monterey Market or Berkeley Bowl)?
A: Since we are a not-for-profit business, our prices are going to be well below what you would pay at any retail store in the area and even less than most Farmer's Market prices, which usually aren't much less than retail - they just get the profits directly, which is great for the growers. We don't have exact examples of prices yet, but depending on the item, yes, they should be less than places like Monterey Market (although Monterey Market is known for also selling close to wholesale on some of their produce, so we can't guarantee we will always be significantly less on some produce items). Since we will only be marking up our items 20-30% above wholesale, just enough to cover our operating expenses (which will be considerably lower than regular stores since our labor is provided by members), the savings from retail will be substantial on most items. Remember, we will be selling local, organic produce, and the farmer's prices to their sellers fluctuate widely depending on several conditions. Other items besides produce not available at the farmers market will certainly be less expensive than other stores, though. That's the whole point of starting the CoG - to break that barrier of accessibility for healthy, organic foods and goods. We are not interested in "putting the hurt" to fine establishments like Monterey Market, Berkeley Natural, or Berkeley Bowl, etc. We are simply offering a community-based alternative where members can trade a little labor each month in order to save on sustainable food.

Q: I saw on the website that dry, canned, bulk foods will be first followed by refrigerated foods, and then produce. Any idea on the time frame before those other types of food will be available?
A: We actually have arranged with a local CSA farmer (Full Belly Farm - they sell at the Tuesday Farmer's Market on Derby - and they are setting us up with other farms that carry different produce than they do) to provide us with produce to sell at our warehouse site. Their seasonal items will be listed on the CoG shopping menu and members can simply order exact quantities of whichever produce they want and it will be boxed up with the rest of the order. Since we'll be ordering precise amounts, there won't be any need for refrigeration and we won't have any leftovers, so it's a perfect set-up for us! As soon as we are able to afford refrigeration and freezer units, we'll get them in (they can be one of the more expensive items of running a store). The more members who join, and the more often members shop as soon as we open the online store, the sooner we'll be able to purchase the equipment!

Q: Must I order large amounts, or will I be able to order single items? Will there be a minimum order?
A: No, there is no minimum order. You will be able to order as much or as little as your family needs. Once you become a member by paying a one-time, fully refundable investment of $100 and a non-refundable sign-up fee of $25, there is no other output except for any groceries you buy. And you can buy as little or as much as you want. But please keep in mind that the more our members shop at the CoG, the faster we'll be able to raise capital that will, in turn, allow us to purchase equipment, add to our selection of products, and eventually open a full retail store.

Q: Will this be a complete grocery? Will it be organic and local produce, grain-fed organic beef, cage-free eggs, seasonal fruit, local cheese, natural hormone-free pork, lots of bulk items? I'm curious because I'm more likely to join a co-op that dreams of serving the populace with a well-rounded selection of natural foods...not one that caters only to vegans or raw foodists or any other special case group.
A: Eventually, yes, it will be a complete grocery, and one that is based on a model of sustainability throughout. And it will be for everybody. Those of us who are getting this off the ground represent most of the eating types - a vegan who eats mostly raw, a vegetarian, some omnivores, etc. We want this to be a community place, and we recognize the wide range of eating that happens around here. And local is, of course, a huge element of the sustainability issue.

ONLINE PHASE

Q: How will the online ordering system work? What will it carry? Will I have to buy bulk quantities of products?
A: The online ordering/warehouse phase will be a place where distributors will deliver goods, including some local farmers whose produce we will sell. Members will order online or by phone (for those who don't have computer access). As the CoG grows, so will its inventory and selection. By the end of 2007, we imagine that the warehouse will look very much like the backroom of most larger natural foods stores with a large variety of products. Members will never have to buy any more than they want. With over 300 members already having joined, there will be plenty of lentils to go around without anybody having to take home more than they need! It is not a food buying club, although several food buying clubs in the area are thrilled about the CoG and are folding their efforts into our project.

Q: Will fresh produce be available through the online store?
A: Since each member will order what they will be picking up online a day or two before they come to pick it up, we'll know exactly how much produce we need to order for a particular pickup day. That way, we won't have to refrigerate any leftovers since we won't have any waste. We have already arranged with Full Belly Farms to be the first to supply us with produce to fit our model, and they are helping us connect with other farmers in the area who might be willing to do the same.

Q: I have a question concerning the initial online ordering system. One family member has a significant corn allergy. Would I be able to see ingredient lists for products that I wanted to order online? Or would I be limited to ordering only products I knew from prior experience were corn free?
A: Part of our plan for the online ordering system is precisely to help members like you who need to know the exact ingredients of the products they are ordering. The Technology Team is hard at work on the ordering system to allow for the ingredient list to be available via a drop-down list for each item in our inventory.

Q: I assume items such as bulk legumes, flour, dried fruit, etc. will still be sold bulk somehow even via the online store?
A: Yes, all the typical bulk items will be sold via the online store right from the start, as will bottled, canned, boxed, paper, personal care, cleaning products. Basically everything that doesn't require a refrigerator or freezer.

MEMBERSHIP

Q: Do both my spouse/partner and I need to join in order for our family to be a part of this, or must only the one doing the shopping join?
A: Yes, both you and your partner/spouse must join at some point. Since we are a not-for-profit organization that will be relying on members to work most of the labor, we need each person who benefits from shopping there to pitch in. And since we can't reasonably ask all those hungry children or teenagers or elderly to work hours, we need to have each able-bodied adult in each household join separately. Spouses, partners and friends can work for one another, however.

Q: I would be interested in making the fewest trips possible to do the work hours. Could I come in and work 7.5 hours at a time and be credited for 3 months at once?
A: Yes, you can bank hours ahead of time.

Q: I am expecting a baby and anticipate that it will be difficult to work the 2.5 hours a month with a newborn.
A: There will be a parental leave system that allows your family to take 1 year off of your work commitment after the arrival of a new baby. You and your partner can share the time any way you wish. For example, once the baby is born (or is adopted), one parent (perhaps the one having the baby - you!) can take the first half of the year off while the other simply puts in his or her regular shift for the co-op, and then perhaps you might prefer to be the one to come in to do your hours (free childcare while you work!), allowing your partner to take some parental leave for the rest of the year. You can arrange it any way you like.

Q: What if only one family member has the time or ability to work? Can one member put in 5 hours a month and the other none?
A: Yes, we completely understand that everybody in the family who benefits from the co-op may not be able to contribute the working hours, so one family member may choose to work for another, but both are expected to join as members. Members may not pay others to work their hours, however.

Q: Given my limitations, I'm not sure what I would be physically able to do. Please let me know if you have jobs available that you feel would meet my needs. Thank you.
A: We are totally committed to finding jobs for people that they are able to do and enjoy doing. If there truly is nothing, then that person simply won't have to work. Please don't let that stop you from joining. Building community is very important to the CoG's goals, so that should be the first reason you should join. We'll figure out the rest later.

Q: I am very interested in this, but am not sure how I could be a contributing member, being 77 years old, (living alone), and somewhat limited in my physical capacities.
A: We've decided that it will be optional for people 70 and older to work. For some, working a few hours a month at the CoG might be a great way to keep active and connected, and yet for others not. Also, for many, some months may be great and some, in the colder weather especially, perhaps not. We'll leave it up to our esteemed elders to decide for themselves. We can find a way for you to participate when and if you want to, and we will be honored to have you join us.

Q: What kind of work would members do during their shifts? Would it require any special skills?
A: Prior to opening the CoG online store, we will need members to do many tasks. Once a warehouse/pick-up site is found, we will need to clean it, build shelving and bulk bins, stock items for sale, set up the online ordering system, install the telecommunications system, etc. Once the CoG is fully operational, members will work during pre-assigned shifts, doing such tasks as placing orders with wholesalers, restocking, taking online orders, weighing bulk items and packing orders, cleaning, coordinating customer pickups, providing childcare, etc. At first, we may need to remain flexible as to what kinds of jobs most need to be done, but as the co-op grows, so will the need for more continuity and specificity in jobs.

Q: Your website says that members will work in "pre-assigned shifts". Do you have plans to accommodate people who work on-call jobs with irregular hours?
A: We've learned that there is real value in having members show up to work at expected times. Most of our members will be able to do that. We completely understand the need to accommodate other types of schedules, however. At the Park Slope Food Coop, we had a program called FTOP (Future Time Off Program). FTOP workers committed to the same number of shifts per year as everyone else, but did not have to fit them into a once-every-four-weeks schedule. An FTOP worker might, for instance, work five shifts in one week, thus banking work credit for five cycles or twenty weeks. Other flexible work shifts will certainly be created and accommodations made for our members with circumstances such as yours.

Q: Will the shifts/pickup times be convenient for workaholics?
A: We plan on at least one weekend pick-up day, which means there will be shifts that day as well. And there may be late-night work shifts available depending on when the deliveries arrive.

Q: I'm very interested in joining, but I'm worried that the 2.5 hours time commitment might grow into more once the CoG is up and running. Can you guarantee that it's really only 2.5 hours per month?
A: It is always a bit scary to sign up for something that requires work. But for the CoG, the 2 1/2 hours is based on a model of a very successful food co-op in Brooklyn that has been open since 1973 (Park Slope Food Coop). It really is all the time you will be required to work. There are certainly those of us who will be putting in endless hours to get the CoG off the ground, but regular members will only need to work their shift each month once it is up and running (except for the very few full-time paid employees like the general coordinator or the bookkeeper, etc.).

Q: What is your plan/commitment about privacy with the membership information?
A: We will not share any information about our members with anyone without their express consent.

Q: How do I get my $100 back if I choose to leave the CoG?
A: To be eligible for a refund of your $100 investment, you must be a CoG member in good standing for at least 90 days. After that time, you can choose to receive your refund in one of two ways:

A $100 store credit, available immediately

A $100 cash refund that is dependent on the rate that new members join. Currently the wait time is 3-6 months.

Q: How likely is this to get off the ground? If it does not get off the ground, do I get the $100 back? I doubt it, because I would think that you would need that money for exploratory or foundational work. And even if you say that I will get it back, what guarantee do I have aside from a promise from some people who put up a web site?
A: We can understand your skepticism since you do not know any of us personally, but all we can offer you right now is that we are people just like you who are very interested in starting an East Bay food co-op. The effort is quite real. Here are some key elements that may not be reflected on our website: we have filed our 501c3 application for non-profit status; we are in the process of opening our banking accounts (and the membership investments are already in a secure, interest-bearing account); we speak regularly with the general coordinator of Park Slope Food Coop, a very successful coop in Brooklyn that has been thriving since 1973; our friends at Full Belly Farm are working with us so that we can pre-order produce from them to have available at our pick-up sites until we open a full retail store; we are in regular contact with Jennifer Cogley, the Sustainable Business Coordinator for the City of Berkeley, who is working to ensure we have everything we need to be successful in getting off the ground; the City of Berkeley and the UC Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Sustainability has funded us for an intern for the year; Michael Pollan has written us to wish us good luck; the kind people at the Ecology Center are posting our fliers at the Farmers' Markets; and perhaps most importantly, within the first 3 months, 300 members joined the co-op and over 300 are on our mailing list, most of whom we've never met nor heard of before. Whew! All this has happened so fast, even though it's something that we've been scheming about for a year now. You are always welcome to come to a new and prospective members' meeting held monthly at one of our homes in North Berkeley and talk to us personally. Please check the CoG Calendar from the website for upcoming meeting details.

Q: I'm not real clear on what being a member entails. Is it correct that you have to be a member to shop at the co-op? And by being a member, do you get a discounted rate on the items? If not, how is the pricing of the items? Are they comparable to other natural organic stores?
A: The savings will be quite substantial since we are a not-for-profit endeavor and will only be marking up prices 20-30% above wholesale - just enough to cover our operating expenses. And yes, you must be a member to shop at the CoG. That's the primary way we'll be able to keep the markup so low since we won't have to pay much in labor costs if everybody who shops there also works there. Therefore, you can expect to pay considerably less for items sold at the CoG in comparison to a regular, retail natural foods store. We don't have exact prices yet since we don't know how many members we'll be ordering for. This is the kind of thing that will change as more members join - we'll have more working capital, can rent a bigger space, stock more items, negotiate lower wholesale prices, etc.

Q: What kind of things can we as potential members do now to help CoG get rolling sooner?
A: What you can do now is pass the info around to as many people as possible. You can also join a committee and come to CoG meetings. Check the website for more details on how to join a group.

LOW-INCOME MEMBERS

Q: I was wondering who the target group for the CoG was. Will this be practical for lower-income families?
A: The target group is simply anybody who wants to buy sustainably produced food and products without paying full retail prices and is willing to put in some hours each month in a cooperative effort to make it happen. Members who are on public assistance pay significantly reduced sign up fees, and we've had a great response to that (from both Berkeley and Oakland members on public assistance).

Q: I am currently on Unemployment and can't afford the whole $100 but I would like to join. Please let me know if I can join at a reduced rate; I will pay the rest after I find a new job.
A: At this time, we are only able to offer the reduced membership rate to those on some sort of government assistance. Since we aren't open yet and really don't have anything to offer except for membership at this point, we just aren't set up to individually evaluate each request for reduced membership so are temporarily settling on the standards set by the government. I've attached our policy below in case you qualify. Please understand that we are very committed to offering membership to everybody and will be soon able to find more creative ways to make it work for those who might "fall between the cracks" of the system. For example, once our banking and accounting system is more sophisticated, we will be offering an extended payment of $10 per month for 10 months, and we are in conversation with a local organization who is willing to front the membership investment fee to those who identify as needing it but who don't qualify for public assistance. It's a work-in-progress, and rest assured we will find a way to offer membership to everybody who is interested in joining.

Reduced Membership Fee Policy:
The standard refundable Membership Investment is $100 and the non-refundable Joining Fee is $25.00. If you receive one of the following forms of income-based assistance, the Membership Investment will be reduced to $10 and the Joining Fee will be reduced to $5.00:

Food stamps
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Medicaid/MediCal
WIC
Section 8 housing subsidy

To receive the lowered Membership Investment, you'll need to send proof of the income-based benefit along with your membership application. If you have a benefit card, a photocopy of the card is acceptable proof. If you do not have a benefit card, a copy of an award letter will be accepted as proof. Those members on SSDI but who do not qualify for income-based benefits will need to join as full paying members but will be exempt from having to work the 2 1/2 hours per month, if they so choose.

LOCATION

Q: What neck of the woods will the coop be in? Without knowing that , it's hard to decide whether to join...
A: During the warehouse phase, we will be at 1450 67th Street (at the corner of Hollis) in Emeryville. The building literally straddles the Berkeley - Emeryville border, and is only one block from Oakland. The permanent site, which is at least three years down the road, will hopefully be in the same area. Sorry we can't give you more exact details. We'll keep you posted, though.

Q: I do not own a car. Will the CoG be accessible by bus & bike?
A: A couple of our organizing members also only ride bikes: two live in North Oakland and one in North Berkeley, so finding a location to make all you cyclists happy has always been on our radar, and we are equally committed to public transportation.

The CoG by bus: our 67th Street @ Hollis location is a short walk from the following bus lines: 72, 9, 802, J & Z, and the 19, which connects to the Berkeley, North Berkeley, Fruitvale, and West Oakland BART stations, literally stops in front of our building.

The CoG by bike: this will be a work in progress, so if you are aware of any great routes that keep you safe from the cars, please let us know and we will update this Q & A entry. Also, the Berkeley-Emeryville bike path is a half-block East on 67th. The Emeryville side is almost complete, so that should be a great way to get to 67th from the South. The Berkeley side to the North is still a dirt-road, so in the meantime we recommend taking 9th street to Heinz and continuing on 7th to Hollis. The 7th and Hollis intersection isn't the most bike-friendly, but we're only two blocks south of Ashby, so you're almost there.

Q: Since you are a member-only co-op, can I still join if I don't live in Berkeley or Oakland?
A: Yes, we are a member-only co-op, but members need only live in California and be close enough to work once a month. We have members from Marin, Oakland, Richmond, Alameda, San Francisco and Berkeley at this early stage.

Q: We live in Marin, but are interested in your venture. Could folks in Marin could plug into your program, perhaps through a buyer's group? Would my neighbors be allowed to pick up my orders for me?
A: There are several potential members who have written us from Marin. A great solution would be for you North Bay members to coordinate when your work shifts are and for people to take turns picking up your orders. Any member will be able to pick up another member's order. As a community, the CoG will also be a place for members to connect with other members, so it should be very easy to organize transportation efforts.

CHILDCARE

Q: Committing to working 2.5 hours a month is a big deal for me as I have three children, so I would like to make sure I'd be being realistic in signing up.
A: One of the great things about this model is that we plan to offer childcare while members work (or shop, once we have a retail space). I worked in childcare at the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn, NY, which is the model for the CoG, and loved it. It meant my kids could be with me while I worked. Others were just as happy to work downstairs restocking the shelves and leave their children to play in childcare during their shift. It's a great system. All childcare workers attended an additional training session. The advantage of working childcare (if you don't mind taking care of other people's children) is that you can bring your child/ren with you. Alternatively, if that's not your cup of tea, and your child will go for it, you can leave your child in the care of other members while you work.

BUSINESS PLAN

Q: Why doesn't the CoG have shopping carts?
A: We are planning a two-phase model in order to start building capital and equity, and to immediately offer benefits to CoG members, getting them excited about and involved in this community effort. This will provide a solid foundation for the expensive and elaborate task of opening a permanent storefront, giving assurance that our coop will be economically feasible and financially sustainable in the long term. Store services will be rolled out in two phases over the next two years (2008 and 2009). The ultimate decision as to when the CoG begins its permanent site search will be brought to general membership vote the Board determines that sufficient capital has been raised.

PHASE I - Virtual Berkeley Co-op Grocery
The first phase includes access to a virtual store where members can place orders from our inventory, pay on-line and pick up their orders at a conveniently located warehouse on one of three pick-up days each week. During this first phase, members will be able to buy non-perishable items such as canned, bottled and bulk food items, cleaning supplies, and personal care items. Members will also be able to order fresh, locally grown organic produce from local growers such as Fully Belly Farms through our virtual store. Goods for the virtual store will be held at our warehouse site for this initial stage of the operation. Whenever possible, all inventory will consist of local, organic and sustainably produced and packaged goods. The orders will be assembled and boxed by the working members. The pick-days will initially be two weekdays and one weekend day. Pick-up hours are in process of being determined. Please check the How It Works page on our website for updates. For those members who do not have access to a computer or do not wish to use on-line services, we will have printed catalogs from which members can place and pay for their orders via telephone. The on-line store model will allow the CoG to build a substantial capital fund to build out a permanent space.

Q: Will there be a manager? If so, will the manager be paid? If so, how much will she/he be paid (percentage or flat fee)?
A: Yes, there will be a manager who will be paid, most likely in the form of a flat salary. There are several models out there that co-ops throughout the U.S. use, and many of those decisions will be finalized once we have a fully voting membership structure.

Q: Will the CoG operate a la Park Slope, which only sells to members? Or will it function a la Rainbow, which sells to everybody? Perhaps there is some middle ground, as in listing 2 prices: member and nonmember.
A: In searching for a model that has sustained all the ups and downs that co-ops must endure, we are pretty set on having the CoG be a member-only co-op. Rainbow is great, but the prices are full retail prices with the profits being returned to the worker/owners, which makes it a great place to work, but it doesn't address issues of food justice and economic access. One of the great things about the Park Slope model is that since it is entirely a member-based community, everybody has a giant stake in it, and that, in turn, makes for a great community and a great work/shop environment. And in order to keep the prices low, we have to be very mindful about labor costs - our aim is to have there be as few paid jobs as possible. If people started shopping there who weren't required to work their 2 1/2 hours a month, the balance would tilt and the model wouldn't work. That's definitely one of the reasons the old Berkeley Co-op failed, so we're trying to learn from that.