HOW IT WORKS

Introduction / mission statement / becoming a member / payment

shopping / product selection and guidelines / working at the CoG / location

INTRODUCTION

The Cooperative Grocery—The CoG—is a non-profit, working members cooperative that offers high-quality groceries at an affordable price to individuals and families in our community.

Members of The CoG work 2 1/2 hours every 4 weeks, performing jobs like stocking shelves, building orders and providing member services. By providing much of the labor for the store, our members keep our operating costs to a minimum. We then pass the savings onto our members in the form of lower prices. Our model is based on the successful Park Slope Food Co-Op in Brooklyn, NY, which serves 13,000 members.

To further control costs and grow our co-op in a responsible manner, we launched the CoG as an online store that is served from a warehouse located in Emeryville, with easy access to communities in Berkeley and Oakland. Our long term plan is to build a retail business as finances allow.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Cooperative Grocery ("The Cog") believes that every person has the right to affordable food and goods that are healthy and sustainably sourced.

Our mission is built on 3 principles:

1) To be a reliable source for locally grown, organic or minimally processed food and goods.
Healthy, sustainable food should not be the choice of a few, but a standard for everyone. Food that is free of chemicals and not overly processed creates healthier bodies, a healthier environment and a stable food system for future generations.

2) To make sustainable food and goods affordable for anybody who joins The Cog.
The average for-profit grocery spends 70% of its revenue on labor. As a non-profit and cooperative—in which every member works—we enjoy much lower operating costs, allowing us to offer quality food for less.

3) To create an active community that inspires and informs our members
When you join the CoG, you join a community of people who believe that better food can create a better world. Whether you join because you're committed to sustainability, or simply looking to save money, you’ll be part of something bigger.

BECOMING A MEMBER

There are no pre-qualifications for joining the CoG. It doesn't matter where you live or how much money you make.

To start, you simply pay a one-time, nonrefundable $25 membership fee and an investment of $100, which is returned to you if you leave the CoG. You may pay your investment in full or in 10 monthly installments of $10. A reduced fee and investment are available for those on public assistance. Please email us for more details.

The one-time $25 membership fee goes directly to cover operating costs. We count it as income, just like the markup on our items. Your $100 investment, however, goes into a capital fund where it will earn interest and help us build credit, qualify for grants, and plan future expansion.

Your only commitment is to work 2 1/2 hours every 4 weeks. In exchange, you are free to shop at the CoG as much as you want.

PAYMENT

Our online store uses Google Checkout to process payments. This gives CoG members the flexbility to pay with their favorite credit card or debit card. Best of all, Google Checkout does not charge us any processing fees.

If you do not use a credit or debit card, you can select to pay by check at the time you pick up your order at the warehouse. We request that members keep orders paid by check to $100 or less. This way, if a check bounces, it is "covered" by the member's $100 investment.

We do not accept cash under any circumstance.

SHOPPING

The Cooperative Grocery is an online store. Members order their groceries — and pay for their order — on the CoG Web site. Orders are assembled and available for pick-up at our warehouse in Emeryville—please see the CoG homepage for the current pick-up schedule.

In order to promote fewer car trips, any member can pick up an order for another member—like a neighbor, for example.

PRODUCT SELECTION & GUIDELINES

The CoG caters to the eating habits of the entire community: omnivores, vegetarians, vegans, and raw foodists.

However, we are committed to offering only organic, minimally processed, and/or locally sourced foods and goods.

We currently offer a selection of dry, canned and bottled products, plus health and beauty and household goods. Bulk items are coming soon. In 2008 we will expand to include produce, refrigerated and frozen items.

CoG members play an integral role in selecting items. Members are welcome to suggest new items and critique those carried in the store. Once a month, all item suggestions are reviewed by the CoG Products Committee and weighed against our sustainability guidelines:

1. Ecologically Sound
This means the production of this product has enhanced rather than depleted the soil or environment where it is grown. It may be certified organic or biodynamic or individually assessed by our own sustainability committee. We do not accept products that have been genetically engineered or require any chemicals or artificial fertilizers to be grown.

2. Whole Foods
This means the integrity of the food is maintained, by little or no processing. We promote unrefined, clean foods that are nutritious and of a high quality. (Foods with no additives, artificial heating/drying, freezing or re-hydrating except in situations where a minimal amount of processing is necessary in order to meet the USDA standards for food safety).

3. Animal Care
This means the product is cruelty free. The animals involved are treated humanely, with respect and live in healthy conditions (cage free, high quality diets, no antibiotics, artificial hormones or genetic engineering).

4. Seasonal
This means the product is in season when we buy it and comes from a very local source supporting regional farmers and producers. It is fresh and the seasonality encourages us to have diverse and flexible diets that support our health and local culture.

5. Local
We carry local products (within a 250 mile radius) in order to reduce food miles, transportation costs, and to support the local economy. However products considered local may include some ingredients from further away which are processed here in the Bay Area such as bread from a local bakery whose business we want to support.

6. Diversity
This product increases either the biodiversity or cultural diversity (or both) of choice at the co-op. It is either from a rare or heritage variety of plant or animal, or this product reflects the cultural diversity of different tastes and traditions.

7. Economic Justice
This product comes from an operation which pays a living and fair wage to all the workers involved. The company producing the product has either a) unionized workforce b) capacity building for workers c) social justice agenda. We support international products that are certified 'Fair Trade'.

8. Relationship
This product brings with it an evolving relationship between the producers and the consumers. We can buy it directly therefore removing the 'middle man' that helps to maintain a fair price for all.

9. Reduced Packaging
The product comes with the least packaging material possible. It can be reused or locally recycled although we seek to avoid plastic. We favor products that do not demand any landfill space and preferably our members can bring their own containers for refills.

WORKING AT THE COG

All members of the CoG must work 2 1/2 hours every 4 weeks. Working at the CoG builds a sense of community and keeps labor costs down, allowing us to enjoy substantial savings on food and goods.

Because we welcome people of differing abilities, we will assist members in finding jobs that accommodate unique needs. You can only be exempt from working at the CoG because of a serious physical, psychological, or emotional condition, or if you are caring for someone who is ill or disabled.

We also offer 12 months of parental leave due to the birth or adoption of a child (12 months per baby/child, not per parent). Parents can share the time anyway they wish. We also offer free childcare while members work their shift.

In order to keep the work-to-benefit ratio as fair as possible, all able-bodied persons —18 years or older—of a household must join as individual members.

If you live in a roommate/housemate situation and do not share common food and household goods, then only those individuals who wish to shop at the CoG are required to join.

There are a wide array of jobs available at the CoG. During our online store phase, members will work during pre-assigned shifts doing tasks such as placing orders with wholesalers, restocking, taking online orders, weighing bulk items and packing orders, cleaning, coordinating customer pickups, and providing childcare.

LOCATION

We are located at 1450 67th Street, on the corner of Hollis St. and 67th St., on the Berkeley/Emeryville border and just two blocks south of Ashby Avenue. We anticipate being at this site for a minimum of 3 years before we open a larger retail site (we're aiming for late 2010), which will also be centrally located in the East Bay.