Old Creamery Co-op News | October 13th, 2023 | |
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Cooperatively Owned, Everyone Welcome!
Open 8am-7pm, Seven Days A Week
Feel free to call ahead - (413) 634-5560
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In this Newsletter you will find:
- A Word from our General Manager
- A Highlight on the Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA)
- It's Turkey Time - Preorder your Diemand Farm Turkey today! - Diemand Grandma Approved
- Members' Corner - An Invitation from OCC Board Member, Dawn Elizabeth
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A Word From Our
General Manager
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There’s no denying it. Autumn is upon us, along with all the familiar scents, sights, and accoutrements that we’ve come to associate with the season. If you’ve lately popped into the Creamery for a snack or some groceries, you’ve surely noticed the shift. Our Hot Mulled Cider has returned to its tempting post by the Check-out Lane. There’s pumpkins pretty much everywhere. And much as we’ve come to expect at this time of year, many of our staff and community members are breaking out their masks for the first time in a while.
It’s practically an annual tradition, at this point. And maybe that’s okay? Fall rolls in and it’s time to think about getting our Flu and Covid vaccinations up-to-date. Cases go on the uptick, and we all take a little more care with our health and hygiene. While we’ve all learned to operate in this world where the coronavirus seems to diminish in potency year by year, it’s still a great time to remember that there are sensitive and immunocompromised members of our community who might want to be a little more cautious than usual.
Here at The Old Creamery Co-op, we’re taking it as an opportunity to pay a little extra attention to our health and safety protocols. While we have no intention of bringing back our plexiglass barriers, we still have sanitary face masks available free of charge at the cash register for use by any of our customers. We’re working hard to keep our staff healthy. We’ve got a deep stock of Covid tests on hand, and they’re seeing plenty of use. (There’s plenty of good old fashioned seasonal bugs and allergies floating around this time of year, and we’re not taking any chances!)
CDC Covid Isolation Protocols dictate that persons with a positive Covid test should isolate themselves from others for at least five days. At the end of five days’ isolation, if fever and symptoms have abated for at least twenty-four hours, they may return to work but must continue wearing a face mask until ten days have passed from the point of initial contraction, or until two consecutive Covid Tests taken 48 hours apart have yielded negative results. It’s a routine we’ve gotten pretty used to over the past few years - but Autumn always seems like a particularly good time to refresh our collective memory.
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In other news, October is National Co-op Month, and we’re going all in on the spirit of the season. Be sure to check out Jesse’s great article about Suzette Snow-Cobb and the Neighboring Food Co-op Association below! Linked here in our newsletter, you’ll likewise find a radio spot promoting The Creamery on WRSI, WHMP, and the other member stations of the Northampton Radio Group, as well as a streaming replay of the annual Co-op roundtable with Bill Neuman. Originally a live broadcast from River Valley Co-op’s Easthampton location, you can now tune in at your leisure to hear a very knowledgeable and entertaining group of Co-Operators (and myself) discuss the mission with Bill and Buzz. We hope you like it!
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Yours in Co-operation!
~Lloyd
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Do you know a young person in need of an after-school job? The Old Creamery Co-op is currently on the hunt for motivated applicants in search of a part-time commitment.
If you or someone you know might be interested in such glamorous, entry-level duties as washing dishes, mopping floors, and generally caring for the underpinnings of a thriving cooperative enterprise, stop by and fill out an application at the store - or send us an email via info@oldcreamery.coop.
Shifts are generally three hours long, starting at 4pm. Starting pay is $15/hr. Potential advancement for interested parties who may want to move into other departments down the road.
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Local Highlight:
Neighboring Food Co-op Association
By Jesse Massaro
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In the picturesque town of Shelburne Falls, nestled between golden autumnal hills and overlooking the tranquil Deerfield river, is the office of a small regional co-op making a big difference. Western Massachusetts is home to people who love to help each other out, and who know how to come together for a greater purpose. That’s certainly one reason why we have such a thriving environment for Co-ops. Another reason is the hard work of organizations creating space and informing their peers and the public about the opportunities and benefits of working in cooperation. | |
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The Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) is a co-op that works for its members. Each of the forty-four regional food co-ops who make up its membership have access to its resources for promotion and education, as well as the generous accumulated pool of knowledge this organization represents. These resources can only come from a network of businesses in cooperation, with experienced and invested stewards. Who are these folks? What impact have they had?
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For the Old Creamery Co-op, NFCA has been an invaluable resource. GMs have attended meetings and peer networking courses, as well as educational programs. We currently have board members who actively join the Board Peer Dialogue group, where board members can get together to share information, collaborate on projects, and support each other in board practices. | |
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Suzette Snow-Cobb, Associate Director at NFCA, is even helping to facilitate the Old Creamery Co-op’s Board retreat this coming weekend, where the board will discuss its future goals and how best to support the co-op and its members. She has had a direct and positive influence on our little Co-op, and is a perfect example of what NFCA brings to the table.
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Suzette has been working in and around co-ops for almost 40 years. Starting out in Cambridge Food Co-op, in 1985, she worked her way up to department manager before moving out to Western Massachusetts with her family. One of the reasons she chose this area was the Green Fields Market, the flagship for the Franklin Community Co-op (FCC) where she once again started out as a cashier before working her way up to manager. Eventually, the co-op needed new leadership and she stepped up as part of a three-member management team. Serving as the Marketing and Membership Manager while two of her peers covered finance, technology and food services, the three would spend the next fourteen years supporting and expanding the Greenfield co-op we know and love. | |
During that time there was a regional movement of co-op managers to network and combine their knowledge called the Cooperative Grocers Association of the Northeast (CGANE). These were folks who had a vested interest in their own co-ops and gathered together in their free time to share information, socialize, and even consult on each other's businesses. There was also a national movement to combine Co-op buying power though purchasing contracts, which took the form of the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCG) and the Northeast region was assimilated into that structure. But around here there was still a desire for regional cooperation and a need to maintain the elements that NCG did not cover, like the pooling of information and tracking of the impact of the co-ops in this area. After a couple of years of organizing, the Neighboring Food Co-op Association was born, consisting of board members and managers from co-ops in this area, and one of the first things they did was to conduct a survey. At the time they had 17 co-ops participate and what they found was astounding; from jobs generated, the number of members, to the annual revenue. Seeing the impact of these organizations helps everyone understand the needs and movements within the community. |  | |
That was just the beginning. Today those numbers include 173,000 members of over forty-four individual co-ops with more than 2,465 good local jobs provided and they have $425,000,000 in combined revenue. Eleven years after that initial survey, NFCA is also able to break down this information even further, spotlighting $112,000,000 worth of local products sold across the network and contributing over $1.2 million to community organizations | |
Access to this level of information is only a piece of the offerings. Practical data combined with programs for mentorship, workshops and classes, institutional knowledge, and peer networking help on the backend of any co-op. But the NFCA is also instrumental with proactive marketing and outreach. | |
While still working for FCC, Suzette helped to spur a radio initiative in which the Old Creamery Co-op has participated for the past two years. Working with WRSI, in conjunction with the National Co-op Month theme, they collaborated to generate a series of short ads promoting awareness of local cooperatives and the overall co-op mission. Still going strong over a decade later the program has expanded to thirteen packages with over one thousand ads played over four radio stations. It boasts a roundtable of regional co-op managers, which this year expanded to spread over two panels. | | |
Listen to the Old Creamery
Co-op's radio spot
on our website!
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During her time at FCC Suzette was able to work, sit on the budding NFCA’s board, as well as continue her education. In 2013 she graduated from Saint Mary’s University with a Masters in Management of Co-op and Credit Unions. Eventually Suzette and the managerial trifecta decided it was time to step aside from their role at the Franklin County Co-op. From there, it wasn’t long before a space opened up at the NFCA that perfectly fit both her skills and her needs. In a moment of coming home to an organization she had worked hand in hand to help build from the ground up, she settled into a new mission of helping co-ops at an institutional level. | |
Working at NFCA she is able to manifest her interest in all things cooperative, constantly seeking out new ways for co-ops to work together. NFCA is a federation of co-ops, food co-ops are the members. It was important to Suzette that the organization be incorporated as a co-operative, something she had advocated for. Just like a food, art, farmer, or any other co-op, NFCA exists to serve the needs of its members. Its work includes key cross-sector components that promote the cooperative economy as a whole. | |
Our food co-ops are often the first job for young folks in an area, and many people find long term careers within them. Food Co-ops are often the first place a new business can sell their goods. In some cases family farms are able to subsist off a farmstand and the commerce of the local co-op. For Worker Co-ops, the owners are the skilled laborers and there are no shareholders demanding profit-driven policies. There is space for a balance between the ever-important bottom line, the technical aspects of running a business, and the benefits to the community. The values of the membership can find a meaningful place in business practices, from fair wages to the promotion of local products. What’s inspiring is the atmosphere between these organizations, communicating and connecting to help one another. It shows the power of people, connected through common interests, supporting their values across all boundaries. | |
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If you’re a fan of co-ops and what they do, and haven’t
yet become a member of our collective ownership,
you can begin the process here.
Already a co-op member and interested in opportunities to make a positive impact? The best way to get involved and share in the process is to attend a board meeting. Board meetings for the Old Creamery Co-op take place on the third Tuesday of every month and are open to all members of the cooperative.
Come take part in the conversation, add your name to the volunteer email list, or even consider serving on the board yourself! Get involved with your co-op, bring your neighbors, and see what we can do when we all work together.
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Upcoming Seasonal Promotions | |
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Next Board Meeting* - Tuesday, October 17th @ 6:30pm (Hybrid)
Members may join in person in the OCC Sustainability Library or
Email the board for a zoom link via board@oldcreamery.coop
- This month's GM monitoring reports: R1 - Customer Service & Value
Upcoming 2023 Member-Owner Appreciation Weekends:
*For the full listing of monthly Board Meeting dates you can sign up for our google calendar or see the posting on our website: Here
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Want to know more about the governance of our Co-op?
Please take a moment and read the open invitation from our board:
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An Invitation from the Board
"A huge "thank you" to everyone who stopped by and chatted with our board members at the Creamery last weekend! The community is always our top priority, and we appreciate the fact that folks who were able and willing to take time to stop by and talk to us, did.
I moved from Williamsburg to Cummington in 2003, and while I had certainly heard about the Creamery prior to moving "up the hill"- a great place to get sandwiches, wholesome foods, etc- it wasn't until I moved closer...." ...Read More Here
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Orders from the Bulk & Case Club will receive a 5% discount from our newly lowered retail prices. In appreciation to the ongoing support of our Member-Owner community, Co-Op Creamery Members will receive an additional 5% discount, for a total of 10% off shelf pricing.
Order Bulk & Case Club Here!
Please direct any questions or concerns regarding the new system to Laura Anne Segatti at:
oldcreamerycenterstore@gmail.com
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Creamery Hours:
8am-7pm
Seven Days a Week!
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