Happy just turned to Fall!

Some of you can’t wait for the apple picking, sweaters, hot cocoa and more.  Around here, we can’t wait for Co-opalooza on Saturday, October 3^rd – we’ve had a number of prizes donated, bands are ready to play and all we are missing are YOU and your friends and family.

Co-opalooza will be happening at the Algoma Club in downtown Oshkosh – we will start at 5PM and music and the night will continue until about 11PM. It’s also Gallery Walk that night, so you can invite folks you know who will be out and about to stop by and learn more about our progress! And remember, special drawings for folks who become members that night and for those members who refer them!

Events like this happen because we have a dedicated board, who meets at least every other week to make progress on opening the Co-op. At one of our recent board meetings, we had a call with Jaqueline Hannah, Food Co-op Development Specialist with the Food Co-op Initiative (FCI) (http://www.foodcoopinitiative.coop/).  She shared some good information with us regarding the progress of our Co-op and next steps we should be thinking about.  Some highlights:

1.       They were impressed with our Member Drive event in June and want us to share what made our event successful with other Co-ops.

2.       According to her, we are on target for our member numbers. She described a ‘snowball effect’ that happens with membership, when the membership starts to pick up speed in recruitment. We aren’t quite at that stage yet, but we are making impressive progress towards it. It’s something we are aware of and working hard to get to!

3.       And even the changes we’ve had in board composition are typical at this stage when the work shifts from picturing what might be to doing the work on the ground to make that important vision a reality.

4.       We were *very close* to getting funded with the FCI Seed Grant for start-ups this last funding cycle. She gave us some strategic insights to build on the great year we’ve had. We’ll be able to show momentum and connect how our work fits into the steps that co-ops go through when they start up.  We are starting now to craft our grant application to maximize what we learned in our call with her.

And finally, I know it’s early to be thinking about the holiday season, but we wanted to make sure you knew that you could give the gift of the Co-op!  It’s possible to buy a Membership share in someone else’s name – we will work with you to make sure the recipient is aware of your community-building gift and knows who to thank, if that is your wish!

Please do share the news about the Co-op with all you know!  You never know who might be a Co-op supporter! 

In touch, Kelly

Happy End of August – Almost September to you and yours!

The gardens may be winding down with some of the cooler weather, but the Co-op is continuing to grow! Currently, we have 220 Member-Owners and *85* of those members have joined since June. That is a wonderful level of growth and one we’d like to continue to expand with your help!

How can you help?

Buy a yard sign! These are hot off the press! If you are a member of the Co-op, you can purchase one of these signs for $10. You can send a check (OFC, PO Box 722, Oshkosh WI, 54903-0722) – please make a note in the memo section that this payment is for a yard sign! Or you can email us at [email protected] to set up a time for delivery and payment. We also have a signup sheet at our table at the Oshkosh Farmers Market and will be there September 12^th! You can sign up, pay, and we will deliver your sign for free!

If you host a house party, anyone who signs up at the house party gets a free yard sign! (While supplies last)

Bring an interested friend to Co-opalooza on Saturday, October 3^rd. We will be having special give-aways and events for those who become Member-owners that night! Co-opalooza will be happening at the Algoma Club with some events out by the Square in downtown Oshkosh – we will start at 5PM with some family friendly events and music and the night will continue until about 11PM. It’s also Gallery Walk that night, so you can invite folks you know who will be out and about to stop by and learn more about our progress!

Ask your workplace to host an information session. We’ve been doing sessions over the lunch hour (lunch and learn), after work, or as part of evening events. You can put us in touch with the right person and we can set up the rest! Email us at [email protected] for more information.

Ask people you know if they’ve heard about the Co-op. Yep, it’s that easy. If they have, GREAT – brainstorm together who else you should talking to about it! If not, tell them why you joined and why you care about it. Point them to our website. And don’t worry about not having all the answers to their questions – we are happy to answer questions. Email us and one of our board members will respond!

Our house parties continue to be successful – why? Because your relationship matters. When people know you’ve joined this project because you believe in it, they are more likely to put their support behind it as well. We hope you will consider hosting one! You know the drill – email us for more info!

On a final note, we recently had a phone conference with Jaqueline Hannah of the Food Cooperative Initiative, a nationally based organization that specializes in supporting Co-op start-ups. We were heartened by the conversation because many of the things she stated let us know we were on track and planning well for next steps in our growth. This Co-op is feasible, is being well-planned, and we have a vision – to be affirmed in that was an excellent feeling! Spread the word, invite those you know to join, and be a proud Member-Owner!

In touch,

Kelly Matthews

OFC President

Oshkosh Food Co-op Board Meeting Date: 8-19-15 Time: 7:30-10:00 PM
Location: Blue Door Consulting 21 W New York Ave Oshkosh WI

Welcome
Member Comment Period [3 minutes per comment]
Approve minutes of previous meeting
Treasurers Report

New members since last board meeting: (5) Jason/Tina Yolo; Judith OShaughnessy/Jack Schultz; Angie Lee/Jeremiah Bohr; Carole and Phil Schwartz; & Steve Schukow
CALL with Jacqueline Hannah from Food Co-op Initiative (7:45 – 8:30); times approximate. This call will take priority for time in our meeting this week; agenda items or conversations may be truncated or moved to the next meeting to accommodate the guest call.

Standing Business

Committee check in: a brief update/report (note new categories)

Communications/Messaging
 

1. Membership (member events, house parties, etc)

2. Michelle Schry Follow up
3. Co-opalooza

4. House Parties

5. Confirmed
6. Pending
7. Update on those held

Software/Technology

1. Education and Outreach events

2. In progress
3. Future events
4. Update from past events
5. Others we should be meeting with?

1. Summer Market

1. Grants

2. Seed Grant – Planning call follow up

1. Video Update

1. New Business

 
Other Business
 
Adjourn
 

July 20, 2015

Hello Co-op Member Owners  (who now number over 200!!) and Supporters

Oshkosh is known as Event City – and we hope you are out and about enjoying all Oshkosh has to offer! We have a number of dates for you to know about.

The first one is a SAVE THE DATEfor our Co-opalooza– this music event member drive is happening, Saturday October 3(afternoon/evening) at the Algoma Club. We’ve got several bands confirmed, including the DEAD HORSES, who have been big Co-op supporters from the beginning. If you are a member, consider coming and bringing a friend to sign up and join the Co-op!

Come see us at the Oshkosh Summer Farmers Market – we will be there August 1 and 22; September 12;and October 3 and 24. We always have membership brochures to share for sign up on the spot. Consider inviting a friend who wants to join the Co-op to come to the Market and meet up with us there! (Our booth is in front of Folklore, on the North end of the Market near Parkway Ave.)

Lastly, our Second Annual Meeting was held on June 24, 2015 at Menominee Park. It was attended by a small yet mighty crew. There was a great Q&A session as well as a yard sign give away. We even had a new household join our Co-op that night! We welcomed our new board members, Cynthia Thorpe and Linda Windhausen and confirmed the election of three more currently serving board members who were re-elected, Brenna Root, Brenda Haines, and Kelly Matthews. In our board meeting on July 8, 2015 we elected officers and they are:

President: Kelly Matthews Vice President: Stephanie Gyldenvand

Treasurer: Lawrence Stahowiak Secretary: Brenna Root

Remember, we need your help to keep this momentum going and to keep growing our membership! Host a house party or summer BBQ and invite a board member to answer questions about the Co-op and sign up members! The weather’s perfect and who doesn’t like a get-together?

If every current member recruited two new members and those new members each got two more, we’d meet our membership goal to open. It’s really that simple!

Email us at [email protected] or click here: Home Party Interest Form

We’ll see you around town and at the Farmers Market!

In touch,

Kelly Matthews

OFC President

Oshkosh Food Co-op Board Meeting Date: 7-22-15 Time: 7:30-10:00 PM
Location: 817 Waugoo Ave, Oshkosh WI

Welcome
Member Comment Period [3 minutes per comment]
Approve minutes of previous meeting
Treasurers Report
New members since last board meeting:

Standing Business

• Committee check in: a brief update/report (note new categories)

Communications/Messaging

Membership (member events, house parties, etc)

1. Michelle Schry Follow up
2. Co-opalooza
3. House Parties

• Confirmed
• Pending

Software

Education and Outreach events

• In progress
• Future events
• Others we should be meeting with?

 Summer Market

• New system for confirming attendance
• Booth Materials

 Grants

• Seed Grant
• DATCP: Buy Local Buy Wisconsin (info attached after agenda)

 Video Update

 
New Business
 
Other Business
 
Adjourn

Oshkosh Food Co-op Board

Meeting Date: 7-8-15

Time: 7:30-9:30

Location: 817 Waugoo Ave, Oshkosh WI

1. Welcome

2. Member Comment Period [3 minutes per comment]

3. Approve minutes of previous meeting

4. Treasurers Report

5. Standing Business

   1. Committee check in: a brief update/report

   2. Communications/Messaging

   3. House Party scheduling/follow up

   4. Co-opapalooza

   5. Software  

   6. Michelle Schry [Member drive event June 4] follow up

   7. One on One visits

   8. Summer Market

   9. Elections/Annual Meeting

   10. Seed Grant

   11. Video Update

6. New Business
7. Other Business
8. Adjourn

June 22, 2015

Oshkosh Food Co-op Board Meeting Date: 5-27-15 Time: 7:30-9:30pm

Location: 817 Waugoo Ave, Oshkosh WI

1. Welcome
2. Member Comment Period [3 minutes per comment]
3. Approve minutes of previous meeting
4. Treasurers Report

• Including tax filing update (Nicole)

Standing Business

• Committee check in: a brief update/report

1. Communications
2. House Party Scheduling/follow up
3. Co-opapalooza
4. Messaging
5. Software
6. Michelle Schry [Member drive event June 4]
7. One on One visits
8. Summer Market
9. Elections planning/Annual Meeting
10. Seed Grant
11. Phone – a – thon
12. Video Update

New Business

Other Business

Adjourn

May 18, 2015

Hello OFC Member-Owners and Supporters,

May is here – things are blooming, windows are open, and that is a good feeling! Things are blooming and we want memberships to bloom too – and they are! Last month, a Co-op supporter, Miyoko, hosted a house party. She invited a few other people she thought might be interested to hear more about the OFC. Board member Paul Van Auken attended and answered questions, shared the progress of the Co-op, and listened carefully to comments. At the end of the night, 100% of the households joined! What’s more – two of the households that joined have offered to host house parties of their own! It’s exciting and we know momentum is building!

The math is simple – we gain members one at a time, but what is powerful is that each new member gives us access to many more potential members!

 We have three easy ways you can help keep this momentum going:

1. Host your own house party.

2. Captain a table for our June 4 Member Drive event, Co-op Grow-Op!

3. Spread the word about Co-opalooza and join the planning team!

HOST A HOUSE PARTY!

We have had a number of folks and businesses step forward to host a house party – let’s keep up that momentum! We are asking people to host house parties with people in their circles, whether those circles be social, work, faith community, sport, school or some other - people who haven't heard about the Co-op but know you.  It can be a potluck, a wine and cheese night, a game night, a dessert bar – you name it! A board member would be available to make a short, informal presentation and help with the 'ask' for membership.  You can help support our effort by hosting a house party or talking to friend about hosting.  Click here to sign up: Home Party Interest Form

CAPTAIN A TABLE!

We are looking for Table Captains for our June 4^th Member Drive event. We are inviting Michelle Schry from the People’s Co-op in La Crosse to speak with us about the benefits of Co-ops and what a community-owned grocery store can do for us! For this event, you would commit to bringing 7 other people who are not currently members, who are interested in learning more about the Oshkosh Food Co-op and who are considering membership. If you want more information about this event, email us at [email protected] – we can hook you up with the planning committee for additional details. It’s exciting to hear people are already RSVPing for the event! I think it is going to be a fabulous night!

SUPPORT CO-OPALOOZA!

we are still working on plans for Co-opalooza event for the early Fall (tentative date October 3, 2015) - we have the support of some local musicians and want to turn this into a fun member drive event.  If you would like to be part of the planning committee, we would love to have you. Please email us and let us know your interest. You can reach us at [email protected]

Anything else on your mind that we should know about? Have a marketing idea for us or a way to encourage membership? Let us know and we could feature your idea in the future!

In touch,

Kelly Matthews

OFC President

Oshkosh Food Co-op Board Meeting             Date: 5-13-15                       Time: 7:30-9:30

Location: 817 Waugoo Ave, Oshkosh WI

PUBLIC AGENDA

1. Welcome
2. Member Comment Period [3 minutes per comment]
3. Approve minutes of previous meeting
4. Treasurers Report
5. Standing Business

6. Committee check in: a brief update/report

Communications

House Party scheduling/follow up

Co-opapalooza

Messaging

Software  

Michelle Schry [Member drive event June 4]

One on One visits

Summer Market

Elections planning/Annual Meeting

Seed Grant

Video Update

7. New Business

Volunteer projects – phone-a-thon for annual meeting

8.    Other Business

9.    Adjourn