Lefferts Community Food Cooperative

January 21, 2010 7:00 PM - 16 attended

General Meeting! Let's get going!

Maple Street School (map)

Selected By: Karen

Hi All!
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great holiday.

I know we've been a little slack over December and the holiday, so let's get going again! A quick recap of what we've done so far:

1. Applied with CAMBA for a 3-year USDA Food Projects grant. (more on that in another email).
2. Created a timeline for Outreach
3. Received a small grant from Citizen's Committee of NYC for $2,000 for outreach/communications materials (website, postcard/brochure, etc.)
4. Created an Outreach Committee.
5. Met with other Brooklyn food co-ops in formation and Brooklyn Community Foundation (formerly Independence Community Fdn.) about their interest in food security and food co-ops in particular.
6. Come up with a name for our food co-op: Lefferts Farm Food Cooperative (i've purchased the .com and .org domains)

There is a lot to do and a food co-op is not a simple process. So I'm suggesting at this next meeting that we cover some general things, namely:
1. Bring everyone up to speed on what has been going on, namely what we've learned from the grant application (which gave a really good structure for what we need to do to make this happen).
2. Find some volunteers to jump start a Communications Committee and Planning Committee
3. Discuss Initial Goals for 2010
a. incorporation as a cooperative corp OR 501(c)3 (by Q3)
b. meeting outreach targets (numbers and demographics) (Q1, Q2, Q3)
c. creation of materials (Q1)
d. creation of active committees for Communications and for Planning
4. Figure out next steps, who will do what, etc.

It's important that everyone participate! I have been bringing information to meeting in order to give us a framework to start from, but that doesn't mean it's set in stone. I will make it my goal to send out an agenda with notes so you can come prepared with ideas and feedback so we can make this happen!

Contact me at karen[at]houseofcakes.com, if you have any preliminary ideas/thoughts.

Thanks!
Karen

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16 attended

4.503 (3 ratings)

Event Host

Karen
Organizer
Deven

I thought the meeting was productive and look forward to upcoming meetings.
Rina Kleege

The organization is very together and the planning is right on!
Karen Wong
Michele Jean
Rachel Blackwell
Elaine Bowen
Jamie
carrie
Co-Organizer
Gabriel Feliciano
Eskimo
Amilcar Navarro
NCZ

+1 guest
A former member
A former member

Brooklyn, NY

Founded Aug 17, 2009

Read more about us…

We're about:

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Organizers:

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This group was started to by residents of Prospect Lefferts Gardens and surrounding neighborhoods (Crown Heights, Flatbush, etc.) to start a food cooperative grocery store in our area. This group will work toward planning, assessment and implementation of a food buyers or store coop with a mission of offering healthy, sustainable and affordable foods to the community. ANYONE is welcome to join, even if you can't (or don't want to) be directly involved in the planning process as important updates to our progress will be posted here!

Our Mission:

The mission of the Lefferts Community Food Cooperative is to sell affordable, sustainable, and nutritious food, to encourage healthy food practices and to foster environmentally responsible activities through democratic cooperation. TheLefferts Farm Food Cooperative focuses on serving residents of Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, as well as to the larger New York City metropolitan area. The Lefferts Farm Food Cooperative adheres to the principals outlined by the International Cooperative Alliance. Our objectives are to:
1. Sell affordable, sustainable, and culturally-relevant food and products that are easily accessible to the communities we serve at the lowest price possible;
2. Address issues and provide solutions relating to the nutrition disparity experienced by our residents;
3. Educate members and residents of our community about the benefits of healthy eating and living;
4. Foster sustainable partnerships with local farmers, CSA's, Farmer's Markets, cooperatives, community, health and education institutions;
5. Engage local businesses in promoting access to healthy food; and
6. Become a role model for the community in demonstrating the benefits of cooperative association.
The Lefferts Farm Food Cooperative finds strength in the diversity of the community around us and commits to a selection of healthy foods and promotion of healthy eating that respects this. We oppose discrimination in any form. We happily welcome all who agree with our objectives, believe in the values of cooperative work, honesty, openness, and social responsibility, and who are willing to participate in the enrichment of the community around them.