Potential for a food co-op in Sandtown-Winchester?

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by james777

Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodlands
... along with some support from the public and private sector





Yes, some folks are going to learn the hard way using our tax dollars.

Im not sure what was meant by this... I indicated both public and private sector in my statement since we cant have a government RUN grocery store... Shoppers at Mondawmin is an example of a public and private sector venture.. I am not sure if Shopper received taxpayer dollars though I am certain that they received a TAX BREAK. Nevertheless they are at Mondawmin and appear to be doing quite well along with Target. Shop Rite in NW Baltimore may have gotten more subsidy from the City since I believe they may have gotten the land for a reduced amount.

To expect these types of stores to open in the heart of west Baltimore (riot aside) is not realistic.. With a vacancy rate of what 40%? What full service grocery store would want to go into that type of market? That is why you have your "corner stores" though not ideal.. they do provide some basic grocery items. Lexington and Ave Market also provide valuable access to produce and fresh fruit...

I guess I am not sure how realistic it is to expect more grocery stores to open in these areas... and thus Arabbers, Food Co-ops and such may be the only viable option if you want fresh produce at your door.. Otherwise.. how far is Shop Rite, Shoppers, PRice Rite and the like from the average West Baltimore resident??? And is that an unreasonable distance given the state of the housing/economic market in those areas....?

[Driftwood6]

Thank you everyone for your insights and opinions. I will try to expound more on our intentions. As Sunflowery mentioned, Sandtown, like many struggling communities, is a food desert. Residents have limited access to fresh food, yet private businesses are reluctant to invest in these areas. So is there another solution?

Our thought is that a community-based food co-op might have a better chance at success in these food deserts. We understand that like many food deserts, the area suffers from crumbling infrastructure, poor economy, and high crime-- and this may stop private companies from investing in a store in this area.

The food co-op concept is basically a grocery store that is owned by its local members. The thought is that a food co-op should be able to have lower prices than a typical for-profit grocery store. And with residents as members-- there would be greater community support and hopefully a better chance of success. Basically, a healthy food store by the community, for the community.

Our first step is to develop a realistic business plan that can hopefully demonstrate the viability of the concept of a food co-op in Sandtown-Winchester (and other similar communities). We are currently developing a basic survey to gauge the local interest, and will post the link in perhaps this thread or another. We are also trying to reach out to community organizations and churches to gauge the interest in a local healthy food store.

If anyone has other opinions, comments, or suggestions on local contacts, please don't hesitate!

Thanks again
Andy

[bus man]

Originally Posted by Driftwood6

We are also trying to reach out to community organizations and churches to gauge the interest in a local healthy food store.

If you haven't already, may I suggest getting in contact with New Song Community Church. They are located in Sandtown and are actively working to improve things in that community.

New Song Community Church - Home

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by james777

Andy, I think would be more helpful if you were to explain here exactly how a community owned food co op would work in Sandtown-Winchester. Many people are familiar with the concept, but they do not know the details. People could then ask further questions or give suggestions on how the concept could be improved. Good luck.

I belonged to two food co-ops in the past (Minnesota) and shopped at a few, but not a member of, while still living in California. In a nutshell, the venture begins with X amount of investors and the venture itself is not-for-profit. The initial investors get a cut of membership dollars until their initial investment amount is met. At that point, they simply become "members" although they have no special privileges prior to being paid back. Members buy into the co-op at X amount per membership ($30/year, for example) and become full members/"owners" of the co-op during their membership year, including having a say in all operations/products. There is no real established hierarchy of leadership as all members are of equal footing/value, but people do assume certain roles which are sometimes voted on and always volunteer. No one is paid but it is expected that all members volunteer to run the store at a bear minimum during their membership year; however this is usually not a hard requirement. The co-ops are open to the public but the public pays "full-price" for products while members get a discount. Members also get the bonus of buying items in bulk at costs. Occasionally, there are "members-only" deals, too.

The co-op is simultaneously owned by "no-one" and "the people" (paying members).

*edit* The basic model is open to interpretation and can be run in anyway that members see fit. I don't think it can be improved upon and I really do not see it working in Sandtown. Canton, yes. Fells Point, yes. Greek Town, yes. Mt. Vernon, yes. Charles Village, yes.

[Driftwood6]

K-Luv-

Thanks for that info on your experience with food coops. I am curious-- did the food co-ops all tend to carry the same foods? My research indicates that at a minimum, they all at least carry fresh produce (perhaps like a retail farmer's market). After that, they can expand to carry any other foods that any other grocery store might carry.

Did you find that the prices tended to be lower than neighboring retail grocery stores? Even at the non-member prices?


Thanks!
Andy

[Driftwood6]

If anyone is familiar with the Sandtown-Winchester area, I would appreciate if you would fill out our brief survey on the interest in a food-coop in this area:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X2LFYTP


Thanks
Andy

[carthell]

I would think that doing more leg-work would help with the food co-op study. Tech advancements have made interaction with the internet easier than before (smartphones), but not necessarily cheaper ($50/mo is a half of a week of food for a family of four) or reliable.

The most successfull co-ops are affiliated with groups that work in the communities. Three groups that I know are Saint Ambrose, Bethel AME, and New Song (church organizations that perform outreach services in west Baltimore). You might want to look 'em up and make an appointment with someone to discuss your situation. The churches have a large base of people that could help determine whether a co-op is possible.