Green Business Models Building a Cooperative Future Michael Henry Membership & Outreach Manager Open Harvest Co-op Grocery

What is a Cooperative? A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise. Cooperatives are based on the values of self-help, self- responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. Cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.

The Seven Principles Voluntary and Open Membership Democratic Member Control Member Economic Participation Autonomy and Independence Education, Training and Information Cooperation among Cooperatives Concern for Community International Cooperative Alliance Founded in 1895 Statement adopted in 1995

Early Modern Co-op History 1769 – Fenwick Weavers’ Society; the first documented consumer cooperative 1831 – Cooperative Congress organized in Manchester 1832 – Rochdale Friendly Society; handloom weavers 1844 – Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers 1845 – Boston Mechanics’ and Laborers’ Mutual Benefit Association 1863 – North of England Cooperative Society 1872 – Cooperative Wholesale Society (formerly NECS) Early 1900s – Consumer cooperatives organized under “Rochdale plan” 1920 – Number of consumer co-ops in the United States reaches 2,600

Recent Co-op History Great Depression –Berkeley and Palo Alto, CA –Eau Claire, WI –Hanover, NH –Hyde Park / Chicago, IL –Greenbelt, MD 1930s – establishment of credit unions throughout the United States 1971 – Hoedads Reforestation Cooperative, named for a hand tool used to plant bare-root trees on steep slopes 1971 – Buying club forms in Lincoln, Nebraska 1975 – Open Harvest opens first storefront near 27 th & Randolph Streets

Cooperative Structure Worker-Owned Indirect –Board of Directors –Hierarchical structure Direct –Flat structure –All members vote Consumer-Owned Board of Directors Hierarchical structure — Mondragon Bookstore & Coffeehouse

Board of Directors General Manager Member- Owners Staff & Volunteers

Open Harvest — Community 54¢ of every dollar spent returned to community 60+ local suppliers –Vegetable farmers –Ranchers –Pasta makers –Dairy (cheese, eggs and milk) Weekly food donations –F Street Rec Center –Food Net Community Investment –Donations Direct funds Food Gift Cards –Education Recycling / reuse –Composting –Product packaging

Center for Cooperatives Project Objectives Build comprehensive list of cooperatives Establish Cooperative Research Council (CRC) Gather economic data Develop approaches for measuring impacts of cooperatives Funding Sources United States Department of Agriculture National Cooperative Business Association State of Wisconsin’s Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection.

Cooperative Impact Type Assets (M) Revenu e (M) Wages (M) # of Firms % of Firms Empl. (T) Mem. (T) Worker Producer23,63265,4262,9701, Purchasin g 1,126,848157,8922, ,133 Consumer1,975, ,08526, ,969 Total 3,126,414514,62425,01329, ,872

The Future Studies –Collaborate with US Census Bureau –Spur research on improving performance –Examine unique impacts Resources –Consumer Cooperative Management Assn. –International Cooperative Alliance –USDA Cooperative Services Program –UW Center for Cooperatives