Food For Change
A Documentary Film About The Co-op Movement & Food Co-ops Today
June 2011 Newsletter no. 5
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 Project Update
Franklin Community Co-op member since 1993
Greenfield, Massachusetts
Thanks to the 38 co-ops that recently invested in Food For Change, whose names are listed below, we made it through a critical phase and are now back in production.
In May we filmed an in-depth interview with the eminent co-op historian David Thompson, at the home of Terry Appleby, General Manager of the Co-op Food Stores in Hanover, New Hampshire--one of the country's oldest food co-ops. David, as many of you know, is the author of Weavers of Dreams and the co-author of two other books about co-ops. He has devoted his professional life to advancing the philosophy and values of cooperation and is a consultant on the film. Excerpts from his interview are included in this newsletter.
To date, 65 food co-ops in 25 states are contributing nearly 40 percent of the funds needed to complete and distribute Food For Change. We proceed in good faith knowing that we are providing a genuine service to the 280 existing co-ops as well as to the hundreds of new food co-ops planning to open in the next several years.
Please review the project's funding plan and consider making an investment or increasing your co-op's contribution. If more co-ops contribute in line with the funding plan we'll have the funds needed to complete the film in time for the 2012 United Nations' International Year of Cooperatives. Next year presents an extraordinary opportunity to educate co-op members, employees, and the general public about the benefits of the cooperation.
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East Lansing, Michigan We're contributing $1500 in support of the Food for Change documentary based on the suggestion in the funding plan and because we understand the importance of getting the story of the history of co-ops out so that people will realize how powerful a tool economic cooperation can be in times like these. As one of the many co-ops in Michigan, we've seen that our stores provide more than just great food. We also provide a community for our owners and shoppers in good times and in bad. We believe very strongly that Food for Change will help frame and explain the cooperative ideal, and for that it deserves the support of the coop community. The East Lansing Food Co-op was founded as a buying club in the early 1970's and opened its first storefront in 1976. Located in the hometown of Michigan State University (the first land-grant institution in the US), the co-op is owned by 3100 members, employs 19 staff members, and achieved $1.9 million in sales in 2010. We are proud of our longtime support of local growers and producers in this the second most agriculturally diverse state in the country. We are currently hard at work looking into ways to support local food systems and last year we acquired a restored 1947 Co-op brand E3 tractor, which looks like the tractor that is in the trailer of Food For Change. We'd be glad to loan out our tractor to anyone who wants to use it! |
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 Profile of Contributing Co-op
John Bryant, Director of Marketing
Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op
Roanoke, Virginia
Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op has invested $3,500 in this project, following the funding plan, because it supports our Ends which says our store "exists to create a vibrant, local and sustainable cooperative community." We plan to use this important documentary to tell the cooperative story - our story - in hopes to inspire future generations of shoppers, owners and employees to carry on the legacy of the cooperative model. We chose to support Food For Change because the cooperative story is one that we all share. Whether or not you have ever been directly involved with a food co-op, the food system that is a part of our everyday life has been forever changed by the men and women that pursued a better way. And the pursuit continues today. Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op - incorporated in 1975 - provides our community in Southwest Virginia with nutritious food choices and earth-friendly products. Our ownership of more than 2,000 of our neighbors enjoys the thriving business they have created which includes a full service grocery and deli. Operating from cooperative principles, we support sustainable environmental practices, local organic farmers, local businesses, and our community. We looking forward to sharing Food For Change with our cooperative family.
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Wheatsville Food Co-op believes that the cooperative business model is a most awesome model and we think more people need to know about it. That's why we've contributed $5,000 to Food for Change in line with the project's funding plan. I can't wait for there to be a high caliber documentary about the awesome and incredible history of food co-ops and to see a good survey of the many amazing and positive things co-ops are doing to improve the world and build community. We're so proud of the great things happening in our co-op and the food co-ops across the country and we love the idea of sharing these stories in the eye-opening and heart-changing media of film. Over the years we've seen many great films help to change the world in a positive manner and I hope that this new food co-op documentary adds to the list of life and world changing documentaries. As the only retail food co-op in Texas (with our closest neighbor 9 hours away in Arkansas!) we KNOW that more people need to hear the message of food co-ops. We hope that this film has impact on the many people that may have not yet experienced the transformative power of co-ops! |
Thanks to these co-ops for their recent investment in Food For Change
Arizona Food Conspiracy Co-op* California Davis Food Co-op* Chico Natural Foods North Coast Co-op Quincy Natural Foods Co-op Santa Rosa Community Market Connecticut Willimantic Food Co-op Idaho Moscow Food Co-op* Illinois Common Ground Food Co-op Indiana Bloomingfoods Cooperative Maple City Natural Foods Co-op Kansas The Community Mercantile People's Grocery Co-op Maryland The Common Market Massachusetts River Valley Market Wild Oats Market Michigan People's Food Co-op East Lansing Food Co-op* Keweenaw Co-op Marquette Food Co-op GreenTree Cooperative Grocery Grain Train Natural Foods Grocery Oryana Food Cooperative Minnesota Eastside Food Cooperative Linden Hills Co-op* Seward Co-op Grocery Wedge Community Co-op* Just Food Co-op New Mexico La Montanita Co-op New York Abundance Cooperative Market North Carolina Hendersonville Community Co-op Oregon Coos Head Food Store Texas Wheatsville Food Co-op * Vermont Brattleboro Food Co-op Hunger Mountain Co-op Virginia Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op* Washington Sno-Isle Natural Foods Co-op* Wisconsin Viroqua Food Co-op * investing according to the funding plan |
 Food For Change Updates
Hometown Productions has a Facebook page, where you can see updates on Food For Change and all our current Co-op Contributors. You can also get updates on Twitter and see all our publicly released clips on Youtube.
  
Missed a newsletter? All our newsletter are archived on our website.
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HOMETOWN PRODUCTIONS
23 Unity Street, P.O. Box 229, Turners Falls, MA 01376
hometown@crocker.com (413) 834-3109
www.foodforchangemovie.com
www.stevealveshometownproductions.com
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