| Feedback!
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We are looking for testimonials to use in various promotions, including a new web design coming soon. If you believe in the Mission of Terre Foods, and you can't wait for the new co-op to finally open, tell us about it! Send your testimonial to info@terrefoods.org, with the subject line "testimonials". If you can include a photo, so much the better!
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| Lawn Signs
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We are currently taking orders for Lawn Signs as part of our Membership Drive. These signs will have our logo and the words "I'm a member. Are you?" on them. You can pre-order a sign by replying to this email. We are requesting a $5 contribution to cover some of the expense of the signs. We expect signs to be ready for distribution by our Potluck Party on October 18th at Fairbanks Park. See you there!
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Greetings!
Thanks to everyone who attended our second Community Meeting this month! It was great to meet many of you and find out what your questions and ideas are for the Cooperative. We got some great feedback on the boards around the room--especially on the Fundraising board--and we'll begin working on that soon. Below you'll find a brief overview of the meeting. This Saturday we will host our first Terre Foods Potluck at Fairbanks Park from noon till 4pm. See below for more information--we hope to see you there, it should be a great time! Also, see below about our new Membership Goal to begin the Feasibility Study. We're close!  And don't forget--Saturday is the last Farmer's Market of the Season! Come by and pick up some of the best offerings our farmer's have for you before it's too late! Stop by the Terre Foods booth for coffee and conversation, as we once again say goodbye to our favorite Saturday morning pasttime. June can't come fast enough! | |
Terre Foods Potluck, Fairbanks Park,
Saturday Oct. 18th, Noon-4pm
 Community and Membership meetings are an important part of how a
cooperative runs, and provide valuable information for both the leaders
and the membership. Cooperatives are also a way to come together as a
community and have some fun!
Come out to Fairbanks Park on October 18th for our first Co-op
Picnic--to hang out, have fun, and meet your fellow Co-op participants! Show off your favorite recipe by bringing a dish to share. If you bring a copy of the recipe, we can include it in our planned Terre Foods Cookbook--we'll even have a food photographer on hand to get a good photo of your handiwork!
At the potluck we should also have lawn signs available to help publicize our Membership Drive. These signs are available for a $5 contribution to help offset the cost of printing. If you have pre-ordered one or more signs, this is the best way to pick them up. We should have extra signs for anyone else who wants one, even if you have not pre-ordered, so come on by and pick one up!
Everyone is welcome at the Potluck, member or not! Come enjoy food & fun, and bring a friend to learn more about our project!
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Membership Goal--50 Members!
 We are close to being able to afford the feasibility study--the first big step towards starting our store. The feasibility study will provide invaluable information for how to continue our project, as well as providing solid financial information that we can take with us to the bank. But this is a big step, and an expensive one. We want to make sure that there is enough interest and commitment in Terre Haute to go forward with this project.
The Membership Committee has therefore decided to set a goal of 50 Members for going forward with the feasibility study. The great news? We're already over halfway there! We currently have 35 members signed up, which is a great accomplishment! If you have been considering membership, but haven't committed yet, now is the time! Remember, the more members we have, the better our chances are for having a positive relationship with a local bank or credit union, and the faster the store will open. We have numerous plans to make membership available to anyone. Anyone who wants to be a member can be one--we will make it work!
As we go through the process of opening the store, we will have increasingly higher membership goals to meet. Let's get this project off on the right foot with a solid foundation of members--join today! Visit our Membership page at www.terrefoods.org/membership.html.
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Community Meeting Overview, Oct. 8th, 2008
Vigo County Main Library
Our October meeting concentrated on filling everyone in on what we've done so far, including our current Cash Flow and Fundraising reports, our new Bylaws, and the introduction of our first Board of Directors. Soon we will launch a new Board webpage where you can get to know us all a little better, but here is the Board of Directors roll-call:
- Robyn Morton: President
- Tammy Tintjer: Vice-President
- Karla Hansen-Speer: Secretary
- Colleen Magnuson: Treasurer
- Don Richards: Member at-large
- Candace Hack: Member at-large
- Colin Pizarek: Member at-large
Each of us is committed to the Terre Foods project for a variety of reasons--feel free to contact any of us about our work here.
The Membership Committee has done a lot of wonderful, hard work over the past few months and put together a great presentation of the new Membership Package, as well as a discussion of the Membership Goal of 50 members to commission a feasibility study. Much of this information can be found on the Membership page of our website, or you may contact membership@terrefoods.org with any questions.
Check out our News & Events page over the next few days--I will have the PowerPoint slideshow from the Community Meeting posted there for review. This slideshow includes the Cash Flow report, the Fundraising report, and information about the process of co-op formation, etc. Please feel free to email me with any questions at robyn@terrefoods.org.
It was acknowledged at the meeting that we are heading into some tough financial times, and that this will definitely affect the process of starting a co-op. In some ways it will make things harder, as financing will not be easy to come by. However, financing terms might be better for us, and we can plan more effectively now that we know there is an economic downturn on the way. And most importantly, please remember that the core of our co-op's mission is to invigorate our local economy by creating good jobs, income for local farmers, an increased local tax base, and stronger ties between all of us in our community. Our co-op can be part of the way our community weathers this storm, by coming together and committing to support our local growers and each other through hard times. And also worth mentioning, a co-op can help provide a reliable source of foods when the costs of conventional growing and transportation of foods may become prohibitive. The co-op will work to support and stabilize our community, by providing new ways for us all to support each other. Starting our co-op is more important than ever!
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Robyn Morton
Terre Foods Cooperative Market |
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