HOULTON, Maine — Bob Dorsey of the Aroostook Partnership for Progress (APP) and Margaret York-Scott, of the County Co-op and Farm Store were guest speakers Oct. 7 at the Houlton Rotary Club.
Dorsey started the presentation by saying a few words about diverse agriculture in Aroostook County and to show his support for The County Co-op and Farm Store.
Dorsey worked with York-Scott on the Tiger Team for diverse agriculture (created by APP and NMDC) which was a group of small producers and representatives from MOFGA and Cooperative Extension where initiatives for the development of diverse agriculture in Aroostook were laid out in a roundtable discussion. Dorsey is currently working with York-Scott on the development of a regional food hub in southern Aroostook County. Dorsey owns a full member share in the County Co-op and Farm Store.
York-Scott, from Nature’s Circle Farm and on the board of directors of The County Co-op and Farm Store, presented about the importance of the buy local food movement and the significance of having a retail outlet that supports this initiative.
York-Scott started by giving a global view of the current food system including the fact that on average imported and highly processed food is shipped thousands of miles to the consumer which creates a larger carbon footprint, adds packaging and refrigeration, and is often not wholesome or nutritious. She then described sustainable farming giving the example of Italy and their small, sustainable farms, their view on the importance of local and slow food, and the fact that consumer cooperatives predominate in Italy. Cooperatives have been around for well over 100 years in Italy and have been highly successful because the Italian people want control of their own food systems, they have a commitment to health and food safety, and to safeguarding the environment.
Vermont was given as an example much closer to home where local food initiatives have transformed the state. Vermont’s Farm to Plate 10-year strategic plan has provided millions of dollars in state grants and has created the emergence of food hubs, consumer cooperatives, and a very robust agri-tourism industry. Southern and Central Maine are also seeing the emergence of food hubs and cooperatives.
Co-ops were described in the presentation as people working together for better food, stronger communities and a healthier world. Consumer co-ops provide a retail outlet for goods and services and are owned by their customer members.
Members receive a percentage discount on products at the co-op, have the opportunity to vote at annual meetings and receive notifications of events and newsletters. Co-ops are important to our community because they provide quality goods and services at the lowest cost to the consumer (by eliminating the “middle man”) utilizing mainly local agricultural products; they are owned and operated by their members and exist to serve those members’ needs; capital from the co-op is often reinvested in the co-op or distributed to meet the members’ social objectives for the community; they contribute to improve the health of members and the community; they serve to educate the local population about cooking, preparing and using healthy and local food; they force communities to be more interconnected and work together for the common good.
The County Co-op and Farm Store is a fully incorporated entity with a competent board of directors. Since the board is strictly made up of volunteers who believe in the local food movement, but all have jobs and families of their own, the work to build the capital and get the business up and running is not as fast as it might be in other circumstances.
The store is predicted to open in the summer of 2014 and the location has yet to be announced. The store will look like a small, welcoming and attractive retail space featuring mostly local agricultural products and homemade items. The store will have a licensed kitchen so that producers can make stews, casseroles, breads and baked goods to be sold at the store.
The kitchen will also be available for cooking classes and to be leased out as needed to the community. The Co-op will also host events and celebrations. A farm-to-table event featuring all local food is scheduled to be held at the Elk’s Club on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m. Please get your tickets at the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce in advance to take part in a very special event celebrating your local farms. For those interested in becoming members of the Co-op, membership applications are also available at the Chamber.
