Proposal

For your consideration, we propose that the group focus on creating a cooperative food distribution center, rather than a retail cooperative market.

Rationale

There are at least three good reasons for pursuing a distribution center rather than a retail market.

• The Growing Local conference, attended by over 200 people identified a distribution center as one of the main factors needed to increase the consumption and production of local food in our area.
• While a co-op would be a unique retail market, there are lots of retail markets in Redding.  Not only would the co-op would have to compete with them, but mostly likely in order to be successful as a retail market, the co-op would have to offer a full line of products like any regular store.  Thus, a lot of the products would fall outside of the scope of “local”.  
• There is community momentum already moving forward towards creating a distribution center for our region.  Several Growing Local partners are involved in the effort.  For example, U.C. Extension and Enterprise School District received an $18,000 grant towards the “farm to school” program, and one component of that program is an aggregation hub.  The Economic and Workforce Development Division of Shasta College and Superior California Economic Development District are also interested in helping create an aggregation hub.

Why the area’s distribution center should be cooperatively run

• A cooperative structure would provide a means of financing the distribution center.
• Membership could include consumers (individual shoppers and schools), as well as producers (farmers) and retailers (stores and restaurants), this would help create a united front towards increasing the production and consumption of local food.
• The co-op could create brand and a rating system for the products we sell that goes beyond “organic” certification.  This also could favor local food production.  
• The cooperative structure would give members a say in what foods were given a priority and how foods would be rated.
• The co-op could have a community kitchen.  Value could be added to excess produce and it could be sold in member stores under the co-op brand and rating system.