The Harvest
During the 2021 Co-op Cafe events, sponsored by NCG, cooperators shared stories, reflected on how we’ve adapted, celebrated our achievements, and considered the challenges co-ops have faced. On this page, you’ll find a Cafe Toolkit, year-end video walkthrough, article about this year’s events and what to expect in 2022, directions for how to order a poster, spring and fall recap videos, and graphic recordings from each session in 2021.
About the Illustrations: Graphic Facilitator Viola Clark harvested what people shared at each of the six sessions and created beautiful and inspiring illustrations to help us make sense of it all.
Enjoy a video walkthrough of our work together this past year.
Looking backward.
Looking forward.
What We’ve Been Learning About Creative Destruction
Within our organizations, we spend much time trying to do more and add on to things, in an effort to feel like we’re making progress. We have more money, let’s hire more staff! Not enough people from the neighborhood are shopping, let’s offer a new benefit. We got in trouble for not carrying an East African staple in our grocery store, now we have so many that we are a new competitor to the East African market on the other side of town. We add, add, and add.
Spring Conversations Recap
Forces Buffetting our Co-ops
Interviewees:
- Tony Alongi – Regional Co-op Resource Manager, National Co+op Grocers (NCG)
- Joe Holtz – General Manager & Founding Member, Park Slope Food Co-op, Brooklyn, NY
- Francis Murphy – General Manager, Neighborhood Food Co-op, Carbondale, IL
- Ahzjah Netjer Simons – General Manager & Cooperative Director, Sevananda Natural Foods, Atlanta, GA
- Melinda Schab – General Manager, Moscow Food Co-op, Moscow, ID
- Michelle Schry – Director of Retail Support, Central Corridor, National Co-op Grocers (NCG)
Study the
World Cafe
Process
World Cafe Guidelines
Created by Avril Orloff - https://outsidethelines.ca
The Co-op Cafe Proceed with Purpose 10/24/21
Graphic Facilitation by Viola Tschendel Clark
The Co-op Cafe Proceed with Purpose 10/27/21
Graphic Facilitation by Viola Tschendel Clark
The Co-op Cafe Proceed with Purpose 11/7/21
Graphic Facilitation by Viola Tschendel Clark
The Co-op Cafe Proceed with Purpose 4/17/21
Graphic Facilitation by Viola Tschendel Clark
The Co-op Cafe Proceed with Purpose 4/24/21
Graphic Facilitation by Viola Tschendel Clark
The Co-op Cafe Proceed with Purpose 4/25/21
Graphic Facilitation by Viola Tschendel Clark
The Co-op Cafe Proceed with Purpose 2021
Graphic Facilitation by Viola Tschendel Clark
Special thanks to our sponsor, National Co+op Grocers, for supporting the Co-op Cafe series.
