Co-op Stories #1: Trapped at Eighth & Main!

A true tale by Joey

A lot of my life is lived at the Co-op. I work full time and do all my grocery shopping right here at the corner Eighth and Main. I’ll while away ages of my own free time talking and browsing in the Co-op’s cozy aisles. Sometimes it feels like I never leave--and I really don’t mind!   One fateful night taught me, though, that there is a limit to how long I can spend here: the night I was locked in the Co-op.

CNFC used to have Owner Appreciation Days when all our active owners would receive a 10% discount. As the ownership coordinator, OAD always involved a lot of work for me: I had to make sure that everyone’s accounts were up-to-date—owners entitled to a discount would receive one, and all our lapsed owners would not. Updating ownership accounts usually took an hour or two, sometimes longer if I’d been falling behind (which, of course, I had on the night my story takes place).

The night in question was a Thursday in the summer. Thursdays in the summer usually take me out to the Farmers Market, and I don’t return to the store until after 9:00pm. I unpacked market materials, counted out the cash box, and cleaned myself up a bit. I didn’t get started on my ownership duties until after 10:00. 

Around 1:00am, bleary-eyed, achy backed, and utterly exhausted, I finally finished working. I clocked out and went to leave through our back door, which I expected to be able to open from the inside. Much to my alarm, it was locked. The cleaning crew we were employing at the time must have locked the deadbolt after they left for the night. A deadbolt to which I didn’t have the key. I tried the front door—no luck! I returned to the back door—still locked! The thought dawned on me: I was stuck.

The trapped employee in happier times

Being alone in the Co-op isn’t the all-natural bacchanal one might imagine. I frantically paced the store searching for escape routes. I looked in our loft, hopelessly, for some secret way out. I considered exploring the building’s crawl-space, but its nick-name of “The Spider Hole” kept my curiosity in check. I indulged in colorful language at a volume entirely inappropriate for business hours. I debated the ethics of putting some snacks on my employee tab and making a night of it (I decided against). I scoped out all the best dark corners and office furniture for sleeping.

As I was rehearsing the dialogue I planned on having with Friday’s opening crew (who would be opening the store in just four hours or so) I remembered that I had one final hope: my new manager, Dylan, was working overnight painting a mural at the Naked Lounge! I crossed my fingers and called the coffee shop. I was excited to hear the phone ring once, rather than going straight to voicemail. My enthusiasm dimmed by the tenth and had entirely  evaporated by the fifteenth ring. I ready to hang up when Dylan answered the phone. Fortunately, he was more bemused then frustrated at being interrupted at two in the morning by an employee held captive by the Co-op. It didn’t take long for Dylan to stroll on back to the store and set me free.

I’ve never been happier to be out of the Co-op. The short walk home seemed like a wonderful hike after the evening of frenzied pacing through the Co-op.  My bed seemed more comfortable after being compared to our break-room couch. My refrigerator…seemed a bit empty. I probably should have bought some snacks while I was stuck in the store.

FDA Notice on Tofu Yu 1/4/2017

January 4, 2017

The FDA has determined that ready-to-eat tofu and tofu products from Tofu Yu, including tofu veggie wraps, have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions.The following items prepared by the Co-op kitchen include recalled Tofu Yu products:

• Bomb Foo
• Spicy Garlic Tofu
• California Tofu Sandwich
• Red Curry Tofu
• Tofu Verde
• Tofu Breakfast Burrito

All affected product has been removed from Co-op shelves. If you have purchased any of these products from the Co-op, you may return them for a full refund.

The Chico Natural Foods Co-op sends this notice to our customers as a part of the fulfillment of our purpose to be a trusted source of natural foods and products and a reliable source for consumer information. 

The Night The Lights Were Lit!

(This article was written by David J. Thompson of the International Cooperative Information Centre)

It was dark, damp and cold in the almost empty warehouse at 31 Toad Lane on December 21st in 1844. It was the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year; and it had been dark since 4 pm.

Today, the 21st of December is also St. Thomas's night, he who doubted the Lord. If the co-op had been formed 100 years earlier on December 21st in 1744, under the old Gregorian calendar it would have been Christmas Day. However, for the members of the newly formed Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers, the 21st of December in 1844 would not be a day of gifts or gaiety; it would be one of consternation and caution.

On that day, a small group of the Pioneers and their families watched the candles being lit to signal the opening of the store. Lanterns were hung in each of the two windows. One of the men peered outside onto the busy cobbled street. People were hurrying home from work hoping to find warmth from the winter's chill. The appointed hour to open the store was 8 pm. One by one, James Smithies took the shutters off the windows, at first hesitatingly, but by the last, proudly. With the final shutter removed, the modern co-operative movement had begun. Rochdale, England was its birthplace.

There was no cheering at that moment, only the jeering of the "doffer boys" laughing at the idea of it all. The "doffer boys" were the mischievous factory lads of the era. The shop was by their account a silly weaver's dream. Another experiment in brotherhood bound to fail. Inside the store, a few of the members gathered to give support for the first night. They filled the rooms with hope and dared only to dream of tomorrow. The store was composed of two rooms, a front room of about 400 square feet used for retail and a back room of about 700 square feet for storage and meetings.

On the almost bare counter were arranged the co-op's first items for sale: flour, oatmeal, sugar, butter and candles. The entire inventory could have been taken home in a wheelbarrow and was purchased for the equivalent of 25 dollars in those days. The board had approved the purchase of four items for sale. However, on learning that 31 Toad Lane would be rented by a co-op, the local gas company had refused to turn on the gas. As a result, the co-op added candles to its list, buying them at wholesale to either lightup the store or sell at retail.

The Rochdale storefront

31 Toad Lane was only a few doors away from the location of a previous co-op located at #15 Toad Lane. A number of the Pioneers had also started that co-op (1833-35) which had failed after a few years. One of the reason for the ultimate success of the Pioneers was that its members had learned from that previous failure. The three-year lease for the warehouse at #31 was $15 per year. However, the owner, Dr. Dunlap, would not rent to the co-op. One of the Pioneers, Charles Howarth, stepped forward and personally guaranteed the lease.

The rent was a lot for the cash-strapped Pioneers (sales for 1845 totaled $1050 and net profit was $33). However, the store was located on one of the busiest streets in Rochdale and near the Town Center. Though the location had great potential, it was not proven that night.

Samuel Ashworth and William Cooper were hired as staff and agreed to be paid only if the store was profitable after the first three months. It was! The first sale to a member household was to a woman wanting sugar. Ashworth, who was 19 at the time, was so nervous trying to wrap it in newspaper that he spilled it everywhere. The woman took matters into her own hands, poured the sugar into her apron and carried it home safely. For the first three months, the co-op opened two nights a week for two hours. By March of 1845, business had grown so much that the store could be opened five days a week for a total of 20 hours. The opening hours were mainly at night as most adults worked 16 hours a day and did not get off work until 8 pm.

The Pioneers numbered 28 on the day the store opened. Most of them had invested in a share for a dollar fifty (equivalent then to two weeks wages). Many of them had placed three cents a week into a fund until they had reached their first share. They had drawn up their principles and rules of operation. They had a utopian purpose and a practical bent. They intended to build a strong organization capable of changing the world. The need appeared so great that nothing but something powerful could change their circumstances. Lacking no other choice they were destined to become weavers of dreams. One hundred and fifty years later, over 700 million people are members of co-operatives. The lights lit that night in Rochdale now shine all around the world.

*All dollar amounts are arrived at by multiplying the English pound amount of 1844 by 1.5 (today's approximate dollar exchange).

Ham and Turkeys

The Co-op will soon be receiving Llano Seco hams and Diestel turkeys for your holiday meal needs! If you spend $75 or more on your purchase*, you will receive 25% off your turkey or ham order! We've made an incredible price even better! The Co-op will start accepting ham and turkey orders on December 20th. The 25% off sale ends Dec. 24th. 

*Qualifying purchase does not include the cost of the turkey, gift card purchases, or owner equity payments. 

Co-op Staff Having a Blast!

The Co-op’s staff took a break from the lovely labor of feeding the community last Monday to unwind, indulge, and enjoy each other’s company at our annual End of Year Worker’s Party.  We closed the Co-op early, commandeered the Naked Lounge, and celebrated the night away. Our neighbors at Amigos de Acapulco brought their food truck across downtown to feed famished revelers (there is no combination of pleasure and pain quite like a simultaneous burrito/dance party). Everyone involved enjoyed the food and festivities.

Korndogg the Clown delighted all in attendance.

Early arrivals to the party were treated to a delightful performance by the incomparable Korndogg the Clown, who entertained attendees with experienced comedic patter and unconventional, audacious balloon sculptures.  Even after an uninterrupted hour of balloon twisting, a line of people were still left wanting to get their own unique balloon piece when Korndogg had to pack up her clown gear.

After the clown left, the lights came down and people got funky. The normally quiet and studious center of the Naked Lounge became a dance floor, replete with jam circle.  Conversation carried on in quieter corners of the Lounge while most of us boogied in the middle. By 11:00 the party was winding down as weary cooperators took their balloon accessories and went home to rest. Tuesday morning would come soon, and with it, a return to business.

One final toast to 2016!

White Gold Honey

Honey is like nothing else. Luxurious and essential. Sweet but healthful. Exotic or intimately local. Whether mixed into hot drinks or spread on cold cheese, honey brings out the best in almost anything and everyone. We love honey. So, too, do the apiarists behind White Gold Honey, a raw white now available at the Co-op. For eight generations, the beekeepers behind White Gold have been placing their hives in unsprayed, untarnished red clover fields in Northern Canada. Indulge your sweet tooth with the utterly unique nectar of White Gold Honey.

To find out more visit their website: http://www.whitegoldhoney.com/