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Food Cooperators Gather in Portland, Maine for CCMA 2024
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Earlier this month, grocery cooperative leaders from across the United States and Canada gathered in Portland, Maine, for the Consumer Cooperative Management Association (CCMA) 2024 conference. This year’s conference theme, Rising Tides Lifting Communities Through Cooperation, draws inspiration from the metaphor “a rising tide lifts all boats,” emphasizing the idea that as cooperatives flourish, they elevate the overall well-being and prosperity of the communities they serve.
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CCMA encouraged participants to explore and discuss the ways in which cooperatives serve as catalysts for positive change—fostering prosperity, social justice, and environmental sustainability. Food cooperatives contribute to the local economy while embodying values with global significance, creating a unique and interconnected community identity. The annual national conference for grocery cooperatives was hosted by the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives (UWCC) along with host Portland Food Co-op and other local Maine cooperatives demonstrating the vibrant and connected co-op ecosystem that is thriving in Maine. CCMA 2024 brought together over 350 food co-op leaders from 88 cooperatives to discuss pressing issues and innovations.
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CCMA kicked off with a panel of food co-op leaders discussing the critical role of food cooperatives in addressing food insecurity and fostering community resilience in low-income, low-access neighborhoods. The session helped create a larger conversation on the potential of food co-ops to transform food systems and promote equity.
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Anthony Goodwin of National Co+op Grocers, amaha sellasie of Gem City Market, Seth Nauman of The Merc Co+op, Jeremy DeChario of Syracuse Co-op Market, and LeAnna Nieratko of Erie Food Co-op shared their co-op stories of organizing co-ops in low-income, low-access neighborhoods.
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Saturday’s plenary session featured Jonah Fertig-Burd, owner of InterRooted and longtime co-op organizer in Maine. Jonah shared stories about the interconnectedness of cooperatives in Maine and how they are transforming the food system. As he spoke, he cooked a delicious meal featuring ingredients from local Maine co-ops.
Attendees also participated in tours visiting area food co-ops and community partners highlighting the vibrant cooperative community found in Maine. Co-op peers presented in breakout sessions tackling topics such as developing a culture of equity and inclusion; supporting neurodiverse customers and staff; cultivating price image; and staying relevant.
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At the conference, the 2024 CCMA Cooperative Excellence Awards recognized outstanding leadership and innovation in food cooperatives, highlighting individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the cooperative movement. The awards celebrated achievements in various categories, showcasing the diverse ways in which cooperatives are making a positive impact on their communities.
- Cooperative Service Award: Chris Maher of BriarPatch Food Co-op, Doug Johnson of Belfast Community Co-op, and Becky Colpitts of Littleton Food Co-op
- Cooperative Innovation Award: Kevin Edberg, Cooperative Development Services
- Bill Gessner GM Coaching Award: Lucy Georgeoff, High Falls Food Co-op
- Bill Gessner Startup of the Year Award: Caledonia Food Co-op
- Food Co-op Startup of the Year: Assabet Co-op Market
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Chris Maher, general manager of BriarPatch Food Co-op, with the co-op board and staff at CCMA.
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Douglas Johnson, general manager of Belfast Community Co-op with board and staff at CCMA.
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Assabet Co-op Market won Startup of the Year from Food Co-op Initiative.
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Kevin Edberg accepted the Cooperative Innovation Award on behalf of Cooperative Development Services.
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Becky Colpitts of Littleton Food Co-op received a Cooperative Service Award.
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UWCC looks forward to bringing food cooperators together in Duluth, Minnesota, May 29 - 31, 2025!
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Second Wave of Governance Data Collection is Under Way!
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UWCC launched the Cooperative Governance Research Initiative (CGRI) in 2021 with the goal of generating data and insights on cooperative governance practices across sectors and over time. The 2021 survey generated data on cooperative governance practices from 500 U.S. cooperatives.
The 2024 CGRI survey launched on May 15 and will be in the field through mid-July. The 2024 survey will build on the data collected in 2021 and provide valuable information to benchmark and improve governance practices. Participation in the study consists of completing an online questionnaire, which takes about 30 minutes. The first 400 participants will receive a $25 gift card to REI. If your cooperative received an invitation to complete the 2024 survey, we hope you will do so! Strong participation from cooperatives across the country is essential for collecting useful data on cooperative governance practices.
Later this year, we will share aggregated findings from the 2024 study and practical tools such as:
- sector-specific reports;
- data visualization products;
- a director compensation index; and
- case studies of effective governance practices.
If you would like to be kept up to date as we release these resources, be sure to sign up for the CGRI e-mail list. In the meantime, the reports we produced using the 2021 CGRI data can be found here.
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Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Project Grant Awarded To Support Latinx and Immigrant-led Co-ops
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Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Project Grants are “substantial, mutually beneficial endeavors that foster extended relationships between the University of Wisconsin-Madison and collaborators across Wisconsin and beyond. Baldwin Wisconsin Idea Grant Projects are animated by innovative ideas and are shaped by the priorities, needs and interests of the communities they serve.”
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In Brief: Resources and Updates
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UWCC Advisory Committee Updates
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Since its founding, UWCC has benefited from the guidance of an advisory committee providing counsel on Center initiatives and perspectives on developments in their cooperative sector. UWCC is pleased to welcome Marie Barry, Director for Community Economic Development for Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative(RWHC) to our advisory committee. Barry leads RWHC’s efforts to utilize one of rural communities’ greatest assets–their hospitals–as a driver of economic development.
We also want to thank the following committee members for their service: Jeff Lyon of FarmFirst Dairy Cooperaotive and Alicia Leinberger of Ethos Green Power Cooperative.
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UWCC Moderates USDA Webinar: Equitable Cooperative Goveranace: Meaningful Democratic Control for Members
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UWCC's executive director, Courtney Berner, moderated a webinar for the United States Department of Agriculture's Interagency Working Group on Cooperative Development, entitled Equitable Cooperative Governance: Meaningful Democratic Control for Members. The webinar featured a panel of cooperative leaders: Eric Paulsen, board member of Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC); Allanah Hines, board president of Weaver Street Market; and Sylandi Brown, board member of the National Cooperative Business Association-CLUSA International.
Courtney shared key findings from the Cooperative Governance Research Initiative and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Trends in the Cooperative Community and facilitated a dialogue with the panelists about the work their co-ops are doing related to member control and engagement, and diversity, equity, and incusion. The webinar recording is available now.
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Worker Co-op Findings from the 2021 Cooperative Governance Research Initiative Webinar Recording Available
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