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People's Food Co-op (Portland)
Encyclopedia
People's Food Co-op is a food cooperative
located in Portland, Oregon
. Founded in 1970 by the members of a food-buying club, the co-op is owned by over 3000 member owners and is a member of the National Cooperative Grocers Association
and the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives
.
to reach its decisions. In 2006, the Board adopted Policy Governance
as its governance model.
. As of 2007, there are 27 co-managers. Collective meetings are held once a month where co-managers make decisions regarding the co-op's operations. Like the Board, the collective uses a modified version of consensus decision-making
. 26 out of the 27 co-managers have to agree on given proposals. The collective is divided into semi-autonomous “teams” which are responsible for reporting and heading up their various departments. The collective is accountable to the membership via the Board.
to finance the $900,000 expansion project. The expansion doubled the store's retail space and included an expanded Community Room as well as an elevator for wheelchair access. The co-op's efforts won them a BEST (Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow) award from the City of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development in 2003 for energy efficiency.
certified. The building's natural ventilation was improved by use of a solar chimney
.
s to its building during its expansion. Drought-tolerant plant species
were chosen for the green roofs. Due to the stormwater
management benefits, People's received a $2,500 grant from the Community Watershed Stewardship Program.
, a mixture of earth, sand and straw, was used as infill for two walls of the building as well as for benches inside and outside of the store. People's was the first commercially zoned building in North America to build with cob wall infill.
and adheres to strict guidelines for the products that are retailed as well as its practices. By vote of the membership, the co-op does not carry any products containing meat with the exception of pet food. The Board of Directors has approved product selection guidelines which prohibit products containing artificial colors
, flavoring, or preservatives. The guidelines also allow for the exclusion of products from companies that test on animals
or operate in contradiction to the co-op's mission.
People's composts all of its vegetable waste off site at the 47th Avenue Farm in Portland via an industrial vermicomposting bin.
People's maintains connections to the cooperative movement via its membership in regional and national cooperative federations. People's is currently a member of the National Cooperative Grocers Association
, the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives
, and the Portland Alliance of Worker Cooperatives.
classes for members are held in the room. The room is also used for capoeira
and t'ai chi, as well as for meetings of both the membership and Board of Directors. A lift was built during the expansion to ensure accessibility to the space.
, a Point of Sale
(PoS) System. The program was developed by Tak Tang of the Wedge Community Co-op
in Minneapolis, Minnesota. People's ported the IS4C software to the Linux platform, making it the only open-source software made specifically for food cooperatives.
Food co-op
A food cooperative or food co-op is a grocery store organized as a cooperative. Food cooperatives are usually consumers' cooperatives and are owned by their members. Food cooperatives follow the 7 Cooperative Principles and typically offer natural foods...
located in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Founded in 1970 by the members of a food-buying club, the co-op is owned by over 3000 member owners and is a member of the National Cooperative Grocers Association
National Cooperative Grocers Association
The National Cooperative Grocers Association is a marketing service cooperative of cooperative grocery stores founded in 1999 in the United States. NCGA's membership includes 114 independent food cooperatives operating more than 145 stores in 32 states with combined annual sales of nearly $1.2...
and the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives
United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives
The United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives is a federation of worker cooperatives in the United States. USFWC was founded at the U.S. Conference of Democratic Workplaces in Minneapolis, Minnesota in May 2004.....
.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors at People's consists of 5-9 members elected by the membership of the co-op. The Board uses a modified version of consensus decision-makingConsensus decision-making
Consensus decision-making is a group decision making process that seeks the consent, not necessarily the agreement, of participants and the resolution of objections. Consensus is defined by Merriam-Webster as, first, general agreement, and second, group solidarity of belief or sentiment. It has its...
to reach its decisions. In 2006, the Board adopted Policy Governance
Policy Governance
Policy Governance is a trademarked governance model designed for Boards of Directors that provides a clear differentiation between governance and management responsibilities in organizations. The model was developed by John Carver....
as its governance model.
Collective management
People's is managed by a non-hierarchical collectiveCollective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together on a specific project to achieve a common objective...
. As of 2007, there are 27 co-managers. Collective meetings are held once a month where co-managers make decisions regarding the co-op's operations. Like the Board, the collective uses a modified version of consensus decision-making
Consensus decision-making
Consensus decision-making is a group decision making process that seeks the consent, not necessarily the agreement, of participants and the resolution of objections. Consensus is defined by Merriam-Webster as, first, general agreement, and second, group solidarity of belief or sentiment. It has its...
. 26 out of the 27 co-managers have to agree on given proposals. The collective is divided into semi-autonomous “teams” which are responsible for reporting and heading up their various departments. The collective is accountable to the membership via the Board.
Expansion
In 2002, People's embarked upon an expansion project to increase its retail space. People's secured loans from its membership and Shorebank PacificShoreBank
ShoreBank was a community development bank founded and headquartered in Chicago. At the time of its closing it was the oldest and largest such institution, and in 2008 had $2.6 billion in assets. It was owned by ShoreBank Corporation, a regulated bank holding company.ShoreBank had branches in...
to finance the $900,000 expansion project. The expansion doubled the store's retail space and included an expanded Community Room as well as an elevator for wheelchair access. The co-op's efforts won them a BEST (Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow) award from the City of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development in 2003 for energy efficiency.
Building features
The building which People's occupies incorporates a number of environmentally-friendly technologies. All of the wood used for the expansion was either salvaged or FSCForest Stewardship Council
The Forest Stewardship Council is an international not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder organization established in 1993 to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. Its main tools for achieving this are standard setting, independent certification and labeling of forest products...
certified. The building's natural ventilation was improved by use of a solar chimney
Solar chimney
A solar chimney — often referred to as a thermal chimney — is a way of improving the natural ventilation of buildings by using convection of air heated by passive solar energy...
.
Green roofs
People's added two green roofGreen roof
A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems...
s to its building during its expansion. Drought-tolerant plant species
Xerophyte
A xerophyte or xerophytic organism is a plant which has adapted to survive in an environment that lacks water, such as a desert. Xerophytic plants may have adapted shapes and forms or internal functions that reduce their water loss or store water during long periods of dryness...
were chosen for the green roofs. Due to the stormwater
Stormwater
Stormwater is water that originates during precipitation events. It may also be used to apply to water that originates with snowmelt that enters the stormwater system...
management benefits, People's received a $2,500 grant from the Community Watershed Stewardship Program.
Cob
CobCob (building)
Cob or cobb or clom is a building material consisting of clay, sand, straw, water, and earth, similar to adobe. Cob is fireproof, resistant to seismic activity, and inexpensive...
, a mixture of earth, sand and straw, was used as infill for two walls of the building as well as for benches inside and outside of the store. People's was the first commercially zoned building in North America to build with cob wall infill.
Geothermal
The co-op is heated and cooled by use of a geothermal exchange heat pump which includes a series of tubes coursing water through the store's floor. This system, in conjunction with other design strategies, has reduced the heating and cooling energy consumption at the co-op by approximately 40%.People's farmers' market
People's hosts a year round farmers market in its courtyard on Wednesday afternoons. In the summer months, there are typically 15-20 vendors offering a variety of locally grown and produced goods. The following vendors usually can be found at the market:| Wild Things | Natural Harvest Farm http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M347 | M.C. Farms | Sweetwater Plants |
| Obrist Farm | Osmo Gaia | It's Alive http://itsalivefood.com/ | Greg's Gardens |
| Fressen Bakery | Wingnut Confections http://www.wingnutconfections.com/ | Two Cats Botanicals | Fraga Farm http://www.fragafarm.com/ |
| Sunbow Farm http://www.sunbowfarm.org/ | Celtic Shepherd Creamery | Greg's Gardens | Earthshine Farm |
| Ancient Heritage Dairy http://www.ancientheritagedairy.com/ | Gee Creek Farm http://geecreekfarm.com/ | Hayat Farm | Spring Wood Farms |
Philosophy and buying guidelines
People's has adopted a model of ethical consumerismEthical consumerism
Ethical consumerism is the intentional purchase of products and services that the customer considers to be made ethically. This may mean with minimal harm to or exploitation of humans, animals and/or the natural environment...
and adheres to strict guidelines for the products that are retailed as well as its practices. By vote of the membership, the co-op does not carry any products containing meat with the exception of pet food. The Board of Directors has approved product selection guidelines which prohibit products containing artificial colors
Food coloring
Food coloring is a substance, liquid or powder, that is added to food or drink to change its color. Food coloring is used both in commercial food production and in domestic cooking...
, flavoring, or preservatives. The guidelines also allow for the exclusion of products from companies that test on animals
Animal testing
Animal testing, also known as animal experimentation, animal research, and in vivo testing, is the use of non-human animals in experiments. Worldwide it is estimated that the number of vertebrate animals—from zebrafish to non-human primates—ranges from the tens of millions to more than 100 million...
or operate in contradiction to the co-op's mission.
People's composts all of its vegetable waste off site at the 47th Avenue Farm in Portland via an industrial vermicomposting bin.
People's maintains connections to the cooperative movement via its membership in regional and national cooperative federations. People's is currently a member of the National Cooperative Grocers Association
National Cooperative Grocers Association
The National Cooperative Grocers Association is a marketing service cooperative of cooperative grocery stores founded in 1999 in the United States. NCGA's membership includes 114 independent food cooperatives operating more than 145 stores in 32 states with combined annual sales of nearly $1.2...
, the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives
United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives
The United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives is a federation of worker cooperatives in the United States. USFWC was founded at the U.S. Conference of Democratic Workplaces in Minneapolis, Minnesota in May 2004.....
, and the Portland Alliance of Worker Cooperatives.
People's community room
People's has a meeting space on site used for public and private events. Free yogaYoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
classes for members are held in the room. The room is also used for capoeira
Capoeira
Capoeira is a Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, sports, and music. It was created in Brazil mainly by descendants of African slaves with Brazilian native influences, probably beginning in the 16th century...
and t'ai chi, as well as for meetings of both the membership and Board of Directors. A lift was built during the expansion to ensure accessibility to the space.
IS4C
In 2006, People's began using IS4CIS4C
IS4C or Integrated Systems for Co-ops is a free web-based point of sale software for retail stores initially developed by Tak Tang for the Wedge Community Co-op in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The software utilizes an SQL database and enables tracking of customer purchase totals that cooperatives use in...
, a Point of Sale
Point of sale
Point of sale or checkout is the location where a transaction occurs...
(PoS) System. The program was developed by Tak Tang of the Wedge Community Co-op
Wedge Community Co-op
The Wedge Community Co-op or The Wedge is a food cooperative located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Located at 2105 Lyndale Ave South, the Wedge derives its name from the popular nickname for the Lowry Hill East neighborhood, called "The Wedge" due to its shape...
in Minneapolis, Minnesota. People's ported the IS4C software to the Linux platform, making it the only open-source software made specifically for food cooperatives.