The Food Co-op 500 announced today [Apr. 18] the recipients of four Sprout Fund grants and its first Sprout Fund loan. The program, financed by National Cooperative Bank (NCB) and Blooming Prairie Foundation to create more retail grocery cooperatives, awarded funding to projects in Connecticut, Minnesota, New York, Oregon and Washington.
Even as Wal-Mart enters into the green grocery segment, cooperative grocers relying on a model that has been successful for more than 70 years continue to thrive said Richard Dines, NCBs program manager for cooperative development. Why? Because co-ops are owned and controlled by the communities they serve. By infusing additional money into food co-op development, more Americans will be able to take advantage of cooperative enterprise.
Yelm Food Co-op in Yelm, Washington awarded a (matching) $10,000 Seed Fund grant, quoting Yelm Co-op. [Ed. Note: Congratulations got to the efforts of those that saw their dream manifest through hard work, determination and focus!]
“We are managing a Farmers Market on Saturday, July 1st and every Saturday through the summer/fall. This year we are calling it the Earth Market, and it will be at Yelm Earthworms and Castings Farm (Yelm Earth), at 14741 Lawrence Lake Rd. All are welcome, vendors especially – and, well, customers too! This year we will be charging vendors a fee: 5% of your gross sales with a cap of $20.00. All the proceeds will go toward advertising the market. Set up time is 9 AM with the market opening at 10 and closing at 3:30 Everyone must be out by 4PM, when Yelm Earth closes.
Please! No phone calls to Yelm Earth Call Carolyn instead at 894-1383
See you there! – And tell your friends!”