by Kristina Kuhaupt, Customer Experience Manager
Bike/Bus the Barns Registration Open
FairShare CSA Coalition is a non-profit organization based in Madison, Wisconsin and serves the Midwest region. Their mission is to support and connect farmers and eaters through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). They envision a future where CSA is the backbone of a strong local food system and where all families have access to locally produced, organic food from small-scale farms.
To help support this cause, and have fun in the process, consider joining us for the return of FairShare CSA Coalition's 14th Annual Bike the Barns (www.csacoalition.org/bike-the-barns) on Sunday, September 18, 2022! Pedal together to help families in need afford farm-fresh veggies. When you sign up for Bike the Barns, you raise money for the Partner Shares Program (www.csacoalition.org/partner-shares). Your ride helps families access organic food grown by a local CSA farmer in their community. Sign up today and help bring farm-fresh food to every family!
Bike the Barns is a day full of community fun, local food, festive music, and farm tours. This year riders will visit Vitruvian Farms (www.vitruvianfarms.com), a certified organic vegetable and mushroom farm located in McFarland; Parisi Family Farm (parisifamilyfarm.com), a small family farm growing various produce using regenerative organic agriculture practices in the Town of Dunn; Lovefood Farm (www.lovefoodfarm.com), an organic family farm that grows various herbs and vegetables in Stoughton; and Sprouting Acres (www.sproutingacres.com), a small, family-run, certified-organic CSA with on-farm pizza nights, private events, and a kids’ summer farm camp located in Cambridge. Registration is open now and spots fill up fast! Learn more and secure your place in the ride at www.csacoalition.org/bike-the-barns.
This year, there is also a second option, Bus the Barns. You can enjoy the same farm tours, gourmet local food, and live music—plus special on-farm activities when you choose to Bus the Barns instead! Enjoy bus transportation and a small-group tour guide as you drive through the gorgeous Wisconsin countryside to three farm stops with curated activities at each stop. Save your spot on the bus at www.csacoalition.org/bus-the-barns. We are excited to announce that Willy Street Co-op is sponsoring a bus for this event, where two of our staff members will also ride with you and facilitate a pleasant experience during the day. FairShare is giving Co-op Owners a $10 discount for Bus the Barns specifically. Please use this code: WILLYST*10 at your registration checkout to save!
The broader question is: what is Community Supported Agriculture? For some, it has been a staple in their everyday lives for some time, for others it is a totally new experience one might want to explore. A CSA farm provides a method to buy local, usually organic, food directly from a farmer, typically in your community. After deciding to do this, you purchase a share and become a member. Then, once a member, you can choose your local pick-up location, and the farmer delivers a box of farm products to you regularly throughout the growing season. As a member, you sign up with the farm in advance of the growing season, which helps farmers plan ahead and cover the initial annual costs to operate. By purchasing your vegetables in this way, you support a sustainable farming system that connects farmers directly with customers and ensures a fair price for their products, while you receive quality, fresh, local, organic products that you feel good about eating.
Donations: Upholding Cooperative Principle #7 (Concern for the Community)
Did you know that in fiscal year 22 (roughly July 2021 to June 2022) the Co-op donated almost $100,000 to over 140 local community and cooperative charitable organizations? That is an amazing number, and we would love to help support the community in FY23 in the same way. The Co-op helps support 501(c)3 nonprofit groups and their special projects and fundraising efforts. Do you belong to or know an organization that meets this criteria? We love to encourage and foster neighborhood development—drop us a request (www.willystreet.coop/donation-request) today!
Owner Equity Drive August 15-28
What is equity? Well, it can mean different things based on the context, but how does it relate to the Co-op? Equity is your investment into the business, which means this is YOUR money! It is not a fee or extra charge. You get your invested money back, or you can donate it to the Co-op’s fund for charitable giving if for some reason you choose not to be an Owner anymore. With this investment you are supporting our grocery business with your dollars so that your voice gets heard in making the Co-op a place you want to shop and find products and inclusive trade that you can align yourself with for years to come. During our Equity Drive, you can pay off any outstanding money that is left in your investment ($56 individual; $91 household for your account to be paid in full). This investment is a great way to ensure you and your family have a trusted food and product source.
The great thing about our Co-op is that you don’t need to be an Owner to shop and experience all the amazing quality products we sell. However, if you are not an Owner, and wondering why you may want to consider making an equity investment, here are the main reasons that benefit you directly:
Owner Rewards: If you buy an average of $40 worth of groceries per week, you’ll save an average of $100 per year through our Owner Rewards sales. For example, most of our fruit and vegetable sales are for Owners only. Many of us come to the Co-op specifically for fruit and vegetables based on the quality of the products we sell—you might as well get some good discounts on these purchases!
Wellness Wednesday: You save 10% on Health and Wellness products the first Wednesday of every month. Time to stock up on bodycare and supplements!
Patronage Refund: In years when the Co-op is profitable and pending Board approval, you may receive a refund based on a percent of your annual purchases. Yay for money back in your pockets—exciting!
Case pre-order discounts: Get a 10% discount when you pre-order almost any of our products by the case. So that bottle of tea that you can’t live without and powers you through the day, buy it in bulk and save some extra money to put towards a fun new product find, or extra staple groceries; plus then your favorite item is always close at hand without running out quickly.
Class Discounts: Save $10 on classes for which we charge a registration fee compared to non-owner prices. Never taken a class before? Come see what all the fun is about! These classes can take you on a food adventure around the world, have contact with an individual nutritional consultant, and get your kids involved in the kitchen with courses designed specifically for their age group. It is a great way to learn a new skill and decompress for a bit, while getting a new skill to bring to a new home routine—sign me up (www.willystreet.coop/events)!
Recipe Requests: If you love one of our recipes and want to make it for yourself, no problem! Just write to us at www.willystreet.coop/contact-us.
Online shopping fee discounts: Owners pay lower fees for delivered or picked-up orders placed through shop.willystreet.coop. Great way to save some time in your day with this service.
Your voice is heard: You have the right to run for our Board of Directors, serve on committees, attend our annual meeting and vote on important business matters.
PLUS: You get this newsletter! Also, you have the opportunity to enroll in our Access Discount Program to receive 10% off everyday purchases, an opportunity to get a Festival Perks Pass (see ad to the right), the Bus the Barns discount, and more!
Our Equity Drive will be August 15–28, 2022. During this time, not only will your administrative fee be waived, but if you invest the rest of your equity to make your account paid in full, you will be entered into a drawing for three $20 Co-op gift cards for all Owners who have paid off their equity during the year.
Investing your Owner equity in full helps save you money on administrative fees and strengthens the Co-op’s financial equity. A strong cooperative investment in equity allows us to finance more of our major expenditures internally instead of borrowing from others. Show your support of local businesses with your Owner equity investment paid in full. Show your Co-op loyalty and invest in our widespread support of the Madison community and beyond. Many Owners are already fully invested and we appreciate your support! Thank you!
New Owners will also be eligible to sign-up with no administrative fees. If you are already an Owner, refer a friend or family member and you’ll receive a $25 gift card!