Recent Celebrations Brought Us Together
GM’s Update to Owners
If you follow us on Instagram, you may know that on October 22, our store experienced an equipment failure. Our dairy cooler, which stores our milk, yogurt, butter and kefir, failed around 1am. Although we have sensors in place, the timing of this failure caused all of our products in these coolers to be out of temp for too long for us to sell.
Staff acted quickly to tape off the cooler and remove product from the sales floor. We alerted our local food rescue system, Food Not Bombs (FNB), to our situation. We educated the FNB volunteers on the time and temperature conditions of the product, and they selected items they felt they could safely redistribute into the community like butter, vegan cheeses and kefir. Some donations went to the Love Fridge and to the Ignatian Food Pantry just down the street from our store.
Our cooler was repaired and restocked within 48 hours. Our condenser, which was still under warranty, was replaced. We do not anticipate an on-going issue with this equipment.
Food Not Bombs Rogers Park has been a tremendous help for us to keep food nourishing our community, and out of a landfill, when items reach a ‘sell by’ date. In addition to this emergency, their volunteers have regularly collected our leftover bread and soup. We’re very grateful for their work!
We will be supporting FNB as our next Round up at the Registers recipient for the month of November. You can round up your purchase to the nearest dollar, or contribute any amount you’d like, to support Food Not Bombs through the end of November. Just let your cashier know.
Yours in community,
Teresa Meza
General Manager
What Does It Mean To Be A Co-op? Part 2
The 7 Cooperative Principles are key to how co-ops participate in our economy. This story is the second in a series dedicated to a new principle each issue, exploring what that principle means and how our co-oplives out that value.
Cooperative Principle: Democratic Member Control
A core part of being a co-op is to be of and for the community and, crucially, to be structured so that co-op Owners remain in control of their co-op. The rubber meets the road when co-ops set policies in place to live out this value. Wild Onion is a democratically controlled member-owned cooperative. We function as such under IL law and are registered as a cooperative business. Infused in Wild Onion, and woven into the operating fabric of the organization, is member-control and member-centric decision making.
The structure of the cooperative is sometimes referred to as an inverse pyramid. In traditional business structures, the business looks like a pyramid – with the CEO at the very top and increasing numbers of middle managers and workers in the middle and supporting the base. The co-op model flips that structure upside-down.
The activities of the co-op are directed by a 9-person Board of Directors, led by the Board President. The Board President, however, is not like a CEO or the president of a company, who might oversee daily operations. The President helps to ensure the Board is meeting its managerial responsibility in holding the General Manager responsible through governance and financial reporting. The General Manager and staff are responsible for the daily operations of the store.
The Board as a whole is fully responsible to the co-op Owners. Elected as representatives of the Ownership, the Board must ensure that the store, starting with the General Manager, is meeting the needs and mission laid out by the Ownership by setting policies that govern the operations. Because a primary responsibility is to ensure continued financial viability, the Board holds the General Manager accountable for store operations.
Owners can participate by attending Board meetings, serving on Board committees, volunteering at events, providing feedback, and promoting the co-op. Owner participation is not just good for Wild Onion’s community; it is baked into the very way we operate. Without Owners, the co-op doesn’t exist.
Owner Pick: Smoky Cashew Cheddar Cheese
Kim S., Owner #1469, tried this smoky cheddar cheese during our Owner Happy Hour. She liked it so much that she asked staff to help her find it on the shelf so she could take some home. “Smokey and delicious! Surprisingly good for vegan cheese!”
The Smokey Cheddar Cashew Cheese block is made right here in Chicago by Feed Your Head, a local vendor who also makes delicious vegan meat alternatives. Find it in our dairy cooler.
Reminder: Please Complete Your Owner Survey
We’re trying hard to serve our community better. All owners received a survey on October 28th. Please take a moment to complete it so we can meet your needs more effectively.
Thank you!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Do I need to know my owner number or have my card with me to shop and get my monthly discount?
A: No. You don’t need to know your owner number or have your card. Your cashier should ask if you are an owner. Your name and number are in the computer system. When you check out at the register, we can look up your number using your last name. Some folks like to know their owner number to make checkout faster or for bragging rights. But we’ve got you covered.