Wild Onion Market is our market. We’ll keep dollars local, support local farmers and producers, and help build a sustainable food production and packaging system. Join here!
Spread the word! Share and comment @WildOnionMarket on Facebook
Help Reach the Goal: 1000 Owners in 2021
We’ve reached 860 Owners! You can secure one of the last 140 Founding Owner spots right now.
Join our co-op. Purchase a one-time only Owner share for $250 per household/business.
To make ownership affordable, we have various accessibility options, including monthly installments starting at $10 and a scholarship program.
Read more about Wild Onion Market here.
Location, Location, Location
We have an exciting potential site! We have verified its viability and are now in negotiations. We hope to make our site announcement in the coming months.
The site design/construction team has met with our architect and store designers at the site. They were very enthusiastic about its potential and are ready to start their drawings as soon as our lease is signed.
In an effort to make our store truly reflect its Owners, the Wild Onion Market site construction/design team worked via email, social media and a virtual focus group to gather Owner feedback. This is in addition to the recent Owner survey. Ideas from the focus group related to: bulk products, cafe, store layout, aisle width, signage, snow clearing, and parking. Thanks to all who participated! If you have any other ideas to contribute, please send them to Kim Stover at kimisto@sbcglobal.net as soon as possible.
Wild Onion Market Events Calendar
| August 21: Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest, 11 AM – 9 PM. The 20th annual festival on the cobblestone streets of the historic Glenwood Avenue Arts District in Rogers Park. The free, weekend-long event will feature 120+ artists, open studios, music on two stages, plus food and craft beer from local vendors.
Wild Onion Market will have a table on Saturday, close to Morse Fresh Market. Not yet an Owner? Stop by and ask any questions. Already a Founding Owner? Wear your swag, come say hi! Don’t have any swag? Come by and pick up Wild Onion Market pins and car magnets. |
| Late August Saturday or Sunday: Meet & Greet, stay tuned for mid-day date/location. Join us for a casual gathering to get to know fellow Owners. Bring your questions and ideas about the co-op, and bring a friend or two to introduce them to Wild Onion Market! |
| September 2: Wild Onion Market Board Meeting, 7-9 PM. All Owners welcome. Write lisa.gordon@wildonionmarket. |
| September 12: Co-op Information and Welcome Session, 10 AM. Learn more about Wild Onion Market, ask questions, share ideas, and get to know others during this informal chat. Dial 312-626-6799 to join the Zoom, or write michelle@ |
| September 16: Community Engagement Team’s Monthly Meeting Thursday, 7 PM. Please join the call if you’re interested in how Wild Onion Market connects with its neighbors. Dial 312-626-6799 to join the Zoom, or write michelle@ |
We’re Hiring
…a Social Media & Communications Specialist! (contract position)
Food Politics Corner
by Debbie Hillman
|
1. LOCAL
(not co-op but coop, as in chickens!)
Sept. 25-26 (free, self-guided)
Seeking host sites, e.g. urban livestock, intensive food production, rain gardens, pollinator habitats, composting, water collection, solar energy, etc.
Host application deadline: Aug. 27
|
 |
|
2. REGIONAL (Midwest)
Are you familiar with STELLE, IL?
A Chicago-style suburb-cum-intentional community surrounded by corn & soybeans south of Kankakee?
Founded in 1973 by Chicago-area folks, including some from Rogers Park, Stelle is home to:
Volunteer workdays, living skills classes, other events, PLUS: CABIN RENTAL
Design Mini-course (Sept. 20-Oct. 25)
|
 |
|
3. NATIONAL / GLOBAL
Two new films:
(3 mins.)
by Wild Farm Alliance (California)
(trailer) A Malawi woman comes to U.S. to talk climate change
by Raj Patel and Zak Piper, Kartemquin Films (Chicago)
|
 |
Wild Onion Market Funding FAQ
As you have probably heard, we are getting closer to finding a site for our store. Once we sign a lease, everyone who is an Owner of the co-op will have the opportunity to invest in building the store through our Capital Campaign. Here are answers to two more important questions about the Campaign.
I already invested in the co-op when I became an Owner. Isn’t that enough?
Your ownership is the first step in supporting the co-op financially. As an Owner, you have the exclusive opportunity to invest further in your store and earn a fair rate of return. Owner Loans and Preferred Shares are long-standing mechanisms used by co-ops across the country to raise the money needed to open a store. Loans and Preferred Shares demonstrate a loyal customer base and reduce debt service payments, making the co-op stronger. Donations to the co-op further strengthen our financial position because they do not require interest payments.
What will my money do?
Investments and donations will fund construction, hire staff, purchase equipment, and stock the shelves. We will strive to keep as much of this money in the local community as possible so that our market starts to bring benefits to the community right away. Your money will make it possible to build the store!
And if you aren’t an Owner of Wild Onion Market yet, you can join now so that you will have the chance to help make our dream a reality.
If you have questions about the Capital Campaign or would like to get involved, please email Mary Meyer (mary@wildonionmarket.com) or Lisa Gordon (lisa.gordon@wildonionmarket.
Are You a Founding Owner?
There are currently 860 Wild Onion Market Owners. The first 1000 will be forever known as the Founding Owners, visionaries who are building a community-owned grocery store as part of a robust local and sustainable food system. Founding Owners will be honored in-store with a permanent visual display and on the website with a page recognizing their support.
Already a Founding Owner? Please help spread the word!
- Display co-op car magnets, posters, or buttons! Need some? Email hello@wildonionmarket.com to arrange for pick up or delivery
- Follow Wild Onion Market on Facebook and Instagram
- share/like/comment on co-op posts
- invite/tag friends to follow the co-op
- Post about Wild Onion Market on Facebook/Instagram/Nextdoor for talking points if needed
- Email friends/family/neighbors about Wild Onion Market
- Email hello@wildonionmarket.com for talking points if needed
- Volunteer a little of your time (email ann@wildonionmarket.com)
Or even….
- Host a yard or house party! We have a tool kit that includes invitations and materials to share. A Board Director can participate, too.
- Are you a member of another community or neighborhood organization? Book club? Business? We’d love to talk to your group about Wild Onion Market‘s ideals and work. We can visit with your group, and provide information and swag. Contact us Board@wildonionmarket.com
Wild Onion Market Owners, about their Volunteering Experiences:
“I feel it’s a valued use of my time. The work that I do at Wild Onion Market is appreciated, fulfilling, and fun.” David, Owner #615
“Education about ideas and justice and food; that’s why I joined and volunteer.” Victoria, Owner #607
“I want to help lay a foundation for a store where I feel valued and respected and celebrated when I shop there.” Aaron, Owner #567
We are on the move – gaining Owners, securing our store site, and fundraising!
Questions about Wild Onion Market? Email Board@