October 2021

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 and Instagram 

Wild Onion Market is getting so close to the target of 1,000 Founding Owners! This important threshold helps show the momentum of our shared goal. Fresh, healthy food is a right, not a privilege. Support local, sustainable food systems that uplift our communities and strengthen our local economy. 

Make sure you have a voice and a vote in the formation of Wild Onion Market by securing one of the last Founding Owner memberships today. Already an Owner? Encourage your friends to join us! 

Wild Onion Market Events

Connections give us the power to bring about change, together. Food co-ops are a wonderful space for connections to work for the collective good. We gather to make healthy choices available to all. We gather to help local farmers, vendors, and neighbors thrive. We gather to support community organizations and advocates so that we show caring and commitment to all. We gather to connect, and to deepen our connections.

Photo credit: Jamie Padgett, Padgett and Company 

What a magical night we had on Wednesday, October 6 at the Rooftop Farm Party at Uncommon Ground! Over 70 people gathered under the lights to talk, meet, and make new connections. We come together in person and in great spirits to build our market and support our communities.

We want to recognize and thank our community volunteers, musicians, and vendors who helped make October 6 so successful. We give a huge shout out to Helen and Mike at Uncommon Ground (Wild Onion Market Founding Owners #200) and to Yaneli Carrillo (#907). We extend a huge thanks to Owners Ricki Friedman (#691), Karen Fellner (#794), David Miller (#615), and all our Board members who helped set up and run the event. Yet again, Jamie Padgett (#489) provided expert photography, and we appreciate Diego (son of Lisa Gibbons, #501) for on-the-spot interviews and video. We had lovely music from two musicians – David Hoppe (#57) and Nina Kiken.

Our online business Owner vendors offered samples along with their wares:

• David Bond: Bond Artisan Foods (#545)
• Ricky Burton-Romero (#67): Bromero Cards  (#890)
• Rebecca Adams: Grandma Fannies Handcrafted Soaps & More (#104)
• Emmet Arnold: Northshore Candles (#858) 

We welcomed 9 new Owners at the event, and winners of the drawing were Rachel and John Coppola (#913). Watch for additional drawings as we race toward our goal of 1,000 Founding Owners in 2021! Become a Founding Owner here.

T-SHIRTS!

Show your connections with Wild Onion Market in our t-shirt! Ordering is open until November 12, with shipping in time for holiday gift-giving!

Available in an assortment of colors in unisex, women’s, and youth styles, celebrate Wild Onion Market by wearing your shirt around town. Proceeds from sales help support our co-op.

Location, Location, Location

We are one step closer to securing our site. While it has been stressful waiting these past few months, we love the building and know it is worth the wait! Plus, it gives us more time to raise capital! Hope to have more information for you next month. Stay tuned…

 Food Politics Corner

by Debbie Hillman

www.FoodFarmsDemocracy.net

DLHillman@sbcglobal.net

1. LOCAL Northwestern U. dining workers considering strike — “I’m tired”: what drove Northwestern Compass workers’ vote to strike by Davis Giangiulio — As Northwestern workers prepare for strike, students construct picket signs by Adina Keeling For context: —2010-11 NU School of Education & Social Policy (MSLOC program) studied Illinois school lunch programs for 2 years. Concluded it was a “black box”, very hard for local farmers to break through. —2020 report Be-trayed revealed that 3 dining companies (Compass, Aramark, Sodexo) institutionalized kickbacks. Explains the “black box”.
2. REGIONAL Toronto Black Food Sovereignty Plan 27 pages, really nice graphics 5 Pillars for Action detailed in 45 distinct actions (p. 17-20)
3. NATIONAL U.S. restaurant criticism was evolving well before Covid-19. The pandemic revealed why critics need to keep embracing change. by Patricia Escarcega Good details about the whole food system—that critics should know about.

Community Spotlight

The Talking Farm is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to educating the community about the importance and availability of sustainable agriculture. The Talking Farm shares Wild Onion Market’s commitment to sustainably, connection, and locally sourced food through on- and off-site programs in the community. This non-profit operates the Howard Street Farm, a 2.5 acre urban agriculture farm in Skokie that provides hands-on educational programs to interns, volunteers, students, community members and organizations.

The Talking Farm’s produce can be purchased at the Evanston and Skokie Farmers’ Markets, online via a Pick Your Own program, or through a weekly CSA membership. To learn more about their membership options, volunteer opportunities, educational programs, and produce availability, visit TheTalkingFarm.org. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

TTF Board member, Carrie Jackson (below) is Wild Onion Market Founding Owner #526! Carrie joined the co-op “out of a desire to strengthen the connection between farms and consumers, and feel a sense of community and comfort when knowing I’m supporting local businesses and neighbors.”

Capital Campaign Corner

When we talk about investing in the co-op, what do we really mean? It’s going to get technical for a minute here, but bear with us and it will all make sense.

Legally, Wild Onion Market is a corporation. This allows us to sell shares of stock to finance our activities. When you joined the co-op (or when you do join—how about right now?), you bought 2.5 shares of common stock in Wild Onion Market. That is what it means to join: You literally own a piece of the co-op.

So, how does this relate to the Capital Campaign?

When our big Capital Campaign launches in early 2022, co-op Owners will have the exclusive opportunity to make further investments in Wild Onion Market. Only this time, your investment can pay you back directly.

As we talked about last month, one of the ways you can invest is by buying Preferred Shares. Those shares will pay a 3% dividend in any year that the Board declares one.

The other way to get a return on your investment is to make an Owner Loan. These are 15-year loans to the corporation, and you get to choose the interest rate up to 3%—or slightly higher for larger loans.

There are lots more details, of course, and we’re always happy to answer questions about these investments.

But there’s a bigger return on this kind of investment, too. When you invest your money in the co-op, you have the satisfaction of knowing that your money is doing good in the world: enhancing the local food system; providing an outlet for local farmers and producers; creating good jobs; and, making your community a better place to live.

If you would like more information on the Capital Campaign, or if you are ready to invest now, please email us at invest@wildonionmarket.com. We will be happy to talk to you about how you can help turn our dream of a local co-op into reality.

All investments in the Capital Campaign are only for Owners of Wild Onion Market who are residents of Illinois. There is a degree of inherent risk in any co-op investment. Please read all investment documents carefully.

Wild Onion Market is seeking a Social Media Coordinator on a contract basis starting immediately.  Approximately 5-7 hours per week over 3-4 days each week.  $25/hour.  – Assist in managing the co-op’s social media accounts – Edit content for social media – Tag, comment, and engage social media followers and constituents Send a resume and writing sample to lisa@wildonionmarket.com.

New Volunteer Opportunity – Board Recruitment Committee MembersThe Wild Onion Market Board of Directors is elected by the membership to represent them in setting policy and supervising the operations of the co-op in accordance to its bylaws. 2022 elections are upcoming in January – February. To enhance the Board election process, we are looking for 3-5 Owners to join the Board Recruitment Committee, chaired by Secretary Lisa J. Gordon. We’re seeking committee members who have good outreach into various corners of our communities who can help identify Board candidates and funnel them into the elections process. This role will include: talking to Owners; bringing names to the committee; helping oversee elections; and, writing and administering an exit survey for departing members. When there are mid-term vacancies, the committee will also recommend people to fill those vacancies. Minimal meeting time is required; most work will be done by email or online. Recruitment can go on all year but may be most intensive in the fall in preparation for elections in Jan-Feb. Time commitment can be a few hours a month with an ongoing commitment, as possible. An ideal committee member is one who understands governance and its needs (has served on a board, for instance), and who is well connected in at least one part of the co-op community.  Ideally, we’re looking for people who would be good board members but who can’t make the commitment right now. If this sounds like you or you would like to learn more, please reach out today to ann@wildonionmarket.com.

HELP SPREAD THE WORD! Displaying co-op swag is a great way to help raise awareness about the effort to open a community-owned, democratically run, full-service grocery store. There are Wild Onion Market POSTERS, MAGNETS, AND BUTTONS.  Hang a poster in your window or vestibule?  Wear a button?  Put a magnet on your car? Please email hello@wildonionmarket.com to arrange for pick-up/delivery.

We are on the move – gaining Owners, securing our store site, and fundraising!

Join the excitement! 

Questions about  Wild Onion Market? Email Board@wildonionmarket.com