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Welcome to Our New General Manager, John Calhoun
We are so pleased to announce that Wild Onion Market has hired its General Manager.
After a months-long search for the ideal candidate, Wild Onion Market has brought on John Calhoun, who will officially begin tomorrow, November 1. There will be many opportunities to get to know John over the coming weeks, and an introduction from John is below. Mark your calendars: meet and greet at the store, 7007 N. Clark, this Saturday, Nov 5th 10 AM-noon.
John Calhoun, General Manager, Wild Onion Market: I grew up in California, Tennessee, and Colorado before moving to New Orleans in 1997. As an adult I have pursued many careers and interests including urban farming, auctioneering, therapeutic bodywork, hosting a live talk/variety show, working in restaurants, and managing food co-ops. I have found that I love the space that exists at the intersection of art and activism and believe in using art (in all its forms) to bring about positive change in the world.
In 2002 a friend and I started meeting for coffee to discuss our plans to open a food co-op in New Orleans. Those initial conversations turned into a 9-year journey toward opening a cooperative grocery store in New Orleans. In 2018 our struggling co-op was about to close its doors after a competitor opened just 3 blocks away. I was on the board at the time, and I resigned from the board and offered to serve as a volunteer interim general manager to help with a financial turnaround. The key to our successful turnaround was our renewed focus on supporting local producers and many efforts to make the store more of a community center. After my time as GM of the New Orleans Food Co-op, I helped to start a cooperative development organization in New Orleans called Cooperation New Orleans, which focuses on worker owned co-ops and other aspects of the solidarity economy.
When covid started I was working as a professional benefit auctioneer. Due to covid restrictions, fundraising auctions were canceled and I found an opportunity to manage a food co-op in rural Western Massachusetts that was going through a financial turnaround. It was wonderful to be close to nature and get to know a new community. I also remembered how much I love working at co-ops and appreciated the opportunity to grow as a co-op manager.
I am excited to become part of the Rogers Park community and am inspired by Wild Onion Market’s mission and commitment to cooperative values.
7007 N. Clark Update
We’ve received our construction permit from the City of Chicago! Demolition is scheduled to start this week, followed by exterior work. Now that construction has begun, we need to raise the rest of the capital required to enable us to build and stock the store, so that we can open in the first half of 2023.
Feel free to email our site construction lead, Kristin Alexander, with any building questions.
Women-Led Design & Construction
Wild Onion Market is pleased to be working with a team of all women-owned businesses for the design and construction of our co-op. We’ll introduce everyone over the next few months. Here are two of those businesses and valued partners in this project:
Retail Planit is the design company that has been with us from the very beginning. They have led us every step of the way with incredible knowledge, expertise, and kindness. Meet Karla Krueger and Kim Harder. When asked why they love to work with co-ops and what they specifically like about our project, Karla wrote the following:
Karla Krueger, Partner, Retail Planit: We’ve seen so many changes in our national food chain supply and procurement in our career, it has become obvious that each of us needs to take a careful look at how and where we source the food that nourishes ourselves and our families. Spending our food dollars locally strengthens our communities, builds a safer food chain, eases the environmental impact of heavy transportation, and gives us real connection to what we eat and the land on which it was raised. So, in the last 5 years, we’ve changed the bulk of our work to focus on helping local food co-ops and food stores grow in number and quality.
It has been an honor to work with the Wild Onion team thru the site selection, design, and construction development phases of this project. Through all of the processes they’ve maintained a clear vision and united voice in their objectives to create healthy and affordable food options for the community while maintaining a realistic construction budget and minimal environmental bearing in the development of this awesome co-op. We look forward working together with Kristin, Kim, Lisa, and the group to see the store to completion and celebrating with the Wild Onion Market team on their grand opening day!
Meet our outstanding General Contractor: Helenia Madrigal! She is the boss, running all renovations and building of the store.
“The idea of working for a co-op is pretty cool because it’s all about representing and giving back to the community. I want to do the same; show people what women in construction are about and try to bring on people who represent the Chicago community.”
We are inspired by Helenia’s mission and her passion for giving back to the community. Helenia is pictured with her son, Nico, who is doing a great job as her right-hand man.
Please join in our effort to raise the money needed to continue construction and open your store! You can find out more here or by writing to invest@wildonionmarket.com.
Wild Onion Market Progress
Three useful clips from our October 16 Fall Capital Campaign launch event:– Jillian Jason, Board President, shares where we’ve been, where we’re going, and why:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=bvx_zHMIi80 – Special guest and cooperative grocery expert, Jon Steinman, shares why co-ops matter for a fair food system and how our store connects to an international movement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=IjdusVwWAg8 – Wild Onion Market Founder and Owner #1, Mary Meyer, demystifies investment in the co-op and calls on each of us to make this vision a reality:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=aXCvvZ8QCw0
Fall Capital Campaign
Our Fall Capital Campaign officially kicked off October 16, with the goal of raising $633,000 by November 20. The funds are needed to finish the store buildout, stock the shelves, and open the doors. Please consider our donation and investment possibilities, information is here, or email invest@wildonionmarket.
Since the October 16 launch, $34,420 in donations and preferred shares have been raised towards the November 20 goal. Please help spread the word. We can do it, but need to pick up some momentum!
The Capital Campaign launch was celebrated with Owners during a virtual event, which included:
– An informational and an inspiring talk from Jon Steinman, cooperative organizing advocate and expert
– Receiving live pledges of campaign investments
– The start of calling Owners to reach each of you about your plan for investing in your co-op
– The video clips above
Our campaign is off to a strong start, but we need everyone all in. This is our moment to build our community-owned cooperative grocery store. We have come so far as a Board, a group of committees, and dedicated individuals. The plan is in place, construction is starting, GM is on board. The key obstacles left are gathering more Owners and raising the remaining funds. So please step up and help open the store!
There is still time to join the teams, we will be providing training to prepare callers and closers to have a successful Fall Campaign. Please contact mary@wildonionmarket for more information.
Events
November 2: Wild Onion Market Board Meeting, 6:30 – 8:30 PM. All Owners are welcome to join. Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/ j/82177403140?pwd= TGZUbE9CU2dxWUh2MWw0cjhhdEI0dz 09 November 5: Market Meet & Greet, 10 AM – 12 PM, 7007 N. Clark, Chicago. Come meet fellow Owners, ask questions about Ownership or investment, meet new GM John Calhoun, take a peek at the market!
Help the Wild Onion Market Community Grow
Share and comment @WildOnionMarket on Facebook
It takes a strong community to open a co-op market. Contact hello@wildonionmarket.
We are on the move – gaining Owners, fundraising, and getting our store ready to open!
Questions about Wild Onion Market? Email Board@
http://join.wildonionmarket.