Videos tagged as 'cooperative development'

Local Roots, based in downtown Wooster, embodies rhizomic growth. A small group of farmers, educators, artists, financiers, and consumers got together in 2009 with a vision for a retail local foods storefront in downtown Wooster. A year and a half later, they have 140 farmer-members and  more than 400 consumer members occupying two previously vacant downtown storefronts in Wooster. Rolling up their sleeves, farmers and volunteers are busy at work expanding the store to include a certified kitchen space that can be used to prepare local foods for the in-store cafe or for use by the farmers that comprise the cooperative. Local Roots demonstrates a business model where a business can help to incubate other businesses and farm-based enterprises. Could this happen in your community?

This video details efforts in the Central neighborhood of Cleveland to establish a cooperative to provide better food access in this food desert neighborhood. The Central Community Cooperative project emerged out of a student project to identify business opportunities to meet unmet needs within the neighborhood. Here current and past students of Cuyahoga Community College describe their efforts to establish a cooperative that combines volunteerism, affordable food access, and connections to broader urban agriculture projects in their neighborhood.

This video breaks down how local food operates. Hear operations manager Jessica Barkheimer describe the flow of activities that support this dynamic cooperative market space. Local Roots was established by and is run by all volunteers. Meet some of the youngest volunteers and learn about some of the financial and management background of the operation. Jessica shares her views on how the Local Roots model can be replicated.