Trevor's Reflections

Final Reflection Assignment

2008-03-15T13:03:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: Natural Food,Sustainability,Organic,Wholesome,Environment,Social Responsibility

Here, I provide the last of the course requirements for my blog entries... my final reflections....

My Responses:

1. What do you think is the most valuable thing you learned from your experience in this class? Why do you think this?

The most valuable thing I learned is how we are are all interrelated. Not just from the perspective of how the earth is a system of cycles where each organism has its respective place within an ecosystem, but also from the perspective of group or team effort.

Our project could not be completed without each member fulfilling their particular role, our project would not have been assigned if not for the course within the school system, and the course would not have been nearly as effective without the support of the community organizations that participated.

Our course emphasized that each species and organism has a particular purpose and that supporting and encouraging life's natural roles lead to a synergy and harmony that is not duplicated with industrial manufacturing techniques. I learned we should seek similar synergy and harmony in all aspects of life.

2. How was the experience during your group project? What benefits and challenges did you encounter along the way? If you could give grades to your group mates and to yourself, what grades would you give and why?

The natural food industry and cooperatives were well outside my realm of experience and the overall experience from the course was fascinating and enjoyable.

Coordinating as a group was particularly challenging.

*** I don't believe a single group member had a poor attitude or failed to learn, grow, or participate. ***

I do feel that our schedules happened to be nearly polar opposites. Further, our topic was very broad or wide and left many alternative options for focus. What happened is that each of us would leave the group with some form of common consensus, but then the alternatives were so wide that by the time we met again, we each could see very different directions to target. Having different schedules made it difficult to coordinate because several times members could not meet again for several class sessions.

I believe we mostly overcame these obstacles and I also understand that not everyone was necessarily able to add value as they would have liked; however, aren't these issues expected with group projects - especially where the group is newly formed? Thus, one benefit was learning to adapt to such challenges. The challenges actually were the basis for some benefit (skill) we gained.

Based on my understanding of the goals of the course (listed in the next question), I believe each of us demonstrated them exceedingly well and would grade all of our efforts as outstanding - an 'A'.

3. Topically, our Capstone class learning goals included the following list. In your opinion, did we meet these goals?

Introduce students to the complexities and challenges of healthy communities, related to urban design, society and food issues

ANS: Yes, from understanding the challenges local farmers face, to understanding cooperatives and the cooperative business model, to the inter-relationships amongst community members and a multitude of various organizations.
Orient students to the particular history and culture of cooperative businesses and the natural food industry

ANS: Yes, We started with the basics of the cooperative business model, continued to learn that different cooperatives (Food Front, versus People's, versus Alberta) may different approaches (I.e. People's 'living wage' policy), how most follow the seven cooperative principles, and finally how cooperatives play a major role in the natural food industry.
Provide students with ethnographic tools to successfully interact with individuals, groups and cultural landscapes, and be able to document and analyze their observations and communicate them to others

ANS: Yes, all groups were introduced to understanding various demographics and statistics so that we can evaluate objectively from a distance. We also learned how to employ sensitivity and understanding (directly) when interacting with others such that we appreciate and concentrate on the value within various cultures. Further, we learned to interact directly with individuals by emphasizing acceptance, openness, and tolerance.
Gain a cultural sensitivity to be able to work with and understand the experiences of a diverse community of people

ANS: Yes, this relates to the latter question where part of the tools are using and employing sensitivity.
Learn environmental and social ethics related to sustainable agriculture, land use, and food issues

ANS: Yes, the topic was covered extensively or deeply. We learned to understand the cycle of energy: from the sun, to plants, to animals, through to understanding the symbiosis of organisms and their inter-relationships. We covered industrial farming techniques using pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and learned of more natural and sustainable alternatives which involve ensuring the complete eco-system is maintained and that all organisms within the chain are allowed to interact as they do - naturally.
Apply experiences into a final presentation which demonstrates strong communication skills, critical thinking and reflection

ANS: Yes, but only the instructor and other participants can truly evaluate the result.
Learn skills working with others, especially related to taking initiative and communicating in a direct and timely manner

ANS: Yes, communication and working with others was amongst the most challenging aspects. Our project could not have been completed without learning and employing these skills.

4. How well did this Capstone help you to engage in issues of social responsibility? Provide specific examples.

Our project involved comparing People's Food Co-op to its surrounding community in order to discover if there were any differences between People's and the surrounding community. We especially wanted to understand if People's was perceived as 'open' by its community members. Was People's somehow, either directly or indirectly, perceived as oppressive? This project greatly enhanced our understanding of how an organization relates to its community and that organizations have a responsibility to understand the details of the relationship and to act responsibly.

Through our text, various readings, movies, and presentations we learned about, discussed, and analyzed the topics of sustainability, local versus imported, conventional versus organic, and community versus individual. We learned that everything has a particular role (in some cases many roles) and that natural systems like our ecosystem must be managed along with any business systems.

As I noted in question #1, the most valuable thing I learned was a deeper understanding and the importance of inter-relationships and that we must be aware of foster harmony.

5. How was your experience working with our community partner? How would you change things for future students?

People's members were welcoming, warm, and helpful. They continually took time to assist and to make available resources for our group. I also want to mention to the positive support from Food Front, Alberta Cooperative, Food for Thought, and other organizations. People's demonstrated how businesses, that from many points of view may typically be considered competitors, can cooperate and support each other.

I wouldn't change anything. The dynamics involved were particularly relevant and effective.

Food For Thought Coop Bulletin Unveiled

2008-03-10T17:48:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: Coop,Cooperative,Organic Inc,Local,Natural Food,Capstone,Community

The ribbon is cut!

If you want to discover information about local cooperatives in the Portland Oregon area, stop by Food For Thought Cafe in the basement of the Smith Memorial Union building of the downtown Portland State University campus.

Now you can find information on several local food cooperatives such as People's Food Co-op (http://www.peoples.coop/), Food Front Cooperative Grocery (http://www.foodfront.coop/), and Alberta Cooperative Grocery (http://www.albertagrocery.coop/) where you can keep up with various events related to the natural food industry.

Food For Thought Cafe is a small student run cafe emphasizing locally grown and sustainable foods.

Assignment #4

2008-03-09T17:35:00.001-07:00

Technorati Tags: Organic,Health Food,Natural Food,Cooperatives,Coop,Coops,Omnivores Dilemma,Organic Inc,Slow Food Nation,PSU,Capstone

Create a proposal for our community partner, People’s Food Cooperative, identifying…

1. A problem area related to a wider food politics or food industry context (this should be a paragraph or two summarizing general trends, with references to readings; include a bibliography at the end).

In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, we learned that food choices often seem simple when, in fact, our choices are based on a complex underlying system; a system where understanding the details or specifics of the entire food chain: from growth, to processing, to shipment, to the final destination of the dinner plate complicates the omnivore’s dilemma: “What should we have for dinner?” We are raised with traditions; traditions that have evolved to keep us nourished and safe; traditions that developed along with our eco-system over a great period of time. Recently, mass production and its associated processing have fueled a separation or a widening gap between the farmer and the end-user: the consumer of food. Michael Pollan identifies the issues with modern chemistry and the underlying effects of feeding animals, like corn-fed beef. Today’s beef is greatly different from the beef of 50 years ago (one could say we feed them unnaturally) and the politics of the food industry today surround transparency, truth, sustainability, and a deeper understanding of our food system. The rising growth of cooperatives, demand for local food, and demand for organic food are testaments to these concerns: cooperatives are centered at the core of food industry politics.

In Organic Inc., Samuel Fromartz starts with a search for tasty, wholesome food and begins a journey of exploration related to food. His journey was about becoming a more informed consumer.

“Another study looked at pesticide residue data from 94,000 food samples from 1994-1999 and found organic food had about two-thirds less residues than conventional food.”
(Organic Inc. p2)

Samuel became concerned, along with many others, that the widespread use of pesticides may be inflicting a multitude of health problems. Key to most, if not every definition of organic food versus conventional food, is the restricted use of pesticides. While there is no universally accepted definition of organic food, the general idea is that pesticides and chemical use (especially synthetic fertilizers) is substantially restricted. In order to fertilize “naturally” crops should be rotated, the over-all eco-system should be managed to use natural means to control pests, bacteria, and diseases versus chemical or man-made means. The goal is sustainability and the healthiest most wholesome food as a product.

Carlo Petrini in ‘Slow Food Nation’ emphasizes that the rush for quick industrial solutions is killing the soil; it comes at great expense. Plants could not grow – naturally – in the densities and quantities maintained today without artificial assistance. Further, the global eco-system effects are substantial. Not only does he believe our current industrial food system is unsustainable, he believes it is dangerous. Carlos offers more than awareness in his book, he leans towards solutions and the following quote demonstrates Carlo’s direction towards a solution:
“We must begin, in this case too, by rejecting everything that is unnatural, everything that introduces unsustainable artifice into the relationship between man and earth”
(SlowFoodNation p110)

These books highlight why people have been collectively gathering to form cooperatives; they are all related to issues surrounding the industrial food industry and highlight significant problems. Local food market or grocery cooperatives all seem to spawn as a way to build awareness and develop solutions related to the food industry by reaching out - directly - to community members.

People’s Food Coop adopted the seven cooperative principles (SevenPrinciples) and these principles are the core foundation underlying the organization. Our proposal directly relates to the trend of growth related to coops and the potential impact coops have upon their respective communities. Our specific proposal stems from concerns directly expressed by People’s members: to develop community awareness and outreach with particular emphasis to maintain diversity, avoid oppression, and maximize the community’s perception of People’s such that they are perceived as open to all community members.

2. The position of a food coop like People’s, in the expanding natural food industry and in local markets (this should be a paragraph or two based on your reflections of the site visits to natural food stores and coops in the Portland area, as well as your understanding of People’s mission, history, and short/long term plans – refer to actual documents and figures when you can).

People’s represents an extension of the community itself where the community concerns are the basis of their principles. People’s members seek a true democracy. Contained within People’s mission, vision, and values statement:

“We envision an involved & active community, cultivating an evolution of society by advancing localization, the cooperative principles and values of social, economic and environmental responsibility.” (PeoplesVision)

People’s represents decision making on a collective basis. Their goals are based on long-term thinking with an understanding of the full-cycle affects on the decisions made. In other words, they don’t just consider the quality, nutritional value, price or other traditional capitalistic features of a product alone; they consider the local impacts on the earth, the eco-system, the food chain, the environment, and society. Thus, sustainability and social responsibility are major identifying characteristics encompassing their organization. People’s manages decisions collectively via consensus:
“The Collective at People’s uses consensus for full-group decision-making in the log and at staff meetings. The same principles we use in these settings can also be applied to teams, committees, and other small groups.” (PeoplesConsensus)

The employees at People’s are paid based on a “Living Wage” principle and no employee should earn more than slightly twice that of the lowest paid employee. This reflects People’s particular emphasis of collective equality. This quote (from People’s ‘Green Features’) emphasizes People’s commitment to sustainability:
“We took extensive measures to build a store that lessens environmental burdens & strive to run it with a minimum of resources.” (PeoplesGreen). These green features were also found in pamphlets distributed throughout the store.

The Food Front is a cooperative grocery emphasizing democratic “capital” ownership.

“As a consumer cooperative, Food Front builds from the vision of its owners to strengthen and extend the social fabric by democratizing capital ownership (social, natural and economic) to create a sustainable community.” (FoodFrontMission)

In our meeting with Lee Lancaster, the Finance Manager of Food Front, we learned that the overall capital ownership is essentially the same as People’s where members can buy a single share for a relatively low price and have options to make payments over a long period. Owners can opt-out and their original capital investment will be returned. Both cooperatives can earn profits, but the profits either fund growth and/or some portion may be returned to members based on their level of shopping. Both stores operate to serve their communities and their respective members and membership has some level of privileges.

The Food Front seeks organic and local food, but does not limit the food offered to local and organic. Currently, People’s is a vegetarian only food market. It is unclear if People’s will remain vegetarian only or they will eventually offer meat products. The Food Front does offer meat:
“Our meat and poultry is from pastured and free-range animals raised naturally by ranchers who are committed to sustainable practices and humane standards.” (FoodFrontMeat)

Further, Food Front offers more conventional foods than People’s. Some may consider People’s more restrictive and less accommodating while others may taut their resolve on principles. There is simply a difference between the stores based on product selection. We also learned in our meeting that the Food Front has a more traditional management structure and they do not have any specific ‘living wage’ guidelines, nor do they have a cap on employee wages. One may find that it is possible to earn higher wages for certain positions at Food Front compared to People’s. One may also find that People’s offers a higher minimum or a higher floor for their employees. Decisions at Food Front are not necessarily based on consensus; management members make decisions through greater autonomy at Food Front than at People’s. Generally, People’s tends to be more collectively organized than Food Front.

Our proposal concentrates on the relationship between People’s and its surrounding community including other organizations and cooperatives. Maybe other cooperatives have differences that could be modeled for future changes, or maybe the differences are already more beneficial for People's and no changes should be implemented. We do not seek to have pre-conceived results, only to be open to what the results indicate; albeit, some form of bias is nearly impossible to eliminate.

3. A research strategy for investigating the problem you have identified, including:

a. Your methodology - how you will study the problem you identified.

In order to achieve our goals, we intend to address these questions:

1) Are the demographics of People’s membership representative of its surrounding community?

The intent is to discover if there are any discrepancies that may indicate some violation of the cooperative principles and to address these concerns directly. To achieve this, we need to compare the results of existing polls that provide demographic information as well as the opinion of People’s membership collected during the polling process. We will then compare published demographic data to the polls.

2) Is People’s product selection/availability limiting or even oppressive?

We have members of our team that theorize that many people cook their meals based on their respective customs and traditions; therefore, they shop where selection is most aligned with their respective meal choices. Simply put: many Mexicans tend to eat Mexican food, Hungarians eat Hungarian, and orthodox Jews only eat food acceptable to their traditions and beliefs. We intend to examine the product selection of other food markets within People’s surrounding region and examine product availability. We intend to discover if simple product selection choices could inadvertently result as some form of barrier between community members and People’s. The main goal is to expand awareness.

3) How could People’s maximize community outreach and openness?

In order to answer the previous two questions, we would have to collect and analyze demographic data, polling data, and use our own observations. The previous two questions may highlight potential problem areas or identify that no significant problems exist. Either way, we believe recommendations towards improvements, better efficiencies, or even solutions to problems identified should coincide with the results.

b. Your theories about what you would expect to find from your study.

People’s must face interesting dilemmas related to their principles and their business strategy. Thus far, People’s have run their coop as a no-meat market. This is one element related to question (2). The Food Front and other coops have not elected to eliminate meat and it appears that offering meat is not a violation of the coop principles. According to a poll conducted by the Vegetarian Resource Group in 2006 (VegetarianJournal), 2.3 percent of adults aged 18 years or older say they never eat meat, fish, or fowl and, thus, are vegetarian. Is People’s choice somehow affecting or limiting the involvement of others because of its decision to be vegetarian? Not offering food that is consumed by 97.7% of the population is significant and we expect to find that this is a factor.
As we noted in question (ii), we also suspect that product selection may be a factor in limiting or restricting certain community members. We would seek to understand some level of significance and what solutions may be possible.

c. An approximate timeline which demonstrates the steps your group will take to research and conclude your project, including particular student responsibilities.

Members: Ersun, Joe, and Trevor

Objective: Determine if the demographics of People’s Food Coop is representative of its surrounding community and identify disparities or inconsistencies, if any, that may be indicated from our observations. We are also attempting to identify community organizations where a bond can be formed between People’s and the respective organization. The purpose is to ensure that People’s is perceived as open as possible to all of its respective community members. Each member is assigned a zip code within an area targeted as potential growth (a new store) for People’s and these areas (zip codes) may simply have a different mix of community members; therefore, the different strategies may need to be applied to expand into such an area; our task is to identify any notable differences that may impact expansion decisions.

Method: Compare demographics and statistical information (as collected by People’s Food Coop via member surveys) with subjective data collected as objectively as possible, individually, in the following three zip codes: 97214, 97215, and 97206. We are each to note demographic, product, community or any relevant differences between the community and People’s current membership. Each member is assigned a zip code, and each member is tasked with researching their respective zip code including physically visiting, photographing, and collecting data from at least two food stores and one community organization. The organization must have what we would estimate as strong potential to develop a long-term relationship with People’s.

Product: A final presentation based on Microsoft Power Point supporting summary documentation for use by People’s members as needed. There are three major areas to develop the project besides the individual data collection: The Power Point Presentation, The Combined Data Summary (charts/tables), and The Written Summary. The product should note any differences, if any, between People’s membership and its community members that may affect the perceived ‘openness’ of Peoples to all community members. The product should offer suggestions related to potential store expansion related to openness or the perception of community members as well as any basic ‘outreach’ suggestions. Further, the report may suggest any number of ideas, programs, or alternatives that affect People’s, cooperatives in general, the community in general, or any aspect that seems relevant to the task.

Timeline

Wednesday, February 27^th

Trevor:

· Contact SE and obtain list of potential contacts/organizations

· Buying Clubs

· Coops (an type, not just food)

· Churches/Charities

· Any organization open to relationship with People’s (if not why?)

· Create (this) Timeline Document

Monday, March 3^rd

All Members:

· Individually contact, photograph, and collecting data from at least two food stores and one community organization with strong inclination for positive relationship with People’s. Have summary data and photos ready for all members. Meet to discuss preparation for Wednesday, March 5^th and assign tasks as necessary.

Ersun:

· Have collected and summarized his individual data (including photos) related to his zip code (97214)

· Collect relevant snippets and summarize from the data collected in People’s membership surveys with emphasis on the expected (anticipated) finding discussed in group meetings.

· Estimate the results from the other members to have ready a ‘rough draft’ of the data summary needed for the overall final product (to include charts and tables) – related to above.

Joe:

· Have collected and summarized his individual data (including photos) related to his zip code (97215)

· Have a ‘rough draft’ of the summary report (based on estimate of other member’s results)

· Collect and summarize information on ‘buying Clubs’ (if completed early – email to group members)

Trevor:

· Have collected and summarized his individual data (including photos) related to his zip code (97206)

Wednesday, March 5^th

All Members:

· Have discussed and combined individual aspects into a “rough draft’ final such that it should be ‘mostly-complete’ per the tasks assigned on Monday, March 3^rd.

· Assign tasks, as necessary, to “polish” the final presentation. Be prepared to perform unexpected tasks in order to meet unexpected challenges. Essentially, we need to be ready to to do what is necessary for the group.

Monday, March 10^th

All Members:

Be prepared for Executive Summary of final (brief synopsis) – the product should be done at this point, although it could still be ‘tweaked’ for best effect as necessary. It is a ‘bad sign’ to still be working in any major capacity on the project at this point. Again – tweaking is expected and just fine. We should have some time set aside, ‘just in case’.

Wednesday, March 12^th

All Members:

Make final Presentation on group project!!

d. The form of final presentation that will most clearly communicate your findings.

The final presentation will be a personal presentation via Microsoft Power Point in conjunction with summary documentation or an executive summary for use by People’s members for later reference.

e. The final product that you will have finished by the end of the term.

The product is a summary of findings related to the comparison of people's membership and People's surrounding community. The product should note any differences, if any, between People’s membership and anything that may be affecting the perceived ‘openness’ of Peoples by its community members. The product should also offer suggestions related to a potential store expansion into southeast Portland. Further, the report may suggest any number of ideas, programs, or alternatives that affect People’s, cooperatives in general, the community in general, or any aspect that seems relevant to the task.

4. How will YOU, personally, focus your time and energy on this particular inquiry?

I will travel to the southeast area of Portland (related to the zip code assigned as well as the general expansion area) and physically visit numerous related food stores to compare demographics, food selection, price selection, and other relevant criteria. I will physically visit other cooperatives (not just food cooperatives) and community organizations to try and establish potential partners with peoples and gain further understanding about the community.

In addition, I will take a camera and collect photographs for use within the Power Point presentation. Throughout the process we are to seek any relevant information that may be pertinent to a potential expansion into southeast Portland.

My assigned task is not only to collect individual data to be combined into a group summary, but I am solely responsible for the creation of the Power Point presentation; therefore, I am also the presenter. The individual task assignments were discussed collectively and agreed to by all members of the group. If the presentation is not satisfactory, it is a reflection upon my individual effort.

Certainly, a significant portion of the overall effort is making sense of all that we collect to produce information out of the data. Even more challenging is taking the time to research appropriately (many hours online), to relate our course content (read and reread text books and notes), and put together something that reflects upon the assigned task, is on time, and to prepare and practice in order present professionally.

5. How do you think your inquiry relates to the four University Studies Goals? Name the goals and describe how you think your project relates to them.

Critical Thinking - our group was tasked with identifying differences, if any, between People's Food Coop and its surrounding community. We have to collect data from surveys, perform observations, and draw conclusions based on evaluations of our findings. There are numerous aspects involved: race, gender, age, culture, or any of many aspects that may be deemed pertinent.

During our course, we read: The Omnivore's Dilemma, Organic, Inc., and Slow Food Nation. We watched various films such as Super Size Me and King Corn. All of the course content was geared to help us understand issues specifically related to the Natural Food Industry. In this material, we learned about cooperatives, the seven cooperative principles, issues related to sustainability, and issues related to community. All of the material is relevant to our task and requires us to consider the issues raised deeply.

Most importantly, our task requires that we cross over or transcend beyond theory and into practice as we are directly involved with organizations and community members that are within or impacted by the natural food industry.

All of these elements require substantial critical thinking in order to draw conclusions based on the myriad of resources available.
Communication - We have to collect observations individually, share our observations with each other to create group conclusions, and then need to create presentations and summaries to others orally, verbally, via charts and graphs, as well as through group presentation.

Our task touches nearly every possible form of communication: speaking, informal email, formal writing, informal and formal presentation, Internet blogs, and Power Point based presentations.

In order for our task to be completed, we must continually communicate with People's members, group members, the instructor, as well as various members of various organizations within the community.

Overall, our task requires demonstrated communication ability via most communication channels.
Ethics - Our task addresses ethics head-on as we are directly collecting information and drawing conclusions to answer the question, "Is People's perceived to be 'open' by its respective members of its community." We need to consider potentially sensitive areas such as race, gender, culture affiliation, economic identity, or any number of potential areas that may directly or indirectly oppress a certain group of people. The oppression, if any, may be real or perceived and not only are we building awareness related to ethically significant areas, but we are also leaving the classroom environment and are interacting directly with the outside community.

Our own ethics are possibly challenged: if we happen to discover any form of oppression, it can be ethically challenging to address the issue appropriately.

We must interact with people while maintaining sensitively and by applying caution. Are our words, phrases, or actions possibly offensive or inappropriate? Just trying to collect information in sensitive areas can lead to potentially problematic scenarios, if not handled appropriately.

Our task is an ethics topic.
Diversity of the Human Experience - our topics deals directly with understanding and appreciating the multitude of differences between a diverse (varied) people and their unique respective experiences. We could not align more perfectly to address this topic. Even a small section of Portland, let alone the members of a single cooperative, contain a wide variety of human experience. There are differences in age, differences in income, differences in race, differences in religion, and music, and culture, and on and on.

We are tasked directly with researching and understanding the diversity of People's Food Co-op and are required to research and understand the section of community surrounding People's. We are assigned with comparing the results such that we make determinations, learn, and ultimately share our knowledge and experience with People's.

We found differences and addressing these differences is enlightening and challenging and covers ways to appreciate differences in food selection based on traditional/ cultural values and habits, based on religious beliefs, based on affordability, based on the impact to the community, and based on sustainability: the overall impact on the environment, its ecosystem, and its people.

Our task was all about and is an in-depth study of the diversity of the human experience.

References

Capstone
Portland State University, www.pdx.edu
"Senior Capstone"
March 2008
http://pdx.edu/unst/capstone.html

SevenPrinciples
People’s Food Cooperative, www.peoples.com,
“The 7 Cooperative Principles”
Feb 8, 2008
http://www.peoples.coop/idea/coopprinciples

International Co-operative Alliance, www.ica.coop,
“Statement on the Cooperative Identity”
26 May 2007
http://www.ica.coop/coop/principles.html

PeoplesVision
People’s Food Cooperative, www.peoples.com,
“Vision, Mission & Values Statements”
Feb 8, 2008
http://www.peoples.coop/idea/Vision/vision

PeoplesGreen
People’s Food Cooperative, www.peoples.com,
“Green Features”
Feb 8, 2008
http://www.peoples.coop/store/greenfeatures/

PeoplesConsensus
People’s Food Cooperative, www.peoples.com,
“Consensus”
Feb 8, 2008
http://www.peoples.coop/idea/consensus/

FoodFrontMeat
Food Front Cooperative Grocery, www.foodfront.coop,
“Meat & Poultry, Seafood”
2006
http://www.foodfront.coop/WhatsinStore/MeatSeafoodPoultry/tabid/115/Default.aspx

FoodFrontMission
Food Front Cooperative Grocery, www.foodfront.coop,
“Our Mission”
2006
http://www.foodfront.coop/AboutUs/MissionPurpose/tabid/120/Default.aspx

Food Front Cooperative Grocery, www.foodfront.coop,
“Food Front Ends”
2006
http://www.foodfront.coop/AboutUs/Ends/tabid/121/Default.aspx

OmnivoresDilemma
“The Omnivore’s Dilemma, A Natural History of Four Meals”,
Michael Pollan
2006. Penguin Books

OrganicInc
“Organic. Inc., Natural Foods and How They Grew”,
Samuel Fromartz
2006, 2007
A Harvest book, Harcourt Inc.

SlowFoodNation
“Slow Food Nation, Why Our Foods should be GOOD, CLEAN, and FAIR”,
Samuel Fromartz
2005, Rizzoli Ex Libris, Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.

VegetarianJournal
Vegetarian Resource Group, www.vrg.org,
“How many adults are vegetarian?”
2006 Poll
http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2006issue4/vj2006issue4poll.htm

Assignment #3

2008-03-08T23:54:00.001-08:00

Technorati Tags: healthy,organic,omnivore's dilemma,michael pollan,natural food,food selection,food industry,cooperatives

*Note - references refer to the text, 'The Omnivore's Dilemma', and are listed by the first letter of the author's last name (Michael Pollan), a colon, and the page number to find the reference I.e. (P: 245) refers to Pollan, page 245.

In the broadest way you can think, considering health, the environment, social factors, and the realities of living in the post-industrial USA, what do you think is the best answer from the "omnivore's dilemma"? From the research you have done in the last few weeks, what do you think Americans should be eating for their meals?

The Omnivore's Dilemma asks the simple question, "What should we have for dinner?" (P: 1) In order to address this question, we must consider the term, 'omnivore' where all food (plant or animal) is an option and the 'dilemma' is the choice of picking a particular food to eat.

"The Omnivore's Dilemma is about the three principal food chains that sustain us today: the industrial, the organic, and the hunter-gatherer. Different as they are, all three food chains are systems for doing more or less the same thing: linking us, through what we eat, to the fertility of the earth and the energy of the sun." (P: 7)

Michael Pollan established that we should not just consider the food, but also the food chain from which it derives. Simply put: If I grow a crop of carrots and the carrots become coated in a lethal dose of poison, that poison is carried through to the consumer of the carrot. The organism that consumes the carrot also consumes the poison. Therefore, once an element within a food chain is tainted, everything up the chain is also affected.

"The discovery of synthetic nitrogen changed everything - not just for the corn plant, not just for the food system, but also for the way life on earth is conducted. All life depends on nitrogen; it is the building block from which nature assembles amino acids, proteins, and nucleic acids; the genetic information that orders and perpetuates life is written in nitrogen ink (That is why scientists speak of nitrogen as supplying life's quality, while carbon provides the quantity.)" (P:42)

Most of us surely know that a plant growing in dark, rich soil will surely grow very differently from than an identical plant growing in in dry arid sand. If plants grow differently based on soil conditions, then understanding the composition of soil is certainly fundamental to making proper food selection choices.

"Liberated from the old biological constraints, the farm could now be managed on industrial principles, as a factory transforming inputs of raw material - chemical fertilizer - into outputs of corn. Since the farm no longer to generate and conserve its own fertility by maintaining a diversity of species, synthetic fertilizer opens the way to monoculture, allowing the farmer to bring the factories' economies of scale and mechanical efficiency to nature." (P: 45)

At first, the discovery of synthetic fertilizer seemed to be all-positive, even a miracle. However, experience now teaches us that while synthetic fertilizer does provide major key ingredients to soil and crop growth, it also sacrifices other beneficial ingredients such as amino acids and antioxidants. Even more significant is the breakdown in the natural cycle, the separation of food chain items, or the simple loss of natural order. Grass depends on the sun, cows and insects on the grass, chickens on the insects and the grass on the chickens and cows. There are numerous interdependencies and industrialization has isolated plants and animals from their respective place in the natural food chain and provided substitutes such as synthetic nitrogen and antibiotics to compensate for the breakdown in the natural order. It is important that sustainability and natural order be restored.

"And while our senses can help us draw the first rough distinctions between good and bad foods, we humans have to rely on culture to remember and keep it all straight. So we codify the rules of wise eating in an elaborate structure of taboos, rituals, manners, and culinary traditions, covering everything from the proper size of portions to the order in which foods should be consumed to the kinds of animals it is and is not okay to eat." (P: 296)

Michael established that especially or even solely in the U.S. there exists no national food cuisine. We are a culture of all cultures and are unique in how we are free to make our food choices. His point is that most, if not all, cultural cuisines have significant nutritional benefit tied to the traditional meals as well as benefits from the associated habits that coincide with the meals.

"What is striking is just how little it takes to set off one of these applecart-toppling nutritional swings in America; a scientific study, a new government guideline, a lone crackpot with a medical degree can alter this nation's diet overnight. One article in the New York Times Magazine in 2002 almost single-handedly set off the recent spasm of carbophobia in America." (P: 299)

Here it is emphasized just how easily Americans sway in their food choices and that we are easily led down unhealthy paths.

"The French eat all sorts of supposedly unhealthy foods, but they do so according to a strict and stable set of rules: They eat small portions and don't go back for seconds; they don't snack; they seldom eat alone; and communal meals are long, leisurely affairs. In other words, the French culture of food successfully negotiates the omnivore's dilemma, allowing the French to enjoy their meals without ruining their health."
(P: 300-301)

This seems to be the 'answer' to the omnivore's dilemma, but it is not quite inclusive enough. As noted earlier, we need to consider more than just proportions and a balanced selection of food enjoyed in mutual satisfaction with community. We need to ensure that the natural order is maintained. We should not fertilize with modified fossil fuel, we should allow each animal and plant to take their respective positions in the natural food chain. This means that diets should differ by region. A food chain in region does not likely survive in another region. Each region should seek to maximize its variety while maintaining food chains appropriate for their climate and locale. We should seek unprocessed local, organic, and natural food.
Can cooperation (as defined by the 7 cooperative principles) succeed as a business model in the United States? Provide evidence to back up your answer. Check out cooperative development websites online.

The 7 Cooperative Principles

1) Voluntary and open membership
2) Democratic member control
3) Members’ economic participation
4) Autonomy and independence
5) Education, training and information
6) Cooperation among cooperatives
7) Concern for community

Can the principles succeed as a business model? First, I need to consider what is meant by the term, succeed. I could define that success requires that at least one cooperative continues to exist based on the principles. I could establish some minimum level of market-share. I could require some form of market-dominance. I could also require some form of profit minimum, or a volume minimum, or any of many potential markers for success. Before I do, I want to consider the heart of a cooperative:

"A cooperative is an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise."
                      (http://www.ncba.coop/abcoop_ab_values.cfm)

Based on this definition of cooperative, I would deem success as some measure of existence (cooperatives must exist to succeed) and that each respective cooperative is satisfactorily meeting the needs of its members (based on their perception).

Some cooperative statistics:

"Cooperatives, both rural and urban, have been part of the American economy for more than 100 years. By one estimate, nearly one-third of the population belongs to some type of cooperative."    (http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/pubs/pa1590.htm)

"29 cooperatives have annual revenue in excess of $1 billion, including such well-known names as Land O'Lakes, Inc., and ACE Hardware. The top 100 co-ops have a combined $117 billion in revenues."

"U.S. co-ops serve some 120 million members, or 4 in 10 Americans." (http://www.ncba.coop/abcoop_stats.cfm)

"Since 1929, National Council of Farmer Cooperatives (NCFC) has been the voice of America's farmer cooperatives. Our members are regional and national farmer cooperatives, which are in turn comprised of nearly 3,000 local farmer cooperatives across the country. The majority of America's 2 million farmers and ranchers belong to one or more farmer cooperatives. NCFC members also include 26 state and regional councils of cooperatives." (http://www.ncfc.org/)

Cooperatives have successfully existed in the U.S. for some time (the NCFC since 1929). The number of total cooperatives originally rose sharply, then declined slightly and seemed to fluctuate and a reasonably stable level that might indicate some form of stagnation or plateau; however, overall revenue has risen, many cooperatives have combined (reducing the quantity of cooperatives but not their membership or presence), and there is no indication that cooperatives in general are failing or declining.

My personal impression, based on a rise in health food awareness, a rise in demand for natural foods, and a sense that many social factors are triggering greater community awareness leads me to conclude that continued growth is likely. Clearly, cooperatives as defined by the 7 cooperative principles can succeed as a business model within the United States.
What do you think is the future of the organic food industry? Provide evidence to back up your answer.

"The global market for organic food and drink reached $23 billion in 2002, according to Organic Monitor. Increasing demand in North America helped fuel the 10.1 percent increase, as North America overtook Europe as the largest market for organic food and drink. Continued growth is predicted for the global organic food industry, although at slower rates than in the past year." (http://www.ota.com/organic/mt/business.html)

The desire for organic food is not just based on taste, it is not just based on nutrition, it is also based on sustainability and the proper ethical treatment of animals. As noted above, the global market - the world - grew at 10.1 percent. These projections estimate future growth, not decline; although, not necessarily continuing at a rate as high as 10 percent, globally.

"The status of organic agriculture has changed dramatically since USDA-NOP standards were finalized in
2002. The most recent estimates show that organic crop and pasture land doubled between 1997 and 2001 to 2.3
million acres, with production in almost every state." (http://organic.colostate.edu/research_docs/Thilmany_paper.pdf)

Within the United States organic land doubled. This is staggering and indicative of substantial growth. When I use my own sense of observation, I have noticed a trend of small specialty stores focusing on organic food expand into local markets and into the mainstream industrial grocery chains. Where only industrial food could be purchased in grocery stores, we now have ever-growing organic food sections. I envision that consumers will continue to raise standards and their awareness and that the organic industry will continue to grow and expand. Global and U.S. growth rates are both strong and the organic industry has clearly not peaked.
What do you think are People's strengths in the local marketplace?

People's strengths include its focus on local and community. They include its openness and effort to seek a relationship with all members of its respective community. It also enjoys a physical location where walk-in traffic is likely high which encourages its small farmer's market style. The building is aesthetically pleasing and warm. Of course, importantly, the food selection is mostly top-notch with healthy local, natural, and organic foods emphasized.

Sick/Lame Cattle - The Meat of Today

2008-02-19T13:48:00.001-08:00

Technorati Tags: beef recall,meat recall,health risk,food industry,FDA,meat inpspector,meat inspection,USDA,Westland,Hallmark,animal abuse,video,activist

The U.S. Department of Agriculture ordered a recall of 143 million pounds of beef Sunday evening [February 17, 2008] from Chino-based Westland/Hallmark Meat Co., which is the subject of an animal-abuse investigation. The recall affects beef products dating back to Feb. 1, 2006 that came from the company.

The recall was prompted by animal rights activists who worked undercover to obtain the following video (and others):

View Cheap Meat Video

It is clear that numerous animals are sick, soaked in feces and urine, and are sent to the slaughterhouse for introduction into our food supply. The supplier in question was the number two supplier of meat to schools in the nation.

Not only is the treatment shown appalling from the standpoint of safety, it is simply beneath the moral standards of most people I know to treat any animal so despicably.

Notably and MOST IMPORTANTLY - the inspectors were ON SITE and did nothing. The checks and balances for food safety and animal treatment are clearly not appropriate nor working. Clearly, those responsible for the food chain are deserving of serious scrutiny and the food system they manage is in need of a major overhaul.

Assignment Two

2008-01-29T17:17:00.000-08:00

Q 1a) Students in this class recognized the following motivations for food purchase and consumption - nutrition, taste, convenience, cost, "addiction", "style", and ethics. On your next trip to the supermarket, record your purchases - and list each food item purchased according to your motivations for that particular item.

Purchase Item	Motivation
Milk (fat free)	nutrition, taste
Eggs	taste, addiction, style
Onions (yellow)	taste
Grape-Nuts	nutrition, taste
Special-K	nutrition
Watermelon	taste
Cantaloupe	taste, nutrition
Green peppers	taste, nutrition
Carrots	nutrition, taste
Gatorade G2	taste, addiction
V8 Fusion	nutrition, taste
V8 Vegetable Juice	nutrition, taste
Bananas	nutrition, taste
Multi-grain bread	nutrition, taste
Sourdough bread	taste, nutrition
Chicken breasts	taste, style
Rye-Krisp crackers	taste
California Kitchen pizza	taste
Romaine lettuce	nutrition, taste
Wine - Yellowtail Merlot	taste, addiction, style
Russet potatoes	taste, style
Green apples	taste, nutrition

Q 1b) Do you think your motivations were influenced at all by some form of advertising or the marketing of that item? Note your response for each food item

Purchase Item	Advertising Influence(yes, no - explain)
Milk (fat free)	No, I started with milk too young for advertising to have an effect and have continued ever since.
Eggs	No, same as above.
Onions (yellow)	No, I just like the flavor added and choose different onions for different flavors.
Grape -nuts	Yes, when I was I child I avoided Grape-Nuts because a kid believes, "Healthy food tastes bad, right?" Later, I sought nutritional food and the advertising drew me in to where I actually wanted to try it.
Special-K	Yes, same sort of influence as above.
Watermelon	Nope - everybody loves watermelon, right?
Cantaloupe	Loved it as a kid and still do.
Green peppers	No advertising attracted me - that I am aware of, I just like the flavor/ spice added to meals.
Carrots	No
Gatorade G2	No, I liked Gatorade the very first time I tried it. It is not exactly 'healthy' in that it uses high-fructose corn syrup and potentially other not so desirable additives, but I drink it instead of soda pop and do believe it is somewhat a better alternative. Frankly, soda tastes too sugary to me and Gatorade doesn't make me 'sweat sugar' like soda.
V8 Fusion	Yes, I love the idea of a healthy juice and like the idea of fruit and vegetables in a drink. It may not be anything close to fresh-squeezed, but - again - to me - is a better choice than a soft drink.
V8 Vegetable Juice	Yes, the adds got me to try it and remind me to get some more.
Bananas	No, I liked em from youth and still do.
Multi-grain bread	Yes, advertising got me to try multi-grain bread and I found it not only to be a healthier choice, it also tastes better.
Sourdough bread	No, I like sourdough bread every now and then - especially for use with something to dip the bread into, like a stew or soup. I learned about sourdough as a youth - no advertising required.
Chicken breasts	No, a simple meat choice and advertising has little to no effect on my choice regarding meat selection.
Rye Krisp crackers	No, I have loved them (my favorite cracker) for as long as I can remember.
California Kitchen pizza	No, I knew nothing about California Pizza when a friend cooked one and I tried it. I have been buying them ever since.
Romaine lettuce	No, do they advertise?
Wine - Yellowtail Merlot	No, a friend introduced me and its all about taste regarding wine.
Russet potatoes	No, even the Idaho ads I see so often don't effect my choice. I actually prefer red potatoes anyway.
Green apples	No, what kid needs an advertisement to try an apple? When it comes to most fruit and vegetables, I don't purposefully buy based on one supplier is better than another; I examine them, try them for taste, and base my choices on personal experience and each experience at the store. One week some apples from one supplier simply appear fresher, or less damaged, while the next week another supplier's apples may appear better to me.

Q 2) Now it's your turn: choose one whole day and eat ONLY processed convenience foods, like in the film "Super Size Me." Record your food choices, taking note of nutritional content, where the food comes fro and was processed (as much as you can find out), cost taste and any other factors related to your food purchase. Also note how you felt at the end of the day.

This isn't an 'official answer'. I am just remarking that I would not eat fast-food or convenience food for every meal for anyone. I eat fast food, but not ever for every meal.

Q 3) Now it's your turn--flip side: choose one day and eat ONLY healthy whole foods or foods you process yourself (your definition of healthy). Record your food choices, taking note of nutritional content, where the food comes from, cost, taste, and any other factors related to your food purchase. Also note how you felt at the end of the day.

Hmm... I am perplexed - again, "... take note of nutritional content..." How do I take note of nutritional content? That must be part of the task: should I simply limit choices based on caloric content? Someone might, but I am a big believer in balance and I simply think nutrition is much more complex. I am not a scientist nor a chemist, but I do know enough to understand the importance of having essential vitamins, minerals, and various other catalysts available to the body for the best chance at positive overall health - where chemical reactions occur properly within the body.

I imagine that all the 'pieces' must be present for a multitude of processes within the body to function correctly; however, as Michael Pollan eludes to in the Omnivore's Dilemma, the pieces are often collected individually by today's food processing industry where food engineers pick and choose ingredients at the chemical level rather than at the natural food group level. For example, corn is broken down into its various chemical chains and then food engineers pick the chains they desire (such as high fructose corn syrup). In doing so, they are also removing pieces indiscriminately.

Scientists are still learning that these 'other' ingredients are - in fact - essential necessary requirements for a proper diet. Thus, food engineers looking for and selecting specific 'key' nutritional ingredients may also exclude other key nutrients inadvertently. We are just learning about the significant value of antioxidants, omega-3s, and other necessary nutrients that are often omitted from food via the industrial process.

So, how do I note nutritional content? I take it that I should 'count' something.

I do not count calories. I do not count vitamins, I do not seek to count when attempting to ensure nutritional content. To understand, I have tried to count. I tried to count calories. I tried to count a variety of factors based published 'percent of daily values' information placed on packaging. When I did try, factors like the all important 'serving size' kicked in. For example, I had a presentation in a college class where an individual demonstrated a product sold using 'advertising deception'; it was advertised as a 'fat-free' cooking oil spray - or so it claimed. I learned that the serving size was one spray - one press of the button; however, the 'spray size' used could only be emanated by a machine - a person could never produce a spray so small - the act of pressing and releasing and actually achieving the 'serving size' is not humanly possible. Further, what person in practical use actually uses one single spray anyway? Don't most people - okay - ALL PEOPLE - actually hold down the button to cover a surface area? Serving size in the food industry is never actually about any reasonable attempt to measure what a person will typically use. In fact, in this case, the serving size listed is not humanly possible to achieve.

Why is this important? Why would a company choose a serving-size that cannot be obtained in reality? Why is this allowed?

Well, the manufacturer takes advantage of a rule where grams measured can be rounded down.

What does that mean?

Well, it means that one spray is less than one gram, so even if the spray actually contained 100% saturated fat, the manufacturer is allowed - legally - to round down and report 0 grams fat and - importantly - claim 'fat-free' on the label. If I read the ingredients on the can, the first item listed (and items are listed by their percentage of total) is canola oil. It is not 'fat-free' and any user will use far more than a single spray. The person making the demonstration to my college class then provided independent laboratory facts indicating that the contents released were nearly all saturated fat. Hmm? Wow!

That one example demonstrates my sense of futility in seeking accurate, convenient, and - importantly - useful nutritional information based on labeling.

Further, where do I find 'banana' nutritional facts? There is nothing next to the bananas I buy, no nutritional sheet, no information that I can find. Do I simply look online? Let us assume a sheet is present, are all bananas nearly alike, would it have meaning?

Well, I am now reading in our text and from other sources that 'organic' fruits and vegetables may have very different nutritional content than non-organic. So, how do I KNOW the nutritional facts related to MY BANANAS - the actual bananas I pickup and place in my shopping cart? If the assertions are true that the same vegetables types can be comprised of very different nutritional contents, then how does one make the appropriate decision? Should each supplier be required to test a certain quantity of samples and provide the resulting facts with each batch? If not, then what is the point of assuming? Certainly, getting facts online provide some generalized information, but how valuable is that information? I simply cannot really KNOW one banana is truly different than another and not knowing can (possibly?) be deadly. Are my bananas laced with pesticide residue? Are my bananas covered in E-coli, or any of a wide variety of microscopic, invisible to the human eye, organisms and/or chemicals? What am I really doing in counting assumed nutrition information if the information may not apply to MY BANANAS?

This is one aspect of my experience that has led me to make determinations based on my own methods: I judge by food groups/categories: vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains/breads, meats, dairy, etc. It is my belief that a 'balanced diet' (based on my sense of grouping) provides the body the greatest mix of what it needs. The body needs both to obtain and process nutrients and to obtain what it needs to eliminate toxins - generally toxins are removed by consuming the appropriate nutrients that act as a counter-balance or by simply keeping the toxin removing body parts (like the liver) operating properly.

I also believe that genetics have a substantial impact and that a balance for one person does not necessary apply to another. THIS IS IMPORTANT: what applies to one person does not necessary apply to another!

So, where do I derive my sense of balance?

I was tested often while in the military; where they measured body fat, lung capacity, vision, hearing, cholesterol levels, and a host of other measurements designed to observe the condition of individuals over time. Numerous soldiers participated and I learned that low-fat, whole grain, high vegetable, or total vegetarian diets do not necessarily result in great health/nutritional statistics. A person following these 'proper' diets does not necessarily overcome or supercede the health statistics of a person following what is commonly referred to as an 'unhealthy' diet by most nutritionists.

What? Am I crazy? Aren't we simply what we eat - as we are often told? Well, what did I observe?

Many people ate red meat, fatty burgers, eggs & cheese with sausage gravy, etcetera and their tests consistently faired better than people who ate 'proper' diets. Those results were enlightening, or, if one steps back and observes carefully, it may seem - obvious - that we each have a range of expectation based on our own respective genetic traits. One only needs to look at an entire family tree, the actual people, to realize that we are simply born with traits that predispose each of us.

Further, we each have other relevant habits - besides diet - that affect or impact our health. If a person does not exercise, can proper diet compensate? If a person smokes, can proper diet compensate? Similarly, if we are born predisposed towards some condition, doesn't proper diet have its limits?

Don't get me wrong: I certainly observed both positive and negative effects based on diet, however, the effects seem to be within each person's respective 'range', and from my observations the most critical factor was genetics, then exercise, and lastly diet. Of course, other factors such as exposure to chemicals, smoking, or pre-existing conditions like diabetes, etc are also relevant.

So, do I conclude that we should care about diet? My answer is - emphatically - yes! We cannot change our genetics, at least, I am not aware of any means to do so. We certainly should exercise and, based on my observations, I believe that we should seek to consume an overall balance of food items by selecting a wide variety of food groups/categories because that is where I, personally - visibly - noticed a great difference in positive change. Eating balanced simply seemed to work.

Therefore, my sense of 'balance' drives my sense of what constitutes a 'healthy' diet.

I believe every person is unique and I now ask each of us to consider: What if we could each customize or tailor our diets based on factual information? Imagine a miniature testing device much like those used for diabetes where a person could get results for a broad spectrum of nutritional indicators immediately. Where questions would be answered, such as, is my iron high or low, my sugar high or low, my vitamin A, D, E, levels etc? A user could prick the device into their arm, finger, thigh, or wherever, and the results are tested via a PC or laptop, or even within the device itself and out prints a diet guide tailored to that specific person. Does anyone believe that one diet truly fits all? Do you?

I imagine a future where food is labeled accurately and/or we have personal devices to individually test food on-the-fly. That is where my imagination takes me: a positive future where individualized transparency and accuracy reigns supreme.

I currently believe that we not only do not have access to the detail of information necessary to make sound decisions, I believe their is malicious misinformation. Therefore, I must base my definition of 'nutritional content' on generalized categories of food groups.

Here are the results:

BREAKFAST:

I had a bowl of Grape-Nuts cereal with fat-free milk. I love the crunch, enjoy the taste, and savored every bite. I also had a few pieces of cantaloupe, a banana, and a small can of V-8 vegetable juice.

For me, breakfast is where I emphasize eating fruits, dairy, vegetable juice, and grains. The banana and cantaloupe are organically grown.

LUNCH:

For lunch, I enjoyed an egg-salad sandwich made with pesto, strips of onion, and some romaine lettuce. The onion and lettuce were organically grown. The eggs were local and organic/range-free (actually my brother raises the chickens). I also enjoyed an organic green apple along with some V-8 fusion juice.

I had multi-grain grains), meat (eggs), fruits and vegetables as well as fruit and vegetable juice.

DINNER:

My wife (Racheal) pan fried a small amount of organic, free-range chicken breast, applied some seasoning, and added onion, green pepper, mushrooms, prosciutto ham along with a small amount of Swiss cheese melted on top. A small helping of french-cut green beans (from a can) and we also had a salad with red-leaf, romaine, and baby green lettuce, green onion, mushrooms, olives, homemade croutons all wrapped in a light oil & vinegar dressing. Along with the meal, we enjoyed water and red wine (yellow tail merlot).

I felt that the food we selected was not 'processed', was primarily organic and/or reasonably industrial (juices and cereal seem okay to me). I concentrate on ensuring that I get fibers/grains, meat, dairy, and especially focus on getting a variety of color in regards to fruits and vegetables. I wont just eat the same vegetables, but ensure that I get yellow, orange, green, brown, and - in essence - as wide a variety as possible. It was less than 2 years ago where I analyzed my diet and realized fruits and vegetables were far too small a portion of my diet. I try to keep a reasonable balance without loosing the lust for food, the savoring that I enjoy so much.

I felt wonderful all day. I enjoyed and savored every bite. I feel young, I feel healthy, and my energy level is extremely high.

Feedback: 'Super Size Me' versus 'Organicize Me'

2008-01-27T18:12:00.001-08:00

Technorati Tags: Super Size Me,Organicize Me,Organic,McDonalds,Health

Morgan Spurlock started a craze, a revolution, maybe a even a war with his much hyped 'Super Size Me' film. Michael Stusser, in contrast, possibly as an equalizer, possibly as an opposing point of view, or possibly just to simply get attention wrote a related article, 'Organicize Me'. Here are my reflections:

SUPER SIZE ME:

In 'Super Size Me', Morgan consumes nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days. As a result, Morgan reported these conditions after 30 days:

Massive headaches
Mood swings
Depressed and exhausted
Two times more likely for heart failure
Two times more likely for heart disease
Fatty liver
Food cravings
Cholesterol increased from 180 to 230
He gained 24.5 pounds.

Wow! By this assessment, it appears that choosing to eat at McDonalds is equivalent to choosing a death sentence.

Morgan chose to eat a variety of food items as offered by McDonalds restaurants: he had to select and eat items directly from the menu and he had to eat each food item offered on the menu at least once. If he was offered a "super Size" meal, he would always accept. Morgan would eat nothing but McDonald's meals three times a day for thirty days. Further, he also chose to modify his exercise habits to match that of a typical American and/ or that of of a typical McDonald's client - per some unknown estimate.

What was 'right' about the video:

In my opinion, Morgan identified how McDonalds (at least at the time) does NOT offer well-balanced meals. How many people would suspect that most of the salads were as fatty or more than a Big Mac? I define 'balanced' as consuming the generally accepted 'Percent of Recommended Daily Intake' (RDI) as published by the FDA(http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/foodlab.html).
Morgan offered a sense of credibility by seeking and providing the results of continuous medical examinations throughout the 30days.
McDonalds advertises in such a manner that I conclude that the overall nutritional content of McDonalds foods is is not likely to be understood properly to the point that the average consumer is mislead and unable to make proper nutritional decisions regarding McDonalds food selection.

I happened to be in Germany from 1986 to 1988 and prior to my arriving, Americans were already understanding/ awakening to the high fat, low nutrition content of McDonalds food. McDonalds, due to increased consumer activism and a sense of truth in advertising, stopped advertisements that implied the Big Mac and other high fat foods were overall nutritious. The advertisements switched to taste and alternate menu items began to appear. However, for me, while I was in Germany (at the same time as the new changes emerged in American advertising) every placemat in a McDonalds restaurant still claimed the Big Mac to be highly nutritious. The restaurant was plastered with misleading and inaccurate claims of high nutrition and high health benefits everywhere within a German McDonalds.

McDonalds management clearly knew better based on the emerging activity/ advertising trends in America. This fact that management engaged in opposing and alternate advertising schemes (for me) established conclusively that McDonalds management is purposefully deceptive and only driven to 'do the right thing' by acts of law and overall consumer activism.
McDonalds (at the time) created 'Super Size' product categories where one could reasonably conclude that the average consumer purchased more food than would be healthy by any nutritionist. A 64 oz cola is simply ridiculous for the average consumer to consume for any meal at any time. Part of a proper diet is proper proportions and McDonalds easily violated offering reasonable proportions. McDonalds pushed for sales regardless of impact.

What was wrong with the video:

Morgan ate "super sized" proportions to the point of continually puking. We are led to believe that eating McDonalds food will result (for the typical consumer) in the same severe health risks that Morgan reported.

Is this true?

I noted that the nutritionist constantly pointed out to Morgan that he was eating 200+% of the calories he should be eating. One might believe that McDonalds food is so fattening that a normal McDonalds meal leads to this excessive overeating, but we watched - REPEATEDLY - as Morgan STUFFED himself. He was full and ate more anyway. He threw up and continued to eat. Is this a reasonable test? What would happen to any person any any food to such excess? This is clearly a problem for me such that I consider the effect of such a decision to introduce significant 'biased' within the experiment. This decision was unacceptable, misleading, and malicious in the desire to effect the outcome negatively.
Morgan was the only data sample. Anyone familiar with statistics and proper experiments knows that one individual is too small of a test sampling to get accurate results. Further, those who are not familiar with statistical techniques do tend to accept self-studies as 'typical' - improperly! This is a known technique to drive persuasion with a preconceived idea, rather than perform some objective experiment - as was inferred. Frankly - this technique clearly worked! The average viewer accepted his results as typical. Knowing science and proper having basic skills in proper experimentation techniques, I cannot accept the results 'as typical' and must conclude - again - that there was malicious intent to create 'hype' and exaggerate results.
The movie was presented as objective, but is clearly subjective and substantially biased. Morgan's girlfriend is a vegan and made numerous statements more than indicating a substantial bias. Are we to believe Morgan chooses a girlfriend with radically different ideas about food & diet and that coincidentally made a video with an unbiased expectation for the outcome? Or... can we conclude that Morgan intended to 'expose McDonalds'? I think substantial evidence exists to indicate purposeful bias:
- Morgan's girlfriend's is a vegan and Morgan likely has similar beliefs. He intended to 'prove' McDonalds food was bad and began with a preconceived conclusion. A preconceived conclusion - by itself - is not bad, but an effort to conceal bias, and efforts to abuse proper experimentation techniques is telling.
- What was Morgan's activity prior to the experiment? Did he lower his exercise activity? What happens when a person lowers their level of exercise? Is it not reasonable to conclude that reducing exercise while running an experiment to identify the outcome of a changed diet will effect the outcome. Is the effect predictable? I conclude that any reasonable person would know that the chances of increased weight gain rise significantly. One may also conclude that the body could make adjustments to the 'shock' of the change in exercise activity which also skews results. I conclude that Morgan stopped working-out (exercising) for the experiment in order to skew the results negatively.
- What was Morgan's diet prior to the experiment? If he radically changed his diet, and it appears that he did, then his body might overcompensate due to a sudden shock or change in diet. A sudden change in diet likely exaggerates the body's response and further skews results. This is where testing numerous people and increasing the 'sampling pool' would compensate - unless a person maliciously selected people in order to introduce bias.
Was the real issue McDonalds food or what happens with over-eating in any unbalanced diet situation? My biggest complaint and what seems most obvious is that Morgan overate - regardless of nutritional content. Would he gain weight eating nutritional food at 200+% of a normal calorie intake. I suspect he would. I do accept that McDonalds does not offer a proper balanced diet; especially, when considering the combinations of food that typical McDonald's clients typically consume. Therefore eating any unbalanced diet every meal, for every day, for 30 days not surprisingly would likely lead to health problems. However, what would happen if someone eats nothing but vegetables, no fruits, no meats, no grains - just vegetables. Hmm???

What would happen if a similar test were applied to a different food source? Would we get similar results? Now, that is what I am curious. I want to know and that is exactly is what I was expecting to discover when I read the title to my other referenced article:

ORGANICIZE ME:

By the the very nature of the title, we are led to believe that Michael Stusser was performing an equivalent experiment to Super Size Me. I must state immediately that I was more than disappointed. The article begins with Michael stating he would start an organic-only diet, but was he also going to similarly consume 200+% of a normal calorie intake via organic food? Would he eat until he was sick and keep eating anyway? Would he have three doctors evaluating his medical conditions as he progressed? Would he eat a 'balanced' organic diet and concentrate on one category, like vegetables, or fruits, or grains? After all, if he eats a balanced version, is that an equitable comparison?

Hmm... Did he? No, I think not! What we did get is the knowledge that he bought and ate organic food for thirty days, but there were no doctors, and there was no excessive 'super size' proportions, and he did not make any effort to perform an equitable - biased -comparison. Further, we then get this (some kind of definition of what constitutes organic, an organic guide):

Well - sort of - we got an organic definition more than a guide. We didn't get anything particularly useful to health and nutrition. What we got was the majority of the article proving the point that nobody (even official government sources) really agree on just what makes something - organic and we did get his opinion that many organic foods 'could' potentially be hazardous but without any real scientific evidence or any real serious effort to draw such a conclusion.

Frankly, the article - in my opinion - offered virtually nothing useful other than making clear to me what I WANT to see or get out of article with such a title.

SUMMARY

I want to see an equitable comparison. I want three doctors (or more) involved in an organic-equivalent experiment. I want a similar over-eating approach based on calories. I want a similar diet-shock where the food eaten is likely to be as equally a major switch in diet: something equally outside the range of the participant's normal diet. I don't mean eating poisonous food. I mean eating food that is also nutritionally unbalanced and is opposite the normal diet of the tester.

Is it fair to use an experiment where the diet is actually balanced when we know the diet was far from balanced in the McDonald's test? Is it fair to have an organic test that does not result in consumption of 200+% of a person's expected calorie intake?

I desire to view the results of an equitable test for an 'Organicize Me' equivalent article. The article was nothing close and an utter disappointment: it was pathetic and not worthy - in my opinion.

EVEN BETTER:

What would be proper - of course - would be redoing both tests properly and involving a reasonable sample size - one sample is always insufficient to draw reasonable conclusions. I want what we know about genetics added to the experiments (I. e. people genetically predisposed to weight gain and high cholesterol easily skew small sample size experiments). I want size and height characteristics added to the experiments. I want medical family history added. In other words wouldn't it be nice if someone, somewhere, could actually test these theories properly? What is the problem? It seems that most people already have their conclusions drawn and have no interest in an unbiased study. It seems awfully challenging, if not impossible to get to a truth when each of us start with the conclusion in hand.

Assignment One

2008-01-16T01:42:00.001-08:00

Q 1a) What are the different motivations that drive Americans to make their food choices, according to Samuel Fromartz (author of Organic, Inc.) and Michael Pollan (author of Omnivore's dilemma) and the course pack articles?

Samuel Fromartz sought, "...fresh and flavorful foods, which could be prepared quickly, barbeque and Indian foods being exceptions." (pg xiv Organic Inc.) Clearly, Samuel enjoyed cooking and constantly explored the various textures and tastes capable of being enjoyed by the human palate. This is an indication that Americans are driven to select foods based on their taste. He also noted the success of large conglomerate chains (I.e. Wal-Mart) and acknowledged that many people are simply driven by price. However, I believe, Samuel developed a particular interest, or sense, or value system that made clear what 'he believes' drives Americans [or what he believes 'should' drive them] when he stated, "Something was driving this market and Whole Foods had tapped into it. It was the alternative supermarket not just for foodies but for the health conscious, for mothers concerned about what their kids were eating, for anyone who was uneasy about the conventional food system and all of its familiar brands." (pg xvii) He also stated, "The focus on yield also ignores the larger cost of chemicals to the environment, communities and health - measured in size of the size of the ozone hole over the Antarctic or the potential impact of drifting pesticides on a nearby school. These so-called external costs, which society must bear, don't show up in yield studies." (pg 34) Samuel indicates that Americans are driven by taste, by economic and regional realities, and are, or should be, driven by the potential impacts food choices have on health, family, society, and the overall environment.

Michael Pollan covered nearly every potential motivation towards a food choice particularly well. His book title is well thought and self-explanatory, "Omnivore's Dilemma". His first line, "What should we have for dinner?" is also phrased well and leaves nothing to question regarding his direction. Pollan is succinct and captures the various food drivers right from the beginning and from nearly every perspective. He summarizes it, "But for omnivores like us (and the rat) a vast amount of brain space and time must be devoted to figuring out which of all the many potential dishes nature lays on are safe to eat. We rely on our prodigious powers of recognition and memory to guide us away from poisons (Isn't that the mushroom that made us sick last week?) and towards nutritious plants (The red berries are the juicier, sweeter ones). Our taste buds help too, predisposing us towards sweetness, which signals carbohydrate energy in nature, and away from bitterness, which is how many of the toxic alkaloids produced by plants taste. Our inborn sense of disgust helps us from ingesting things that might infect us, such as rotten meat. Many anthropologists believe that the reason we evolved such big and intricate brains was precisely to help us deal with the omnivore's dilemma. ... which things nourish and which things poison... The human omnivore has, in addition to his senses and memory, the incalculable advantage of a culture, which stores the experience and accumulated wisdom of countless human tasters before him."

Michael Pollan leaves little doubt and jumps straight to the point in establishing what he believes drives Americans [or humans] towards a food choice. Isn't he stating that our very evolution has pre-programmed us to learn and recognize what is safe; what is harmful, aren't we are part of a bigger picture where 'the right choice' should already be built-in to our genes, our culture, into society, and that choices should be derived from something bigger than any one person.

In the article, "My Search for the Perfect Apple", a dichotomy of choosing organic versus local, health versus community was presented. It seems that the author of this article highlights the issue of long-term considerations, understanding the chain reaction of choices and how they potentially affect the big picture, as well as further highlighting that there is not necessarily a path of complete good versus complete evil. Our choices are complicated and mixed. Choosing organic versus non-organic may offer a healthier alternative, but just the simple act of transporting organic items over long distances may offset many of the benefits that organic items offer.

From the various authors' or reading sources, I believe we were presented the following motivations or food drivers (not in any particular order):

Taste
Price or Economics
Health
Community
Culture
Accessibility/ Locality
Environment
Sustainability

Q 1b) Do you agree? What are the motivations that drive YOU to make YOUR food choices?

How does one agree or disagree? When I was young I liked sweets: candy, cake, cookies, strong fruits, etc. I had a sweet toothe and my taste drove me towards these items. As I have aged, my tastes have changed and I now, generally, find most candy to be - too sweet - and not something I would choose to consume. Taste is clearly a major driver for me: I will not ever eat anything that does not taste well. I cannot eat certain quiches, or certain soups, or any of a number of foods that just taste bad. However, I really do enjoy or even crave most foods: I like breads, cheeses, meats, lettuce, peas, corn, cabbage, pizza, wine, crackers, rice, fish, etc. For me, taste comes first.

Do I do anything more than simply make choices based on taste? The answer is - yes, I do! I know that some foods give me gas, some give me heartburn, some cause me to gain weight, and certainly some are dangerous and could kill me. I do consider all of these and other aspects. I am likely to make choices based on some personal "comfort level" or personal point of view rather than published health standards. I cannot avoid addressing gas or heartburn, but I can ignore many published opinions on making 'the right choice' and I would be dishonest if I did not admit that I am not always making choices based on sound medical opinion. I do care about my health needs and do make some adjustments, but do not adhere to strict control. I may try to find crackers that are fat-free, yet still ensure that they taste good. I may choose to eat multi-grain or whole grain breads, or fiber products versus white bread or simply choose white rice because I believe they are 'healthier'. I may add vegetables and fruit to my meals even when I really don't seem to crave them -- I do this because "I know better" (or at least think I do).

To date: I have not purchased food based on a community aspect. I have not purchased "union" food and avoided 'non-union', or 'organic' versus 'non-organic', or based my selections on a particular business model such as a cooperative where I would likely be making choices to reflect a specific consideration of the overall community.

Q 2a) Do you think the film "Super Size Me" is hopeful or pessimistic about the future of food? Why, specifically?

My initial reaction is that the film is overwhelmingly pessimistic. The film begins by identifying America as the "fattest" nation in the world; we are number one! The film eludes to an older nation (50s & 60s or earlier) where most families enjoyed home-cooked meals and slowly, over-time, was over-whelmed or taken-over by industrialization and corporate greed. It more than infers a doom & gloom related to fast food and industrialization.

The film was inspired by a lawsuit where two young women aged 14 and 19 were severely overweight and were suing McDonalds under the premise that McDonalds pushed or significantly inspired them to eat at McDonalds every day and that doing so is "unreasonably dangerous" to one's health. It inferred that their severe weight and poor health was directly due to McDonalds.

I wonder how anyone could consider the film optimistic?

The film indicated that all fast-food is dangerous, that corporations and politicians care more about profits than children, or families, or overall health. After Morgan took the 30 days McDonalds challenge, he gained 24-1/2 lbs, his cholesterol went from 168 lbs to 230, his body fat increased 11-18%, and all three doctors indicated that his liver and overall medical stats were flat-out scary and leaned towards severe health decline, or even a risk of death. The film was simply shocking and scary.

I intend to blog further on the film - deeply. The film raises crucial and important points, but also does so at the expense of solid science and solid principles. It was, in my opinion, purposefully generating hype and certainly will gather people together who already have the same common beliefs, but also risks pushing away those that could easily identify the films obvious flaws. For example, Morgan didn't just eat McDonalds food, he 'stuffed' himself. On his first first day, he was forcing food down, he was sick, he was throwing up: he did not just eat and enjoy a McDonald's meal. Is that realistic or even fair way to evaluate any food? Further, his nutritionist noted each and every week that he was eating 200+% of the caloric intake that should be typical, or suggested for a person of his size and weight.

The film produced significant evidence that most nutritionists would agree that McDonalds food is simply not 'balanced', and does not provide a complete or appropriate, or well-rounded diet. However, should anyone expect the meals to be complete and balanced? Maybe, we should - that is a great point to consider.

On the other hand, who expects someone to remain healthy eating any form of food to the point of a 200+% caloric intake? I do believe that Morgan knew that he didn't just eat "fatty" McDonalds food, he knew he ate far too much, he ate "super-sized" proportions. He put his body in shock. Therefore, for me, the film was pessimistic: he and the others involved likely intended to scare, intended to shock, and intended all viewers to be worried about the current industrialized and corporate-based America. There was little, if anything, in the film to suggest a trend towards hope or a trend indicating positive change.

NOTE: I intend to continue on this topic in a separate blog later.

Q 2b) Do YOU agree with the suggestions in "Organicize Me" about the cost of organic food?

This question challenges me. The article made suggestions? What suggestions? Did it point out any real direct cost comparison and actually make suggestions? I did find indicators that organic foods generally cost more (directly) than non-organic foods. For example, the author tabulated expenses and began with a 'non-organic' average expenditure on food of approximately $800 per month compared to the author's 'organic' month where he spent $1,372.51 - a 58% increase!

The article, in my opinion, did not indicate whether the extra spending was worth it, or whether the food costs were somehow offset by other costs (such as future health costs), or simply that the costs were acceptable to enhance the community. I was disappointed with this article. "Supersize Me" was about eating McDonald's food for 30 days and measuring the health affects (if any). I expected a similar scenario for the "Organicize Me" article since the title was clearly directed at showing the organic equivalent. The article began appropriately with a similar premise of eating organic-only for 30 days and then quickly diverted into an entirely different topic of, "What constitutes 'organic'?" and proceeds to identify the USDA definitions of organic, and conflicting local definitions, and on to compare a Wal-Mart or super-corporate version of organic, and - frankly - points out that there is a mess out there when it comes to simply trying to define what constitutes organic food. While all of that was interesting, it was like shoving a separate article within an article and was off-topic. To me, if one Just grabs the beginning and end of the article and pieces them together they would get the appropriate "Organicize Me" article.

The article did reflect that organic food (at least for the time being) is more expensive - directly - than non-organic food, but didn't really seem to make suggestions about cost as much as it identified some cost facts relative to that particular scenario.

Q 3) In your own words, define a cooperative business structure.

The term, cooperative, implies a group where respective members help each other, support each other, aid each other, and seek to get along for some common purpose. A key element is the notion that the collective needs of the group generally outweighs specific individual needs. Decision making is democratic and each member has one vote (no member has more voting power than another). Cooperatives likely consider broad community and environmental needs and consider a natural harmony where where mutual interdependence requires consideration of a larger system. Thus, many cooperatives likely have in common the notion that each of us are simply one element ,or are part of a bigger, more complex system where multiple interdependencies must always be considered. Further, long-term goals likely take precedence over short-term goals.

Q 4) What are YOUR first impressions of People's post expansion business model? Do you think they are running a strong business? Why or why not?

People's have taken the position of equal pay; well, not completely equal but all employees are paid based on a range: they have decided to support a living wage minimum (approx $10.50 ) and max out at just over double that wage. I have a family with a successful business and an intimate understanding of the wages paid. People's living wage minimum is below the lowest paid wage (minimum) for my family business. Further, our business has numerous employees that greatly exceed the wage paid by People's. Therefore, the first thing that hit me is that our employees - all of them - would likely loose significant economic benefit if we adopted a similar model.

While I was at Peoples Food Co-Op, employees proudly noted that other businesses in the same industry (like Wal-Mart) typically pay below People's standards. Peoples' employees are proud to offer more than such organizations and I will admit that my family's business is in an entirely different industry. The SSA (Social Security Administration) lists the average US wage to be $38,651 (http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/AWI.html). Considering 52 weeks per year and 40 hours per week, the hourly rate would be approximately $18.50. Thus, People's wage range could be above or could below the existing national average depending, on actual figures for employees. Regarding the food industry, I personally believe Peoples pays above average; however, I am concerned that there is a direct assumption that all work is created equal.

It is ironic to me that so many members seem to be college students. Why did they attend college? Maybe they attended for pure self-improvement, but it is likely that most people would choose not to work so hard seeking a college degree, not to dedicate so much time, and not do whatever it takes to improve if their were no incentives beyond self-actualization. I am concerned: isn't it healthy to provide economic incentive? Should all people be treated the same? How is hard work rewarded? Thus, my first impression is that the model may limit its workforce and fail to draw in talented, educated people who worked hard to increase their abilities with an expectation that they will gain some level of economic benefit.

Wage and economics is just one aspect, some may argue: a lesser aspect. I am impressed with People's emphasis on community. I am impressed with the efforts for sustainability, and for health. These aspects are difficult, if not impossible, to measure; yet, they are clearly a substantial aspect of the model. Certainly, the friendships, comradery, and support for others has significant value. It is a form of pay or reward and it is obvious that community emphasis boosts the strength of the business. I also have an immediate impression that this sense of community is similar to religious support. Much of the ideals and philosophies directly compare to what many churches offer, understanding the obvious differentiation that one involves an acceptance and understanding of god and another does not. Don't churches have a sense of community? Don't they seek to help others? Don't they look beyond individual needs as well?

Overall, I think People's business model is strong, but is simultaneously susceptible to changing political trends and likely would suffer the most harm in a depression/recession rather than in an economic boon. People's may be focused on community and emphasize support for those most in need, leading one to believe they would have the most support and most success in hard-times. However, as much as they offer support for the needy, monetary costs are high, and reserves seemed low. Long-term, I believe Peoples should consider multiple possibilities/ alternatives to overcomes high costs and ensure survival in hard economic times.

Q 5) What are some of the markers of people's brand identity? Can you identify how people's brand is marketed to its membership and the general population of consumers (in the store, newsletters and other promotional materials?)

People's identifies closely with community, and trust, and health, and sustainability. Their brand is the "common good" or even compassion. They emphasize equality and fairness. They offer a place to find fresh, organic, and. or local food. I sought in-store material and found several pamphlets/advertisements. *Note - most were, if not all, green/ environmentally friendly - a form of branding in itself. I also found their website and browsed through the content. The media I found emphasized the low costs associated to joining or becoming a member, the refund opportunities if one chooses to leave, the discounts, etc. It seemed as though there is a discord or dislike for individual capital gains, a noticeable de-emphasis on personal capital gains - another form of branding/ differentiating. A 'true' democracy system was highlighted (fairness), and even yoga classes were offered.

However, the obvious - HEALTHY, ORGANIC and/ or LOCAL FOOD was not emphasized - at least not enough for me. While I 'knew' what the business was about, all of that I obtained from word-of-mouth and from visiting the facility. The actual media did not seem to emphasize the organic, or local, or healthy aspects nearly as much as I expected.

What about investment opportunities - as in growth or expansion- versus cost savings or the obvious access to People's Food products? I found investment as a branding. Capital growth is funded from memberships fees, the $180 PeopleShare. Unfortunately, I think that the amount combined with the advertised six years time period to pay is a significantly limiting factor. The cooperative model is based on group membership that continually grows and prevents unequal voting - its a collective with no members gaining equity over others. In other words, the model shuns, or avoids, or intends not to grow equity investment for owners. Thus, it seems that People's business model (from my limited one day exposure) could severely limit its potential growth.

I understand the that individual capital should not grow based on the philosophy of the members, but maybe in the realm of Cooperatives, People's can distinguish itself and identify - specifically - another form of branding. If Peoples intends to support a growing community, it will need capital to cover the costs associated with that growth. Expanding land, buildings, equipment, products and advertising -all cost money. I believe Peoples could distinguish - clearly - the difference between capital gains for individual members versus capital gains for growth - for the collective. If Peoples wants to help a broader community, if they want to expand, I suggest that they need to create a brand that uniquely identifies and accepts the very real capital requirements. I suggest seeking a branding where investment in the form of loans where investors get an interest rate of return is emphasized. Of course, direct donations should also be advertised and accepted. Why should a member only be able to pay $180 for a People's share? Why not allow $500, $1,000, or even a million? If a member wanted to pay $500 with the understanding their benefits are still equal to the $180 membership - then why not? I suppose its back to a donation concept. Are donations - something not refunded encouraged?

I would like to suggest XX cents per dollar of revenue specifically targeted towards loan repayment to fund growth. Imagine if People's brand sought a simple rule of five cents per dollar towards growth. From this, could one predict expansion? Without this, how is expansion predictable?

My First Entry - Understanding the Cooperative

2008-01-15T12:11:00.001-08:00

Technorati Tags: PSU,Capstone,Co-Op,Coop,Coperative,Eco,Food Coop,Environment,Sustainability,Organic

This entry is more of a test to ensure that everything is working okay. If you can read this, I must have succeeded. So… here I go…

My only prior experience with a cooperative business model involved intermittent conversations and simple descriptions. I simply lacked any in-depth understanding of the concept. One might say an accurate description has managed to elude me. For example, I have (until recently) been unaware of the various Co-Op “types” and mistakenly considered a producer Co-Op to be the only form of cooperative. I now know better. How did this enlightenment begin?

Well, it began with an excursion related to my capstone class a PSU (Portland State University) where I was introduced to the “People’s Food Co-Op” located at 3029 SE 21st Ave. in Portland, Oregon.

Here is a photo of the facility:

Inside the facility students purchased textbooks:

and we continued on with a meeting (a view from my left):

During the meeting, a member of People's Food Co-Op, Laura (not sure of spelling) was kind enough to briefly explain the various cooperative types and I took notes for later reference. Of course, our course pack contains much deeper definitions.

*** For those who are interested, I have attached common cooperative types that I happened to find searching the web. Note that it is my understanding that there are legal definitions and common (shared) definitions, and that specific definitions/types change from region to region, or from state to state, or from legal authority to legal authority, etc. Therefore, it appears that context, region, government authorities, and other criteria/scenarios can and do affect specific definitions/categories. There are no globally accepted definitions/categories. The definitions I provided below appear to be the most common, top-level, cooperative "types" and I listed them to have as a handy reference.

Consumer Cooperatives—Consumer cooperatives are owned by the people who buy the goods or use the services of the cooperative. They sell consumer goods such as food and outdoors equipment. They provide housing, electricity and telecommunications. And they offer financial (credit unions), healthcare, childcare and funeral services.

Producer Cooperatives—Producer cooperatives are owned by people who produce similar types of products such as farmers who grow crops, raise cattle, milk cows, or by craftsmen and artisans. By banding together, they leverage greater bargaining power with buyers. They also combine resources to more effectively market and brand their products, improving the incomes of their members and helping to stabilize markets.

Worker Cooperatives—Worker cooperatives are owned and governed by the employees of the business. They operate in all sectors of the economy and provide workers with both employment and ownership opportunities. Examples include employee-owned food stores, processing companies, restaurants, taxicab companies, sewing companies, timber processors, and light and heavy industry.

Purchasing/Shared Services Cooperatives—Purchasing and shared services cooperatives are owned and governed by independent business owners, small municipalities and, in some cases, state governments that band together to enhance their purchasing power, lowering their costs and improving their competitiveness and ability to provide quality services. They operate in all sectors of the economy.