WOW! What a Party

Wow!! That was some party—I am amazed how many folks braved the cool and unseasonable weather to join us at our Jubilee party to celebrate 50 years of cooperation!

I feel that with over 500 people attending you showed us how important the Coop is to you, and our community.  And thanks to everyone who donned their 70’s gear to help recreate that vibe. There were many amazing outfits some of which had even been hand made in the 70’s (remember those jeans skirts?).

Truly, I am so proud of what, together, we have accomplished during the past 50 years. We have grown from a small, beautiful idea into a large, beautiful reality. We have led the organic movement, and the local food movement. We have helped build a stronger local economy. And we have done all this while remaining committed to our values and the principles of equity, democracy, and care for our community as developed by the cooperative founders back in 1844. However, we couldn’t have gotten this far without you, our members, being there during the tough, as well as the easy times. So, thank you ALL for being a valuable part of our success.

I especially want to thank everyone who worked for months on planning the party from Danny Milholland and the entire crew at The Production Alliance to Andrea Stafford and Abi Crecca, marking team members and our entire Board of Directors—you are all amazing!  Thanks to our kitchen bakers for making our classic celebratory cakes (Carrot and chocolate) and our volunteers who parked cars, staffed booths, and generally helped create order out of chaos.  And I especially want to thank Organically Grown Co. for grilling up some awesome veggie kebabs. I heard they were amazing!  

A giant ‘shout out’ to our local vendors for feeding us (Batch Brothers, Friendly Nettle), and slaking our thirst (Blue Jay Kombucha, Propolis Brewing, Finnriver Cidery, Wilderbee Meadwerks, and Mountain Spirit for their classic Tasty Tea. Many thanks to all our musicians; Alexa Sunshine-Rose, Matt Circely and Danny Barnes, The Unexpected Brass Band and Uncle Funk and Dope Six—who help keep our feet tapping when the cold winds blew off of North Beach.

And last but not least- let’s remember those values that brought us to this point in time, that spirit of comradery and then remember to be kind to ourselves, and to each other as we navigate the next 50 years of cooperation.  

✌ Peace out all!

Kenna