Dear Medford Market Owners:
Thank you for your patience while we have continued the work to open the Medford Market. We recognize it has been a long time since the Board communicated with all the owners. It seems that every time a summary report was ready to be sent, changes in the Medford Market situation affected the report’s accuracy, and it was delayed.
Owners Pot-Luck Meeting
We are planning to hold regular owner pot-luck meetings to celebrate our common goals. The first pot-luck meeting is being planned for July or August and further information will be coming soon. Keep a watch in your email and on the Medford Market Blog for further details.
Market Board Still Active
The Board of the Medford Market Cooperative is still actively working toward our common goal of opening a co-op in Medford. We have pursued many leads and possibilities and have been creating positive relationships with experts in the co-op world. We have been refining our business model and pursuing both locations and financing solutions. A particular site has not yet been identified, but several possible locations are being considered. (The old hardware store is not one of the sites being considered.) Several financing options are available, but exactly which type we use will depend on the final business model and choice of location.
Board member Louise Dix recently returned from a national food co-op meeting in Portland. She brings us renewed connections with folks who have knowledge of what we are doing and they want to help. She’ll be giving a report at the next pot-luck.
We do know that once a site and a financing plan are determined, we will be seeking new owners, asking existing owners to increase their shares, and will be re-instituting the owner-loan program that was so successful last year.
Report on Meeting of Volunteers
Several months ago we contacted folks who had offered to volunteer in any capacity. We then held a "joint committee" meeting to discuss our business model. Thirty-five of the 70 people we contacted attended that meeting and from that group, 12 people met again to review our previous business plans and marketing studies. Several experts in various related fields have since come forward to help us take this project to the next level. It is amazing the outpouring of support that has been offered since we asked the community for help.
Web Site Update
To make the Medford Market web site a more dynamic source of information, Cooperative owner Will Taft has agreed to help keep fresh content, of interest to coop owners, up on the new blog. http://medfordmarket.org/blog. This way, if you visit the web site and blog, you will see these updates and articles and know that we are still active and making progress.
Thank You
Thank you again for your patience as we all work together to achieve our common goal of getting the Medford Market opened for business!
John Statler, President
Medford Market Cooperative
541-770-5524
http://medfordmarket.org
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Dear Mr. Statler and Group,
Has anyone mentioned or considered the concept of a “Depot” style co-op
as a flexible start-up option?