Grocery Shopping in the Age of Sharing

janelle — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:39:27 +0000

Cooperative grocery shelves

EcoSalon posted a nice piece today: “Sharing: It’s not just nice, it’s necessary.” I love the “rundown of the 15 coolest sharing concepts.”

Coincidentally, I know the journalist who wrote the piece, Vanessa Barrington, because we are both members of the same cooperative grocery, The COG. She mentioned the value of the relationships she has developed with other co-op members, and I feel the same way! I love that we have turned our grocery shopping experience into more than just a trip to a big store. It really has become a place where community develops. Plus, we have serious fun.

Tomorrow, I have my regular two hour work shift at the COG, which I usually spend stocking shelves (good upper-body workout, which is not something that I get in my lawyer line of work). We have a tradition of having a quick dinner party during my shift. We take turns bringing a meal, usually from a local cooperative, like Arizmendi. Tomorrow, also coincidentally, we’ll be eating falafel from the same Liba falafel truck that Vanessa mentioned in her EcoSalon article.

And then there are the monthly food tastings, cooking classes, and/or potlucks. Last month we had a massive cheese tasting party, including a cheese-making demonstration, poetry about cheese, and a cheese quiz game called “Jeopar-Cheese!” This Sunday I’ll be back at the COG for a potluck and some live “West Coast Mardi Gras” music. Anyone is invited! Bring a dish to share and I’ll see you there!

“Bioneering” Ideas for Sharing, Part 1

janelle — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:54:49 +0000

Post-its

The weekend before last, I shared a “Cooperative Living and Sharing Brainstorm Booth” with Regenerative Real Estate at the incredible Bioneers Conference. Our booth featured a coffee table and chairs in a circle, and we invited passers by to come in, have a cup of tea, and brainstorm with us on huge poster boards. It’s safe to say that was the most idea-stimulating three days of my life! Bioneers brings together some amazing thinkers and activists, and they shared a lot of thoughts.

In my next few blog posts, I’ll list some of the ideas that we brought home on post-it notes attached to out brainstorm boards. First, here are some of the ideas we collected in answer to the question: “How do we create STRONG COMMUNITY in our neighborhoods?”

* Remodel the suburbs
* Reclaim your suburban neighborhood!
* Set up a barter system, produce share, and clothing swap
* Neighborhood kiosks and bulletin boards
* See what City Repair did
* Draft ethics and agreements that the whole group creates and supports, creating a sense of ownership/accountability to the community
* Front yard and safe active common space
* Connect food and home. Agriculture where we live.
* Collaboration between landlords and tenants.
* Create unity among tenants of rental housing.
* Get out from under the hypnosis of consumerist society and realize a new world is possible.
* Foster multigenerational communities: children and elders together!
* Map the skill base of your neighobrs (find out who are the painters, builders, doctors, lawyers, gardeners, massage therapists, etc.)
* Regular annual food-based house parties
* It’s all about architecture
* Foster compassion toward yourself and extend it to others.
* Imagine you’re an ecosystem nurtured by “THANKS!!!!” from the future. (We thank Paul Horan of Young Ecosystem Scholars Support Services for sharing that piece of wisdom.)
* Bring together a community and ask: What are we going to do that is EXTRAORDINARY?
* Feast together!

Sharing is the Answer » cooperative

Grocery Shopping in the Age of Sharing

“Bioneering” Ideas for Sharing, Part 1