Local Organic Food Co-ops NetworkGuelph, Ontario

Feb. 24 – 26, 2014

Welcome to the5th Annual Assembly

Ontario Natural Food Co-op

Operational initiatives • Membership• Local organic food co-ops• Private label• Fresh truck• Sustainability• ERP – computer

• Food hubs • Incubator kitchen

• Workplace • Relocation• Foodservice • Acquisitions

Steering Committee2013-14

What is the Network?55 established and emerging co-ops across Ontario

dedicated to co-operatively cultivating a more sustainable food system

Build Capacity

Network

Learn

• Individual Co-op• Network strength

• Connect• Share

• Educate• Advocate

Network’s Operating Values1. Bringing local farmers and eaters

into closer relationship

2. Growing and supplying fresh, healthy food locally

3. Keeping money in the community

4. Trading fairly, both domestically and internationally

5. Saving energy, building the soil, and protecting water

6. Celebrating good food, culture and community

LOFC Network Development

2011 2012 2013 20140

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

515

22

38

7

13

18

18

7

8

8

11

Established (4+ years)Emerging (1-4 years)Start-Up (pre-feasibility - 1 year)

Legend: Start-UpExistingSuccession

May-12

Jun-12

Jul-12 Aug-12

Sep-12

Oct-12

Nov-12

Dec-12

Jan-13

Feb-13

Mar-13

Apr-13

May-13

Jun-13

Jul-13 Aug-13

Sep-13

Oct-13

Nov-13

Dec-13

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

Sum of VisitsSum of Unique VisitorsSum of Page Views

LOFC Website Monthly Visits

February 2013 – February 2014Highlights• Growing Good Food Ideas LOFC Network films launch

at Queen’s Park and online• Hannah accepts Ontario Co-op Association Spirit

Award for Co-operative Development as LOFC Network Animator

• “Co-operative Food Systems” article with LOFC Network case study accepted for publication in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Security and Community Development

• LOFCNetwork + OnCo-op published a “Food and Farm Co-op FactSheet”

• Andrew Alford bikes across Ontario and Eastern Canada visiting LOFC Network

• OnCo-op’s Cooper, the Travelling Bear, visits LOFC Network

• Five York University 4th Year Students complete placements with LOFC Network

February 2013 – February 2014Conference Presentations • Ontario Student Co-operative Association – “Food

Options for Student Housing Co-ops” • Canadian Association for Food Studies –

presentation in Exploration Gallery• Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation –

presentation by Jennifer Sumner• Joint Events between CAFS & CASC: 2 paper sessions

and grassroots panel “Co-operatives and the Future of Food” moderated by Hannah Renglich and Colin Anderson

• Bring Food Home – “Co-ops as the Ontario Food System’s Best Kept Secret” and “The Food Co-operative Workshop: Starting a Food or Farm Co-op”

• North American Students of Co-operation - “Co-Creating Regional Resilience in Ontario”

• Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference (food co-op panel presentation)

• Food, Farm, Finance Forum – “Financing Tools Available to Co-ops”

February 2013 – February 2014Partnerships • Collaborative Trillium Fund application submitted in

conjunction with the Ontario Co-operative Association and Sustain Ontario

• Neighboring Food Co-op Association: Hannah, Glenn and Jeff attend members meetings in Vermont and Massachussets (March and September)

• darryl reed and Alli Floroff convened meeting of campus food co-ops and initiatives

• Simon Berge and Desiree Pinkney (UGuelph) interview LOFC Network members for research on local food distribution via co-operative channels

• proposal to Food Secure Canada as the Green Campus Co-op in collaboration with LOFC and the York Federation of Students for funding through their Community Food Security Hub grant program

• Canadian Organic Growers and LOFC Network looking at publishing a co-op-focused magazine

• Invitation to join Sustain Ontario Advisory Council• Local Food Fund Application submitted in

partnership with Eat Local Sudbury, On the Move Organics, Ottawa Valley Food Co-op, and True North Community Co-op

Openings • Slave to the Grind Espresso Bar (Your Local

Market Co-op), Stratford• Cloverbelt Local Food Co-op, Dryden• Grey Bruce Centre for Agroecology, Allenford• Dandelion Foods Worker Co-op, Almonte • The Mustard Seed Co-op, Hamilton

Facilitation• Worker Meeting for West End Food Co-op• Board and Committee Meeting for Karma Co-

op• Community consultation for co-op food store

in Port McNicholl for The Karma Project

Trainings• Ontario Public Health Association’s Local Food

Policy Development workshop• Intensive Leadership Facilitation Training on

anti-racism in the food system, hosted by Growing Power and FoodShare

• Nishnawbe Aski Nation Food Symposium in Thunder Bay

Assembly Regional Events

Online Meetings

Toolkits Document Repository

Education Survey

WhoRecipient Learning Shared by

Members of Network (reps) Peer-to-Peer and Sector Leader Education

Members of Network Peer-to-Peer and Sector Leader Education

Members of Network (reps) Peer-to-Peer and Sector Leader Education

Members of Network Network Animator

Members of Network Peer-to-Peer

Members of Network Network Animator

WhatDetails of event

Provincial Gathering, workshops, and consultations

Workshops, Site Visits, Regional Forums

Webinars + Virtual Campfires

Topic-focused how-to guides for co-ops

Best Practices and document template database

Needs and Assets assessment tool

WhenFrequency of opportunity

Annual Quarterly Quarterly Continuous Continuous Biannual

HowOpportunity is Accessed

Collectively

Collectively Collectively Individually Individually Individually

WhereLocation

In-Person In-Person Virtual Virtual Virtual Virtual

WhyPurpose

Network, Regional, and Co-op Capacity Building

Regional and Co-op Capacity Building

Co-op Capacity Building

Co-op Capacity Building

Co-op Capacity Building

Network Capacity Building

2014-15 Calendar Legend: Quarterly Webcasts, Regional Forums, AGMs, Network Partners’ Events, Celebrations

• March 18 – OnCo-op Regional Forum East (Ottawa)

• March 20 – OnCo-op Regional Forum Central (Sudbury)

• March 27 – OnCo-op Regional Forum Southwest (London)

• April 26 – ONFC Annual General Meeting + LOFC Steering Committee Meeting

• May – Webinar/Virtual Sharing Circle date to be announced

• June 12 – OnCo-op AGM

• July 5 – International Co-operative Day

• July – LOFC Network Toolkits Launch + Webinar date to be announced

• August 26-29 – Nishnawbe Aski Nation Food Symposium + Northern Regional Forum (Thunder Bay)

• September – Webinar/Virtual Sharing Circle date to be announced

• October 16 – Harvest Festival on World Food Day during International Co-op Week

• November 12-16 – ACORN Annual Conference and Food Secure Canada Assembly

• January – Webinar/Virtual Sharing Circle date to be announced

• February 23-25 – 6th Annual Assembly of the LOFC Network

•

 

Toolkits• Grants 101• Incorporating• Co-op Legalities• AGM Planning Toolkit• Member Engagement• Food Co-op Fundraising • How to Write a Business Plan• Social Enterprise, Social Finance• How to Start a Food/Farm Co-op• Co-op Supply Chain Management• Governance and Board Education• Financing and Capitalizing the Co-op• Local Food and Commercial Kitchens• High Impact Marketing for Food Co-ops• How to Run an Effective Community Meeting• Succession Planning/Transitioning to Co-op Status

Our Co-op Family

LOFC Network

• Farm to Institution Partnerships– Sexsmith Farm Co-op

• Processing and Reskilling– West End Food Co-op

• Co-op Supply Chain Management– La Siembra, SUMAC worker co-ops

• Food Provisioning to Remote Communities– True North Community Co-op

• Employment Creation– Your Local Market

• Learning from Newcomers– Co-op Agricole de Windsor

• Food Desert Remediation– Our Community Food Store, The Mustard Seed

• Scaling Out Urban Agriculture– Near Urban Agriculture Action Group

• Meaningful Youth and Student Involvement– Lunik Cafe + Co-op, Green Campus Co-ops, Seasoned Spoon

• Connecting Local Food with Local Politics– Karma Marketplace

• Virtual Farmers Market & Open Source Software– Eastern Ontario, Ottawa Valley, and Niagara Local Food Co-ops

Food and Farm Co-op Innovations

Karma Food Co-opToronto

Ontario Natural Food Co-opMississauga

Ottawa Valley Food Co-opPembroke

West End Food Co-op Toronto

True North Community Co-opThunder Bay

Sexsmith Farm Co-opFort Erie

Organic Meadow Co-op

Guelph

Your Local Market Co-opStratford

Slave to the Grind Espresso BarStratford

The Mustard Seed Co-opHamilton

To Bean or Not To Bean Coffee Roasting Co-op

Stratford

The Karma ProjectPenetanguishene

The Karma ProjectPort McNicholl

By the Bushel Community Food Co-op

Peterborough

West End Well Co-op

Ottawa

Eat Local Sudbury Co-opSudbury

The London Food Co-opLondon

La Siembra Co-opOttawa

The Big CarrotToronto

Agri-Cultural Renewal Co-opDurham

SUMAC Worker Co-op

Guelph

Niagara Local Food Co-opThorold

Fitzroy Beef Farmers Co-opFitzroy Harbour

Cloverbelt Local Food Co-opDryden

Dandelion Foods Worker Co-op

Almonte

Harvest Noon Co-opToronto

Lunik Co-op + CafeToronto

Collingwood Community Food Co-op

Collingwood

Garden City Food Co-opSt. Catharines

Conestogo River Local Food Co-opDrayton

On the Move OrganicsLondon

Grey Bruce Centre for Agroecology

Allenford

St. Jamestown Community CafeToronto

The Root CellarLondon

Windsor Essex Food Co-opWindsor

Green Campus Co-opToronto

Near Urban Agriculture Action GroupGreater Toronto Area

Together We’re Bitter Co-op Brewpub

Kitchener-Waterloo

The Sleepless Goat Cafe

Worker Co-opKingston

The Avocado Project

Waterloo

The Hammer Active Alternative

Transportation Co-op Hamilton

The Seasoned SpoonPeterborough

Hearts Content Organic Farm

Brantford

ZooShare Biogas Co-opToronto

Muskoka North Good Food Co-op

Huntsville

Ethical Coffee Chain Co-opBrantford

Toronto Beekeepers Co-operative

Toronto