CoOp Mini-Meeting Minutes

Hi All!

Peggy, Frank, Wendy and I all got together on Monday with the idea of reintroducing Esmeralda to the flock. Turned out not to be the best day weather-wise, so we instead had a brief discussion regarding CoOp policies. We all recognize that the CoOp members have varying levels of availability throughout the year and have limits to resources (time, money, expertise, etc) that they can contribute. With that in mind, we came up with a short list of the minimum requirements that we feel necessary for participation. They are as follows:

1. Weekly involvement of some kind. This can be anything from gathering eggs or giving the girls some "treats" (bread, table scraps, etc), to simply checking feed and water levels. This will serve not only to lighten the load on Peggy and Jeanne (albeit very slightly), but will also help CoOp members stay "in touch" with all the happenings and needs.
2. Coop Cleaning. All members will be expected to clean the coop twice a month. This is becoming more critical as the girls spend increased amounts of time indoors in the cold weather. There is a fair bit of flexibility available in scheduling this to allow for CoOp member's existing obligations.
3. Financial Contributions. At this point we are generating enough income through egg sales to cover the cost of feed. There are additional expenses in the form of bedding etc that will need to be covered, and there will be ongoing expenses for maintenance and improvements to the coop and pens. CoOp members will be expected to contribute to these costs either by cash out-of-pocket or by selling a portion of their share of the eggs.

In exchange for the items listed above, CoOp members will be entitled to receive two dozen eggs per week (assuming egg production stays at current levels or increases) which they can either consume or sell to help with the operating costs. Any surplus eggs will be sold and the money used for the CoOp.

 

These are the ideas that we came up with that seemed fair and we are hoping for input from the rest of the CoOp members. If anyone feels that these expectations are not reasonable, please let us know your thoughts and what you feel is fair. If you feel that you are unable or unwilling to participate any longer, please don't just walk away without letting us know why and if you feel that you have to date gotten as much out of the CoOp as you put in to it.

 

Again, I would encourage everyone to take a moment to think about why they became involved in the CoOp in the first place. If you add up the hours and expense of this venture it makes very little financial sense compared to simply purchasing eggs from another source. But as far as I'm concerned, finances aren't the point. I personally wanted to be involved for humane and environmental reasons. I like the idea that my eggs are coming from animals that are well cared for and are allowed to live in a somewhat more "natural" fashion. I also like the idea that the eggs go "from the bird to my table" instead of being loaded into a styrofoam container, packed onto a diesel truck, transported to a warehouse, loaded onto yet another truck then driven miles and miles to a store where they will sit in an inefficient, open cooler. It's also reassuring to know the the chickens that produced the eggs aren't loaded with hormones or other drugs. There is also much to be said for the community-building aspect of a CoOp as well.

 

Thanks,

Matt