Open Harvest Grocery Co-op
 | |
| Consumers' cooperative | |
| ISIN | 🆔 |
| Founded 📆 | 1975 |
| Founder 👔 | |
| Headquarters 🏙️ | , , |
Area served 🗺️ | |
| Products 📟 | Natural food |
| Members | 2000+ |
Number of employees | 20+ |
| 🌐 Website | openharvest.coop |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
Open Harvest Grocery Co-op is the only food cooperative located in Lincoln, Nebraska. Open Harvest runs a retail store at 1618 South St, Lincoln, NE 68502, selling natural foods and household products. The co-op is member-owned and operated, but open to the public, and focuses on offering locally grown organic, and ethically produced products. Open Harvest is a member of National Co+op Grocers (NCG).[1]
History[edit]
In 2010, Lincoln Journal Star chronicled the history of Open Harvest:[2]
1971 -- The co-op gets its start as a buying club for a dozen households. It is housed in a garage at 21st and Q Streets.
1974 -- About 250 members strong, the club changes its name to Our Store and moves to the basement of Trinity Methodist Church.
1975 -- Renamed Open Harvest, the co-op relocates to 27th and Randolph streets. Rent is $50 a month. In 1978, KZUM radio begins broadcasting from the basement. Hundreds join as members; the store runs largely on volunteer labor. By the late 1980s, it is bursting at the seams.
1990 -- Open Harvest moves to its current location, 1618 South St., with a total of 5,000 square feet. Rent is $4,000 per month.
1995 -- The store celebrates its 20th anniversary. With 800 members, sales increase.
2006 -- USDA awards Open Harvest, Lincoln Parks and Recreation, and Community CROPS a $275,000 Community Food Project grant to increase access to healthy foods for minority and low-income communities.
2009 -- The store takes over Eyes of the World's retail space next door, nearly doubling square footage. Departments expand. The meat department triples in size.
2010 -- Open Harvest celebrates its 35th anniversary, making it one of the oldest food co-ops in the United States. With more than 3,300 members, the co-op employs 70 people, carries 80 local vendors and does $4 million in annual sales. Observes one longtime member, "Not bad for hippies with a cash register."
2018 -- The request for a liquor license was denied by Lincoln City Council Members due to strict zoning code.[3][4]
It is a little-known fact that KZUM was born in the basement of the original Open Harvest.[5]
Structure and governance[edit]
Membership[edit]
Open Harvest Grocery Co-op is the only grocery co-op in Lincoln, Nebraska, and was named the best grocery store in the state by The Daily Meal[6]
Monthly meetings are held, open to all owners, where working groups report on the state of the co-op and progress made towards projects and goals. Additionally, owners may submit and vote on proposals such as reevaluating pricing and discounts, deciding marketing strategy, and organizing upcoming community and co-op events. Additionally, a large annual meeting is held to discuss major co-op decisions and review the past year.
References[edit]
- ↑ "NCG Co-op Locations". National Co+op Grocers. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
- ↑ "A brief history of Open Harvest". Lincoln Journal Star. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
- ↑ "Open Harvest's push for liquor license doomed by concerns about unintended consequences". Lincoln Journal Star. 2018-05-14. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
- ↑ Harris, Brandi (2017-10-27). "Local store wants an exception to sell alcohol". 1011 NOW. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
- ↑ "The story of Open Harvest in 55 minutes tonight". Lincoln Journal Star. 2015-09-28. Retrieved 2019-08-27.
- ↑ Mack, Lauren (2019-02-27). "The Best Grocery Store in Every State". The Daily Meal. Retrieved 2019-08-13.
External links[edit]
40°47′29.83″N 96°41′53.85″W / 40.7916194°N 96.6982917°W
This article "Open Harvest Grocery Co-op" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Open Harvest Grocery Co-op. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
