New food co-op to host open house

GLOVERSVILLE - Current and prospective members of the Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market will meet Saturday as the organization holds an open house at its Main Street storefront.

Co-op President Jim Strickland said the new organization wants to attract people attending the Downtown Gloversville Art Fair and the farmers market, also taking place Saturday. The open house and the art fair will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., he said. The farmers market is open every Saturday in the summer from about 8 a.m. to noon.

He said he also hopes those who come for the open house will spend some time at the art show and the market.

"We're hoping to attract some people who don't know much about the co-op to give them an opportunity to talk to some members," he said.

Renovations at the co-op store are moving along, he said. Members recently put up shelves, painted the walls and put a floor down, and weeks ago a number of members made a trial order of goods to see how the process would work. That process went well, he said.

The co-op's board will use the open house as an opportunity to present membership certificates to approximately 100 people who already have purchased memberships, he said. Visitors will be able to purchase memberships at the open house, he said. The cost is $150, and membership will include voting rights, discounts and other benefits.

The co-op recently showed a documentary film about the food industry at the Glove Performing Arts Center. Strickland said the organization got the idea from the Honest Weight co-op in Albany, which regularly shows informational movies. The Albany organization usually gets about 25 viewers per show, he said.

The movie shown by Mohawk Harvest drew about 40 participants, he said. It was a free event, with a 50/50 raffle to raise money for the Glove.

"It was fantastic," he said. "I was very impressed."

The film will be shown again at 7 p.m. June 25 at the Mayfield Community Library.

Strickland said he hopes the co-op's 51 N. Main St. store will be open sometime in July. Board members recently received an offer for a loan to finance the store's initial inventory, and they have arranged for three to five young people to work at the store starting July 6. The workers will be employed through Workforce Solutions Center of Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie counties.

The organization wants to purchase produce from the Amish wholesale market being developed in Minden.

"It's kind of a perfect storm of influences coming together," Strickland said. "Things are moving along very well."

Kayleigh Karutis covers Gloversville news. She can be reached at gloversville@leaderherald.com.

Member Comments

View Comments: | 1-3 | Post a comment

IKnooow
06-12-09 3:47 PM »Report Abuse	I'm sure the $150 helps with the start-up, making the coop available to more people. And based on food coops I've been associated with in the past, you can save alot more than $150 in a year shopping there
TiredOfTax
06-12-09 1:39 PM »Report Abuse	Yes and for $150.00 you too can purchase food at a discount. And voting rights! I vote to go to the supermarket and spend my $150. on something to take home.
IKnooow
06-12-09 1:11 PM »Report Abuse	Neat! Where's I been? This sounds like a great idea!

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