Guest Blogger - Kim Lauzon Golden Ears Community Co-op

Kim Lauzon, GECC

Growing a Food Co-op in Maple Ridge

We are extremely fortunate to live where we do. With the beautiful Golden Ears Mountains, diverse wildlife and crisp clean waterways we pretty much have it all, including a rich local food culture. 

Local food is a growing concept both locally and globally. Rising oil prices, health scares, food allergies and GMO’s are only a few food topics covered in the news almost daily.  

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Of all the concerns about food, safety and cost seem to be at the top of people’s minds these days.  And, as anyone walking through the Haney Farmers’ Market at Memorial Peace Park on a Saturday will see, our local food culture is growing in relation to those concerns. This trend toward local food matched with our fortune to be surrounded by an abundance of locally produced foods, arts, and artisan products is a perfect opportunity to develop a local food co-op.

A cooperative is any enterprise that is owned by the members who use its services and work toward mutual benefit.  You’ll find cooperatives in almost every sector of the economy. In the Lower Mainland there are many different types of co-ops. However, there aren’t many retail co-ops that offer local food. That is why we decided to develop our own. Our vision is to open a store front cooperative that offers locally and sustainably sourced products such as meat, dairy, produce, household and beauty products and art. We’ve named it Golden Ears Community Co-op. 

The benefits of a co-op in our community are numerous. Golden Ears Community Co-op will revitalize our local food system by creating links between producers and consumers; it will strengthen our economy by keeping profits local and creating local jobs; it will build community through engagement; and it will create skills through workshops and training.  It will also be an active participant in local sustainability. 

From the very start of the idea to the opening of the doors, the co-op is a community building venture. Golden Ears Community Co-op will grow by the hands and hearts of our community and through fundraising, volunteers and all of your support. Every bit of support we get large or small, whether it is through donation, through helping spread the word or through donating time, is a building block of our co-op and of our community. 

For more information or to get involved, contact Kimberly Lauzon at 778-552-2832 or email [email protected]

You can also find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GECCOOP