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Shopping sustainably - where to start?
If you ask someone whether it’s possible to shop both sustainably and affordably, you’re likely to be met with raised eyebrows and a sceptical stare. The idea of shopping sustainably has come to be known as possible only for a niche group in society, a group with a certain lifestyle - people with money, time … and, as the more cynical amongst us might say, “notions”. Before that, and even alongside that, we have associated a sustainable way of life with hippies, with hermits.
These lingering associations are a shame. We feel if we don’t fall into these groups, we are already excluded. These associations can box us off from even thinking about whether, or how, we can incorporate more sustainable shopping into our lives. It feels unattainable; available, or of interest, to select groups only.
Magnifying that shame is a quiet whisper of truth. It can, indeed, feel impossible to break into an already established group. It can absolutely feel difficult to put time into seeking out spaces like The Urban Co-Op which exist to provide us with the chance to take a first step. It can, of course, feel like too much of a gamble to dedicate ourselves to something unfamiliar, something new - especially when the something new is choosing where to spend our time and money. It can, indeed, become expensive to reconsider where we shop, where we are familiar with the prices, with what we can afford. It can feel overwhelming to rethink these things, to try and figure out even a first step.
Compounding this shame further is the knowledge that it didn’t used to feel this difficult. Once upon a time, sustainable living wasn’t a conscious lifestyle choice, seemingly available only to those with the money and time to indulge this desire. It was just the normal way of life - self-sufficiency, interdependence, organic growing, moving cyclically and locally with the seasons, a sense of community.
I can sense you rolling your eyes. These ideas and terms have, indeed, become distilled into buzzwords, buzzwords that we are bombarded with on a daily basis to the extent that they have lost all meaning. But, once upon a time, we didn’t use all these words. We didn’t speak like this. We just lived like this. As the world changed and seemed to reward us for moving away from this way of life, it became more difficult, and even undesirable, to continue on with it. We couldn’t afford to invest, neither the time nor the money, in a way of life that was starting to be seen as backwards and these words, these favourite words of our time - unproductive, inefficient, time-wasting.
But we know this story. Let’s not dwell too long on the “why” and the “how” of having reached this point. We are all aware of the difficulties, the problems, the obstacles we face. It’s time to talk about options, possibilities, solutions. Can we get to a place where we start to unpick what it means to live more sustainably, and how this might become more of a norm? Can we start to figure out how to make this attainable and, importantly, desirable for greater swathes of society? What can we do?
The trick, here, is baby steps. The trick, here, is to think about it in small actions that we can take, one at a time, and slowly build on that.
Getting to know The Urban Co-Op is a way to start. Below, we offer some suggestions and benefits of sustainable shopping at The Urban Co-Op.
Suggestions that might help to deepen your understanding of The Urban Co-Op, and ways to incorporate it sustainably into your shopping routine:
Those are, admittedly, the more difficult parts of starting on a journey of shopping more sustainably. Maybe you don’t have the time or interest to dive that deep. Maybe that all feels too much like homework! So, instead, here are some tangible benefits you’ll experience once you start to explore The Urban Co-Op:
Some of these suggestions are more manageable than others. Some you will be able to implement and benefit from immediately. Others are much more of a process - of small steps, of reading, of questioning, of consciously choosing.
Let us end with this: when you walk through the doors of The Urban Co-Op, your eyes will be drawn to a large blackboard. The board is illustrated with the story of The Urban Co-Op - from inception to present day. Bordered by an intricate timeline of its history stands The Urban Co-Op’s core purpose:
“Coming together as conscious consumers to support the health, wellness and economic security of our community and planet”.
This purpose encapsulates precisely what we’ve been teasing out throughout this article. This is what we talk about when we talk about shopping sustainably. It is about supporting ourselves, supporting each other, and supporting the planet. This coming together isn’t a quick fix. The world isn’t going to change overnight because you brought your reusable container to The Urban Co-Op to bulk buy laundry detergent.
But, like all lasting change and all progress worth working towards, these small steps will eventually add up. And, if you start to see the benefits in your own life, in your own days and weeks, you will want to keep going. It might not seem like much, but it’s an important first step.
As we enter 2022, maybe you can ask yourself whether there is a small step you’d like to take? Maybe something you’ve had in the back of your mind for a while, but haven’t felt ready or able to try just yet? Maybe even having a think about this could be your own first step. Remember - if you feel you need a nudge, there will always be a friendly face and a helping hand at The Urban Co-Op.
If you ask someone whether it’s possible to shop both sustainably and affordably, you’re likely to be met with raised eyebrows and a sceptical stare. The idea of shopping sustainably has come to be known as possible only for a niche group in society, a group with a certain lifestyle - people with money, time … and, as the more cynical amongst us might say, “notions”. Before that, and even alongside that, we have associated a sustainable way of life with hippies, with hermits.
These lingering associations are a shame. We feel if we don’t fall into these groups, we are already excluded. These associations can box us off from even thinking about whether, or how, we can incorporate more sustainable shopping into our lives. It feels unattainable; available, or of interest, to select groups only.
Magnifying that shame is a quiet whisper of truth. It can, indeed, feel impossible to break into an already established group. It can absolutely feel difficult to put time into seeking out spaces like The Urban Co-Op which exist to provide us with the chance to take a first step. It can, of course, feel like too much of a gamble to dedicate ourselves to something unfamiliar, something new - especially when the something new is choosing where to spend our time and money. It can, indeed, become expensive to reconsider where we shop, where we are familiar with the prices, with what we can afford. It can feel overwhelming to rethink these things, to try and figure out even a first step.
Compounding this shame further is the knowledge that it didn’t used to feel this difficult. Once upon a time, sustainable living wasn’t a conscious lifestyle choice, seemingly available only to those with the money and time to indulge this desire. It was just the normal way of life - self-sufficiency, interdependence, organic growing, moving cyclically and locally with the seasons, a sense of community.
I can sense you rolling your eyes. These ideas and terms have, indeed, become distilled into buzzwords, buzzwords that we are bombarded with on a daily basis to the extent that they have lost all meaning. But, once upon a time, we didn’t use all these words. We didn’t speak like this. We just lived like this. As the world changed and seemed to reward us for moving away from this way of life, it became more difficult, and even undesirable, to continue on with it. We couldn’t afford to invest, neither the time nor the money, in a way of life that was starting to be seen as backwards and these words, these favourite words of our time - unproductive, inefficient, time-wasting.
But we know this story. Let’s not dwell too long on the “why” and the “how” of having reached this point. We are all aware of the difficulties, the problems, the obstacles we face. It’s time to talk about options, possibilities, solutions. Can we get to a place where we start to unpick what it means to live more sustainably, and how this might become more of a norm? Can we start to figure out how to make this attainable and, importantly, desirable for greater swathes of society? What can we do?
The trick, here, is baby steps. The trick, here, is to think about it in small actions that we can take, one at a time, and slowly build on that.
Getting to know The Urban Co-Op is a way to start. Below, we offer some suggestions and benefits of sustainable shopping at The Urban Co-Op.
Suggestions that might help to deepen your understanding of The Urban Co-Op, and ways to incorporate it sustainably into your shopping routine:
- Work out your budget, your compromises and your values - what can you afford? Is quality important to you? Is supporting local important to you? Is lessening your carbon footprint important to you? What does shopping at The Urban Co-Op bring to you that you don’t feel elsewhere?
- Educate yourself - if you’re interested, read up about cooperatives. Read about the circular economy. Read about supply chains. There are lots of resources on our website.
- Try not to guilt or shame yourself for not being able to do “more”, or as much as you might like initially - there is no need to try to do too much all at once. You don’t need to aim for perfection. That won’t stick. One step at a time.
Those are, admittedly, the more difficult parts of starting on a journey of shopping more sustainably. Maybe you don’t have the time or interest to dive that deep. Maybe that all feels too much like homework! So, instead, here are some tangible benefits you’ll experience once you start to explore The Urban Co-Op:
- Shopping at The Urban Co-Op is a great way to confront exactly where your food is coming from, who you are supporting by shopping here and where your money is going. It can even happen that you bump into a local farmer / producer / supplier when popping in for your shopping!
- Discounts and savings are always possible at The Urban Co-Op. Loose fruit and veg; bulk options of dried goods like oats / grains / seeds; refillable laundry detergent / hand-soap - these all provide the opportunity to buy exactly what you need - nothing less, nothing more.
- Packaging that is used is compostable / recyclable.
- A welcoming community environment - staff and volunteers who are always interested in answering your questions, offering suggestions and ideas, or even just having a chat!
- Have a look at the noticeboard - there are always classes and workshops going on at The Urban Co-Op, not to mention our Sunday food and craft markets! Incorporating this opportunity to learn a new skill / try a new class / meet like-minded people might help your grocery shop become something you genuinely look forward to.
- On the same note - the shopping experience at The Urban Co-Op is one that is slower, more mindful, stress-free. No queues, bright lights or loud music - in fact, we make some great playlist choices, even if we do say so ourselves!
Some of these suggestions are more manageable than others. Some you will be able to implement and benefit from immediately. Others are much more of a process - of small steps, of reading, of questioning, of consciously choosing.
Let us end with this: when you walk through the doors of The Urban Co-Op, your eyes will be drawn to a large blackboard. The board is illustrated with the story of The Urban Co-Op - from inception to present day. Bordered by an intricate timeline of its history stands The Urban Co-Op’s core purpose:
“Coming together as conscious consumers to support the health, wellness and economic security of our community and planet”.
This purpose encapsulates precisely what we’ve been teasing out throughout this article. This is what we talk about when we talk about shopping sustainably. It is about supporting ourselves, supporting each other, and supporting the planet. This coming together isn’t a quick fix. The world isn’t going to change overnight because you brought your reusable container to The Urban Co-Op to bulk buy laundry detergent.
But, like all lasting change and all progress worth working towards, these small steps will eventually add up. And, if you start to see the benefits in your own life, in your own days and weeks, you will want to keep going. It might not seem like much, but it’s an important first step.
As we enter 2022, maybe you can ask yourself whether there is a small step you’d like to take? Maybe something you’ve had in the back of your mind for a while, but haven’t felt ready or able to try just yet? Maybe even having a think about this could be your own first step. Remember - if you feel you need a nudge, there will always be a friendly face and a helping hand at The Urban Co-Op.
Written by Kelly Girardi, January 2022
Cop On
We are feeling it. That guilt. The must work harder at saving the planet vibe handed to us from the collective powers at the recent COP26 event.
Yes, I had to look up what COP stood for. Conference of the parties. Say what? Words can be powerful. Something doesn’t quite sit right with this name for me. I like a good conference. Meeting like minded folk with a common theme of presenting information and striving for common goals. Ok the high profile delegates flew in on their private jets because their time is so precious (and let’s face it we are counting down to Armageddon) rather than go virtual as we have all recently become proficient at.
A virtual presentation is no substitute for the real thing and the issue of our struggling planet deserves the momentum of passionate energy that can only be roused in real time when a quorum is sensed. But parties…?? Who decided this would be a good word to use to convey the depth of seriousness involved in the content. Maybe it is just me. Perhaps it should be called Conference of the Concerned. Conference of the Committed Kin. The abbreviation has a nice ring to it!
Talk the talk. Walk the Walk.
As the world leaders take to the skies in their jets to return to their domains to encourage their subjects to act, do we feel inspired by them to take those steps necessary? Personally and honestly?? No. Humble power is a rare thing. Leadership is so often hijacked with the trappings and privileges of the wealthy and the responsibility for action is thrown down the ladder to the poorest.
Had we not made the intensive agricultural demands on our lands to drive forward our food systems in the last 50 years where would we be now? There is no going back to find out how we could have evolved as a population had we just allowed ourselves to grow organically. Instead we forced the land to produce to our detriment. Our accelerated pace of development has led to us suffering the fallout of our excesses. Our waste overwhelms our land and oceans. We are expected to make a sharp u turn now on habits of a lifetime while laying a portion of blame somewhere feasible. Farmers I fear will bear the brunt of this responsibility of blame for everything that has gone wrong. The very people who were once the epitome of the circular economy. Nothing wasted. Everything recycled. Or perhaps I am just looking back with rose tinted glasses. Having grown up on a farm I certainly do remember the food produced feeding us as a large family. The raw milk collected straight from the tank, the potatoes fresh from the pit, the eggs collected from the hen house. Little did I appreciate it. How frustrating must it have been for my parents to watch us indoctrinated by advertising and how the slow creep of the multinational food companies invaded our lives and diets and ultimately the bins started to fill. We grew up and shook the soil from our feet delighted to leave the land and backward thinking behind to embrace an exciting world….
The pace of change has been rapid in the recent decades and for many it has been too fast. The COP26 conference reminds us that the impact of this pace of development is devastating for the planet and cannot be sustained. A human tendency is always to find fault with someone else in order to avoid accepting personal responsibility.
History and science has taught us over and over that the finger is often pointed at the wrong target (ultimately to distract from a real agenda). The rise and fall and rise of butter is one such saga. Depending on your viewpoint it is a villain or a superfood. I have a rule of thumb. Who benefits from such blame? When a food becomes demonized in the media ask yourself who benefits? When food is associated with a moral stance rather than nourishment is there an underlying agenda at play?
As an agriculturally based economy it is easy to lay blame at this sector and point at the farmers as the source of our CO2 emission problems.. is this fair??
For the custodians of the land the hard work is enough with out the moral hammering they receive as well. It is a difficult role to navigate and we should all be concerned for their welfare.
When farmers eventually throw in the towel because they have had enough, what happens then? We who rely on their work to feed our families nourishing food become stranded and lost. We cannot let this happen. They are our precious resource, that we need to value and care for.
I for one do not want to have only access to ultra-processed produce that assures me on the label it is imitating real food, so that I can feel good about saving the planet.
Minding our planet is not just telling people what to do from lofty heights, it is getting down to work from the ground up while caring for those who do so. Here at The Urban Co-op we recognise and want to champion these farmers and growers who have stuck with it through these difficult times. Perhaps there is a small chink of appreciation again for their efforts. We would like to think so and indeed there are many small signs that there are changes in mindset. In the darker days of winter, it is a time of reflection and rest for the land. Let us hope that like all farmers in tune to the land that Spring will bring new growth once again.
We are feeling it. That guilt. The must work harder at saving the planet vibe handed to us from the collective powers at the recent COP26 event.
Yes, I had to look up what COP stood for. Conference of the parties. Say what? Words can be powerful. Something doesn’t quite sit right with this name for me. I like a good conference. Meeting like minded folk with a common theme of presenting information and striving for common goals. Ok the high profile delegates flew in on their private jets because their time is so precious (and let’s face it we are counting down to Armageddon) rather than go virtual as we have all recently become proficient at.
A virtual presentation is no substitute for the real thing and the issue of our struggling planet deserves the momentum of passionate energy that can only be roused in real time when a quorum is sensed. But parties…?? Who decided this would be a good word to use to convey the depth of seriousness involved in the content. Maybe it is just me. Perhaps it should be called Conference of the Concerned. Conference of the Committed Kin. The abbreviation has a nice ring to it!
Talk the talk. Walk the Walk.
As the world leaders take to the skies in their jets to return to their domains to encourage their subjects to act, do we feel inspired by them to take those steps necessary? Personally and honestly?? No. Humble power is a rare thing. Leadership is so often hijacked with the trappings and privileges of the wealthy and the responsibility for action is thrown down the ladder to the poorest.
Had we not made the intensive agricultural demands on our lands to drive forward our food systems in the last 50 years where would we be now? There is no going back to find out how we could have evolved as a population had we just allowed ourselves to grow organically. Instead we forced the land to produce to our detriment. Our accelerated pace of development has led to us suffering the fallout of our excesses. Our waste overwhelms our land and oceans. We are expected to make a sharp u turn now on habits of a lifetime while laying a portion of blame somewhere feasible. Farmers I fear will bear the brunt of this responsibility of blame for everything that has gone wrong. The very people who were once the epitome of the circular economy. Nothing wasted. Everything recycled. Or perhaps I am just looking back with rose tinted glasses. Having grown up on a farm I certainly do remember the food produced feeding us as a large family. The raw milk collected straight from the tank, the potatoes fresh from the pit, the eggs collected from the hen house. Little did I appreciate it. How frustrating must it have been for my parents to watch us indoctrinated by advertising and how the slow creep of the multinational food companies invaded our lives and diets and ultimately the bins started to fill. We grew up and shook the soil from our feet delighted to leave the land and backward thinking behind to embrace an exciting world….
The pace of change has been rapid in the recent decades and for many it has been too fast. The COP26 conference reminds us that the impact of this pace of development is devastating for the planet and cannot be sustained. A human tendency is always to find fault with someone else in order to avoid accepting personal responsibility.
History and science has taught us over and over that the finger is often pointed at the wrong target (ultimately to distract from a real agenda). The rise and fall and rise of butter is one such saga. Depending on your viewpoint it is a villain or a superfood. I have a rule of thumb. Who benefits from such blame? When a food becomes demonized in the media ask yourself who benefits? When food is associated with a moral stance rather than nourishment is there an underlying agenda at play?
As an agriculturally based economy it is easy to lay blame at this sector and point at the farmers as the source of our CO2 emission problems.. is this fair??
For the custodians of the land the hard work is enough with out the moral hammering they receive as well. It is a difficult role to navigate and we should all be concerned for their welfare.
When farmers eventually throw in the towel because they have had enough, what happens then? We who rely on their work to feed our families nourishing food become stranded and lost. We cannot let this happen. They are our precious resource, that we need to value and care for.
I for one do not want to have only access to ultra-processed produce that assures me on the label it is imitating real food, so that I can feel good about saving the planet.
Minding our planet is not just telling people what to do from lofty heights, it is getting down to work from the ground up while caring for those who do so. Here at The Urban Co-op we recognise and want to champion these farmers and growers who have stuck with it through these difficult times. Perhaps there is a small chink of appreciation again for their efforts. We would like to think so and indeed there are many small signs that there are changes in mindset. In the darker days of winter, it is a time of reflection and rest for the land. Let us hope that like all farmers in tune to the land that Spring will bring new growth once again.
Written by Anne Maher, November 2021
Enough!
How much is enough?
Enough to live on, enough to nourish, enough to satisfy, enough to survive. Where do we draw a line and say this is it! I would love to know.
Hashtags are like a currency. What is trading / trending today?? I am quite fascinated with the version of #enoughisenough. Not so much for the content therein although latest events in the UK with the resignation of Mr. Hancock and Boris’s suspension of lockdowns suggest there is a rising energy among the population that the status quo is not acceptable any longer.
Does it come to a point where folk recognise when something is too much to cope with? Does this mobilise thousands to collectively demonstrate their line of tolerance has been breached? Can policy makers recognise when they get close to this line? Tipping points change the course of history and these play out so quickly on social media there are ongoing dramas every day to follow. #eSwatiniprotests are rumbling in the distance. Not quite making the news this side but again a show of intolerance for a decades long system of ruling elite.
And then there are the quiet revolutions… the person who decides they have enough of dealing with ongoing sickness in the house, enough of long queues, enough of overwhelming choices, enough of processed food, enough…..
When we ask these customers why they shop at The Urban Co-op they tell us they have had enough of another way and that we are now enough for them.
How much is enough?
Enough to live on, enough to nourish, enough to satisfy, enough to survive. Where do we draw a line and say this is it! I would love to know.
Hashtags are like a currency. What is trading / trending today?? I am quite fascinated with the version of #enoughisenough. Not so much for the content therein although latest events in the UK with the resignation of Mr. Hancock and Boris’s suspension of lockdowns suggest there is a rising energy among the population that the status quo is not acceptable any longer.
Does it come to a point where folk recognise when something is too much to cope with? Does this mobilise thousands to collectively demonstrate their line of tolerance has been breached? Can policy makers recognise when they get close to this line? Tipping points change the course of history and these play out so quickly on social media there are ongoing dramas every day to follow. #eSwatiniprotests are rumbling in the distance. Not quite making the news this side but again a show of intolerance for a decades long system of ruling elite.
And then there are the quiet revolutions… the person who decides they have enough of dealing with ongoing sickness in the house, enough of long queues, enough of overwhelming choices, enough of processed food, enough…..
When we ask these customers why they shop at The Urban Co-op they tell us they have had enough of another way and that we are now enough for them.
Written by Anne Maher, July 2021
What the F?
Days getting brighter and longer brings that awakening that makes us want to get out into the garden and plant. There is a promise that the year will bring the potential of abundance, of growth, of hope. It has been a long winter….
A school bus passes the window and I feel a moment of relief to see the children returning to school. They are happy to return to an environment that they can thrive in amongst the diversity of friends and the chaotic loveliness of life. There is only so much zoom and teams we can take.
Technology is marvellous! Where would we be without it?! A world at our fingertips. With children addicted to screen time effectively parented by a gadget and the sinister side of social media trolling there are plenty of downsides to the virtual world. For children who have grown into a world of the internet the days slip away remembering life without a gadget.
Minecraft defeats me though. A world of virtual farming does not make sense to me despite the efforts my children make to encourage me to. The sense of time and space cannot be translated into real time to really understand how long it takes for a plant to grow…it worries me that they are losing this concept. Being in touch with the seasons and feeling the earth sifting through your fingers cannot be substituted. Are our children learning how to be virtual farmers for a world that will need this skill?
Future farm factories. Not unlike the campaign to encourage populations to resist the temptation of butter for apparent heart healthy alternative of margarine (and we now know how that one turned out), the rise in meat substitutes or products that aim to emulate these foods is a trend of worrying proportions. Hailed as the answer to the environmental crisis Mr William Gates is investing heavily in this new venture seeing perhaps a sure return for his money. Who will pay the price? Will we have a choice?
For those who welcome another spring with the enthusiasm and hope of a better year than the previous, the global trend unfortunately is one of economic despair for farmers. Spoken in inputs and outputs the real picture can be translated into asking us to survive on the income we had 20 years ago. Could we manage? Economics can be supported but what about the social despair? Stress that families cannot be supported, stress that legacies cannot be met, stress from all sectors telling you that your livelihood is harming the planet. Your purpose in life is held to account. The family life you know is all changed.
The answer for many is to leave. Leave the land. Leave this life. A legacy of destruction left…..
We see something different at The Urban Co-op. Farmers believing in themselves again. As an economic stability rebuilds there is time to plan for a future. Green shoots appear as the land recovers and regenerates. Offering us nourishment. For our souls….
From despair there is hope.
Days getting brighter and longer brings that awakening that makes us want to get out into the garden and plant. There is a promise that the year will bring the potential of abundance, of growth, of hope. It has been a long winter….
A school bus passes the window and I feel a moment of relief to see the children returning to school. They are happy to return to an environment that they can thrive in amongst the diversity of friends and the chaotic loveliness of life. There is only so much zoom and teams we can take.
Technology is marvellous! Where would we be without it?! A world at our fingertips. With children addicted to screen time effectively parented by a gadget and the sinister side of social media trolling there are plenty of downsides to the virtual world. For children who have grown into a world of the internet the days slip away remembering life without a gadget.
Minecraft defeats me though. A world of virtual farming does not make sense to me despite the efforts my children make to encourage me to. The sense of time and space cannot be translated into real time to really understand how long it takes for a plant to grow…it worries me that they are losing this concept. Being in touch with the seasons and feeling the earth sifting through your fingers cannot be substituted. Are our children learning how to be virtual farmers for a world that will need this skill?
Future farm factories. Not unlike the campaign to encourage populations to resist the temptation of butter for apparent heart healthy alternative of margarine (and we now know how that one turned out), the rise in meat substitutes or products that aim to emulate these foods is a trend of worrying proportions. Hailed as the answer to the environmental crisis Mr William Gates is investing heavily in this new venture seeing perhaps a sure return for his money. Who will pay the price? Will we have a choice?
For those who welcome another spring with the enthusiasm and hope of a better year than the previous, the global trend unfortunately is one of economic despair for farmers. Spoken in inputs and outputs the real picture can be translated into asking us to survive on the income we had 20 years ago. Could we manage? Economics can be supported but what about the social despair? Stress that families cannot be supported, stress that legacies cannot be met, stress from all sectors telling you that your livelihood is harming the planet. Your purpose in life is held to account. The family life you know is all changed.
The answer for many is to leave. Leave the land. Leave this life. A legacy of destruction left…..
We see something different at The Urban Co-op. Farmers believing in themselves again. As an economic stability rebuilds there is time to plan for a future. Green shoots appear as the land recovers and regenerates. Offering us nourishment. For our souls….
From despair there is hope.
Written by Anne Maher, March 2021
The Urban Co-Op was a dream born from the frustration of living in an unsustainable world.
It grew from nothing but a vision - into a powerful magnet that drew to it a diverse group of believers, whose need for each other was grounded in a deep knowing that something wasn’t right and there must be a better way.
Like any organisation of people, it groaned as it grew, surviving infights and ideological divides as it strived to push past the mind-set limitations of outsiders, unyielding belief systems, misunderstandings, and ignorance.
Mavericks are the first to go through the ditch - and always get a bloody nose!
The early days were marked with the ever-present threat of financial ruin, yet somehow the Co-Op always managed to stay alive. Often the only thing holding up the sky was hope - emanating from the hearts of believers who embraced each other shoulder to shoulder to strengthen the dream.
Having found its feet after years of sweat - the membership grew.
Suppliers would hear about this special place and wonder - could I be part of that? Could it make a difference to my family’s security in this uncertain world? Could people really want what I produce?
And they’d talk - and the membership grew!
And the premises went from primitive to modern as the Co-Op grew roots into the land - and the membership grew.
As astute business management brought the Co-Op to a place where it all but stood on its own feet without the need for philanthropy, breakeven was in sight.
Then Covid steamrolled into town - crushing the life out of businesses, smashing dreams, and stealing away the hope which had just begun to blossom in a country still recovering from the last crash. As hope was replaced by fear, the world held its breath.
But as panic buying broke out in faceless supermarkets, visitors to the Co-Op would find sanctuary in an oasis of calm amidst the chaos of a locked down world.
To its members, The Urban Co-Op was a place you could breathe easy, because you knew it had your back.
If ever there was a test for community resilience - this was it.
Drawn to the oasis by the whispers of a self-evident truth - the membership swelled.
Small farms stayed afloat as suppliers found willing buyers for their craft.
Ordinary people revelled in the security of a local supply chain.
People who cared wanted the quality being offered.
The Urban Co-Op thrived when the darkness suffocated many others.
It thrived despite the fear because it never compromised on its vision of being a hub of resilience in a community over reliant on a faceless global supply chain.
Success against all odds is a powerful story - and as this story grows it gets retold around the world, like seeds blowing from a pod that takes root in random places, the Co-Op is a seed spreader and its ideas become woven into the fabric of life in ways that can’t be measured with numbers.
The cries of a tired mother on the Co-Op floor enter the ears of an eager listener nearby.
The listener whispers it to a teacher who relays it to a retired farmer, who conceives an idea and encourages his son to take a chance to grow a field of ancient wheat, which is bought by a baker and transformed into sourdough, to be sold in the Co-Op, and bought by a grateful mother in search of food she can feed to her sick daughter - without her ending up in hospital with skin flaring so bad she can’t sleep.
The wheat imports lessened - the country grows stronger.
The healthy daughter then volunteers to help out at an animal shelter - because now she has the energy to do it. And the seeds keep spreading.
It takes a community to raise a family, and it takes a Co-Op to glue the community together.
But the story remains unfinished - something is missing - something yearned for by many who don’t yet know it. A kitchen!
Just like the kitchen is the hearth of a warm home where everyone congregates - we too need a kitchen of our own to complete us. A kitchen to gather in, to learn in, to cook in, to teach in, a kitchen to transform fresh unsold produce into nourishment you can feed to your family after a long day’s work.
The Urban Co-Op needs a kitchen!
The Urban Co-Op is the body, and the producers, the farmers, the craftspeople and the staff are the blood that runs through its veins, but You - you are the oxygen that sustains it, so it can sustain you.
The Urban Co-Op needs a beating heart - to pump that oxygen.
The Urban Co-Op needs a Kitchen.
The same vision that carried it from nothing but an idea to a busy hub of hope with thousands of members, continues to peer into the future for ways to make us all even more resilient.
You understand the significance of this because you are its breath.
The Urban Co-Op needs a Kitchen.
Will you help us build it?
It grew from nothing but a vision - into a powerful magnet that drew to it a diverse group of believers, whose need for each other was grounded in a deep knowing that something wasn’t right and there must be a better way.
Like any organisation of people, it groaned as it grew, surviving infights and ideological divides as it strived to push past the mind-set limitations of outsiders, unyielding belief systems, misunderstandings, and ignorance.
Mavericks are the first to go through the ditch - and always get a bloody nose!
The early days were marked with the ever-present threat of financial ruin, yet somehow the Co-Op always managed to stay alive. Often the only thing holding up the sky was hope - emanating from the hearts of believers who embraced each other shoulder to shoulder to strengthen the dream.
Having found its feet after years of sweat - the membership grew.
Suppliers would hear about this special place and wonder - could I be part of that? Could it make a difference to my family’s security in this uncertain world? Could people really want what I produce?
And they’d talk - and the membership grew!
And the premises went from primitive to modern as the Co-Op grew roots into the land - and the membership grew.
As astute business management brought the Co-Op to a place where it all but stood on its own feet without the need for philanthropy, breakeven was in sight.
Then Covid steamrolled into town - crushing the life out of businesses, smashing dreams, and stealing away the hope which had just begun to blossom in a country still recovering from the last crash. As hope was replaced by fear, the world held its breath.
But as panic buying broke out in faceless supermarkets, visitors to the Co-Op would find sanctuary in an oasis of calm amidst the chaos of a locked down world.
To its members, The Urban Co-Op was a place you could breathe easy, because you knew it had your back.
If ever there was a test for community resilience - this was it.
Drawn to the oasis by the whispers of a self-evident truth - the membership swelled.
Small farms stayed afloat as suppliers found willing buyers for their craft.
Ordinary people revelled in the security of a local supply chain.
People who cared wanted the quality being offered.
The Urban Co-Op thrived when the darkness suffocated many others.
It thrived despite the fear because it never compromised on its vision of being a hub of resilience in a community over reliant on a faceless global supply chain.
Success against all odds is a powerful story - and as this story grows it gets retold around the world, like seeds blowing from a pod that takes root in random places, the Co-Op is a seed spreader and its ideas become woven into the fabric of life in ways that can’t be measured with numbers.
The cries of a tired mother on the Co-Op floor enter the ears of an eager listener nearby.
The listener whispers it to a teacher who relays it to a retired farmer, who conceives an idea and encourages his son to take a chance to grow a field of ancient wheat, which is bought by a baker and transformed into sourdough, to be sold in the Co-Op, and bought by a grateful mother in search of food she can feed to her sick daughter - without her ending up in hospital with skin flaring so bad she can’t sleep.
The wheat imports lessened - the country grows stronger.
The healthy daughter then volunteers to help out at an animal shelter - because now she has the energy to do it. And the seeds keep spreading.
It takes a community to raise a family, and it takes a Co-Op to glue the community together.
But the story remains unfinished - something is missing - something yearned for by many who don’t yet know it. A kitchen!
Just like the kitchen is the hearth of a warm home where everyone congregates - we too need a kitchen of our own to complete us. A kitchen to gather in, to learn in, to cook in, to teach in, a kitchen to transform fresh unsold produce into nourishment you can feed to your family after a long day’s work.
The Urban Co-Op needs a kitchen!
The Urban Co-Op is the body, and the producers, the farmers, the craftspeople and the staff are the blood that runs through its veins, but You - you are the oxygen that sustains it, so it can sustain you.
The Urban Co-Op needs a beating heart - to pump that oxygen.
The Urban Co-Op needs a Kitchen.
The same vision that carried it from nothing but an idea to a busy hub of hope with thousands of members, continues to peer into the future for ways to make us all even more resilient.
You understand the significance of this because you are its breath.
The Urban Co-Op needs a Kitchen.
Will you help us build it?
Written by Anne Maher, October 2020
What if
A conversation I often have with the husband goes like this…
Himself: How do you remember foods you have eaten years ago when I don’t think about food until I have it in front of me?
Me: I wish I had the luxury of being able to do that!
This is the sanitised version of the conversation. It has been more heated than that and when children are involved the responsibility of providing food for them over the years has been left mostly to yours truly. It is a bug bear of mine to improve his appreciation of food. To be fair he has progressed! I left the polytunnel work to him this year and apart from the reality there is little produce to write home about he has learned by doing and is working out ways of improving the soil, watering systems etc. It has helped him to appreciate the lengths I have gone to get good food. Interestingly being surrounded by it at The Urban Co-op I can often go home to an empty fridge – the shoemakers sons etc…
In any case it has got me thinking – how easily we take it all for granted and what if something major happened that we didn’t have the ease of access and abundance that we have become so used to this generation?
2020 continues to be the year that is clearing our vision as we awaken to the reality that all may not be as straightforward as we had hoped! There are many discussions happening about food sovereignty and security. They often seem so far removed from us that we might not have to worry at all about it. Stories of famine, deprivation and hunger are far away in history and geography. Generations of us have never known deprivation and perhaps this is not always a good thing. How easily we fall into complacency when food is apparently abundantly available.
What if something happened to change all this? How easily can the situation change? At the start of lockdown the panic buying strategy was evident. (Granted some folk will have a lifetime supply of toilet paper as a result). It is a wake up call though on the temporary nature of our food supply.
How are they coping in Beirut today? A few weeks ago life was normal. All changed in an unfathomable instant. It was shocking to witness it alongside the inhabitants of the city. How would we cope in a major disaster? After the trauma where do they get food again?
Lockdowns albeit temporary create a shockwave to the food supply lines we are used to. We have been inconvenienced but we have managed. The threat of loss and deprivation instinctively make us hoard. How prepared are we if it all goes pear shaped and food supplies are majorly disrupted? When shelves empty. How long have we got? These are thoughts I often think about.
We still rely on our imports to fill many gaps but do we need to? Can we make conscious changes in our food habits to ensure we eat more locally? Our banana bread fetish could change to an apple pie? It's food for thought!
Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal Vegetable Miracle challenged me to think how this is possible and our own Lisa Fingleton with her Local Food Project has championed the 30 day local food challenge. It's harvest time when food is hopefully in abundance! It all comes back to our farmers and gardeners. They know what to do to cultivate the land to produce our food. They have the wisdom of ages that has been handed down. We need them so badly to keep us fed. No amount of money will pay them for the work they do. We are indebted to them more than we will ever know. The next time you enjoy a locally grown food think about how lucky you are that they are close by and rejoice in the harvest! It will be a while before the husband gets there but hope springs eternal!
A conversation I often have with the husband goes like this…
Himself: How do you remember foods you have eaten years ago when I don’t think about food until I have it in front of me?
Me: I wish I had the luxury of being able to do that!
This is the sanitised version of the conversation. It has been more heated than that and when children are involved the responsibility of providing food for them over the years has been left mostly to yours truly. It is a bug bear of mine to improve his appreciation of food. To be fair he has progressed! I left the polytunnel work to him this year and apart from the reality there is little produce to write home about he has learned by doing and is working out ways of improving the soil, watering systems etc. It has helped him to appreciate the lengths I have gone to get good food. Interestingly being surrounded by it at The Urban Co-op I can often go home to an empty fridge – the shoemakers sons etc…
In any case it has got me thinking – how easily we take it all for granted and what if something major happened that we didn’t have the ease of access and abundance that we have become so used to this generation?
2020 continues to be the year that is clearing our vision as we awaken to the reality that all may not be as straightforward as we had hoped! There are many discussions happening about food sovereignty and security. They often seem so far removed from us that we might not have to worry at all about it. Stories of famine, deprivation and hunger are far away in history and geography. Generations of us have never known deprivation and perhaps this is not always a good thing. How easily we fall into complacency when food is apparently abundantly available.
What if something happened to change all this? How easily can the situation change? At the start of lockdown the panic buying strategy was evident. (Granted some folk will have a lifetime supply of toilet paper as a result). It is a wake up call though on the temporary nature of our food supply.
How are they coping in Beirut today? A few weeks ago life was normal. All changed in an unfathomable instant. It was shocking to witness it alongside the inhabitants of the city. How would we cope in a major disaster? After the trauma where do they get food again?
Lockdowns albeit temporary create a shockwave to the food supply lines we are used to. We have been inconvenienced but we have managed. The threat of loss and deprivation instinctively make us hoard. How prepared are we if it all goes pear shaped and food supplies are majorly disrupted? When shelves empty. How long have we got? These are thoughts I often think about.
We still rely on our imports to fill many gaps but do we need to? Can we make conscious changes in our food habits to ensure we eat more locally? Our banana bread fetish could change to an apple pie? It's food for thought!
Barbara Kingsolver’s book Animal Vegetable Miracle challenged me to think how this is possible and our own Lisa Fingleton with her Local Food Project has championed the 30 day local food challenge. It's harvest time when food is hopefully in abundance! It all comes back to our farmers and gardeners. They know what to do to cultivate the land to produce our food. They have the wisdom of ages that has been handed down. We need them so badly to keep us fed. No amount of money will pay them for the work they do. We are indebted to them more than we will ever know. The next time you enjoy a locally grown food think about how lucky you are that they are close by and rejoice in the harvest! It will be a while before the husband gets there but hope springs eternal!
Written by Anne Maher, September 2020
Circular Economy - what is it?
When I go for a walk I like to do a loop. Doubling back doesn’t feel right. Doodling on paper inevitably finds me concentrically focused. Throwing a pebble into the water and watching the ripples wave outwards mesmerises and satisfies. Is it a human thing to like circles?
Compelled to get these relentless circular thoughts out of my head and on paper (on a dramatically thunderous night with strobe lightning effects to add to the drama!) I have abandoned thoughts of rest and here goes.
The term circular economy sits comfortably now with many of us as we have begun our collective awakening on environmental concern.
What does it mean? Good old Wikipedia suggests it's an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. Living through the recent decades of recession and Celtic Tiger where the era of globalisation allowed us access to and opportunities to consume phenomenal amounts of “stuff”, we certainly made the most of it! And boy did we accumulate! We built bigger houses to accommodate the stuff and the garage to store the overflow. When we were finished with the stuff we packed it in boxes, bins and bags and sent it away to other people, municipal waste collection sites, GAA fundraisers….some people left it on roadsides, in rivers, in oceans. Not in my backyard. Out of sight, out of mind until it returns. And like all circles we go back to the beginning.
When David Attenborough gravely reminded us of the damage to our blue oceans and we recognised those plastic bags ingested by the sea-life as our own, perhaps we shifted uneasily. When a teenage girl reminded us we really had to act quickly we began to take some responsibility. The system we had adopted of the single use throwaway society was no longer acceptable. Refuse, reuse, recycle etc etc we have been learning bit by bit how to make small changes. Our collective guilt had a temporary reprieve when governments made historic commitments to help the environment.
Nature has a way of fighting back and our pandemic year has schooled us in ways we never thought possible. Lock-down forced us to sit at home and look at our stuff while denying us access to more. The withdrawal was painful but we managed to clear our spaces and realise we probably didn’t need so much. Priorities shifted. Images of the earth recovering with clean rivers, clean air gave hope that miracles can happen. There are many silver linings. Albeit a temporary reprieve as our precious earth awaits the onslaught of the disposable PPE!
The pandemic has forced us all to rethink. How big does our circle have to be? A circular economy allows resources to be replenished and reused. Maybe enhanced. In many ways The Urban Co-op is a circular economy. It is many tiny circles repeated over and over. Fractals of circles. By saving resources we have extra for other things. On a day that saw notable queues for fast fashion we focused our energy on interacting with new customers who signed up to become members and commit to shopping locally. Members in growing numbers who realise that their buying power matters, their choices influence the great good and who return because we provide the safe space for them to access basic provisions. They commit to helping us build the demo kitchen as we explain the desire to complete another circle. As we load their nourishing foods into the reusable box we smile at each other. Another transaction enhanced with a flourishing relationship. It feels right.
When I go for a walk I like to do a loop. Doubling back doesn’t feel right. Doodling on paper inevitably finds me concentrically focused. Throwing a pebble into the water and watching the ripples wave outwards mesmerises and satisfies. Is it a human thing to like circles?
Compelled to get these relentless circular thoughts out of my head and on paper (on a dramatically thunderous night with strobe lightning effects to add to the drama!) I have abandoned thoughts of rest and here goes.
The term circular economy sits comfortably now with many of us as we have begun our collective awakening on environmental concern.
What does it mean? Good old Wikipedia suggests it's an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and the continual use of resources. Living through the recent decades of recession and Celtic Tiger where the era of globalisation allowed us access to and opportunities to consume phenomenal amounts of “stuff”, we certainly made the most of it! And boy did we accumulate! We built bigger houses to accommodate the stuff and the garage to store the overflow. When we were finished with the stuff we packed it in boxes, bins and bags and sent it away to other people, municipal waste collection sites, GAA fundraisers….some people left it on roadsides, in rivers, in oceans. Not in my backyard. Out of sight, out of mind until it returns. And like all circles we go back to the beginning.
When David Attenborough gravely reminded us of the damage to our blue oceans and we recognised those plastic bags ingested by the sea-life as our own, perhaps we shifted uneasily. When a teenage girl reminded us we really had to act quickly we began to take some responsibility. The system we had adopted of the single use throwaway society was no longer acceptable. Refuse, reuse, recycle etc etc we have been learning bit by bit how to make small changes. Our collective guilt had a temporary reprieve when governments made historic commitments to help the environment.
Nature has a way of fighting back and our pandemic year has schooled us in ways we never thought possible. Lock-down forced us to sit at home and look at our stuff while denying us access to more. The withdrawal was painful but we managed to clear our spaces and realise we probably didn’t need so much. Priorities shifted. Images of the earth recovering with clean rivers, clean air gave hope that miracles can happen. There are many silver linings. Albeit a temporary reprieve as our precious earth awaits the onslaught of the disposable PPE!
The pandemic has forced us all to rethink. How big does our circle have to be? A circular economy allows resources to be replenished and reused. Maybe enhanced. In many ways The Urban Co-op is a circular economy. It is many tiny circles repeated over and over. Fractals of circles. By saving resources we have extra for other things. On a day that saw notable queues for fast fashion we focused our energy on interacting with new customers who signed up to become members and commit to shopping locally. Members in growing numbers who realise that their buying power matters, their choices influence the great good and who return because we provide the safe space for them to access basic provisions. They commit to helping us build the demo kitchen as we explain the desire to complete another circle. As we load their nourishing foods into the reusable box we smile at each other. Another transaction enhanced with a flourishing relationship. It feels right.
Written by Anne Maher, July 2020
What is a community grocery?
We are a community grocery…what does this mean? This question has been asked of us recently as we have seen a significant rise in new visitors to the shop. Who are we, who owns this? At the risk of being tempted to say “do you not know who we are?” it is giving us pause for thought… who are we?
As we operate our way through the pandemic carrying out the familiar tasks of getting good food to our customers we have been reminded that our modern food environments have proven problematic for our populations and that in times of crisis our basic needs must be addressed.
A well-oiled modern food system in recent decades advances policy decisions and trends to favour mega grocery stores sited in wealthier city edges and suburbs. Leaving behind the modern convenience store that offers much in the line of products and little in the form of nourishment. The result? The slow but sure deterioration of community. Physically, mentally, socially. A pandemic has been a wake up call.
Food is Power and efforts to create a more just and sustainable world often begin by recognizing the power of one’s food choices. Where do you begin? The concept of a community grocery is not new but for a small group of people in Limerick 10 years ago after Dell departed, it seemed like the right choice of model to demonstrate how a co-operative approach would work. After all, we all need food right? But then, what type of food? From where? Who produces it? How can we sustain the supply? Quickly the issues emerged. It made sense to aim for quality nourishing food, but how can it be affordable if we are used to paying low prices for subsidised food? How could we ensure a local farmer would keep bringing in the food if we weren’t in a position to pay a decent price? We learned quickly that without our farmers, we have no grocery. It's hard work. It needs to be valued. The journey of discovery to focus on nurturing our suppliers began. As folk trickled in and began to commit the demand grew. Basic economics, supply and demand apply but it was more than just the transactions. It was the building of relationships again and the weaving together of a new fabric of community. It began to matter. The way to a community heart is through its stomach….perhaps! Thankfully 7 years on with the dedication of community and strategic support Limerick Community Grocery is still in place and continuing to face everyday challenges. It is great to hear the question what is a community grocery? The answer is US.
We are a community grocery…what does this mean? This question has been asked of us recently as we have seen a significant rise in new visitors to the shop. Who are we, who owns this? At the risk of being tempted to say “do you not know who we are?” it is giving us pause for thought… who are we?
As we operate our way through the pandemic carrying out the familiar tasks of getting good food to our customers we have been reminded that our modern food environments have proven problematic for our populations and that in times of crisis our basic needs must be addressed.
A well-oiled modern food system in recent decades advances policy decisions and trends to favour mega grocery stores sited in wealthier city edges and suburbs. Leaving behind the modern convenience store that offers much in the line of products and little in the form of nourishment. The result? The slow but sure deterioration of community. Physically, mentally, socially. A pandemic has been a wake up call.
Food is Power and efforts to create a more just and sustainable world often begin by recognizing the power of one’s food choices. Where do you begin? The concept of a community grocery is not new but for a small group of people in Limerick 10 years ago after Dell departed, it seemed like the right choice of model to demonstrate how a co-operative approach would work. After all, we all need food right? But then, what type of food? From where? Who produces it? How can we sustain the supply? Quickly the issues emerged. It made sense to aim for quality nourishing food, but how can it be affordable if we are used to paying low prices for subsidised food? How could we ensure a local farmer would keep bringing in the food if we weren’t in a position to pay a decent price? We learned quickly that without our farmers, we have no grocery. It's hard work. It needs to be valued. The journey of discovery to focus on nurturing our suppliers began. As folk trickled in and began to commit the demand grew. Basic economics, supply and demand apply but it was more than just the transactions. It was the building of relationships again and the weaving together of a new fabric of community. It began to matter. The way to a community heart is through its stomach….perhaps! Thankfully 7 years on with the dedication of community and strategic support Limerick Community Grocery is still in place and continuing to face everyday challenges. It is great to hear the question what is a community grocery? The answer is US.
Written by Anne Maher, June 2020