Monthly Newsletter

Board meetings and events

Board meetings are open to all FRFC owners!

Please join us in person or click here to attend via Zoom

Team Meetings

All teams are currently welcoming new volunteers!

Please join us by emailing: freerangefoodcoop@gmail.com

Site Update

Our Letter of Intent has been accepted!

In a nutshell, a Letter of Intent (LOI) is a document declaring the commitment of one party to do business with another, and it outlines the broad terms of a deal. Before the holiday season, we submitted a Letter of Intent on a potential site expressing our interest and commitment to leasing or purchasing, and the LOI was recently accepted by the property owner! Soon the board and property owner will begin negotiating an agreement on the price, among other considerations for our future site.

Stay tuned as we get more information!

Visit Us!

Not an owner yet? Click here to join OR gift an ownership

Our Marketing Team is looking for help managing our social media including:

scheduling posts
responding to comments (with guidance from the marketing team)

Graphics and captions are crafted ahead of time, and you would be responsible for scheduling them according to our content calendar. The marketing team will be there for training and support.

Estimated time commitment of about 1 hour per week to schedule 3-5 posts.

Email Angela to learn more!

Click here to sign up for an event!

Its that time of year already! Time to start planning ahead to help out at our area's super fun community events this spring & summer! Exact shifts are TBD but we are getting volunteers lined up ahead of time. Help spread the word about OUR food co-op's exciting next steps!

You will always be at the booth with another volunteer buddy, with training & talking points provided.

Events as of now: (more likely to come!)

Nashwauk Home Show: April 5th & 6th

Children’s Fair: April 27

Tall Timber Days: August 3rd & 4th

Itasca County Fair: August 14th-18th

Email Lydia to learn more!

Our CIC Planning Team could use a few more hands to help with team duties including:

assembling and reviewing documents
assisting with testing and/or managing our campaign record keeping system
working as a team with our consultant and campaign coordinator to run a successful campaign

Bi-monthly meetings are held on the first and third Mondays from 6:30-7:30pm on Zoom.

Email Casey to learn more!

Join us for Get Learning Community Education classes this Spring!

We have a couple of owners who are hosting community education classes this spring, check them out! Sign up before February 5th for 5% off all classes!

GetLearning.org

Essential Oil Safety for All Ages with Joyce Peraaho

Essential oils can be a powerful source for wellness, but they do come with some safety limitations. Essential oils have been proven safe and effective in hundreds of studies. Learn how to appropriately use them with all members of your family.

Registration cutoff: Feb. 13 Sign Up Here

Treats for Your Sweets

with Merry Moody

Desserts and Whole Food, Plant-Based cooking can be a match made in heaven. Treat yourself and your sweetheart to guilt free, healthy delights that please the palate. You will want to eat dessert first!

Registration cutoff: Mar. 21 Sign Up Here

Sourdough Sandwich Bread Starter with Shara Dabrowski

Learn the process of making whole wheat sourdough sandwich, with tips for sourdough starter care. Knead your own loaf in class to bake at home the next day and leave with a "baby" starter of your own!

Class full! Join the waiting list

Get your co-op merch here

Looking ahead to our exciting next steps of development, we are also looking at a pretty big price tag for necessary services, consultants, and operating costs. Your donation will go directly to help cover necessary costs for the development of our community-owned food co-op, including:

Legal services ($5,000 - $10,000)
Consultant fees ($20,000 +)
Site studies & architect fees for potential sites ($15,000 +)

Avenues you can use to help:

Get Fit Itasca has graciously offered to support FRFC by serving as our fiscal sponsor. Tax-deductible donations can be made by mail or in person through Get Fit Itasca. Please note: we cannot accept donations mailed to our PO Box.

Make check payable to "Get Fit Itasca"
Write on the memo line: "Free Range Food Co-op"
Deliver in person or mail to: "Itasca County Family YMCA, 400 River Rd, Grand Rapids, MN 55744"

Donate online through CDS, a national cooperative supporting growth and development of other cooperatives:

Visit: https://www.givemn.org/donate/Cooperative-Development-Fund-Of-Cds
Select "Free Range Food Co-op" from the list
Complete your donation
*10% of each donation goes to CDS to cover administration fees

Miss the last co-op board meeting?

Catch up by reading the latest meeting minutes on our website:

January 4th Board Meeting Minutes

January 18th Board Meeting Minutes

Local Food Partners

This section of our newsletter is dedicated to linking community members with places to buy local food now. Part of FRFC's vision is that because of us, we have a growing, resilient, regional food system through direct support to local growers and producers.

While we are working to build our store, we are also building relationships with local farmers who will hopefully become future suppliers of fresh, local produce to stock at our co-op.

Grand Rapids Farmers' Market

Shop the market online for in-person pick up each Saturday until April.

Online ordering & more details available on the Open Food Network.

Solid Rock Growers

Lettuce, herbs, microgreen variety packs, and monthly CSA deliveries. Order now for delivery starting the first week of next month: solidrockgrowers.com

Simply check the box at checkout if you are a FRFC owner, and a portion of proceeds for each monthly CSA share will be donated back to the co-op

Bryndlewood Gardens

Farm fresh eggs all year round and an abundance of plant and flower starts in the spring. Learn more and order online: bryndlewoodgardens.com

If you are a producer and would like to be added to this list, or if you're excited to help us grow our connections with local & regional producers, let's talk! Email us at freerangefoodcoop@gmail.com

Know someone else who should become a Free Range owner?

Forward them this email and ask them to click the link below!

Become an Owner

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