[BCN] general coop outreach, and Harvest

[Adam Rosi-Kessel]

On 1/13/2007 6:30 PM, Joshua Laskin wrote:
>   My guess is that the old list probably
> disappeared with whoever was attempting to
> compile it.

I was maintaining that list, although I may have partially passed it off
to Micha at the Seedpot Co-op and/or Joanne at the Big Top. I'm not sure
where the information is, anymore, but I am pretty sure you wouldn't
find any surprises on it. All the main players are subscribed to this
list, and a lot of the other co-ops were not long-term projects and may
have dissolved. When I was more active in the Boston Coop Movement,
every year a few co-ops shut down and a few co-ops started up.

>   The co-op households of greater-Boston have
> always been primarily inwardly-focused and
> independent, so have never been successfully
> organized or integrated into a comprehensive
> umbrella.  The closest may have been 'New
> Community Projects', in the '80s, which operated
> out of the original community-room of the old
> Boston Food Co-op, in Allston (before BFC became
> Harvest, after purchasing the floundering
> Cambridge Food Co-op).

I should note that the Boston Coop Network actually met formally for at
least a couple of years circa 1999-2000. We had various forms, but
basically alternated more structured meetings (e.g., panels on topics of
interest to coop members) and more social meetings (e.g., potluck
dinners). Micha Josephy, Arthur Gladstone, and I were the main
organizers. Unfortunately, over time, the pool of organizers didn't
expand, and when Micha, Arthur, and I began to focus on other things,
the monthly meetings stopped happening. The website and this email list
are the main remaining vestiges.

>   This Boston Co-op Network list is the new
> effort to connect the movement, but Adam's
> probably right: many co-op residents aren't
> interested in a broader movement, and whoever IS
> interested is probably already on the list.  But
> it's possible that some may still not know about
> it, so every opportunity should be taken to
> spread the word. 

With 200 people on this list, our coverage is pretty good. The
bostoncoop.net website gets between 200,000 and 1,000,000 hits per month
 (obviously not all the visitors are looking for coop information).
While the Internet hasn't exactly activated the Boston Coop movement, at
least it's easier to find information and contacts than it was ten years
ago.

Adam