Minnesota State University Reporter

Issue date: 2/12/08 Section: Local and State News

Media Credit: John Dahmen The St. Peter Food Co-op features organic food from local growers.

Gregory Lessard has a dream. A dream of a community-owned food cooperative within walking distance of downtown Mankato, where people could purchase groceries that make economic, ecological and ethical sense. This food co-op would include a deli, bakery items made from scratch, fair trade, organic and local artisan foods.

Lessard, a Minnesota State 2005 social and ethnic studies graduate and co-founder of Students for Sustainability, has been holding monthly meetings since November on campus and at the Rasmussen Woods Elk Nature Center to try to generate interest and dialogue on creating a community-owned food co-op in Mankato. He said his goals right now are to find the local vision, talent and financial relationships to form this co-op and to gain community support.

A food co-op is funded by voluntary members who pay a one-time lifetime fee - making them co-owners - although many co-ops could not survive without non-members, Lessard said. Any profits from the co-op at the end of the year can be distributed among members or re-invested back in the business. Co-ops create a strong sense of community and according to the National Cooperative Grocers Association website, "In the tradition of their founders, cooperative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness and caring for others."

Food co-ops also support the local economy and local farmers by selling primarily locally grown produce, meats and dairy products.

"We buy local things and try to create a local economy," said Margo O'Brien, general manager of the St. Peter Co-op for nearly 30 years. The St. Peter Co-op was incorporated in 1979 and has 1,785 members.

According to O'Brien, each dollar spent at a co-op has three times the local impact as a dollar spent at a non-locally owned business. "A cooperative is truly, truly locally owned."

Lessard added, "If people want to maintain small farms and local produce, you need a market for that and co-ops provide that market."

In addition to the benefits of stimulating the local economy, more people are choosing to shop at co-ops for health reasons. A survey last fall by student group Students For Organic Options showed that 46 percent of students and faculty were aware of the St. Peter Co-op and 76 percent would purchase organic food instead of fast food if they were offered the choice.

Sophomore Tom Pothen, community health major and member of Students for Sustainability, said much advancement in technology has allowed companies to outsource to other countries or other regions and add chemicals in order to preserve produce, meat or dairy products until they reach the consumer. Pothen said many of those chemicals are untested by the FDA due to lack of time or resources, and many have tested positive for carcinogens and other negative health effects.

"When you eat organically you are investing in the future by not creating more pesticides and insecticides, protecting the integrity of ground water, and not ingesting pesticides or genetically altered foods," O'Brien said.

Of the students and faculty surveyed by Students for Organic Options, 71 percent said they were aware of chemicals used when growing food.

"There are many economic, environmental and social benefits to co-ops," Lessard said.

He will continue to hold regular meetings to discuss these benefits and to begin planning. The next meeting will be 6 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Rasmussen Woods Elk Nature Center off Stoltzman Road at the bottom of Gage hill.

Students for Sustainability meets at 5 p.m. Thursdays in the CSU Heritage Room. The organization is looking for new members to fill leadership positions.


Brittney Hansen is a Reporter staff writer

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools