The Co-op Food Stores of New Hampshire and Vermont

added 07/26/10

by Ken Davis

Too often, words of vision achieve less than we might hope or expect. We toil over them. We craft them with care. We put them in print and hope for the best. Still, in the end, we are often fortunate if they are even read at all—much less put into practice in order to effect any sort of change.

Fortunately, the “Co-op Ends:ends present a different story. Authored by the Co-op’s Board of Directors, the Ends articulate the end results the Co-op hopes to achieve in the world.

Described by former Co-op Board member and Ends author Mike Yacavone as a “north star” to aid in decision-making and to help guide the Co-op into the future, the Ends represent a multifaceted and ambitious mission for any organization, be it corporate or cooperative. The act of crafting such a vision is not an easy undertaking; making it part of an organization’s collective actions is even tougher.

At the Co-op, though, the Ends are part of our culture. You see them on walls and on T-shirts and hear them mentioned in staff discussions. Perhaps most importantly, they guide internal and operational practice, as demonstrated by the Co-op merchandising department.

“Our Ends affect everything we do,” says Paul Hoffman, a Co-op Board member as well as the Co-op’s Assistant Director of Merchandising. “We use the Ends as a litmus test to ensure we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing for the benefit of the Co-op and the communities we serve.”

For example, Hoffman says, Co-op merchandisers recently used the Ends to help craft the department’s long-term strategy and vision. Because these same Co-op merchandisers are responsible for selecting and marketing the goods available at the Co-op, this also means that, ultimately, the Ends help steer the course of everything from choosing products, vendors, and external organizations to support to planning merchandising promotions and events.

“A good example of the Ends in action is our support of ‘Keep Local Farms,’” Hoffman says. “It’s a natural fit.”

Keep Local Farms is an education and contribution program that connects consumers with local dairy farmers and informs consumers of the difficult economic times dairy farmers are facing due to the federally regulated pricing structure for milk.

In addition to educating consumers about the organization and its goals, the Co-op contributes 15 cents to Keep Local Farms for every gallon of milk sold—a program that is expected to yield more than $30,000 in total yearly contributions toward keeping local dairy farms in business.

Harvard University, Ben and Jerry’s, Cabot Cheese, and many other New England institutions are supporters of Keep Local Farms, and Hoffman says the tie-in with the Co-op’s Ends made supporting the organization an easy decision.

“Supporting Keep Local Farms means achieving the goals of Ends 2, 3, 5, and 7. That’s what all of us at the Co-op try to do. We strive to make sure we’re meeting the high expectations our members and customers have of us, and the Ends are a great way to help us do that.”

What are the Co-op Ends?

The Co-op Global Ends statement, outlined in the last issue of the Co-op News, states: “The Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society exists to provide cooperative commerce for the greater good of our members and community.”

The Ends policy is the subsequent call to action. It states that seven distinct groups comprise our members and community: Co-op members, non-member customers, Co-op staff and their families, local suppliers, the local community, the larger cooperative community, and past and future generations of Hanover Co-op members. The policy also goes on to state that, because of the Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society:

1. The Upper Valley will have a retail source of food that is affordable, healthy, grown and/or processed locally to the fullest extent possible.

2. There will be economic value returned to the community via charitable contributions, outreach projects, patronage refunds to members, and other avenues.

3. Customers and staff will be better educated about food issues and, as a result, make healthier choices.

4. There will be a vibrant cooperative sector in the economy, both nationally and regionally, and a local community educated in the value of cooperative principles and enterprises.

5. The cooperative’s bioregion will have a vibrant local agricultural community, and that community will, in turn, have a reliable retail market for its products.

6. There will be a major source of employment in the community that provides personal satisfaction to employees, livable wages, and financial security for employees and their families.

7. There will be a thriving business organization that protects and restores the environment.