Step Two: Taking Control of Our Labor
Build A Cooperative Economy That empowers Us all
The Village Cooperative works with our membership to address the needs and concerns of our local community, ultimately building shared ownership and collaboration for our people by ensuring local food distribution for communities.
Our first cooperative is focused on the distribution and production of food. We see this as the fundamental building block towards a system that can stand on its own without relying on the current wage system in which we find ourselves entangled. With food co-ops in full swing, we seek to empower career paths and benefits through working in collaboration with our peers, instead of working for a paycheck for a nameless corporation. Instead we will use the cooperative model to build a modern village that ensures wealth stays within our communities.
7 Cooperative Principles
-
Voluntary and Open Membership
-
Democratic Member Control
-
Member Economic Participation
-
Autonomy
-
Education and Training of Members and the Public
-
Cooperation Among Cooperatives
-
Concern for Community
What is a Co-op?
Cooperatives offer a community-centered, collectively owned, and democratically governed organization. With our focus on food production we are emphasizing a strong support for natural and organic foods, environmental sustainability, local economies, and family farms. We have started with educating people on local food production and selling our produce to employ members and provide an economic base for the creation of future cooperatives centered around things like, carpentry, artistry, cooking, and many more!
To establish an equitable accumulation of wealth for our communities we have a tiered member system to allow for varying degrees involvement in the cooperative. All members have voting rights to effectively guide the Village Cooperative in serving our local communities.
