Cruise on over to Crème and join us for another fun Meet & Greet! Bike, drive or walk- you choose how you cruise. Support a local business and grab a tasty treat from Crème Ice Cream shop and join us at the picnic tables next to the Prairie Path. We're looking forward to gathering with our community, chatting about PFC's progress, and answering any questions people may have.

If you're just learning about us or have been an Owner for years, come meet us out…and bring a friend or two. It's guaranteed to be a good time!

Please RSVP to let us know how many to expect so we can save enough seats!

Community Solar Farms are the future of green, affordable energy for everyone. They consist of large arrays of solar panels built in rural areas that generate electricity which feeds directly into our existing energy grid. They are being monitored and promoted by the Illinois Shines Program as well as ComEd because community solar farms play a key role in creating an affordable, green energy future for Illinois.

The farms operate like an energy co-op. You can subscribe for free to a share of the farm and purchase the electricity that your share produces at a guaranteed discount off the ComEd electric rate thus reducing your electric bill. Your share size is matched to the amount of electricity that your house or apartment uses. Since the electricity from the farm feeds directly into the energy grid there is no need for solar panels on your roof and thus nothing to buy. Also, community solar is available to everyone who has an electric bill whether you live in a house, condo, or apartment.

Benefits of Community Solar Farms

• You don't need to install solar panels on your roof
• There's nothing to buy and there are no hidden costs/fees
• You are dealing directly with solar farms and your electric supply cost is guaranteed to always be 20%* less than ComEd's rates for up to 20 years 
• Houses, condos, apartments, and small businesses qualify
• You remain a ComEd customer and don't have to deal with switching to a different provider
• You can cancel at anytime and there are no cancellation fees

*10% savings if your usage is less than 3,000 kWh per year

Helping Prairie Food Co-op & the greater community

And by subscribing to a community solar farm through our partners, the Prairie Food Co-op will receive a donation per Owner, you will get guaranteed savings on the cost of your electric supply and our energy grid becomes greener with the addition of new solar energy. In addition, all these farms are in Illinois which increases local jobs and local revenues.

Enrolling in Community Solar

We hosted a Community Solar Enrollment Q&A Session, along with our community solar partner, Michael Wisniewski, where we covered how community solar works and how you can sign up.  We recommend watching the video recording of this session.

Enrolling in the program is quick and easy — it typically only takes about 20 minutes. Michael will analyze your current Comed bill and help set your household up to start receiving energy from a local solar farm. 

If you are ready to enroll or have questions, please complete our consultation form and Michael will connect with you to set up a time to chat and get you enrolled in the community solar program.

Note: PFC Ownership is not required to participate in the Community Solar Program, but you may be contacted about becoming an Owner if you sign up!

While PFC makes every effort to share reliable and reputable services and information to its Owners and community, you are responsible for independently verifying any information and services shared. The decision to use or act upon any information shared by PFC is at your own discretion and risk. PFC is not liable for any misstatements or subsequent actions of any vendor or service.

Prairie Food Co-op is committed to following the seven core principles that cooperative businesses around the world operate by. Co-op Principle #7 is Concern For Our Community.

We are excited to not only grow as a co-op by bringing in new Owners, but for the next few months, we will choose an organization to donate $10 to for every new Owner we welcome.

Give Back Organization(s):

MARCH/APRIL/MAY 2022

The Conservation Foundation 

For each new PFC Owner in March/April/May, Prairie Food Co-op will donate $10 to the Conservation Foundation. The Conservation Foundation improves the health of our communities by preserving and restoring natural areas and open space, protecting rivers and watersheds, and promoting stewardship of our environment.

JAN/FEB 2022

DuPage County Farm Bureau Agriculture in the Classroom

For each new PFC Owner in February, Prairie Food Co-op will donate $10 to the DuPage County Farm Bureau Agriculture in the Classroom Program. Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) is a statewide educational program. Its goal is to help students and teachers gain awareness of agriculture in their daily lives. By having agricultural educators come into classrooms, students learn about the industry and take part in hands-on activities that will enrich their lessons. 

BECOME AN OWNER

As a Co-op, investments from our Community are required to raise the capital necessary to build our grocery store. This is a basic tenant of Cooperative business and what makes Co-ops economic powerhouses and long-lived businesses (Co-ops following best practices to open, as we are, have a 90% success rate after 10 years - a phenomenal success rate for small business).

As the first co-op in DuPage County, Prairie Food Co-op will support local farmers and producers and make delicious, healthy, sustainable food accessible to all. Our store will be your convenient one-stop-shop for fresh, local and organic produce, dairy and meats, fair-trade and conventional foods, bulk items, wine & beer, and grab & go prepared foods. 

Funding Pledged and Raised

Prairie Food Co-op needs approximately $4.4M to build, staff, and operate our store. The CIP Committee has run two intensive 8-week funding campaigns asking Owners to invest or donate in the store. 30% of PFC Owners contributed an average of $2000. While 30% participation is higher than average, the average contribution of $2000 is lower than the typical average of $4000-$5000 for Co-ops that have run funding campaigns in recent years. Here is the outcome of our two capital campaigns:

• $1.6M Pledged. PFC Owners have pledged $1.6M to this project. We have collected all but $300K of this pledged amount and are relying on Owners to come thru with their pledge to contribute .
• $1.2M Bank Loan. West Suburban Bank has committed to funding a portion of our project because they believe in PFC and the benefits it will bring to Lombard and DuPage County. This loan is contingent on PFC raising additional funds from Owners. 
• $400K - $1M Grant Our Grants team has applied for over $2M in grant funding over the past 5 years. There are not many grant opportunities for cooperatives and they are very competitive. Our grant applications are up against well-financed corporations, universities, and farm bureaus. Despite that, we have been finalists for several large grants but have not received any significant grant funding. But we want Owners to know that the Board is working diligently to pursue all possible funding opportunities. 

Next Steps

The Board is currently pursuing several viable store locations in Lombard. We cannot move forward unless we have the funding necessary to open our store. Depending on negotiated rent rates and other parameters, the Board projects a $300K-$500K funding gap that will need to be filled.

Ready to Invest? That’s great! Schedule a call with a Co-Operator to start the process!

$4.4 Million Dollar Funding Goal

Our market analysis indicates that $4.4 million is needed to construct and operate a 10K square foot grocery store. We can reduce that amount by looking at smaller spaces, but there is a minimum store size beneath which would be challenging to operate a profitable grocery store. Here is how funds will be used.

How Can YOU Help?

Current Owners

We have made it easy for you to contribute.

Want to learn more? Review your contribution options below, and then Schedule a call with a Co-Operator to ask any questions and start the process!

 

Not yet an Owner?

Join Today, Impact Tomorrow

Sign up to become an owner today!

 

 

 

 

 

Professional market studies show that 109 S. Main in Lombard is the ideal location for a thriving co-op and that we can generate earnings to buy back preferred share and loan investments. However, investments are not without risk, including the risk of loss. 

This is not an offer to sell securities which is made only by the Confidential Offering Memorandum and only members who are IL residents are eligible to invest in Owner Loans and only IL residents are eligible to invest in Preferred Shares

We know that investing in anything is a big decision and that you probably have a lot of questions. We've listed out a few of the most commonly asked questions about the Community Investment Program below. If your question isn't listed, feel free to reach out to one of our CIP Volunteers at [email protected] or 630-446-0010.

More questions? Please contact us at [email protected].

We are not soliciting Owner capital in any form at this time. Owner loans will be available only to Illinois Owners, Preferred Shares will only be available to Illinois residents, and only pursuant to complete offering documents when and if a capital campaign is approved by the board.

Check out this inspiring report on the impacts that food co-ops have on their community.

A few highlights:

• What is a food co-op? (we hope you know but just in case....) A food co-op is a grocery store owned by your neighbors (and by you, if you choose). Unlike corporate chains, co-ops are totally independent and owned by folks in the community that shop there.
• Local Control. Co-ops are owned by their communities, not some corporate office 1,000 miles away. Instead of focusing on Wall Street investors, co-ops focus on what their neighbors want—nourishing everyone according to their budget and cooking style. 
• Community-focused. In 2019, co-ops donated $8 million to community organizations. In addition, co-ops work with their communities in ways that reflect each community’s unique needs. For example, many co-ops offer community dinner nights where healthy meals are under $5,
• Sustainability -  Food co-ops are working individually to reduce their carbon footprints and respond to the climate crisis by measuring and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions from electricity, fuel use, and refrigerant gases.