Our Big “Why?”

We are not looking to be just any “typical” grocery store. The catalyst for launching Prairie Food Co-op is to connect our community to as much local, fresh, organic, and sustainable food and goods as possible, in a grocery store format. Though we will need to fill in the gaps with more conventional products (we do live in the Midwest where certain products can’t be grown!), we will always be conscientious about what products we will stock. 

Our Commitment

We want to not only provide exceptional products to customers that shop in our store, we also want to uplift and empower those who have been historically overlooked by big chain grocery stores. Prairie Food Co-op is committed to making it a priority to include Indigenous-, BIPOC-, and women-owned farms and food businesses.

Vendor Application Form

As we near opening day, the co-op will hire a General Manager to oversee store operations. The General Manager will review all vendor applications and contact those who are a good fit for the needs of the co-op. 

We encourage you to submit your New Vendor Application here or by filling out the form below. We appreciate your interest in Prairie Food Co-op!

Claim a part of PFC so our community knows how much you love your local food co-op!

OUR store will be community owned so it’s only fitting that some of the most seen and most favorite parts of the store reflect the personality of OUR community! We're only allowing one name per area, so claim your area now before someone else does!

Email us today at [email protected] to get more information, or to schedule a call to discuss how you can be a part of the legacy of Prairie Food Co-op by putting your name on a favorite part of OUR store. 

Naming Opportunities are valid for 10 years  (terms and conditions)

Note - these naming opportunities are suggestions. If you have something special in mind that you'd like to fund (solar panels etc), then let us know! We are open to your ideas as long as it is feasible from a design and financial standpoint.

                                                                                                                                                                                                               .

• Hometown: Glen Ellyn
• Owner #: 886
• Term: Elected 2021. 1st term ends 2024.

Why are you interested in serving on the Prairie Food Board of Directors?
I have a personal passion for community connection and environmental awareness and education. I see the Prairie Food Coop as a natural intersection between these two areas, and the PFC as a place that will have positive benefits on our community, environment and local economy for years to come. I am excited about working with other passionate volunteers to make the PFC a reality.

Employment: Please tell us about your Past or Present Employment 
I was previously a senior manager with Deloitte Tax for over 16 years within the Global Employer Services practice. I advised clients on the tax and human resource implications of global talent deployment as well as employee experience. I also led a number of internal initiatives focused on training, mentoring, and creating a motivating, fun, and inclusive work environment for my team through events like office scavenger hunts and decathlons.

Currently I am a consultant with Beautycounter, a safer cosmetics and personal care products company. I share information about ingredient safety so individuals can make informed decisions when purchasing a product. Additionally I advocate for stronger, more transparent regulation at the state and federal level that considers the health of consumers and the planet.

Volunteer: Membership/Affiliations/Leadership past and present

1. HFS Chicago Scholars; mentor and volunteer, 2005-2017, Young Professionals Board Member, 2014-2017
2. Abraham Lincoln Elementary School PTA; Auction Fundraiser co-chair, 2018 and 2019
3. La Escuela Cooperativa de Sayulita; current Board Member
4. Glen Ellyn Environmental Commission; current Commissioner
5. Glen Ellyn Park District Environmental Advisory Board; current Board member

Which of the following areas do you have expertise?
Management, Fundraising, Event Planning, Communications, environmental education including recycling, sustainable swaps, safer food, cosmetic and cleaning products

What experience, education, and skills do you have that you feel will contribute to your effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director? 
During my time at Deloitte, I worked with multiple clients around the world and even spent time working abroad, both in India and Switzerland. This taught me how to consider ways to engage and more importantly to listen to multiple perspectives throughout the life of a project. I feel strongly about making sure all stakeholders feel “bought in” and listened to, as well as transparently providing feedback. I gained an understanding of how to effectively serve clients by creatively balancing their priorities and goals with the realities of a budget and timeline in which to accomplish those. I also learned how to identify strengths of my team members, then manage and motivate the group to work collaboratively towards our goals.

Additionally in my experience with Beautycounter as well as serving on multiple volunteer boards in Glen Ellyn, I have learned different ways to engage community members. This has ranged from creating my own facebook group with 230+ members to share environmental and clean living tips, to creating and organizing a "Trash Talk" zoom to share recycling information with friends and neighbors, to planning in person “Green Gatherings” at the Glen Ellyn Library with the Environmental Commission. I have learned and continue to learn what it takes to create and engage a community both virtually and in person. I would love to bring these skills to the PFC and make it a welcoming place to gather and exchange ideas for community members, whether online, in person or both. My career has been working with people to help overcome the barriers preventing their progress. This involves listening, planning, consensus, execution and monitoring while communicating and adjusting with all stake/shareholders as necessary. I have collaborated with others to accomplish this in the past and I believe PFC will benefit with these skills and those noted in the expertise response above. I have always been prepared to dig in as far as necessary to get things done.

What are your personal goals for Prairie Food Co-op?
A trip to the grocery store is a part of our everyday lives, and my goal for the Prairie Food Coop is to make that grocery trip a bit more purposeful and magical! I see the PFC as a place where individuals feel connected to each other, the community, and our environment. There is a great opportunity to not only serve individuals who already value supporting local producers and socially conscious companies, but to include and educate individuals who haven’t thought about these things before when they visit a grocery store. I would also love to see the PFC as a place where the "environmentally curious" can gather to learn more about ways they can have an impact on caring for our planet. Being environmentally friendly can sometimes feel intimidating, but we will need all of us to help protect the planet. There are a number of different ways people can play a role in caring for our environment by participating in the PFC, for example, making a more environmentally friendly purchase, or learning and engaging with other community members during an online event. By bringing environmental awareness through these opportunities and others, individuals can learn about what personal impact they can have on the health of our community and planet, and share that knowledge along to family, friends and neighbors.

What experiences have you had with cooperatives, food or otherwise?
I currently serve on the board of La Escuela Cooperativa de Sayulita, which is a cooperative preschool based in Sayulita, Mexico. La Escuela is a Montessori-based preschool for 3-5 year olds in that offers a tuition-free education for families who participate, and has recently expanded to offer after school programs and summer programs. La Escuela Cooperativa collaborates with student families, educators and community members in its educational and community program offerings. I have advised in areas of communication and advertising, fundraising and event planning, and program planning related to gardening and composting.

PARTICIPATE IN OUR CO-OP BOARD ELECTIONS!

It's that time of year when we practice Co-op Principle #2 - Democratic Member Control - by electing owners to serve on our board. Owners will vote for directors to fill four (4) open board positions, and those elected will serve one to three year terms. As a startup co-op, ours is a “working board”, not simply a “governing board”. All board members serve as volunteers without compensation and they devote significant time and attention to this worthy effort.

We are fortunate that five (5) Co-op owners have stepped forward and volunteered to serve on the Co-op board. One board candidate is an incumbent who has served at least 1 full term. We have provided a link below to photos and bios of these individuals.

Voting will take place electronically from May 17 - May 27. 

Due to the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, we will again conduct our annual owners meeting via Zoom and we encourage all owners to attend the live meeting on May 27. A recording will be available as quickly as possible.

CANDIDATES FOR THE BOARD

Click here to read about candidates for service on the Board of the Prairie Food Co-op.

BYLAW REFERENDUM

This year, Owners will vote on one (1) proposed Bylaw amendment to allow established, long serving directors to continue serving through store opening. Please see details here.

VOTE NOW

Your generous donation will cover startup expenses to help us open the doors to our bright beautiful store!

To reach our goal, we will need some to donate $20,000, $50,000, $100,000 or more. However, many hands make light work and every dollar gets us one step closer to offering local foods in a convenient one-stop shop. 

Tax-Deductible Donations: 2 Options

You can make a tax-deductible donation to Prairie Food Co-op through our fiscal sponsor, Cooperative Development Fund of CDS (Cooperative Development Services).

Contact us if you are interested in making a tax-deductible donation of publicly traded stock.

DONATE at giveMN.org

Tax-deductible donations to Prairie Food Co-op can be made through our fiscal sponsor, Cooperative Development Fund of CDS. The Fund meets the requirements for a charitable and educational institution as described in Chapter 501(c)3 of the federal tax code and demonstrates compliance by filing annual financial statements (Form 990) with the IRS. The Tax ID of the Cooperative Development Fund of CDS is 39-1540529.

We will forward your check to the Fund. Please make your check out to "Cooperative Development Fund of CDS" and do not use other organizational names such as "CDS" or "Cooperative Development Services." 

Donations are not the same as ownership. No item of value (e.g. ownership share, voting rights, owner discount, etc.) will be provided to donors of charitable gifts.

Donations of $200 and above will be recognized in writing by the Cooperative Development Fund. The Fund will send a written letter of acknowledgment; donors will need such letters for their records should they seek to deduct their gift on their tax returns. Donors of less than $200 have other options for supporting their claim of deductibility (typically their cancelled check) and will not receive a letter of acknowledgment.

Donations are immediately deposited and cannot be returned. Donations made to our fiscal agent on our behalf cannot be returned once made. If the board determines the project is no longer feasible, our fiscal agent will use the donated funds to support the wise use of cooperative approaches through education and development.

Use of funds. The mission of the Cooperative Development Fund is to support the wise use of cooperative approaches through education and development. Donations will be used to facilitate the development of our cooperative. Permitted uses include professional fees, supplies, inventory, employee payroll and benefits, building renovations and furnishings, etc., related to project development.

Direct Donation (not tax-deductible)

Direct donations to Prairie Food Co-op are NOT tax deductible.

You can mail direct payment to Prairie Food Co-op at PO Box 83, Lombard, IL 60148

Questions: Please email us at [email protected].

Prairie Food Co-op made the front page of the Chicago Tribune! We were featured in an excellent article about co-ops in the Chicagoland area. Board President, Kathy Nash was interviewed, and quoted, in the article. As communities struggle with the economic impact of COVID-19, “There is an outcry for a different system and way of supporting communities." Cooperatives keep money circulating in the local economy because, by law, they must either reinvest profits in the store or divide among Owners as dividends. Cooperatives exists to serve the community rather than make anyone wealthy. 

“People can see the value of local ownership....This is a locally owned alternative to publicly traded company. They support local products and vendors, which is fundamental to the core of those businesses.” That support of local vendors and food producers has kept many local businesses afloat during a challenging time.

Read it here. For non-subscribers, you should be able to access the article using "Reader View".

Welcome to Prairie Food Co-op, a community-owned grocery store located in Lombard, IL. We aim to provide local, sustainably grown, and organic produce, meat, and dairy products, as well as dry goods, bulk foods, frozen foods, and all other staples you would expect from a grocery store.

Construction on our store is underway at the Eastgate Shopping Center, where we will be located next door to Ace Hardware! You can learn more about our physical store and its location here.

Our Mission

Our Ends

ENDS are succinct, clear statements for how the Prairie Food Co-op desires to function as both a business and a community. They are intended to be a high-level expression of the board’s vision for operations and culture.

ENDS help establish expectations for how the co-op is experienced by our owners, employees and visitors.

At Prairie Food Co-op, we are committed to providing honest and transparent labeling, encouraging sustainable food production, and promoting community building and environmental stewardship. Our ‘ENDS’ expand upon those ideals:

Our Impact

We strive to educate consumers about their food choices and connect them with food producers so that they have a better understanding of how their food was produced. We provide great jobs with fair wages and benefits and are democratically run, meaning that shoppers own the store. This gives the community direct say in the products and services available in their neighborhood’s grocery store.

As a cooperative business, Prairie Food Co-op operates for the benefit of the community it serves. People, not profits, drive the business, which has a significant positive impact on the local community and economy. We encourage you to become a Prairie Food Co-op Owner today, supporting local farmers and providing better year-round access to local and sustainable food, encouraging environmental stewardship, and building a store committed to educating consumers about food and putting shoppers first.

Our Farmers & Producers

We are not looking to be just any “typical” grocery store. Prairie Food Co-op will connect our community to as much local, fresh, organic, and sustainable food and goods as possible, in a grocery store format. Gaps in product selection will need to be filled with more conventional products (we do live in the Midwest where certain products can’t be grown!) thoughtfulness and careful consideration will be behind every decision for what is on our shelves and sold in our store.

Our Commitment

We want to not only provide exceptional products to customers that shop in our store, but to also uplift and empower those who have been historically overlooked by big chain grocery stores. Prairie Food Co-op is committed to making it a priority to include Indigenous-, BIPOC-, and women-owned farms and food businesses.

Vendor Application Form

As we near opening day, we’re searching for our pioneering General Manager. Among the laundry list of other tasks that will be on their plate, the General Manager will review all vendor applications and contact those who are a good fit for the needs of the co-op.

We encourage you to submit your New Vendor Application here. We appreciate your interest in Prairie Food Co-op!
Join us at Prairie Food Co-op and be a part of a cooperative community dedicated to providing healthy choices and caring for our community.

Owners have the right to review Board of Director meeting minutes. Please find links to meeting minutes below - our meeting minutes are organized by year and stored in Google Drive. Owners are encouraged to attend meetings of your democratically elected Board! The Board meets the first Tuesday of each month from 7pm - 9pm. We would love to see you there!

Click Here to View All Meeting Minutes on Google Drive