Are you our next Board member?

Another significant milestone has been reached, and that is PFC’s Federal HUD grant has been fully executed! We’ve also heard very encouraging news that our state grant is very close to being fully executed. The funds for both of those grants, with a combined total of $1.55M, will be applied towards the buildout phase and cover a large portion of the costs associated with the buildout. Dust off your hardhats!

In addition to the funding news, we are very close to signing off on our construction contract, which will then open the door to the bidding process. Once we have construction bids approved we will then begin the store buildout phase. 

A hot topic right now is what product vendors we will be working with once we open. The short answer is many, and my goal is to have at least one hundred local vendors on board before we open. This topic is near and dear to my heart, as I truly believe that farmers and producers should be rewarded for their tireless efforts to bring quality products and food into our lives. Having an established retail setting allows those farmers and producers to benefit from all their hard work. In addition to speaking to many super-local producers (within and just outside of the Lombard vicinity) I have visited at least one farm in Central Illinois, one Central IL distributor of Central and Southern Illinois products and produce, and will be visiting a few more Central Illinois farms later this March. I will also be focusing my efforts in securing primary beef, pork and chicken vendors in the next few weeks.

The great thing about a co-op is that customers will have exposure to many local producers and farmers that they may have not known even existed. Though PFC’s definition of ‘local’ is within a 200 mile radius of the store (which will include neighboring states like Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa), what excites me is that all of Illinois is considered local. This gives us the opportunity to work with many additional partners downstate and allows us to spread our economic impact to all of Illinois, not just within the aforementioned 200-mile radius. Did you know that there is a Non-GMO rice-growing region in Southern Illinois? Did you know that high quality peaches are being grown in Central Illinois? Did you know that a large percentage  of the produce utilized in Chicago’s finest restaurants is grown right here in Illinois? Stay tuned to learn more!

I hope you’ve had a chance to stop by the site and take a peek the past couple weeks, as some much needed color has been added to the site in the form of large posters and additional marketing. Thank you to our Ownership and Outreach Committee for putting these together! They certainly add a little more excitement to the site and have been garnering a lot of extra attention. Stay on top of our owner count by checking out the main entrance, which displays our current owner count and is updated with each additional new owner.

Speaking of owner count (which currently sits at 1817), we want to ramp up our Ownership numbers over the next following months so if you're not a PFC Owner yet, now is the time to become one! Though you don’t have to be a member to shop at PFC, membership benefits include the ability to vote for the PFC board, reap additional member discounts and attend members-only events. Membership is a one-time fee of $200!

Heads up! PFC is planning its annual Owner’s Meeting, which should take place in April. Information will be coming your way soon! 

Prairie Food Co-op is a community-owned and democratically operated grocery store dedicated to strengthening our economy and creating a marketplace for transparently labeled, local, organic and sustainable food. 

Thank you for taking the time to stay up-to-date on all things PFC. 

See you in the aisles!

Jason Krapausky
General Manager
Prairie Food Co-op

A huge milestone has been reached as PFC took possession of the site in January! With this step now behind us, we have shifted our focus to our buildout phase. This work entails working closely with our General Contractor, W.B. Olson. First step is finalizing our contract, which should be wrapped up shortly. After that, W.B. Olson will start the contract bidding process for the trades (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc). This process can potentially take up to eight weeks. This step is critical because  our federal and state grants having strict requirements in place by which those trades need to abide. It is imperative that we hire the right people, as a misstep here could jeopardize a timely opening!

On the grant front, both the federal and state grants are awaiting final approval. We hope to have the grant funds very soon!. 

Hopefully you had a chance to attend our Site Tour Event that took place on Saturday, February 3rd at our location in Eastgate. If you did, thank you for attending! I want to give a big thank you to the Village of Lombard for allowing Prairie Food Co-op to stage this event on-site.  

MY VISIT TO LITTLETON FOOD CO-OP

In mid-January, I was given the opportunity to visit Littleton Food Co-op (LFC) in Littleton, New Hampshire, to shadow their General Manager, Ed King for a week. LFC is a well-established co-op, having opened in 2009. It is also a well-respected and accomplished co-op, having won the prestigious Cooperative Excellence Award in 2023.

During my time there I had the chance to soak in Ed’s wisdom and advice on running a successful co-op. It was a very inspiring experience that included spending time with quite a few of the co-op’s employees, many of whom opened the co-op in 2009 and have worked there since. The employees are engaged, provide great customer service, love what they do, and are all participants in creating an energetic and satisfying shopping experience. You can feel the positive culture and vibe as soon as you walk in the door!  Co-ops exist to serve their communities, and Littleton is no exception as they are intrinsically involved in just about anything and everything in the small community of 6,000 people. Thank you to Ed and his team at  LFC for being so hospitable and allowing me to visit!

Additional Thank Yous

I want to take this opportunity to also thank a couple people who have been extremely helpful in this pre-opening journey - John Lawrence and Dean Albright. John is a Project Manager of Oakwood Contractors in McHenry,  and he and his team stored PFC equipment, namely our three checkstands, in his warehouse until we took possession of our site. Once we got possession John had the checkstands delivered from his warehouse in McHenry. Those checkstands come courtesy of Dean, a PFC owner, who was able to source them from another grocer at no cost to PFC. Thank you John and Dean, PFC appreciates your help!

Thank you for taking the time to stay up-to-date on all things PFC. 

See you in the aisles!

Jason Krapausky
General Manager
Prairie Food Co-op

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Owner Number 789

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Why are you interested in serving on the Prairie Food Board of Directors?

I want to help PFC push over the line to become a real store as soon as possible!

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Employment: Please tell us about your past or present employment

I am the owner of Damen Jackson, a branding agency. I started the agency in 1998 and have recently moved our headquarters to Glen Ellyn.

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Volunteer: Membership/Affiliation/Leadership Past and Present:

I have primarily been leading my team over the past 24 years, so I haven't had much time for volunteer work. During my career, I have also closely collaborated with a non-profit fundraising consulting organization to brand major capital campaigns.

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Which of the following areas do you have expertise?

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What experience, education, and skills do you have that you feel will contribute to your effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director?

I have gained significant skills in collaboration, active listening and leading teams.

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What are your personal goals for Prairie Food Co-op?

I would really like to help realize the dream of opening the PFC at 100% of its original plan; to help the organization and store come to life without compromise.

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What experience (if any) have you had with cooperatives, food or otherwise?

My experience is simply from visiting coops and buying groceries there. I've been an early advocate for PFC because I enjoyed that experience so much.

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"I am a PFC owner and investor committed to furthering the success of PFC’s mission."

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Owner Number 560

Why are you interested in serving on the Prairie Food Board of Directors?

This is a very exciting time for PFC. I have been a member since moving to Elmhurst in 2015. I am in awe of the commitment that the PFC community has made to bring this vision to reality and I believe it is time for me to get more involved. I am interested in joining the board to really help with the transition from a working board to an oversight board and joining the board when it is still a working board will help me to get a sense of where I can best help. I serve or have served on a couple boards for non-profits that were more in the oversight capacity. This transition excites me. I am very committed to the PFC mission and I also believe that I can be of help as it relates to finances and audit.

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Employment: Please tell us about your past or present employment

I work for DBRS Morningstar, a credit rating agency. I lead the North American Commercial Real Estate team. I have been in this field for more than 25 years.

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Which of the following areas do you have expertise?

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What experience, education, and skills do you have that you feel will contribute to your effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director?

I have served on non-profit boards in the past. I think that gives me insights on how boards can work. I am a good listener as well and can translate ideas into actionable items.

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What are your personal goals for Prairie Food Co-op?

I would like to see continue on its mission to offer the community a place for locally sourced product and educational outreach. Wellness is so important and I believe that PFC is already rooted in this philosophy and I would just like to be a steward to continue to execute on that mission.

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What experience (if any) have you had with cooperatives, food or otherwise?

I have experience in finance relating to multi family cooperative housing loans.

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Back to Candidate Page

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Owner Number 1519

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"Writer/editor, graphic designer, and enemy of plastic"

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Owner Number 1434

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Why are you interested in serving on the Prairie Food Board of Directors? 

A couple years ago, before I purchased a share, I had determined to reduce the amount of plastic in my life. In looking for ways to do that, I discovered the co-op and figured its success would mean I'd have bulk food available within biking distance of my home, so I bought in. This remains important to me so if I can contribute as a board member, I would be happy to do so.

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I think it's important for the planet that co-ops like this one take hold, spread, and compete in a serious way with the food retail giants.

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For myself, I am keenly aware that all I really do as a professional boils down to moving pixels around on a screen. What's missing is any kind of tangible result for my knowledge and effort. Serving on this board and helping to get the building built and the store in business would be the kind of achievement I think I have been missing.

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Employment: Please tell us about your past or present employment 

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I am a freelance presentation developer, which combines graphic design with writing and editing. The majority of my clients are businesses in the fields of marketing, consulting (management and supply chain), healthcare and pharmaceuticals. I have piled up almost 20 years worth of experience helping clients to expose problems in ways that generate solutions — and to then present those solutions in ways that lead to action.

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Volunteer: Membership/Affiliation/Leadership Past and Present:

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I served on my condominium association for two or three years.

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Which of the following areas do you have expertise?

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What experience, education, and skills do you have that you feel will contribute to your effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director?

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I can write, edit, and proofread text and am familiar with visual communication — pairing images with words to convey a message to a general audience comprising "readers" and "lookers" (who key on graphics first and only like read when the images compel them to). All of this came to my through my education, and during my career I've added project management skills.

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I would expect to contribute in the areas of marketing and community outreach, and perhaps grant-writing.

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What are your personal goals for Prairie Food Co-op?

I want to see the store open and running smoothly, and also in a position to advise and assist similar organizations coming to life in the city.

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What experience (if any) have you had with cooperatives, food or otherwise?

I spent the winter unloading trucks and stocking groceries at night in 1999.

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• Hometown: Lombard
• Owner #: 941
• Term: Elected in 2022 to 2-year term.

"Plant-based chef driven to enhance our community through food via education, accessibility, & awareness."

Why are you interested in serving on the Prairie Food Board of Directors? 

Employment: Please tell us about your past or present employment

Prior to Culinary Confidante I worked at Northern Illinois Food Bank as the Child Nutrition Programs Manager and then as the Nutrition Center Manager. I have also worked in various roles within the restaurant and hospitality industry for over 20 years.

Volunteer: Membership/Affiliation/Leadership Past and Present:

Which of the following areas do you have expertise?

What experience, education, and skills do you have that you feel will contribute to your effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director?

Additionally, I hold a Bachelors in Nutrition, Dietetics & Hospitality Administration as well as a Personal Chef Certificate from Kendall College.

What are your personal goals for Prairie Food Co-op?

I can’t wait for Prairie Food to bring local and sustainable foods to our community. Not only will it be a great place to shop but to meet friends as well. I would love to continue to be involved in bringing workshops to our community through PFC.

What experience (if any) have you had with cooperatives, food or otherwise?

• Hometown: Lombard
• Owner #: 1613
• Term: Elected 2022

"Natural foods industry professional with 25 years of experience in retail & sales. My journey began at a natural food co-op which sprouted my love of local & organic. Hoping to share this with PFC."

Why are you interested in serving on the Prairie Food Board of Directors?

I love Natural Food Co-ops! My first job in the natural food industry was stocking vitamins at The Outpost co-op in Milwaukee nearly 25 year ago. Supporting a thriving community market would be a wonderful way to give back to the community and to future generations of healthy eaters.

Employment: Please tell us about your past or present employment 

I currently work for Impact NS Sales, a natural food brokerage as a business manager. Prior to that I was a founding member of Fresh Thyme Markets and served as the Senior Category Manager over the Vitamin, Body Care and General Merchandise department.

Outside of my day to day career and raising my kids I have not had the opportunity to volunteer. Now that my children are older I now have the time to serve my community.

Which of the following areas do you have expertise?

What experience, education, and skills do you have that you feel will contribute to your effectiveness as a Prairie Food Director?

I have held many different positions in my career with a focus on retail from merchandising, procurement, assisting in over 130 new store set ups, day to day operational management, as well as contract and promotional negotiations. I have also worked for UNFI and currently work closely with KeHE and understand distributor agreements and relationships.

What are your personal goals for Prairie Food Co-op?

What experience (if any) have you had with cooperatives, food or otherwise?

• Hometown: Lombard
• Owner Number 1197
• Term: Elected 2022 

"A marketer, communicator, food-lover and wellness enthusiast with a soft spot for community engagement and bringing locally- and sustainably-made products to her neighbors."

• Website Management
• Social Media Management
• Corporate Event Planning
• Design of Promotional Materials
• Media Outreach
• Public Relations
• Advertorial Decision-Making
• Fundraising
• Management of Administrative Staff
• Sales Support and Contract management
• Leasing Staff Marketing On-boarding
• Developing Creative, Tailor-Made Marketing Strategies for 200+ Client Portfolio

• Website Management & SEO: Management of company website since rebrand in October of 2017, including overseeing a phased SEO project that utilized several departments outside of marketing. Efforts yielded a 27% increase in new users from organic search, a 36% increase in pages per session, a 51% increase in average session duration and an 11% decrease in bounce rate.
• Content Creation & Content Marketing: Management of company blog and resource library, which included the creation and management of content calendars, blog post authorship, copy and content editing of contractor-created materials, and overseeing the design and development of resource pages by other departments.
• Email Marketing: Planned, implemented and managed sales and marketing email campaigns on Autopilot and Hubspot platforms, including the creation of over 200 unique emails and a long-term lead nurturing strategy.
• Social Media Management: Management of company Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn accounts, yielding a 104% increase in referral traffic from LinkedIn and a 100% increase in referral traffic from Facebook.
• M&A Strategic Planning and Transitional Execution: Participated in organizational planning summit with executive leadership team to plan and implement the corporate strategy following two acquisitions.

• Managed a team of three VPO/NHM specialists as they onboarded new VPs of Mortgage Lending and Market Growth
• Work with SVPs and VPs of Mortgage Lending and Market Growth to develop custom, hyper-local recruiting campaigns, and developed the first departmental content calendars for recruit- and agent-facing content
• Work with marketing team leads, SVPs/EVPs and C-suite to plan and implement large-scale, corporate-driven integrated marketing campaigns for recruitment/acquisition/referral partner channels
• Oversee multi-channel marketing projects from conception to execution, including those utilizing the social media, paid media, PR, print/direct mail and email mediums - Support the EVP of Marketing in the creation of presentation materials that serve as department-wide marketing updates to Sales leadership and the C-suite, as well as host one-to-one calls with recruits to discuss how our Marketing platform supports their business
• Provide regular enablement training to hiring managers to go over new marketing content and campaigns, as well as cover best practices for communicating the marketing value proposition and platform benefits for potential new hires

Show your Owner pride with a yard sign and pique the curiosity of your neighbors.

You can be one short conversation away from recruiting another Owner!

We would like to see a sign in every yard, so we are gladly giving yard signs to every willing Owner. Each sign costs us about $10 to produce, so please consider making a donation on the next screen to help alleviate the cost to the co-op. However, if you can't pitch in right now, that's OK too. The important thing is helping us spread the Prairie Food word. 

Enter your address below and we will get a sign to your yard usually within a week!