We Love our Local Monashee Community Co-op Store!

Id like to start off by apologizing. In focusing on getting everything into my last post about 2014, I had a bit of a brain fart and missed one of the key elements - our experience with our local Monashee Community Co-op store! And to all our Co-op brothers & sisters: "We're sorry! Please forgive us <3" But, it now gives me a chance to showcase and offer our heartfelt praise to this amazing project in its very own post!

The Monashee Community Co-op is a volunteer run, and community driven initiative that started right here in little Lumby this year. It showcases almost 100 local vendors in its amazingly beautiful retail space, and is supported by hundreds of local patrons and members, not to mention the dozens of volunteers who believe in, and devote their time to running this project. The Co-op started off as a bulk buying club, and quickly evolved into a beautiful retail space offering a plethora of local and ordered food products, offering workshops, home to an in house massage therapist, a book exchange library, a eco laundromat, a meeting place and much much more!

The products you can find from local vendors range from local food (veggies, meats, cheeses, dairy & more!) & prepared foods, crafts & curios, beauty/spa/house hold products, candles, clothing & accessories, jewellery, gifts, snacks, prepared meals, sculptures & local art, antiques, books, eco products, and so much more! If you need it, chances are the Co-op has it (or can get it in) :)

We are overjoyed to be part of this project, if only as a vendor right now (we hope to support it in other avenues in the future!). We've been selling quite a bit of our produce through the Co-op store, and have received huge support from the local community. We hope to increase the quantities & range of produce we offer next year at the Co-op. And we thank everyone for their continued support.

 We are so grateful to all the volunteers who devote their time, and work with each other to manage and run the Co-op. It is no easy feat to cooperatively run a project (we know this all too well having moved from the Yarrow Ecovillage project in the Fraser Valley). We know how much work is put into these projects and we just cant say enough good stuff about them, or thank them all enough for their hard work!

Their success this year is a sign of the times. People want more and more to support their local artisans & community, and this model project is an excellent example of community supporting community. There should be a Co-op store in all small towns! For the people, by the people <3 Great change starts from the ground up, and we are honoured to be part of the Groundswell that is the Monashee Community Co-op!

We love our local Monashee Community Co-op store and would like to send out a big hug and a heartfelt thanks to all those who make this project possible! <3

Shauna & Nevin Gavigan

Look at all this food! And this is only half of it!

 

A local sustainable meat farmer topping up his freezer at the Co-op

The Co-op tries to have a plethora fresh produce on hand at all times (we help with this!)

A local produce vendor admiring a display (look familiar?)

Some core volunteers donating their time to receive & process a bulk order (Thanks ladies for all you do!)

Its a lot of work organising then receiving and processing these bulk orders, and this lady is a pro!

Look at all this fresh organic produce and dry goods! Made available to the small rural town of Lumby BC through the Monashee Community Co-op!

Some of the local volunteers processing the bulk goods for sale in the Co-op store. Thanks Volunteers!!!!!!!!

Our local in house Massage Therapist is also a very talented artist! (and a dedicated volunteer too!)

Some of the local kids helping out with a day of clean up

Thanks to all the volunteers who keep the Co-op in such a beautiful state!

A couple of the local ladies who volunteer their time to run the daily operations at the Co-op. Thanks Ladies!

Check out these intrigued workshop attendees learning how to compost with worms (vermiculture)

Those are some happy workshop attendees! Thanks to all the local teachers who run workshops at the co-op, and who share their wisdom and talents with their local community!