August Board Reflection
These are exciting and busy times to serve on the Open Harvest Board of Directors and to be a member owner! As we search for the location of our new home, we are guided by our cooperative mission, owner survey feedback, and site criteria prioritized by Board Members during our annual board retreat. In the end, our goal is to secure a space that will allow us to compete more effectively – improve store operations, expand services, and create a more welcoming environment for current and future co-op shoppers.
Our next step is for Member Owners to approve the proposed changes to our Articles of Incorporation. The changes allow Open Harvest to have greater flexibility for financing our relocation project through the issuance of a larger threshold of non-voting preferred shares to Member Owners. This is the first and most critical step towards being able to launch a successful 2022 owner investment campaign for our future relocation efforts. The proposed language changes resulted after thorough research and discussions amongst the board, consultation with our attorney that specializes in cooperative law, as well as feedback from other national cooperative consultants.
By now, Member Owners have received a ballot for approval of these article changes with an invitation to a special meeting of Member Owners who wish to meet and discuss prior to submitting their ballot. The special meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 24th at 6:00 pm at the Jayne Snyder Trails Center (228 N 21st St, Lincoln, NE 68503). To ensure that your vote counts, your ballot must be received the Open Harvest either (a) by mail no later than 5:00pm on August 23, 201 or (b) by personal delivery to the story by August 23, 2021; or (c) by personal delivery at the Special Meeting on August 24, 2021. You can also find information about the proposed article changes on our website.
The Open Harvest Board is excited to greet you that evening to answer your questions. You may also send questions to us prior to the meeting via e-mail at board@openharvest.coop.
At the August board meeting, we also discussed the return a popular outreach event – the Dig Deeper Farm Tour (September 18th). Stay tuned for how you can participate in this opportunity to get to know and support your local food network!
In Cooperation,
Carla McCullough
Vice Chair, Open Harvest Board