From: the General Manager

Lindy Bannister

What an interesting year this has been! Last year we expanded our wholesale department, Co-op Partners Warehouse (CPW), in both size and product selection, and started our on-line store, Wedge Worldwide. This has been a year of strengthening ties with our producers and developing the regional network.

The Wedge has become more than a retail outlet. Our wholesale business through CPW, which now serves co-ops and independent businesses in five states, and Wedge Worldwide have catapulted us into different markets. Our intent is to provide a great shopping experience for all of our members.

Our passion for partnerships with local suppliers, offering our shoppers a diverse selection of beautiful, healthy and safe food, is stronger than ever. Our newsletter has featured many stories about these partnerships. We posted new farmer profiles and many local products are now identified as such throughout the store.

This was our second year to participate in the State Fair representing local food and food co-ops in the EcoExperience Building. Again this year, well over 300,000 fair-goers came to the exhibit and had the opportunity to meet local producers and talk about the work they do for us. Delicious samples were served up by the producers themselves. A number of these producers will be helped with flood recovery by the Sow the Seeds fund. Our members have been stunningly generous on the farmers' behalf.

We are stepping up our commitment to fair trade and expect to participate in the development of a domestic fair trade program that will be as thorough as organic certification. We are involved in the Local Fair Trade Network to further this in the Twin Cities, and have formed a new partnership with Equal Exchange (EE). When they were ready to open a Midwestern distribution center, EE came to us to make CPW their new regional home. This is a co-op to co-op connection that we knew would work. EE's bonds with suppliers and producers are as strong as ours, and a new supply chain was formed. Fair trade (for which EE sets the standard) is based on relationships of mutual respect, and that is what we all strive for.

Our work in education strongly continues! The Midwest Food Connection had one of its best years ever. Many young lives have been touched by Uli Koester and his team of teachers who promote healthy, local and good food in the elementary schools in the Twin Cities area. As well, our staff members participated in many in-store trainings with vendors and producers throughout the year.

Finally, I have been elected to sit on the Board of Directors for our national organization, the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) for a three-year term and was appointed to represent the Wedge on the Board of Directors for the National Co-op Business Administration (NCBA). Connecting with these national groups provides an incredible opportunity to communicate and work with organizations from across the co-op sector, the nation and the globe to further cooperative development.

Have a wonderful fall and holiday season!

Lindy Bannister