Membership Report

By Elizabeth Archerd, Member Services Director

The 2008 Annual Membership Meeting took place on our farm, Gardens of Eagan, on Saturday, October 4. Over ninety memberships were represented (over one hundred twenty individuals). Board President Fred Grieco, GM Lindy Bannister, Financial Manager Elka Malkis and GOE Farm Manager Linda Halley gave reports about the past year. It was all great news! The annual report financial statements and letters to the members from Fred and Lindy, as well as Elka's notes about our financial performance are reprinted in this issue.

Patronage refunds went out in record time this year, thanks to our crack Teams Accounting and IT. The cash total we sent to members this year was a record to have come from Wedge-only operations. If you did not receive a check or a letter, and you were a member who shopped here between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008, please contact our membership department.

The Wedge is one of the most successful natural food co-ops in the country. Our members and staff are excited about all things food, and that feeds the vitality of our co-op. Speaking of membership attitudes and interests, look for the article in this issue from Board of Directors Vice Chair, Jack Stanton. He will review what members told us via the online survey we conducted last summer.

You may have noticed that our Classroom is branching out. Look for more sessions on sustainability topics and more Fair Trade Wine tastings to help you match wines with cheeses, holiday meals, and chocolates. Do plan to attend!

The Eat Local America Challenge was a great success. In those four weeks we sold over $900,000 (over 35% of total sales) of products that met our definition of "local." Congratulations to our members, and to our buyers who managed to source so much wonderful local product. Read about the experience of co-op members Jim Howitt and Ann Lewandowski, who decided last year to extend their challenge for an entire year.

Everyone at the Wedge is eager to help you find what you need for your seasonal gatherings. May you have peaceful, blessed holidays.