project leader
Candi D
location
212 W. Washington St
(Cheyenne County, Kansas)
latest update rss
Raised funds to be TRIPLED!

the project

We want to build a Cheyenne Family Food Coop to group purchase from local producers, local retail stores, and other sources to make food more affordable in Cheyenne County.  Our vision is that this group will be for any community member that wants to benefit from group buying power.

 

the steps

1. Create a media campaign on why food access and affordability is important. 

2.  Share local efforts and benefits of buying local foods and from the local grocery store.  We want to emphasize the cost benefit of shopping locally as well as the community benefit (as many low income and elderly families can't travel to shop and therefore have to pay the higher prices, with very limited means).  This will include storytelling, economic cost/benefit

3.  Work on fundraising to raise $3,000 so those funds can be tripled by the grant project.  

4.  While funds are being raised, create food coop guidelines, policies, and requirements as well as begin research on buying opportunities and desired product choices.

5.  Purchase the refridgerator and freezer in determined location.

6.  Designate coop board to oversee the work, regulation, and distribution of food.

7.  Work to recruit coop members to increase buying power.

8.  Evaluate success and failures and implement changes based on these.

 

why we're doing it

Cheyenne County Food bank families came together through a grant whose aim is to improve the local food system or access to food.  The group decided that building a food buying group, or food coop would help their families and all would benefit from affordable food choices and greater access to healthy foods.  Beyond the cost saving aspect, the families themselves choose what is purchased, regulate the process with rules and requirements, and work to better their families while not being dependent upon others.  

For years, limited and fixed income families of Cheyenne County have received help from the local food bank.  Although this help is good, it doesn't help the families thrive, it just meets the immediate need.  Additionally, the Cheyenne County Food Bank cannot require any kind of work or requirements in order to get the food.  Thus, there is the struggle of entitlement, selfishness, not having to do anything to get the food, usary, and community perception of why should I donate funds/food when they aren't working for it.  By building the food coop, members will have the power to purchase what is desired by the group and also eliminate the entitlement issues that have been encountered when resources are provided without any investment from the recipient.  Our vision is that this group will be for any community member that wants to benefit from group buying power.

 

budget

Disbursed Budget 4.15.19:

Cheyenne Family Food Collective (CFFC) Revised Budget(5/19):

The vision of the original budget has changed.  Initially, the group thought we would do a food collective and promote the local food movement.  This is still the plan, but we need to start with promotion and building a stronger foundation for growing and eating local.  The raised funds will be (tentatively) used for the following things:

$4000-media, equipment, locally grown products to promote the vision of CFFC; this may be a “Taste of Cheyenne County” event as well as smaller table top demonstrations/cooking events to promote locally grown foods; local farmers market

$3000-contract hours to do the work, research farmers market potential and rules; gauge local interest and support, etc.

$1000-refridgerator for product storage and alternate equipment

$500-travel expenses to see functioning farmers markets, community kitchens, and regional growers



TOTAL RAISED = $8,790.00
less ioby Platform Fee $35.00
less ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $255.00
TOTAL TO DISBURSE = $8,500.00

 

Original Budget:

We have an opportunity for a triple match if we can raise $3,000 locally toward this project!

$3,000 cold storage equipment (refrigerator and freezer)

$1,000 record keeping equipment (computer and printer and office supplies)

$4,000 initial buying capital to start the buying coop to learn best practices for our region and the families served.

$1,000 committee/coordinator stipends and travel costs to start the program and learn from other successful coops



SUBTOTAL = 9,000
ioby Platform Fee  $35
ioby Donation Processing Fee (3%) $270
TOTAL TO RAISE = $9,305

 

updates

Raised funds to be TRIPLED!

We received another $3,000 from Cheyenne County Hansen Community Fund, so all donations will be tripled!!!

Mission and Vision

Cheyenne Family Food Collective (CFFC)

Vision: to increase access to quality food for all Cheyenne County residents

Mission: To create a group of individuals that desire to support local producers, increase access to locally produced/purchased foods, and to promote and restore buying locally.

We all complain about food access and affordability issues. We have locally grown foods, but they are not consumed very much locally. They are shipped elsewhere because locals won't buy them. Additionally, we complain about pricing and freshness at the store, but by shopping in other counties, we all have helped create these issues. These issues won't change unless the community decides it wants to support local businesses or support big box companies that don't help our communities.

This group is working to trial a different approach to addressing this issue.

1. Work with local institutions and individuals to buy more through the local store and not the truck. These funds stay at our local store and the volume helps all of us have more affordable foods. We are also changing policy to be able to accept locally produced foods at institutions as well.

2. Meet together and discuss what options for increased healthy food we have in Cheyenne County and explore those options for viability.

3. Host a media campaign on buying local: every dollar spent on locally produced foods can be recirculated in the community 7 times! Buying local also supports your neighbor and the local economy, not giving profit to people who don't care about us in small towns.

4. Support and work with local producers to remove barriers to them producing food for all of us.

We all make a choice with the money we earn, whether to invest it in Walmart profits or in Cheyenne County development, stability. CFFC is just looking to see how we can invest in "our own" while helping all of us be healthier.

photos

This is where photos will go once we build flickr integration

donors

  • CFFC Fundraising
  • CFFC Fundraising
  • CFFC Fundraising
  • Candace L. Douthit
  • CFFC Fundraising
  • Anonymous