Join the Kaw Valley Farm Tour this Weekend!
Mark Sprague, Owner Engagement Committee Chair
The Merc Co+op will be a thriving consumer-owned food cooperative in our region that is on the forefront of :
Providing access to healthy, local, organic food and products;
Transforming and nourishing the health of our community;
Creating a robust, sustainable local food economy;
Demonstrating hospitality, generosity and care for the environment;
Building a community based on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Our cooperative, The Merc, is guided by our ends statements listed above and the board of directors evaluates our success based on these. As a long time member and board director, I have been thinking how an upcoming event many look forward to each fall, illustrates the impact of these ends.
The Kaw Valley Farm Tour, October 4-5, was established in 2004, through the efforts of Nancy O’Connor, former Director of Education and Outreach of The Merc Co+op and others. 33 farms are preparing for crowds that continue to grow in size each year.
Many owners tell me how special it is to see the photos in our store of the people and families who grow the food they buy. Knowing where your food comes from is important to our health. This is your opportunity to meet them in person and see the practices they use to produce them.
By being a sponsor of the farm tour, we have helped support the growth of the local food economy, increase access to healthy, local, organic food and products, and nourish the health of our community. I encourage everyone to take part in this event, a wonderful way to enjoy a fall weekend!
Tickets to the tour and farm tour t-shirts are available at the Lawrence location!
About the Board
The Merc Co+op's Board of Directors is comprised of nine co-op owners who are elected by the general ownership and serve a three-year term. Any co-op owner can run for a board position.
The board creates a set of policies to govern themselves and the General Manager, who provides the group with regular reports on store operations. The board delegates all operational matters to the General Manager.
Board Meetings
All co-op owners are invited to attend monthly board meetings. Early in the agenda, the board reserves ten minutes of space to hear from owners who wish to address the board.