The Co-op is undergoing a visible change. Old equipment is being replaced, new technology is coming, and we're planning a major upgrade to the store. You can help by volunteering to provide sweat equity, or donate funds to support our efforts to reshape the Co-op and help us to build a sustainable community & a local living economy.

An effort is underway to bring in a Point-Of-Sale (POS) system - imagine high-tech equipment, produce and products being scanned in at the register, access to the membership database right at the checkout counter... The future is now! With the help of the Wedge Co-op in Minneapolis, which is even donating some equipment to our efforts in exchange for documentation of this open source system, we are making good progress, and we hope to have the system up and running by the new year. You can find periodic updates at www.durhamfoodcoop.org/POS. If you're interested in helping out, either by participating in the development effort, by donation of computer hardware, or by contributing funds to help us to obtain equipment, please contact Sven at sven.rinke@gmail.com or donate here.

Look out for new produce coolers to appear in the store in the coming weeks. Deep Roots Co-op in Greensboro is letting go of some used equipment, and we're delighted that we can pick them up for a relatively small price. If you're interested in helping us to get them, either by participating in the moving process or by sponsoring (part of) the acquisition, please contact Denise at injira@yahoo.com or donate here.

We're also hoping to be able to further upgrade our equipment and facilities. To that end, the Durham Food Co-op is applying for a Merchandise Based Retail Incentive Grant and a Facade Grant from the City of Durham. This will allow us to receive up to $9,400 in matching funds for capital expenditures such as installing a new floor and new coolers and freezers. Last weekend PAC 3 decided to endorse our grant request and we're very excited to receive PAC 3's support. Look for news on this grant in future newsletters.

Cooperatively yours,
Sven Rinke, DFC Board of Directors