The recent month since Summer’s end has delivered more goods on the shelves and a reorganized store! Many folks have offered feedback and expressed excitement for the changes and upgrades. The Board team is diligently striving to negotiate for improved equipment & services including a POS system, expanded local produce selection, and increased staple product availability, while cultivating opportunities for financing and other resources to commercialize our kitchen, acquire more refrigeration (Deep Roots in Greensboro is sharing affordable units in true cooperative spirit) and bulk bins, additional shelving, refurbish our floors, and increase our inventory.

Since Stuart Bagwell’s work with the coop this Summer to establish cash flow management systems and consult with the Board re priority marketing, retail standards, and tech support, we have been able to place ourselves in a prime position to pursue financing to support these improvements as we enter 2008! The hire of a bookkeeper, Emma Blose, has stabilized our bookkeeping and daily cash flow management immeasurably and marks a significant milestone of the DFC’s business practices.

Though we are no longer operating in the negative, we have not quite marginally increased our weekly sales sufficiently to aggressively move forward with these efforts and can just support our existing operations – we took a dip this week with a big order expense and quarterly payroll tax payout. The coop relies on your regular shopping support to stabilize our cash flow and subsequently support our long-term financial sustainability – we really want to come away from the “rob peter, pay paul” mode.

The winter season and year end expense has consistently decreased the coop’s cash flow capacity with sales expected to be decreasing by as much as 50% in December and quarterly taxes present a further burden. Thankfully, with the ardent attentions & know how of our Finance Committee and Treasurer (Jeane Brose), we are getting caught up with our tax filing (Pless & Pless has worked with the DFC to file 2005 and now finishing up 2006) and worked out better payment schedules with our vendors (Stuart contributed significantly to this accomplishment while with us as Controller this summer). With the hire of a manager and recent filling of shelves with product, we will be reliant on your shopping at the coop thru the season. In addition to retail shopping, a great way to purchase your goods is thru Special Orders service, prepaying for goods in bulk or for goods not offered on the shelf with nominal markup based on your membership, which contributes to the coop’s weekly earnings and aids cash flow thru a very lean period!

We will strive to offer promotions, coupons, and notices for vendor discounts to inspire your coming to the coop for both staple and seasonal products. In coming weeks, we’ll offer pre made seasonal vegan pies & value added chocolate for you, visiting with family and friends during the holidays, and gift giving. Giving the gift of a Durham Food Cooperative membership would be a fabulous way to share your coop with others and expand the DFC community. We’ll be working to develop DFC product gift packages to compliment the season so keep your coop in mind as you make your lists!

There have been many adjustments to how the DFC operates toward cost effectiveness, improved services, and an overall more sustainable enterprise. Among various renovations of systems efforts, we will reformat the Special Orders process for better customer communication, processing and tracking. Once we’ve settled on the format & streamlined steps, an announcement will be posted in the store and delivered via email. Please convey your feedback and recommendations to regina.dyson@gmail.com.

Regina Dyson, Board Chair