Souvenirs from
NASCO Institute
2013
-A Fire in Our Bellies: Food Justice & Cooperatives-
The North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) Family [of
associations] organizes and educates affordable group equity co-ops
and their members for the purpose of promoting a community
oriented cooperative movement.
Each year, students, workers, scholars, families, activists, and
cooperators from the United States and Canada converge in Ann
Arbor for the NASCO Institute. It’s an opportunity to network with
hundreds of cooperative leaders, to caucus about pressing issues,
and to work on building an inclusive and accessible cooperative
movement.
Table of Contents
FOOD! - An Institute Overview ………………...…...
“NASCO Reflection” – Gabrielle Hinahara ………..
“My NASCO 2013 Experience” – Dan Snortum …...
“What is an Ally?” – NASCO ………………….………
A Reflection by Angelica Engel ….……..…….………
“NASCO Institute is Actually Pretty Cool” ………….
-Christian Hansen
“Cooperative Food Justice” – Dawn Matlak …….….
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FOOD!
Food brings us together around the co-op
table, and because we all need to eat, food ties us together with
every living being on earth. It is laden with cultural significance
and surrounded by ritual. As aware consumers trying to build
cooperative economies, our food choices require us to (re)consider
labor, trade, and environmental concerns. How our food is
produced and transported affects the air, water, soil, animals,
climate, and our bodies. It affects the bodies of the people who
labor to grow it. It affects our communities, our relationships with
one another, and puts us into relationship with people across the
world.
The injustice in food production, distribution, and access has
galvanized people to act and to organize. As the realities of
industrial agriculture and factory farming have become more
broadly understood, ethical questions about food purchasing are
increasingly a subject of debate. Which people have access to food
(and to food of what kind) has been a major issue in public
discourse from food deserts to the so called "obesity epidemic." It
is clear that while individual choices matter, transforming food
systems requires collective action. Together, we can better unravel
the disparities and luxuries that emerge from everyday food
choices. Creating a sustainable food system will transform the lives
of many and bring us all closer to a livable and cooperative future.
So how do co-ops fit in? How can co-ops work with local
communities towards food justice? How do co-ops source their
food if/when they buy in bulk? Some co-ops have been created
specifically to meet needs around food access that profit-based
institutions would not meet. How well are they doing? Cooperative
institutions, whether housing or food co-ops, have power. The
decisions they make have both symbolic weight and economic
impact. And if we include agricultural co-ops, we see that co-ops
have enormous economic and political power. How do we
leverage this power to help create a more just and equitable food
system? How can we orient our houses and our movement around
a food justice agenda that is actionable and in solidarity with
producers, transporters, and retail food workers? Cooperatives can
(and often do!) serve as transformative spaces for encountering
communal meals, locally-sourced ingredients, and
organic/vegetarian/vegan options. Many co-ops organize their
expected labor contribution around cooking for the community.
How can we take some of these models and take them further?
Where can we dig deeper in terms of food justice and go beyond
labels like 'organic' and 'food desert?' There is more to be
discovered here, and more work that co-ops can do to actualize
the vision of a truly just food system.
*Originally published on www.nasco.coop/institute
NASCO 2013 Reflection
By Gabrielle Hinahara, Ambrosia Co-op
For the past 3-4 years of my life, my work and much of my free
time has revolved around sustainable agriculture, whether it be
growing, cooking, or eating food, or teaching young people about
our connection to the land through the lens of food. Because of this
passion, the NASCO conference’s theme of food justice was just too
much for me to resist. I had to attend!
At NASCO, I participated in several workshops led by AORTA,
an “anti-oppression resource and training alliance.” I really
appreciated beginning the conference with a focus on privilege and
oppression, which provided a great frame for the entire weekend. I
always get chills when I’m reminded of groups of people who are
working together in creative ways to force the dominant system to
change. We learned about MST, a landless workers movement in
Brazil that has successfully transferred land from wealthy
landowners to the urban poor who then move onto the land, grow
food, and sell the food back to urban markets through a co-op. That’s
pretty awesome. I also learned about the history of cooperatives in
this country including the fact that black business owners were
critical in developing some of the strongest cooperative networks
that have existed in the U.S. It was good to be reminded of the
diversity that built the co-op movement as well as the need to
welcome diversity as the movement continues to grow. For more
information on this topic, check out the research by Dr. Monica White
and Dr. Jessica Gordon and the writings of Julie Guthman.
The last workshop that I attended was presented by the
Baltimore Free Farm and focused on a new income-sharing model
that they are developing. I’m a program director for a non-profit that
does sustainable farming and youth education work, and one thing
we have always struggled with is finding an equitable way to
compensate our directors and interns. Because of this challenge, I
was excited to see what ideas the Baltimore Free Farm had to offer.
Their basic model (and I’m summarizing here, so please contact
them if you want more details) requires their members to log the
number of hours that they contribute to the organization each
month. At the end of the month, after bills and expenses are paid, the
remaining profit is divided equally among the members based on
the number of hours they each worked during that month. Members
“buy in” by contributing a set number of volunteer hours before
becoming eligible for income sharing. It’s a simple concept and
works the same way a typical worker-owned co-op does, but
without a base salary or hourly wage for the members. Everyone
invests in the organization and shares in both the risk and the profit.
That’s exactly the kind of solution I was hoping for.
Transitioning from a non-profit to a worker-owned co-op would be
a big jump for us, but if it would allow us to better sustain our
members, the lifeblood of our organization, it might be exactly what
we need. When I got back from NASCO, I shared this idea with my
fellow program leaders and since then we’ve been taking the next
steps.
This is an example of the immeasurable value in gathering a
bunch of interesting and inspired people in one place to share what
they know. I can sincerely say that my organization would not be
considering becoming a worker co-op right now if I hadn’t been
given the opportunity to connect with the lovely people at the
Baltimore Free Farm. Thanks, MCC, for helping so many of us
participate. I highly encourage the rest of your to try to attend
NASCO in the near future!
My Nasco 2013 Experience
by Daniel Snortum
This is what I experienced and learned at NASCO this year. All
in all, I thought it was quite worth it and recommend it to anybody
who is looking to be involved in MCC or just wants to know more
about how to work and prosper in a co-op environment.
Friday:
-Ride up.
Get to know your fellow NASCO-goers. This part was much fun, we
listened to music and chatted about our various houses and plenty
of other stuff on the way up. Unless you started going up with an
enemy, you should leave the car with new (or better) friends.
Experiences may vary, friendship not guaranteed.
-Step out of the car.
It was like stepping into an alterna-madison. I wonder if most
college towns feel this way. Anyway, once you learn the streets, if
you've made Madison your home, you'll feel a strange sense of
samey-ness.
-The Union.
Everything happened in the Union there, a large building, marble
and old, fancy wood finish everywhere. An “important decisions are
made here” kind of place. We got our packets and I made my way to
the commons, which seemed like a good starting point. There was
free coffee there, and lots of books. I took pictures, there were too
many to write down the names of. The coffee was important, I was
feeling energy-drained from the drive. The packet gave me my first
taste for the feel of the convention: all the course tracks laid out and
maps, and a huge intro section about inclusivity and accessibility.
Even directions to a quiet room for noise/stimulus sensitive people.
-Diversity Caucus.
We talked about how to bring diversity to Co-ops, how to educate
about diversity related issues (and the reasons for lack of
enthusiasm that often accompanies training sessions), and how to
attempt to be an ally. How to check your privilege and let other
people talk, how to create a safe space, how to check your language.
Learning not to be offended when somebody calls your privilege or
asks you to modify your language. Learning to listen.
I went to NASCO for a number of reasons, but #1 on my list was
development – I'd like MCC to buy more houses and bring the co-op
experience to a greater number of people. After this session, I felt
that one of the most important things we can do to grow is to make
our spaces more accessible to traditionally marginalized groups.
How can we strive towards a more egalitarian society if we don't
address the non-equality built into ourselves by the greater society
before we'd entered a co-op? We can't pretend these are safe havens
for all without challenging ourselves to understand what that would
actually look like – and we can't understand without listening.
Saturday:
-Developing New Co-ops Overview.
In this session, we talked about the overview of Developing co-ops.
We got a few details, but because it was such a large topic, it was
mainly a list with a questions section. The most interesting part I
thought was a brainstorm section where we listed a) I need my own
b) I want to share c) I will not live with. An interesting list, mine was
thus: I need my own: toothbrush, computer, bedroom. I want to
share: food, common space, kitchen, clothing, books, entertainment,
art space, workshop space, exercise space, bathroom supplies, bikes.
I will not live with: lots of noise, violence, threats. I thought it was a
very nice starting point for people thinking about starting a co-op. If
your list doesn't match well with your fellow starters, you either
need to come to an agreement right there, or find others. Better to
know right away then further in, like when you're closing on a
property.
-Big Co-op Issues.
I really liked this session, because it illustrated to me how some
problems can't really be solved, just managed. When a co-op gets big
enough, there is an inherent disconnection between the member
and the board and leadership; this disconnection gets bigger the
larger the co-op, and it gets smaller the more effort is put into
communication. There were many other topics, but the most talkedabout was strategies for maintaining and improving communication.
One example that struck me as innovative was a board member
from a larger co-op who said that because his house was 200 people
large (more of a converted apartment), he'd record a video of
himself summarizing the board's discussions and decisions. Along
with a written summery posted on walls and bathrooms, this was
how he'd get information out to people he'd rarely if ever see.
-Board Members Roles And Responsibilities.
I went to this session because I've been on the board here for a
while, and I thought it'd be good to see what this was about, and if
I'd already got it right. Many of the things I'd heard before at board
trainings. I'll re-state them here, but the stuff I felt we didn't
emphasize enough is the legal aspect, toward the end.
The Board is responsible to keep the organization on track for it's
stated mission. They’re supposed to be making higher level, long
term strategy decisions, not micro-managing (mainly because the
board is large, and that would take unwanted amounts of time. We
have employees and committees for the details, and the day-to-day
stuff). The board is supposed to provide oversight to the staff. To
hire good staff. To be knowledgeable and participate, attend
meetings, etc. Now I find myself just listing off my notes. One of the
most important take-aways was that each board member is
supposed to be thinking of the health of the organization (MCC)
when they come to board and make decisions, not necessarily the
best decision for their house. These often don't conflict, but when
they do, if you make a decision that's good for your house but bad
for MCC, you've gone against your duties as a board member. And,
depending on the decision, possibly acted in an illegal manner – the
board is held responsible for fiscal decisions. Another take-away: if
you feel the board is acting in an illegal manner, make sure you state
it in the minutes.
Sunday:
-Developing New Coops- Municipal Matters.
-Developing New Coops – Closing on a property.
These two were mainly informational, there was a bit of Q&A, but I
was kind of drifting on Sunday due to lack of sleep.
The Municipal Matters addressed how to get a neighborhood to let
you build a co-op. Rek and Rosebud described our zoning battle here
in Madison. How it might require lobbying, How important it is to
talk to the city's planning and development staff, and to maintain
contact through the whole process. Talking to the neighbors is key
as well, since they could make trouble or side with you if it goes to a
city hall meeting. Also, encouraging/supporting co-op members (or
sympathizers) to run for local government positions can smooth
things out later down the road.
The Closing on a Property session was all about how to buy. Real
estate agents, how to find funding (through co-op owned banks or
credit unions if possible), etc. One thing that I didn't know about
that I thought was a very nice tool for buying: contingency items. Ifthen clauses of property exchange. (i.e. you can agree to buy, if
certain things happen... allowing you to make a deal before
everything that needs to happen already has. For example, agreeing
to buy, if a pest inspector goes through and finds that a place doesn't
have bedbugs) This, and other contingencies, were added to the
Roth St. purchase offer, and I hadn't realized we could add just about
any contingency we wanted until going to this session. Of course,
any contingency should seem fair and reasonable to the seller, or
else you'd be hurting your chances to get them to agree.
NASCO was fantastic. I loved how being there made me feel the
scope of the co-op movement, being done in different ways all
through the nation and world. Everybody bringing their ideas and
strategies to share, letting each individual co-op get a large number
of varying resources and selecting the best ideas for them to take
back. The people are nice too, not just the ideas. I highly recommend
going, I plan to attend again next year.
What is an Ally? – A NASCO Handout
An ally is a member of the “majority” group who works to end
oppression in his or her personal life though support of and as an
advocate for the oppressed population.
Become an Ally
Becoming an ally is a process. Take time to think about the process
outlined below and about where you are and where you would like to be.
Step One: Be Aware
Who are you? Understanding your viewpoint and its origins in maleness or
femaleness, religion, ethnicity, race, physical and emotional abilities, class,
etc., is critical to understanding your relationship to others, to ideas, and to
events.
Step Two: Educate Yourself
Learning about others is the next important step in becoming an ally.
Challenge yourself to learn about persons, cultures, and groups that you do
not identify with. It is only by learning about others that you can stand with
and for them in the face of oppression. The knowledge you gain will enable
you to be accountable to the persons for whom you are an ally.
Step Three: Gain the Skills
In order to be an effective ally, you need to develop skills to communicate
the knowledge you have gained about yourself and others. This may seem
frightening at first, since it involves taking steps towards action. Research
venues where you can practice the skills needed to become an ally in a
safe, non-judgmental environment.
Step Four: Take Action
It is only by participation that we become involved in the struggle to end
oppression in our communities. Yes, it is challenging. Yes, it can be
frightening. However, if we keep our knowledge, thoughts, skills, and
awareness to ourselves, we deprive others not only of our own gifts, but of
a life of richness and equality. Share your knowledge.
*For more, check out NASCO’s shared resource library,
www.nasco.coop/resources
- Angelica Engel, Sofia Cooperative
My NASCO Institute weekend began with six hung-over hours
sitting shotgun in a car. It wasn’t that I was puking or anything. No,
the most alarming aspect of my hung-over-ness was the fact that I
was scared to shut my eyes, because some neurotic part of my
thought that by watching the road, I was controlling the car.
Needless to say, I swore off drinking.
A good thing about the drive to Ann Arbor was Jonah’s choice
of music. Lots of highly conscious local-to-Madison hip-hop artists.
This set the stage very well for my weekend of anti-oppression
discussion.
The first workshop I attended was the “Collective Liberation
Caucus.” In it, I learned that literally millions of students from
Oberlin College were attending NASCO, and that most of them (the
ones I talked to) are super enlightened beings.
After an early bedtime, Emily and I rushed to a coffee shop for
breakfast. Then we attended the Food Justice workshop.
I had only vaguely been aware of AORTA before this workshop.
At the workshop, I was impressed by the knowledge and eloquence
of the workshop leaders.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get the memo that the workshop was
changing locations for the second block of time, so I ended up at the
mental health presentation instead. I left ten minutes in, because the
room was dark and warm and I was tired. Plus, the audience was
very engaged so I felt I would not be missed.
I bought a book in the “room with the books” as we kept calling
it. It was written by the woman who wrote the book Cunt, which is a
feminist manifesto. This book was about white supremacy and is
just as fiery and inspiring.
Then, there was dinner, and I impulsively ran for NASCO
Board, which required giving a speech. I was happy just to have
been vaguely eloquent and to have actually expressed my real
thoughts, though I did not get voted in (as far as I am aware…)
The queer caucus was next. Folks shared many experiences,
especially ones pertaining to house culture. We all got very excited
about queering our houses.
I did go to the party at Black Elk, but I did not enjoy it, because
I wasn’t drinking and so was not numb to the fact that the
interpersonal dynamics I was witnessing (just “normal” party stuff)
was totally against all the enlightened, compassionate, inspiring
social justice talk that I had been immersed in all day.
On Sunday, I attended what was supposed to be an inquiry into
the exoticization of ethnic food, but which devolved into a
discussion of veganism. Then I went to a workshop on calling people
out on their oppressive speech and actions. This was a good antidote
to the veganism workshop.
Next, it was lunch, and then we went home a little early. I made
the mistake of buying Bugles, most of which I later donated to my
house.
All in all, NASCO was an overwhelmingly inspiring experience. I
thoroughly enjoyed the weekend (except the party) and want to give
special thanks to the people in my car: Jonah Welch, Emily Blessing,
and Dan Snortum. Thanks to everyone who made NASCO Institute
possible.
"NASCO Institute Is Actually Pretty Cool"
– Christian Hansen, Phoenix
My name is Christian Hansen, I've been at Phoenix for about 4
years now. I'm the elected Maintenance Officer. Before you tell
me that you didn't vote for me, I'm here to talk to you about 'the
NASCO' or the North American Students of Cooperation. What is
this beast, why are we all dues paying members?
Remember that $35 you paid on contract signing? Thanks to you
and thousands of other members NASCO has been up and
running since 1968. The organization has already done a lot for
MCC. We've gotten financial assistance from them in the past
when we needed it, plenty of good advice, and our very own Rek
Kwawer has a seat on their board of directors. They also run their
own co-op houses through NASCO Properties, along with
providing that institutional memory and experience that all co-ops
need, from young to old.
I recently attended their national conference called 'the NASCO
Institute' on a full MCC scholarship (i.e.: pretty much free). This
co-op school is simply a gathering of about 400 coopers from all
across the country. In November, I and five others drove out to
Ann Arbor, Michigan, to learn more about what makes co-ops
work and what they can do for us. It was actually pretty cool.
There are a lot of great people involved in this growing org. The
staff there is super helpful, but I'm also talking about the other
coopers coming in from across the country. Certainly I found
plenty to learn and share.
Over our three days together, besides drinking lots of free, dark,
delicious coffee (yes!), there were plenty of great workshops to
attend. Our MCC lawyer, Rosebud, and our Member Services
Coordinator, Rek Kwawer, offered their experience, along with a
number of co-opy experts and celebrities. Subjects ranged from
staff and manager trainings to co-op history, meeting facilitation,
and gender equality. If you've been to other conferences, you
know that sometimes you miss a really great talk for another that
didn't turn out to be as exciting as you'd hoped. Honestly, I was
never disappointed simply because I and my house benefit from
having any piece of co-op knowledge. Plus, if I missed the one
everyone else went to, all I had to do was listen. Done.
I attended several talks on new co-op development. Here I
learned what I like to call the 'Zoning Two-step'. First, buy a
house. Then, get a conditional-use permit from the city to run it as
a co-op. No, it's not that simple, but it does work. I also learned
that a lot of Co-ops don't have non-profit status. I made sure to
invite others to an MCC staff-led talk on that subject. There were
a lot of discussions on co-op history. Turns out, co-op popularity
is historically driven by the desire to weather hard economic times
and make sure that people with low-incomes can attend school
and work. Kinda’ reminds me of this exact moment.
Also, I liked the whole networking scene. It's nice to be a part of
something much larger than me, my house, and my organization.
We often act like we're building something from scratch, but
thousands of others are doing it, too. I liked the presentations, but
I got more from meeting people one-on-one and getting to know
how their co-op works from the inside. Plus, I now have a couch
to sleep on when I finally get out to the west coast.
One more thing: in our regional breakout session, I and several
others got involved in a regional meet-up of co-op houses in the
Midwest. It's called Mid-bash. Keep any eye out for updates and I
hope to see you there this spring. Deal? Deal.
The Co-op Forever,
Christian
“Cooperative Food Justice”
– Dawn Matlak, Board Member of Willy St. Co-op
–
(This essay was originally published in the Willy St. Co-op Newsletter.)
The very first cooperative principle states, “cooperatives are
voluntary organizations, open to all people able to use its services
and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without
gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.” As a food
justice advocate and Board member, I frequently think critically
about this principle. How do we, as cooperative Owners, engage
with issues of food inaccessibility in our communities?
SHARING KNOWLEDGE
This past month, I had the opportunity to attend and present at
two midwest cooperative conferences: the (very first!) Riverwest
Co-op Fest in Milwaukee, WI, and the annual NASCO (North
American Students of Cooperation) Institute in Ann Arbor, MI. Both
inspired and reinvigorated my commitment to incorporate further
anti-oppression analysis into my life and (hopefully) the cooperative
movement as a whole.
In Riverwest, Cami Thomas and I co-facilitated a workshop
called “How Cooperatives Revolutionize the Movement.” We spoke
about the alignment of social justice values and cooperative
ownership, with a focus on oppression, privilege, and various ways
in which cooperatives can give agency and autonomy to oppressed
groups. Cami also drew parallels between cooperative and Kwanzaa
principles, specifically highlighting Ujamaa (cooperative economics)
and Ujima (collective work and responsibility). We discussed the
ways cooperatives change our relationships to and with power by
sharing and redistributing it throughout their structures.
QUESTIONS AND MORE QUESTIONS
In Ann Arbor, I was thrilled to open my NASCO Institute
program to six pages of resources, including “guidelines for being
strong white allies” to “action steps for being a trans ally” and “10
things men can do to prevent gender violence.” One of the workshop
tracks was titled “Applied Anti-Oppression: Food Justice, Food
Security, & Food Sovereignty,” and it included practical, strategic
workshops (“Deep Roots Food Justice Intensive”) alongside
thoughtful, critical ones (“Demystifying and Decolonizing ‘Ethnic’
Food”). I was especially excited to hear Kwamena Mensah of the
Detroit Black Community Food Security Network present. He gave
an overview of the current economic conditions in Detroit, and
spoke about the successes of DBCFSN’s urban farm, as well as their
plans to open a retail food co-op in the near future. The vision for
this emerging co-op emphasizes access to high-quality food for
Detroit’s African-American community alongside broader strategies
of food justice and food sovereignty.
At NASCO, I presented a workshop called “Foodie Privileges:
The Everyday Economics of Accessible Food Co-ops.” Participants
from throughout the U.S. wrote down some of their questions about
this topic. Here are a few of the things they were asking:
How can food co-ops be more socially and culturally accessible
to everyone?
 How can we pool our resources to tackle the problem of food
access?
 What can I do to help dismantle oppression and Monsanto
simultaneously?
 Is it possible to have political discussions in food co-ops that go
beyond individual choice issues (i.e. GMO food labeling,
organics, etc.)?
 How can I use my privilege to change the system to benefit
those who are the most oppressed?
 Where is the balance between food accessibility and
“traditional” health food ideals?
 Who isn’t at the table in our food communities/systems when
we talk and plan?
WITHIN REACH

Recently, I have been reading work by critical theorist Sara
Ahmed which re-frames accessibility and privilege, particularly in
terms of gender, sexuality, and race. This particular quote resonated
with the questions I frequently return to: “Whiteness is an
orientation that puts certain things within reach. By objects, we
would include not just physical objects, but also styles, capacities,
aspirations, techniques, even worlds. In putting certain things in
reach, a world acquires its shape; the white world is a world
orientated ‘around’ whiteness. This world, too, is ‘inherited’ as a
dwelling: it is a world shaped by colonial histories, which affect not
simply how maps are drawn, but the kinds of orientations we have
towards objects and others. Race becomes, in this model, a question
of what is within reach, what is available to perceive.” I think about
how the many ways that access to food and to cooperatives have to
be understood in socially complex terms if we want to change the
systems that overtly or covertly perpetuate discrimination. Luckily,
there are a growing number of cooperators who are committed to
doing this work!
INTERSECTIONS
In 2012, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
published draft principles of food justice Among them was this gem:
“We cannot deliver food justice without addressing historical
trauma and the way it requires an intersectional analysis of our
relationship with the land, with each other, with the economy,
across cultures, and with our food and other consumption choices.” I
am seeking that analysis and imagine that others might be as well.
What questions, suggestions, concerns, ideas and resources
around food justice do you have? Send them my way!
([email protected]) I look forward to asking tough questions,
looking for strategic solutions, and advancing these ideals at Willy
Street Co-op.
Interested in attending the NASCO Institute next year in
November?
Interested in going to Iowa City in April for the Midwest
gathering of cooperative housing, MidwesCo?
Interested in being an awesome co-oper?
Email any questions that you have to the Member Services
Coordinator, Rek Kwawer, at: [email protected]
Plus: stay tuned for more cooperative news! Taylor Kestrel (your
friendly cooperative office intern, and the person who put all this
together) will be working on the latest edition of MCC’s newsletter,
If you have any ideas, recipes, articles, tips, games, questions,
quizzes, things for sale, things that you’ve found, things that you’ve
lost, things that you found at one time and then promptly lost,
photographs, drawings, paintings, full-scale replicas of historical
monuments, or anything else that the good people of MCC would
find interesting, contact: [email protected]