Producers & Buyers Co-op Elects New Board

Media Center

11/19/2009

November 19, 2009
For Immediate Release

Co-op Annual Meeting Elects New Board Members
Progress Celebrated in Linking Local Farms and Institutions

Eau Claire, WI – The first annual meeting of the Producers & Buyers Co-op was held November 10 at Sacred Heart Hospital and members elected new Co-op board members. A Co-op board meeting yesterday determined the offices and length of terms:

Dick Walders of Ewes Rule the Farm (Cornell, WI) will serve a three year term and serve as Acting President for one year.
Steve Tschanz of Tschanz Farms (Blair, WI) will serve a one year term and serve as Acting Vice President for one year.
Rick Beckler of Sacred Heart Hospital (Eau Claire, WI) will serve a two year term and serve as Acting Secretary for one year.
Shawn McMartin of Promise Farm Buffalo (Menomonie, WI) will serve a two year term and serve as Acting Treasurer for one year.
Wayne Lautsbaugh of Crescent Meats (Cadott, WI) will serve a one year term.

Co-op members also approved the bylaws at the November 10 meeting.

“Supporting the Co-op is an opportunity to invest in the local community and to support sustainable products, local farms and jobs,” said Co-op treasurer, Shawn McMartin, bison producer, Promise Farm Buffalo in Menomonie, Wisconsin. “Co-op support is helping rebuild the local processing infrastructure and expand local food production by providing a stable market.”

Darrel Lorch of Lorcrest Farms, Inc., in Blair, Wisconsin, past Acting President of the Co-op commented, “Having a stable market price allows me to do more long-range planning with my farm operation.”

“Over the past year, we have had an outpouring of warm compliments on our food from patients, our Meals on Wheels patrons and employees,” said Rick Beckler, Co-op board secretary and Sacred Heart Hospital’s Director of Hospitality Services. “As an institution committed to our community, it’s our responsibility to buy local food to support local agriculture. The Co-op facilitates the process for other institutions to source local food.”

The Co-op is working to bring new buyers on board as products are sourced and serves institutions such as: schools, universities and colleges, hospitals and nursing homes, and businesses that provide cafeteria services. For producer or buyer member information, contact Co-op Coordinator, Erica Zerr, at (715) 579-5013.

The Co-op facilitates buying and selling for farmers in Eau Claire, Chippewa, Barron, Dunn, Pepin, Trempealeau, Buffalo, Clark, Jackson, Polk, Pierce, and St. Croix counties. Sacred Heart Hospital is a founding partner in the project and committed 10% of its $2 million food budget to purchasing local food products in order to provide a market to help the organization get off the ground. In 2009, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Chippewa Falls committed to purchasing local food through the Co-op.

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The Producers & Buyers Co-op was launched with the announcement of a Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin (BLBW) grant on July 17, 2008, by Governor Jim Doyle at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, WI. Governor Doyle chose Eau Claire as the city to announce statewide BLBW grants due to the innovative local food partnership between Sacred Heart Hospital and River Country RC&D Council to launch the Co-op.