The Miami River Foods Project Newslettery - June 10, 2010

A BIG jump for the Beta Test program

• Weekly orders
• Fresh, local, organic produce
• Order by Saturday, pick up the next week!
• Email info@miamiriverfoods.org to get started

Community news

• June 12th = local food + learning + fun
• Bair Family Farm Tour
• Learn from the Land Workshops

Founding the Co-op

Beta Test 3.0 is ready for you

When we first launched the Beta Test program back in January, we expected to do a few test orders with a few people. Dip in a toe. Get our feet wet. Learn how to get our groove down.

This week, in Beta Test 3.0, we're jumping in. This is test number eight, folks, and about 100 families are now groovin' to weekly orders, a partnership with the Happy Box organic CSA program, a Beta Club membership installment plan, and orders ready for pickup within three days.

If you've been waiting for us to be ready for you - we are. In fact, we'd absolutely love for you to join us this week!

Email info@miamiriverfoods.org to get started

To join us for Beta Test 3.0, simply email your name, address, and phone number to info@miamiriverfoods.org. We'll send you access to our online catalog, where you can sign up for the Beta Club and place your order. If your order's in by Saturday, June 12th at midnight, it will be ready for pickup at the Troy Meat Shop next week (June 15th, 16th, and 17th). Simple as that.

The Beta Club program is the foundation of our future brick-and-mortar cooperative grocery store, and we invite you to join us in building that future, together. We hope to see you next week!

Creating jobs in our community

The next big news this week is our new summer employee, Cristian Ruiz. He graduated from Troy in '08 and is now a junior at Bates College, studying psychology.

We're inspired by Cristian's commitment to supporting the local foods movement in his hometown and grateful for his talent. He's a great guy with great skills - he's gonna do great. Cristian will be doing some real heavy lifting with us this summer, so please be sure to say "hi" and "thanks" when you see him!

Local food, learning, and fun on June 12th

This Saturday, June 12th, the Miami River Foods Project invites you to join us for a full day of local food, learning, and fun!

9:00 am - Farmer's Market - Start your day of local food at the 2010 opening of the Tipp City Farmer's Market! The market will be open every Saturday from 9am to 12:30pm until September 18th.

10:00 am - Farm Tour - The Bair family invites supporters of the Miami River Foods Project to learn about life on the farm! We'll milk a cow, see where those delicious farm eggs come from, and wrap up the day with cookies and milk.

11:00 am - Local Food Workshops - Trinity Episcopal Church welcomes you to "Learn from the Land" during a wonderful day of free workshops about community gardens, spiritual stewardship, beekeeping, home insulation, and cooking. Featuring a special canning workshop by Mary Haldeman of WoodsWalk Orchard & Berries!

Thank you, WACO

Please join us in thanking the WACO Museum for co-hosting a wonderful Family Festival on May 22nd. It was the Miami River Foods Project's first collaboration with WACO, and we most enjoyed celebrating local food & music together. From the 5-year-old Container Gardening for Kids participant who found a "roly poly in my dirt" to the bluegrass fans, a great time was had by all!

We're founding a co-op!

The "Miami River Model" of cooperative organizing is showing great promise, and we're looking forward to sharing how the Beta Test program fuels our organizing effort with food co-ops from around the country this weekend at CCMA. Thanks to the Howard Bowers Fund for supporting our participation with two full scholarships to the conference!

Next week, we'll look forward to sharing lessons learned at CCMA with our Co-op Organizing Team as the group prepares to formally approve our bylaws and incorporate the cooperative at the end of this month.

Interested in helping out with the organizing effort? Email info@miamiriverfoods.org to sign up for the Beta Test program or learn more about volunteering with the Team.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Please email info@miamiriverfoods.org. We love to hear from you!

Laura and Jake, on behalf of the whole team

- Miami River Foods Project