Towards a Montgomeryshire Food Cooperative A report by Cwm Harry Land Trust Written by Hannah Towsey – (Cwm Harry Land Trust) Adam Kennerley - (Cwm Harry Land Trust) Gary Mitchel - (Cwm Harry Food Company) Helen Fairweather - (Resources 4 Change) and Richard Pitts - (F1). NOVEMBER 2010 Towards a Montgomeryshire Food Cooperative CONTENTS PAGE 1 Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 4 2 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 7 3 The role of Cwm Harry Land Trust .................................................................................................... 7 4 Background ..................................................................................................................................... 7 5 Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 8 5.1 What did our market research tell us? ...................................................................................... 9 5.2 What were our best practice findings? See appendix 2 ........................................................... 10 5.2.1 Success Criteria .............................................................................................................. 10 5.3 Producer meetings- A summary of the workshop discussions ................................................. 10 6 Business Model .............................................................................................................................. 12 7 ............................................................................................................................................................ 12 7.1 Values .................................................................................................................................... 12 7.2 Vision The vision is: ................................................................................................................ 12 7.3 Objectives .............................................................................................................................. 13 7.4 What the co-op will do ........................................................................................................... 13 7.5 Main benefits to members will be: ......................................................................................... 13 7.6 Main benefits to non-members will be: .................................................................................. 13 7.7 How it will work ..................................................................................................................... 13 7.8 Ordering................................................................................................................................. 13 7.9 Premises ................................................................................................................................ 14 7.10 Training and support .............................................................................................................. 14 7.11 Sourcing, distribution & marketing ......................................................................................... 14 7.11.1 Distribution.................................................................................................................... 14 7.11.2 Growing ........................................................................................................................ 15 7.11.3 Marketing ...................................................................................................................... 15 7.12 Ownership ............................................................................................................................. 15 7.13 How decisions are made ........................................................................................................ 15 7.14 Structure ................................................................................................................................ 16 7.15 Running costs ......................................................................................................................... 16 7.16 Finance and Start-up funds..................................................................................................... 16 7.17 Role of Cwm Harry ................................................................................................................. 16 7.18 Success Criteria ...................................................................................................................... 16 7.18.1 Outputs and Outcomes ............................................................................................... 17 8 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 18 9 Next steps...................................................................................................................................... 18 10 APPENDIX 1 - Market Research: ................................................................................................. 21 10.1 Consumers ............................................................................................................................. 21 10.2 Market Research: Producers .................................................................................................. 31 10.3 Market Research: Retailers .................................................................................................... 38 11 APPENDIX 2 - Best practice research ......................................................................................... 43 2 Towards a Montgomeryshire Food Cooperative 11.1 CASE STUDIES......................................................................................................................... 43 11.2 Co-operative models .............................................................................................................. 44 Pembrokeshire Produce Direct .................................................................................................. 44 Stroudco Food hub ..................................................................................................................... 45 11.3 Producer-owned companies ................................................................................................... 47 The Organic Fresh Food Co. ..................................................................................................... 47 Heart of England Fine Foods ..................................................................................................... 48 11.4 independent businesses ......................................................................................................... 49 Plough to Plate ............................................................................................................................ 49 Shop Newtown – a special case ................................................................................................ 50 11.5 Community groups and initiatives .......................................................................................... 52 Local to Ludlow ........................................................................................................................... 52 Land Life & Livelihoods .............................................................................................................. 53 11.6 notes on other organisations .................................................................................................. 54 East Anglia Food Link ................................................................................................................. 54 Riverford Organics ...................................................................................................................... 55 Whitmuir ....................................................................................................................................... 55 One planet food Fife ................................................................................................................... 56 Bulmer Foundation ...................................................................................................................... 56 Wyre Community Land Trust ..................................................................................................... 57 Seikatsu Club .............................................................................................................................. 57 Food for Life Partnership ............................................................................................................ 58 11.7 Key success criteria ................................................................................................................ 59 12 APPENDIX 3 - Barriers ................................................................................................................ 61 13 APPENDIX 4 - Notes on Local Retailers by Michele Becker .......................................................... 62 14 APPENDIX 5 – Financial Forecasts ............................................................................................... 67 3 Towards a Montgomeryshire Food Cooperative 1 Executive