Daily Co-op, 18 Years and still going green

Volunteer Katelyn TenEyck, 24, working the register at the Daily Co-op

By Jamie Lamberski

ATHENS, Ga. – The Daily Grocery Co-op, a natural and organic foods store known for its organic local produce and vegan deli, has prospered for the last 18 years mostly because of the work of valuable volunteers.

The Daily Grocery Co-op held its annual meeting on Feb. 26 to vote on board members. Managers, supervisors and volunteers attended the meeting at Little Kings Shuffle Club Friday from 5 to 7 p.m., during which they inducted four new board members to replace the four members whose terms’ ended.

“We aren’t incorporated, so there is no CEO,” said Jeff Tobias a shift supervisor at the co-op. “Board members determine policy and management decisions of the daily.”

Notable volunteers were also given awards at the meeting for their commitment to the store. It is in large part because of volunteers that the co-op has remained in business for almost 18 years.

Deli worker Jeff Morris, 22, from Lawrenceville, Ga., said about 60 to 70 percent of the
co-op staff are volunteers while only about 30 to 40 percent are paid employees.

The volunteer program is how current Co-Manager Walter Swanson, a retired elementary school teacher from Broward County, Fla., first heard about the co-op.

“My daughter used to volunteer here and said it would be a good fit for me,” Swanson said.

“Managing the co-op is not like work,” said Swanson, having now worked nine years at the co-op. “It’s a lot of fun, and you get to meet a lot of people since all employees are only part-time.”

In exchange for their help, volunteers receive a 5 percent discount for every hour that they work at the store, up to 20 percent.

“Board members get 10 percent and they can pick up an hour or two to get the full 20 percent discount, which many of them do,” said Phil Felut, a shift supervisor at the co-op.

Hence it is called a “co-op.” A cooperative business is one that is not motivated purely by profit but rather to meet members’ needs for affordable, high-quality foods.

Not only is the co-op food high-quality, but mostly organic and some locally grown.

“We have 30 local farmers that we get different products from, including milk, eggs, fruits and vegetables” Swanson said.

Supervisors said that lately produce managers are making more of an effort to purchase locally since that is currently more of a concern.

Jeff Tobias, another shift supervisor, said “over the summer we go to about forty percent local produce overall.”

But shoppers of the co-op come here for more than produce. Elaine Ely, University of Pennsylvania alum and Flagpole columnist, has been shopping at the co-op since she moved to Athens six months ago.

“I’m probably here three times a day since I only live a block away,” Ely said. “I buy all my produce here, I come for coffee… I come for everything.”

Loyal customers such as Ely help contribute to the 12 local charities that the co-op donates to each year.

“Every transaction under $10, we ask the customer to donate 25 cents,” Tobias said.

At the end of each month, the proceeds are given to a different charity, voted on by co-op members during the annual meeting. One of the 12 charities chosen was Food Not Bombs -- a small local charity that cooks meals and distributes them to the homeless in downtown Athens.

“I like seeing the smaller charities get supported,” Morris said. “Food Not Bombs is great, totally (do-it-yourself), and they don’t get much support.”

To read about the other 11 charities and to find out what’s new in the locally grown organic produce section stop in the store at 523 Prince Ave. near Bottleworks, and pick up “The Radish,” the co-op’s monthly newsletter.

Edited by: Matthew Allen