BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Good Earth Co-op Board uses the Policy Governance® system developed by John Carver. Policy Governance allows the Board to focus on visionary work, goal setting, and the Co-op’s impact on the community. It frees the Board from involvement in daily store activities, empowering the General Manager to determine the means to achieve these larger ends.

MEETINGS

The board meets on the third Thursday of each month, from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm at the store. Member-owners are always welcome to attend. If you would like to add an item to the agenda, please contact us at board.directors@goodearthfoodcoop.coop. 


VALUES FRAMEWORK

The Good Earth Food Cooperative is a resource and an asset to the St. Cloud area. We serve our membership, the community and our environment at large. We do this by making conscientious choices regarding our food. We believe everyone deserves access to the best food available. Furthermore, we believe the best food comes from organic, sustainable, and local providers. We strive to offer consistently nutritious choices of the highest quality at the lowest possible prices and from the best sources available to all shoppers regardless of race, gender, age, religion, income, health or other individual distinctions.

We believe that service to the community comes from the cooperative idea of “self help.” To this end, we support our community by sourcing from and promoting local producers whenever possible. We support organic farming, local farmers, and other sustainable businesses. This support demonstrates that we care about the health and well being of those who provide products to the Co-op.

Our responsibility to our community extends from our desire to protect the environment. We are committed to actively seeking food and products that have been raised, grown, and/or developed in a way that is the least harmful to our world. We seek products that inflict minimal harm on the biophysical realm and do not involve inhumane treatment of animals.

As a member-owned cooperative we care about the health and well being of our members. We endeavor to provide a rich variety of unprocessed whole foods that contain minimal artificial and chemical additives. We strive to avoid foods and additives known to cause diseases and disorders.

We serve our membership by providing opportunities for input, discussion and deliberation. Access to information about policies, decision making, and future planning is readily available. We function as a working model, demonstrating the viability of a customer-owned business model, as opposed to a corporate model.

We engage our community through education, participation in local events, and encouraging, honoring, and cultivating diversity to create a welcoming atmosphere. We are a resource for community education on various topics including, but not limited to, holistic living, natural wellness, and sustainability. The store is a gathering place for members of our community.

GOVERNANCE DOCUMENTS

Governance Policies

Bylaws 2015

Articles of Incorporation

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES

Dec 2020, Nov 2020, Oct 2020, Sep 2020, Aug 2020, Jul 2020, Jun 2020, May 2020, April 2020, Mar 2020, Feb 2020, Jan 2020

Our committees meet at the following times in the community room:

GEFC Community Engagement Committee

First Wednesday of the month 1:00 PM.

GEFC Financial Committee

Varies - contact board.directors@goodearthfoodcoop.coop

GEFC Board Development Committee

Varies - contact board.directors@goodearthfoodcoop.coop

GEFC Board

Third Thursday of the month 6:00 PM.

The board can be contacted at board.directors@goodearthfoodcoop.coop.