Park Slope Co-op Brings Home the Bacon
“Founded in 1973, the Park Slope co-op has grown so dramatically in recent years that it has been forced to limit the number of new members. Its balance sheet is so strong—the co-op paid off its mortgage in January—that general manager and founding member Joe Holtz wonders what to do with more than $500,000 in…
“Founded in 1973, the Park Slope co-op has grown so dramatically in recent years that it has been forced to limit the number of new members. Its balance sheet is so strong—the co-op paid off its mortgage in January—that general manager and founding member Joe Holtz wonders what to do with more than $500,000 in profits. Last year’s revenues were $39 million. If we continue to accumulate cash like this, he says, we’ll have to have a meeting and maybe lower our prices again. — Crain’s
Photo by Peffs
@BrooklynGreene,
Thanks for the offer. My wife gets in there with friends and brings back some good food. I always appreciate reasonable and intelligent discourse. Enjoy the nice weather this weekend.
Well, I won’t be cruel and not respond, Mr. McGrok , since I’m sure you’ll be checking back.
I’m certainly glad you had a good laugh…half of what I wrote was tongue-in-cheek anyway.
And certainly, it’s not addressed to particular people–you’ll note I used the plural throughout…except maybe that Heather…Hhhmmm…and Mopar because he’s nice.
And yes, Kiddo, I think I probably am the elder in this unfortunate racket called life.
Even if life’s too short as you say, you d-i-d (wink, wink) read through my blither! Touche as they say!
And at least it’s nice to know there are good readers on this site, no?
I’m glad you’re doing the farm thing and not, apparently (can I assume?), supporting a certain delivery company that shall remain nameless…
PS Why not check out the coop sometime? You can come as my guest, or go with any of the apparent numerous friends of yours who belong, at an uncrowded time of day and see all the great stuff!
😉
@brooklyngreene
LOL I just keep laughing reading your post… Come on, kids!! (assuming you are the adult here) get in there, dive in!! (assuming if one doesn’t agree with you, they just don’t know better yet.)
I love it…it’s hysterical! FYI, anoybody who knows me knows my intimate knowledge of a city and its boroughs, knows my community work, my charity, and my very diverse group of friends.
“I beg you to stop feeling it is necessary to insulate yourselves so much.”
That is fantastic stuff right there!! If someone has a different view, they MUST be doing something wrong.
I’m glad that you have it all figured out.
HA! Thanks for the great post. It’s a riot!
@BrooklynGreene,
See that is precisely my point. Here you are telling people that they are fraidy cats, out of towner types that need to do more than go out a couple of nights to dinner and maybe should do some community work. HA!!!
That’s exactly what I mean. Isn’t it possible for an adult to have thick skin, and just at some point not want to have to deal with this kind of nonsense? I guess where we disagree is your description of these events as “one-off.” That just doesn’t corroborate with the myriad of experiences that I hear about regularly.
As I said before, it’s obvious that the coop has been successful. But posts like that, like yours above, are exactly the kind that make me say “Life’s too short to listen to this nonsense.”
I joined a great farm guild. $50 a year and no volunteering, and you buy directly from local farms. Problem solved!
I truly wish the coop all of the best, I think it’s a great thing, and I am very impressed to see it’s success. I just don’t want to spend those hours each month listening to the Working Families Party all day. I’d prefer people stick to their fruits and vegetables, that’s all.
My problem with Fresh Direct is their criminal, built-into-the-business-model practice of double parking. I’ve fantasized about getting them prosecuted for it under the RICO Act.
But there are better uses of time–even mine . . .
There was a place based in Gowanus that delivered with a horse up into the 1950s.
I would join the PSFC if I could get to it. It’s too far. There are CSAs, which we have joined, and volunteer for, and they are fun, but expensive.
Sigh…
Kids, Kids, Kids.
These so-called “one-offs” and anecdotal stories are really not representative of the coop.
This is New York City. There are cranks who make comments. And maybe, just maybe you might manage to think over a little bit of what you hear and observe each day with a more open mind. And even if a comment does seem like it’s coming out of the mouth of a crank, or is offensive, or irks you…maybe there’s at least some sort of learning to be had from it.
It sounds to me that many of you who are relating these stories about not wanting to join because a crank make a crack to a friend of yours…or in the case of a former member above who apparently focuses his complaints on there not being enough work to do…??? I just have to say, it all sounds a little out-of-towner to me…or may a bit thin-skinned and fraidy cat.
A lot of you young people sound a bit too coddled. Blame the older generation for raising you this way and with this set of “comfort expectations”. I’m kind of baffled by it but it really seems to have been very widespread.
But I implore you, DIVE into New York City and have some experiences for a change. Going to dinner twice a week or out for drinks is not “diving in”. You don’t have to join the coop. Look for other things you can do. Find a program to teach adults reading, volunteer some hours in a food pantry or soup kitchen, work to improve your child’s school, volunteer at your nearest park, join a community garden, those JDs or MDs, etc. do some good old-fashioned pro bono work.
I beg you to stop feeling it is necessary to insulate yourselves so much.
Go ahead, join the coop…even if for only one month or two. You’ve got nothing to lose and might see something different for a change and connect with folks.
http://www.foodcoop.com is the website if you want to sign up for an orientation. The meeting room where the orientations take place is under construction so I think they won’t resume for another month but check the website.
PS Heather, yes we have a car, but I still walk back and forth to the coop. You’re argument about Flesh Direct sounds a little nutty. Take a deep breath!:
“In my experience, people who hate Fresh Direct have CARS. Am I wrong? You don’t have to answer, I know I am not.”
Gee…on second thought, maybe you really DO belong a the coop! 😉
I’m not sure I “hate” Flesh Direct because we have a car. I dislike their incredibly loud compressors running along with the loud diesel engines (both pumping out fumes), rattling windows, delivery guys slamming doors on the trucks, people’s gates on their areaways, waking me up at 11:30 at night. I dislike the idea that food flown and trucked in from all over the world then has to be put in a new heavy cardboard box branded with Flesh Direct that is like a fast food meal container…it has a very short life and usually goes right in the trash.
And I do kind of dislike the idea that so many people are insulating themselves from the world, especially in a place like New York City. Yes, I know, I know…it is, yes, tough to get good groceries in all places…but there is very little incentive for any new stores to open in your area when the bulk of the “fancier” food spending is going to a delivery company.
You know what, and I have to say I laughed at Mopar’s suggestion–you know I actually would buy from them if they delivered by horse! I know it sounds strange to you, but many of us know full our parents’ stories of (and have seen firsthand in many cases!) the iceman, the seltzer deliveryman, the baked goods and dairy delivered by the draught horses, mules, and donkeys. Maybe Montrose can give us a good idea…She could research when the very last draught animal was used to delivery goods in Brooklyn. I’m absolutely sure it was in my lifetime. I still call the “fridge” the “icebox”…this is a hold-over from another era, I know but this is what many of us grew up with.
Listen, Heather, start a food delivery service using horses and I’ll bet you’d make a mint!
The food is excellent, and the place is obviously successful. I can’t join. I don’t think I’d be able to take it. A friend of mine who is a member recently used their debit card at the register, to which she heard “I hope your happy.” when she asked what he meant, he said “a fee goes to the bank, and they’ll donate that money to the republican party.” A few problems with this
1. Banks give much more money to democrats. He’s annoying AND wrong.
2. He assumes (and is probably 99% right at a coop in Park Slope) that anybody who passes through the doors is a big government liberal.
I am no republican. It doesn’t really matter what I am, I’d just like a place where people of all stripes can go for their food.
Another friend who belongs says that he can’t stand it for that reason. There is an enforced liberalism that floats around that place.
I know the easy response to this is either “if you don’t like it, don’t go” or “good, we don’t want you there anyway” which are both entirely valid.
I just think it’s a shame that I can’t be a member because of the cultlike faux-liberalism seeping out of the walls.
I am sure that you won’t miss me.
In my experience, people who hate Fresh Direct have CARS. Am I wrong? You don’t have to answer, I know I am not. Forgive me, I don’t really like wrangling a three-year old and a a few gallons of milk, cases of cat food, vegetables, fruit, laundry detergent, etc, in a granny cart from Union to Gates. I know… I am funny that way. Trust me, I do it on the bus from time to time, (something else I am pretty sure you’ve never experienced with your CAR…), and… oh, look, I don’t want to argue. Much. Your co-op is a lovely, lovely place and you are more than welcome to it. Pat yourself on the back again for being so green. Then drive your car. Take a few flights! Why not? It’s not like you run the ac in your 3000 square foot brownstone! That would be wasteful!
Let’s see. Fresh Direct is a local company, a company that has made efforts to be green, that hires local workers, (more than the coop), that serves a lot of New York. Furthermore, they let everyone (within their delivery radius) shop there.