TERRE HAUTE — Seeds planted within the organic foods community are beginning to bear fruit as Terre Foods secures a store location this week.

“Things are going very well,” Terre Foods Cooperative spokeswoman Robyn Morton said Monday evening. “We’re very, very close to securing a location.”

Morton said the group plans to finalize a purchase agreement this week for the former McDonald’s site at the corner of Seventh and Poplar streets. “We love that location. We’re very happy we’re going to get it,” she said, adding that whenever they tell group members of the location, they “light up.”

The Terre Foods Cooperative has been working for more than a year to develop a local, full-service market specializing in organically grown produce, eggs, dairy and meats, as well as bulk dry goods and natural home and body-care products.

On Thursday evening, the group will host a benefit concert at the 7th & Elm Bar and Grille, featuring Christina Blust, Travis Dillon and Cuba. The concert begins at 9:30 p.m. with a $5 cover, the proceeds of which will go toward the project.

On Saturday evening, the group kicks off its summer Free Film Series with a screening of “The Future of Food,” which offers an in-depth look at genetically engineered foods sold at most stores. The viewing is open to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. in Myers Tech 105 on the Indiana State University campus, on Cherry Street between Sixth and Seventh streets.

With a building nearly in-hand, Morton said the organization is on a full-blown membership drive.

“We need as many members as we can possibly have right now,” she said.

Terre Foods is a cooperative, meaning it’s jointly owned by those who use it. The cost to join the organization is a one-time $200 fee, “and that makes you an owner of the store,” Morton explained.

No one owner can buy more shares than the $200 brings, she said, noting that the group’s preference is to have hundreds of voting members instead of a handful of big owners.

“The last thing we want is to have one or two members put up a lot of money and then have trump over everyone. It’s a democratically run organization,” she said.

There are no annual fees, she said, and the organization is built to “buy back” the $200 share if a member wants out. The plan was designed so college students and visiting faculty would be able to join and leave easily upon graduation or moving, she said.

While the store will be open to the general public, members will get “member benefit pricing” and bulk-buying power, as well as a vote for the board of directors and eventually patronage dividends based on how much is spent at the store.

Once the organization is profitable, members will be given dividends similar to profit-sharing, based on how much they’ve purchased at the store during the year, Morton said.

Currently, the organization has about 80 members, but Morton said membership goals are 300 by September and 500 by the time the store opens.

“I have no doubt we can pull this off,” she said, noting that the primary hesitance most people have had is the lack of a physical property. Once that’s in place, Morton expects a strong drive, especially considering the downtown location.

The ongoing conundrum of needing members to afford the store, and needing a store to attract the members, is about to be over, she said.

In addition to the concert and film series, the group will be hosting several activities aimed at boosting membership in the coming months.



Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.



On the schedule

In addition to the film series and concert, Terre Foods is hosting several summer activities.

Blueberry Festival: July 11, Central Presbyterian Church, Seventh Street. Music, activities and blueberries.

Salsa Cookoff: August at the Downtown Farmers Market (date TBA)

5K Run: Tentatively planned for this fall.

Ongoing: Terre Foods will be at the Downtown Farmers Market every Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon, serving fresh-brewed Fair Trade coffees provided by Jameson Coffee and dishing out the latest news on the co-op.



More info

For more information about Terre Foods, visit www.terrefoods.coop.