previous to the start of blog publishing in May: April 26
Hello friends and fans of Solidarity Farm at Maybrook Lodge,
It was a gorgeous couple days at the farm with productive talks with Kevin, Dominick, Nadette and Jeff, productive work and a visit from the Alfalla Well Company. Living spaces cleaned and made ready for visitors and farmworkers, mulch and compost delivered, no-till garden beds begun, seedlings strong and growing, casino floor sparkling under the disco lights waiting patiently for the first dancers, all while working on the best way to move forward in solidarity!
and more importantly
JOIN US!!
SATURDAY APRIL 28 - FARM WORKDAY
Solidarity Farm at Maybrook Lodge
Kerhonkson, NY 12446
If
you plan to make the trip up from the NYC area, please note that Dominik has graciously offered to sponsor anyone coming up by bus, in order to support the use of public transportation. That means you will be reimbursed for your bus ticket.
There are buses from Port Authority via ShortLine:
www.shortlinebus.com that go directly to Kerhonkson. One way fare is $32 and RT is $64. The "official" stop in Kerhonkson in the Sunoco Mart
6337 Rt 209. But you can request that the bus driver drop you off at Maybrook Lodge,
5728 Route 209.
If anyone is planning to drive up, let Nadette know ASAP if you have room in your car and can take people up or back. Nadette has room for two people, travelling back on Monday afternoon, if you are someone that wants to spend a couple of nights.
If you
want to spend the night at the farm, you are welcome! Also just let Nadette know and bring a sleeping bag and warm clothes.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON APRIL 29 - FARM MEETING AT THE FARM
2 PM
Solidarity Farm at Maybrook Lodge
Agenda (TBD)
MONDAY EVENING APRIL 30 - FARM MEETING AT GANAS
7 PM
Agenda (TBD)
Share this project with your friends, feel free to ask us for our latest promotional flyer/email.
Also
if your community wants a farm share for this season, or you know a New
York based community, coop or group home that wants a farm share - HOOK
US UP!!!!
We look forward to seeing you at the farm or on Staten Island!
with gratitude and in solidarity,
Nadette and Kevin
------
May 2018
Hey friends and fans of Solidarity Farm at Maybrook Lodge!
We are excited to see people at the farm this Weekend.
SUNDAY at 3 PM - Potential Stake Holders Informational Meeting
Here are some thoughts from Kevin:
Dear all,
On our plates is developing a set of agreements for a
multi-stakeholder cooperative by July. This is a big goal. We do have
awesome legal and technical support, so if us people involved can come
up with what types of relationships we want with each other, we have
the support to get them drafted in a legal framework.
If this timetable is beyond our ability we have the option to take the
time needed with the cooperative structure, and the July deadline can
pass with Dominik taking title of the property from NEFA. The
intention will remain of moving it to the cooperative as our group
matures. Dominik has generously agreed to pay for Valeria's time as
needed on this.
There may be other options, but this is what Dominik offered this morning.
In a multi-stakeholder cooperative there generally speaking three main
groups of interested stakeholders that in typical Capitalist
arrangements are in "antagonistic" relationships with each other;
equity owners, worker owners, and consumers.
Equity owners could include both workers, and consumers, so these
membership types are not exclusive of each other.
The non-working equity owners essentially each have equal voting
rights, regardless of ownership percentage. In this case we have an
owner willing to partner in a cooperative with the same rights and
responsibilities as others
even tho he may hold a majority stake, which is in and of itself a
rare and forward-thinking thing. (thanks Dominik!) Other values-based
investors will hopefully be interested in buying in, even if they are
neither workers nor consumers. They will have certain rights and
responsibilities as owners, and we have to determine these for
ourselves. Exit strategies of how people get their equity out without
destabilizing the whole will be just one of the issues we will need to
decide.
Valeria and Jim can help in how we ensure these legally, but we have
to decide for ourselves the relationships we want.
The worker members would include everyone doing the productive work.
This would include people in NYC and at Ganas who are doing sales
and marketing in the city but do not live on the property. Other
worker members would live and work upstate. All workers would be on
track for ownership over time as they participate in the work of the
cooperative. Rights and responsibilities of workers is something we
also need to flesh out for ourselves.
Consumer members. This could include individuals or groups similar
to typical CSA members but with more rights. NYC intentional
communities like Ganas could also invest as a group. Besides shares of
food or other products from the farm, these members would also have
other potential rights, like access to the retreat center facilities
and programming, time share agreements, and also the right to help
guide the direction of the cooperative in the development of products
and services. I hope that the "consumer" folks receiving this will
want to explore this further. This weekend at the farm would be an
ideal opportunity! but for anyone unable to make it we will make
whatever time is needed to explore all the options. All feedback will
be welcome! Even if people
are unsure if they want to become members we can discover together the
needs of potential members thru discussion.
This is only the roughest of outlines to get us started. There are a
lot of good resources out there to help us with our homework.
file:///C:/Users/NS/Downloads/worker_co-operative_code_2nd_edition_0_0.pdf
http://cultivate.coop/wiki/International_Statement_of_Co-operative_Identity_(Seven_Cooperative_Principles)
http://www.uwcc.wisc.edu/pdf/multistakeholder%20coop%20manual.pdf
solidarity,
kevin Skvorak
If
you can't make this meeting, there will be follow up meetings, in the
meantime, feel free to chime in with any questions, feedback, or
concerns.
Kevin and Nadette
PS
- apologies if you received a similar email from Kevin directly, just
wanted to make sure we did not miss anyone and to let you know the time
of the meeting - 3 PM SUNDAY MAY 27
__________
SOLIDARITY FARM @ MAYBROOK LODGE
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND OPEN HOUSE & CELEBRATION POTLUCK & BBQ
FRIDAY MAY 25 - MONDAY MAY 28, 2018
People should feel free to come anytime, work, play, eat, mingle,
bring food to share, bring drinks to share, bring friends or just
bring yourself - WE WILL WELCOME YOU!
Solidarity Farm @ Maybrook Lodge is an nascent upstate worker
cooperative/intentional community farm & cultural center. Come explore
the possibilities unfolding.
For details please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/events/221352528641884/
https://www.facebook.com/SolidarityFarmatMaybrook/
