Warehouse: Buying Club or Store?

[Guest guest]

As an early vendor and member of the Warehouse and a vendor on MDAs

contact list (even though I had no product at the warehouse during the

raid), I want to offer this food for thought:

This time period gives us a chance to think about what we want the

warehouse to be. I am well aware that Warren is the owner of the

business and of course, he sets the mission, goals and rules. However,

the warehouse, like any other business is dependent on its customers to

survive. This list has in the past been a source of the original group

of customers and vendors. I believe there has been some confusion as to

what the mission of the warehouse is or what it has evolved into.

Is it a buyer's club or a store?

Is it a club of buyers with similar interest and a say in the

management?

Is it a not-for-profit or for profit business (regardless of whether it

actually makes a profit or not)?

If it is a store, vs. a club, it certainly falls within all of the state

and city codes for a retail food establishment and must adhere to those

codes. That means not only licenses but also all the food sold in the

store must have licenses and prepared in certified licensed kitchens.

The food sold there does not fall under the pickle bill or other

homemade exclusions - that is for farmer's markets and community or

social events only. See

http://www.mda.state.mn.us/en/food/safety/minn-food-code-fact-sheets/pic\

kle-bill.aspx

<http://www.mda.state.mn.us/en/food/safety/minn-food-code-fact-sheets/pi\

ckle-bill.aspx> for clarification on the Pickle-bill law. This is why

the MDA wants all homemade items removed from the warehouse and they

want to verify all licenses for non-homemade.

I believe that one of the understandings of the warehouse was that it

was there to be an extension of our swaps (which were clearly a

" community event " under the pickle law) and therefore was a

place where we could gather to find and exchange Trad Food type items

prepared by others and easily available - not just at the swaps.

Because traditional food preparation is often done with ingredients or

processes which are not part of our commercial food industry science,

these foods often necessitate the use of home kitchens. This is because

the licensing process requires food purchased from other licensed

vendors along with other requirements which stop the production of the

type of true traditionally prepared foods we are seeking to consume and

provide.

For example: I cannot use my own pastured eggs in making foods from my

own commercial kitchen under the regulations. Can someone else do that

in their commercial kitchen and " get away with it " of course!

– but not legally, meaning when the Dept of Ag decides to raid or

" inspect " the store or kitchen, they will issue a report of

non-compliance and they will have to change or have further involvement

with the MDA, including license revocation. The MDA believes the rules

are written for " public safety " and they are doing their

community a service by enforcing these rules. But we know the

" public safety " theme is used by the food industry to prevent

food that hasn't gone through their industry from being sold. This

is an economic policy far beyond a public health policy. It is first to

protect the profits of the food industry, which are very nice even

though farmers can't make a living without the famous 'off farm job'.

Going back to the pastured eggs example demonstrates this. Look into

what it takes to sell eggs " legally " and you will see why small

diversified farmers cannot do this. The high cost of local nutrient

dense eggs is not in the production of those eggs, it is in the costs to

meet those regulations which are imposed on a `one size fits

all' law. This benefits the large corporate farm and processors who

can spread the costs of that over millions of units (or eggs) and along

with government subsidies for cheep inputs keep prices very low.

Applying this to the warehouse, many or at least some of us wanted

access to REAL foods raised and processed by REAL people in REAL

traditional ways. That by definition often means NOT operating a

licensed facility. The two are incompatible with the current laws that

are written by and for the food industry. If we are a buying club or

some other group of citizens who want free access to food without

government intervention, such as the right to enter into private

contracts with each other, we have to organize a group to do those

exchanges and be willing to fight for that right – like Vernon

Hershberger and his members are doing in Wisconsin.

We can shop at a store that purchases commercially produced traditional

foods and supports local vendors who have made the investment and work

within (compromise) the foods and methods allowed in the food processing

laws, or we can brainstorm a free market that allows food freedom with

the will to fight the corporate food-government alliance that we now are

forced to eat under.

Where we go from here is a choice each member of this group, and the

warehouse members, along with its owners, make.

~Jan

>

>... And thank you, Warren, for your dedication and hard work to ensure

the future of the warehouse and distribution of all the wonderful local

food we find there.

>

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>

>

> Warehouse update coming

>

> ...Warren (the owner/general manager) is working furiously to get in

top of what is being asked of the warehouse in order to bring it into

compliance with health codes and city regulations that all businesses

must comply with, when they sell food.

>

> We are not being targeted by vindictive Men In Black. We *will*

re-open. However, vendors who have a product that is a matter of concern

will be asked to re-package their product in a manner consistent with

health codes. Then it will be allowed back on the shelves.

> ...

> ~Joe