Darlene Brand, Owner #96 I am currently acting as Vice President of the Purple Carrot Market board, and I serve on the Marketing + Communications Committee and the Ownership Committee. I recently retired from the teaching world so I plan on devoting more time and energy into getting our community owned grocery store into existence. I have experience being on different teams working towards a common goal. I was actively involved in my union working on the executive board for many years including being lead negotiator. I have a growth mindset, I am open to feedback and I am adaptable. I have mathematical and computer skills. I would like to support our local farmers as much as possible. I would like our store to support both organic and conventional foods with an emphasis on organic. I would like to see fair trade practiced as well. I envision the Purple Carrot Market to be a welcoming place where the workers know you by name and know the produce/products in the store.
Zachary Klosowski, Owner #308 My passion for helping people has always involved fighting for the the homeless and the hungry. I currently serve as Vice President on the MC habitat for humanity board and as a board member for Oasis hoping to bring a homeless shelter to Little Falls. During this pandemic, I think having a local sourced Co-Op has become even more important to our community. We need a place where local farmers can bring produce, milk, and meat to sell to the community. If supply chains were ever severely pressured a Co-Op could be a beacon of light during these strange times. I know funding and membership growth are some of the crucial pillars to success when it comes to Co-Ops. One of my passions with helping organizations is fundraising. I think we need to continue to host events targeting markets we haven’t hit yet in Little Falls. During those events, I think the Purple Carrot should have the benefits of the Co-Op listed out for different reasons the community would benefit from. Targeting young families, seniors, and business owners. I think a more tailored approach could help drive membership growth. Also, targeting businesses that haven’t been affected by the pandemic: construction, real estate, finance, landscaping, ect.
Lynn McCarthy, Owner #44 I am currently a board member and joined the Purple Carrot co-op family because I have a great appreciation for co-op's and the many positive things they bring to a community. I am especially excited at reaching the goal of a grocery store in downtown Little Falls, that would offer locally grown products, classes on healthy eating and food preparation along with (hopefully) a place for folks with common interests to gather and share ideas. I have been a licensed Realtor in Morrison county for 40+ years and enjoy meeting and interacting with people. I would absolutely love to have the co-op up and running within the next 2-4 years.
Susy Prosapio, Owner #2 Helping bring a community-owned grocery store featuring locally produced and prepared foods to our area is very exciting to me. Increasing access to healthy, local foods in a convenient downtown location can improve the physical and economic health throughout our community. Having been part of the Purple Carrot since its inception, the skills that I believe I can offer the board is assistance with communications as well as business plan development and financial reporting support.
Steve Smith, Owner #335 I am very excited to be an owner in the Purple Carrot Market, I think that it is a great opportunity for our community and I am interested to see how this co-op can develop and grow. I have 14 years of hospital CFO experience and have been the president of CHI St. Gabriel’s Health for the last 18 months. I currently serve on the Co-op’s Finance Committee. I do not have any experience with the development or operations of co-ops and so I don’t have any specific goals except to have a successful opening of the market in the community. Thank you.
