SV market effort seeking help to win grant

SV market effort seeking help to win grant

By Laura OryHerald/Review

SIERRA VISTA — The Sierra Vista Natural Foods Co-op has the chance to win some sweet cash from a new sweetener producer, with the help of local community members.

The market is competing with four other food cooperatives across the nation for the most online votes for a $2,500 prize from Nature’s Family Sun Crystals, a new low-calorie sweetener, said spokeswoman Amanda Hirschhorn.

“Being a natural product producer, we recognize the importance of food co-ops in providing quality, natural, organic products,” Hirschhorn said.

The Sun Crystals Food Co-op Endowment program was created since many food co-ops have good ideas for promoting natural foods, but they don’t always have the resources to get their ideas off the ground, she said.

The Sierra Vista Market has proposed to create a community newsletter on health, wellness, and nutrition and hire a co-op consultant with the funds, said project manager Lyle Ford.

As one of the endowment finalists, the Sierra Vista market will receive $2,500 with the chance to win an additional $2,500 if it receives the most votes on the Sun Crystals Web site — www.suncrystals.com.

“We were pretty excited to get it, and anything we can get to help us open the store is very beneficial,” said Donna Boe, membership chair. “The $2,500 would help and $5,000 would help more.”

The Sierra Vista Natural Foods Co-op is raising funds, seeking members and hoping to open a natural foods market in Sierra Vista by 2009, Boe said.

The food co-op has about 289 members and 360 member-shares sold and is aiming for 500 members and 700 member-shares to open the market. Members are joining from Tombstone, Whetstone and other surrounding areas, Boe said.

“People keep telling me they come to Sierra Vista to shop, and they are interested in a market like this,” Boe said.

In additional to a focus on healthy foods, the group also hopes to offer locally produced products.
The endowment finalists and their plans are:

• Vancouver Food Co-op for a market feasibility study.
• Chatham Marketplace for a cafe expansion.
• The Sierra Vista Natural Foods Co-op for a business plan consultant and community newsletter.
• Brookings Natural Foods Co-op for new refrigeration equipment.
• Kandi Cupboard Food Co-op for computer equipment and online ordering system.

HERALD/REVIEW reporter Laura Ory can be reached at 515-4683.

Where to vote

Votes can be cast by Friday at www.suncrystals.com by following the link to the Food Co-op Endowment Program. Votes are limited to one per day.