More Media Coverage & Photos from Saturday’s Grocery Co-op Opening

Manager Sarah Kate Buckles works the cash register while Curtis (in the white t-shirt and cap on the left) prepares to help customers with their bags.

Our post on Saturday evening included a sampling of photos from the Old North Grocery Co-op’s ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration.  Our full collection of photos from the big day can now be seen on the Old North St. Louis Flickr page. 

We also received great coverage about the store on St. Louis Public Radio (click HERE to listen to the story by Veronique LaCapra that aired on St. Louis Public Radio), as well as from the St. Louis Beacon (read that article here, where you also can see some good photos).  KMOV-Channel 4’s report Saturday night provided good visuals of the event and the crowd packing the store (and we’ll have a link to that here soon).  That story followed on the heels of Channel 4’s Good News 4 a Change segment that aired last Thursday, prior to the opening.

In addition to improving access to healthier food options for Old North residents, the very presence of the Old North Grocery Co-op already is making the neighborhood a more desirable place to live.  On Saturday afternoon we received an email from a resident of Chesterfield who recently found a job in downtown.  This person said:

“I’m looking to live close to where I work (so I can decrease my carbon footprint by not having to commute to work), and I’m looking for a neighborhood where there is a sense of community–where I can spend a good portion of my time outside of my apartment, doing neighborhood gardening, hanging out in a local coffeeshop, buying locally-grown groceries at a local store, hanging out at a park.  And, where the rent is not too expensive.  Old North looks kind of like it has that.”

We couldn’t have said it much better than that.  Thanks again to all who helped us launch the Old North Grocery Co-op and who are making Old North become a sustainable, desirable community that is open and welcoming to all.

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Scenes from Today’s Ribbon-Cutting at Old North Grocery Co-op

A great crowd came out to celebrate the opening day of the Old North Grocery Co-op at 2718 N. 13th Street.  Despite the blazing heat outside, neighborhood residents and visitors from throughout the city seemed to enjoy the momentous occasion and were thrilled to see the neighborhood’s newest amenity.

The store earned an “A” rating from the City’s health inspector.

Even before the official ribbon-cutting, visitors took advantage of the opportunity to tour the store and check out the groceries stocking the shelves.

Today’s opening could not have happened without a lot of help and support from many sources who deserved public recognition for the role they played in bringing about this one-of-a-kind community & consumer-owned business.  The long list of key partners and funders (including Missouri Foundation for Health and the Greater St. Louis Regional Empowerment Zone) were acknowledged while the crowd waited patiently in the shade of tents set up for the occasion. 

Alderwoman April Ford Griffin helped secure a facade improvement grant which will make it possible for a ramp to be built to the new front door.

Among those cutting the ribbon were (from left) Beverly Coberly & Kara Lubischer of University of Missouri Extension; Tino Ochoa and Sean Thomas of Old North St. Louis Restoration Group; 5th Ward Alderwoman April Ford Griffin; Tara Buckner of the Greater St. Louis Regional Empowerment Zone; Rusty Lee of Lee Farms; Ken & Nancy Kranzberg, who bought the building and made it available for this project; Missouri Dept. of Agriculture Director, Dr. Jon Hagler;  Joe Palm, chief of the Office of Minority Health at the Missouir Dept. of Health & Senior Services; Charles Bryson, City of St. Louis Director of Public Safety; and Melba Moore, City of St. Louis Commissioner of Health.

We didn’t get any clear shots of store manager Sarah Kate Buckles because a constant stream of customers at the check out counter kept blocking good views of her.   Despite the chaos of an opening day and occasional technology glitches, Sarah Kate found a way to make the first day of a business a great success - and even recruited her husband and other relatives to help out all day.

Thank you to all who made the day possible - and contributed so much time and energy over many months of planning and building preparation, especially over the past couple weeks.

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Ribbon-Cutting TODAY! for Old North Grocery Co-op

Today is the big day for the community-wide celebration of the Old North Grocery Co-op’s grand opening.  Come on out at 12:30 for the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon and do some shopping for good, fresh foods and other grocery items.

If you come early, you can visit the North City Farmers’ Market, which is set up on N. 14th Street again until noon (as it will continue to be every Saturday morning through Oct. 16). 

We’ve attracted a good amount of interest in the co-op well beyond the borders of Old North.  Here’s how the media and other sources have been telling the story:

Post-Dispatch article this morning: Food Oasis Will Spring to Life Today

St. Louis Globe-Democrat.com: Grocery Co-op Ribbon-Cutting Saturday in St. Louis

Missouri Dept. of Agriculture: Celebrating Something New in Old North

Fox 2 Morning Show

KMOV Channel 4’s Good News 4 A Change segment

For more details about the grocery co-op, visit their website at www.OldNorthGrocery.com.

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Join the Celebration on Saturday for Old North Grocery Co-op’s Ribbon-Cutting

We’ve been so busy getting the Old North Grocery Co-op up and running that we haven’t had as much time as we would have liked to get the word out about the big event this coming Saturday.  So, we need your help in spreading the word - and please come on out and join us Saturday at 12:30 p.m. for the community celebration of our city’s first grocery co-op, where everyone is welcome to shop for farm-fresh food and other groceries.  Feel free to forward the invitation to all who may be interested.

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Old North Grocery Co-op Is Incorporated…and Now YOU can own a piece of it

The Old North Grocery Co-op is now more than just a vision:  it’s an officially recognized business in the eyes of the State of Missouri and the IRS.   On Tuesday we received our certificate of incorporation from the Missouri Secretary of State’s office (and the federal identification number from the IRS later that day), which means we now can start selling shares in the ownership of an actual business.  Click HERE for a downloadable Owner-Member Application, which can be dropped off or mailed into the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group office at 2700 N. 14th Street.

To help with the share-selling campaign, we’re offering a “sneak peek” inside the building that is getting ready to house the soon-to-open grocery co-op this coming Wednesday from 3-6 p.m.  Come on by to take a look at the space and pick up a membership application or make your payment on the spot while you’re admiring the new front doorway that was cut into the building on Friday. 

The new entrance will still be on N. 13th Street but will be closer to St. Louis Avenue and will feature an accessible entry ramp, thanks to a facade improvement grant from the City of St. Louis, made possible by support from 5th Ward Alderwoman April Ford Griffin.

Watch this site for more details as all of the pieces continue to fall into place.

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Another Fun Day at the North City Farmers’ Market

The third week of the North City Farmers’ Market is in progress at this very moment, providing ONSL residents and friends with fresh produce, tasy baked goods, and one-of-a-kind crafts.  And if you come now, you’ll be able to enjoy the toe-tapping music of Barefoot Jones.

As the sign above indicates, the market is NOT on 14th Street, as it will be when the street is finished, but is just behind the former 14th Street Mall on the parking lot just east of the buildings along the 2700 block of North 14th (but still just south of St. Louis Avenue).

The market runs every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, so there’s still time to run on over and get your healthy & good food for the week - and enjoy a taste of community life while you’re at it.

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Community Workshop for a More Walkable / Bikeable Old North

Join us Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. at ONSLRG’s community gallery (2700 N. 14th Street) for the first community workshop as part of the process of developing a master plan for making Old North St. Louis more walkable and bikeable.  See the flyer below for more details.

As noted above, you can get more information online at http://trailnet.org/oldnorth.php.

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ONSL’s 13th St. Community Garden Picked by Gateway Greening to Become a “Hub Garden”

On Wednesday Gateway Greening announced their selection of two community gardens that will receive designation as new “Hub Gardens” - and we’re pleased to report that the 13th Street Community Garden has made the cut and has been selected for this honor. 

The following is the announcement as released by Gateway Greening: 

Wednesday, June 09, 2010

St. Louis– With the increasing interest in community gardening throughout St. Louis, Gateway Greening is expanding their resource availability by sponsoring two area hub gardens: Wayside Community Garden in Normandy and 13th Street Community Garden in Old North St. Louis.”Never in our 25 year history has the demand for community gardens and garden plots been as high as it is now,” said Gwenne Hayes-Stewart, Gateway Greening executive director. “In order to provide our services as effectively and efficiently as possible, we will be taking advantage of the built-in strengths of these existing community gardens while helping them to expand even further.”

“We’re all very passionate about community gardening and getting healthy food into people’s hands,” said Dan Linck, president of Citizens for the Advancement of Normandy. “This will hopefully play a big role for revitalizing the area.”

The 13th Street Garden grows produce for the North City Farmers’ Market and provides space for local community members to garden as well. The garden, maintained by local volunteers, is located at the corner of 13th and St. Louis Ave. in Old North St. Louis.”Becoming a hub garden will benefit us by allowing more neighbors to access the important tools and resources they need to grow their own food, and so live healthier lives,” said Veronica Holden, 13th Street Garden Coordinator.  “It will also be a place where all the many community gardens in this area can network with each other.”For more information about the recently named hub gardens or for community gardens interested in applying, contact Gateway Greening at 314-588-9600.

The Missouri Foundation for Health is a philanthropic organization whose vision is to improve the health of the people in the communities it serves.

Gateway Greening is a non-profit organization that promotes urban neighborhood vitality and stability, healthy living and quality of life through community food projects, education and wellness programs and civic greening.

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Congratulations to Veronica and all of the 13th Street Garden volunteers!

If you’d like to show your support for the garden, come on out to the North City Farmers’ Market tomorrow (Saturday) - and every Saturday - to purchase some fresh food grown at the garden.

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Scenes from the Wildly Successful 1st Day of North City Farmers’ Market & Parade

Now that the North City Farmers’ Market has officially closed down for the day, we can officially report that the opening day was a wonderful occasion enjoyed by all.  The following are some more images from the day, including the arrival of the first ever Eat.Right.Now! parade.

If you missed the fun today, come back next Saturday from 9-noon, and every Saturday morning through October 16.  Thanks to all of the volunteers who made today, such a great success, and to Project Coordinator Lucas Hudson, Market Master Sarah Pritchard, 13th Street Garden Coordinator Veronica Holden, and Nutrition Educator/Chef Ivy Tominack.  For more updates and plans for future events at the market, visit www.NorthCityFarmersMarket.org.

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North City Farmers’ Market Opens New Season Saturday, June 5

The 4th season of the North City Farmers’ Market kicks off Saturday morning at 9 a.m. in the parking lot just east of the former 14th Street Mall.  Because the street along the 2700 block of N. 14th Street is still under construction, the usual site of the market isn’t quite in condition to host the market’s opening day. 

To celebrate the new season, the market launches the inaugural edition of the Eat.Right.Now! health parade.  The parade will start at 9:30 a.m. at Blair & Salisbury in Hyde Park and travel to the St. Louis Place neighborhood where the parade will turn onto St. Louis Avenue and head eastward into the Old North St. Louis neighborhood, finishing at the market site at Crown Square.

Fox 2 News has provided some good advance coverage of the upcoming parade and opening of the new season of the North City Farmers’ Market.  You can watch the two stories by clicking on the following links:

Fox 2 feature with Lucas Hudson, NCFM project coordinator, Veronica Holden, 13th Street Garden coordinator, and Ivy Tominack, NCFM Nutrition Educator, and chickens from the garden.

Fox 2 morning show feature with Lucas Hudson and Ivy Tominack, including nutritious food samples.

The North City Farmers’ Market is a project of the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group and is made possible in part through a generous grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health.

Come on out and join us to celebrate another season good food, friendly community, and neighborhood revitalization.

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