...no, not THAT Nikki.

My name is Nikki… no not THAT Nikki.

Once upon a time, in a faraway land called Minnesota, a tiny guitar/piano virtuoso wrote a song about a girl named Nikki. I am NOT that Nikki (and please don’t go look up the lyrics to said song) however, I wanted to bring your attention to a few things that I’ve learned from this late great Minnesotan: Ownership, Creativity, and Community.

Ownership

Own stuff. It's okay to rent, or to use other people’s stuff as needed, but until you take literal and figurative ownership of these things, you have no say so in the decisions that govern the stuff that you need. If you create music, and someone else owns that music, then you have no voice in how that music is used or sold.

In terms of Spiral Food Co-op, I’m an owner because I know that I need the goods and produce provided by the co-op, and I want my voice to be heard with regard to the store. I want to know where my eggs, my salmon, and my bananas come from. I want the decisions about what supplements are offered to be made using input other than the shelf cost of the supplements. I don’t want to be offered the cheapest thing just because it’s the easiest or quickest for the manufacturer to produce in bulk. I want decisions to be made based on what’s best for me, my family, and my community. That’s why I’m an owner. If you are not currently an owner, and you are curious about what it requires (payment plans, monthly discounts, etc), please don’t hesitate to ask the cashier or call our general manager. If you shop at least once a month and have not yet joined, you are missin