Feature

Cooperation is Key

*** Don't miss the sidebar about our Annual Owners Meeting on April 22nd ***

Wild Root Market envisions a community where cooperation is unleashed for the greater good. The 5th and 6th core principles behind all co-ops emphasize serving members and the community through education, information and cooperation. Let's remember: in order to get this done, the community has to be involved and make it happen. That has been true since 1844 when the first known co-op formed--and we're no exception! Here are several exciting examples of cooperation in action which will propel us closer to the goal of opening our grocery store and which, in the meantime, benefit everyone:

The Square Meal Club

Wild Root Market and Eat Right Racine partner to bring you The Square Meal Club. It's free and open to all children in the Racine and Kenosha area - not just Wild Root Market households! Each month, kids (with their parents' help) will track their fruit & veggie intake and submit it to us. One lucky child each month - who reports eating the greatest number of fruits and vegetables - will be featured in the Racine JournalTimes Health & Fitness Section! It's easy to join! You may register your children online or download a form and mail it in.

Just Add Kids EXPO!

Saturday, April 6th             9:00 a.m. -  2:00 p.m.

Case High School        Admission is FREE!

Visit tons of kid-oriented, family-friendly organizations including Wild Root Market and Eat Right Racine who will be registering kids for membership in the Square Meal Club. Enjoy live stage performances and presentations and interact with costumed characters and mascots. Win prizes! Have Fun! For more information, visit their website.

Sow What?

Wild Root Market and Eat Right Racine announce another new partnership with Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast that will provide an educational series for middle school aged girls focused on food, sustainability and cooking! The curriculum for this series, established by the Girl Scouts as the "Sow What? Journey" is geared toward 11 - 14 year old girls and is open to the general public.This partnership brings important educational matters to Racine's young women and demonstrates collaboration between organizations which share some common goals: it will support the Girl Scouts' ongoing mission to build girls' courage, confidence and character so they can make the world a better place AND the the fifth operating principle of co-ops which ensures they provide education, training and information for their members and the general public.

If you're interested in facilitating one or more of these educational sessions, please contact us. If you wish to enrol your daughter, contact events@wildrootmarket.com.  

get bEHIND the aRTS invites Wild Root Market to Coordinate Food for Their Third Annual Studio Tour Preview Party

Now in its third year, get bEHIND the aRTS is a self-guided tour on Saturday, April 6th of artists' studios located throughout Racine and Kenosha. Visual and performance artists will open their private workspaces for a rare, behind-the-scenes glimpse of their innovative and productive world. Area residents and day-trippers are invited to experience the evolution of a piece or performance from creative spark to finished product through demonstrations and dialogue with Southeastern Wisconsin's working artists.  With a suggested donation of $5, visitors get a souvenir button allowing open access to all studios on the tour. Tour maps and souvenir buttons will be available at the Preview Party on Friday, April 5th and on the day of the tour at all participating studios. Visitors may begin the tour at any location. 

get bEHIND the aRTS recognized an opportunity for cooperation and cross-promotion when they invited Wild Root Market to coordinate the food, provided free to the public, at the Preview Party on April 5th. Wild Root Market was able to turn to several of its long-established Community Partners to donate or provide food at cost or to otherwise discount their contribution. Participating Community Partners are Circa Celeste Cafe, Out of the Pan and the Pink Magnolia Restaurant, all of Racine. Corey Oakland of The Red Onion is also providing donated food.

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Partnerships Are Key

Wild Root Market has designed partnership programs to empower and leverage assets unique to our community who participate in the following ways: 

Community, Business and Corporate Partners

Our Community Partners are important champions in our efforts to organize the community around the idea of a retail food cooperative by: engaging in cross-promotion and networking; offering discounts now to Wild Root Market Member-Owners; displaying our brochures; hosting events & presentations for the public; and so on. Also important are our Business Partners, local businesses that support Wild Root Market in much the same way as our Community Partners but have also joined the co-op as Owners. On yet another level, our Corporate Partners participate because they understand that a food co-op grocery store will enhance the retail landscape and general liveability of the greater community. 

Our Corporate Partners, including Rely-Local Racine,  Westwords Consulting and Just Add Kids, have each devoted energy and in-kind corporate resources that directly support our business development. Some have even joined the co-op as corporate Owners. The newest such addition is Milaeger's of Racine. Kara Kading says, "Milaeger's is honored to be a Corporate Partner with Wild Root Market. We hope to continue the commitment to our customers, the community and their education that my grandparents started with their first greenhouse in 1960. They considered it a true blessing to have the opportunity to personally teach and guide our customers to ensure success for their gardens and experience at Milaeger's.  Today, we continue that tradition in-house through free educational seminars, donated plants and vegetables to community gardens and school gardens and the beautification of downtown Racine." 

In addition to hosting us at their special events, Milaeger's has continually found ways to promote our project including offering the ability for their customers to join Wild Root Market or purchase our high-quality tote bags right at their check-out! Equally exciting, they're growing fresh greens for the public and plan to expand this category in the future. One day, they may help supply Wild Root Market with local, pesticide free produce!

Join us in showing gratitude to the vast array of Wild Root Market's partners by choosing to support their efforts, too. Not only does it help them, it helps our community.

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