A Dash of History... from Margot Conrad

If someone had told me in May of 1980 when I was hired on to the Open Harvest staff that I would still be on staff in 2000, I would have laughed at them. I had led a somewhat itinerant life up to 1980, and having landed in Lincoln in January and been introduced to the co-op by friends, I was intrigued when a sign saying "Co-Manager Wanted," went up in the front window. I had no experience in food or retail operations but I felt drawn to the store's values and applied anyway. I was astonished to be hired.

At that time, the store was in its old location at 2673 Randolph and many things were different from the way they are today. There were only five paid staff, all co-managers, with much of the work being done by a large group of volunteers. Back then, work was a requirement of membership. Looking over old newsletters I found, thanks to Mary Hansen's excellent statistics, that in December of 1979 the store averaged fifty-two hours of volunteer work each day. These dedicated folks worked as cashiers, bakers, cafe helpers, stockers, packagers, assistant managers, millers, maintenance people, cleaners, truck unloaders, and newsletter editors.

Unloading the Blooming Prairie truck was an especially interesting task as the nearest the truck could get to the store was the alley across the parking lot on the south side. Come rain or shine, blizzard or deluge, every last box and sack had to be rolled on carts or passed from hand to hand across the lot. Most items were then maneuvered down a narrow, steep flight of stairs for storage in the basement. Of course, they had then to be carried up again when they were needed. I have a vivid image of Jerry Johnston with a cart laden with 300 pounds of cheese, taking the stairs at a run in what he termed a "controlled fall." After that, the South Street store with its loading dock seemed the height of luxury.

There are many memorable moments from the old store; the day stocker Tom Reese lost control of a five gallon bucket of honey and it ended up upside down on his head, the naked cheese packager, and the ongoing battles with the ramshackle building; but the same spirit was present as can be found today. A spirit that lets us achieve together what we cannot do alone; a spirit of concern for each other, for our community, and for the planet, and a spirit of ongoing learning about our food, our health, and the environment.

I have been privileged to work with a diverse group of interesting and talented individuals over the years at Open Harvest, and that is one of the things that has kept me around for so long. I also like working for a one-of-a-kind store within a larger network of cooperatives. I like the fact that although we need to make a profit, it is not the primary reason for our existence. I like the fact that we are making a positive contribution to the community and a difference in people's lives. Open Harvest has certainly made a difference in mine.