Celebrating 30 Years with Margot

By Jackie Barnhardt, Outreach and Membership Director

Margot Conrad during her time at the Co-op on Randolph Street.

On May 28, 1980 Margot Conrad joined Open Harvest at 27th and Randolph. Street. She was one of only five paid staff, all co-managers. Much of the work was done by volunteers. Today, Margot is the Assistant General Manager of the cooperative with over 70 working staff. We still appreciate the help of volunteers, who she supervises.

"We have been through many changes over the years, in personnel, in the membership system, in organizational structure, in location and more recently we have expanded and almost doubled our space. We have always tried to stay true to the original cooperative vision and this and our willingness to change and evolve have, I believe, allowed us to grow and thrive", Margot said.

Some of the staff had this to say about Margot. "When I first started working here, we used to have to put price stickers on each and every item, Margot was the fastest price gun-slinger I've ever seen. She could take apart a pallet and heave each product stickered and out on the shelf in a matter of minutes, it seemed. I was always in awe if how fast she was," said Tawnya.

"It's a blur from Expansion, but I remember Margot putting product on the shelves so fast she looked like Star Trek's Data inserting isolinear chips," said Elaine.

Margot said, "I am proud of the longevity and success of the Co-op. We have done together what none of us could have done alone and I am confident about the future with a great crop of energetic young managers coming up. We were offering organic, local and natural products long before it became fashionable. We joke that 'Telling you so for 35 years' is our unofficial slogan. I never thought I would be in this job for 30 years but there has never been a dull moment."