To the friends of EAT, 

We are so grateful for the support we have received so far! To date, we have gained a dozen new members, secured our space, explored insurance quotes,  and begun the process of meeting county codes for signage, occupancy, and opening– there has been quite a lot of progress ! We’ve also been connecting with farmers, makers and chefs to dream new ways of bringing food security to Catskill in a delicious, nutritious and holistic way. 

We are excited to be so far along in establishing a community run grocery, kitchen, and cafe– and we thank everyone who set the groundwork for the success of a project like this – specifically the folks at the Mermaid Cafe, Catskill Farmer’s Market, the Catskill Agrarian Alliance, Left Bank Ciders, YAAD, and other community members who have believed in this vision, and are helping to bring it to fulfillment. We are so lucky to be just a few months away from opening, unlike many co-operative projects, which sometimes take years to develop despite taking member fees upfront.  We thought it would be helpful if we told you why we’re doing things a little differently. Some local co-ops have spent years getting started, with no way to access their brick and mortar store– this is the typical co-op approach. EAT is trying another model, which is to begin providing goods and services to our members, while we collectively develop the entity that we all envision. 

Though we are progressing steadily and hope to be fully open by May, we are still fundraising to ensure that our first year is a success. Part of how we are measuring success is by gauging how well we can actually meet the needs of community members. An incubation period is pivotal to this process, as it enables us to check in with new and prospective members, assemble our steering committee, contact locals and farmers, as well as ensure that our internal systems reflect outwardly as a user friendly experience, online and in person, for farmers and consumers alike. We want all members to be able to access their benefits, shop online, book or rent the space, without a hitch– but creating systems takes time and testing ~!

We are asking for support between now and May 1st, to ensure that we can deliver on our promise of creating a communally stewarded grocery, kitchen and cafe. We understand that donations are not a permanent solution to long term viability, which is why we are also taking this time to assess what EAT can offer to the community as supplementary nourishment and  supplementary income for our overhead costs. This includes vending ice cream and other seasonal delights, which we hope will be a staple part of the EAT experience, which is, actually EATING ! However, to ensure again that we are able to build our menu, secure our infrastructure, and finalize our systems– we need your help !

Please feel free to share this appeal, join as a member, donate, or simply reach out with questions. Any support at this time will be the foundation of EAT’s success long term, so we are expressing our gratitude to any new members who join at this time with life long house hold membership–  (A policy which may be subject to change, depending on how members vote in the future. ) Membership is $111.11, please join today!

Again, we want to thank everyone who has made this project possible to date, and we hope to see you in person, soon !

Keep shining,

Cloud & Gabe