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BriarPatch purchases store building on Sierra College Drive

On the cusp of its 40th year, BriarPatch Co-op Community Market is celebrating the occasion with a hallmark of 40’s adulthood — homeownership.

On December 31, the cooperatively-owned grocery store closed escrow and purchased the property it occupies at 290 Sierra College Drive in Grass Valley.

The Sierra College Drive location has been BriarPatch’s “home” since 2007, when it began leasing the property from Calloway LLC. BriarPatch and Calloway worked together to construct the store, a move that has been extremely successful for the Co-op. Since the relocation from Joerschke Drive to the new building — with three times the space — BriarPatch’s sales have increased from $6 million in 2006 to $29 million in 2015.

“Partnering with Calloway in building this beautiful store set the stage for our fantastic growth,” said Chris Maher, BriarPatch’s General Manager.

With renewal of the 10-year lease on the horizon and BriarPatch considering remodeling and expanding parking, it became clear that owning the property made sense. With historically low interest rates expected to rise soon, in November of 2015 BriarPatch made a purchase offer, and an agreement was soon reached for purchasing the building.

Greg Francis, Managing Member of Calloway, said, “Calloway Development and the Litton Family are the majority land-owners in the area, and we would not have relinquished control of the BriarPatch building if we did not think that it was in the best interest of all the surrounding owners and tenants. BriarPatch has proven itself to be an extraordinarily well-managed, community-minded business. We are excited at see what’s next for the Co-op, and we are certain that it will continue to add value, not only to its immediate neighbors but to the community as a whole.”

“Owning the property puts BriarPatch in a stronger, more stable financial position for the long run,” said Maher. “Ownership helps justify the investments we’re considering for expanding the store and parking lot,” he said. “As a cooperative business with over 12,000 owner households, ownership of our store is particularly meaningful — and a fantastic way to celebrate our 40th anniversary.”

“This is a huge milestone in our 40-year history,” said Alan Weisberg, BriarPatch Board President. “As owners, we can do a much better job of shaping our future,” he said. Weisberg was first elected to the Board in 2005, when the store was located on Joerschke Drive.

Weisberg and the other eight Board Directors voted unanimously to authorize the purchase.

Mark Fenton, BriarPatch’s Board Treasurer, noted the financial advantages of owning property as opposed to leasing it.

“We can plan for the future knowing what our expenses will be, without worrying about future rent increases. All our planning and resources can go into creating value for owners,” he said.

Board Director Lew Sitzer attributed BriarPatch’s success to the work of many.

“It’s a tribute to Co-op owners and staff that we can now purchase our own store,” he said.

Sitzer saw the move as indicative of changes in the organic and local foods movements.

“This will stand as a statement of past commitment and future involvement to bring quality organic foods to market and to support local farmers in their important work, both in our community and schools,” he said.

Serving the needs of the community was also noted by Alana Lucia, who was elected to the BriarPatch Board in 2013.

“When we did our survey, there were a great many people who wanted to remain in the Sierra College Drive store. They liked the proximity of the schools, offices, and neighborhoods and felt that we were in a prime location for serving healthy foods conveniently. By purchasing the property, we are able to make a long term commitment to serving the needs of the community. We are home.”

Elevate Tahoe

Friday, February 20, 7:00 p.m. in the BriarPatch Co-op Community Room.

Life looks a little different at 6,000 feet, and food presents a particular challenge in Truckee, Tahoe, and the Sierra. Residents up against quite a lot, considering the harsh climate, cost of living, lack of access and food security, and tourist-based economy. But these mountainous challenges inspire them to get creative, innovative even, in developing unique, functional solutions.

Interested in learning more about how our neighbors up the hill are creating a sustainable food system? Representatives from Elevate Tahoe will give an introduction to the film as well as conducting a question and answer session after the screening. Make sure to come early, as seating in the Community Room is limited.

Eating Alabama

“Eating Alabama” is a poignant, inspiring tale of a young couple’s quest to eat nothing but food grown in their home state.

Told mostly through slides taken by the narrator’s grandfather, the history of Alabama’s farming unfolded. Faded by time, photos showcased a bucolic past, portraying a period in history in which agriculture spotted the landscape more than housing developments.

This image of the past was held as an idealistic dream in the minds of the young people striving to live as locally as possible. As they journeyed through their year, the realities of farm living unfolded, and the understanding of the hard work that living off the land requires soon became clear.

The journey may have been idealistic, but it was fun, too. At one point, the narrator likens growing a vegetable garden to punk rock – a rather fitting description for those of us striving to survive outside of the establishment. The glory or boredom, depending on the time of the year, of eating in season brought a smile to my face, and I shared their feeling of success as their garden grew.

There was sadness, too, as the filmmakers interviewed farmers, people who had dedicated their lives to the land, only to watch their livelihoods shift and disappear.

“Everything changes,” one farmer said with a resigned sadness.

That resonated, as I’ve heard my grandparents say it too, in the exact same tone of voice, as their eyes roved over their fields and livestock that were slowly disappearing due to “progress.”

“Eating Alabama” is a story of growth and education. It’s a tale of loss, of striving for a better tomorrow, and of acceptance. It’s a story perfect for anyone who is a farmer, loves a farmer, knows a farmer, or even just wants to eat locally. It’s a story worth seeing.

“Eating Alabama” screens in the BriarPatch Community Room on Friday, August 23, at 7:00 p.m. It’s free to the public, but come early, as seating is limited.

American Meat

This year, the store decided that it would be nice to have a screening during each month of the summer. It was my job to track down the films that would be shown.

My choice for June was “American Meat.” The film did a great job of breaking down our current food system in 85 minutes. It began by outlining how the current system operates including industrial farming, the dependence on oil, and the vertically integrated system of farming in which farmers don’t own the animals they raise. It also talked about the sobering issue of small towns dying out, a trend that is continuing to increase as the size of industrial farms increases. Did you know that a conventional farmer only receives eight cents out of every dollar made from his animals? Isn’t that staggering?

Then a different path is shown, one in which Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm is a guiding light. As a grass-based farmer and a man who has thought outside of the box when incorporating green solutions to make his farm healthier and more efficient, Salatin has become quite the star of the new food movement. It also doesn’t hurt that he’s a talented teacher and speaker, as well as being passionate of what he does for a living. In stark contrast to the vertically integrated system, Polyface Farm keeps every dollar made from their animals.

But can a grass-based farm feed this country? “Theoretically, yes,” the film tells us. This country has more than enough pasture and farm land to allow it to happen. The hitch — we need 4 million people to start farming the way Salatin does, with rotation methods. Though more and more young people are becoming interested in going back to the land, that’s an awful lot of new farmers required.

That’s where the consumer’s power comes in. It’s up to us as consumers to support smaller farms, organic production, Farmers Markets, CSAs, buying clubs, and stores and restaurants sourcing local food including (perhaps surprisingly) places like Chipotle. With more demand, more organic farms will be needed.

I think my favorite part of this film — aside from Joel Salatin — is the way in which farmers were depicted. Organic or conventional, every farmer was dedicated to what they were doing, feeding people. It was heartening to watch a documentary that celebrated the hard work and human-ness of all farmers.

And a caveat — there are a couple of scenes of chickens being harvested. I think it’s good for omnivores to be aware of how their meat is harvested, so it was good to show. If you’re very squeamish, there will be a couple of scenes where it may be prudent to look away for a moment.

“American Meat” shows in BriarPatch’s Community Room on Friday, June 28 at 7:00 p.m. Make sure to come early, as Salatin’s a popular guy to watch and seating is limited.