Some service grows out of a faculty member’s disciplinary expertise and some springs from a series of life experiences. Jason Herlands of the Modern Languages and Literatures Department specializes in Japanese, but his northern California farming community roots and his experiences with food coops in Ann Arbor meant that thinking about food sourcing is engrained in him.

He has always thought in terms of low waste, bulk foods, and recycling, but when he first came to Grand Rapids he was not seeing much of that. While the area had big food retailers, those such as Harvest Health were rare.

Jason discovered a food coop and with his husband joined—only to find that he was member number nine!

Despite the modest numbers at the time, Jason soon found that this was a place to grow and contribute. He’d tried other volunteer work that, though important, did not create lasting relationships. He wanted more and with the food coop, he got it.

“I was talking with Jeremy [Robinson, chair of the department] about leadership. It really is about stepping up and taking responsibility,” Jason observed. Since joining the Grand Rapids Food Coop Initiative, Jason has had to bring forth a more extroverted version of himself in order to do the sort of outreach that was needed. Now he is on the board.

“I like that the project is to grow community around something we all need. Grand Rapids is blessed with philanthropists, but that is a different kind of influence. The coop gives regular people one vote; it is truly democratic. It meets needs without money being a determining factor. It is community built, supports the local economy, and is sustainable. We provide outreach and education on many topics such as how to use whole grains, wellness, and cooking. We also focus on the equitable access to nutritious food throughout the city. There is a multiplier effect when you can get two times the produce with your Bridge card, for instance.”

He has been so successful in his outreach that he now knows many of the area farmers and there is no longer such a thing as a quick trip to the Farmers Market. “I can’t get out of there in under an hour now,” Jason grinned.

“My students sometimes spot a flier on my office door and ask about the coop model. We’re a sociocracy,” Jason explained. “So if a Swedish shipping company realizes that China is making bigger ships cheaper, then they need to rethink the way they work for a new era. They adopt interlocking responsibilities and open communication. Everyone has to consent, and every objection is addressed.”

Jason sees this as a natural evolution of capitalism.

In practice at the Grand Rapids Food Coop initiative, the group makes decisions about who would be good for the various needed roles. Jason found himself on a finance committee because he had Excel skills.

“This approach builds a lot of solidarity and gets people on the same page,” Jason noted. “I find that emphasis on collaboration in my classes too. We create a free open space which helps lower students’ self-consciousness, and helps them make the sum of the parts stronger than what they would have come up with individually.”

The Grand Rapids Food Coop Initiative is looking for the space for a store, but already has its presence felt around town in Farmer’s Markets, on banners and flyers, and through talks they give. Those interested in the initiative can find them online at https://www.grfoodcoop.com/ or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GRFCI/.