Annual Meeting 2019

Election Results & Meeting Recap

Thank you to all the member owners who came to our Annual Meeting on Sunday and voted in our Board elections! This year we counted a total 153 votes with 78 people in attendance at the Cummington Community House. Congratulations to our new Board of Directors.

The first meeting of our new Board will be Tuesday, May 11th at 6:30pm in the Sustainability Library. Member-Owners are always invited to attend the meetings and submit comments or questions in the first ten minutes. Past minutes and agendas can be requested or located for you in the Library.

If you missed this year’s Annual Meeting, you can read the reports given by the Executive Members of the Board below:

Outreach Activity
Thank you also to all who participated in our Outreach Committee’s immersive activity at the Annual Meeting. We hope it has generated fruitful thought and conversation for you. The purpose of the Outreach activity at the 2019 Annual Meeting was to raise awareness among Member-Owners about the extent of negative community perception of the store by bringing in voices of local residents not typically represented at The Creamery’s Annual Meeting.   Based on anonymous interviews with 10 local residents, a “script” of anonymous quotes was read aloud by volunteer readers.  Attendants then met in small groups to discuss their reactions.  Please see below for a summary of each group’s takeaways from this activity. For a copy of the script and/or group notes, or for questions about the process of selecting and interviewing local residents, please contact Peg Cowen at board@oldcreamery.coop.  THANKS to all interviewees, readers, note-takers, facilitators and everyone at the meeting!

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Join us on April 28th, 2019 at 4:00 PM

We  invite you to join us at our 2019 Annual Meeting of Member-Owners, to be held on Sunday, April 28, 2019 at 4 PM in the Cummington Community House, 33 Main Street, Cummington, MA 01026. At the annual meeting we’ll share with you the latest updates on our Co-op as well as our finances and plans. As always, we will welcome your questions and comments at the meeting.

Member-Owners will elect directors to four seats on the Co-op’s board this year. Candidate’s Statements and links to additional information are below.  We will hold a Candidate Meet & Greet on Sunday, April 7th from 3-5pm at the Creamery.  This is your opportunity to get to know the candidates and share your questions/concerns.  You will also have an opportunity to meet the candidates ahead of the Annual Meeting, from 3:30-4pm.

Please find the 2019 agenda, ballot, proxy form, and last year’s minutes below.  If you are not able to attend this year’s meeting, please return your ballot and proxy form by Friday, April 26th at 6:00PM to be sure it is counted.  We are looking forward to a productive gathering of the Co-op’s Member-Owners and hope to see you there. As always, Creamery-made snacks and beverages will be served!

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Board Candidate Statements

Kim Bode – West Cummington

What I would like to bring foremost as a member of the board is my perspective of operations as an employee on the floor six days a week.  I have put a lot of care into the Creamery and as a team member of the board I would take the financial solvency of the business very seriously as I am one of many who wish to see a future that is bright for it.  With the same spirit that drove our community to take a stand against Dollar General, we at the co-op can revitalize the store again.  A motivated team member can be equally valuable as one with lots of experience and that is what I would like to bring to the board.

Christine Doktor – Cummington

I grew up in Peru, Mass.  After spending eight years in New York attending law school and working as a litigator and public interest attorney, I was happy to move back home to Western Mass in 2012, where I now provide pro bono legal services to the community.  My family and I live on the beloved old sheep farm where my partner grew up.  It’s great fun and hard work helping to manage the farm and take care of the sheep, chickens, cows, occasionally pigs and goats, and my very own guard donkey, Donna.  We work in tandem with two neighboring farms — Splendorview Farm and Grace Hill Farm — to assist in the production of lamb and cheese which are sold at the Old Creamery.  Taking my cues from the livestock, I gave birth to our second child right here on the farm in our 150-year old farmhouse.   It’s hard to imagine life in the Hilltowns without the Creamery and I would be proud to serve on the Board for a second term.

Alix Nelson – Plainfield

Having lived here for 25 years , I understand the importance of the Creamery, how it is more than just a store, but the heartbeat of the community. Not only can one purchase items which are necessary or not, but have an excellent sandwich, bowl of soup or any one of the wonderful creations made in the kitchen. Along with the wonderful food, there is an atmosphere of true community where many people come together and talk. There is a sense of friendliness,helpfulness and joy, which I feel is being lost. There is a way to make the Creamery profitable, there is a strong loyal following, but not at the expense of losing the heartbeat quality it has had for so many years.

Fletcher Schneeflock – Cummington

My family and I moved to Cummington in 2015 in part to be closer to my brother-in-law who runs Grace Hill Dairy. Without the Creamery, however, I’m not sure we would have. The importance of the Creamery to our community, as a store and a community center, cannot be overstated. It’s not just a place to buy groceries, but to see your neighbors, to meet and make new friends. Previously focused on data management, I’ve been a full-time parent since the birth of our twins in the fall of 2014. When I can spare the time I’m also a bicycle tour guide, endurance cyclist and trail runner. I am seeking re-election to the board, and am currently training to chair the Creamery’s Finance Committee.

Sarah (Sadie) Stull – Plainfield

I have enjoyed living in Plainfield for the past 23 years.  I have been a member of several co-ops over the years, starting with a co-op in Northampton, MA in the late 1970’s.  I am a strong believer in co-operatives.  If elected as a board member for the Old Creamery Co-op, I look forward to bringing my enthusiasm for working with others and problem solving.  I have run a small construction business for over 20 years, and been involved with many community organizations such as the Hilltown Seed Saving Network, Raspberry Hill Community Garden, and the Plainfield Cultural Council.  I currently serve on the Plainfield Agricultural Commission and the Plainfield Council on Aging.  I hope to be able to serve on the Old Creamery Co-op Board as an active community member.  I value the Old Creamery Co-op as a place to shop, have a meal, and meet other members of the community.

Kalyan Uprichard – Cummington

I grew up mostly in the Shelburne Falls area of western Franklin County, during which time my family became members of the Franklin Community Co-op.  I discovered Earthdance in Plainfield in 2006 when I lived there for the first time prior to traveling to India. Since returning from abroad I have worked at Earthdance twice in different capacities and managed a blueberry farm in Worthington. In 2013 I moved onto a homestead in Cummington focused on animal husbandry and grass management.  By then I was thoroughly committed to finding my home here in these hilltowns.  Then miraculously I met my current partner up in Maine and we found and purchased our land on Porter Hill Rd. I have my whole life been seeking health; that search sent me looking for the best food possible, and now I find myself committing to living lightly in this place, cultivating soil to relish food and share it with my chosen community. The Creamery has been at the heart of that Community the entire time I have known it.