Mendo Food Futures Gets Hip and Becomes Grange Grains

Mendo Food Futures Gets Hip and Becomes Grange Grains

(Lucas Polit, of Polit Family Farms shows us his brown rice)

In 2009 North Coast Opportunities and Willits Economic Localization with support from the Community Services Block Grant and Cal-Endowment created a local food backed currency and called it Mendo Food Futures now called Grange Grains. It's mission was to provide markets for local farmers, increase community food security, and provide an alternative currency to be used in the community. In one year the project created and distributed $10,000 worth of Mendo Food Future notes, sold over 10,000 pounds of local organic grains and provided grain storing and preparation materials to consumers at Farmers Markets.

In 2010 I, Mason Giem, an Americorps Vista Member working for North Coast Opportunities, was recruited to help with the project. I ran the Farmers Market booth, and tried to find ways to make the project sustainable without grants. After attending a small business workshop I wrote a business plan in which I proposed that the project expand our markets to local restaurants and stores. Shortly after a M.O.U. was developed to hand the project over to the local Little Lake Grange #670. The Grange is exited about participating in a local food project and has provided space to build five, four ton grain silos. We are developing a partnership with the local food bank to use their food delivery van. With a twenty ton storage capacity, a new operational structure and a new advertising plan, Mendo Food Futures is ready to ascend to the esteemed position of Grange Grains.

Look for Grange Grains to be sold at our local restaurants. In Willits you will find our brown rice at the Farmers Market every Thursday from 3:00 to 6:00 at the Little Lake Grange on State Street, Burrito Exquisito on Main Street and soon at the Howard Memorial Hospital. In Ukiah in the near future you will find either our brown rice, white rice or black beans at the Ukiah Brewery, New Dragon restaurant and Patronas. Grange Grains still maintains the Mendo Food Futures mission of encouraging and creating local food security and providing a market for local farmers. Unfortunately the local currency was not being traded amongst the community and the banks would not turn the food future credits into American dollars. I hope that in the future we can develop a system where individuals buy food future credits from us and exchange them at the participating local restaurants and then the local restaurants can exchange them to us at Grange Grains for grains.

Blessings to all,

Mason Giem

Americorp VISTA

Gardens Project of N.C.O.