Cooperating…

A path to sustainable community

Bountiful squash!

It has been said that the entire world is a community and living in community is by definition a cooperative venture. Truly “no man is an island” as John Donne so aptly stated. In learning to cooperate, share our resources and eliminate waste, we are able to live more gently on the earth and create a better quality of life for all.

With cooperative activities, the whole is certainly greater than the sum of its parts, for we gain not only the wealth of the products and services we share, but also the vibrant feeling of community these activities create. Cooperating is certainly a means to improving one's overall quality of life.

The cooperatives that have evolved in Stelle all began at a grass roots level, developing a life of their own over the years. Sometimes Stelle's co-ops might be active and alive, and other times quiet… but still alive. We have learned over the years that it is more important to allow the co-op to serve the interests and needs of the participants than to make the participants serve the needs of the co-op. The first approach we have found to be sustainable, the second, non-sustainable.

Center for Sustainable Community is involved in several of Stelle's co-op ventures, and as part of our focus and mission we are happy to share our experiences with others. We have learned that cooperative living fosters sustainability and it is our hope that by sharing our knowledge, others can use that knowledge as inspiration to take back to their communities.

Click here to learn more about:

Our Stelle Community Cooperatives