Coyle cooperative farm.


The reason for proposing a co-op is to share the assets of our farm for the use of the people at the farm. I also feel that the future for all of us is going to be difficult unless we work together as a community. The fact that the farm is self sufficient in electricity, water, food and energy may be very important in our near future .


The biggest problem I see is how to get along in the years to come. There are days I am a very happy person other days I am grouchy. I notice too that as I grow older my outlook of everything is changing but I mostly want to spend my time working on the farm. And this could be a problem in my advancing years.


I am quoting Richard Heinberg below:

https://www.resilience.org/stories/2022-11-09/the-power-podcast-episode-8-powered-down-and-better-off/



Richard Heinberg
We have to take into account the sense of our environment’s carrying capacity for people. And we haven’t done that in recent decades. People in Indigenous societies did. They understood that if population was growing, that might not be a good thing, because it might mean hunger on the horizon, because the environment could only supply so much. With fossil fuels, we got out of that habit. We developed this attitude that, regardless of how much the population grows, we can always just put more fertilizer in the ground and grow more food, and everything will be fine. So we have to take some of those Indigenous attitudes toward the environment and its limits and recover some of those attitudes. Resource extraction, you know… Again, we’ve gotten used to this idea that we can just keep extracting renewable resources at whatever rate and nonrenewable resources — well, they’ll always be there. We’ve been fooling ourselves.


Our Coop Idea :


For those in the co op there will be no charge for any products produced on the farm such as flour, veggies, chickens, eggs, water, vegetable oils or electricity. These are shared and provided by the group by the different managers and helpers on the farm.


The main problem I see is that we do not have enough residences for many people legally and I feel that having separate residencies is important. Hopefully the apartment in the north barn will be approved shortly. The two bedroom will be next to get approved and is still being worked on.


The farm property should be managed by those who have purchased or contributed funds or machinery to the farm and these people make the decisions . Decisions are made by one vote per contribution..


The Farm, equipment and property cannot be sold. If circumstances arise that the farm cannot continue then the farm and property goes back to Mat and Dorothee if still alive and if not alive then donated to Longpoint or another farm trust yet to be named.


Decisions are to be made for the residence and various uses on the farm with an eye to expenses and incomes. Majority on the decision making voting passes the resolution.

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The oil pressing, egg and chicken sales and flour production are is part of the assets of the farm as stated in the finances which is available to everyone who work and get income in the cooperative.


All income from the farm field crops, oils and flour is farm income.


Coop members can have their own separate businesses with no connection to the farm other than renting space or fields. If one wants to put their business into the farm then there is financial and labour available but the income and expenses goes to the farm . Co op members can then work at the business which will have income and expenses to the farm property.


Members of the coop are paid for various chores such as the chicken manager or a helper. Each person is in charge of an area of the co-op for 3 months. Helpers also are for 3 months as well to help the manager and to learn the chores at hand. Chore leaders direct and control of the department and arrange for the work and use of helpers. The chores on the farm are not paid by the hour but by a settled amount for each chore that balances the incomes and expenses of the coop.


The cost of the products produced by the farm should be reasonably priced so that local people can afford them since the co op is self sufficient and the members are not paid by the hour. This may encourage local consumption which in turn will reduce our fossil fuel use in transportation. The farm is self sufficient in everything and if a majority decides to lower prices for the oils and flour this may be done if the finances work out. There may be no need to make high prices since the co-op is mainly self sufficient in food, water, heat and housing since we are not paid a high wage to produce our oils and flour.


The coop members will be covered by Workmans compensation for any injuries at the farm.


The farm does not have a liability insurance for any accidents to vehicles and those not on the coop.


Each person will pay for their share of housing or space used in the fields on the farm to the co op.


At present the cost of operating the farm is about $50,000 and the income as been about $35000 with Dorothee and I adding money from our pensions to balance the books. If the co op idea is accepted then mat and Dorothee will pay for the use of the house suggested at $2000 a month. This will go towards balancing the books for the coop.



A sample budget for the co op farm would be he following:



Coyle farm

expenses/month

incomes monthly

sample budget



House


2000

apartment


800




Ind work space


100




Farm manager

200


farm mangager helper

150





chicken manager

100


chicken helper

50





Garden manager

200


Garden helper

150





Maintenance

250


maint helper

150





Oil pressing

250


oil help

150





Horse

250


help

200





Field manager

200


field help

150





finances

200


helper

150





Computer man

150


help

100





Firewood manager

200


helper

50





press expenses

100





Horse expenses

100





Garden sales


20




Chicken sales


50




Vet expense

100





prop tax

400





Oil income


1000




Flour income


100




field rentals


250




Firewood manager

150


firewood helper

100





monthly

3650

4070

yearly

43800

48840