Indiana University - Arbutus Yearbook (Bloomington, IN)

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Cooperating for the daily bread In addition to providing low-cost food items, most which have no chemical additives, Bloomington ' s three food cooperatives also attempt to instill a spirit of community comradeship. Bloomingfoods Cooperative, The Clear Moment Natural Foods Cooperative and Fooods Co-op, believe that by work- ing together and buying food, persons feel a sense of in- volvement and pleasure in helping the community. Bloomingfoods, located in a building attached to Earth Kitchen restaurant, offers produce, dairy products and straight groceries on the lower level and dried foods (grains, nuts and fruit), natural body products and health-oriented books on its upper level. A neighborhood bulletin board, benches and a baby crib are also provided. Bloomingfoods, which opened )uly 24, 1976, is like the other co-ops in that members own and help operate the store. They assist in ordering foods and with business pro- cedures. While anyone can purchase goods at Bloomingfoods, members receive a 10 per cent discount. Those who work four hours a month receive an additional 10 per cent markdown. Individual members pay $7 a year. Household rates and shorter-term membership are also available. About 100 persons are members of the organization, member Michael Yoakem, said. Besides promoting the growth of nutritious foods locally, Bloomingfoods ' by-laws also express the desire to educate persons in the social and economic benefits derived from community work. According to manager David Williams, future plans in- clude participation in Food Day, sponsoring persons to speak on food-related topics and working with senior citi- zens. Williams believes the awareness which Bloomingfoods has helped to build may result in cooperatives of different sorts in Bloomington. Clear Moment Natural Foods Cooperative also offers a wide range of health foods, books on herbs, nutrition and natural body care products. The $5-a-year membership enti- tles persons to a 15 per cent discount. Members working five hours weekly enjoy a 45 per cent discount. There are cur- rently 750 members. Housed in a basement, the cooperative has been function- ing slightly over a year, while the natural foods store section is eight years old. Although there are no managers per se, there are eight persons ordering food, Gunther Smith, one of the store ' s co-ordinators, said. (RIGHT] Bloomingfoods Co-op charter member Roberta McCloskey, center, tabulates the bill for Paul Schneller. left, and Allana Radecki, right. Mem- bers of the food co-op receive a 20 per cent discount on goods when they work four hours a month at the store. (OPPOSITE BOTTOM) Taking advan- tage of the Clear Moment Natural Foods ' policy of self-service, Kerry Benson, lU grad student, samples some of the grains. (OPPOSITE TOP) Fresh produce, avail- able in conveniently small portions, is one of the bonuses offered by cooperatives. 26 Photos Don Toon

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Her heritage is Dunn, but it ' s far from over Mrs. Janet Dunn, 401 S. High Street, has strong family roots in Bloomington. Ahhough this suggests an al- Hance with Moses Dunn, famous in Bloomington for his land donations to lU, actually the two Dunns are only umpteenth cousins. Janet Dunn ' s family, however, has contributions of its own. Dunn ' s grandfather, William Henry Seward, was born and lived his entire life in Bloomington. He was the third gener- ation president of one of the oldest businesses in the state, Seward and Company. Established as a blacksmithing com- pany in 1821, it is now an industrial supply outfit. Wil- liam ' s son and Janet ' s father, Fred, followed similar life pat- terns. Fred was a track star at Bloomington High School South; in 1904, he set a record for low hurdles which is still un- beaten. He went on to set hurdling records at lU, which stood until the mid-thirties. After leaving lU, Fred became unofficial trainer for the track team and in 1964, he received the Zora Clevenger ath- letic award for outstanding service to the university. He also received a 50-year I-Man award. A man who never missed a single lU football game for 50 years, Fred raised his children, Janet and Doris, to also love the university town. Dunn said her father never thought any school existed but lU. She and her sister attended lU during the Depression when there were only about 3,200 students. Dunn knew many of her professors because she was in school with their children. Dunn ' s sister, Doris Seward, who recently received an lU Distinguished Alumni Award, is now the executive assistant to the president at Fenn State. Dunn stayed in Bloomington, where she raised four boys, three of whom remained here. The fourth, Allen, is presently attending ID Medical School in Indianapolis. Dunn is hoping he will return to Bloomington. Dunn thinks Bloomington is a great place to grow up in; she has never desired to live elsewhere. Everything is so comfortable and friendly here. It ' s a small town with many of the advantages of a larger community, Dunn said. There are many cultural events without a fear of crime, like in bigger cities. Not only has Dunn lived in Bloomington all her life, but she also lives in one of the city ' s oldest houses. Erected in 1866, the Dunn House consists of nine rooms, many which are unusually sized. Dunn purchased the house in 1961 from Mrs. Olin Rogers, the widow of the grandson of the original owner, Acquilla Rogers. Mrs. Dunn ' s home has been studied by the lU Folklore Department. Because she had little money when first married, Dunn began to pick up things in second-hand shops. Her hun- dreds of antique collector ' s items lend testament to modes of 19th and early 20th century life. Because she was purchas- ing them, Dunn said she could buy them cheaply and be- came an auction-holic. My only way to resist things is to just not go. Dunn is not confined to a century-old sedentary way of living. She does volunteer work at Bloomington Hospital, takes a class of sorts now and then, and is active in vari- ous women ' s clubs. Becky Stiles (LEFT) Mrs. Janet Dunn, a life-long Bloomington resident, stands on the main stairway of Dunn House, surrounded by pictures and other memorabilia commemorating her ancestors. (TOP LEFT) Dunn House. 401 S. High Street, was built in 1866 by Mrs. Dunn ' s grandfather, William Henry Seward, who himself was the third- generation president of Seward Co., one of Indiana ' s oldest businesses. (LOWER LEFT) Mrs. Dunn is the fourth generation to occupy the home.

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when persons become more conscious of diet and how it affects their well-being, they have more control over their own lives, Smith said. He said Clear Moment Cooperative is not an end in itself. We are trying to grow into the com- munity. The organization is currently working with Headstart and helping People ' s Place with its recycling ef- forts. Clear Moment members donate $150 a month and are en- couraged to volunteer working time. Future plans include cooking and sewing classes at People ' s Place and working together with other food co-ops and organizations for com- munity needs. Smith said. Fooods Co-op has no storefront; foods are bulk-ordered and distributed at the Alternative High School about four times a semester. Instead of a membership fee, persons are asked to deposit $3 in the treasury to cover possible price changes within a year ' s time. This money is returned to members as they leave. Because there is no middle man or overhead cost, food can be purchased cheaply, Eleanor Peachy, member and former food orderer, sai d. The organization can also get a variety of foods from a variety of places since things are catalogue-ordered, she said. Beckv Stiles I 1