Local businesses provide employment for area residents and products and services close to home. Mid-county Memo Business Memos celebrate news, advancements, promotions, retirements, expansions and other noteworthy events at these cornerstones of our community. To share news of your business with our readers, Business Memo submissions for the August issue are due by Wednesday, July 15. For best results, e-mail Darlene Vinson at editor@midcountymemo.com. You may also mail submissions to 3510 N.E. 134th Ave., Portland, OR 97230. To leave a phone message, dial 503-287-8904. The Mid-county Memo fax number is 503-249-7672.

Admirable Landscapes offers free compost to anyone who’ll come to their Parkrose location and haul it away. Call 249-1127 to set an appointment. STAFF/2014

Admirable Landscapes offers free compost to anyone who’ll come to their Parkrose location and haul it away. Call 249-1127 to set an appointment.
STAFF/2014

Pick up free compost in Parkrose
Local landscaper Admirable Landscapes is offering free compost at 11004 N.E. Marx St. in Parkrose.

Owner Kim Koernschild says the company avoids dump fees and conserves dwindling landfill space by processing yard debris they collect on jobs into compost at company headquarters. “We take all of our yard debris and turn it into compost,” she says. “We rejuvenate it, keep turning it. The compost we’re giving away is from two years ago.”

Compost is ideal for growing herbs, fruits and vegetables; improving plant growth and quality; reducing erosion and nutrient run-off; breaking down clay based soils; and, when used as mulch, conserving water.

Call 503-249-1127 to set an appointment. Bring buckets, or fill up your truck bed with as much compost as you need.

Grant gets co-op closer to goal
Montavilla Food Co-op has been awarded a significant grant from Food Co-op Initiative, a national organization that supports start-up co-op initiatives across the United States. The grant includes a $5,000 cash award, mentoring, a site visit from a co-op development expert and other cooperative development resources. MFC will use the funds to commission a market study and develop financial projections.

“MFC is a grassroots, all-volunteer effort to build a cooperatively owned grocery in Montavilla that will supply healthy food, support local farmers and producers, build community wealth and advance sustainability initiatives in Montavilla,” according to MFC Vice President Ben Cutler. “This grant provides some of the resources needed to develop a professional assessment of the feasibility of a co-op in Montavilla, a critical step at our stage of development. The expertise that comes with this award will be a tremendous boost to our community effort.”

“The public interest in food co-ops is at an all-time high,” notes FCI Executive Director Stuart Reid. “By owning and controlling their own cooperative store, communities are able to ensure stable access to healthy food, provide meaningful jobs and support local producers. Food co-ops can become both an economic anchor and a social hub for the community.” Award winners were selected based on the strength of their leadership, quality of business planning, potential for successful operations and potential impact made by the grant funds.

“This is a very select group,” said Reid. “We are working with over 140 communities that are actively engaged in starting a food co-op. Although we were only able to provide funding to a limited number of co-ops, FCI provides free resources, training and advice to all food co-ops using a web-based approach that allows easy access on demand and provides personalized services through mentoring, live training events and a lot of e-mail.”

The mission of the Montavilla Food Cooperative is to connect the east Portland community to healthy food, support local farmers and producers, build community wealth and advance sustainability initiatives, all within a centrally located cooperative grocery. Learn more at www.montavilla.coop.