The Miami Oxford Organic Network (MOON) food co-op held its third annual meeting Sunday at the Oxford Community Arts Center in conjunction with the uptown farmers market with a theme of "Cultivating Community."
The meeting, which also had members of the Talawanda Farmers Market in attendance, was a food extravaganza strewn with local organic foods such as Turkish coffee, desserts, lamb, salads and gluten-free items providing a little something for everyone and giving the public a taste of items that may be accessible in the long awaited MOON Co-op grocery store.
But "Cultivating Community" wasn't focusing only on food - it was about local economic ties, too.
Local businesses were represented, such as Kona Bistro and Stella 12 Beech, and contributed gift certificates while shops such as The Green Door and Wildberry contributed merchandise as well.
The event was also about bringing people together within the community.
Marge Glaser, an Oxford resident, was in charge of putting together the decorations and local musicians for the event and said she is devoted to it although it is difficult.
"People are hungry for community," Glaser said. "Having this at the Art Center was perfect because creating community is an art. It has to be cultivated. It was a lot of work, but it was fun and it is something I love and believe in."
Glaser also emphasized the need to reduce conflict between people as an important thought for establishing community.
"We need to listen to each other and stop being conflictive andcollaborate instead," Glaser said.
Attendees of the event were also invited to participate in what MOON and the Oxford Farmers Market called "Market Share" in which items are "freecycled," a form of trading between people that requires one to bring in some quality items he or she no longer needs and take something else home that he or she does need.
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Bernadette Unger, president of MOON, said she was pleased with the turnout.
"We had a huge turn out this year and it's very positive," Unger said. "This is the highest turnout for the annual meeting so far."
Unger said there still is not an exact address for the upcoming local grocery store they have in the works, but MOON is getting closer to determining a location.
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