Lake County resident JoAnn Saccato is organizing a meeting among people who are interested in forming a local food co-op, possibly at the former site of Jules Miniature Golf. The first official meeting takes place at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, at Wild About Books, 14290 Olympic Drive, Suite A, in Clearlake.
Describing her impressions after recently taking a walk past the former resort site, “What I saw was a potential,” Saccato said in recent e-mail correspondence. “An open and airy health food co-op that had a little sandwich/smoothie shop, organic gardens planted with yummy, delicious, organic produce interspersed among the 18 holes and the rest of the land sectioned off into little community gardens that could be used as fundraisers/education centers for the different youth groups in the community. Conceivably, they could sell their produce directly through the store.”
Saccato recently distributed a questionnaire among people of her acquaintance, instructing them to spread it to everyone they know within the local community. Among some of the questions that she is asking people to consider are whether they would shop regularly, often, sometimes or rarely at a health-food co-op and whether they would be willing to alter their diets to a more regional and seasonal diet in order to help sustain a local economy. Saccato also asks if respondents would be willing to work for or serve on the board of a co-op health food store. “What talents/skills/resources would you be willing to contribute to such a project?”
“The asking price for the property, which includes one-plus acres, the course, the 2,000 square-foot business building, a three-bedroom house and granny unit and a utilities building, plus paved parking, is $1.25 million,” Saccato reported, adding that the owner of the building was also open to a lease option. For more information, please e-mail shylila@cluemail.com.
Contact Cynthia Parkhill at cparkhill@clearlakeobserver.com.
