by Marisa Keller

Clear Creek Co-op, the small food cooperative that provides, among other things, an alternative meal plan for Earlham students, may no longer be a fixture of campus next year.

At a recent open meeting, students, faculty and Richmond community members discussed the possibilities open to the co-op. According to Jon Flory Schrock, co-manager of the co-op, these possibilities range from closing completely to scaling back to a smaller presence in the space they now occupy to moving downtown or into a college house.

The co-op has sent suggestions to the college administration and is waiting to hear back. They will find out, for example, if moving into a college house is a viable option.

“We can’t really make a final decision because we don’t have all the information to know what is available to the co-op,” said Flory Schrock.

Adam Putnam, assistant to the president, said Tuesday that the senior staff of the college would read over the co-op’s proposal within the next couple of weeks. Until then, he said, it will not be known what the college’s role in the future of the co-op will be. As for the possibility of the co-op taking up residence in the college house, “I have no idea,” Putnam said.

“Personally,” he added, “I think we’d like to keep it [the co-op], but it’s hard to say — especially in the economic times — what the feasibility of anything is.”

Flory Schrock said that in the near future, the co-op will probably scale back the store part of its operation and become more of a buying club. The co-op is not thinking of closing yet.

“We’re planning to at least be here through the summer,” Flory Schrock said. “But in what capacity I don’t know.”

Although rumors have been circulating around campus that the building currently housing the co-op will be torn down next year, Flory Schrock said that they had no basis in reality.

Putnam confirmed that the college had no plans to demolish the building.

Meanwhile, the future of the co-op’s meal plan is also up in the air.

Constance Hancock has worked as kitchen manager for the co-op since fall 2007, but she doesn’t know if she will be able to return after this summer.

“They were supposed to let me know by the end of March,” she said of the future of her job.

“I plan on — if there’s a co-op — being here,” she added. “I want to be here. I love the kids here. I love my job.”

Flory Schrock would also like to see the meal plans continue but is not sure if it is economically feasible. He and his wife, co-op co-manager Janelle Flory Schrock, will be moving away at the end of the semester, so the co-op will have to find new management for the summer and beyond.

Summertime is one of the co-op’s major challenges.

The co-op “needs ongoing support,” Flory Schrock said. When the students are gone for the summer, the co-op suffers. Because of the co-op’s location, it is disconnected from the Richmond community. Flory Schrock said that those Richmond residents who do find their way into the co-op express feelings of alienation, or are even afraid to come.

Because of the lack of steady, year-round business, the co-op struggles to make ends meet and cannot pay its employees a living wage.

“We need to connect with both Earlham and the community,” Flory Schrock said.

Chris Hardie, president of the co-op board, started shopping at the co-op during his years as a student at Earlham more than a decade ago.

Hardie said that it is important to recognize that the co-op is not an Earlham entity. The co-op has to balance the needs of the students with the demands of running a for-profit business. Ideally, it would also take into consideration cooperative values like livable wages for its employees.

However, Hardie also said, “The co-op can be whatever the people who have time and passion and energy for it want it to be.”

He added, “There’s been a real lack of consistency and long-term vision.”

Hardie cited the lack of member participation as a major problem.

“It’s a little frustrating to have to sound the alarm just to get people to show up to a meeting,” he said.

All are welcome and encouraged to attend the co-op’s next monthly board meeting, which will be held Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the co-op. After the meeting, there will be another gathering, this time of students interested in forming an organization to aid the co-op.