Mixed Nuts Food Cooperative wasn't Hampshire's first food co-op. Hampshire's first food co-op, "Bob's Food Co-op," only lasted two months. Bob McNitt started his co-op with two purposes in mind: to make consumer goods available to the Hampshire community at low cost, and to set up a model for a larger co-op (Fleisher, 1971). He ran the co-op out of his dorm room in Dakin. Unfortunately, because Bob's "personal beliefs" prevented him from using paper to hang up posters advertising the co-op, nobody knew about it. Bob opened the co-op in October, 1971, and by that December only 21 people had joined, resulting in "economic disaster" (Fleisher, 1971).
The following spring, a group of students began making plans for a larger food co-op. However, because over a hundred students were living at UMass (some of the mods had not yet been built), and because of the "propensity of all Hampshire projects to die," there was a lot of skepticism surrounding the formation of a co-op (Climax, 1972). Nevertheless, in September of 1972, with the help of a $600 start-up fund from Community Council, a food co-op organized out of doughnut three in Greenwich House. In early October, the co-op adopted the name "Mixed Nuts Food Cooperative," and by early November it had 300 members (Climax, 1972).
By 1978, Mixed Nuts had become the major food supplier for more than half the campus. Since its beginning, the coop had been run on a completely pre-order basis. Dairy products and vegetables came once a week, and staples such as grains, nuts, flour, and oil came once a month. However, the rise in membership made the pre-order system difficult--the co-op suffered from tension, long delays, losses due to spoilage, and a poor distribution system in doughnut three which was considered a fire hazard (Mixed Nuts, 1978). Therefore, over the summer of 1978, the co-op financed and built, on a volunteer basis, a walk-in cooler. Physical Plant provided plumbers and electricians to make other improvements, and in the Fall of 1978 Mixed Nuts received additional funds from Community Council towards the purchase of essential items such as weighing scales, cash registers, and shelves. These items enabled Mixed Nuts to operate its store and distribution system more efficiently.
For the next nine years, Mixed Nuts remained in doughnut three. During that period, membership ranged from 200-500 people. Depending on the makeup and initiative of its members and managers, the kinds of items sold by co-op varied. At times, the co-op was strictly organic--at other times, it sold a mix of organic and non-organic goods. The co-op often attempted to sell meat, although this only worked when there was a willing manager with a car who could drive to a local farm to pick up fresh chicken, or when there were enough members who wanted meat to justify ordering it through a distributor. Produce and dairy products were distributed every Thursday, and the co-op held regular store hours for people to buy grains and other non-perishables.
First Eviction
Over the summer of 1987, the Hampshire administration decided to evict Mixed Nuts from its Greenwich home. The reason for the eviction was a problematic cockroach infestation in Greenwich--however, the co-op had been unaware that it was in danger of eviction--"Last year, members of the co-op had a meeting with Sue Alexander, then dean of students, about the roach situation. No words about eviction were raised in that meeting (Mixed Nuts newsletter, 1987).
Frustration, distrust, and misunderstanding between students and administrators plagued the eviction and relocation of Mixed Nuts. The administration promised co-op that it would be completely set up in a new store in Prescott by September 1 (Mixed Nuts letter, 1987). However, as the end of September drew near, co-op still had no permanent location. A letter to Mixed Nuts from Dean of Students Trey Williams, entitled "Let's Clear the Air," expressed concern over the level of student resentment over a perceived lack of administrative commitment towards relocating the co-op--"This process is moving along as fast as possible at this point and its pace has nothing whatsoever to do with our level of commitment towards making this move work for everyone involved (Williams, 1987). Trey also reported in his letter that the school had purchased a 10'x35' insulated storage unit as a new store for co-op, and that the Prescott Tavern would be made avalable to the co-op each Thursday for distribution. However, the "storage unit," really just a huge metal box, had no electricity, refrigeration, heat, or windows.
November came, and the co-op still did not have a working store. At this point, the co-op began to suffer severe financial losses due to food spoilage and extra paid hours for managers. On the brighter side, the Hampshire community rallied around co-op during this crisis. Members volunteered extra time each Thursday to help make distribution run smoothly in the tavern. On November 1, 1987, Mixed Nuts sent an open letter to the community asking for help and support (" ... we're still cold and in the dark, and our food is spoiling ... "). On November 10, Mixed Nuts received a reply from Peter Gluckler, assistant to President Adele Simmons, expressing Adele's concern over the co-op problem ("I am writing for Adele because she is traveling once again. I know that students often view her absences with cynicism...Anyway, she supports the co-op"). Finally, in December, the "container" was equipped with heat, electricity, and a walk-in refrigerator. The co-op was able to set up a permanent space. As The Permanent Press, Hampshire's newspaper of the time, described it, "Co-op store opens, masses rejoice ... our metal box is now a cute little store" (Hochheiser, 1987).
Life in The Trailer
After suffering through almost an entire semester of uncertainty about its future, Mixed Nuts was relieved to be finally settled in the metal box, which came to be known as "the Trailer." However, co-op was far from satisfied with the Trailer. Although Thursday distribution took place in the Tavern, the trailer was put to heavy use by the co-op. As a store, it was far too small. There was no room for expansion--there wasn't even any running water (Flippo, 1993). Even before the co-op was settled into the Trailer, the manager's collective wrote a proposal to relocate co-op, permanently, into the Prescott Tavern. A few years later, another proposal was written, this time requesting that full use of the tavern be turned over to Mixed Nuts and Stone Soup (a student collective that sold soup and bread to the community at lunchtime). Both proposals were rejected, primarily because the Marriott Corporation had a contract to operate a grill/restaurant in the Tavern.
In 1992, Marriott left the Tavern. With the departure of Marriott, the only groups who consistently used the Tavern were the Prescott House Office and TEAC: the Tavern Entertainment and Activities Committee. Most of the time, however, the Tavern was empty, and closed.
In February, 1993, the Mixed Nuts Manager's Collective distributed a survey to all student mailboxes. The survey asked for student opinions on a potential co-op move into the Tavern. 355 surveys were returned; 322 were in favor of the move, 8 were aginst it, and 5 had mixed feelings (Flippo et al, 1993). Most concerns with and objections to a potential move had to do with the fact that the Tavern would have to become smoke free in order to comply with Amherst health regulations. Other people feared that Mixed Nuts would "take over" the Tavern. However,the general student attitude toward a move seemed positive. Another proposal was written.
In the new proposal, the managers' collective expressed its confidence that the project would be successful, based on the success Mixed Nuts had had in the past--"Mixed Nuts is one of the only student organizations that is self-sustaining and probably has been ever since Hampshire opened. Mixed Nuts has a history of very reliable, competent managers. That history is no different today. This plan is being born out of Mixed Nuts and its successful operation" (Flippo et al, 1993). Over the summer of 1993, after seven years of business in a "metal storage container," the co-op was granted permission to move into the Tavern.
A Move into the Tavern
The move into the Tavern was a big undertaking for Mixed Nuts--probably its biggest project to date. There were endless tasks, mainly in construction, to be completed, such as renovating the old Tavern dishroom into a main store area, painting, building shelves, cleaning, and constructing a new walk-in refrigerator. Once again, the community rallied around co-op. Many of the construction and cleaning tasks were completed by members and managers. Mixed Nuts worked closely with Physical Plant, the administration, and Prescott House. Funds were received from Community Council, COCD, and the Dean of Students Office. Additional donations were made by members; there was even one anonymous donation of $300! Mixed Nuts asked for, and received, donations of shelves, bulk bins, a cash register, and other supplies, from other area co-ops. However, the biggest fund raiser and community support builder for the move was an auction that was held in November of 1993...Mixed Nuts was open for business in the Tavern by January, 1994...(p.1-5)
As of Spring, 1996, Mixed Nuts had approximately 250-300 working members, although more than 400 people used the coop on a semi-regular basis. Mixed Nuts offered more products, was open more hours, and was more space, than ever before. Settling into its new space was, at times, difficult for Mixed Nuts--more products, hours, and space required more maintenance and work. However, the Tavern was the most permanent and secure home a co-op could ever want. As Hampshire completed its 26th year, Mixed Nuts was in its 24th. By far, Mixed Nuts is the oldest, largest, and most independent student organization at Hampshire. If its future is as successful as its past, then it is safe to predict that as long as a cooperative community exists at Hampshire, Mixed Nuts will be there to feed it. (p.8)
