With more than 450 member-owners in place, a capital campaign well underway and a long search for a site under its belt, Harvest Moon Natural Foods has finally found the Long Lake site it will eventually call home.

The natural food co-op's board of directors announced at its Sept. 17 annual meeting that the co-op will be located at 540 Willow Drive when it opens its doors.

"It's been a couple of years and we've looked at quite a few locations," board member Tom Geiger said. "But in the end location was absolutely important."

Geiger cited the intersection - Willow Drive and Highway 12 - as well as the amount of parking, the ease with which drivers can get in and out of the site among among the reasons the site was selected. Another major factor was that it fit within the board's financial objectives for the co-op.

The group kicked off its capital campaign earlier this year and has already raised 10 percent of its $1.9 million investment goal, Geiger said.

"Now that we have a place to call home, the next important step that just got underway is the capital campaign," he said further. "Most of [the $1.9 million goal] will come from our members in the form of loans of Class C stock purchases ... this is virtually how every co-op is funded."

While he said he's not sure how the instability of the economy will play out long-term for the co-op, in the short-term, he thinks it might provide the boost Harvest Moon needs to get over the hump.

"With the stock market and the economy in the state it's in, I've heard a number of people say they're interested in investing their money in their community," he said. "We didn't have as many people pull out their checkbooks right away, but for every one that did there were five that said maybe after we have a location."

While there is still no concrete date for Harvest Moon to open its doors, Geiger said he's hopeful that 2009 will be the year, adding that it depends on the capital campaign and how long it takes to reach the $500,000 goal the board set before it breaks ground.

"I'd certainly like to see it happen sometime in 2009, before the fall," he said.

"Our efforts are finally starting to pay off," board member Megan Bennett said. "Thousands of hours have gone into this project, and the 'moonlight' is shining at the end of the tunnel."

Harvest Moon was begun in June 2005 when the group's founding members meet "to dream and plan to grow a natural-foods market in our community," according to information posted on its website www. www.harvestmoon.coop. The group incorporated in 2006 and began its membership drive a year ago. By the time it opens, members hope to double its number of members to 800.

A food cooperative is a grocery store that, rather than being owned by an individual or corporation, is owned and run by its members. Members are allowed to purchase only one share of the cooperative.

According to its website, Harvest moon will "look like a small market with a majority of organic or natural food products." When possible, it says, the products will come from local providers.

This article was posted here on Sept. 29. It will appear also in the Oct. 2 print editions of the Wayzata-Orono-Long Lake andPlymouthSun-Sailors.

A food cooperative is a grocery store that, rather than being owned by an individual or corporation, is owned and run by its members. Members are allowed to purchase only one share of the cooperative.

According to its website, Harvest moon will "look like a small market with a majority of organic or natural food products." When possible, it says, the products will come from local providers.

This article was posted here on Sept. 29. It will appear also in the Oct. 2 print editions of the Wayzata-Orono-Long Lake andPlymouthSun-Sailors.