The Co-op Q&A with Kelsy Chauvin
Kelsy Chauvin joined the Greene Hill Food Co-op back in 2012 when Greene Hill was just an idea. A travel writer and photographer, Kelsy is the one we turn to for professional photos, public relations, media alerts and more.
Q: When did you join the Co-op and what were some of your reasons for joining?
A: I’m a proud founding member! I joined way back in 2012 or so — before the buying club launched. I invested my $150 at a folding table set up at the Fort Greene Park Farmers Market one Saturday. At the time I belonged to the Park Slope Food Coop and loved the concept, inventory, and people, but like most shoppers found it very crowded. And as a floating worker, I found it hard to sign up for a shift that suited my ever-changing schedule. I always wanted our own food co-op on this side of Flatbush, so I joined Greene Hill immediately. I love that I got to be part of the early days of our co-op!
Q: What job(s) do you do at our Co-op?
A: I’ve worked on several committees, mainly with Marketing, especially Social Media, and have taken many of the stock photos used for the Co-op’s website and printed materials. I’m also the person behind the press@greenehillfood.coop email, so I help coordinate media alerts, interviews, etc. I’m a freelance journalist and for years worked in public relations, so I’m pretty good at working with reporters. I also am a shift leader and cashier; I enjoy working in the store too. It’s lovely to meet my fellow co-op member-owners, see the inventory, and to just find some hands-on work that doesn’t involve a computer screen!
Q: What do you do outside of the Co-op?
A: I’m primarily a travel writer. I co-author the NYC and Brooklyn guidebooks for Fodor’s Travel Guides, which is fun, and, as you might expect, a challenging project to research in this mighty city! I also contribute to Fodors.com, Conde Nast Traveler, CNN Travel, and several LGBTQ publications like Passport, Curve, and Gay City News. I’m also a photographer, and my images usually accompany my articles.
I travel about once a month for work, often around North America, but I go all over. In 2018, I traveled to and reported on Greece, Bavaria, Bordeaux, Oahu, Nova Scotia, Puerto Rico, Northern California, and a number of other places. My next trips are to D.C., and to Arctic Norway in January for Northern Lights spotting. I’m hoping that 2019 will take me back to South America and/or Africa, and hopefully to Alaska and North Dakota (they’re the only states I’ve not yet visited). You can read my latest stories at kelsy.contently.com. My social media handle is @kelsycc.
Q: What is the best part about being a Co-op member?
A: I adore the community spirit! Often I tell non-co-op friends that I work to be part of a food co-op and they seem shocked at the notion. But then I work in the store and meet hundreds of others who think like me, and I’m reminded that I’m not alone in feeling connected to other Brooklynites — together we are bound by our inclination to collaborate, volunteer for worthy causes, and eat well while supporting independent farmers and food suppliers.
But also, in addition to my writing, I’m president of the New York Travel Writers Association (NYTWA). Working at and learning from our Co-op has taught me how to set up systems that streamline our association’s processes. It seems so basic to many of us (especially on Greene Hill committees); but to some of my NYTWA colleagues, it’s innovative to have a shared Google Drive with templates and how-to instructions for some of our association’s projects.
Q: As a longtime Co-op member, what are your first impressions of the new space?
A: On Sunday, I heard from Chris Gollmar that our membership is up about 33% since we relocated — how fabulous! I always liked our old store for its size and backyard, but it was a little overlooked on Putnam. With this prominent location on Fulton St., more local residents are finally noticing us and dropping by to learn more. Also, we got to see how devoted our member-owners are by all the hard work they put into the move. And as a bonus, the move was a golden opportunity to put some new systems in place and get a bit more organized — and I see that working quite well now. It’s like we’re embarking on refreshed Greene Hill Food Co-op, and our future is brighter than ever!