Owner To Owner Podcast

Marnie Roberts from WineGrapes on how cooperatives help growers and their local communities.

Episode Summary

Marnie Roberts from winegrapes.com.au is a winemaker, and champion of the cooperative ownership model. She talks about the advantages and practicalities of operating as a grower-owned cooperative.

Episode Notes

@MarnieRoberts from www.winegrapes.com.au is a #winemaker and champion of the #cooperativeownership and operating model. As a #businessmodel #coops have been around for a long time but she believes they are in a resurgence.

She grew up in #Mildura surrounded by #coops and was really attracted to the ethos of it working for a collective. #winegrapes now has about 120 #growers and is based in #regional #SouthAustralia.

In our discussion we talk about;

how a #cooperative can benefit and supporting local people, local growers and their #localcommunity
not being #bigcorporate
#mclarenvale
the advantages for growers;
- the reach and opportunities they may not get if they went out by themselves
- tapping into a vast array of skill sets which creates this network of growers communicating with each other
- getting more 'pull'
- being able to lean on each other
what #winegrapes offers
- selling as a stronger unit (and avoiding leaving fruit on the vine or dropping to the ground)
- making wine for the grower if they can't sell that
how the cooperative model combines #infrastructure
how one of the original founders, @Paxtonwines has developed the Paxton brand while still being part of the group
current challenges with #exporting #wine
#globalization
how we are reimagining the old idea of making a product in the hope that it will sell on the market (way too risky now) and are instead pre-selling or setting up strong relationships with export markets where they've got more security in what they're selling
why the days of just crushing a few 1000 tonnes to make wine in the hopes that it'll sell in #China and just going to trade shows, is over
the importance of #buildingrelationships
#winetech
the critical importance of the #story around where wine is grown
the benefits of the cooperative model to other local communities;
- giving the community more power
- creating belief and positive reinforcement
- avoiding feeling like you're just trudging on
- all leading to an improvement in #mentalhealth
the day to day opportunities, challenges and difficulties around, setting up a cooperative, and then managing a cooperative on an ongoing basis
driving a lot and getting face to face
#LanghorneCreek
probably just the logistics of distance.
how #coops work - general meetings and reporting on corporate obligations
how communication is vital
needing a strong ethos and a driving force that's laid out to make it fair for everyone
where the #wineindustry is headed
the loss of Chinese exports
#smallproducers