The People's Potato Co-Op Interview

Interview by Claudette Vaughan

CV: The Co-op was formed in 1999 after several students felt there was a need to address the issue of student poverty and hunger on campus. All these years later, has that been achieved? NC: I would say that this has been achieved to a degree. The People's Potato gives over 200 people meals daily during the fall and winter semesters, and we provide a food bank twice a week during the exam time that follows these semesters. I know that those who accept our service really do value what we provide.

Nathan Cassiani, the author of,  'One Potato Co-Op'.

However, there are two campuses and over 30,000 students at Concordia University . Those who usually aren't at the Downtown campus (where we serve) don't have another option for an affordable, healthy meal. There have been talks of people setting up a similar service in the suburban campus, but nothing has been established as of yet. So, I guess it's hard to say... I see people eating everyday and I know that they are satisfied, but there are so many other students at the University, so I really have to wonder sometimes.

CV:The kitchen is structured so there's no hierarchy. Who decides what to cook, weekly menus, what's cheap veg at the time etc?

NC: We have weekly meetings and make decisions regarding expenses, kitchen use, etc when they need to be brought to the attention of the Collective. We keep track of our expenses and try to make decisions regarding market runs accordingly. As far as the actual cooking goes, it is usually a bit more improvised. What is cooked depends on what food is available from the food bank distributors, whom we collect much of our food from. There are some general guidelines; we have to prepare a soup, a salad, a stew, and a grain to be sure that the meal is nutritious. There are two "chefs" for each kitchen shift, and they decide on what they will prepare for the soup and stew. We prepare a grain according to what is in the stew, or we'll just make whatever we have enough time to prepare before serving. We tend to let volunteers take care of the salad. The chefs will let them know what we have, and maybe give them some ideas, and we let them go from there. Sometimes the food supply is low, but we usually figure something out!

CV: Do students enjoy eating healthy nutritious vegan food?

NC: Yes, I think they do! In the fall, students were given the opportunity to vote to continue having a fraction of student money go to the People's Potato, and an overwhelming amount voted "yes." Not all students are vegan, of course, and many who voted may not even come to the Potato for lunch, but it's certain that many find the Potato to be a valuable resource!

CV:  Any complaints at all?

NC: But of course! I was just reading an edition of the Link (a student paper at Concordia), and there was a letter that mentioned something to the affect of "thrifty vegans get what they pay for at the People's Potato." Some people have problems with our food, but like I've said, sometimes we just have to make do with what we have. I mean, we aren't serving gourmet food by any means, but the food IS nutritious! It is also a by-donation service. No one is throwing us eight dollars for an extravagant lunch.

CV: The People's Potato has diversified your interests over the years, You now have your own 'Veganism On A Shoe String' (which we are reviewing). Tell us about that?

NC: "Veganism On A Shoe String" was, to be honest, "before my time." I think it is a great resource for people interested in switching over to vegan cooking. I swear by the Baba Ghanouj recipe in that cookbook, actually!

It is a good "intro" cookbook, I would say. It has an article on food politics and an extensive section on nutrition. I know too many vegans that immediately bloated themselves on TVP and mock-meats upon switching to a vegan diet, and that is a terrible way to get yourself sick of vegan food. There is also recipes for serving around 200 people, which is awesome. Who knows when you'll need to feed an army?

CV: How is the project, The Good Food Bag, going? Why did you start it?

NC: Honestly, I don't know anything about it! I guess I should explain something about the collective here: turnover. Since the kitchen operates at a university, people come and go at all times. Currently, the Potato is in it's "second wave," so to speak. All the original members have moved on, and therefore there is a whole new set of hearts and minds at the centre of the Collective. It is too bad the projects like The Good Food Bag were not established enough to survive employment shifts. However, there are some current projects, such as a library of cookbook and cookzines that will serve as a resource centre for those who come to/volunteer in the kitchen.

CV: Is there a shared politics amongst people running the co-op?

NC: Well, to say the Potato is a strictly anarchist or workerist or socialist collective would be a stretch. However, checking and resisting such oppressive actions (or, institutions) as sexism, classism, racism, and queer phobia is held very strongly by the collective. Different collective members are involved in more specific political groups, and we all respect each others' rights to personal political affiliations.

CV:   How would you sum up the Peoples' Potato Co-Op philosophy Nathan?

NC: The Peoples' Potato exists to provide a necessity which is sadly a scarce resource in our society. We believe that there must be an effort to counter the commodification of food in our society. Community is too often shadowed by the interest of capital, and the People's Potato exists to resist such distinctly Western sentiments.

CV: What are some of your fav vegan meals from the Co-Op?

NC: Recently, Christine made a seemingly endless amount of pakoras, which I made a mango chutney to complement, and it was unreal. I actually don't even remember the rest of the meal because the pakoras were so good! Benoit makes a great vegan Shepard's pie occasionally. The last meal of the year was fairly extravagant: marinated tofu "burgers," potato salad with fresh dill and red onions, rice pudding with fresh cardamon, and coleslaw with a red wine vinaigrette dressing. An intense meal, no?