Eno Commons's Meal System
From: DCS (cdmemployees.org)
Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 18:42:18 -0700 (MST)
I'm sending this description of our meal system, because in a few
aspects, it varies considerably from the norm in cohousing. Here are the
highlights, and if you want to read further, go ahead:
1. **EVERYBODY COOKS, TWICE EVERY 3 MONTHS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY EAT**
2. COOKING TEAMS PAY FOR THE MEALS THEY PREPARE
3. WE HAVE HIGH ATTENDANCE AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A COMMONS HOUSE (YET)

We have 21 households moved in, with 33 adults living on the site.
        We don't have a commons house yet, but we've been having community
dinners at least once a week since well before anybody even moved in,
and for the last year, we've had a regular Tuesday night dinner, plus a
dinner every other Sunday. For the last six months, we've had cooking
teams prepare the Tuesday night dinner, relieving us of the never-ending
potluck suppers.

**EVERYBODY COOKS, TWICE EVERY 3 MONTHS, WHETHER OR NOT THEY EAT**
        We currently include the renters and live-in partners in the cooking
cycle. 
        Currently, the system is more or less mandatory, with a scheduler who
sets up each cycle, trying to take into consideration everyone's travel
and work schedules. We do not currently have separate "cleaning" teams.
We do not have lead cooks. Past scheduling conflicts, the cooking teams
are assigned in random fashion. One advantage is that people who
wouldn't normally hang out with each other have a common task together.
Another advantage is that having three lame cooks together forces at
least one of them to improve his/her skills in order to avoid utter
embarrassment. Mandatory cooking means we *all* have to learn how to
cook better.
        Once the cycle is set, if you can't cook on your night, it's your job
to find someone to switch with. 
        We average about 25 adults for each meal (usually more like 28/30.)
Some neighbors rarely eat common meals, but show up for their cooking
assignment twice a cycle. Some people have relatives who eat with us a
lot, and those relatives are not assigned to cooking teams. 
        (Note: The general notion is that if someone had a "personal situation"
of whatever nature, the scheduler would handle it discretely and keep
that person off the rotation. The discussion has been that eventually,
all of us will have a time where we need to get out of the cooking
cycle, so over a period of years, it evens out.)

COOKING TEAMS PAY FOR THE MEALS THEY PREPARE
        The eaters don't pay anything. I like this system because, and I know
this is just a mind game, I pay $20-$30 each time I cook (the meals
average $50 to $100) and the entire rest of the three months, I pay
nothing. It feels like somebody is taking care of me for all those other
meals, and I love that feeling. (Also, it just seems silly to charge for
our kids, 15 of which are under 10, because between them all, they
usually eat a pound of pasta and 2 carrots. Sometimes they'll try the
entrees, but usually we end up dumping plates full of their food into
the compost bin.) A few people have expressed interest in changing this
system - I have yet to be convinced of the advantages of bookkeeping and
nickel and diming everyone to death. Most people I talk to don't have a
problem with the current system.

WE HAVE HIGH ATTENDANCE AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE COMMON SPACE FOR SHARED
MEALS   
        I think the key to our success thus far has been first, that most of
the people in our group really like to eat and to socialize together.
We've been eating together for years, food has always been a part of
meetings, dinners have always been a recruiting tool. The community
dinners now are just continuing a tradition.
        Secondly, I believe that on some level, most of the neighbors accept
that cooking is a right and responsibility of living here, that if
people start dropping out of the cooking rotation, then the meals will
eventually cease, or else community dinners will turn into dinner
cliques. Everybody cooks regardless of how much other work they do in
the neighborhood. Cooking connects us all together. Whether cooking is
actually mandatory is still a question some of us (who care) are still
debating. Most people, I believe, just view this as a system that is
working for our neighborhood. 
        So, most people feel a sense of ownership of the meals and come to the
meals because they are entitled to eat there - they've done or soon will
do their duty and host everyone else.


Christine Della Maggiora
Eno Commons Cohousing
Durham, NC
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