Dear Brown Owl Community

With all my heart I give to you as the chairperson and founder of Brown Owl Organics a farewell letter.

Brown Owl INC is stepping down to make way for a beautifully talented couple Liam Dijk and Johnelle Hosking as the new owner operators of Brown Owl Organics.

Late last year was momentous, the reason being, our members voted to allow the committee, who they trusted, to sell Brown Owl Organics. The committee came to the realisation that Brown Owl needed to be 'set free' from the huge commitments and the toll it was taking on the volunteers.

Since that decision, the committee has been working tirelessly towards a favourable outcome for our community, members and for Rotorua, and here we are!

The sale and purchase of an iconic, well-known organic store.

15 years ago Brown Owl Organics was born, newly born it didn't know too much about what it was doing, but it had passion for good food and a strong will to stay alive for the sake of making organic food a staple in peoples lives, who understood what organic food truly is and how this food contributes to a healthy state of being.

Brown Owl proved so popular that in 2014 it needed to become an Incorporated society to please bureaucrats, and a committee was born.

The activity was huge ,the organic movement in Rotorua gained momentum and in 2020 despite hurdles we decided not to be risk adverse, and took the plunge into retail - bringing organics more into the community. The energy and effort by all those who backed Brown Owl is truly inspiring ; we all can be proud of what Brown Owl has achieved.

What an adventure and a crazy story; a little organic co-op still serving great organic, nonsprayed food to its community and the best part of the story is that it will stay alive under the guidance of Liam and Johnelle.

We are excited with the possibilities and freshness that Liam and Johnelle will bring to Brown Owl. They already embrace community and will definitely adhere to Brown Owl's values.

Brown Owl will still be trading as Brown Owl Organics but not as an Incorporated society, instead as a privately owned business owned and operated by Liam and Johnelle from the 1st September 2024.

Brown Owl still needs your support to stay alive so please go in and say hi and perhaps purchase something GOOD!

Much Love,
Arohanui,

Janine Cotter - founder/Chairperson

- the Brown Owl Committee

21 August 2024