Elijah Lyke, (Eli) is a new Fairbanksan by way of Minneapolis. He  moved here with his wife Erin, who grew up here, and their dog and cat. They  have settled comfortably in the eclectic Slaterville neighborhood. For the last 12 years he has worked in the cabinetry and carpentry field and currently works at Dreamworks Cabinetry in Ester.

His obsession is bicycles, both riding them and fixing them up. In Minneapolis he and his wife were members of the Wedge Coop in the Whittier neighborhood. They also shopped at the cities other coops as well. In Minneapolis the coops were the most enjoyable part of a weekly food gathering, according to Eli.

Eli’s vision for the Coop is to see more sustainability and livability in our community: sustainability in providing food that is better for our planet, and sustainability in being able to spend and invest in a grocery store that keeps money local and returns more of it back to the community.

He sees the Coop bringing livabilty to our community, by bringing healthier food choices and by creating a grocery store that is more assessable to pedestrians and those using public transit.

His primary goal is to serve the members of our co-op in bringing a more sustainable and livable grocery store to Fairbanks.