Identifying Co-op Resources?

Can a symbol (or something) be added in the Garden Watchdog to identify vendors that have been used for co-ops? Maybe even be able to search through the businesses that have been co-op suppliers? It sure would make things easier when someone is thinking about a co-op but doesn't know who to approach. I think it would also help first-time organizers to use vendors who have been through the process. And to avoid problems and make sure it's not used negatively, it could be labelled specifically as successful co-op vendors.

The best thing would be for those who have delt with the company in the co-op to post their experiences. Might cause issues is you had a symbol there or something - if those in the co-op just post it would make it easy and quick to see.

A few potential problems I see with creating an "approved" symbol or designation:

1) The co-op forum is only viewable to subscribers. (Non-subscribers don't even see the forum, so they don't know it exists.) The Watchdog is public to everyone. Having some type of designation for "approved" vendors would be cryptic and confusing to hundreds of thousands of Watchdog visitors and users.

2) Some vendors - even though they've successfully supplied a co-op in the past - may not want to be tapped for any future co-ops. (They're tactful and diplomatic if they're approached, but my guess is some of them hold their breath everytime a co-op is mentioned and pray they're not asked. ;o)

3) Some vendors have never been used for a group purchase, but would make an excellent source for future co-ops. If there were an "approved" list, most organizers would rely on that limited group exclusively, and some members would probably shy away from a co-op that used any "non-approved" vendor.

I really think the Watchdog's rating can provide enough feedback for organizers to get a feel for a vendor they're not personally familiar with. And if they have a local or mailorder source they know and trust, they shouldn't feel obligated to bypass their own preferred vendor in favor of one that has supplied a past co-op.

Having said all that, there are two ways that we can identify good potential vendors for co-ops:

1) The organizer can - and should - leave feedback in the Watchdog. Good or bad, the experience can be recorded for the benefit of others.

2) Organizers can look through the closed co-op threads, or search the co-op forum for key words ("hosta", "daylily" - whatever they're thinking of trying to organize), and get an idea of which vendors might be good sources.

If you're a would-be organizer and you're stumped for a source, ask for guidance within the co-op forum - you'll likely get several recommendations from past organizers.