WINTER 2014
NEWSLETTER
COOPERATIVELY OWNED
COMMUNITY FOCUSED
Thanks for the Roots: Visiting Winter Moon Farm An profile of the farmer that provides the Co-op with local organic winter storage roots during the cold season. By Matthew Novik, Communications Manager
I
t was the second week in February and we were all just digging out from the third consecutive early week snowstorm when I made the trek from Great Barrington to Hadley to visit Winter Moon Farm. I guess it was appropriate that this visit came at a time when everyone seemed to be working harder than usual to defy the forces of winter. That’s what Michael Docter, owner of Winter Moon Farm, does every day tt this time of year. Winter Moon Farm specializes in winter storage crops. So, when people in the northeast are buckling down for the winter and farms are closing up shop for the season, Michael is getting ready to sell them locally grown food. A Modern Renaissance Man To say the least, Michael is an interesting guy. After growing up outside of Washington DC, he graduated with a Master’s Degree in Community Development and started doing Community Land Trust work in Pennsylvania and New Jersey before he landed in the Pioneer Valley for good. But, in the end, nonprofit work wasn’t for him. “I needed to get outside in the dirt” he said “and I knew that you could do just as much good in the for profit world as long as you kept your priorities and your values straight.”
It was that philosophy that led him to strike a deal with the Wester Mass Food Bank to buy a 30+ acre farm in Hadley and convert it The Food Bank Farm. This was a unique agreement that allowed Docter to run a Community Supported Agriculture for profit organic farm while also growing food for the Food Bank and the many hunger support agencies they served. For a variety of reasons, the Food Bank Farm unfortunately closed its doors in 2009 and Docter found himself looking for ways to make a living. “My kids were going to college and I had to pay the bills.” he told me. So he did what he knew best, he started a unique farming business that served a community need. That business was Winter Moon Farm. Winter Roots at Winter Moon Winter Moon is a ten-acre farm with a 4,500 square foot former tobacco barn that produces 150,00 to 180,000 pounds of beets, carrots, parsnips,
radishes and turnips to stores, restaurants and farmers market customers from December to March. And, in case you were wondering, the Co-op is one of Michael’s customers and vast majority of the winter roots we sold you this year came from Winter Moon. ROOTS Continued on Page 8
Water Use and Your Breakfast: A Look at Water Footprints
413.528.9697 www.berkshire.coop Open Every Day 8 am - 8 pm
42 Bridge Street Great Barrington, MA 01230
By Cian Dalzell, Special Projects Manager
Inside This Issue
Notes from HQ Page 2 Our Ends Page 3 Catching Up with the Board Page 4 BerkShore Expands Sourcing Page 5 Is Bone Broth the New Bacon Page 6 Education & Outreach Update Page 7 Supplements Under Scrutiny Page 9 CSA Prep Guide Page 10 Seasonal Eating Recipes Page 11 Departmental Reports Page 12
W
ith the ongoing drought in California and erratic rainfall amounts in many growing regions, there have been some questions lately about the water footprint of various foods. Most of these questions have been rhetorical during the shopping trip as opposed to a direct request for information. That’s good because it’s a very, very complicated question, and even the most knowledgeable of your Co-op’s employees would have no idea how to answer that question on the fly. Thankfully, some other folks have done most of the research for us and we can present it here. Naturally, the concern over almond growing and its water footprint is one that I have heard more than most. The average almond takes 1.1 gallons (4.6 liters) to grow. As California grows 80% of the global almond harvest, this concern makes a lot of sense. Let’s look further into the matter. WATER Continued on Page 9
Berkshire Co-op Market • 42 Bridge Street • Great Barrington, MA 01230 • 413.528.9697 • www.berkshire.coop
Notes from HQ: The GM Report By Art Ames, General Manager
A
re we all having an amazingly wonderful winter? No? It’s been brutal, dating back to the first of the season Thanksgiving snowstorm. As I write this, it’s snowing again. As you may have noticed, our building and grounds are having issues, just like many of our homes. The ground has settled in the deep freeze, and the building settled into its new spot, forming a separation in the roof above the café. Yes, the same café ceiling that we replaced in the fall due to a leak. Right now, we have a portion roped off, and the damage is easy to see. As soon as the outside temperatures get up into the balmy 20s, we can get started on the fix. In the meantime, I hope you don’t mind cozying up to your table neighbors just a bit. We’re also aware that our floors look a mess; that the foyer swells with moisture so that our exterior doors stick open and closed; that we expect to have a fascinating early beginning of pothole season in our parking lot next month. Thanks for your patience. Thank you even to the one customer who informed us with genuine concern on the day that we were the only grocery store in town open that our parking lot was slippery. Anyhow, I’m looking forward to spring and doing my best to keep on smiling until it comes. Since our last newsletter, our leadership team has continued to evolve. Zack is now comfortably ensconced into his operations manager role, Ted Moy became the retail manager, and they’ve been working so closely together that it’s hard to find one of them without the other by his side. Jeff is flourishing as floor manager. Poor Jeff. He also took back responsibility for the building conditions, so he’s had an interesting winter. We’ve interviewed internally to fill the grocery manager role and will have an exciting announcement shortly. There are lots of new faces on the front end, and the team is gelling nicely, thank you. It’s a joy to see people having fun and getting the work done simultaneously. There has been quiet progress on our 100 Bridge Street relocation project. It’s close. We’ve solved many of the major hurdles, working closely with our project stakeholders, CDC. It’s not always easy, yet we collectively know this is the right path to take, and there’s passion for the project. It keeps all of us going. Based on this winter’s weather, I am assuming that site work scheduled for the spring thaw will need to take place quite late in the spring, unless our weather patterns dramatically change. The ground is frozen very deep this season. As I’ve repeatedly stated, while things may seem to be dragging, once we get past a few more issues, you’ll be amazed how much will happen in a very short time. OK. Here it comes: I’ve been delaying bringing this up because I know the subject will be met with controversy. Ready? I’m talking about our senior discount program for owners. Brace yourselves. Before I really get into it, let’s review. Currently, Co-op owners who are 65 or older receive a 7% discount. We instituted that program many years ago, and revised it about ten years ago when we moved to Bridge Street. It’s fascinating to contemplate how and why senior discounts came into vogue for many businesses. At one time, arguably, when there was a larger middle class and less income disparity, seniors who were retiring struggled financially as a separate group. Now we share that issue across the age spectrum. We are also just at the point where our baby boomers are retiring. Those born in 1946 are now 69 years old. Income percentages are higher for these seniors than for those who came before them. One thing that allows the Co-op to be strong, vibrant, and relevant is a willingness to change to meet the needs of our community. I suppose it would be easier for some if we just kept the status quo. By the way, this is our year-to-year total discount given: Year 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Total Sales $ 6,637,218 6,977,277 7,225,038 7,596,908 7,863,929 8,283,159 8,653,701 8,430,320
Total Discount $ 39,913 47,366 52,432 68,294 74,067 80,182 97,500 95,500
Over the next couple of months, our team will flesh out a suggested program and transition method. We will then ask for a committee made up of staff and owners to look at the plan, offer suggestions and modifications, and help us talk with other owners. We will particularly make sure that some of the participants are senior owners. We want, need, and know that we will get your support and involvement, and I thank you in advance for that! Because we must track everything for financial and legal reasons, and rely on conventional reporting and technology systems in an unconventional business, it’s likely that for a short period of time all discounts will be put on hold while we prepare for the new program, and there would also have to be a sign-up period. While I certainly don’t have all the details yet, this is how it should play out, including a rough timeline. • March and April we would work out the operational details and proposed program with the leadership team. • May and into June, we would meet as a blended owner/staff committee to evaluate and change the draft plan, set up meeting and discussion opportunities with other owners to get even more feedback, and finalize the plan. • July, August, and September all owner discounts would be put on hold while we sign up owners for the new need-based program. • October 1st, the new program would be instituted at the cash register. Here are the most basic elements of the type of draft plan we may come up with. • The 7% discount for senior owners would transition to a need-based program. • We would use 150% of the U.S. poverty level guidelines to determine eligibility. • All owners, including eligible seniors, would enroll in a trustbased program. We have no interest in being bogged down by red tape and know that because we are working with owners, we have a shared vision and responsibility. • Income eligibility levels will increase depending on family size. • This program will work with other social programs to help those most in need have access to quality foods, including significantly enhancing and strengthening our asics program. So there you have it. The beginnings of a longer inclusive discussion that will lead all of us to a program that we can embrace to better serve our community. Yes, we know the idea is a bit radical, and that currently programs like this do not exist around here. It’s always a challenge to be the first, but it’s ultimately a rewarding and unifying process. I expect and hope that you’ll send me notes and e-mails with your initial thoughts. If you want to help us develop this, let me know, though we’ll have a more official request for your assistance later on. For now, this gives you a chance to chew on all of this and contemplate the possibilities. I appreciate and want to sincerely thank our board of directors, operational leadership team, and many of our owners for taking the time to work on this. It’s been argued that the Co-op is entering a relocation period and that we therefore don’t have a lot of cash in the bank. Financially, it would be far more prudent to contemplate the elimination of the senior discount and not replace it, using the almost $100,000 toward our bottom line. That’s a valid argument and goes to the crux of the matter. We are a cooperative dedicated to serving the community’s needs, and to finding a way to balance social and financial needs in a way that conventional businesses do not. It’s not that they don’t care; it’s just that their reason for being is different. It isn’t their mission. Hey, if it were simple and easy, everyone would do it. Thanks. Stop and say “hi” when you see me at the Co-op. Stay warm, and let’s all hope that the next time I write, winter will be a relatively distant memory.
Understanding the changing environment and shakier economy, we began to float the idea of an income/need-based discount for owners a few years ago, merely in discussion. More revealing, last year we surveyed you, our owners, and asked you if you’d prefer to keep the senior discount, transition the senior discount to a needbased discount, eliminate discounts altogether, or find a combination. Close to 80% of you suggested a transition to a need-based discount, so that’s what we will begin to implement.
Berkshire Co-op Market • Winter Newsletter
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THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BOD@BERKSHIRE.COOP
Daniel Seitz
Erica Spizz
Matthew Syrett
Leslie Davidson
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Betsy Andrus
Bryan Ayers
Molly de St André
Daniel Esko
THE STORE MANAGEMENT TEAM Art Ames General Manager generalmanager@berkshire.coop
Bob Crowle Business Manager
Zack Sheppard Operations Manager
Ted Moy Retail Manager
Matt Novik Communications Manager
bcrowle@berkshire.coop
zsheppard@berkshire.coop
tmoy@berkshire.coop
mnovik@berkshire.coop
DEPARTMENT MANAGERS Austin Banach Meat, Seafood, and Cheese Manager abanach@berkshire.coop
Jake Levin Produce Manager
Lynn Pino Prepared Foods Manager
jlevin@berkshire.coop
lpino@berkshire.coop
Jeff Schilling Floor Manager
Kira Smith Owner Services Manager
Brenna St. Pierre Wellness Manager
jschilling@berkshire.coop
ksmith@berkshire.coop
bstpierre@berkshire.coop
DATES of INTEREST
OUR ENDS (Developed by the Board of Directors)
SUNDAY, MARCH 22: FARM TOUR! MEAD’S MAPLE SYRUP - 10:30
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25: CO-OP BOARD MEETING AT 307 MAIN STREET - 6:00
SATURDAY, MARCH 28: KIDS CAN COOK APRIL FOOLS DAY SECRET RECIPE - 10:30
SATURDAY, APRIL 4: DIY KIDS ALL NATURAL EASTER EGG DYING - 3:30
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15: OWNER APPRECIATION DAY 10% OFF FOR CO-OP OWNERS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22: CO-OP BOARD MEETING AT 307 MAIN STREET - 6:00
SATURDAY, APRIL 25: KIDS CAN COOK SPRING VEGGIE DUMPLINGS - 10:30
The Berkshire Cooperative Association cultivates a sustainable local/regional economy and cooperatively builds a vibrant community. To this end, the Berkshire Cooperative Association: E1. Operates a financially successful, community-oriented natural food store that specializes in consciously fresh food and meals, with reasonably priced options E2. Flourishes E3. Is a model of social and environmental stewardship E4. Is accessible, welcoming, inclusive and innovative E5. Fosters the growth of local/regional food systems E6. Develops an informed and engaged community E7. Promotes healthful living E8. Supports a sustainable environment
WEDNESDAY, MAY 27: CO-OP BOARD MEETING AT 307 MAIN STREET - 6:00
THURSDAY, JULY 16: OWNER APPRECIATION DAY 10% OFF FOR CO-OP OWNERS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15: OWNER APPRECIATION DAY 10% OFF FOR CO-OP OWNERS
Berkshire Co-op Market • Winter Newsletter
OPERATIONAL VISION
• To be a transformative force in the community To serve as a model of a sustainable business • alternative • To nurture social and economic well-being in an environmentally sensitive manner
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OWNERSHIP CORNER Pick Your Paradigm
A Fond Farewell
By Daniel Seitz, Board President
From the Entire Board of Directors
Food production is at the epicenter of a conflict between two fundamental ways of viewing the world: the view that science can be used to improve upon nature without regard to natural laws through such technologies as genetic modification (GM) and the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and the view that understanding and living in accordance with nature—through such practices as organic agriculture—is the only way to ultimately preserve and enhance the productive capacity of the earth. Of course, science and nature do not have to be mutually exclusive. Over the course of millennia, human beings have engaged in careful observation of phenomena and experimentation to cultivate crops with more advantageous traits and to develop sound agricultural practices such as crop rotation, among many other advances. Careful observation and experimentation are at the heart of the scientific method. What’s different about so-called modern farming techniques, which involve such things as planting monoculture GM crops that require heavy use of pesticides, is that the application of science to agriculture has shifted from working with nature on its own terms to coercing nature to produce in ways that would never happen outside of a laboratory. When a bioengineer figures out how to insert a fish gene into a tomato to increase shelf life, or creates a seed that cannot propagate itself, he or she violates the integrity of nature and life itself. Many would ask, “Why not transform life in any way we can that yields human benefits?” The answer is simple: “We human beings do not have the intellectual capacity to determine all of the unintended consequences that flow from transforming life itself.” But the little we do know is alarming: whether it is that GMO foods are sometimes allergenic or worse to humans and animals; that GM crops and the associated pesticide use kill beneficial insect life, lessen soil fertility, and pollute ground water; that organic produce is more nutritious than GMO foods, or that GM monocropping endangers the very genetic diversity that supports food security around the world. The only scientists who widely dispute these points are industry supported. As the writer Upton Sinclair said, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.” The Co-op seeks to respect nature on its own terms through selecting products for sale that are organically and sustainably produced. We don’t believe there’s a viable alternative… at least in the long run.
The Board of Directors said goodbye to two members since the last newsletter and we wanted to recognize their service and thank them for their hard work. Michael Guthrie has recently stepped down due to personal reasons. He only had an opportunity to fill just over a year of his second run as a Board Director (he also served in the early 2000’s) and he leaves wishing he could have served longer. We wish him well in all his future endeavors and look forward to seeing him in the Co-op’s aisles soon. If you were at Annual Meeting in November, you already know that Alexandra Pryjma chose not to seek re-election to the Board. She has since embarked on a nationwide trek to warmer climates in a converted ambulance with her husband Luke, their dog Yogi and their bird Alex. They have been posting to their blog (terrapryjma.com) pretty regularly if you’re looking to catch up with the traveling Pryjmas
UPCOMING BOARD MEETINGS MEETINGS ARE HELD THE FOURTH WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH UNLESS A RESCHEDULE IS OTHERWISE NOTED 6:00 P.M. • BERKSHIRE CO-OP OFFICES • 307 MAIN STREET
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25TH WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22ND WEDNESDAY, MAY 27TH Co-op owners are welcome to attend Board meetings. Owner-input time is reserved from 6:45 – 7:00 p.m. to speak on any topic. If you need more time or want to address something in more detail, you can request to be placed onto the meeting agenda. Please recognize that the agenda needs to be set and posted in advance of any meeting. Requests must be received at least two weeks prior to the meeting date. Send requests to bod@berkshire.coop.
Owner Coupons: Don’t Forget
B
erkshire Co-op Market Owners can receive a special 6% discount on their automobile insurance while at the same time supporting Education, Health Care, and Public Safety in the Great Barrington area. This unique offer is being made by GoodWorks Insurance located at 343 Main Street in Great Barrington, just one block from the Co-op. The program underwriter is Main Street Group, a well respected, regional insurance carrier. Why is this offer different? GoodWorks returns 50% or more of its operating profit to charity every year. The revenue generated by the Co-op program will increase the amount of these donations. Charities that have received past donations include: Berkshire Grown, Construct, Inc., Great Barrington Firefighters Association, Railroad Street Youth Project, and many more. When owners combine their automobile and home insurance into one account, they can increase their savings. This results from many other discounts that may apply to an insured’s situation. To see if these discounts apply to you, and to recommend a local charity for the program, stop by the GoodWorks office and speak with a representative today!
Berkshire Co-op Market • Winter Newsletter
Did you know? The Co-op offers a different deal to owners every week with the Owner Coupon Program. Every Friday, the weekly Co-op Notes e-mail contains a coupon that can be used to save between 15% and 25% on specified purchases. These coupons can be printed out, photographed or saved to a mobile device. All owners have to do is shop according to the coupon instructions and show the coupon to a cashier to get the savings. You can use it every day if you like, we only ask that you keep it to one use per day. If you are interested in getting the coupons via email, go to www.berkshire. coop and sign up for the weekly email in the bottom right corner of the home screen. Any questions? Just ask at the front desk or call us at 413.528.9697.
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BerkShore Expands the Scope of Their Sourcing
Cooking Comfort Food: My Cure For Winter
By Austin Banach and Wes Malzone
By Lynn Pino, Prepared Foods Manager
A
s our small yet growing seafood department faces new goals and challenges, so do our vendors, the seafood industry, and the climate. As a fishmonger, my job is to inform you of domestic (and global) issues and protect you from getting a lower quality product. My decision to make BerkShore our number one seafood supplier lies in just that principal: being able to trust the source from which the fish is coming and trust that you are getting a superior product due to the fishmonger’s unwavering knowledge and commitment to only get the best and never to sell something that he isn’t 100% happy with. BerkShore’s focus until now has been fish caught on Massachusetts dayboats, and that will not change. There are, however, new goals being set for their product mix in the future. The next step is to also source high-quality, sustainable fish from our domestic fisheries as well. You will see a change in our literature about BerkShore products. Some products will be labeled “Massachusetts Landed,” while others will indicate the non-Massachusetts fisheries. Here’s a letter I received from Wes explaining his plans and his mission. Dear Berkshire Co-op Market, Thank you for your business and support of our efforts last year. As you know, our fish offerings have grown over the past three years, and this year is no exception. However, the decision to add a new item and/or vendor is done over a prolonged and sometimes painfully long time period as I want to make sure that both the vendor and the product meet my quality and service standards before I permanently add them to the list. The customers at your counter expect us to provide them with the best seafood we can find, and while that puts some pressure on us, our continued commitment to offer the freshest best seafood in the Berkshires has proven successful. We have seen more than 200% growth in Wes with one of the many Massachusetts Fisherman he buys from. product purchased by the Co-op from BerkShore this year. What this means is that more of you are eating fish that is wholesome, natural, and food we can feel good about. We are proud of our accomplishments this year, but will also strive to be even better this year as we try to better serve our existing customer base and also reach out to those in the community who do not yet know where to get the best fish! Our focus this year will be on adding more sustainable/local products (of course!) but also to see if we can start adding domestic products. Think: • • • • •
Dogfish (Massachusetts) Saltwater Blue Channel Catfish (Virginia) Snapper (Gulf) Salmon (Alaska) Edible Seaweed (Maine)
I have read many “fishy” books this year, and the one thing I have come away with is that supporting both your local fisheries and our domestic fishing fleet is essential to keeping our U.S. based fishermen/women on the water. (Note: There is tremendous pressure by foreign suppliers to replace our domestic catch with foreign imports, which are not remotely as fresh or healthy, and are neither inspected nor governed in a sustainable way, as U.S. fisheries are.) In these times of weather events and all the other market-driven forces that affect those of us in the seafood buying universe, it is now when working with a local fishmonger makes the most sense. Fishmongers (unlike their larger distributor counterparts) provide the most value when times are tough, as the number one thing that can suffer is the quality of the fish, and what you need during this time is a person working on your behalf to physically sort through, or demand from his/her vendor that they only get that small amount of “grade A” fish that comes in on any given day. Make no mistake about it, in today’s seafood economy, you get what you pay for, and “value-driven” seafood sellers are not demanding that small amount of “grade A” fish, but rather what is left after that “top of the trip” stuff gets sold at a bit higher price to fishmongers like BerkShore. Even though the quantity of “grade A” fish can be limited as mentioned above, there is enough to go around, if you know where to look and who to talk to. It was a great year for BerkShore in 2014, mainly because of our clients’ unwavering commitment to offering the best seafood, but also because we pushed ourselves and our vendors and demanded not to settle for just average fish, but to accept only the best of what was around on any given day. We will continue this crusade in the coming year and look to demand even more from ourselves and our vendors in 2015!
W
ith winter in full swing, Berkshire residents are often forced to spend many hours inside our homes. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that many people spend some of that extra time in their kitchens. While this additional time spent surrounded by food may not be beneficial to our waistlines, it can be to our souls. Winter can be a time to make recipes that take more time than you usually have to spend on dinner. It can also be a time to prepare recipes that are reminders of the past and honor our families. And, in my family, the smell of good food and the presence of family is one of the best cures for the winter blues. It does not make me unique to say that I grew up in a household where family and food were two fundamental aspects of our lives. As a matter of fact, most baby boomers can make that same claim, as we grew up at a time when restaurants and take-out places were frequented primarily on special occasions, instead of on a regular basis. Many of my fondest memories are of spending time in the kitchen with my mother, who was a wonderful cook, and my sisters, preparing meals for the family. Those hours spent in the kitchen were not usually looked upon as work— although during our teen years we sometimes felt they were—but as a labor of love. Not only were we creating something delicious to be shared by all, but we were also spending precious time together. All of our senses would become engaged as we prepared these meals, and it laid the groundwork for our futures, as three out of the four sisters would become chefs. Because family was, and still is, such an important aspect of our lives, visits from my paternal grandfather’s side of the family, who was Cuban born, were met with giddy delight. Each visit inevitably concluded in a meal consisting of Arroz con Pollo (chicken and rice) and fried plantains. While my mother was not of Cuban descent, she was given an Americanized copy of the family recipe, which I would like to share with you.
Pino Familiy Arroz con Pollo
Serves 4
1 tbsp. olive oil 1 chicken, quartered 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground black pepper 1 yellow onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup green peas, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced ½ cup green olives with pimentos, large chop 1 ¾ cups canned tomatoes, drained 1 tbsp. tomato sauce 2 cups canned chicken broth or homemade stock ¼ tsp. saffron threads 1 cup long-grain rice 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped 1. In a large, deep pan, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Season the chicken with ¼ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until well browned. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat. 2. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Add bell peppers and cook 3 minutes more. 3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, saffron, and the remaining salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the rice and add the chicken in an even layer. Simmer, partially covered, over moderately low heat until the chicken and rice are cooked, 20 to 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the fresh parsley.
-Wes
Berkshire Co-op Market • Winter Newsletter
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Bone Broth is the New Bacon By Jake Levin, Produce Manager and Certified Nose-to-Tail Butcher
MAKE YOUR OWN BONE BROTH Chicken Bone Broth
Adapted from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions
Ingredients 1 whole chicken or 2-3 pounds of bony chicken parts 4 quarts cold water 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 16 oz (2 packages of Co-op Fresh) mirepoix mix 1 ounce thyme 1 bunch flat leaf parsley 1 teaspoon black pepper corns
B
one broth is the new bacon! Or is it the new coconut water? Either way, it is everywhere. The New York Times, HuffPo, your Facebook feed: they’re all talking about bone broth. Made trendy by the popular paleo diet, bone broth is the newest food trend to hit the market. While this may be a new term for many eaters (or drinkers, as the case may be), it is an extremely old food product. Bone broth is simply a stock made from marrowbones and other bones that contain high amounts of collagen, such as knucklebones. Bone broth, or stock, is something that many cultures have used as a basic part of their traditional diets, considering it to be an important part of healthy eating. Many Asian cuisines have a version of “long life broth,” usually a combination of whole birds and shellfish. The “Jewish penicillin” cliché was born when the 12th-century physician Maimonides wrote that chicken soup (made from chicken bone stock) “is recommended as an excellent food as well as medication.” In the Caribbean, “cow foot soup,” rich with collagen, is eaten as a strengthening breakfast and as a cure for all sorts of ailments. While there are few reliable studies on the medicinal effects of broth, the Weston A. Price Foundation has done analyses that show it may provide benefits for inflammatory diseases, digestive problems, and even dopamine levels. If you’re looking for more on that angle, read one of the many articles from the WAPF website. The benefits are summed up by a quote from the book Nourishing Broth: An Old Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World, by Sally Fallon Morrell and Kaayla Daniel “Components of bone broth play vital roles in gut health, immune system support, bloodsugar balance, muscle building, healthy bones and joints, smooth skin and overall healing. It is apparently also helpful for mental health.” Bone broth can be made with beef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, or fish. When making your own, I recommend making large amounts, as it freezes well and is a great thing to have around your kitchen. You can also add flavorings to your bone broth, like ginger, shiitake mushrooms, and canned tomatoes. Not only is bone broth delicious to sip on, especially on cold days like we’ve been having recently, it is also the perfect base for any soup or stew. Here at the Co-op we sell everything necessary to make bone broth at home, including grass-fed beef bones, free-range organic chickens, fish bones, and all of the herbs, spices, and aromatics you would need. We are also bringing in Pacific’s new line of Organic Bone Broth, which should be hitting the shelves any day now. If you want to try it at home, take a look a the recipes to the right and choose your favorite.
Instructions 1. Add the chicken carcass, mirepoix, fresh herbs and pepper to a large pot or slow cooker. 2. Pour water over the carcass to cover. 3. Add cider vinegar. 4. Cook on low heat for 6-24-hrs. 5. Strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve & pour into mason jars. The broth should gel, but it is not necessary.
Beef Bone Broth Adapted from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions Ingredients 4 pounds grass-fed beef marrow bones 3 pounds grass-fed beef stew meat 4 quarts cold water ½ cup apple cider vinegar 1½ pounds (3 packages of Co-op Fresh) mirepoix mix 1 ounce thyme 1 bunch flat leaf parsley 1 teaspoon black pepper corns Instructions 1. Rinse an clean the bones under clean water. Pat them dry. 2. Roast the bones at 400 ° F for about an hour until the bones are well-browned and fragrant. Roasting the bones ensures a good flavor in the resulting beef stock. 3. Once the bones are browned, drain off any fat. 4. Place bones in a large pot along with the mirepoix and fresh herbs. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Once you’ve brought the water to a boil, add the vinegar and peppercorns. 5. Turn down heat and continue to simmer for several hours up to 24. 6. Throughout the cooking process, skim off any foam and add water as needed. 7. When the stock is finished simmering, filter through a fine mesh sieve and bottle in mason jars. 8. The stock should set just like gelatin, and the fat should rise to the top. Pick off the fat and reserve it for cooking, then scoop out the gelled stock and reheat to serve as soup. Note that it’s wise to serve this stock very hot as it may gel again once it cools.
Austin’s Fish Bone Broth
“Components of bone broth play vital roles in gut health, immune system support, blood-sugar balance, muscle building, healthy bones and joints, smooth skin and overall healing. It is apparently also helpful for mental health.” Nourishing Broth: An Old-Fashioned Remedy for the Modern World by Sally Fallon Morell, MA & Kaayla T Daniel, PhD, CCN
Berkshire Co-op Market • Winter Newsletter
Ingredients 4 pounds fish bones 1/2 cup dry white wine, optional 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped 4 stalks celery, roughly chopped 4 dried bay leaves 2 tablespoons black peppercorns Kosher or sea salt Preparation 1. In a 7 to 8 quart stock pot, combine the fish bones, white wine, and just enough water to cover solid ingredients by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil, skimming off the white foam from the top of the stock as it approaches boiling, then reduce the heat so the stock simmers. Remove the foam as it forms with a ladle. 2. Add the onions, celery, bay leaves, and peppercorns and stir them into the liquid. If the ingredients are not covered by the liquid, add a little more water. Allow the stock to simmer gently for 20 minutes. 3. Remove the stock from the stove, stir it again, and allow it to steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer. 4. Cover the stock after it has completely cooled and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Ten Outreach Moments of 2014 By Jenny Schwartz, Education & Outreach Coordinator
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erkshire Co-op Market gets out in the community in several ways. Food Adventures, a collaboration with the Nutrition Center, has been working with children in grades pre-k –through 8th grade in both north and south county schools. The Co-op continues to have free monthly children’s workshops in the café. Additionally, we are reaching out to other populations who can benefit from our educational services. That said, here are ten education and outreach moments (in no particular order) that were highlights of fall 2014. 1. BART: One of the benefits of having kids repeat our after-school programs is that we can give them opportunities to show off the knowledge they have retained. This past fall, one of our repeat students presented a lesson on whole grains based on what he had learned in a previous session. A typically chatty group gave their peer their full attention as he went into great detail, explaining the three parts of a grain. 2. BEEN: On November 19th, Food Adventures met with teachers at Flying Cloud’s Berkshire Environmental Educators Network to lead a workshop on grocery store lingo. We discussed buzzwords such as local, sustainable, organic, and GMO and how those qualities can benefit or detract from our quality of life. 3. BERKSHIRE GROWN HOLIDAY MARKETS: Food Adventures continues to use a farmers’ market setting to teach kids about easy and seasonal cooking. We set up shop in the cafeteria of Monument Valley Middle School and provided children with a free, five-minute cooking class, showing them fun, no-bake recipes they could make with ingredients found at the market. One young Food Adventures fan always asks her mom if “the burrito stand” is going to be at the market that day. While we don’t make burritos, yet, I think she is on to something!
A group of students working together to make veggie dumplings from scratch.
4. CONTE COMMUNITY SCHOOL: “Are we using food coloring today?” “I thought this would be lame, but it’s really fun.” These were a couple of the comments we heard while presenting a two-week in-school Food Adventures program at Conte Community School. The first week consisted of teaching kids about different foods from around the world. We focused on Asia and made vegetable stir-fry, which went over quite well with kids in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. The following week we connected it back to the Berkshires and talked about the importance of eating in season, particularly what was currently available from farms in our area. We made a rainbow wrap, which introduced many children to yellow beets and purple cabbage. They enthusiastically enjoyed these new foods and were quite surprised how sweet a beet could be! 5. DIY and KIDS CAN COOK: We had a record amount of children sign up and show up for this past holiday season’s DIY Kids and Kids Can Cook, where we made snow globes and miniature gingerbread houses. For the gingerbread houses, kids and their adult helpers were elbow deep in frosting fun. This was a new experience for some of our youngest participants, who had yet to understand the concept that the candy was not for immediate eating. We are happy to provide these free workshops to our customers and community members! 6. FERMENTATION WORKSHOPS— Community organizer Michelle Kaplan brought her expertise and passion for fermenting the bounty to the Co-op this fall. She held several workshops that were open to all ages and free to the community. Michelle helped to alleviate the fear of fermenting and showed us how simple and safe it really is. Participants engaged in a hands-on experience and had the opportunity to taste some of Michelle’s own fermented delicacies to get a sense of the finished product. Be on the lookout for more workshops in 2015.
A Muddybrook student cracking the eggs for her group’s recipe.
7. FOOD DAY at MONUMENT VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL— This was a collaboration between Berkshire Botanical Garden, Berkshire Co-op Market, Greenagers, and Monument Valley Middle School. The Co-op helped the other organizations’ afterschool classes research, shop for, and make simple recipes that would be served to over 300 students and faculty members on Food Day, which took place on Friday, October 24th. The students came to the Co-op for a store tour and learned how to use the buying club in order to purchase necessary ingredients for their recipes. The following week they produced enough food to give each kid and staff member a sample. 8. MORNINGSIDE COMMUNITY SCHOOL— Food Adventures has the fun and possibly unique opportunity to combine nutrition with music, working with the Kids for Harmony students, the orchestra group at Morningside Community School in Pittsfield, MA. You may be thinking, “music and cooking?” We got our creative juices flowing and came up with some interesting connections between the two: comparing notes in music to measurements in cooking; learning about music from different cultures and making a traditional dish; finding the birthplace of famous composers on the map and learning about produce that was cultivated in that area, and much more!
The great orange juice experiment at Muddybrook!
9. MUDDYBROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL— This fall we have focused on working with the 1st and 2nd graders for the Project Connection after-school program. Kids were tasting and experiencing new and healthy foods on a weekly basis. They were able to be artistic while creating an edible rainbow, learning about grains through pretzel sculptures, and making delicious seasonal dumplings from scratch. We also tied math, science, and reading into the lessons. A particular highlight was one of our students taking on the orange juice experiment. He conducted a survey by asking each kid in the class how many oranges they thought it took to make a cup of orange juice. He collected the data, wrote it down, and proceeded to juice the necessary oranges to make one cup of juice. Upon finding the result, he presented the class with the correct number. If you are curious about the outcome, ask a 1st or 2nd grade Food Adventurer. We concluded the session with two groups of students working together to create their own version of a recipe we had previously made, which they then served to family and friends at Project Connection’s showcase. 10. GET UNPLUGGED: Get Unplugged planning got underway for spring of 2015! Get Unplugged is a collaboration between Berkshire Co-op Market and Berkshire South Regional Community Center to provide a weeklong opportunity of free programs that connect kids to new activities and interests that are screen-free. The goal is to provide children with earth-friendly activities, raise awareness about the environment, and encourage them to try new things. If you are interested in presenting a workshop or volunteering, please contact Jenny at jschwartz@berkshire.coop.
Berkshire Co-op Market • Winter Newsletter
A student-led lesson on whole grains.
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Food Activist to Speak in Great Barrington The Community Land Trust Presents Eric Holt-Giménez, Founder of Food First. By Billie Best, Community Land Trust in the Southern Berkshires
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ric Holt-Giménez is executive director of Food First, also known as the Institute for Food and Development Policy, which the New York Times has called one of the country’s “most established food think tanks.” Food First works to end the injustices that cause hunger through research, education, and action, and has published over sixty books exploding commonly held myths about hunger and food production. At the March 21st event in the Berkshires, Eric will speak about the global impact of the disappearing public sphere through the lens of access to farmland and the role he sees for community ownership of land. He is a compelling speaker, sure to enliven discussion of how engaged citizens can create their own food security. His talk is based on a chapter from his forthcoming book, What Every Foodie Needs to Know About Capitalism. Of Basque and Puerto Rican heritage, Eric grew up milking cows and pitching hay in Point Reyes, California, where he learned that putting food on the table is hard work. After studying rural education and biology at the University of Oregon and Evergreen State College, he spent twenty-five years in Mexico and Central America, where he was drawn to the simple life of small-scale farmers. His deep appreciation for the value and power of building local food systems is tempered by his belief that working locally is not enough to bring about the larger changes that are needed. He has said, “Small farmers and underserved urban communities need changes in national food policies and international trade rules to have a fighting chance of feeding themselves and building healthy, prosperous livelihoods.” Among his many accomplishments, Eric is the editor of the Food First book, Food Movements Unite! Strategies to Transform Our Food Systems; co-author of Food Rebellions! Crisis and the Hunger for Justice with Raj Patel and Annie Shattuck; and author of the book Campesino a Campesino: Voices from Latin America’s Farmer to Farmer Movement for Sustainable Agriculture. Saturday, March 21st at 7:00 pm at the First Congregational Church on Main Street in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, is the annual meeting of the Community Land Trust in the Southern Berkshires, followed immediately by Eric Holt-Giménez’s speech. The Community Land Trust in the Southern Berkshires was founded in 1980 to hold land on behalf of the community for homes, farms, and businesses, with the goal of ensuring permanent access, control, affordability, and environmental stewardship. Control of strategic land assets for workforce housing, food security, energy independence, and community-supported industry is essential to our regional sustainability. The Community Land Trust is an open, democratic, member-driven organization committed to stewardship of community-owned land. Membership is ten dollars/BerkShares per year per household. They own 49 acres of land in Great Barrington and Egremont leased to 23 homeowners and Indian Line Farm, the first CSA in the United States. Food First was founded in 1975 by Joseph Collins and Frances Moore Lappé, author of the revolutionary bestseller Diet for a Small Planet. In addition to celebrating its rich legacy, Food First’s 40th anniversary activities will highlight the challenges ahead and the work yet to be done to create healthy and sustainable food systems.
The Vanishing Public Sphere: A Talk About Land with Eric Holt-Giménez, Executive Director of Food First, from his forthcoming book: What Every Foodie Needs to Know About Capitalism
Saturday, March 21, 7:00 pm First Congregational Church Main Street, Great Barrington, MA
Winter Roots From Winter Moon Continued from Page 1
With the ten acres covered in two feet of snow, this farm tour focused on the barn. Michael opened up a big garage door that lead to the processing area and another one that led to the storage. That space contained stacks of large wooden crates, each holding about 1,000 pounds of food. “Basically the storage consists of a computer, a fan and a door.” Docter explained “In the wintertime the computer opens up the door when it’s the right temperature the fans mix the air through all the roots.” This method uses far less energy than the compressors used in conventional storage methods and keeps the storage area at optimal conditions all winter long. All about the Power Energy conservation an important part of the Winter Moon operation. Micahel Docter is not just a hunger advocate, he’s also a dedicated environmentalist. One of the first things you notice about the barn is that the roof is covered with solar panels. As we talked, there was still a significant amount of snow covering the panels and Michael was eager to see it fall. “We don’t get any power when the panels are covered like that” he said “normally it falls off the next day, but it’s been so cold that it’s taking longer than usual.” Even with the snowy winter, the farm produces about seven times the electricity it needs with the solar array. The rest is returned to the grid. Michael is very conscious of energy usage and does everything he can to reduce it where he can. He even delivers about 25,000 pounds of
Berkshire Co-op Market • Winter Newsletter
food each year by bicycle to local Amherst and Northampton area customers. Solar energy is a resource for Docter in another way as well. When the Food Bank Farm closed, he started another business to help make ends meet. Solar energy producers receive a renewable energy certificate from the state. Utility companies are required to have a number of them by law. Michael’s panels don’t produce enough on their own to be a part of the process on a significant scale. But, Docter, with all his experience in the bureaucracy of his past, has the talents to bring together friends and colleagues in similar situations to act as one to get income from their environmental conservation. He charges them a small percentage for his work and he truly seems to like it “It lets me use a different part of my brain than farming and it keeps me balanced.” Tortillas Too Speaking of balance, Docter is involved in yet another business that sells food at the Co-op. Mi Tierra, a family-owned Mexican Restaurant down the road from the farm, was looking for help sourcing corn and marketing for their tortillas and Michael was helping them on a volunteer basis. Then, tragedy struck as the restaurant was burned to the ground in a fall, 2013 fire that also claimed a dozen other businesses and a couple of residences. At first, the family was making tortillas by hand and Michael was selling them at his farmers markets. Then he decided to become a
50/50 partner in the tortilla business to take it to the next level and sell the high quality product to retail stores. “They handle production and I handle marketing and sales” he told me. The business continues to grow and has seen great success. And, just recently, the restaurant reopened and the family is stronger than ever. Mi Tierra tortillas are available in the refrigerated grocery department at the Co-op. Wrap Up What started as a quick visit to meet the man that has supplied my dinners with local food all winter turned into a fascinating conversation with one of the true renaissance men of the food world. In our thirty minute conversation, he told me about three businesses, we sampled some delicious storage carrots, he got a phone call from a utility company about renewable energy certificates, we were visited by some workers to whom he spoke fluent spanish and, at the very end of the visit, we saw some more snow fall off his solar panels. With spring on the way, the storage season will soon come to an end. In the meantime, take a look at the roots shelf in the Co-op’s produce department and try some rainbow carrots or purple top turnips. And, next year, when the ground inevitable freezes over again, remember Winter Moon Farm and keep buying local all year round.
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Supplement Industry Under Scrutiny By Brenna St. Pierre, Wellness Manager
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he supplements industry has received recent criticism due to DNA testing conducted by the New York attorney general. While we do not have access to the products list or results, the products tested are rumored to have been store-brand Walgreens, Walmart, Target, and GNC botanical supplements. The New York attorney general took action based on the results, which appeared to show integrity issues. While we respect the demand for supplement integrity, DNA bar coding has not been validated by the FDA for testing finished products. While DNA tests are approved and widely used for raw materials, it is well known that extraction methods and heat can damage DNA, making DNA tests of finished products inaccurate. Manufacturers abiding by Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are allowed to perform “skip lot” testing, the practice of not testing every batch, but many supplements manufacturers do test all their raw materials. In the Wellness corner, we work hard to source quality supplements from trustworthy manufacturers. For instance, our store’s in house logo brand, Vitamer Labs, tests every batch of raw materials they receive for integrity. They follow current GMPs and are routinely inspected by the FDA and Natural Products Association. Gaia Herbs also validates every new batch of raw materials, even if it is from their own farm. They have a wonderful testing facility and use visible spectroscopy, organoleptic evaluation, microscopy, and DNA testing to ensure product purity, potency, and integrity. Their proprietary testing method is so pioneering that they were invited to present at the 2014 U.S. Pharmacopoeia Convention. Gaia Herbs also has the Meet Your Herbs program, enabling anyone to trace and
retrieve full testing information for every single bottle. We expect this event to be a challenge for the supplements industry. However, it provides unique insight into testing practices and product quality. And sheds light on the companies that are
really doing things right. If you have concerns or questions about product integrity, please ask. I can be reached at bstpierre@berkshire.coop or by phone at 413.528.9697.
Water Footprints of Our Food Continued from Page 1 Water Footprint in Terms of Breakfast Let’s say you eat cereal for breakfast. Strictly speaking, almond milk falls in the middle of the water footprint spectrum for common cereal milks. Global averages put a liter of almond milk as requiring 400 liters of water, while a liter of soy milk takes 297 liters of water to produce, and the same amount of cow’s milk takes about 1,000 liters of water globally (it’s around 800 for cow’s milk produced in the United States). The water taken into account here is the water that is sourced by the crop or animal, the water brought in by irrigation or watering, and the water used in washing/processing. So that’s easy, right? Not so fast. Here in the Northeast, we tend to have quite an abundance of water. We are much less likely to have droughts and much more likely to have wet years than the standard growing regions for almonds. That means that products like soy milk and cow’s milk (almonds don’t grow well here) are able to be produced using natural water supplies more easily than in more arid climates. Plants are better able to water themselves from the soil and cows feed on lush pasture, requiring the farmers to provide less water to them. Irrigation is more likely to be sourced from groundwater that is abundant, able to replenish itself, and be used less frequently. So is choosing cow’s milk the wrong choice in Massachusetts? Maybe not. In short, that means it’s not just what you eat for breakfast, but where you eat it, and there is no clear answer to whether a smaller water footprint beverage is what we should all be using on our breakfast cereal, because there are always more factors to consider. That works out well for me, personally, as someone who enjoys local cow’s milk but also likes to have almonds as a snack. What about a different breakfast altogether? Switch to eggs and it’s about 136 liters for two eggs, or to fruit, with only 78 liters per apple and 49 per orange. The difference between the hot beverages generally drunk with your breakfast is a little clearer, with 120 liters of water required to produce 1 liter of tea, versus 1,120 liters of water required to produce 1 liter of coffee. Pork
Berkshire Co-op Market • Winter Newsletter
for your bacon will use 4,795 liters per kilogram and your toast will need 650 liters for a package of sliced bread. All of these pale in comparison to the 15,500 liters of water for one kilogram of beef, and the staggering 24,000 liters required for one kilogram of chocolate. Thankfully, if you want a
sweet touch to your morning meal, even those of us eating gigantic amounts of chocolate don’t go through more than about five ounces per day, which only requires 3,400 liters to produce.
What’s a Water Footprint? The water footprint is an indicator of freshwater use that looks at both direct and indirect water use of a consumer or producer. The water footprint of an individual, community or business is defined as the total volume of freshwater used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business. Water use is measured in terms of water volumes consumed (evaporated or incorporated into a product) and/or polluted per unit of time. A water footprint can be calculated for a particular product, for any well-defined group of consumers (for example, an individual, family, village, city, province, state or nation) or producers (for example, a public organization, private enterprise or economic sector). The water footprint is a geographically explicit indicator, showing not only volumes of water use and pollution, but also the locations. Definition from waterfootprint.org
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Get Ready for CSA Season Community Supported Agriculture continues to be a wonderful way to eat local food while supporting local farms and getting to know the farmers.
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Some CSA’s Nearby Indian Line Farm: Great Barrington, MA Pickups: Great Barrington, MA (at the farm) indianlinefarm.com Farm Girl Farm: Sheffield, MA Pickups: Sheffield, MA (at the farm) farmgirlfarm.com MX Morningstar Farm: Copake, NY Pickups: Copake, NY (at the farm) • Great Barrington, MA (at the Co-op) • Hastings-onHudson, Irvington-on-Hudson, NY mxmorningstarfarm.com
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f you shop at the Co-op you probably have a love for fresh local vegetables and a desire to support local farmers. And it’s an honor to be able to offer you the best local food selection in the county. But the Co-op is not the only way to enjoy the harvest and support the producer. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is another great way shoppers with values like yours can get their food. If you’re unfamiliar with CSA’s, here are the basics: Farmers sell CSA "shares” to the public. Typically the share consists solely of vegetables, but other products like flowers, dairy and meat may be included. CSA shares are distributed each week to customers, the contents of which are defined by availability of product. CSA’s tend to run from mid spring to late fall. This plan is a mutually beneficial for all parties. Farmers get to spend time marketing in their slow time, rather then when they are in the fields and have no time. They also receive prepayments, which helps their businesses with cash flow. Consumers get to eat the freshest food available and have to opportunity to experience new foods and seasonal specialties. And both parties get to have personal relationships with the other. Many CSA pickups happen on the farm, allowing both farmer and customer to really get to know each other. Many of the farms our produce department works with are also CSA farms. Here’s a list of some of our favorites. There are, of course, many other CSA’s in the area. For more information on other farms, visit the Berkshire Grown or Local Harvest websites.
Sol Flower Farm: Ancramdale, NY Pickups: Ancramdale, NY (at the farm) • Brooklyn (two locations) solflowerfarm.com Three Maples Market Garden: W. Stockbridge, MA
Pickups: Stockbridge, MA • Lee, MA • Pittsfield, MA • W. Stockbridge, MA • Gt. Barrington, MA threemaplesmarketgarden.com Woven Roots Farm: Tyringham, MA Pickups: Tyringham, MA (at the farm) wovenrootsfarm.com
Food Profile: Collard Greens
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ou don’t have to be a southerner to enjoy collard greens! Yes, they’re traditional—and delicious—when served with black-eyed peas and cornbread. But they can often be used in place of other leafy greens in recipes, though they may require a little extra cooking time. Rich in nutrients (like vitamins A, K, and C, calcium, folate, and fiber) and easy to prepare, collard greens are tempting in soups, with meats and poultry (like smoked turkey), and any beans or grains. Try them chopped finely and sautéed in garlic as a quick and simple side dish. They’re hearty but at the same time mildly flavorful. Make collard greens a regular on your menu.
FLAVOR PROFILE
• Mild, slightly bitter, slightly smoky, salty flavor
NUTRITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
• Excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, folate, calcium, and dietary fiber • Very good source of potassium, vitamin B2, and vitamin B6 • Good source of vitamin E, magnesium, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B1, vitamin B5, niacin, zinc, phosphorus, iron, and pantothenic acid
GENERAL USE • • • • • • • •
Popular in southern American, Portuguese, and Brazilian cuisines Sautéed, steamed, braised Sushi rolls With mixed greens, such as turnip greens, kale, spinach, and mustard greens Collard craut Side dish Pickled Soups and stews, like Feijoada (a pork and bean stew), Caldo verde (“green broth”), and Haak rus (soup of whole collard leaves, usually eaten with rice)
HOW TO CHOOSE A GOOD ONE
• • • •
Should have firm, unwilted leaves, and sturdy stems Deep green leaves with no yellowing or browning Smaller leaves are more tender and mild than larger leaves Store unwashed in a damp paper towel in a plastic bag, removing the air, in the refrigerator for three to five days
COMPLIMENTS • • • • • • • • • • •
Rice Mushrooms, onions, tomatoes Navy beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas Smoked and salted meats Vinegar, olive oil, butter, lemon juice Salt, black pepper, red pepper, garlic, sage, rosemary Cornbread Fish Turkey Chicken Pasta
PEAK SEASON
• January through April • Available year round
This article was reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find recipes and information about your food and where it comes from at www.strongertogether.coop.
Berkshire Co-op Market • Winter Newsletter
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L A E N ATIN O S A
G E S Cooking with Roots ROASTED BEET & FENNEL SOUP Beautiful, bright roasted beets star in this creamy, earthy soup. Serve hot with a swirl of sour cream or plain yogurt.
Ingredients 2 pounds medium beets, washed, unpeeled and trimmed 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups diced yellow onion 2 cups diced fennel bulb 2 teaspoons minced garlic 4 cups vegetable broth 1 cup orange juice Salt and black pepper to taste Preparation 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Wrap the beets in aluminum foil and place on a sheet pan. Roast them in the oven for about 1 hour or until tender. Allow beets to cool, then peel and cut into small chunks. Set aside. 2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, fennel and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes until soft. Add the chopped beets and the broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and add the orange juice and a pinch each of salt and black pepper. Using a stick blender or carefully, in batches, in a regular blender, blend the soup until smooth. Taste the soup and adjust for salt and black pepper if needed. Serving Suggestion Serve this rustic, French-inspired soup “a la vieille Russie” (hot with a swirl of sour cream or yogurt), paired with simple oven-roasted chicken, duck or potatoes. A sprinkle of savory fresh herbs, like dill, thyme or chives, adds even more character. Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes; Servings: 8 Per Serving: Calories: 272, Fat: 18 g, Cholesterol: 45 mg, Sodium: 1041 mg, Carbohydrate: 15 g, Dietary Fiber: 3 g, Protein: 13 g
ROASTED ROOT RISOTTO WITH FRESH SAGE The magic of risotto lies in the way the grain absorbs the flavored liquids, along with the creamy cheese sauce, which is formed at the end of the process. This version of the classic favorite is an exquisite way to spotlight the beauty of winter’s vegetables. Just a few simple ingredients come together to create perfection!
Ingredients Roasted Vegetables 1 small red or golden beet, peeled and cut into½ inch cubes or strips 1 carrot, cut into ½ inch cubes or strips 1 small turnip or parsnip, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes or strips Any other root veggies you love (yams, potatoes, celery root … use your imagination) Splash of extra virgin olive oil Risotto ¼ cup fruity olive oil ½ cup thinly sliced leek or finely chopped onion ½ cup finely minced wild or domestic mushrooms 1½ cups Arborio rice ½ cup good dry white wine 5 to 6 cups mushroom, vegetable or chicken broth 2 to 3 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped 1 cup freshly grated, aged Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper to taste Preparation Roasted Vegetables 1. Preheat your oven to 425° F. Toss the veggies in a little olive oil and spread out on a sheet pan in a single layer. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are golden and tender. While the veggies are roasting, prepare the risotto. Risotto
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes; 40 minutes active. Servings: 6 Per Serving: 164 calories, 1 g. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 425 mg. sodium, 27 g. carbohydrate, 7 g. fiber, 4 g. protein
2. In a heavy pot, heat the olive oil and cook the leeks, mushrooms and sage until the leeks are tender, about 4 minutes. From this point on the pan will need constant watching (which is definitely part of the fun!). 3. Over medium high heat add the rice and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Add the white wine and stir until absorbed into the grains. Pour in 1 cup of the broth and stir until the liquid is absorbed. Add an additional cup of the stock and stir, once again, until fully absorbed. 4. Proceed in this fashion with all of the remaining broth except ½ cup, until the rice is tender but still a little chewy. Stir in the roasted root veggies. 5. As the final step, add ½ cup of the broth. This should make the grains a little bit juicy. Immediately stir in the Parmesan. The cheese will melt into the stock which hasn’t been absorbed and form a creamy sauce around the grains. 6. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with additional roasted veggies, grated Parmesan and fresh sage. Serve immediately.
These recipse were reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop Find more recipes and information about your food and where it comes from at
www.strongertogether.coop. Berkshire Co-op Market • Winter Newsletter
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DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS Wellness
From Brenna St. Pierre
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ello from Wellness! We have expanded our selection of BASICS products to offer more affordable pricing on staple items. We are now happy to offer new, everyday low prices on the following products: EO Everyone Unscented Lotion (32 oz) & Everyone Unscented Soap (32 oz) for $7.99 each (regular price $9.99) Tom’s of Maine Unscented Deodorant (2.25 oz) for $4.99 each (regular price $7.99) We are also offering BASICS prices on select multivitamins, protein, calcium, shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste. Look for the bright yellow basics tags throughout the store for great deals in every department! We have decided to bid farewell to the Zuzu brand and have welcomed Mineral Fusion cosmetics into the store. We brought in their nail polish a year ago and have had great feedback. The company was founded in 2007 in Denver, CO, and is now a leading natural cosmetics brand. Their pursuit is called Minerals on a Mission, through which they hope to bring customers the revitalizing and protecting benefits of minerals, leave the skin in better condition, and contribute a level of social well-being by partnering with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Mineral Fusion is committed to sustainability and utilizes wind power, soy inks, and recycled/recyclable packaging. All formulas are free of gluten, parabens, talc, artificial colors, synthetic fragrances, sodium lauryl sulfate, and phthalates. All products are made in the United States. Because they also work with NCGA, you can expect Co-op Deals sales on these new cosmetics! For all of these reasons we have chosen to offer Mineral Fusion cosmetics for 2015. Come see the new selection! Thank you for your support and patronage. As always, be well!
Prepared Foods
From Lynn Pino
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fter the bustle that marked November and December Holidays, things have quieted down considerably and it is now time to take care of all the projects that we had not been able to get accomplished while we were so busy. Smaller jobs such as menu research and extra cleaning are getting done, as well as the long-awaited work to repair the leak in the kitchen floor over the produce department. By the time you read this it will already have been done and we will have returned the shelves to their proper places. I would like to thank you all for your patience. We have added two new coffees from No. 6 Depot in West Stockbridge to the café selection. We’re now brewing their Profundo and The Sun Also Rises blends. They are both delicious and as local as can be – a win-win situation. In employee news, we have said goodbye to one of our long-standing employees. Ruari will be leaving the Co-op after six years to focus on his education. We wish him the best of luck. We also lost one of our bakers at the end of the year. Sharon has decided to pursue other interests, and we also wish her the best of luck. Because we have lost half of our baking staff, we have had to downsize the amount of product that we can offer. We have had to discontinue our sixpack boxes of cookies, as well as whole pies and cakes. These items can be special ordered, however, so feel free to ask a prepared foods staff member to assist you. It is our fervent hope that we can still accommodate as many of our customers as always.
Produce
From Jake Levin
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t’s hard to believe, but spring is right around the corner, and we can’t wait. Soon we’ll be getting our favorite primavera items, including spring garlic, asparagus, fiddleheads, ramps, and mesclun. As we wait for the snow to melt and the ground to thaw, I suggest passing the time by planning your garden. We have a full selection of organic nonGMO verified seeds from High Mowing. They’re on display near the entrance. Get ’em while they’re hot! On another note, we continue to expand our Fresh in the Co-op selection. We are really excited about our stir-fry mix and the pico de gallo. In case you are not familiar with pico de gallo, it’s a classic salsa fresca made with tomatoes, yellow onions, cilantro, lime, and jalapenos. If there are other things you would like to see available in our prepack set, please let us know.
Berkshire Co-op Market • Winter Newsletter
Grocery
From Amie Decker
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ou may have noticed a new face in the grocery department since the last newsletter. His name is Mikey Farrell and he is a lead buyer for the grocery team. Mikey can currently be found primarily in the dairy and frozen sections, but also works in the grocery aisles. He has been a great addition to the team and we all really enjoy working with him. Say hi if you get a chance! We will have some interesting new items appearing on the shelves soon. First, bone broth! You heard it from Jake first (page 6), but just to remind you, bone broth is basically a stock that is made by boiling the bones of healthy animals with vegetables, herbs, and spices. Pacific Foods has created a ready-made organic bone broth that will be on the grocery shelves very soon. Pacific’s recipe stays true to classic culinary traditions and is made by gently simmering meat, bones, and mirepoix (celery, carrots, and onions) for hours to bring out the rich, complex flavors. Give it a try! We also are going to be bringing in a new sugar-free cookies. The brand is Koochikoo, and we will be stocking the chocolaty brownie, chocolate chip, and maple oatmeal varieties soon, and will of course demo them so you can give them a try. We have tried them and they are really tasty. They are sweetened with monk fruit, which is a natural sweetener approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar, yet contributes zero calories and zero carbohydrates per serving. Monk fruit is a vine-ripened fruit native to Asia. It has been cultivated for centuries by Asian monks as a traditional medicine and sugar substitute. The sweetness in monk fruit does not come from its natural sugars, rather from an antioxidant called mogroside. We’re also very excited to introduce two new varieties of lacto-fermented goodness from Mattie and Abe at Hosta Hill, one of our very favorite local food makers. The daikon kimchi has a larger diced texture and radish piquancy, and their gochu curry sauerkraut is golden colored with a tangy spiciness that will make you long for summer BBQ. They’re both amazing additions to the already wonderful selection of high-quality fermented foods from Hosta Hill, which includes traditional kimchi.
Meat, Seafood, & Cheese From Austin Banach
M
eat: What a great end of 2014 and start to the New Year it was for our meat department! During Thanksgiving and the December holidays, we worked with Hidden Camp Farm in Canajoharie, New York, bringing in local, organic turkeys. There were only a couple of hiccups and they received rave reviews in general. I am happy to say that we will continue our efforts with Hidden Camp Farm for next year. My staff and I visited Black River Produce in North Springfield, Vermont, back in November and took a tour of both the meat slaughtering facility and the rest of the warehouse. Black River just completed an expansion, including an onsite slaughtering facility. This means that animals from local and regional farms are inspected, slaughtered, butchered, and processed all under one roof. We are happy to be working with Black River Produce to source local, regional, humane, and all around healthier meat for our owners and customers. Keep an eye out for better-valued steaks, organic beef, and lamb. Seafood: Just as our meat department continues to grow, so does our seafood department. BerkShore is now our number one source for fresh seafood. Wes (BerkShore’s owner) and I are constantly looking at new options that fit within our values to introduce to the Co-op. Please take a minute to read Wes’s letter to the Co-op on page 5 to get a better idea of what is in store. Cheese: Although I have been bringing in a wild amount of both local gems and international classics, during the slower months I will be cutting back slightly to make sure the cheese we buy will sell fast enough and not sit in back stock for a long period of time. I urge you to come forward and request any specialty cheese that you no longer see on the shelf, and I will do my best to get you that product. Of course, this reduction is not going to affect our top sellers or commodity items.
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