GM corner by Chris Grigsby Finally! Some summer weather to enjoy. And what goes great with summer weather? The Co-op Grill at City Park, that’s what! The Grill is the Co-op’s “summer place” at the historic Belfast City Park. Open every day from 11am-4pm through Labor Day and serving up local burgers, hot dogs, quesadillas, and locally-made ice cream, The Grill is a perfect spot to have a bite while enjoying the Bay on a summer afternoon. The mission of the Co-op in many ways is focused on the local food economy, and we continue to provide you with the most local products we can find. We are nearing $2 million dollars in sales of local products, thanks to your support. Throughout the course of the year, we have offered over 3,500 locally grown or produced items and we are commited to continue to expand those offerings. Through our combined commitment, Co-op sourcing and customer purchasing, we can help improve the vibrancy of our local food economy.
The Produce case upgrades have given us sixty percent more display area and far greater efficiency with our refrigeration. We have seen a decrease in our electricity usage, and are now able to store our bargain products in a refrigerated space. Thank you for your patience during the installation process. Upcoming projects include building office space in the basement and replacing the heat exchanger in our furnace. These projects are expected to be completed in the fall. Other news that we are excited to share comes in the form of continued community support. Our recently introduced CORE program (Cooperative Ownership Reaching Everyone) continues to grow in participation and usage. This program was introduced in the fall of 2013 as an opportunity for low-income households to utilize the Co-op’s products and services. As of now, we have over 65 households in the program and more on the way. The Round Up for Community program continues to distribute funds to area nonprofits engaged in work that enhances local resiliency. To date, you, our customers, have donated nearly twelve thousand dollars in just over a year. This highlights one of the best attributes of a community-owned business. Giving and getting in balance with nurturing local businesses and efforts that are foundational to our daily lives. Our hope is to continue this legacy for many years to come. As the saying goes…”stronger together”!
In an effort to upgrade our older systems in the store, we have been focusing of late on our display cases. You may have noticed the new Produce and Dairy department cases, and we have recently upgraded our baked goods cases into one unit, opening up space at both the Deli register and salad case area.
saturday, august 16 11AM - 4PM
BOOK SALE
local
ME
raffles
vendors
farmers’ market -local foodon the grill
featuring:The Gawler Family Band, Belfast Bay Fiddlers,Tom Luther Quintet, Leaky Boot Jug Band, & Octavia
I N T H E C O - O P PA R K I N G L OT & H I G H S T R E E T
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