Community Food Co-op NEWS • March 2019

CO-OP NEWS

COM MUNIT Y FOOD.COOP

•

M A RCH

2019

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FREE

BOARD OF DIRECTORS REPORT

Board Meeting Summary

BY JEAN ROGERS, BOARD ADMINISTRATOR

www.communityfood.coop 360-734-8158 Cordata Store 315 Westerly Road Bellingham WA 98226 Open daily 7 am–9 pm

Downtown Store 1220 N Forest Street Bellingham WA 98225 Open daily 7 am–10 pm

From January 19, 2019 The Board approved the final 2019 business plan.

The group reviewed plans for upcoming Board events and heard an update on Board

recruitment and candidates.

Directors discussed the Board’s Food System Development policy, including definitions,

monitoring interpretation, and reporting.

The meeting concluded with a discussion of Board priorities for 2019 to finalize in February.

The Board approved new Boundary policies for the General Manager, aligned with the

Strategic Plan goal of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.

Directors reviewed the annual Board self-evaluation, agreeing that they have a good working

405 E Holly Street Bellingham WA 98225 Open daily 7 am–7 pm

relationship. The group flagged recruitment, workload sharing, systems for follow-through, and EDI training for further work.

The Board did not approve a staff bonus for 2018, based on current operating performance, lower cash balances, and capital projects planned for 2019.

Directors confirmed 2019 priorities, starting with developing a Board grievance policy, and a focus on economic diversity.

The Co-op Board of Directors Melissa Morin, Chair Caroline Kinsman, Vice Chair Phil Buri Margaret Gerard Brent Harrison Ceci Lopez Seth Mangold, staff representative Ryan Peters Randy Rydel Board of Directors Contact boardofdirectors@communityfood.coop 360-734-8158, ext. 216 Board Meetings Meetings are on the second Wednesday of most months. Member-owners are welcome to attend. To share your suggestions or concerns at the 10-minute member-owner forum at the start of each meeting, contact Board Administrator Jean Rogers at 360-734-8158 or jeanr@communityfood. coop, by the first Monday of the month.

Our Cooperative Principles • Voluntary and open membership • Democratic member control • Member economic participation • Autonomy and independence • Education, training, and information • Cooperation among cooperatives • Concern for the community Co-op News is produced by the Community Food Co-op and published eight times per year.

Editor: Laura Steiger lauras@communityfood.coop Design: Matt Curtis mattc@communityfood.coop Opinions expressed in the Co-op News are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Co-op Board, management, staff or memberowners. Nutrition and health information is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant as a substitute for a consultation with a licensed health or dietary practitioner. Acceptance of advertising does not indicate endorsement by the Co-op of the product or service offered.

voting.coop

From February 20, 2019

Co-op Bakery Café

Community Food Co-op General Manager Adrienne Renz 360-734-8158

VOTE!

MORE BOARD INFORMATION Complete minutes for this, and all Board meetings, and the governing policies are available at the service desk. Complete minutes are also posted at www.communityfood.coop.

MEMBER INPUT: The first 10 minutes of every Board meeting are reserved for member input. Member-owners are welcome to attend the session or the full meeting.

Hope to see you there.

NEXT MEETING: March 13 at 7 pm, Cordata Store Roots Room, 315 Westerly Rd.

INVESTMENT SHARES

Invest in Your Co-op The deadline to purchase investment shares is April 14, 2019.

O

ne of the unique characteristics of a cooperative is the ability to raise capital from its member-owners. Just as the Co-op invests in our local economy, our member-owners can invest in us.

As of early February, 42 of your fellow Co-op member-owners have invested more than $1.2 million.

All classes of shares are still available and you can invest for as little as $500.

We are so excited about the enthusiasm people have demonstrated for the investment shares opportunity. It’s been fun meeting with members and learning why they were motivated to invest in the Co-op.

Some of our investors have been members since the Co-op’s Fairhaven days in the 1970s. Many have also mentioned that the Co-op was one of the first places they went when they moved to Bellingham.

As of early February, 42 of your fellow Co-op member-owners have invested more than

1.2 million.

$

LEARN MORE about how to invest, why to invest, and how your investment will be used at communityfood.coop.

Vote in the Co-op Board Election March is an important month for Co-op memberowner engagement with the 2019 Board election and the Annual Meeting and Party.

I

nformation about the election and the event was sent in early March to Co-op member-owners.

If you didn’t receive the information, please check in at the service desk to update your mailing address.

While you are updating your mailing address, please also update your email address. A lot of important communication happens via email and we don’t want you to miss out on the latest updates from your co-op!

Member-owners can vote in the Board election at voting.coop through March 30. All the information you need to cast your vote is included in the mailer.

The Annual Meeting and Party is on Sunday, March 30, from 5 to 9:30 pm at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal in Fairhaven. We hope to see you there!

The Co-op’s annual election is one the most immediate ways member-owners have a voice in our community-owned store.

NUTRITION & HEALTHY RECIPES

Ask the Nutritionist: Postpartum Nutrition “I just recently had a baby and want to make sure he is getting what he needs. What are your top nutrition tips for this postpartum period?”

C

ommonly called “the fourth trimester,” the postpartum period is a very critical time for both the new baby and new mom. After delivery, many people lose sight of the importance of proper nutrition because so much attention is on nutrition during pregnancy. But, did you know that nutrition needs actually increase after delivery? During the third trimester, calorie needs are about an additional 450kcal per day, yet breastfeeding requires an additional 500kcal per day.

However, we cannot focus solely on calorie needs, but also the increased needs of certain nutrients that, if not provided in adequate amounts via diet or supplementation, can reduce the proper growth and development of baby.

Furthermore, we cannot forget about mom! After delivery, mom also requires special attention to certain foods for proper healing and recovery. Not to mention a lot of rest!

Many traditional cultures encourage moms to stay home and heal for 40 days, on average, with the first week considered a very fragile time with very limited movement and activity. In today’s day and age, we often don’t give enough credit and attention to the needs of mom during the fourth trimester. The supermom and do-it-all mentality is unrealistic and can also be detrimental to both mom and baby.

Highlighted Nutrients of Concern for Baby Even if a mother is undernourished, the calories, protein, folate, and most trace minerals in the breast milk are sufficient to ensure survival of the infant by relying on mother’s stores.

However, for other nutrients such as B vitamins (besides folate); fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K; choline; fatty acids (such as DHA); and certain trace minerals (iodine and selenium); the mother’s diet does affect the amounts found in the breast milk. Radical dietary changes also drastically affect the quality of breast milk. It is not recommended to follow a low carbohydrate diet while breastfeeding without significantly reducing breast milk production.

B12 Women who consume vegan or vegetarian diets are at a high risk of developing vitamin B12-deficient milk.

Inadequate vitamin B12 content in the mother’s diet, or lack of supplementation, can cause the infant’s brain to shrink and present itself as irritability, failure to thrive, and anorexia with severe growth stunting.

Tip: Add B12 rich foods daily via clams, liver, eggs, seafood, and animal meats. If vegan, supplement with 1000mcg of cyanocobalamin bi-weekly to help maintain adequate vitamin B12 stores. Recommendations differ if you have been diagnosed with a deficiency.

Choline Choline needs increase dramatically during lactation and is essential for proper brain development along with folate.

Adequate choline intake increases memory capacity and prevents age-related memory and attention deficit. The estimated daily need is 550mg per day for breastfeeding moms. Foods rich in choline include eggs (150mg per egg), oysters (110mg per 3 ounces), and organ meats (liver = 360mg/3 ounces and kidney = 440mg/3 ounces). Many traditional cultures encourage plenty of choline-rich foods in the postpartum period with some eating 8–10 eggs per day! Once again, vegans or vegetarians are most at risk for inadequate choline intake.

Selva Wohlgemuth REGISTERED DIETITIAN & NUTRITIONIST

Selva Wohlgemuth and husband Dane Caldwell welcomed baby Toren at the end of January. Since Toren’s arrival, Selva has been focused on the importance of postpartum and infant nutrition.

HAVE QUESTIONS? Send them to contact@happybellynutritionist.com.

Learn more about Selva’s approach to general health and well-being at www.happybellynutritionist.com, and see her recipes and other kitchen tips at www.poppiesandpapayas.com.

Tip: Eat choline-rich foods daily and ensure additional choline content in a multivitamin. Additional supplementation for mothers eating a vegan or vegetarian diet may be warranted.

Tip: All breastfeeding mothers should check their vitamin D3 status and adjust supplementation per health care provider recommendations.

Iodine Worldwide, many people are at risk for iodine deficiency due to low intake of seafood and seaweed, iodine-deficient soil, increased exposure to chlorine, and limited use of iodized salt. Iodine plays an essential role in thyroid health and metabolism. In infants, the iodine pool turns over rapidly and therefore requires a consistent, steady source of iodine via the maternal diet to make sure baby gets enough.

Tip: Add dulse flakes when cooking savory meals, add a kelp frond to soups, and enjoy quality seafood, eggs, and dairy often.

Check your multivitamin for added iodine.

DHA & Fatty Acids The maternal diet directly affects the fatty acid content of breast milk. Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to be especially important for infant brain development. Infants whose mothers had high DHA levels have improved neural and visual development. Dietary choices definitely make a difference.

Women who eat on average of 4.5 ounces of seafood per day have DHA concentrations of about 2.8% whereas vegan mothers only have a DHA concentration of about 0.05%.

Tip: Consume low-mercury seafood like salmon and sardines, grass-fed beef and eggs, and continue to take a quality DHA fish or algae oil supplement while breastfeeding. Flaxseed oil supplementation does not increase DHA in breast milk.

Fat Soluble Vitamins A & D Both vitamin A and vitamin D are crucial for infant growth, immune system development, and prevention of infection. Vitamin A needs increase significantly during lactation. However, just eating carrots or sweet potatoes will not provide enough of the active pre-formed vitamin A (retinol) that is required. You will also want to be careful with supplements that provide only beta carotene for vitamin A supplementation. Research found that women who supplemented with only beta carotene (without the preformed vitamin A) had vitamin A-deficient breast milk 40% of the time vs. 4% in women whose multivitamin contain both beta carotene and retinol.

Tip: Animal fats are a great source of pre-formed vitamin A, including egg yolks and grass-fed butter, as well as organ meats.

Breast milk has long been noted to be vitamin D deficient and exclusively breastfed infants are encouraged to supplement with additional 400IU of vitamin D per day.

Exposure to sunlight via mother’s skin during the months of March through September can provide a good source of vitamin D. Additional vitamin D3 supplementation of 1000–2000 IU per day is also recommended to maintain blood serum levels of 40–60ng/mL.

Foods for Healing & Recovery Tissues that have been stretched, torn, or cut require additional protein for regeneration and repair. The amino acids proline and glycine are especially important because your body uses these to make collagen for the regeneration of connective tissue and skin. Foods rich in collagen like bone broth, slowcooked meats, and chicken skin or pork rinds will provide these amino acids.

Tip: Aim for 12–15 grams of collagen protein per day. You can also use collagen peptide-powder supplements for ease.

Furthermore, iron-rich foods like organ meats, grass-fed beef, and oysters can be especially helpful to replace iron lost during birth and the days following. Finally, plenty of fluids are essential for mama and baby during the postpartum period. Aim for 3–4 liters per day, including savory broths and warm beverages to help replace electrolytes.

FIND SELVA’S RECIPE for Old World Lamb Liver Pâté at communityfood.coop/category/recipes.

Staff pick Siete Hot Sauces A loving homage to the classic sauces found on taqueria tables throughout the U.S. and Mexico.

Lummi Island Wild Albacore Tuna Medallions

traditional, chipotle, jalapeño, habanero $5.99

“I absolutely love the Lummi Island Wild Tuna because it tastes like it was just caught (we eat it raw), it comes from a cooperative, and it helps support our local community!”

new

Serious Cheesy Puffs Handcrafted in Portland with 100% real cheese and Bob’s Red Mill corn. blue cheese jalapeño, sriracha cheddar $3.75

ALO Snacks The perfect snack: real dried aloe vera fruit paired with the flavors of Asia. aloe + mandarin, aloe + ginger, aloe + mango $1.49/1 ounce; $2.99/2.1 ounces

Mike’s Mighty Good Craft Ramen The best ramen we’ve ever tried. Round bundles of organic noodles, rather than the typical bricks, and the broths are delicious. cups: spicy beef, pork tonkotsu, chicken, vegetarian vegetable packets: vegetarian kimchi, beef pho rice noodle, fried garlic chicken, spicy pork tonkotsu, savory miso

Joshua Jackson Merchandising Manager

$2.49

People Watching

By Russell S. Sapienza The Community Food Co-op in Bellingham Washington is alive, with sounds of meals being prepared food, drink, and ideas being consumed and digested Forest Street traffic crawls alongside joggers and preeners buskers and beggars camped out in declared territories for songs, spare change or just somebody to listen Up in the second-story mezzanine, there are family crests constructed by children for their annual art walk hung on massive walls like arras tapestries in castles

This poem was shared at the December Open Mic in the Co-op Bakery CafĂŠ, and the author graciously gave us permission to publish it. Bring your tunes, songs, and words to share every last Sunday of the month in the Co-op Bakery CafĂŠ.

Shop on 2% Saturday:

Saturday, March 16 2% of the day’s total sales will be donated.

this month’s

recipient

You may also round up your purchase or donate at any register during the month!

Recent BIG CHECKS!

FEBRUARY 2019

Bellingham Human Rights Film Festival

$2,301.77

Washington State College Bound Scholarship recipients celebrate at a FuturesNW Senior Send-Off event in May 2018.

The students plan to attend a variety of college and universities. FuturesNW supported these high school seniors through financial aid literacy events with information, advising, and individual support. Photo courtesy of FuturesNW.

The mission of FuturesNW is to level the college playing field and empower underserved and marginalized students to achieve their college and career dreams. FuturesNW works with high school staff to remove barriers and provide critical scholarship information, college advising, financial aid literacy skills, and leadership training.

SEED funds will support programming costs for financial aid literacy education for nearly 700 families.

Includes individual support, evening events, mailings for families without access to technology, and translated family-friendly materials to plan for college savings, college budgets, financial aid awards, and scholarship searches.

LEARN MORE, DONATE, OR VOLUNTEER at futuresnw.org, scamblin@futuresnw.org, 360-220-3415.

JANUARY 2019

HomesNow!

$2,391.98 Way to go, Co-op Folks!

HEALTHY CONNECTIONS

CLASSES The Origins of Coffee with Hayley Forney

Saturday, March 2, 10–11:30 am Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • $20

Mardi Gras! with Jesse Otero

Monday, March 4, 6:30–9 pm Downtown • reg. at WCC • $45

Food and Wine Pairing with Robert Fong

Tuesday, March 5, 6:30–9 pm Cordata • reg. at WCC • $79

How to Create More Focus and Less Distraction with Bruce Hostetter

Wednesday, March 6, 6:30–8:30 pm Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • $5

Mediterranean Vegetarian Menu with Samantha Ferraro

Thursday, March 7, 6:30–9 pm Downtown • reg. at WCC • $45

Mixed Meditative Arts with Julia L. Bonsignore, MS Ed.

Monday, March 11, 6:30–8:30 pm Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • $5

Peruvian Cuisine with Antonio Diaz

Tuesday, March 12, 6:30–9 pm Downtown • reg. at WCC •$45

Take Control of Your Own Immune Health with Jim Ehmke, CN

Tuesday, March 12, 6:30–8:30 pm Cordata • reg. at CO-OP • $5

Co-op Walk, Nutrition Talk with Michelle Smith, RDN

Wednesday, March 13 6:30–8 pm Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • free

All About CBD with Christy King

Thursday, March 14, 6:30–8:30 pm Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • $5

For class listings with full descriptions: • Visit www.communityfood.coop and click on the “Classes & Events” tab on the left column.

• Pick up a class schedule in the store.

Let’s Make Mozzarella and Burrata! with Marisa Papetti

Saturday, March 16, 11 am–12:30 pm Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • $35

Flavors of the Philippines with Robert Fong

Tuesday, March 19, 6:30–9 pm Downtown • reg. at WCC • $49

Balanced Plant-Based Living with Michelle Smith, RDN

Wednesday, March 20 6:30–8 pm Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • $10

Native American Flute Workshop with Peter Ali

Thursday, March 21, 6:30–8 pm Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • donations accepted

Advance Care Planning 101

Wines of the Rhone with Laurent Martel

Monday, April 8, 6:30–8:30 pm

Wednesday, April 24, 6:30–8:30 pm

Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • $5

Cordata • reg. at WCC • $45

Essential Nutrients

Natural Approach to Emotional and Nervous System Health

with Jim Ehmke, CN

Tuesday, April 9, 6:30–8:30 pm Cordata • reg. at CO-OP • $5

Wines of Bordeaux with Laurent Martel

Wednesday, April 10, 6:30–8:30 pm Cordata • reg. at WCC • $45

Savor This: Experience Freedom with Food with Sarah Clarke

Thursday, Apr. 11, 6:30–8:30 pm Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • $35

Small Plates of the World: Basque Tapas

Tuesday, March 26, 4–6 pm

Downtown • reg. at WCC • $45

with Jim Ehmke, CN

Tuesday, March 26, 6:30–8:30 pm Cordata • reg. at CO-OP • $5

Advanced Care Planning for Dementia (ACP+D) with Adrienne Doucette and Denise Weeks

Thursday, March 28, 6:30–8 pm Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • free

Ahoy Lummi Island! with Robert Fong

Wednesday, April 3, 6:30–9 pm Downtown • reg. at WCC • $69

Overcoming Stress and Worry with Maureen Kane, LMHCA

Thursday, April 4, 6:30–8 pm Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • $10

QUESTIONS? Contact Kevin Murphy at 360-734-8158 ext. 313 or kevinm@communityfood.coop.

with Mystique Grobe, ND

with Jesse Otero

Take Control of Your Own Hormonal Health

REGISTRATION: CO-OP = register online at www.communityfood.coop WCC = co-sponsored by Whatcom Community College, register at 360-383-3200 or www.whatcomcommunityed.com.

Thyroid Health

with Whatcom Alliance for Health Advancement Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • free event

LOCATIONS: Downtown = Co-op Connections Building, 405 E Holly St. Cordata = Roots Room at the Cordata store, 315 Westerly Rd.

Monday, April 15, 6:30–9 pm

Peruvian Cuisine with Antonio Diaz

Tuesday, April 16, 6:30–9 pm Downtown • reg. at WCC • $45

Sourdough Bread and Pizza with Andy Walton

Wednesday, April 17, 6:30–9 pm Downtown • reg. at WCC • $39

All About Whiplash with Lindon Keeler, DC

Thursday, April 18, 6:30–8 pm Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • free

Healthy Desserts with Bruno Feldeisen

Monday, April 22, 6:30–9 pm Downtown • reg. at WCC • $49

Detox and Fasting with Jim Ehmke, CN

Tuesday, April 23, 6:30–8:30 pm Cordata • reg. at CO-OP • $5

with Lena Robertson, ND

Thursday, April 25, 6:30–8 pm Cordata • reg. at CO-OP • $20

Salish Sea Intertidal Life: Barnacles to Sea Stars with David Drummond

Thursday, April 25, 7–9 pm Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • $10

Spring Clean with Raw and Healing Foods with Sara Southerland

Monday, April 29, 6:30–9 pm Downtown • reg. at WCC • $39

Calypso Kitchen: Street and Breakfast Foods with Sarah Chan

Tuesday, April 30, 6:30–9:30 pm Downtown • reg. at WCC • $45

Wild Salmon and Albacore with Robert Fong

Wednesday, May 1, 6:30–9 pm Downtown • reg. at WCC • $59

Crepes, Savory and Sweet with Cindy McKinney

Thursday, May 2, 6:30–9 pm Downtown • reg. at WCC • $45

Old World Breads with Bruno Feldeisen

Monday, May 6, 6:30–9 pm Downtown • reg. at WCC • $45

Raw Spring Greens With David Zamechek, ND

Tuesday, May 7, 6:30–7:30 pm Downtown • reg. at CO-OP • $5

COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENT RECAP

The Salmon Nation Story

BY HOLLY O’NEIL, MEMBER INVOLVEMENT COORDINATOR

T

Ceci Lopez, Co-op Board director, addresses the 80+ Co-op member-owners gathered for the event.

he Salmon Nation Story event in the YWCA Ballroom on January 30, hosted by the Co-op Board of Directors, gathered more than 80 Co-op member-owners to eat, learn, and connect. Darrell Hillaire, Children of the Setting Sun executive director and tribal member of the Lummi Nation, opened the event with a traditional song along with his grandson Josh Hillaire and Children of the Setting Sun Productions team members.

They discussed the work of Children of the Setting Sun Productions and the intrinsic relationship that Coast Salish people share with the salmon. We watched their most recent video, and then opened the floor for dialogue.

The primary questions that emerged were how to re-establish our essential connection to the place where we live, and to each other, and how to transform the culture of oppression that is destroying our planet. Darrell suggested that one way to create change is simply to share. Darrell’s grandson also offered that connecting with the place where we live is something we

can all do. Regardless of whether we are indigenous to this land and the Salish Sea, we can still deepen our understanding and awareness of it every day.

One member asked, “Should we still eat salmon?” Darrell responded that abstaining from salmon is a short-term solution that would not make a significant difference, but advocating and working to protect habitat is a long-term solution, and the fate of the Orcas, as well as many other species, depends on it.

Lastly, we discussed opportunities to support the work of connecting to and caring for the place where we live. We are in a critical time of opportunity to come together as a community, learn each other’s stories, and put our dollars and time into the things that we care about. We are all part of this legacy, and as Co-op memberowners, we can be a powerful force for identifying, seeking to understand, and challenging the systems of oppression and the disempowering impact they have on our community, and know that we are—right now—part of the story of the salmon.

LEARN MORE, DONATE, OR VOLUNTEER: settingsunproductions.org, paddletolummi.org, n-sea.org.

The Children of the Setting Sun Productions team includes (from left) Mark Nichols, Darrell Hillaire, Josh Hillaire, Jon Carroll, and Elli Smith. Photos by Matt Curtis.

MLK JR. DAY RECAP

Keeping the Dream Alive: 21st Annual MLK Jr. Day Event

BY KARL MEYER, COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR

I

would like to thank the Co-op community and especially all our leaders who showed up and shared their talents at our 21st annual MLK Jr. Day event—Keeping the Dream Alive!

Over 200 people gathered at Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship to celebrate Dr. King’s notion of a “beloved community” with a sweet soulful mix of songs, words, and creative sharing that made it an evening to remember.

Thanks to all who are part of keeping Dr. King’s dream alive!

Event emcee, Amanda Grelock (at left), is the Co-op’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Coordinator. The 200 participants often stood to clap and sing along during the rousing musical performances. Photos courtesy of Peter Ali.

www.communityfood.coop

360-734-8158