Honest Weight Food Co-op’s Community Newsletter for Membership • Staff • Governance • Management
Published monthly by the Communications Committee to promote transparency, report without bias, and sustain community.
Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Avenue, Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 honestslate@honestweight.coop • https://www.honestweight.coop/
Dear Member-Owners and Owners, I am pleased to announce that Honest Weight Food Cooperative (HWFC) has received an Employee Retention Credit (ERC) totaling $1,942,519. This tax credit applies to the payroll taxes that HWFC paid in 2020 and 2021.
The ERC’s purpose was to alleviate the financial pressure on businesses that remained open during the pandemic. We have confirmed receipt of these funds, which are essentially a refund of tax money that HWFC paid to the government. Additionally, this credit amount is considered taxable income and will be subject to state and federal income taxes.
This message was sent to community members via Constant Contact on May 27, 2025.
“30-60-90-Day” Action Plan: Second 30 Days: Establishing Foundational Principles
I will focus on sharing foundational principles to guide our actions. For example, every life has a story, and every member of the organization is equally important to our success. To embody this belief, I will promote a culture that values inclusivity, collaboration, and mutual respect. Furthermore, I will work on defining our vision of excellence—what “great” looks like within our grocery store. I will teach the fiscal value of effective retail inventory management and introduce standard operational protocols while discussing industry best practices. This will involve developing key performance indicators that align with our organizational goals and the values we wish to uphold.
Peter Waldmann Cooperative Leadership Manager
PeterWaldmann@honestweight.coop
Among the many stakeholders within Honest Weight’s unique community, we are fortunate to have brilliant minds at work planning and strategizing for our best possible future. Our goal is to provide our community with healthy food and public involvement. This refund will go a long way toward meeting that intention.
This boost, combined with our ongoing fiscal success, will greatly enhance our ability to serve the greater Capital District community for years to come. It will also strengthen our capacity to invest in cooperative efforts and support our triple bottom line—People, Planet, and Profit—ultimately helping us fulfill our mission statement. Congratulations!
Peter Waldmann, Cooperative Leadership Manager (CLM)
Do you have a favorite tip, trick, or strategy for shopping at Honest Weight? Share it with your fellow shoppers!
Whether it’s checking the cull box at a certain time, knowing the cheese delivery schedule, homing in on the most beautiful donated bulk containers, combing flyers for deals and specials, having a genius coupon strategy, or something else—let us know.
Email honestslate@honestweight.coop with as many ideas as you like; there’s no limit! We’ll edit for clarity & combine any duplicates. Emails must be signed, but you may request to remain anonymous in print.
by Brendan Byrne
Receiving a long-anticipated Employee Retention Credit (ERC) is welcome news for our Co-op. Honest Slate was curious about what exactly the ERC is and why it took so long to receive, so we did a little digging.
It’s a refundable tax credit for wages subject to Social Security and Medicare taxes paid to employees between March 13, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2021.
The ERC is available to businesses that suffered a suspension of operations due to a qualifying government order related to the COVID-19 pandemic, or that experienced significant decline in gross receipts during 2020 and 2021.
Fraud has plagued this initiative, slowing down both application processing and the disbursement of funds. The IRS ceased processing new ERC applications in September 2023, stating that too many businesses were filing ineligible claims; then resumed processing new ERC claims once more in August 2024.
by Brendan Byrne
know that our Co-op is special, but it’s easy to forget exactly how unique it is. Many grocery co-ops in the United States don’t use a time investment model like we do; those that do put their own spin on the concept. Honest Slate took a look at two co-ops with models similar to ours.
Members founded 1973 · 8am-9pm daily 782 Union Street, Brooklyn NY
Membership cost:
• One-time fee to join of $25 + MO equity investment of $100
• Members pay 25% markup (up to 35% cheaper than retail)
• All staff and shoppers must be members
• Members work 2.75 hours every 6 weeks
The first, the Park Slope Coop (not co-op), describes itself as a non-stock membership cooperative, and it is non-profit. (“Nonstock” is a catch-all phrase meaning, roughly, that the organization does not have shareholders.) Its 17,000 members save roughly 20-40% on purchase prices.
The Coop is very well-known, having appeared in, among other media, Ben Lerner’s satirical novel 10:04. Founded in 1973, the Coop is only 3 years older than HWFC, and, with 16,000 members, it’s slightly larger. Unlike HWFC, which is open to all, only member-owners and their guests are allowed to shop at the Coop. (Member-owners may bring up to 4 guests yearly, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays only.)
While there are no annual dues, there is a non-refundable joining fee of $25, along with a refundable investment of $100. These fees can be offset if potential members are in need of income-based assistance.
Another big difference between the Park Slope Coop and HWFC: all member-owners of the Park Slope Coop must work. (The Coop doesn’t use the phrase “invest time.”) There are exemptions, such as poor health, retirement, or new parenthood, but the
HWFC • 11,500+ Members founded 1976 · 8am-9pm daily
100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY
Membership cost:
• One-time fee of $100.
• 2/8/24% tiered discount system based on hours invested.
• Staff membership is optional.
• Governance oversees committees comprising both staff and Members.
overwhelming majority of member-owners work. Shifts are determined via a workslot system, in which member-owners work at least one two hour forty minute shift per six week cycle. As a result, member-owners contribute approximately 75% of the store’s labor. Currently, only Coop members are considered for paid employment, keeping the Coop even more exclusive.
At times Park Slope has considered changing its bylaws to allow in member-owners who do not work. One reason this has never happened, as stated on this Coop’s online manual, is the concern that a class system may emerge in which high-income member-owners don’t work while lower-income MOs do. Based on purely anecdotal evidence, this concern doesn’t seem to apply to HWFC.
There are obvious trade-offs here. Having a membership that puts in sweat equity ensures a certain level of commitment from everyone. However, less than 3 hours of work monthly allows member-owners very little time to learn their positions. HWFC’s tiered time-investment system incentivizes regular, weekly shifts, allowing member-owners to increase their usefulness to the department where they invest time.
The Park Slope Coop and HWFC are located in very different environments, of course. New York City’s huge population provides a tremendous pool of potential members willing to work, while adhering to such a policy in a city like Albany would severely shrink HWFC’s membership. And if HWFC closed its doors to the general public? Its ability to make money would be massively curtailed.
By the way, Park Slope doesn’t accept credit cards, so if you happen to be one of a member-owner’s four guests per calendar year, bring cash or a debit card (and let us know what your shopping experience is like!).
founded 1977 · 8am-9pm daily
Eastside store: 3111 Pacific Ave SE
Westside store: 921 Rogers St. NW
Membership cost:
• $29 ($24 dues + $5 joining fee).
• 10% member discount; 20% staff discount.
• Staff of 32; must be members.
• Staff and Board both run committees.
• Members work variable hours
The Olympia Food Co-op is a member owned and collectively managed food cooperative in Olympia, Washington. It was founded in 1977, making it only one year younger than HWFC. It has two small-format stores: an Eastside location and a Westside. The stores are open for all, but non-members pay 10% above shelf price. Members have the option to become working members and receive an additional discount based upon hours worked, although exact details on the system aren’t available for public perusal. Membership dues total at $29, fully refundable. There is also a Cooperative Access Program for those in need of financial assistance.
The Olympia Food Co-op appears similar to HWFC in its principles. It offers a wide variety of classes and activities and is open to all with an emphasis on sustainability, justice, and access. Like Park Slope, it is not-for-profit, putting it in a different bracket from HWFC.
There’s no one right way to run (or spell) a co-op, of course, and the differences between HWFC, the Park Slope Coop, and the Olympia Food Co-op make each one all the more unique. There are many other grocery co-ops with just as many models, and we’re curious to explore their structures. Please let us know if you have any favorites!
Have you been to, or been a member of, the Park Slope Coop, the Olympia Food Co-op, or other food co-ops here in the U.S.? We’d love to talk to you about your experience! Please email honestslate@honestweight.coop with “Other Co-ops” in your subject line.
by Irene Kim
Despite spectacularly warm weather, about a dozen people gathered May 15, eager to share their thoughts on The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer.
Kimmerer, the author of , is the director of SUNY’s Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. A botanist who draws on her Potawatomi heritage in her discussions of nature and society, she uses the serviceberry as a symbol for the interconnectedness and interdependence of. For her, the various species of genus Amelanchier —a bushy tree that flowers and produces tasty berries—illustrate what she calls a “gift economy,” a way of thinking and living predicated on the principle that nature’s abundance provides enough for all, and a useful model for the earth’s human inhabitants to emulate.
Kimmerer describes the relationships between the serviceberry and its natural partners: the plant takes in the earth’s free resources—air, water, and light. It stores some energy as sugars, using the rest to produce flowers that feed young insects, leaves that feed deer and moose, and berries that feed birds and other animals. In return, the insects pollinate the serviceberry’s flowers, and animals carry away the seeds to help propagate the plant. In these relationships, Kimmerer says, the participants freely nurture and help each other.
The principles are gratitude and reciprocation; the mood is abundance and sharing.
Participants take no more than they need, and gladly give back to the community. Kimmerer offers the example of a Brazilian hunter-gatherer who brings home more meat than his family can eat. Rather than store the excess, he gives his neighbors a huge feast. “I store my meat in the belly of my brother,” he explains. Through giving, he engenders goodwill and reciprocal generosity.
As the author puts it, wealth means having enough to share. She contrasts the gift economy with capitalism, which she portrays as driven by market scarcity and focusing on the immediate wants of the individual rather than the well-being of the community.
Participants mostly enjoyed the book, giving examples of ways to give back. They mentioned speaking in public about sustainable resources, helping land trusts, giving to food pantries. Some spoke about the pressures of consumerism: feeling compelled to acquire goods and wanting to accumulate more versus the feeling of having enough and wanting to share. “We are trained to be afraid that we won’t have enough, so we buy more,” explained one.
Wealth means having enough to share.
Another attendee pushed back against some of the thoughts in the book, saying that many cultures—not only white, Western, capitalistic societies—find it normal to want to put away some supplies for the future. They pointed out that we give back by paying taxes, and that the current market economy supports everyone.
For a single mother, for example, they said, the U.S. is probably the best place to be, because safety-net programs such as SNAP and Section 8 provide financial support, soup kitchens provide food, and systems like GoFundMe fill the gaps. Every society has people who don’t know how to get resources in the existing system, they said, and the market economy works well.
Others felt that the market economy can seem amoral or immoral, replacing care for one another with a transactional mentality. Some pointed out that capitalism tends to view resources as having a linear progression: get it, buy it, kill it, and sell it.
Kimmerer gives the example of water, which should be a gift from the earth but, as we pollute our aquifers, corporations bottle water and sell it to us; “we incentivize wrecking public waters to create demand for the privatized.” Someone added that humans are good at creating false narratives about our place in the world, and that we can rationalize anything.
The gift economy, by contrast, features many players who have interconnected, caring relationships. One attendee mentioned the importance of respecting what we receive–rather than hogging or hoarding, just taking enough. They pointed out that, in Japan, people wear a mask when they feel sick to prevent spreading germs to others, whereas in the U.S. the simple act of putting on a mask can become an affront to another’s personal liberty.
Another traced the “gimme” mentality to European imperialists, who never saw a natural resource they couldn’t exploit. Another attendee mentioned that, in Filipino culture, children are raised to think about how their actions affect others.
Discussion was lively, from the Greeks’ introduction of democracy—and its exclusion of women, slaves, and non–property owners— to the Founding Fathers’ cribbing of parts of the Iroquois constitution, to the suppression of workers’ unions.
Cara urged all present to think about how the gift economy can work alongside capitalism. Others mentioned Co-op members bringing in bottles that others can use as bulk containers, the free fridge, the cull box, “local” signs that encourage customers to buy from small, nearby businesses.
Giving back to the community can have easily visible benefits, one attendee remarked: because a mother has enough to eat, her kids have a better life and grow up less likely to commit crimes.
In closing, attendees shared ways to cultivate a gift-economy mentality: being more mindful, feeling gratitude, spending time with friends, giving thanks, giving away vegetables, and thinking about ways to accumulate less, not buying more than we need.
The Bylaws Panel (BLP) highlights one section of the Bylaws each month. Sections 467–471 cover 5 committees.
Welcome to the latest edition of By the Bylaws! We have been gradually working our way through the Bylaws over the last year or so. This month, we wrap up our tour of Honest Weight Food Co-op’s standing committees by exploring five more that help ensure that our store is vibrant, forward-thinking, and aligned with our values.
These committees—Honest Arts; Environment; Strategic and Long-Range Planning; Anti-Racism; and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)—play an essential role in HWFC’s health, beauty, sustainability, and inclusivity. Let’s take a look at what each of these committees does and how they serve you, the Member-Owner.
Section 467:
If you’ve ever admired the art on our store’s walls, you have this committee to thank!
● Bringing Beauty to the Co-op: This group coordinates art displays inside and outside the store to enhance our space and make it more welcoming.
● Engaging Local Artists: They work with artists and organizations to create exhibits and murals that reflect our community’s voices and spark meaningful conversation.
Find all BLP articles in previous Honest Slate issues and on the website’s BLP section.
◦ Bylaws objectives (May 2024)
◦ Food and Product Policy (June 2024)
◦ Annual budget process (July 2024)
◦ MO responsibilities/benefits/rights (Aug. '24)
◦ Referenda & RMMs (Sept. 2024)
◦ Governance Review Council (Oct. 2024)
◦ Board Terms & Election Process (Nov. 2024)
◦ Board Decision-Making (Feb. 2025)
· Committee Functions (May 2025)
● Promoting Events: They team up with the Co-op’s marketing team to organize and publicize arts events that build community and celebrate creativity.
Dedicated to sustainability, EC helps HWFC reduce its environmental impact.
● Promoting Planetary Stewardship: They support policies and practices that protect the environment, in and around the store.
● Assessing Environmental Practices: The committee tracks which of HWFC’s policies help or harm the environment—and looks for ways to do better.
● Community Connection: They act as a hub for Member-Owners to share ideas about making HWFC greener.
Where big-picture thinking happens!
● Creating a Vision: In collaboration with other committees, staff, and management, this group develops a Strategic Plan to guide the Co-op’s priorities for the next 1–3 years.
● Planning for the Future: They also create a longer-range plan (updated every two years) that looks 3–5 years ahead to keep HWFC on a sustainable and successful path.
● Sharing Progress: The committee reports on its work at every Regular Membership Meeting to keep everyone informed and engaged.
ARC ensures HWFC is actively working to be an anti-racist organization.
● Policy Recommendations: They assess how racism shows up at HWFC and suggest practices to undo it.
● Training and Restorative Practices: They recommend learning opportunities for everyone—Staff, Management, the Board, and Member-Owners.
● Collaborative Work: They coordinate efforts with the DEI, Membership, Personnel, and Strategic Planning committees to build alignment.
● Reporting Back: They also share their progress and initiatives with Member-Owners at Regular Membership Meetings.
This committee works to make HWFC a welcoming and affirming space for everyone.
● Cultivating Belonging: They foster a culture where all people—regardless of race, gender, ability, income, and other identities—feel comfortable and included.
● Developing Inclusive Practices: They build strategies to ensure HWFC policies, departments, and leadership reflect DEI values.
● Collaboration Across Committees: Like the Anti-Racism Committee, they work closely with others to embed DEI into all aspects of the Co-op.
● Ongoing Communication: They report regularly at Membership Meetings, to ensure that their efforts remain visible and responsive to community input.
These final five standing committees reflect HWFC’s deep commitment to community, creativity, sustainability, equity, and planning for a thriving future. By participating in or supporting their work, you can help shape a Co-op that is inclusive, beautiful, and forward-thinking.
Want to learn more or get involved? Go to honestweight.coop/committees to visit a committee meeting and make your voice heard. We’d love your input!
by Marjorie Stanton, Diane Stredny, and Tam Kistler
A few of us on the Anti-Racism Committee (ARC) who love to read expressed a desire to learn more about anti-racism by reading a book together. Not all of those who wanted to participate actually had the time, so we were a very small group of 3–4 people.
We decided to read this book. We dove into the ugliness of racism’s history in the U.S. that our brothers and sisters with African heritage have suffered. We expressed our feelings about it through tears and frustration. Sometimes we had to look deeply in order to find hope. But we read on. The growth in our knowledge and our insight was more than we could have expected.
The story begins with a ship’s human cargo being delivered to the harbor of Point Comfort, Virginia, in 1619. The book takes this occurrence and uses it to illustrate a Butterfly Effect—+the concept that theorizes a butterfly flapping its wings in one part of the world can sometimes cause devastating consequences in another part. The point is made that enslavement began prior to the landing of the Mayflower in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620.
r E m e m b e r
to stop by Honest Arts’ hallway gallery to see Eye Spy, a unique family art show that celebrates the joy of artistic exploration across generations! Created by a family of artists, Eye Spy will delight both the young and the young at heart.
A reception was held Saturday, May 24, where Byrdie, Jared and their children enthusiastically showed visitors their work hanging in the hallway.
Come see an assortment of artworks crafted from beads, ink, pencil, charcoal and other materials through the end of June at this family show!
The author uses many Black voices to write about the impact this landing has on US culture. Each chapter title contributes a piece to form an anthology of ways that the year 1619 broadly affected the development of the United States. The chapters offer insights from a historical perspective of basic terms like race and how its use came to be applied to people of different skin colors. Laws created in the 1600s began to be applied to Africans’ enslavement as distinct from other forms of European servitude.
Prisoners or debtors worked for a defined period and were released. Africans were considered their owners’ property. Laws were created to control sexual activity between the sexes of different races and how offspring should be racially categorized. Any offspring of a Black woman was considered property and enslaved for life.
As the country’s economy flourished through the practice of enslavement, fear and greed were at the root of rigid laws to control the activity of the Black race. Laws generated during the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the postwar state were, significant-
“I like drawing our family and dinosaurs.”
–Dexter, age 3
ly, written with the intent of controlling Black people, who were often considered not as Americans who had rights, but as problems, perhaps to be liberated back to Africa. Certainly, Black Americans did not agree with this. The United States was their home too.
The Black way of life adapted to the limitations imposed on it. Black culture survived as a resilient force, unable to be quelled by those who chose to subjugate it. The remaining chapters focus on themes relevant to life after the Civil War and how the issues of jobs and housing affected inheritance and poverty. It is a larger picture of the cycles that keep people displaced and dispossessed. Topics such as health care, music, and entertainment are all discussed for the effect the butterfly had on our current world.
In conclusion, we found this historical narrative of beautifully written essays, poetry, and photographs to be deeply moving and informative. Questions we didn’t realize we had were answered, information that was left out of our schooling educated us, and personal stories and poems moved us.
The book puts slavery, racism and the struggle for civil rights at the center of our nation’s history, where it belongs. We were reminded that the legacy of 250 years of slavery did not end with emancipation but continues to shape U.S. society today.
“I like how if you make a mistake you can just turn it into something else.”
---Eliza, age 7
“I like how your brain just gives you ideas of how and what to draw.”
–Penelope, age 7
by Erin Ethier
Horsetail (Equisetum arvense), also referred to as shave-grass, comes up in early spring.
The plants have a prehistoric look, as they date back to the times of the dinosaurs when, it is said, horsetail grew to the size of small trees.
that point the silica may become less bioavailable and harsher on kidneys. Horsetail can bioaccumulate toxins and heavy metals from the soil so you take precautions where you gather it. I grow horsetail on our property and harvest it almost daily. I like to tincture it fresh but also dry to use as tea. Typically harvested during early May, it can be invasive, as it spreads underground through its rhizome, so be cautious about where you place it.
Nowadays they are much smaller, but some can still reach 1–2 feet tall when fully grown. To me they resemble something that fairies might live under. In the Middle Ages, people used horsetail as a scouring tool to clean and polish metal and wood due to the abrasiveness of its silica.
Horsetail’s high mineral content, mostly silica and calcium, aids in repairing tendons, sprains, cartilage, broken bones, and connective tissue. Silica helps strengthen the musculoskeletal system by building up connective tissue’s elasticity. After foot surgery, I made tea with horsetail and other herbs to help bones and tendons heal. This herb helps strengthen the cardiovascular system by building up elasticity in connective tissue making up our arteries and veins.
nal bleeding. It may help relieve stagnation with expulsion of metabolic waste, primarily through the kidneys. I have used it successfully to get rid of stubborn skin rashes. Its astringent properties help to drain fluid from tissues by increasing urine output, so it can help to address bedwetting in children or a weak bladder.
As it’s beneficial for the urinary system with its ability to tone, strengthen, and restore vitality to depleted organs, some herbalists combine it with herbs such as gravel root for kidney stones. However, silica in horsetail can irritate the GI system and kidneys with long-term use. Thus it is recommended to use in short duration or at a very low dose— pulse dosing, e.g., where you take it for 4 weeks and then take a week off. It is recommended not to eat the plant itself, but rather to consume in tinctured form or as tea.
Horsetail has two stems. The first asparagus-like shoot that sprouts in the early spring is a fertile, spore-bearing stem, and the second is a sterile green stem that is mostly hollow, except at the joints where it holds water. We use the green stem before it unfurls for medicine.
The key is harvesting it early, before the green fringes droop more than 45 degrees (like an upside-down umbrella) because at
• Honest Weight Food Co-op has over 11,500 Owners. See page 2 for article comparing HWFC to two other U.S. co-ops.
• 652 MOs invested time in May doing in-store, admin, and governance tasks.
• HWFC’s 50th anniversary is approaching. Stay tuned!
• Only 26 more months until our building mortgage—dating to 2013 when the store moved to its current Watervliet Ave. location—is paid off in full.
Some studies have suggested using horsetail supplementation to help reduce incidence from osteoporosis, and some have seen benefits in using horsetail for brittle nails and hair loss. The silica can also help restore a worn-out and depleted nervous system, similar to that of milky oat tops (also high in silica).
Horsetail also comes in handy as a wound healer. It can be used as a poultice or a wash and can stop both internal and exter-
HWFC can save thousands of dollars on credit card processing fees when shoppers opt to use cash, check, or a pre-purchased gift card at checkout. Here are the comparative costs:
Credit Cards ............. 1.8 %
Debit Cards 0.6 %
Use of a Gift Card .... zero
Check or Cash .......... zero
This herb should not be used with children under age 2 or those with impaired renal or cardiac function, prostate cancer, or edema. It may deplete thiamine levels in people and livestock, especially horses that eat large amounts of it. A B1 supplement can help both people and livestock to avoid issues.
Honest Weight sells dried horsetail in the bulk herb section and a horsetail tincture in the Wellness Department. I highly recommend that if you are using horsetail for medicinal purposes you work with a trained herbalist &or your doctor. This information is for educational purposes only.
HWFC does not provide medical advice. Please check with a health care practitioner before treating any condition. See page 8 for all policies and full disclaimer.
Mon., June 16, 6:30–8:30pm
HWFC’s café fills with music every 3rd Monday of the month. It’s open to Co-op and community members alike.
Join us for an evening with local performers and artists. Performer sign-in starts at 6pm. All family-friendly performances are welcome!
Q: Add macadamia butter? One of the only kinds that does not irritate kidney stones.
A: We have no sources for macadamia butter in jars for our Grocery Department shelves. It’s too expensive to stock it in bulk. You may speak with a bulk worker about special ordering a container.
Q: Whoever organized the soups + beans aisle IT LOOKS BEAUTIFUL! Perfection + a work of art! Thank you. ♥
A: We’re happy to see your suggestion! Thanks for noticing the excellent organization efforts.
Q: Rainbow power bowl is delicious! Yum. J
A: We’re glad you enjoyed this new item! It will be around for a while.
Q: Re: Organic Oceanside spinach [is] superior to Cal-Organic:
1.) Biodegradable tag vs plastic.
2.) Better variety of spinach.
A: Our distributor carries only one brand of organic spinach at a time. We have no control over which one they send us.
Q: Please don’t eliminate bike racks. We need to encourage biking!
A: Thank you for your advice. We too want to encourage biking. We plan on maintaining adequate bike storage infrastructure. [Editor’s note: stay tuned for updates in next month’s Honest Slate.]
Suggestion Box answers are provided by our Honest Weight managers and departments.
Q: If available from suppliers, please get gluten-free matzos. I had to go [elsewhere] to buy it. Thanks.
A: We’ve been unable to find a source for gluten-free matzos. We’ll keep our eyes open.
Q: If I use a mix of blue and yellow cornmeal, will my bread come out green?
A. Mixing blue and yellow pigments typically creates green. However, when baking with blue and yellow cornmeal, the color change isn’t as straightforward as mixing paints due to the presence of anthocyanins in blue corn. Blue cornmeal gets its color from anthocyanins, which are natural pigments that are very sensitive to pH levels (acidity/alkalinity).
Yellow cornmeal contains carotenoids, which impart its yellow color, and these pigments are generally more stable during baking. So when you combine them and bake, the resulting color will largely depend on the pH of your specific recipe.
If batter is on the acidic side, you might see a more muted blue, possibly leaning toward a purplish-gray, mixed with the yellow, which could result in a somewhat dull brownish-green or grayish-green.
If batter is neutral or basic, you may get a more discernible blue-gray mixed with yellow, yielding a dusty blue-gray or a subtle, less vibrant green. Some sources indicate that blue cornmeal often turns out a dusty, blue-gray color when baked without specific color-enhancing agents,
In acidic conditions (including many baking recipes with ingredients such as buttermilk, lemon juice, or some leavening agents), the blue color of the anthocyanins can shift toward purple or even reddish tones. In alkaline (basic) conditions, the blue color tends to become more pronounced, but if it’s too basic it can even turn greenish or grayish.
To achieve a more vibrant blue, some recipes incorporate an alkaline agent such as culinary ash or baking soda. Otherwise a pure green is unlikely; you’re more apt to get muted, unpredictable shades from grayish-blue to a dull greenish-brown, depending on the pH.
Between pages 5 and 7 in the Membership Manual we go into the history of Cooperatives and of Honest Weight. For the more visual among our MOs we present this timeline of some of the key events in our history. What events were you present for at Honest Weight?
Board, MOs vote to rent Quail St. storefront Hire first paid staff; open to public
20 friends start HWFC in Albany
Open Watervliet Avenue location
Replace
with CCO (Chief Cooperative Officer)
Replace CCO with CLM (Cooperative Leadership Manager)
Final building loan payment
You are here·
During June 3, 2025’s HWFC Board of Directors meeting, the BOD:
• Approved the May 13, 2025, Board of Directors Meeting minutes as presented.
• Affirmed decision made May 20, 2025, to approve revised Finance Controller job description with requested edits, including removal of supervision of IT manager.
• Postponed vote to recommend FY2026 budget to the Membership and add an additional 6pm public Board meeting on June 17 for discussion of this item and voting.
• Approved Honest Arts Committee’s purchase of gallery hanging system with funds taken from FY2025 budget’s governance line.
• Approved June 29, 2025, Membership Meeting notice as amended during the Board meeting.
• Approved CLM job description which added supervision of the IT manager.
• Adjourned the meeting after the executive session, at 10:40 pm.
Yevette Buddeau
David Bulnes
Brendan Byrne
Julie Cohen
Stephanie Conde
Erin Ethier
Elisa Grimm
Don Kennison
Irene Kim
Tam Kistler
Sam Long
Susan Nowogrodzki
This message was sent to community members via an Inside Scoop message on June 4, 2025.
The HWFC Board of Directors will hold a second public Board Meeting this month Tuesday, June 17, at 6pm via Zoom. On the agenda will be discussion of HWFC’s 2026 Annual Budget and Board decision to recommend the budget to the Membership, which votes to approve the annual budget every year in June at the RMM— this year on Sunday, June 29.
To join June 17’s meeting: Zoom Log-in Information
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Questions? Contact the Board Administrator at boardadmin@honestweight.coop. Thank you for your ongoing support and participation.—HWFC Board of Directors
Carol Ostrow
Marilyn Paarlberg
Anastasia Rodgers
Karen Roth
Robin Schatz
Janet Sorell
Marjorie Stanton
Diane Stredny
Peter Waldmann
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68 people attended June’s Board meeting. CLM Peter Waldmann gave updates on the Marketing Department, welcoming Erica Lopez, who recently joined as Marketing Manager. He also shared that next year’s budget was drafted after more than 2 dozen meetings with store personnel.
“Budgets are inherently speculative and innately predictive,” Peter stated. “Our goal for the store budget was maximum customer engagement, trip assurance, and sales.”
Also announced at June’s Board meeting:
• Potential ecommerce development.
• Upcoming improvements in our website, in-store signage, and the Coop Scoop magazine.
• With coupon redemptions costing the Coop over $350K annually, a review is in progress.
• The Controller job was posted internally.
MOs asked questions, posed ideas, and expressed appreciation for governance via the Zoom chat function.
“I’m so impressed with the level of intelligence, competency, and caring,” stated one MO. “Just reconfirms why I joined the Co-op.”
The next Board meeting will be
To join any HWFC Zoom meeting by phone: +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
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A summary of preliminary committee reports submitted to the Board of Directors (BOD) for its June 3, 2025, meeting. See Board Meeting packet for details. Board-approved committee reports are posted on HWFC’s website. Our committees help to run Honest Weight. See if there is a committee for you.
Membership Committee (MC)
Requested that BOD provide update on Membership Manager’s potential date of return, status of the search for open Marketing and Outreach roles and information on a timeline for filling these positions.
· Wants to revisit revamping orientations when Sharon returns, including investigating how to include some Non-Violent Communication (NVC) training in orientations.
· Working on 2024 changes to Membership Manual (MM). Tabled Time Bank discussion in Janet’s absence. Discussed follow-up on adding Mission Statement. Discussed taking May Sunday Social off the calendar.
· Following up on setting up meeting time for those interested in looking into options for MC/DEIC Focus Group. Danielle L. resigned from MC and Sean M. would like to join.
· Requested BOD: provide, in their own words, BOD member responsibilities/ experience to aid recruitment efforts; approve starting phone voting after the 15-minute Q&A period so phone voting support staff can participate in Q&A; and discuss wording of 2025 BOD ballot since more staff are running than available seats.
Discussed Annual April MM Retrospective. Positive outcomes included: Meet-the Candidates (MTC) session had thoughtful questions and new idea to use poster with QR code to advertise and bring people directly to MTC sessions and BOD election; vote counting improvements (to prepare Member eligibility list prior to vote count) saved time; good number of candidates; and paper vote count steps were documented for needed updates and saved in ENC Google Drive. Improvement opportunities: MTC sessions were not well
attended, better publicity and more communication channels are needed; need to reenergize and refresh election process, running of BOD/logistics; no pictures of BOD members are in HWFC or on website and more publicity of BOD and elections is needed; suggestion ENC meet with new Marketing Manager to discuss publicity, help with election improvements, etc.; and recommendation ENC turn off candidate nomination form at 8am on meeting day.
· June RMM Preparation: Reviewed and assigned task list to secure assignments and timelines for meeting readiness. Plan to follow-up to secure status of Food and Product Manual (FPM) proposed voting language and seek BOD and GRC representation at vote count.
· Began discussion on FY 2025-26 work plan.
Nutrition & Education Committee (NEC)
· Discussed how to implement request from Management to review products to determine whether out-of-compliance with Food and Product Manual (FPM), how NEC and HWFC promote FPM, making access to FPM on HWFC website better (Why do customers need to go to Banned Products to find FPM?); and NEC member’s development of outline for cooking class at HWFC.
Need to make access to FPM easier and make hard copies of FPM available near HWFC exit.
· Commitment to eliminating all forms of white supremacy has new urgency as US administration openly uses racism and oppression of immigrants to divide people in US from each other, causing great harm and danger for BIPOC people and for our democracy. We are all deeply affected; we can come together and, united, can find
White Affinity Group Meetings Third Thursdays • 6:30-7:45pm via Zoom This is a group meant for white folks to work on eliminating racism and white supremacy. Join us as we share thoughts, feelings, successes, and mistakes in a warm, friendly and non-judgmental atmosphere.
Contact Tam for the Zoom link at Listeningpartnerships@gmail.com.
ways to do the work needed to end this oppression.
· Moving forward implementing ARC’s extensive work plan.
Projects coming to completion include: article written for June Honest Slate, completed work on Double Up Food Bucks flyer in Spanish, preparing to table at HWFC, and preparing to visit community meeting places and communicate about how to save money when shopping at HWFC (Double Up Food Bucks, Membership discounts, bulk, etc.).
Projects in planning stage: gathering info about Anti-Racism Trainings that could be offered at Co-op (process may take time to find training that fits HWFC needs but ARC is working on it); and considering how to label minority-owned and BIPOC business products.
· Reviewed Honest Weight Shopper Survey Summary slides presented by Strategic and Long-Range Planning Committee (SLRPC) at April 27 RMM. Want to use results of National Coop Grocers’ survey of HWFC shoppers as a tool to analyze and identify HWFC’s DEI needs. As DEIC is new, we’re trying to build a strong foundation and make a tangible accomplishment; making an educational video this year is one of DEIC’s goals.
· Working on work plan.
· Continuing discussion on educational video-making project.
Requested BOD share raw data results from HWFC Shopper Survey as well as a copy of the actual survey.
Governance Review Council (GRC)
· Did not meet quorum (3 members absent).
May 13 BOD meeting report shared.
it is with great sadness and fond memories that we share the passing of Marci David in early May, 2025. Many of you have known her over the years and her home was often the site of meetings and served as the basis of conversation and sharing of stories in our 40th Anniversary video. There is a memorial in the works in her neighborhood; several Owners have proposed setting up a celebration of her Co-op contributions. Please think about how you might add to this if you knew Marci and we will reach out at the Membership Meeting on June 29 with ideas on how to come together on this.
Orientations were full this past month as we welcomed 31 new Owners in May.
Mon., June 9
• 11:30am–1pm via Zoom
Sat., June 21
• 10am–12:30pm · at the store
Wed., June 25
• 3:30–5pm via Zoom
We will be celebrating July 10 with a staff/ Member-Owner appreciation BBQ. We will have a dessert potluck, so dig out those recipes and include a label of your ingredients!
will be conducted online via: https:// us06web.zoom.us/j/81073676905
Phone Login Information: Meeting ID: 810 7367 6905
Budget Information · Session 1 Sunday, June 22 •1–2pm Budget Information · Session 2 Monday, June 23 •7–8pm
Food & Product Manual (FPM) Info Session dates and times will be announced later this month.
Current needs are on weekends only to assist at the Service Desk by greeting customers, weighing and taring clean, empty jars, receiving bottles for deposit, and answering general inquiries.
Email: MorgaenHansen@honestweight.coop
Cashiering help is needed throughout the week; day and evening shifts available on weekdays and weekends.
Email: MorgaenHansen@honestweight.coop
Courtesy Clerks are especially needed on weekends to bag groceries, straighten baskets, boxes at Front End, and assist customers at the register. All shifts/days are available.
Email: MorgaenHansen@honestweight.coop
Front of House in Food Services
3-hour shifts are available on · Mondays (7–10am & 2:30–6:30pm),
· Tuesdays & Wednesdays (3–6pm), · Thursdays (7–10am & 3–6pm), and · Sundays (3–6pm).
Duties include: prep for Front of House, packing for our Grab ‘N Go wall, cleaning, sandwich making, etc.
Email: DanH@honestweight.coop
Assist housekeeping staff on Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday evenings from 7–10pm; help with upcoming in-store painting projects (after closing) from 8:30pm–11pm.
Email: KarlBraun@honestweight.coop
You are eligible to vote at the RMM if up to date on time investment requirements and Ownership interest payments. Contact MemberServices@honestweight.coop or (518) 482-2667 Ext. 104, with questions regarding eligibility, at least 3 days prior to the meeting to confirm that your name is on the voting list. This meeting agenda will also be available at the customer service desk and on HWFC’s website, along with instructions for participating remotely (by phone or online), at https://www.honestweight.coop/page/member-owner-meetings-22.html.