Co-ops Step Up for Pride
In Minneapolis, a familiar red-andwhite retailer with a fondness for circles played a long-standing role in supporting Pride. But after said sponsor was uninvited from the 2025 Twin Cities Pride celebration (due to its rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives) six area cooperative grocers came together to fill the gap. Eastside, Lakewinds, Mississippi Market, Seward, Valley Natural, and Wedge co-ops pledged a combined $28,700 to the event’s safety fund, reinforcing their shared values of inclusivity and community care.
“As community-owned cooperative grocers, we’ve always been spaces where every member of our vibrant neighborhoods can find a sense of
belonging, friendship, safety, and, of course, delicious local food,” the co-ops stated in a joint message.
Twin Cities Pride organizers faced a sudden funding shortfall after distancing themselves from the national chain headquartered just down the road. The company had supported the event—both parade and festival—for nearly two decades before its public distancing from DEI practices led to a broader public backlash and calls for boycotts. In response, Pride launched a grassroots fundraising campaign with an initial $50,000 goal. That goal was met within days, and the total raised has since doubled, a testament to the community’s commitment to inclusion.
“To our queer friends,” the co-ops wrote,
“we see you, we love you, and we celebrate you every day. You are always welcome at all our co-ops, and we are proud to be your allies all around the Twin Cities.”
This kind of cooperative leadership isn’t new. Food co-ops have long been hubs for community resilience and progressive values. In moments of both joy and challenge, these neighborhoodowned grocers continue to model what solidarity looks like in action—not in slogans, but in service.
At the East End Food Co-op, we’re proud to share in this tradition. We extend our gratitude to our fellow cooperators in the Twin Cities for putting values before volume—and proving that when one partner exits the stage, many others are ready to dance in.
Board Corner
By Tom Pandaleon
Strategic Plan
In early March, the EEFC engaged Procopia, a small local nonprofit consultancy, to provide guidance on the drafting of our 2026-2028 Strategic Plan. During April and May, our GM met with Jake Seltman and Will Tolliver of Procopia to draft the details of a proposed 3-year plan. During that time, the Board participated by reviewing iterations of the plan, providing feedback to the GM and the consultants.
EEFC held two open Member meetings during May to take public comments on a plan summary given to Members at the meetings. Our GM provided an overview of the plan and additional information in response to the questions asked by those in attendance.
In addition, three staff meetings were held during that period, to provide staff with the opportunity to give feedback on the plan summary
New Board Members
InMay, the Board solicited applications from the Membership to fill two Board seats left vacant by resignations. The Board interviewed the three very well-qualified Members who applied and now welcomes to the Board Frank Noll and Dominika Blach, who have agreed to fill those positions. Each will be serving out the remainder of the third year of the vacated Board seats.
and voice ideas on the direction of the Co-op.
Strategic plans have long been a staple of our cooperative business. Our latest, along with its comprehensive implementation component will be completed by the end of June. It will provide a vision of where the EEFC needs to be in the year 2028, along with the organizational steps necessary to get there. It has become clear lately that the Pittsburgh grocery business sector is becoming crowded. The Strategic Plan maps out the steps for EEFC to thrive during that period while keeping its identity as a values-driven business that has and will continue to give our members and the wider community a grocery store that provides a real alternative to the big-box behemoths that concentrate wealth and limit opportunity for consumers.
Frank Noll
Frank became a member in 2004, and he brings experience in real estate development and bookkeeping to his seat on the board. Currently Frank volunteers much of his time as a Tech Lead at Co-op neighbor Protohaven Makerspace. He is also an avid gardener, and in 2023 won a Phipps sustainable garden award for his edible garden, which is abundant in fruit trees.
For more information visit eastendfood.coop/strategic-plan
Dominika Blach
Dominika joined EEFC three years ago and currently serves as the Director of Applications at Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, leading efforts to build and maintain the technology systems that support CFB’s work. She is passionate about supporting local food systems. A lifelong collector of glass jars, Dominika has a particular love for the Co-op’s bulk section.
GM Update
By Tyler Kulp
Goodmorning! This missive comes to you from the pre-dawn hours, one week until the summer solstice, which means it is extremely early in the morning. Having worked in grocery for almost eleven years, and a farm for four years prior to coming to the Co-op, I have come to cherish the quiet reflection of approximately 3:30 am –5:30 am. I like to think this is when I do my best work but I will leave that to you, the reader, to judge.
While today’s sun is slowly beginning to make its presence known, disruptions in our supply chain flared up late last week and have yet to set. UNFI, one of the largest national distributors of natural and organic foods was the victim of a cyberattack, forcing it to take its ordering, payment, and logistics systems offline. Essentially 100% of its operations ground to a halt overnight, and our industry has been rocked by the rippling effects of this outage for
the last seven days.
Last issue I wrote about the challenges we faced around the volatility of the egg supply and prices. This latest curveball from UNFI has again proved the resilience and fortitude found in communityowned businesses like our Co-op, and others in our nationwide network. We have long-established and healthy relationships with local distributors, farmers, and food producers. Counting over 150 local suppliers throughout every department in our store, we were better equipped to navigate this current crisis. However, like the spring, we are far from invincible. Certain categories have taken a hit this week due to the lack of UNFI deliveries but our buyers and managers have leaned further into our local network of vendors to find creative alternatives to get the products our members want onto our shelves.
This has been a powerful lesson
in supply chain fragility and we are determined to be more agile moving forward. Frankferd Farms in Saxonburg, PA, and Four Seasons in Ephrata, PA, both of whom we have worked with for many years, were able to step up without hesitation to meet our needs. We are very grateful to them, and many others, for our growing partnerships.
I very much appreciate our customers and members for their patience as we weathered the fluctuation in delivery times, days, and product assortment. I did my best to keep our staff informed with the most up-to-date developments to answer questions and communicate with everyone who came through our doors this week.
By the time this issue hits the stands I am confident shoppers will not detect any lingering effects from this UNFI outage. And my beloved pre-dawn hours will have grown just a little bit longer…
To me, summertime is synonymous with the music of Brian Wilson, and his brothers Carl, and Dennis, in the Beach Boys. They will all live on in the sunshine of their accomplishments. Thank you, Brian, for your “Teenage Symphonies to God.” Love and Mercy. ‑ Tyler Kulp
Someof our favorite asparagus, blueberries, and tomatoes are locally-grown by Jarosinski Farm. Located just 25 miles north of East End Food Co-op in Butler County, the farm also produces beef, pork, chicken and eggs.
Kevin Jarosinski is a firstgeneration farmer who started out in 2007 at the age of 15. He’s always been drawn to farming, and loves that every day is a new day on the farm.
Events Recap
As East End Food Co-op continues to explore ways we can serve our community, we want to highlight some of the events we’ve held in 2025.
Our neighbors at Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse kicked off our 2025 calendar with a Puppet Making Workshop. Despite harsh weather conditions, instructors from Creative Reuse braved the elements to host an evening that inspired guests to dive into their imagination.
Trevor Ring of Community Cultures brought a wealth of experience and knowledge to our Intro to Miso workshop. Participants not only learned the history of this staple of Japanese cuisine, but mashed beans, koji, and salt for their own jar of miso paste.
Our Indian Cooking Demonstration and Tasting with Priya Osuri of Anar Gourmet Foods was an aromatic interactive experience. Priya’s enthusiasm filled the room as she shared her expertise & traditional Indian dishes with event goers.
Jeonghee Choi of YeGa Kimchi’s events are often quick to sell out, and Cooking With Kimchi was no exception. Guests learned how to integrate kimchi into other dishes, and went home with a thoughtfully designed recipe book.
“Our mission is to keep it natural,” says Kevin, whose kind demeanor and enthusiasm for high-quality food has endeared him to our staff. Though relatively young, Jarosinski Farm continues a tradition started generations ago.
“Our farm has proudly been spray-free throughout all pastures and hayfields for over four decades.”
Unsurprisingly, Kevin refuses the use of all antibiotics, growth hormones and steroids for his livestock.
“We strive to raise cage-free brown eggs, pastured poultry, allnatural pork, and grass finished beef. Animal welfare is the utmost goal of the farm. Our livestock are proudly raised under the “Animal Welfare Approved” standards.”
Look for Jarosinski Farm products in our Produce Department throughout the harvest season.
Gut health was the focus of Meryem Mammedova’s Benefits of Fermentation event. Meryem shared her own personal health journey and provided samples of Prescription Foods offerings such as cogurt and pickled beets.
Sow & Grow Day was a celebration of all things earthy and sustainable.
This free event included a garden marker crafting station from Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, a demonstration of soil quality testing from Penn State Master Gardeners, and a community seed swap.
Finally, Chetia Hurtt of Mana Meals Catering hosted a demonstration of Vegan Comfort Food with 99% of the ingredients sourced from the Coop! Chetia prepared a full vegan meal slate while answering questions about how to shop smart and make the most of our food budget.
EEFC is grateful to have so many partners providing education, training, and information to our members and customers. Follow us on social media, sign up for our mailing list, or check the Events tab on our website to stay up to date on future events!
2% discount on all daily purchases
10% quarterly discount on one transaction
Save up to 20% on cases via special order
The opportunity to run for the board Voting privileges in Co-op elections
Access to the EEFC Federal Credit Union And more!
25 miles
Jarosinski Farm
Chetia Hurtt of Mana Meals Catering