ISSUE #433
MARCH/APRIL 2020
THE GREEN ISSUE
Say No to Overconsumption Fight the Urge to Buy
Grow, Learn, Build
Upcoming Events at HWFC
Get Lazy
Reduce Your Food Waste
Of course, green symbolizes plenty more than growth, despite the obsessing of my late-winter mind. Money. Jealousy. Inexperience. Vitality. Illness. CBD, etc. Leafy vegetables. Environmentalconsciousness. At the Co-op, and, increasingly, across the world, that last one is significant, and most of our writers chose to cover environmental causes. And how Letter from our editor could they not, considering our steadily warming Georgia Julius globe and the repercussions thereof? So, since As I write, it’s a sunny February day and, at the we’re sticking to optimism here (the brink! of risk of sounding especially twee, I yearn to be spring!), please read on and enjoy our writers’ enveloped in the impressive green of the coming musings in the coming pages. You’ll find features months: eager leaves poking up through wet soil on urban trees, reducing food waste, living with in May, the inviting coolness of a green-blue pond less, Honest Weight’s eco efforts, and daydreaming in July, a productive August garden dripping on the future of farming under a Green New Deal. with fruit hidden under ample foliage, the way an Don’t miss Melanie’s Mild Green Curry or Justin’s overgrown grassy field holds the golden light in mushroom soup made using Bulk Department September. I mean, come on! I feel this yearning ingredients (Bulk is Green!) near the end. as an ache in my stomach if I’m not too careful. It’s Thanks, as always, for picking up and spending an exciting (sub “excruciating” if you must) time time with our Coop Scoop. of winter. But! The days are ever-lengthening; daylight savings is right around the corner. We are Georgia Julius loves parsley, but she loves cilantro more. on the brink of spring.
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100 Watervliet Avenue, Albany, NY 12206 (518) 482-2667 [COOP]
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8am TO 10pm EVERY DAY
Honest Weight Food Co-op is a memberowned and -operated consumer cooperative that is committed to providing the community with affordable, high quality natural foods and products for healthy living. Our mission is to promote more equitable, participatory, and
Ecologically sustainable ways of living. Honest weight is open to the public, seven days a week. The Coop Scoop is produced bimonthly by our Education Department and offered free of charge as part of our mission. To view online, Please visit www.honestweight.coop/coopscoop.
Contributors
EDITORS:
Heather Bonikowski, our Content Editor, is a lexicographer for dictionary.com
and a foreign language instructor. She relocated from Austin in 2017, after triple-checking that there was a co-op here for her to join.
Holley Davis, our Layout Designer, lives in Troy and works in communications. When she’s not at the Troy Farmers Market or trying new recipes, you can find her running a half marathon in every state. Carol Reid, our Assistant Editor, is a retired cataloger at the New York
State Library, where she worked for over 35 years. She wrote a 10-year blog called “Typo of the Day for Librarians” and has been a Co-op member since the 1980s.
Writers: Deanna Beyer, Ben Goldberg, Corinne Hansch, Justin Hardecker,
HonestWeight.coop/newsletter
• contests and giveaways • Sales flyers • exclusive promotions • special event notices
Georgia Julius, Jes Marcy, Hilary Papineau, Melanie Pores, and Rebecca Angel Maxwell.
Visuals: Mathew Bradley is Honest Weight's Lead Graphic Designer.
DISTRIBUTION: Donna Eastman
ADVERTISE WITH US! Contact: Kim Morton (518) 330-3262 kim.a.morton@gmail.com Printed with soy ink on recycled paper in Albany, NY
Interested in Contributing TO THE COOP SCOOP? Contact:
CoopScoopEditors@googlegroups.com ISSN 2473-6155 (print) ISSN 2473-6163 (online) The Coop Scoop is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing medical or health advice. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider. We are not responsible for errors or omissions. Honest Weight is not responsible for, and does not necessarily agree with, our guest writers' articles. Cover photo by Lawrence Kayku on Unsplash
Green 2
LETTER FROM OUR EDITOR
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THE ANSWER IS LESS
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IN PRAISE OF URBAN TREES
8
CEMENT
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STRONGER TOGETHER, GREENER THAN EVER
MARCH/APRIL 2020
Georgia Julius
Jes Marcy
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Ben Goldberg
Ben Goldberg
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Hilary Papineau
14
FUTURE FARM
16
UPCOMING HONEST WEIGHT CLASSES AND EVENTS
Corinne Hansch
Deanna Beyer
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CLASSY MUSHROOM BARLEY SOUP
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12 LAZY WAYS TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE Rebecca Angel Maxwell
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Justin Hardecker
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RECIPE CORNER: MELANIE’S MILD GREEN CURRY Melanie Pores
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The Answer is Less by Jes Marcy
Mass production and hyperconsumerism are wreaking havoc on our homes, our wallets, and our environment. As a professional organizer, I see this up close every day. It might seem that my work is all about decluttering and letting go of stuff; in reality, the real magic happens when we can stem the flow of stuff coming into our homes, and begin consuming less overall. I know how difficult this can be, but with a little knowledge and small, simple changes, anyone can make a significant impact both locally and globally.
Why We Buy It starts with understanding why we are consuming more now than ever before. Global demand and production of products are at an all-time high because we live in a time where three powerful forces have collided.
The Consumption Trifecta Human Nature C on s u m i ng r e s ou r c e s a nd hoarding as much as we can are natural human instincts. 6
Our ability to do both of these efficiently and effectively helped our ancestors thrive. At the most basic level, it is our human nature to consume stuff.
Fighting the urge to buy goes against our human nature Advertising We see more advertisements today than ever before. Some estimates put the daily number of ads the average American now sees as high as 10,000! Marketers have an astute understanding of human nature and advertise to our primal fear of not having enough to survive. The result is thousands of prompts per day feeding into this fear of not having enough.
Ease of Access It has never been easier to acquire so much stuff, so quickly and so inexpensively. In fact, acquiring stuff has become so effortless that shopping in your sleep is now a recognized parasomnia disorder. Technology has removed many barriers to purchasing and has
created a digital landscape chockfull of advertisements. Fighting the urge to buy goes against our human nature. So how can we overcome these significant obstacles and start consuming less? By beginning to build awareness around your buying habits and implement small action steps into your daily routine.
Build Awareness Around Your Buying Habits One great way to build awareness around your buying habits is to take a break from buying. Commit to not making any purchases for a week (or a month) and use this time to observe your usual buying patterns. Once you have a better understanding of why you make purchases when you do, it’s easy to begin to change these habits.
My favorite easy action step is the fourth R: reduce, reuse, recycle, and REFUSE! You can also build your awareness by tracking the advertisements COOP SCOOP
you see in a day. For example, scrolling social media for 1 minute typically results in seeing 10-12 ads, perfectly curated for you. Knowing you will see so many advertisements allows you to strengthen your resolve beforehand to not click on them, or to limit your time on social media entirely. It can be helpful to become aware of where consumption is impacting your life the most. Is it with your time? Your money? Your guilt over the environment? For example, recognizing the negative impact of consumption in your life can give you a good starting point for actionable steps. Experiencing a lot of guilt about the environment could lead you to the small action step of choosing items with less packaging. Spending a lot of time worrying about money could bring you to the small action step of taking a week-long spending break every month.
Start saying no to single-use plastics and unnecessary packaging Start With Small Steps To Consume Less Once you have a solid understanding of how, where, why, and what you consume, it is easy to begin implementing small action steps. Remember, every change you make is important and impactful. My favorite easy action step is the fourth R: reduce, reuse, recycle, and REFUSE! Start saying no to single-use plastics and unnecessary packaging. Say MARCH/APRIL 2020
no to unnecessary purchases. Start refusing as much as possible, every chance you get. It also helps to create “stop and think” opportunities for yourself. A small note taped to a credit card, a reminder on your phone, an extra password requirement before buying online, or a pep talk before shopping all allow you to “stop and think” before making a purchase.
Begin consuming less, now Check out the sidebar for a list of small action steps you can begin to take today. And remember, the best thing you can do for your home, your wallet, and the environment is to start consuming less, right now. Honest Weight makes it easy to shop with less waste. When shopping for produce, choose fruits and vegetables with no packaging. Use reusable produce bags as you shop, or grab a box on your way in to put your produce into while you are shopping. Always shop the bulk section first for all pantry goods. Reuse your own containers. If you forget a container, there are always free glass jars available near the bulk oils. You can also refill cleaning supplies, laundry detergents, and toiletries in the health and beauty section. Don’t forget to check for coupons before you shop. Great coupons make it easier to keep shopping at Honest Weight. Jes Marcy is a local clutter coach and owner of Prioritize Your Sanity. Jes believes that successful decluttering means knowing how to navigate a world full of stuff, and she gives her clients the tools to do just that. You can find Jes around the Capital Region doing seminars, helping clients in their homes, and writing for local publications.
Small Actions Add up! • Rethink consumerist holiday traditions. • Take “zero months” where you do not buy anything that is not consumable. • Choose natural home decor. • Practice mindfulness and gratitude to help you appreciate what you already have. • Choose qualit y over instant gratification. • Commit to using up what you have before buying more. • Consider sustainable alternatives to purchases. • Combine errands, or choose to ride your bike. • Always carry a reusable coffee cup, cutlery, dishes, and takehome containers. • Choose to drink tap water. • Shop local as much as possible. • Create a home that you do not want to leave. • Start going to the library. • Tr y to borrow things before choosing to buy them. • Delete shopping apps on your phone. • Start using only cash. • Buy used whenever possible. • Follow different social media accounts that inspire this way of living. • Get organized so it’s easy to find what you need when you need it. • Grow a small garden. • Barter for what you need. • Consider a work uniform. Wearing the same thing every day saves you time in the morning and reduces the need to purchase many different pieces of clothing. • Make your own wrapping paper from what you already have at home. • Choose experiences over “stuff“ whenever possible. 7
Cement
In Praise of Urban Trees
HELPING PEOPLE, CITIES, AND THE ENVIRONMENT by Ben Goldberg
More than 80 percent of people in the United States now live in cities, covering more than 4 percent of our landmass, and within 30 years a large majority of people on Earth will live in urban areas, an increase of billions. The compounding effects of increased urbanization and climate change are decidedly negative, but some of these effects can be mitigated by “greening” cities with trees, urban forests, and other vegetation. Unfortunately, the numbers of urban trees in the United States have been declining for a variety of reasons, including the aging/dying off of mature trees; blights such as Dutch Elm Disease; the attitude that street trees are an annoying luxury requiring too much upkeep; scarce financial resources in many cities; and last but not least, the elimination of urban trees and forests to make room for development that doesn’t take into account the numerous and varied benefits of trees as a critical part of the cityscape and quality of life. It makes sense, therefore, to take steps now to make urban environments more supportive, nurturing, and livable in both the near and distant future. Large-scale longitudinal research demonstrates that trees provide many cost-effective benefits to cities and their residents.
“Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot.” - Joni Mitchell 8
by Ben Goldberg (with apologies—of sorts—to Joyce Kilmer, the “Trees” poet)
Already treed I will relent and write a poem about cement, cement that overwhelms my streets, fouls my lungs and soils my sheets, cement that glares skyward all day but does not breathe or sigh or sway, that makes those canyon blasting winds with winter’s frigid face unhinged. Cement—perhaps a God did make it— thank Heavens I will never rake it. Trees may be what God has lent to make our distressed souls content— trees and pastas cooked al dente* at least I think that’s what She meant for us, the badly, badly bent. Poems are words with fools’ assent, But only trucks can mix cement. * Rhyme it with cement! The mispronunciation is intentional!
Environment ● Urban trees help reduce potentially lethal temperatures and air pollution, such as particulate concentrations (dust, ash, pollen, and smoke), carbon dioxide, and other gases, while providing purified, oxygenated air. ● Trees help with stormwater, flood, and erosion management; mitigate potentially destructive wind speeds; and provide wildlife habitat. ● The right trees in the right locations can help reduce residential cooling and heating costs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, proper placement of at least three trees can help an average household save from $100 to $250 per year in energy costs. ● The net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day. One acre of forest absorbs COOP SCOOP
“Industrial systems, including municipalities, Economic stimulus and property values are destroying all living systems. These are ● Trees provide the sustainable materials used to build the homes we live in and many products interconnected living systems that cannot be we use daily. replaced once lost.” - Paul Hawken ● Planting in strategically targeted areas of the 6 tons of carbon dioxide and puts out 4 tons of oxygen, enough to meet the annual needs of 18 people. (U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA]) ● Wooded areas help prevent the transport of sediment and chemicals into streams. (USDA Forest Service)
Health ● According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more deaths in U.S. cities are caused by extreme and elongated heat waves than by all other weather events combined. These events are expected to escalate with climate change. ● The canopy cover provided by trees helps to lower temperatures and mitigate urban heat islands caused by hardscape materials. ● Living near and having access to trees is restorative and relieves fatigue, stress, anxiety, and depression. ● Mortality rates from circulatory diseases are lower, and immune systems are healthier in greener areas. ● Just being able to see trees and green space during recuperation from surgeries and infections can facilitate healing and shorten hospital stays.
city can enhance hospitals, nursing homes, and schools, as well as resource-poor neighborhoods.
● Attractive trees and vegetation in commercial districts encourages shoppers to stay longer and browse in a more leisurely, less stressful fashion. ● Landscaping, especially with trees, can increase property values as much as 20%. (Management Information Services/ICMA) While surging urbanization and climate change require a variety of both green and engineered, appropriately scaled strategies to mitigate potentially disastrous effects of hyper-urbanization and climate change, sharing our cities with trees (the right trees in the right locations!) and other forms of vegetation can positively and cost-effectively influence both the quality of life and the environment. Some cities (e.g., Austin, Texas) are already prioritizing and integrating green ecology into their legal, planning, and development functions, in recognition of how nature enhances the quality of city life and ecosystem functions. Here in the Capital District, Albany, Troy, and Schenectady all have tree planting and/or urban forestry programs with public-private partnerships. For more information about these programs, please refer to the city websites.
May the Forest be with you
● Urban trees and forests should be considered to be an integral part of our public health infrastructure.
PRIMARY REFERENCES & SOURCES
Aesthetics and Livability
● Planting Healthy Air, The Nature Conservancy/ C40 Cities—2016
● City trees soften the hard, angular urban landscape, muffle sounds, mask unsightly views, provide positive visual and auditory stimuli, encourage biodiversity, and provide more opportunities for outdoor recreation, positive social contacts, and community building. ● Treed areas provide a sense of place, calm city traffic, and are correlated with lower levels of violence and crime. MARCH/APRIL 2020
● The Arbor Day Foundation ● Treepeople ● U.S. Department of Agriculture ● USDA Forest Service A freelance writer, editor, and brown-thumbed gardener, Ben Goldberg lives and hugs trees in Albany. 9
Stronger Together, Greener Than Ever WITH HWFC’S COMMUNITY OUTREACH & EDUCATION TEAMS by Hilary Papineau
Not always visible from the storefront, Honest Weight’s extensive outreach strengthens local communities. Working collaboratively with the Outreach Team (led by staff member Amy Ellis), Honest Weight’s Education Department (led by staff member Deanna Beyer) is another force for change, helping Co-op memberowners, customers, and the wider community learn how to grow, choose, prepare, and eat natural foods, and live a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. Together, the Co-op’s Education and Outreach Departments are helping Honest Weight achieve its mission of promoting a more equitable, participatory, and ecologically sustainable way of doing business.
Strengthening Communities and Community-Building Honest Weight’s 2019 Food Pantries Register Campaign raised $19,414.57, exceeding the Co10
Youth engagement remains a pillar of the Outreach and Education teams’ work, and Honest Weight continues to partner with schools and student groups throughout the region. op’s $10,000 goal within the first month, and more than doubling the $9,374.64 raised in 2018. This annual holiday tradition offers shoppers the opportunity to donate money to the Food Pantries for the Capital District, a coalition of over 60 food pantries in Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, and Schenectady Counties. Ninetyfive cashiers (consisting of Co-op staff as well as member-owners) collected donations, led by the Coop’s Front-End Team (featured in the photo of staff delivering the check to the Food Pantries), the
driving force behind this new approach to engaging shoppers in the Campaign: an eight-foot reusable whiteboard placed near the exit door to capture donors’ names. As a snapshot from midDecember shows, the whiteboard became a platform for exchanging messages of humor, inspiration, introspection, advocacy, and more. Ultimately, this ecoconscious engagement platform offered a more meaningful and sustainable approach than the traditional paper card.
Expertise Honest Weight has also fostered relationships with experts who offer diverse and high-quality classes at the Co-op for members, shoppers, and community and business partners. The Co-op regularly partners with Jes Marcy—Professional Organizer, Clutter Coach, and Space Consultant. Jes teaches COOP SCOOP
several free classes: The Basics of Home Organization, The Answer Is Less, and The Heart of the Matter—workshops that teach participants how to control clutter, manage consumerism, and help aging parents downsize during periods of transition. In addition, Honest Weight has integrated these workshops into the Coop’s community outreach efforts, partnering with Jes to train local businesses on strategies for managing waste, such as reducing single-use plastics and establishing practices of giving employees reusable water bottles. Ho n e s t We i g h t h a s a l s o established a partnership with Chef Morgan Lee Waite. Trained at the Culinar y Institute of America, Chef Morgan has a creative teaching style and has crafted a series of classes offered at the Co-op, from Zero Waste Cooking to product knowledge and seasonal workshops. Chef Morgan’s Zero Waste Cooking classes offer fun and practical examples for reducing waste using materials and topics that relate to our day-to-day life. For example, did you know that you can easily regrow carrots from carrot tops? Last winter, Chef Morgan taught classes on making homemade ornaments using dried oranges, cranberries, and popcorn and how to lead a more minimalist lifestyle to achieve New Year’s resolution goals. Stay tuned for more stories featuring Chef Morgan in future editions of the Coop Scoop! These partnerships illustrate the synergy between education and outreach, leverag ing the Outreach Depar tment’s relationships and the Education Department’s expertise. MARCH/APRIL 2020
HONEST WEIGHT’S UPCOMING CLASSES AND EVENTS Shakes & Bakes: Tween/Teen Cooking Club: Instant Noodle Cups Monday, March 16, 4:00-5:00 p.m. Albany Public Library Bach Branch 455 New Scotland Ave, Albany We’ll be teaching 11-17 year olds how to make ramen at the Library’s Bach Branch! Space is limited so pre-registration is required through the APL’s website.
Red Cross Blood Drive Tuesday, March 31, 12:00-5:00 p.m. Honest Weight Food Co-op 100 Watervliet Ave, Albany Give blood, give life! The American Red Cross mobile blood drive bus will be stopping at Honest Weight for our bi-annual blood drive. Register to give at Honest Weight’s service desk or online through the Red Cross website.
Troy Barn Dance Experience Friday, March 20, 7:00-9:30 p.m., Featuring music by Loosely Wound String Band Friday, April 17, 7:00-9:30 p.m., featuring music by Set Americain Troy YWCA 21 First St, Troy, NY Traditional Roots Dancing featuring live fiddle music with callerled figures that are fun and easy to do! Caller: Paul Rosenberg. Suggested donation of $8 for adults, $5 for students, and $2 for children. Free snacks donated by Honest Weight!
Inspiring messages from the Register Campaign whiteboard
Honest Weight staff delivering the Register Campaign check to the Food Pantries for the Capital District staff
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Engaging Youth Youth engagement remains a pillar of the Outreach and Education teams’ work, and Honest Weight continues to partner with schools and student groups throughout the region. Recent efforts have focused on reaching young adults and college students. The C o - op pa r t nered w it h Skidmore College last fall when 12 students from Professor Monica Raveret Richter’s Ecology of Food course visited Honest Weight and participated in a hands-on cooking class led by Chef Morgan demonstrating how to incorporate a minimalist lifestyle into daily habits. (Students made tasty DIY Ramen out of Mason jars!) The Co-op also partnered with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s School of Architecture Professor Adam Petela’s third-year studio students, who were tasked with designing a community food market building similar to Honest Weight’s. The Co-op hosted 13 students for an intensive tour of Honest Weight’s facility and an indepth discussion of the decisions made in the building process, giving the students a real-life perspective on the inner workings of a co-op-style grocery store. The Co-op has also built a strong relationship with at-risk youth through a par tnership w ith Saint Anne Institute. Located
kids of all ages, which meets every Chef Morgan’s Zero Waste Wednesday 10:00 a.m.-12:00 Cooking classes offer fun and p.m. to discuss a range of topics practical examples for reducing relating to natural family living. waste using materials and Stay Informed and Get topics that relate to Involved! our day-to-day life. just around the corner from Honest Weight, this not-forprof it, non- denom inat iona l agency serves young women ages 12-21 by providing educational, therapeutic, and residential services. The partnership began with Saint Anne students working as courtesy clerks (baggers) on the Co-op’s front-end team and evolved into students taking Honest Weight classes. Most recently, Honest Weight’s Plants Depa r t ment ha s pa r t nered with the school’s Greenhouse E duc at ion Work P r og r a m: students grow vegetables, flowers, and herbs from seed in their onsite greenhouse, which the Co-op sells beginning in May, and then donates the proceeds back to the school. This opportunity gives Saint Anne students a platform to experiment with both growing and selling plants, ultimately seeing a project through to fruition. Did you know that Honest Weight is also a resource for students who are home-schooled? Check out the Co-op Family Group, a holistic group for families with
Have you taken a free class at the Co-op? Participated in an outreach event? It’s not too late! Check out the Co-op’s free classes and services, as well as community outreach efforts, at honestweight.coop/education. Sign up to get biweekly emails full of news, events, contests, and sales right in your inbox at honestweight.coop/newsletter. Social media is also a great way to quickly learn about the Co-op’s impact on the community and stay up-to-date on upcoming classes and events that may interest you or your friends and family. For education and outreach updates, like us on Facebook ( facebook.com/HonestWeight) and follow us on Instagram (@honestweightfoodcoop)! Hilary is an urban planner, food activist
and enthusiast, and a Co-op member since 2015. She, her husband, and baby live in the Helderberg Neighborhood of Albany where they spend their free time playing with seeds and weeds and trying not to kill their Co-op houseplants from too much love. Hilary grew up in the Adirondacks and is a research analyst with New York State.
Ois L L e HEnam
son d u H ancy k w a rv Moh Conse d Lan my
Hello neighbors, we’re the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, your local land trust! We are working to protect fields, farms, and forests all across Albany, Schenectady, and Montgomery Counties. Visit our website to plan a visit to one of our 19 nature preserves, check out our calendar of FREE events, or learn about vital conservation in the Capital Region.
our Join LIST ING on MAIL test news e la nts for th cts & eve proje nd town! arou
Get to know us...
watch the MHLC Video on our website!
www.MohawkHudson.org or give us a call at 518-436-6346
You’re invited
Lansing Farm Spring Fundraiser Sunday, May 17th
Lansing Farm Market & Greenhouse 204 Lisha Kill Rd, Schenectady Join us for brunch and help support your local farm! • Enjoy brunch, an auction, & MORE! • Family friendly, community atmosphere! • Learn about Albany’s farming heritage!
Lansing Farm is one of the last remaining farms in Colonie. Don’t let this farm disappear — your support will ensure this land is protected for future generations! For information and tickets, visit www.mohawkhudson.org/LansingFundraiser
Future Farm by Corinne Hansch
(This is a purely fictional dream of the future!) It’s our midweek harvest day on the farm, and as the lead farmers, my husband and I wake up at dawn to get ourselves ready for the day. We have a crew of eight employees coming today, plus hopefully the kids will put a few hours in, and we’re excited about the work ahead of us. It’s early summer and we have a beautiful abundance of lettuces, fresh onions, garlic scapes, the first of the summer squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and basil from the high tunnels, rainbow chard, spinach, sugar snap and snow peas, bright orange carrots, red and golden beets, white salad turnips, French breakfast radishes, baby arugula, pea shoots, 20 types of microgreens, edible flowers, and pastured eggs…not to mention a dizzying array of cut flowers. We’ll have to work fast to get everything in before the heat kicks up around noon, plus we have our CSA pick-up and farm stand this afternoon at the farm, and a farmers market stand to set up in our hometown of Amsterdam.
The crew arrives at 8:00 am, and we circle up for a quick check-in and to set intentions for our day. I share my gratitude with the crew for showing up, keeping a strong work ethic and a fast pace. For many years we were on our own, without a crew, and not a day goes by that I don’t give thanks for other community members joining in on the massive amount of work required to keep a diversified, notill vegetable and flower farm going. 14
The Healthy Families, Healthy Communities initiative provides monthly stipends for lowincome families and for folks with chronic illnesses, which can be spent at farm stands We divide and conquer the harvest, bring everything into the pack shed, and wash, bundle, bag, and label all the produce and flowers. We pack up the van for market and one crew member and I drive the four miles down to the Wednesday Amsterdam farmers market. The rest of the crew stays back to pack the CSA boxes and the online orders for the farm stand, and then get back into the field for bed prep and planting.
The market in Amsterdam is my favorite because it is so close to home - only a 7-minute drive. Plus it meets a major goal of our farm—to feed our neighbors. Ever since the Green New Deal incentives to invest heavily in nutrition for low-income people and people with chronic illness, we’ve had a huge market right in our hometown. The Healthy Families, Healthy Communities initiative gives up to $400 in FarmBucks per month for low-income families and for folks with chronic illnesses like diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, autism, etc. This money can only be spent directly at certified farm stands, so farmers markets have been popping up in nearly every community. COOP SCOOP
In Amsterdam we have a lot of low-income residents, and before the Green New Deal, one in three residents in the city had food insecurity. There is still no grocery store downtown so a lot of our neighbors who live in the city center rely on our farmers market for food. Our city was able to get a grant to build a pavilion for the market in one of the abandoned lots, and Wednesday afternoons are now a festive affair, with music, food trucks, and the market. We accept FoodBucks, EBT, and WIC coupons, as well as cash and credit cards at our farm stand, and after 3 years of building this market, it is now competitive with our bigger weekend markets.
I love seeing all my regular customers and checking in with them on how they and their families are doing. We’ve built relationships with many of our customers, and we’ve seen miraculous health recoveries for some who rely heavily on our nutrientdense, organic vegetables and microgreens to battle their chronic illnesses. We’ve started growing new products specifically to meet the needs of our new customers: culantro (Caribbean cilantro), Cubanelle peppers, and amaranth greens. Our community is slowly growing more healthy with access to organic food downtown, and the number of food-insecure folks is dropping.
Our community is slowly growing more healthy with access to organic food downtown, and the number of food-insecure folks is dropping
Because we have such a thriving local marketplace we have been able to keep our farm focused on feeding our neighbors while receiving a fair price for our produce and flowers We’ve added several employees to the farm and everyone is making a living wage. My husband and I are no longer working 100+ hours per week just to keep the farm alive. Because we have such a thriving local marketplace we have been able to keep our farm focused on feeding our neighbors while receiving a fair price for our produce and flowers. The FoodBucks program is the reason why we’ve been able to achieve these goals. We have some exciting plans for expansion, too. We recently received a USDA value-added grant to open a cannery in one of the reclaimed factory buildings downtown. The grant will help us purchase equipment for our certified kitchen to process the seconds and market leftovers into pickles, preserves, and sauces. We eventually want to open a cafe that features food from our farm and other local growers and producers. Our cannery will provide more livingwage jobs for residents of Amsterdam and ensure the success of our farm, especially through the winter months. We’ll be able to accept FoodBucks at our cannery, so finally, downtown Amsterdam will have a sort of grocery store! Corinne Hansch farms 1.25 intensive acres with her husband Matthew Leon in Amsterdam, NY. She is also a homeschooling mama to three wild (and happy) farm kids. Learn more about her work at lovinmamafarm.com.
And another amazing thing is happening. New businesses are opening up around the farmers market neighborhood! The market is attracting so many people (current counts are around 5,000) that new cafes are opening, along with clothing boutiques, a frame shop, a new microbrewery, etc. The abandoned downtown is starting to fill in with independent businesses.
Our farm is thriving, thanks in large part to the successful midweek market happening in our hometown. MARCH/APRIL 2020
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UPCOMING CLASSES AND EVENTS AT HONEST WEIGHT The Answer is Less! With Jes Marcy
This Spring, Become a Beekeeper!
Saturday, April 4, 1:15 p.m. Mass production and hyperconsumerism are wreaking havoc on our health, our homes, our wallets, and the environment. This workshop will examine some of the underlying reasons we consume so much and explore different strategies to help you start consuming less, with a focus on single-use plastic. A terrifying, eye-opening, and inspiring presentation that is a great way to kick off Earth Month.
Product Knowledge: Spring Vegetables with Chef Morgan Lee Waite
Benefit the environment, pollinate your neighborhood, and harvest sweet honey!
Saturday, April 11, 2:00-3:30 p.m. 100 Watervliet Ave, Albany Join Culinary Institute-trained Chef Morgan as she breaks down spring vegetables, literally and figuratively. In this class, we will take a look at preparing artichokes, asparagus, rhubarb, fava beans, leeks, radishes, and fiddlehead ferns.
Unplugged Kitchen Gadget Swap Saturday, April 18, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Teaching Kitchen We will not be taking anything that plugs in!
Gently Used Clothing Swap Saturday, April 25, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Community Room/Teaching Kitchen
Zero Waste Cooking with Chef Morgan Lee Waite Sunday, April 26, 2:00-3:30 p.m. Teaching Kitchen Learn how to stretch every food dollar you spend! In this class with Chef Morgan, we’ll explore the need for us, as consumers, to better and more responsibility utilize our food. We will share fun ideas, recipes, and tips. Culinary Institute trained Chef Morgan and team will demonstrate some of these techniques so that you can taste and recreate at home! 16
Available this spring, we will have nucleus hives with five fully drawn frames and a marked queen. We can also tell you how to join a local bee club and where to buy starter equipment and clothing. A perfect way to start your beekeeping hobby or career! Overwintered nucs $230, available late April Spring nucs $190, available in May For more info or to reserve your nuc, please text 518-573-8246 or email beegood@gmail.com. About Lloyd Spear, Beekeeper We have been keeping bees in the Capital Region since 1968 and have approximately 150 hives, mostly on organic farms in Columbia County, and none on farms using pesticides. Located in Loudonville. References from past customers are available upon request. COOP SCOOP
EVERY Look for these events throughout April and in the upcoming year! • E-Waste Recycling • Soil Testing • Zero Waste Classes • Organic Soil Sale • Drum Circle Performance • Movie Night • Green Giveaways • Albany Bike Rescue Repair Workshop & Safety Class • Classes & Workshop for kids
Along with a few other surprises! Visit: HonestWeight.coop/EarthDay
Classy Mushroom Barley Soup by Justin Hardecker
This delicious recipe was taught to attendees of Justin’s recent Porcini Mushroom & Barley Soup Class at Honest Weight. Enjoy making the recipe at home using fresh produce and ingredients from Honest Weight’s Bulk Department!
Reconstitute Dried Mushrooms Equipment
Put one quart of water on the stove to boil; check over porcinis and sun-dried tomato(es), brush off debris as needed, then break them into smaller-than-bite● Use a heavy 4-5qt pot, sized pieces. Place in a large strainer and rinse well; measure out salt and compose the bigger the better sachet; when water boils, place strainer with its contents in medium glass bowl and pour boiling water over until well covered and bowl is nearly full; cover and Ingredients let soak, agitating occasionally to dislodge any debris. ● 1 quart water Prepare Vegetables and Fresh Mushrooms ● 0.05 lbs (or a 1-oz package) dried Wash celery and carrot(s), peel onion(s), cut into fairly large bite-sized pieces; wash, porcini mushrooms dry, chop parsley; trim fresh mushrooms as appropriate (remove tough stems, ● 1 dry-packed sunbrush off debris; weigh mushrooms after trim but before rinse), rinse well, pat dried tomato dry, and slice thinly; set heavy pot on medium to preheat; smash, peel, and mince ● Heaping ½ tsp salt garlic; pull strainer with reconstituted mushrooms and tomato out of the bowl and ● Sachet with 2 bay let drain a bit. leaves, 1 clove, and 1 tsp whole peppercorns Solid Ingredients into the Pot ● 2 stalks celery, 1 large carrot, 1 medium Pour olive oil into the hot pot and add the sliced fresh mushrooms, then season yellow onion with a fat pinch of the salt (two if making large batch); once the mushrooms sizzle briskly, stir in barley, contents of strainer, and garlic; let cook 1min; stir in ● 1 bunch parsley the carrots, celery, onion, thyme, sachet, another two fat pinches of salt (three if ● *¼ lb fresh making large batch), then several good grinds of black pepper; let cook 6 minutes mushrooms, weight without stirring. trimmed but not yet rinsed Liquid Ingredients into the Pot ● 2 cloves garlic ● **1½ Tbsp olive oil Clear space in center of pan and pour in wine; stir and cook until absorbed, 3 ● ¼ c pearled barley minutes; gently pour mushroom liquid into large liquid measuring cup, leaving ● ½ tsp dried thyme behind any sediment on the bottom; add to pan plus enough water to total ● Freshly ground one quart liquid, increase heat to bring pot to a low boil, dissolve bouillon and black pepper remaining salt, then reduce heat to hold a gentle but steady simmer; simmer 20 minutes partially covered. ● ***¼ c wine, red or white ● ****1 qt total water/ Check for Seasoning and Done-ness mushroom liquid ● ****1 tsp Better than Stir in half the parsley and check for seasoning and done-ness: more salt, pepper, thyme, or a tiny dash more wine may be desirable, and the carrots and barley will Bouillon organic likely require another 10-15 minute simmer, depending on texture preferences; vegetable base remove sachet when satisfied, add more chopped parsley, and serve soup with ● Salt, pepper, and crusty bread. thyme to taste Continued on page 19! 18
COOP SCOOP
Calling all local business owners! We're currently seeking local businesses to join Honest Weight's Community Connections program. By partnering with the Co-op and offering our Membership and Staff a discount or deal of your choosing, you'll gain exposure with our community while supporting your cooperatively-owned Homegrown Grocery Store!
Perks include: • Your logo, a description and website link on our Community Connections webpage • A 10% discount on advertising in Honest Weight's Coop Scoop • A highlight in our Honest Slate Membership Newsletter • Inclusion in our list of participating businesses, provided to all new Co-op owners
To learn more about joining the program, contact MemberServices@honestweight.coop.
CLASSY MUSHROOM BARLEY SOUP RECIPE CONTINUED
www.HonestWeight.coop/connections
Congregation Beth Emeth
Health
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Sidney Albert Albany Jewish Community Center
FOR ADULTS AND SENIOR ADULTS
Recipe Notes
Sunday, May 3, 2020
● *I like shiitake and maitake mushrooms for this soup, but shiitake stems are tough and maitakes have a largish fleshy foot, so both require trimming: be sure to buy extra to account for trimming
10:30 am to 2:30 pm Albany JCC
● **If dairy is okay, 1 tsp olive oil + 1½ Tbsp butter (for large batch, 2 tsp olive oil + 3 Tbsp butter) yields richer soup ● ***For red wine I like a serviceable Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, for white an un-oaked Chardonnay, $8-12/bottle ● ****If you have homemade stock, skip bouillon and replace water with stock; to go fancy, replace wine with dry vermouth or sherry, replace onions with leeks, garlic with shallots, then add ½-1c heavy cream and puree Justin Hardecker is the Assistant Manager of the Honest Weight Food Coop’s Bulk Department. MARCH/APRIL 2020
FREE Health screenings Information Booths
Drawing Prizes Healthy Snacks and more!! Albany JCC | 340 Whitehall Road, Albany, NY 12208 | www.albanyjcc.org Contact: Louisa Soleau | (518) 438-6651 x 112 | LouisaS@albanyjcc.org Follow us on social media @albanyjcc
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12 Lazy Ways to Reduce Food Waste by Rebecca Angel Maxwell
You may have heard it said that food waste makes up one of the largest percentages of our landfills. And you may have also heard that reducing food waste is one of the top ways to decrease the buildup of carbon dioxide, which is contributing to climate change. Even if you haven’t heard those things, it’s terrible to think that while some of us are throwing food away, others don’t have enough to eat. And If you’re like me, you care about this, but are overwhelmed at the thought of adding another thing to your to-do list. So relax, read on, and join me in reducing food waste by being lazy!
1. Stop Cooking So Much Sure, home cooking has been proven to help with physical health for you and your loved ones, plus there are psychological benefits to sharing a meal, but it takes a lot of time and effort. Stop trying so hard. When you do cook, cook a bunch, and then have that for lunch the next day, or eat leftovers for days to come. Heck, make a TON of food and then freeze it in dinnersize portions. Enjoy weeks of cooking less! Just warm it up. Less food waste. So easy.
2. Don’t Shop So Often Stay home. Eat what you already have. Look in your refrigerator for what needs to be eaten soon. If you don’t have enough in the fridge, check the freezer, reach waaaay back. Eat it. Still not enough? Look in your pantry. Make something with that weird grain you bought six months ago and those canned…things… that were on sale. Don’t waste the food you already have. See? So much lazier than walking out your door.
3. Be the Uncreative Cook Use the same recipes each week. This means less time at the grocery store since you already know what you’ll buy, saving money by knowing exactly how much you 20
Stay home. Eat what you already have. Look in your refrigerator for what needs to be eaten soon. need, and spending less time making decisions each day. Here’s another tip: Look at what needs to be eaten now, dump it in a pan, pour eggs and cheese (or your favorite topping) on top, and bake at 350 for at least 20 minutes. You’re welcome.
4. There’s an App for That Meal planning apps can help you shop and plan your meals with accurate amounts of food to buy, cutting down on extras that sit around and eventually get thrown away. Having a party? Use the online tool Guestimator to figure out the perfect amount of chips and dips to buy and prepare, how many deviled eggs, how much salad, coffee, tea, etc. Who wants sixteen boxes of cake pops in their fridge after a party? (You don’t, trust me.)
5. Make Easy Decisions Join a CSA (community supported agriculture) where you pay a farmer at the beginning of the year and then get weekly produce during harvest season. This cuts down on shopping time because you pick up a basket of food pre-selected for you (and fresh from the farm!). You’ll have fewer decisions to make since that food must be eaten. You’ve already paid for it. Keep an “Eat Me First!” shelf specifically for foods that will spoil quickly so you don’t even have to think about it. If anyone needs a snack, tell your family to eat those first and reduce food waste.
6. Stop Peeling and Prepping So Much Leave the skins on those apples and potatoes and cucumbers and summer squash. What’s the big deal? COOP SCOOP
Bake winter squash and sweet potatoes whole in the oven (prick with a fork) and then just scoop out what you want to eat. Scooping is fun. Scooping is the lazy way to eat. You don’t even need to reach for a bowl. In fact, most skins of squash and potatoes are fine for eating too. Just sit, scoop, and eat. You’ll have fewer food bits to throw away.
7. Don’t Throw It Out Yet Did you know the only mandated “past-due” dates on food are for baby formula? There are NO federal guidelines for those dates on your juice, cheese, canned fish, cereal, salad dressing, etc. Those are put there by the industry to make you eat food when it tastes best or throw it out and BUY MORE! That’s the plan. Instead of trusting people who only want your money, use your own senses. Rotten eggs are obvious. You can cut off small amounts of mold on hard cheeses or bread. Liquid items may settle or separate—check what is normal instead of automatically throwing it away. Slice off the bad spots on veggies and fruits. If the milk doesn’t smell, don’t shove it under someone else’s nose. It’s fine. (Unless you have a cold, then ask for a second opinion.) Pantry and frozen items can stay around for a loooooong time.
Honesty will save you time and energy, and reduce food waste. 8. Don’t Buy Whole Foods If you know you’ll never get around to chopping them for a meal, don’t buy them. If your whole foods end up in the garbage most of the time, buy pre-chopped food. Cut melon is a quick snack. Frozen chopped onions and peppers can be put directly into your pan to cook. This is true for meat and cheese as well. If you can’t be bothered to shape your own burgers, just buy them pre-made. Have you been throwing away moldy cheese because no one likes grating it? Buy the grated kind. Don’t be embarrassed; accept your lazy, beautiful self just as it is.
much. If you’re starving, go to a place that serves some bread or chips and salsa before your meal to tide you over. Or keep a snack in your bag and eat it on the way. Then you will order a more reasonable amount of food. Similarly, if you can barely finish an entree, order the appetizer and a side instead. Or share a meal with a dining partner. This will cut down on restaurant waste. Order what you will eat. Similarly, dumping food at buffets and cafeterias is rampant. Skip the tray and hold your food (the bowl, not the actual rice and beans) in your hands. Buy only what you can hold. If you eat all that and are still hungry, go back for seconds. It rarely happens. (Does not include hungry teenagers.)
11. Let Someone Else Compost Composting is a way to recycle food waste instead of preventing it, but let’s still include it here. It keeps the food out of landfills. If you live in a rural area, chances are there is a farm that will take your compost. If you live in a suburban area, I guarantee you have a nerdy green neighbor (like my husband) who composts. However, if your neighbor doesn’t have enough space for two households’ worth of waste, or you live in an urban landscape, you still have a great option. Find the places that will take your compost and even places that pick up your compost at your door! This means you can feel superior at the next party mentioning casually about how composting is so important for the environment while doing absolutely no work yourself. Sweet.
12. Slow Down Enjoy your meal. Chew with pleasure. Eating slower is shown to reduce consumption, which means you’ll have leftovers, which means you’ll learn to cook less, shop less, and have less food waste. Which will save the world, one lazy forkful at a time. Rebecca Angel Maxwell has been a member of Honest Weight for 17 years, working in various capacities. When not at the Co-op, Rebecca is a music teacher and writer for GeekMom.com, while working on a memoir, ‘Obese Pregnant Man’, about her experience with Cushing’s Syndrome. If you see her stocking produce, say hello!
9. Be Honest Honesty will save you time and energy, and reduce food waste. Keep track of how much you actually eat at home. It’s better to eat out and have a bare refrigerator than to eat out with a full one that you have to toss the next week (the food, not the fridge).
10. Dine Out the Lazy Way If you never take a doggie-bag home, or take one and toss it in the trash two weeks later, don’t order so MARCH/APRIL 2020
21
Recipe Corner by Melanie Pores
Melanie’s Mild Green Curry Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes
Curry paste Ingredients ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
¼ tsp ground coriander ¼ tsp ground cumin Pinch of ground turmeric ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt 1 ½-inch piece freshly peeled and grated ginger 2 tsp maple syrup ½ cup sweet onions, leeks, or shallots, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 bunch (about 1 cup) fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped (Reserve 4 sprigs of cilantro for garnish)
Curry ingredients ● 1 Tbsp ghee ● 1-2 cans of coconut milk (If you use 2 cans, the curry is more soup-like) ● 1 ½ cups broccoli florets ● 1 ⅓ cups collard greens ● ¾ cup cauliflower florets ● 1 ¼ cups green peas ● 1 Tbsp lime juice, plus extra to taste ● Himalayan pink salt to taste ● Pinch black pepper (For a spicier curry, you may want to add some red pepper flakes) ● Fresh spr igs of cilantro for garnish 22
Overview
According to Ayurveda, or “Life Science,” the 5,000-year-old sister science of yoga from India, each individual is born with a particular constitution or “dosha.” There are three primary doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each individual’s constitution is composed of one, two, or all three doshas (called tridoshic). My body’s constitution is predominantly “Pitta.” For individuals possessing a Pitta-dominant constitution like me, eating foods that comprise pungent, salty, and/or sour tastes (which possess heating qualities) creates an inflammatory response or imbalance. Since I love curry, I decided to create a milder curry recipe, suited to address my particular constitutional needs. In order to achieve a mild, Pitta-friendly, green curry recipe, I utilized a variety of foods marked by bitter, astringent, and sweet tastes. Each one of these three tastes possess cooling qualities, which serve to pacify my body’s Pittadominant constitution.
Directions
1. To prepare the curry paste, place all of the curry paste ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until relatively smooth. 2. Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat, and add the curry paste mixture, sautéing the mixture for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Spices can burn fairly quickly. Do not allow them to smoke—reduce the heat. 3. Add the coconut milk, gradually, to ensure that it doesn’t separate. 4. Next, add the broccoli, collard greens, cauliflower, and green peas, stirring to ensure that the vegetables are fully incorporated into the sauce. Cook for approximately 3-5 minutes. The vegetables should be tender-crisp. 5. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Adjust the seasoning to your taste by adding a little more salt and/or lime juice. 6. Divide the cooked rice into 4 bowls, layer the curry over the basmati rice, and garnish each bowl with a sprig of fresh cilantro. Enjoy! Melanie Pores is presently retired after having served a 30+ year career as a bilingual teacher, teacher-trainer, resource specialist, school board member, adjunct professor, educational researcher, and policy analyst. She facilitates the Co-op’s Spanish Conversation Group on Mondays at 10 a.m. COOP SCOOP
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2020
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Woodland Hill welcomes you to play, cook, create, and invent! Explore nature, tackle design challenges, play with clay, tap into your inner musician, become a reporter, launch rockets and more!
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June 22 - August 21 Woodland Hill Montessori School 100 Montessori Place • North Greenbush 518.283.5400 woodlandhill.org
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Care During Your Entire Childbearing Year Betsy Mercogliano, CPM, LM (518)449-5759
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