Coop Scoop Autumn 2015

ISSUE #408

AUTUMN 2015

Printed with soy ink on recycled paper

IN THIS ISSUE

The Making of an Obsession— A Local Author and her Quest for Grains PAGE 8

Strategic Planning Update 4 The Co-op Garden 8 DIY Fire Cider 16

1. Voluntary, Open Ownership 2. Democratic Owner Control 3. Owner Economic Participation 4. Autonomy And Independence 5. Education, Training And Information 6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives 7. Concern For The Community

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COOP SCOOP

open every day 8am - 10pm

Honest

FOOD CO-OP

Honest Weight is a member-owned 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. We welcome all who choose to participate in a community which embraces cooperative principles, shares resources, and creates economic fairness in an atmosphere of cooperation and respect for humanity and the earth.

behind the CO-OP BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT

Bill Frye

VICE PRESIDENT

Deb Dennis

TREASURER

Leif Hartmark

SECRETARY

Erin Walsh

Weight

Honest Weight is located at 100 Watervliet Avenue in Albany, New York.

contact us 100 Watervliet Avenue Albany, NY 12206 (518) 482-2667 [482-COOP] coop@honestweight.coop www.honestweight.coop

LEADERSHIP TEAM

(518) 482-2667 + ext.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Duke Bouchard

(x107)

SYSTEMS LEADER

Lexa Juhre

(x101)

COMMUNICATIONS LEADER

Lily Bartels

(x116)

OWNER SERVICES COORDINATOR Morgaen Hansen

COMMITTEE LIAISONS

(x104)

MERCHANDISING MANAGER

Sandra Manny

(x120)

OUTREACH COORDINATOR

Amy Ellis

(x128)

BYLAWS PANEL

Bill Frye

MARKETING MANAGER

Jennifer Grainer

(x106)

COMMUNICATIONS

Roman Kuchera

EDUCATION COORDINATOR

Colie Collen

(x219)

FINANCE

Leif Hartmark

FRONT END MANAGER

Katie Centanni

(x109)

GOVERNANCE REVIEW COUNCIL

Bill Frye

BULK MANAGER

Tom Gillespie

(x130)

MEMBERSHIP

Rossana Coto-Batres

PRODUCE MANAGER

Brendan Kelly

(x118)

NUTRITION & EDUCATION

Ned Depew

FOOD SERVICE MANAGER

Michele Youngs

(x108)

GROCERY MANAGER

David Aubé

(x119)

MEAT MANAGER

Nick Bauer

(x113)

WELLNESS MANAGER

Kevin Johnston

(x122)

CHEESE MANAGER

Jonathan Milks

(x230)

PERSONNEL

Daniel Morrisey

Interested in joining a committee?

Contact: board@honestweight.coop

HONEST WEIGHT COMMUNITY INITIATIVE

Bill Frye GOVERNANCE REVIEW COUNCIL

want to advertise?

Contact Kim Morton at (518) 330-3262 or kim.a.morton@gmail.com AUTUMN 2015

Jean Corigliano, chair The cover photo was taken by Andrew Franciosa, Co-op member since 2013.

The contents of the Coop Scoop are for information purposes only and not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read in the Coop Scoop.

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Strategic Planning Update

by Am

by Rossana Coto-Batres

Co-op

Co-op member since 2013

Illustration by Meg Sodano, Co-op member since 2013.

A year has passed since our strategic planning process kicked off and the strategic plan that will guide us in the next 5-8 years is starting to come into focus. In August, the Strategic Planning Committee held a 2-day Strategic Planning Conference drawing 60 participants representing subject matter experts, vendors, staff, managers and the Leadership Team, shareholders, working members, the Board and the Governance Review Council. Using background information collected at the Business Planning event and the series of community events held in May, each group was tasked with answering “what is the vision for the future of the co-op and its impact 4

on customers, members, staff, the community and the world?� and coming up with a strategy for how to achieve this. Gathering in small groups with each stakeholder group represented, participants engaged in thoughtful conversation and collaborative thinking as they crafted a collective vision for the future of our Co-op. Some of the common themes that emerged among all groups were deepening the connection with and contributions to our community, expanding the work we do to advance our mission, and promoting cooperative values through all the work we do.

The preliminary data on the strategic plan was shared with members at the September 27th Membership Meeting. Members and shareholders also had an opportunity to get more information and ask questions at the Strategic Planning Promenade held immediately before the Membership Meeting. The next steps involve collecting feedback from members and shareholders in order to draft a strategic plan that will be presented for a membership vote at the January Membership Meeting.

COOP SCOOP

Update from Outreach

by Amy Ellis, Outreach Coordinator

table of

Co-op member since 2009

contents THE COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLES

2

STRATEGIC PLANNING UPDATE

4

UPDATE FROM OUTREACH

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THE MAKING OF AN OBSESSION: A LOCAL AUTHOR AND HER QUEST FOR LOCAL GRAINS 6

Summer is my favorite season, and one that brings some of our most important work into the community: cooking with kids! The season was full of children’s programming (to say the least) and a lot of fresh produce! Ready, Set, Grow! was moving full speed ahead.

Every summer we partner with various organizations and school districts.

We ended the spring season with our friends at Saddlewood Elementary School, preparing fun and healthy snacks with each section of K, 1st and 2nd grades. Our 4th grade friends at Arbor Hill Elementary School enjoyed making hummus, fruit and yogurt dip, and guacamole. The 2nd graders at Delaware Community School also enjoyed preparing a variety of healthy snacks. We never end a school year without a visit with our friends at New Scotland Elementary School.

school and also brought the group to the Co-op for store tours.

For the first time, we had the pleasure of working with two different age groups at Northeastern Association of the Blind.

We paid a visit to our 5th grade friends off the beaten path a bit at the BerneKnox-Westerlo school. They were quite ambitious and ready to get hands on in the kitchen.

Outreach continues to support local initiatives like Soul Café community meals in both Albany and Troy. Our work in the community brings us out to all sorts of organizations like RPI, Siena College, UAlbany, Sage, St. Rose, CDPHP, St. Peter’s Hospital, Independent Living Centers, Soul Fire Farm, Equinox, youth centers, public library systems, public and private schools and many, many more!

METRICS OF GROWTH: THE CO-OP GARDEN

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MEMBER PROFILE

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OUR WHOLE NEW OPEN BOOK WORLD

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PRODUCER PROFILES

13

SEASON OF GIVING

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FIRE CIDER: AUTUMN’S BFF

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NEWS FROM THE MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE 18 FROM THE SUGGESTION BOX

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CLOSING WORDS 22

Unique this summer was a partnership with the Vegetable Project, which presents gardening and other plantbased programming in the Albany schools. We spent some time at the high AUTUMN 2015

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The Making of an Obsession: A Local Author and her Quest for Local Grains

by Amy Halloran

I’VE JUST WRITTEN A BOOK

about regional grain production, and I’m excited to tell you the story behind the story: the places in the Capital District where my work began.

I live in Troy, and used to run the farmers market there. I was wildly naïve about food production, but I had experience in restaurants and volunteer management, and my connections to the community were an asset. I could pull in people and groups that didn’t have a knowledge or interest in food, and get them curious about the concept and practice of local eating long before the word locavore hit our ears, or the dictionary.

My curiosity about the food system steadily grew, and my son planted other questions. He was a toddler, and ran around the farmers market chanting his name and the profession he saw and admired, Francis Eddie Magai, Farmer. Why, he often 6

wondered, did we buy a house in the city where he couldn’t farm?

One day, as he was helping me clean between the floorboards in that city house, we found lots of straight pins. Out the back window was the smokestack of the Hedley building, a former Cluett and Peabody factory, and I saw a teachable moment.

“People used to make collars and cuffs here, in their houses and in big factories like that one. People made shirts,” I told him, feeling proud that I delivered history.

“What do we make in Troy now?” he asked, innocently twisting the teaching back at me. I didn’t know what to tell him, and his question kept asking itself for years.

I tried to answer it by showing him the remnants of industry, and talking about the migrations of labor and capital. One day at the Poestenkill Gorge, I saw a millstone, and then another, just mixed in with the

rocks on the edge of the water. I looked at them and wondered: Why don’t we make flour here anymore?

I had always been a baker, but I never thought much about flour. I had no idea that one question would make me ask a million more. Shortly afterwards, my husband Jack went on a business trip, hanging lights in trees in Connecticut. On his way home, he got me a cookie. Oh great, I thought, you get a few nights in a hotel, and I get a cookie? I shouldn’t have been so ungrateful, because that oatmeal ganache bar opened the door to the world of regional grains and the research that led to The New Bread Basket.

The oats and wheat, freshly ground and rolled, stood tall against high quality butter and chocolate. Jack handed me a pamphlet about Wild Hive bakery and mill, and we made plans to visit. I started talking to people who were doing anything with grains in the area, and found COOP SCOOP

Illustration by Meg Sodano, Co-op member since 2013.

out about grains workshops and NOFA-NY’s winter conference in Saratoga. I began to meet the people who were reviving food grade grains in the Northeast.

These growers and producers were collaborating with farm support teams at land-grant universities and food activist groups, such as Grow NYC’s Regional Grains Project, OGRIN (The Organic Growers Research and Information-Sharing Network) and NOFA. I saw the effort of bringing staple crops back to locales, creating alternatives to crops from the grain belts in Western and Plains states.

Like muscles, none of these people or organizations worked in isolation, but in concert, helping identify and put in place seed varieties, markets and infrastructure that disappeared over 100 years ago as grain production grew centralized.

While farmers in New York and the Northeast still grow grains for livestock, food grade grains are trickier AUTUMN 2015

to grow, and the maturation and harvest is not well suited to the humid summers we have. Just as farmers markets acted as levers to help support other regional crops, mills and malt houses are necessary fulcrums for small-scale grain growing.

I’m happy to see them returning.

I loved meeting the pioneers who are putting these foundational foods front and center in their lives. You can meet them in my book, but better yet, head to the Co-op’s Bulk section, and introduce yourself to some very flavorful stoneground whole-grain flours.

LOCAL GRAINS AT THE CO-OP: • Farmer Ground Flour stone grinds organically grown New York State grains.

• Champlain Valley Milling

mostly mills grains grown elsewhere, but has some state specific flour.

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Metrics of Growth: The Co-op Garden

by Eric Bauer Co-op member since 2014

ANYONE WHO HASN’T SEEN

the High Line in New York City, the elevated garden that runs between West 34th and West 12th streets, can now find examples of the same “New Wave Gardening” in Honest Weight’s parking lot. Co-op member Beth Meer has integrated many of the same techniques as the man responsible for the High Line, famed Dutch gardener Piet Oudolf.

A longtime garden enthusiast, Beth had intended to do her member hours in the Plants Department.

However, when that department quieted down last fall, the Co-op approached Beth about planting bulbs in the surrounding lawns—one thousand bulbs to be exact — which Beth did in a single day using a fleet of member workers over three shifts.

With such astonishing success, she was approached again, this time with a more daunting task—to breathe life into the Co-op’s floundering flower beds.

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Beth is mostly self-taught. Books

by Piet Oudolf are a regular fixture on her nightstand, but the bulk of her experience comes from practice.

She charmed the gardens at Holy Spirit School in East Greenbush into pristine beauty while her children were students. Often she would enlist their classmates as helpers, educating them on climate zones and photosynthesis, subjects on which she is vastly knowledgeable from her environmental biology degree from Cornell University and her work at the Department of Environmental Conservation. However all of this was merely a prelude to what awaited at Honest Weight.

The area in front of the Co-op, the stretch that separates the outdoor seating from the parking lot, was mostly turf. Without a barrier to protect it, this area had become trampled from foot traffic to the point where nothing could grow. After the Co-op approached her last fall, Beth took the rest of the winter to

strategize about what to do. Oudolf’s book Planting: A New Perspective is full of very detailed plans for how to organize a garden. To the naked eye, it looks like a cross between a Winslow Homer watercolor and a complex set of football plays. But as Beth explained, to really make a garden work, every parcel of land must be considered, each plant must be chosen mindfully.

Fortunately she was not alone.

With Owner Services Coordinator Morgaen’s help, she found qualified individuals who could lead larger teams in consecutive shifts over a period of weeks. The best planting months are April through June, but even that may not have been enough time given the dimensions of the gardens. The area between the outside seating and the parking lot alone was 120 feet! Nonetheless, she had confidence in team leaders like Josiah Diggs and Katrina Rogus, a couple who work as landscape architects. There was also Kathleen COOP SCOOP

Hansen, who owns a landscaping firm in Schenectady, and master gardener Nancy Cook.

Thirty more members were assembled to implement what Beth calls matrix planting. “Think of it like rice pudding,” she said, where the pudding is a landscape plug known as Prairie Dropseed that anchors the rest of the garden. The rice are plants like Rudbeckia, Panicum Shenandoah, and mountain mint. These are the same plants found on the High Line and in other Oudolf gardens like Millenium Park in Chicago.

Beth explained that European gardeners love native North American plants because of their xeric quality, or hardiness. They’re not treated like plants in traditional gardens.

After the first year of watering and maintenance, they can be left alone.

They don’t even need to be deadheaded or staked. In fact, one of the major reasons they’re chosen is for their beauty in their dormant states.

Beth’s football/watercolor-garden plan explained exactly that. Like a master quilter, she had sketched out swaths of purple for the lavender, pink for the Echinacea, and green for the mountain mint, all contained within a hardy matrix of yellow prairie drop seed. But Beth is no quilter. After speaking with her for several hours, I’m not even certain she’s merely a gardener. She seems like more like a master conductor and the gardens surrounding the Co-op are her symphony. We’re lucky to have tickets to the show.

AUTUMN 2015

Photos by Andrew Franciosa, Co-op member since 2009.

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Member Profile: Rossana Coto-Batres

by Shanna Goldman Co-op member since 2002

Talking with Rossana Coto-Batres is a good reminder that the public is personal and that change happens one person at a time.

Rossana’s passion for the Co-op stems from a commitment to improving health and nutrition options for immigrants and refugees in the Capital District. For Rossana, this commitment is personal. She talks about spending the days leading up to Christmas 2008 in the hospital with her father, who was suffering from diabetes-related complications. Originally from Guatemala, Rossana and her family came to the States when she was ten. Over time, she watched as making dinner went from chopping fresh vegetables to peeling back plastic and pressing start on the microwave, leading to poor health outcomes for her family. “Maybe that’s why I choose to eat very healthy.” The Co-op has been an important resource for her being able to access healthy alternatives.

She wants to make it a resource for others in the community as well.

After moving to Albany toattend UAlbany in 2004, Rossana took a position working with refugees at USCRI. While teaching English Language classes there, she saw her students going through an all too familiar pattern. “At first, kids won’t eat the school lunches, because the food is so unfamiliar. But over time, they suddenly become obsessed with hamburgers and pizza, rejecting more traditional food.” They start to gain weight and become less healthy. Food choice is not only a matter of taste.

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Growing up, Rossana saw her parents forced to buy food that was available in her neighborhood, fit within their budget, and was easy to prepare, since both parents were working. She remembers a lot of frozen dinners, and in general, foods high in additives and low in nutrition.

Currently, Rossana is near completion of her Master’s Degree at UAlbany’s School of Social Welfare. As an undergraduate, she majored in psychology, Chinese and cognitive science. At some point, she would like to pursue a Masters in Public Health, all of which she will put towards helping advocate for the health of immigrants and refugees.

COOP SCOOP

When I asked Rossana how she decided to run for the Board, the answer was simple: She was asked.

Last January, she attended a couple of leadership workshops and then was approached by Erin Shaw, who asked her to join the HWFC Strategic Planning committee.

Then, last March, Erin asked her if she would consider running for the Board. Rossana saw it as a great way to work on improving health and nutrition in the Capital Region and gave it a go.

TRICK-OR-TREAT AT THE CO-OP! Join us Saturday, October 31st 12-2 pm

-op r-treat around the Co Bring the kids to trick-o es viti snacks, fun acti for some not so scary oky good time for all! spo a be l wil it . & more..

For now, Rossana’s role as a Board member is focused on basic support, assisting the Co-op through its strategic planning process and revising the bylaws, depends on personal contact with members to inform her decisions. “I really appreciate when members come up to me.”

Ultimately, Rossana would like to see increased diversity among those who shop at the Co-op and benefit from the its resources. For now, however, she uses one to one contact to work towards her larger vision. “I set up a date with a friend to attend one of the free classes the Co-op offers that I know they would be interested in, and then after, walk them around the store. It helps remove the mystique.” And who knows, maybe one day she’ll ask one of these same folks to run for the Board, just as someone asked her.

AUTUMN 2015

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Our Whole New Open Book World

by Morgaen Hansen, Member Coordinator Co-op member since 2012

Photos by Matt Bradley, Co-op member since 2011.

HONEST WEIGHT IS TAKING A NEW APPROACH with our staff and information sharing, and its name is Open Book Management. OBM is a business model that has been gaining in popularity since its inception in the early 1990s, and we’re quickly learning why. We’re not the first co-op in the country to implement this unique approach to running a business, and we certainly won’t be the last: It’s too good not to share!

So what is it? Open Book is a system of sharing information that empowers each employee in the store with the tools, education and data they need to act (and take responsibility) like owners of the business. And since we’re a co-op, we actually are owners!

So it’s a perfect fit. Every Thursday at 12

2 pm, interested staff members from each department in the store come together for a “huddle.” As a group, we look at weekly data for key metrics on a supersized scoreboard, and we decide together what goes on the scoreboard and how we evaluate the lines: Each has to be important to the organization, be measurable, and be something that we can affect with our actions. Department sales, number of weekly bike commutes, and number of active shareholders are just a few of the lines on our board today. It’s a place for productive discussions, collaborative problem solving, and deliverables (called “parrots”) with deadlines.

According to the folks from ZingTrain (who trained our staff in OBM), “Open

Book is not a spectator sport; it’s not just showing people the numbers.

OBM is about everyone participating in running the business – it’s about people understanding how the whole organization works and their role in it; it’s about accountability, collaboration, taking initiative and working together to win. It’s more fun, more interesting, and it just plain works.”

We’re only six weeks into the process, and already Open Book is proving to be just that: fun, interesting, and very effective. It’s a place where our hardworking staff can share challenges and ideas and come up with a plan to move forward, succeed with our plans, and celebrate those successes: together.

COOP SCOOP

producer profiles FARMER GROUND FLOUR A small, co-operatively owned business located in Trumansburg NY, Farmer Ground Flour started grinding local organic grains in 2008 and is committed to organic agriculture and to a truly sustainable agricultural economy. Furthermore, they strive to provide a fair price to organic farmers.

The team includes Greg Mol, who has spent many years on organic farms and is one of the in-house millers. Neal Johnston is the other miller; he also FLOUR GIRL BAKESHOP Sarah Porter is the owner and chief baker at The Flour Girl Bakeshop in West Rupert, Vermont. Her bakery specializes in handcrafted, classic American desserts that are made from scratch, and she uses local and organic ingredients as much as possible. Sarah’s love of baking blossomed during her childhood, when she spent many hours in the kitchen with her mother and grandmother. In

ARRIS WOOD WORKS Seth Reed of Arris Wood Works spent many years as a cabinet maker, blacksmith and restorationist at Hancock Shaker Village. Recently he set up a small workshop in Waterford, NY, where he has returned to making precise reproductions as well as to adapting some of his favorite forms of traditional furniture. Because of the constraints of working in a small area, Seth is focusing on small pieces with emphasis on repurposing recycled materials. He is a firm believer that

AUTUMN 2015

by Pat Sahr Co-op member since 2005

serves as resident builder/electrician.

Thor Oeschner is the staff’s grain expert. The workers at Farmer Ground Flour produce a number of different flours, and are continually improving both the milling process and the grains that are milled. The folks at Farmer Ground Flour work with NOFA and the Northeast Organic Wheat Project to identify and promote superior heritage wheat varieties and to develop relationships among farmers, bakers and millers.

1993 she attended the New England Culinary Institute, where she honed her baking skills. For the next 20 years she worked for other people, but in 2012 she opened her own shop which she named after her three “flour girls,” daughters Grace, Julianna and Emily. Sarah is particularly excited to be providing pies for the Co-op. These pies are made with butter, King Arthur flour, and fresh berries. There is no cornstarch, corn syrup, or shortening in them.

waste products can be turned into beautiful items when the right hand and eye is applied to them; in fact, he strives to turn all of his scraps into something fine and useful.

In the Specialty Department at Honest Weight, you can see (and touch!) lovely and unusual rolling pins and beautiful cutting boards made of combinations of different woods, among them oak and cherry.

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Season of Giving

by Erin Coufal Co-op member since 2014

“YOU CAN GIVE WITHOUT LOVING, BUT YOU CAN NEVER LOVE WITHOUT GIVING.” Robert Louis Stevenson The air is crisp and cool. Colorful leaves fade into snowy nights and days grow warm with holiday gatherings. Fireplaces are roaring, candles are burning, ovens and tables are full of foods that warm our souls. Friends and family come together to share a meal, exchange gifts, and embrace the love and gratitude of the season.

In the fast pace of the holidays, it can be easy to feel pressure and lose perspective. Gifting from the heart can be easier when we think bigger: how about DIY kits that can involve the whole family, handcrafted ornaments and wrappings whose purchase helps 14

support artisans, and products that donate back to their communities?

These types of gifts can make a big impression on their receiver and on the world.

Unique DIY kits from the Co-op can inspire creativity and bring family and friends together to make homemade mustards, tofu, breads, beer, crafts, and lip balms. Kits are easy to make, and will delight those who have a desire to create. Making your own bragworthy treats can be a confidence boost to novices and offer the chance for a second gathering to enjoy the delights together. Cookbooks can be another way to bring families together, both in preparing new foods and in enjoying them together, throughout the year to come.

Thick, rich wrapping papers, cards, and textiles, and delicate, hand-made ornaments bring a special touch. The Co-op’s giftwares selection grows at this time of year, and each product is chosen with great care. Items are beautiful to behold and beautifully made. Honest Weight seeks out Fair Trade companies like Matr Boomie and Dsenyo that aspire to empower communities and pride themselves on creating high-quality artisan products and sustainable jobs. Fair Trade is not only a holistic approach to fair wages, but also a commitment to sustainability, the environment, cultural traditions, and collaboration.

Specialty soaps and wellness products can be an indulgent treat and may also help those in need. Pacha Soaps, in our Wellness Department, COOP SCOOP

B

are beautiful bars made with pure essential oils and whole pieces of spearmint, lemongrass, lavender, and more. Handcrafted and handcut, they are special on their own, but are also a two-fold gift: For every bar purchased, one is donated to someone in need. Pacha gives bars of soap to school children every month, supports W.A.S.H (Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene), and creates jobs in Burundi; producing the soap in Burundi provides an income for a community of soap makers.

Betsy Mercogliano, CPM, LM (518) 449-5759

(518) 727-8219

(518)465-0241 www.albanyfamilylifecenter.org

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While shopping and giving this season, think big. Each gift you give can help shape the world: one person, one family, one community at a time.

Opportunities to

SHOP FAIR TRADE

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

Beautiful array of handcrafted gifts, fairly traded from around the world FAIR TRADE MARKETPLACE

Saturday, November 21, 2015 10am-3pm

Community Reformed Church of Colonie 701 Sand Creek Road (corner Rt. 155), Colonie

............. www.coloniereformed.org

BLACK FRIDAY FAIR TRADE MARKET

Friday, Nov 27 and Saturday, Nov 28

Jess Hayek, CE, Doula

(518) 584-6619

The Family Life Center

Many companies are emerging with a similar mission. Today, there are more than 1,000 Certified B Corps, or benefit corporations, from 33 countries and over 60 industries working together to redefine success in business. That success is defined as a positive impact on society and the environment; accountability; and transparency.

3

Tisha Graham, CPM, CLC

10am-3pm

Delmar Presbyterian Church (new location) 585 Delaware Ave., Delmar

.............

FTBethlehemNY@gmail.com www.fairtrademarket.webs.com

SARATOGA FAIR TRADE MARKET EXPO Saturday, December 5 10am-4pm Universal Preservation Hall 25 Washington St., Saratoga Springs

visit us on Facebook Please note, some vendors cannot accept credit cards

Fire Cider: Autumn’s Best Friend

by Mary Theresa Julien Co-op member since 2011

Photo by Mary Theresa Julien

THE HARVEST is a time of generosity and preparation. Summer supplies an abundance of sun-ripened tomatoes which we joyfully share with our neighbors. Then, as the temperature drops, nature provides us with roots, squashes and apples which will nourish us through the long winter.

Of course, we all look forward to how tasty they are at Thanksgiving, and to those amazing smells coming from our ovens!

If your gardens are still active before the frosts, you may be looking for creative ways to use your largesse.

I’ve talked in previous articles about herbal vinegars and the nutritional value that they provide. You might want to consider kicking it up a notch with some homemade FIRE CIDER. Making your own fire cider is simple and the benefits are extraordinary.

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Fire cider is a folk preparation, so the ingredients traditionally vary, depending on the season and what’s available. The base ingredients are apple cider vinegar, garlic, onion, ginger, horseradish, honey and hot peppers, with a lot of acceptable variation in additional ingredients. Lemon is usually added, but lime, grapefruit or orange can be used instead. If you have thyme, rosehips, parsley, rosemary, or oregano still growing in your garden, they can be added as well.

The health benefits of fire cider are off the charts! Most of the ingredients alone are significant health supplements, but combining and infusing them yields a remarkably powerful tonic. This spicy and delicious vinegar has anti-microbial, decongestant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as aiding circulatory, digestive and immune system processes. I always add turmeric too. Not only is the flavor

wonderful, the curcumin in turmeric has been shown to exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities. Although regular apple cider vinegar can be used, raw apple cider vinegar is preferable, as is locally produced honey, since both have additional, undisputed benefits.

START WITH THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS: • 1 large horseradish root, about 7 inches long (scrubbed well) • 1 cup grated ginger root • 2 medium onions, peeled • 1-2 lemons, or 1 orange and 1 lemon, with rind • 16 cloves of garlic, peeled • 4 habanero, jalapeno or other variety hot peppers, stems removed • 1/2 tsp organic cayenne powder • 2 tablespoons ground turmeric • raw apple cider vinegar • local honey COOP SCOOP

1. Simply grate the roots and roughly chop the onions, citrus, garlic, and peppers. When you grate your horseradish, be prepared to clear your sinuses! An open window is recommended.

2. Divide the ingredients between two quart jars, or use one half-gallon jar.

3. Sprinkle the turmeric and cayenne on top, dividing between jars if two are used.

4. Pour the raw apple cider vinegar over the contents. Allow it to settle and add more so that the contents are covered and the jars are full. Jars with plastic lids are preferable. If using metal lids, they will rust, so lay a piece of parchment paper over the rim of the jar, then screw the lid tightly in place.

5. Let the mixture sit in a dark, cool place, allowing it to infuse for 4 weeks, shaking once daily.

6. When it’s time to strain the mixture, line a colander with muslin or layers of fine cheesecloth, set it over a large pot and empty your fire cider mixture into it. Let it drain for 30 minutes, then pull the corners of the cloth together and squeeze the contents. The solids can be reserved and used in stir-fries or other dishes, or composted.

7. Add honey, starting with just ¼ cup.

Mix thoroughly and add more to taste if needed.

8. Store your finished Fire cider in sterilized bottles in a cool, dark cabinet for up to a year. Shake well before using.

Fire cider can be taken straight by the spoonful or added to salads or to dishes when cooking. Taking one tablespoon each morning will help to warm you up and keep your immune system stimulated. Plus, it tastes fantastic. Some claim that it is a very effective hangover cure, too! The Co-op sells most of the ingredients needed for Fire cider, as well as bottles. If you are not a do-it-yourself kind of person, or if you’d just like to try it, the Co-op sells ready-made Fire cider too.

If you do plan to make Fire cider, think about making it in time for holiday gift-giving or to bring along when visiting friends. Using ingredients from your garden will provide an additional personal touch. What better way to show you care when the winter wind howls than by giving a gift of warmth prepared with love from nature’s bounty. Be well!

Bonded & Insured

Call us for info 518-207-0427 www.twentytoes.com

Cat Sitting in Your Home AUTUMN 2015

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News from the Membership Committee

by Cara Benson Co-op member since 2013

IN THE HIGH HEAT OF SUMMER, the Membership Committee hosted an Ice Cream “Sunday” & Sorbet Soirée on August 2, and it was a smashing—or should we say scooping—success! Over 200 member-owners stopped by this membership appreciation event and were treated to tasty delights by the cupfull. The delectable ice cream, gelato and sorbet were generously donated by local vendors Crisan

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Bakery (Albany NY), Adirondack Creamery (Kingston NY), Blue Moon Sorbet (Quechee VT), and Golden Organics (Stephentown NY). Please consider supporting them! The event was held in the Community Room/ Teaching Kitchen and staffed by YOUR locally owned Membership Committee! Dynamic duo Roger Allen and Cynthia Mulford performed on folk guitar and ukulele, and the crowd sang along happily. Balloons, carob

chips, and camaraderie—all helped make for a cheerful Sunday at the Co-op. Next up, for Fall: think apples, cider, and cinnamon.

The Membership Committee’s purpose is to promote member-owner participation in the Co-op, preserve the rights and roles of memberowners, and search for solutions to member-owner issues and concerns.

COOP SCOOP

Photos by Drea Lanza

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Visit us online!

Vegetarian & Vegan Friendly Special gluten-free menu

Voted “Best One-Location Mexican”

Elemental HAPPY HOUR 4 - 6:30 pm Frozen & Gourmet Agave Fruity Margaritas

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Serving

Tues - Sun menus online at

465 Madison Ave. Albany

ellocomexicancafe.com

(between Lark and the Park)

436-1855

Promoting successful homeownership and healthy neighborhoods through:

HOMEOWNERSHIP CENTER

255 Orange St. Albany, NY 12210 518-434-1730 www.ahphome.org

Celebrating 30 years of sustainable community development for economically underserved people and communities.

Become an investor in the Community Loan Fund. Help your community AND earn interest!

Call us today to learn how.

255 Orange St., Albany, NY 12210 ◆ 920 Albany St., Schenectady NY 12307 (518) 436-8586 ◆ www.mycommunityloanfund.org

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entrepreneurs since 1985

from the

SUGGESTION BOX

Q: Maybe have fajitas on Fridays?

A: Thank you for your suggestion. We

Q: How about some electric car

try to have fresh fish on Fridays, but we’ll consider switching up the fajita day.

Q: Loving the Beet Tartare dip!

Q: Can we get some cilantro-free

A: Glad you like it! A BFF is always

Gado-gado? Also burritos with gluten-free shells?

A: If you call ahead, we’ll be happy to set aside a cilantro-free Gado-gado. We offer gluten-free breakfast burritos as well as gluten-free fajita wraps.

Whoever thought of that is my new BFF. welcome.

Q: Maybe offer pancakes for

breakfast on weekends? Different flavor each week!

A: We are looking to change up our

Q: Feels great to be a part of the

breakfasts. Thank you for the pancake suggestion!

A: We’re so happy that you feel this way!

Q: I am so disappointed every time

Co-op!

Your comment made our day.

Q: Produce: “Organic” should be

labeled “organic.” “Conventional” should be labeled, “with chemicals.”

A: “Conventional” does not necessarily indicate that an item was grown with additional chemical inputs. Some of our small local farmers grow organic produce without obtaining organic certification.

Q: For member-workers who have

a weekly shift, how about giving (or offering a reduced price on) a HWFC tee shirt? Or giving us a shirt that says, “Member Worker! How Can I Help You?” A: Our HWFC shirts are priced so close to cost that it makes it difficult for us to offer a discount; the discounted price would be less than our cost. Thank you for this suggestion - we hope you’re wearing an Honest Weight nametag while you work! That helps customers find you.

AUTUMN 2015

I come here and there is no Rulison honey on the shelves.

A: We’re sorry - we love Rulison honey, and order it direct from the farm. We’ll be placing another order soon in order to keep our shelves stocked. Please remember that the honey in our Bulk Department is also Rulison, if you’re in need!

Q: Please add back the lavender

cookies from Bake for You into the Specialty Foods rotation.

A: We’ll ask the Bake for You baker to bring us some soon!

Q: The pencils are often dull. Can

chargers in the parking lot? Go green!

A: We’re balancing our capital expenditures, and EV charging stations remain on our wish list, for now.

Q: Dear Bakery Department,

Please stock Paleo Bread all the time! Thank you!

A: We now stock Paleo Bread in the freezer, all the time!

Q: Would you look into selling

freeze-dried fruits? They’re delicious! I think one brand is called “Crunchies.” Thanks!

A: We appreciate your input. We’ll investigate “Crunchies,” and in the meantime, check our Bulk Department for freeze-dried strawberries, peaches, and raspberries. We also stock freeze-dried cherries on occasion.

Q: Would you consider adding

watermelon to your chopped fruit selection?

A: We aren’t certified to cut fruit in-house. It is in our long term plan, though. The cut fruit we do offer is cut off-site and the vendor does not offer watermelon.

you make a place to put dull pencils (i.e. to be sharpened)?

A: You can bring any dull pencils you find right to the Service Desk! Thank you.

Thanks to those who’ve made suggestions! You can see all the suggestions and responses on the Suggestion Board posted near our Co-op Cafe.

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“

Why, sometimes I’ve believed in as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

- Lewis Carroll

THANK YOU

for entering our #coopshowoff Instagram contest, @kjrogus!

If you’re interested in having your photo grace our “Closing Words” page, just hashtag it #coopshowoff !

Co-op Kids!

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SCARF SCHOOL STUFFING SWEATER THANKS TURKEY