honest
SLATE
Honest Slate is published monthly by the Honest Weight Food Co-op Communica ons Commi ee to bring you news about the store, commi ee ac ons, recent Board decisions and more.
ENC Seeks Facilitator The Elections and Nominations Committee (ENC) seeks a facilitator from among our Owners to lead at least one workshop related to HWFC governance. The workshop will include a presenta on on the role of a Board in an organiza on as well as a facilitated discussion with a panel of HWFC Board members. The candidate should have an understanding of the responsibili es of a Board of Directors as well as previous facilita on experience. The candidate need not have experience on the HWFC Board but should have experience serving on other Boards or conduc ng board training. We would prefer that the candidate be a Member-Owner but will consider qualified Owners as well. Please send a le er of interest and a resume that includes your relevant qualifica ons and experience to Elec onsComm-AT-honestweight.coop by January 7, 2019.
A communica on pla orm for HWFC Membership, Staff, Management, and Governance • Promo ng transparency • Repor ng news without bias • Sustaining community
with this issue: • December brings us to the fourth issue of Honest Slate and the final edi on for 2018. We are beyond excited to support HWFC communica on with this new pla orm and look forward to many years of informing, enlightening, observing and conveying all that is important in our unique, vibrant community. I want to take a moment to thank all the Co-op community members who allowed this to come together: the Board of Directors for entrus ng us with this project, which was conceived just about one year ago now... Management for their responsive and though ul par cipa on; Opera ons for helping us connect the dots; and Marketing for some serious technical support. At its core, however, Honest Slate is made possible by all the Member-Owners who have par cipated on the Communica ons Commi ee, which is tasked with producing a Co-op newsle er according to the Bylaws. This year a long list of individuals contributed to brainstorm sessions, pla orm discussion, standards for content and policy, editorial tasks galore, spreadsheets, illustra on projects, recipes, ar cles and genuine enthusiasm for this publica on and the poten al it represents for Honest Weight. The list of contributors is too long to recap here on page 1; but you know who you are.
decemBer 2018 Honest Weight Food Co-op 100 Watervliet Avenue Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667
• honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop h ps://www.honestweight.coop/
I am thankful to work with you. —Carol Ostrow, Communica ons Commi ee (chair)
•CONTENTS• Hot Topic: Hot Bar ...................... 2 Cookie Challenge Recap ............. 3 Mercan le Department ............. 4 Coffeehouse News .................... 5 NEC Survey ................................ 5 Donuts: a Done Deal! ................. 6 From the Board .......................... 6 Commi ee Corner ..................... 7 Gra tude .................................... 8 Board Decisions ......................... 8 Tackling Terminology! ................. 8 Q&A/Sugges on Box ................. 9 Care to Share? ......................... 10
Naughty or Nice Photos! p. 3
H0T BAR H0T BAR page 2
Email: honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop
h ps://www.honestweight.coop/
Honest Slate
2
Hot Topic at the Hot Bar by Courtney Semoff
prompted by a recent sugges on to the café to keep “flesh foods” away from vegan op ons, I met with Deli Manager Dan Hurlbut to discuss the possibility of the separa on or removal of meat from the hot bar, and to acknowledge and a empt to accommodate the beliefs of every Co-op member and shopper.
the
re trays of food have been removed from the sales floor because of a threat of meat in the non-meat trays or gluten in gluten-free trays. In light of this however, Dan shared with me that in regard to sales, meat s ll sells more in a day than the vegan/vegetarian op ons. For every 13-15 pans of chicken that the café preps and sells only 8 pans of the alterna ve are prepped and sold. Despite the numbers, Dan stated that he would love to have a second hot bar, preferably one that was double-sided, and his employees could serve the trays from the middle—thereby avoiding not only spills but burns as well. The main blockade to this wonderful idea is the budget. There is not enough money in the Co-op’s budget as of now to afford another hot bar, but it does remain a goal in the future.
Hot topic @ THe H0T BAR
When I presented this topic, Dan was regretful that this is not a need that he can immediately meet. He promptly told me that star ng the day he got the sugges on that he had his staff begin to put vegan/ vegetarian protein at one end of the hot bar and anything with animal meat at the opposite end to reduce the possibility of cross contamina on. I then
e H0T THbar hot BAR
The Deli Department has made earnest a empts to accommodate customers’ requests for separa on of meat and vegan items. asked him about the concern of cross contamina on of the utensils on the hot bar. Dan told me that due to the respect that the Co-op and his department have for the customers’ preferences and beliefs, there have been mes when en-
In the mean me, I turned to HWFC’s mission statement which quotes, “We welcome all who choose to par cipate in a community that embraces coopera ve principles, shares resources, and strives for economic fairness in an atmosphere of coopera on and respect for humanity and the earth.” While we all want to support our own beliefs, it is important to remember that we are a part of a coopera ve where, “We support, embrace, and celebrate the diversity of our community” (Statement of Conscience, #5). This includes those who choose to eat meat. What we vegans/vegetarians can appreciate is that they choose to buy their meat from the Co-op where meat is sourced from local farms, free-range farms, etc. They
December 2018 are not suppor ng the mass produc on and abuse of animals that is the problem at large.
There is not enough money in the Co-op’s current budget to afford another hot bar, but it does remain a future goal. For those vegan/vegetarians who want to do more to cease the consump on of meat, it is important to remember there are direct and effec ve ways to do so. It was men oned that there have been mul ple instances of a person(s) parking near the stop signs in the parking lot, jumping out of the car, quickly adhering a s cker to the effect of “eating animals” under the STOP text on the sign and immediately driving away. While this may seem like a harmless protest against the consump on of animals, acts like these take me, resources, and manpower away from the Co-op’s ini a ve to remove and repair the signs. One of these incidences led to the stop sign’s paint flaking off and landing in an employee’s eye (thankfully no permanent damage was caused). These are the kind of efforts that would be more usefully put toward the fundraising of a new hot bar or the appropriate awareness and educa on of those who choose to eat meat and are interested in stopping.
Readers, what do you think? What ideas might you have for helping to improve our Co-op on many different levels?
Write to us. Let’s work together for solu ons.
Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • h ps://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop
December 2018
Honest Slate
3
Cookie Challenge Recap... Voters came out
for the People’s Choice Tas ng Event day of the Cookie Challenge on December 1st in order to cast their ballots for the winners of the Naughty and Nice categories of cookies.
Winners will be announced in the December 13th Food Sec on of the Times Union, and then they’ll be baked and sold for the A sampling of some of our many Naughty or Nice rest of the season at the Co-op. Tas ng Event helpers. Front, Director of Marketing John Akots. Back, l-r: Educa on Coordinator Here’s what the website says about the Deanna Beyer; baker Stephen Piorkowski; Mem- spoils for the winners: The winners of each ber-Owner (MO) Avery Co on; Member-Owner category will receive a $100 gi card and Coordinator (MOC) Yeve e Buddeau; MO Chris- prize package ... We’ll also bake and sell an Willman; the Times Union’s Sarah Tracey; the winning cookies through the holiday and Front End Staff Michael Washington. season! Two runners-up in each category will receive a $25 gi card from Honest Weight. Plus, we’re adding a new Lovin’ Local prize this year for recipes using a locally-grown or produced ingredient. See h ps://www.honestweight.coop/page/naughty-or-nice-cookie-challenge-363.html.
Above: Cookies all ready to go for the tas ng! Leading up to the day of the People’s Choice Tas ng Event, our Co-op helpers made over 1500 sample size cookies for this event. Kudos for a task well done to all who par cipated in this community event!
...and behind the scenes:
From scratch... ...to batch!
• And the ballots are in.... LeŌ:
Welcome
to the wide world of Honest Weight Food Co-op’s Cookie Challenge event producers!
• Event photos by Stephen Piorkowski Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • h ps://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop
Honest Slate
4
December 2018
“Happy Honest Days!” story and photos by Courtney Semoff
In various places throughout HWFC, shoppers can find products that are not food related but that very much fit within our ideals of suppor ng local vendors, fair trade, and environmentally-friendly products. These products can be found year-round at the end caps across from Customer Service, Bulk, and the Cheese Department. They can also be found in aisle four and the freezer aisle, and include: gree ng cards, candles & incense, kitchen & cleaning supplies, calendars, notebooks and a wide and varying variety of seasonal items!
Find our store Gift Baskets → the areas which she maintains. She chooses vendors who maintain the ideals of the Coop’s Mission Statement and then appraises quality, price point, and accessibility—ensuring that customers get the best and most affordable products available.
Right now across from Customer Service
Emily Collins, Manager of HWFC’s Mercanle Department, works hard to locate and bring these products into the Co-op so that customers truly have a variety of products to keep their home environmentally and morally conscious. She also strives for the Co-op to be a place with great gi selecon, adding to the versa lity of the store. In Emily’s four years in this posi on at the Co-op, mercan le sales have shown growth year over year. Surprisingly, this growth is not only in the sec ons she designates for holiday and seasonal gi s; sales also spike during the holidays in each of
you will find a display of winter woolens (I recently purchased one of the hats and am exceedingly sa sfied with its quality!) from a company that the Co-op has been buying from consistently for years. In the Cheese Department, you can find beauful, heavy-duty, recycled wood cu ng boards made by one of our very own Member-Owners! From me to me vendors do change—recently a local vendor who made gree ng cards decided not to any more and it was necessary to find a new vendor. Emily told me that any me a local vendor comes to her with a desire to sell within the Coop, they are always heard. However, they need to have a product that fits in with the Co-op’s quality and business goals to be accepted.
ibetween checkout lanes 1 + 2
• The Cheese Lover • Kiss the Cook • Reduce & Reuse • Merry & Bright Baskets range from $19.99 - $39.99 with all products contained listed on the sales tag; that way you know exactly what you’re getng! You can find them between checkout lanes one and two and on a display in front of the end cap across from the Cheese Department; this year’s sales will determine the availability of the baskets in coming years.
Take a moment from the hec
c rush of holiday shopping this season to enjoy and appreciate the unique items that Emily has found for us!
•
Currently one can find various holidays represented throughout the department, leaving plenty of holiday-neutral op ons for gi giving throughout the en re holiday season. A new ini a ve that Emily is giving a trial run for the first me ever (in this locaon) this season is gi baskets! Along with two diligent Member-Owners, Emily has created beau ful, hand wrapped baskets with specifically chosen products from the store to create the perfect gi with the following themes:
Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • h ps://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop
Honest Slate
December 2018
NEC S u r ve y December 2018 It’s the holiday season! The air is crisp; the leaves are off the trees and the sun is hanging lower in the sky; me for par es, seeing old friends and perhaps making changes.
5 2.
To par cipate in our December survey, go to . Are you planning to adopt a specific h ps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XYYRBPS diet plan? If so which? •Paleo Diet •Vegetarian Diet •Vegan Diet Are you planning to make any dietary/ •Ketogenic Diet lifestyle changes in the New Year and if so •Macrobio c Diet what: •Raw Food Diet •Weight Watchers Diet _Cooking more at home •Atkins Diet _Purchasing more Co-op deli prepared foods •Other _Elimina ng foods that contain addi ves, preserva ves or pes cides _Increasing amounts of organic foods . Do the products ingredients influence _Purchasing more foods from bulk dept. your purchasing decision and if so, how _Reducing use of plas c or why? _Other _Open Answer
1.
3.
NEC’s November
Survey Results Many thanks to the few who responded to our November survey. Not as many took the me to answer the ques ons as we had hoped for but it is our opinion that these monthly surveys can be educa onal and fun. If you have ideas for interes ng survey ques ons that address current events and believe that the results might be of benefit to our store, please send an e-mail to the Nutrition and Education Committee at Nutri onComm@honestweight.coop. Based on the answers it is clear that turkey is s ll the preferred protein choice at the Thanksgiving table. A majority of the respondents were aware that the Co-op deli provides a selec on of tradi onal side dishes and took advantage of this convenience. Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • h ps://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop
Honest Slate
6 From the Board A few months ago at a brainstorming session on how to get Member-Owners to join the Board, I suggested that the Board pass a Co-op Selec ve Service Act, and dra Member-Owners to serve on the Board. This sugges on was met mostly with laughter and jokes about burning Co-op dra cards, but I wasn’t en rely kidding. Here’s a quote from the Member-Owner Manual, from a sec on called “Governing the Store We Own”: “Our founding documents establish Honest Weight as a par cipatory and democra c Co-op... thereby heralding an expecta on of Member-Owner involvement and par cipa on in the opera ons of the store.” Bylaw 310.2 codifies that responsibility and privilege of Ownership by describing that each Member-Owner must “keep informed about and take part in HWFC ac vi es.”
December 2018
Board of Directors member Nate Horwitz photo by Drea Leanza
I would like to be more specific about this expecta on. I would like every Member-Owner to come into the Co-op with the awareness that all are expected to consider serving on the Board at some point. And I would like you reading this now to expect to serve on the Board; maybe not today, maybe not next year, but at some point in the future. One way you can start learning about what it means to par cipate in our Coop governance and to serve on the Board is to a end one of our produc ve public monthly Board mee ngs. They’re held in the Community Room on the first Tuesday of each month. Aside from learning about the store you own, for the next six months Owners can also earn up to three hours of investment credit for me spent a ending a Board mee ng between December 4 and May 7.
“[The] sugges on was met mostly with laughter and jokes...” In 2019, you’ll be able to build your skills and gather knowledge for serving on the Board through our Governance Development ini a ve. This past fall, the Board created an ad hoc Governance Development Commi ee to help recruit Owners and Staff who will offer educa onal sessions to our Ownership. The sessions will cul vate knowledge and skills to help you prepare to serve on the Board. Be on the lookout for classes to be offered soon by our Elec ons and Nomina ons Committee and Finance Commi ee. Do you love to organize events? Do you want to teach a class? Email Yeve e Buddeau, Member-Owner Coordinator to let her know how you can help with this ini a ve at MemberServices-AT-honestweight.coop. Feel free to contact me or anyone else on the Board if you have any ques ons about Board service: board.members-AT-honestweight.coop –Nate Horwitz
Daughters serve DONUTS At HWFC’s third annual Veteran’s Day event on Nov. 12, three veterans’ daughters served Co-op coffee and Cider Belly donuts to 17 Army veterans, five Air Force veterans and two veterans each from the Navy and Coast Guard for a total of 26. Together with Peg Harbour-Holland, MOs Sheila Walsh and Maria Schollenberger staffed the colorful table from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Gene Reilly donated two patrio c, eye-catching helium balloons to iden fy the table loca on. The women brought a small flag and pictures of veterans in their families. Staff, Member-Owners and customers commented on what a nice thing it was. We received a few sugges ons by various people: • Have a food box for people to donate canned goods to a veteran’s organiza on • For the month of November, have one of the five bag credit “token” organiza ons be a veteran’s organiza on • Include veterans on Senior Discount Wednesdays. Many people thanked us, but it was truly our pleasure. Thanks to those who helped with ge ng this together. —Maria Schollenberger
Veterans’ daughters serve coffee and donuts on Veteran’s Day: Le to right, Peg Harbour-Holland, Maria Schollenberger and Sheila Walsh; photo by Jennifer Hull
Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • h ps://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop
Honest Slate
December 2018
COMMITTEE CORNER: Monthly HWFC Mee ng Summaries
by Stephanie Conde
This is a summary of preliminary commi ee reports submi ed to the Board of Directors for the Dec. 4 Board mee ng. Commi ee reports are available on the HWFC website upon Board approval.
Finance - Sales and Fiscal Performance Overall, sales are up more than 4% this year compared to the same period last year (July 1—October 31). All departments (with the excep on of Meat and Seafood) were up; the strongest performers were the Wellness and Food Service Departments. Increased expenses (up more than 6% but within budget es mates) and costs of goods (up more than 4% and slightly above budget es mates) resulted in reduced net income (although within budget es mates).
Governance Review Council (GRC) The GRC has requested that the Board ask Co-op counsel for a wri en explana on of possible procedure regarding the State Liquor Authority’s (SLA) requirement that new Directors receive SLA approval . The GRC has completed a review of historical HWFC documenta on (thumb drives and hard copies). All electronic data has been consistently named. Content searches can now be done on the web, and the need for an index is being addressed. Work con nues to create electronic versions of hard copy documenta on. The GRC is exploring legi macy of and whether/how to expand Member-Owner vo ng op ons (possibly mail-in ballots) and related considera ons (off-site voters missing key presenta ons and important vote-related informa on; nomina ons from the floor; and state, federal and HWFC laws).
Personnel Commi ee (PC) The PC is solici ng readers for its proposed changes to the disciplinary process contained in the Employee Manual.
Communica ons Commi ee (CC) The CC con nues to solicit contributors (writers, photographers, M-Os, staff) to Honest Slate, HWFC’s electronic newsle er.
Arts Commi ee (AC) The AC will be hos ng four shows, each running ten weeks (with two weeks off for transi ons). The next show is planned for February.
Elec ons and Nomina ons Commi ee (ENC) The ENC and Board representa ves discussed how to integrate the ENC’s proposed governance workshops with the Board’s approved Ad Hoc Governance Development Commi ee (which is intended to host governance development workshops). The ENC will submit a proposal to the Board to combine the two originally conceived ENC governance workshops into one. To facilitate mely submission of changes in Board members to the State Liquor Authority, the ENC will revise the Board Elec on Packet to include a copy of the Personal Ques onnaire, which must be completed by new board members. The packet will also include informa on on other documents that must be submi ed with the Ques onnaire and submission details.
•
Happy Holidays
7 Full Commi ee Reports are rou nely posted on the HWFC website once approved by the Board. Nutri on and Educa on Commi ee (NEC) The NEC con nues to revise the Food and Product Manual. The NEC requested Board guidance on whether member approval is necessary to correct syntax or gramma cal errors that don’t change the text’s context. The NEC’s work on iden fying products containing gene cally modified ingredients is taking longer than an cipated. Although many Co-op suppliers who use conven onal soy, corn and canola report using GMO free grains, the NEC must contact each source; and, unfortunately, responses o en lag. The NEC will follow up with HWFC management on: (1) the progress of establishing an informa onal kiosk at the Co-op; and (2) feedback on the dra glyphosate brochure. The NEC formulated ques ons for its three-ques on survey, which will appear in the November issue of Honest Slate.
Environment Commi ee (EC) The EC responded to the Board’s requests: (1) dra ed a statement on Zero Waste to add to the Co-op’s Statement of Conscience; and (2) iden fied four a ainable goals (from the EC’s recommenda ons contained in the Waste Management Report) that the Co-op can implement immediately. The EC also iden fied another six or seven goals from the report to begin laying the groundwork for implementa on. The EC requested the Board’s permission to explore adding several areas to its current Zero Waste workplan. Revisions were made to the EC’s waste audits of various Co-op departments in prepara on to share the informa on with the Board and the Co-op community. The EC welcomed four new members and has begun incorpora ng them into the EC’s • work.
Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • h ps://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop
Honest Slate
8 What’s in a
<
Name
change
→
?
Are you confused by this year’s change in language regarding what to call yourself and your fellow cooperators? At the January 2018 Membership Mee ng we voted to adopt some changes in our Prospectus and the Bylaws and Member-Owner Manual that impact how we talk about the Co-op. Here goes: People who have purchased a small poron of the Co-op are called Owners. That small por on of the Co-op used to be called a Share but it’s now called an Ownership Interest. So we have Owners who have purchased an Interest in our Co-op, an Ownership Interest. (Think of it as making them Interested Par es.)
December 2018
Share → Ownership Interest Shareholder → Owner Member Worker → Member-Owner Working → Inves ng Time
HWFC’s Board of Directors approved the following at the 6 p.m. Board Mee ng Dec. 4 , 2018:
•
What are you grateful for? “I am very grateful for my
fellow cooperators. Not a week goes by that I don’t see apprecia on towards myself and those around us for all the hard work and dedica on we pour into our Co-op. —A Staff Member
”
Next step: Some of our Owners choose to invest me in the store. This is not volunteering or working; it is inves ng me in the interest of the Co-op. Owners who invest me are called Member-Owners. Make sense? —Yeve e Buddeau, MOC
Submissions Policy We welcome ar cles & contribu ons to Honest Slate at HonestSlate-AT- honestweight.coop observing the following policy:
•
Word limit for contribu ons is 500 words unless otherwise requested. Material is published at the discre on of the Honest Slate team; only signed work is accepted; and all work is subject to editing for length, grammar, style and cita ons. Any ar cles deemed controversial in nature shall be reviewed before publishing. Writers must substan ate claims with facts and avoid inflammatory language. Ar cles regarded as a acks or otherwise harmful to individuals will be returned to the writer for non-personal rephrasing.
Ar cles referring to HWFC policies and prac ces will be referred to the appropriate individual or body prior to publica on. We may consider unsolicited material but encourage individuals to first submit ar cle ideas. Spontaneously submi ed work is not guaranteed to earn me investment or acceptance for publica on and is subject to the same edi ng and proofing policies as assigned work. NOTE: Le ers to the Editors are welcome any me and do not require approval. Please contact Honest Slate with ques ons, comments or sugges ons: honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop.
Write to us!
Tell us what you want to see in Honest Slate! Respond to ar
cles; suggest ideas; ask ques ons. Honest Slate is your Co-op community-wide newsle er.
December contributors: Yeve e Buddeau Avery Co on Erin Donahue
Alena Gerli Elisa Grimm Nate Horwitz
Jennifer Hull Carol Ostrow Stephen Piorkowski
board meeting decisions
Maria Schollenberger Courtney Semoff Janet Sorell
Environment CommiƩee •An amended version of the Proposed Statement on Zero Waste will be brought to the Membership for a vote to be considered as an addi on to the Statement of Conscience. •The commi ee was given approval to pursue the submi ed priority items one through four by discussing further with departments and Rick Mausert all the things that impinge on implemen ng these items. The commi ee should develop a more substan al proposal for each item to bring back to the Board. Honest Arts •The commi ee work plan was approved. ElecƟons and NominaƟons CommiƩee •The governance workshop proposal was approved. •An amended version of the ad seeking a workshop facilitator was approved. •The commi ee will be given five minutes on the agenda of the January Membership Mee ng.
Statement of Purpose: Honest Slate is a pla orm for communica on among HWFC Membership, Staff, Management, and Governance: promo ng transparency, repor ng news without bias, and sustaining community. Ar cles in Honest Slate are for informa onal purposes and are not intended to diagnose or treat disease. Opinions expressed in Honest Slate do not necessarily represent the views or policies of Honest Slate or Honest Weight Food Co-op. All contents ©2018 Honest Weight Food Co-op; any material appearing in Honest Slate may not be reproduced in any form without the express wri en consent of HWFC.
Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • h ps://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop
December 2018
Q &A
from the Suggestion Box Don’t see your comment here? Check the bulle n board in the café. • Q: Please Note: The Blue (1 gallon jugs) begin to leak a er several refills. A: You may return any leaking water jug for a refund. We do have Brita pitchers available and water test kids available… Q: My favorite co-op in all of the Northeast!! Keep up the GOOD work!!! A: Thanks very much!!! We’re glad that you’re glad and are happy to receive your admira on. Q: I suggest HWFC carry the “The Immigrant Cookbook” referred to in the Sept/ Oct Co-op Scoop – thanks. A: We have no plans to order The Immigrant Cookbook for our shelves. It is published by Interlink Publishing Group, Inc. (2018). It’s available on their website: interlinkbooks.com or call 1-800-238-LINK. Q: Such a warm, smiling welcome we received today, on our first visit, from so many people working here. The first and most notable were Ken and helper Theresa at the cheese counter who were so warm and offered so much valuable informa on about the cheese to my friend (who loves cheese) and to myself (who doesn’t eat it) – but Theresa brought me to other shelves where she helped me find many alternaves. Thank you so much!
Honest Slate Q: What’s the deal w/ the hot bar not having what’s posted online? Come on. A: We apologize for the unpleasant experience of not having what you expected to find on the hot bar. Some mes we have to make late changes to the hot bar menu. We do our best to keep the website up to date as changes occur. Q: Move charging sta ons for EV—look into $4K rebate w/ NYSERDA. A: We are looking at expanding our charging sta ons for EV cars. Please speak with Rick, our CCO, about NYSERDA rebates. Q: Can you carry green coffee beans? A: We can special order as li le as one pound of green coffee beans. We’re reluctant to stock green coffee beans as we’ve not had much demand for unroasted beans. Q: Please get more La Panzanella Gluten-free crackers! They are good! A: Thanks for bringing this to our a enon. We’ll order more gluten-free La Panzanella crackers. They should be in stock by early December. Q: Love the fundraising for food pantries, but all that paper waste? Please be more Co-op-y next year + save our resources. A: Thank you for your thoughts. We know that our shoppers get excited by signing their names and par cipa ng in the program. We’ll look at way to reduce paper in the future. Thanks for your sugges on.
•
9 Q: Save the planet, charge for bags at check-out. Hopefully, people will bring in bags. A: We encourage the use of re-usable bags with our rebate program. We’re hesitant to charge for our paper bags. Q: Air fresheners in the bathrooms? A: We are looking into providing air fresheners while considering the needs of chemically-sensi ve individuals.
Hwfc Bakers
Do Zen
Q: More savory muffins please! A: We plan on making more savory varieties of muffins and scones.
Q: The Sweet Potato Baked Bean Muffins you made a few weeks ago were delicious! Please make them again! A: We’re glad that you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the me to tell us. We’ll be sure to offer this again on a periodic basis. Q: Ashley, a baker, was so helpful, and really lovely in how she helped us select the products in the bakery sec on with our special requirements—gluten-free + sweetened only with maple syrup (or rice syrup.) Thank you! A: As our bakery manager, Ashley is an integral part of our team. We appreciate solid customer feedback and appreciate that you took the me to let us know!
A: Thank you!!! Ken and Theresa love what they do. They enjoy their work and are passionate about sharing their knowledge. We’re glad that they made your first visit a pleasant one! Thanks again for taking the me for your kind words and we hope you return o en!
“I couldn’t put my finger on why I was so stressed before, but am now so calm + happy…”
Q: The brownies seem vastly overpriced. We love them, but we’re priced-out of enjoying them. Thanks in advance. A: We price brownies to meet costs. We haven’t changed the size or price in years.
Q: Your re-organiza on of the produce department is GORGEOUS!! I couldn’t put my finger on why I was so stressed before, but am now so calm + happy… It’s the clearly defined produce!! Excellent job!
Q: How about sugar-free (much healthier) HW deli-made Apple and Pumpkin pies?! A: We use all-natural sweeteners that are fair trade and organic. We do use maple, honey and agave on occasion.
Q: The Moroccan meatballs were wonderful! Please offer them again! A: We’re glad you enjoyed the Moroccan Meatballs! We will bring them back soon.
A: We’re very happy that people are enjoying the wider aisles and cleaner look in the Produce dept. We’re glad to facilitate stress-free shopping.
Q: Gluten free baked goods are too dry! A: The flours we use in our gluten-free baked goods tend to produce a drier baked product.
Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • h ps://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop
10
It’s December
already and we have so much going on! First of all, I’d like to pass along the gra tude I’ve received for the Member-Owners’ involvement over the past couple of weeks. From the Thanksgiving week business, holiday meal helpers, cookie challenge bakers and event help to the regularly scheduled people who kept the Co-op in mind in their balance of personal life and coopera ve involvement—This has been a pleasure to experience and I’ve had many managers and staff approach me to ask that I send out a loud “Thank You!” to all who pitched in. YOU are very much appreciated.
parking on the clock For those of us helping in the store, here are a couple of topics to keep in mind. Please remember that parking in the Coop lot is not conducive to the business flow here at the Co-op. It’s against policy for the people on the clock to park in the lot during their shi s, but it’s also our busiest me of year and we want the parking lot to be accessible to the shoppers who we appreciate and want to shop here. Please park on the surrounding streets during your shi s. The Harriet Gibbons school lot is available to us every weekday a er 5 pm and all day on the weekends. If you are shopping before or a er your shi you may park in the lot during your shopping (and any me you’re a customer) but you must move the car off the lot when you are doing your shi . If you have any ques ons about this policy, Member-Owners may reach out to the Member-Owner Coordinator and Employees may reach out to Human Resources for clarifica on.
scanner alert, aisle 5 Did you know that we have a scanner in aisle 5? A ached to the support pole near the front main aisle, we have a scanner that can price check any items with barcodes that you’re curious about. If a customer approaches you while you’re on shi and asks the price of something, please bring them to the scanner and check. Help get the word out about this li le-known helpful spot!
Honest Slate
Care to
s ha re ?
December 2018
Member-Owner Announcements and Opportunities
committee calendar
WRAP ARTISTS NEEDED
Another li le-known resource is the commi ee calendar on the website. Have you had mes when you have been curious about what’s going on in a commi ee and you’ve considered dropping by to say hello and listen? Are you interested in helping out with the governance of the Co-op? Pitching in for a me in the way that the Co-op func ons is a great way to broaden your awareness of YOUR Co-op’s state of being, and lending your voice and energy to the mix is impera ve to the democra c func oning of our coopera ve.
Looking for ways to jump into the holiday spirit? Then sign-up to wrap gi s with us at the Troy Farmers Market this holiday season! For the first year ever, the Co-op and Troy Farmers Market are joining forces to wrap gi s at the Troy market! If you are interested in inves ng me as a Co-op Member-Owner wrapping gi s at the Troy Farmers Market on Saturdays in December, reach out to volunteers-AT-troymarket.org to sign up.
Please check out the commi ee calendar on the website for days and mes of the commi ee mee ngs and come get involved! From the home page on the website: Hover over the word membership on the top bar menu, then governance, then commi ees of the board, and then click on commi ee mee ng calendar. Or click here and bookmark the page: h ps:// www.honestweight.coop/page/committee-mee ng-calendar-322.html
elves for shelves Here are some upcoming needs for the Co-op over the next month: The grocery department is seeking people to come in extra early and stock the shelves. The hours that are needed start at 6 a.m. and the days of greatest need are Friday and Saturday, although coming in early on any day of the week is greatly appreciated. To help out in grocery, please reach out to Alex at AlexM-AT-honestweight.coop. The Front End is also in need of some help for the coming month. There are both Cashier shi s (for trained cashiers) and Courtesy Clerk shi s, especially on the weekends. If you are able to pitch in for the Front End on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays please reach out to Kelly at KellyD-AT-honestweight.coop.
serve with pride Are you interested in helping to give the employees and Member-Owners who are on the clock a pleasant break right before we close for the day on Christmas day? We are looking for some help on December 23 and 24 in the teaching kitchen. The Coop provides food on those days for those who are busy keeping the place running smoothly, since many who are working will only have me to pop in and grab a bite and connect briefly with co-workers during their breaks. On Dec. 23 and 24 we could use a couple of helpers for the teaching kitchen set up, maintenance and break down during meal mes. If you’re interested in helping out here please contact Alexis at AlexisD-AT-honestweight.coop.
As always, thanks for all you do, we would not be the same place without YOU! Happy Holidays to all! —Yeve e Buddeau, Member-Owner Coordinator
• Some Helpful Info: Owner = One who has purchased an Ownership Interest (formerly called a Share) at the Co-op Member-Owner = An Owner who is up to date on all me-investment hours and payments. Respect = A Happy Co-op
Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • h ps://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop