Coop Scoop Summer 2015

ISSUE #407

SUMMER 2015

Printed with soy ink on recycled paper

IN THIS ISSUE

Fresh Food Comes from the Farm—

Katchkie Farm in Kinderhook PAGE 8

The Rejection Project 14 Herbs of Summer 16 The Food for Thought Film Series 18

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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

Kelly Carrone

PRODUCE MANAGER

Brendan Kelly

(x118)

NUTRITION & EDUCATION

Deborah Dennis

FOOD SERVICE MANAGER

Michele Youngs

(x108)

GROCERY MANAGER

David Aubé

(x119)

MEAT MANAGER

Nick Bauer

(x113)

WELLNESS MANAGER

Kevin Johnston

(x122)

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 2

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Leif Hartmark, 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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Message from the Leadership Team

table of

contents

Lexa Juhre, Lily Bartels, and Duke Bouchard make up Honest Weight’s Leadership Team

WELCOME to the Summer Issue of the Coop Scoop! As we go to press, it’s safe to say most folks are thinking about ways to make the most of this kick-back-and-chill-out season while it lasts: finalizing plans for that vacay fantasized about deep in the throes of winter; getting outdoors to garden, hike, swim, picnic, bike, or just bask in the summer sun (don’t forget the SPF!), and enjoying the delicious seasonal bounty our local farms provide.

And while we, too, are hoping to carve out some space for some summertime fun, we’re also well aware that we’re at the helm of an operation that hums briskly along daily regardless of the season, and never takes a break from forward-looking planning.

Honest Weight is at right around the half-way point in our organization’s Strategic Planning Initiative, having successfully staged four public Community Events in which multiple stakeholder constituencies came together in facilitated meetings to share feedback and ideas about what they believe the Co-op should be, looking several years into the future.

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These gatherings were at once lively, serious, inspiring—and fun! Best of all, they drew large groups who showed up ready to be engaged, thoughtful, and fully participatory. All of their collected input will be aggregated and distilled into data that will serve as an important component in the creation of the Strategic Plan that the Board will bring to the Membership for a vote this fall. It’s been pretty amazing watching people come together in an exemplary exercise in cooperative collaboration!

STRATEGIC PLANNING UPDATE

5

KIDS IN THE GARDEN

6

FRESH FOOD COMES FROM THE FARM: KATCHKIE FARM IN KINDERHOOK 8 MEMBER PROFILE

10

OUTREACH UPDATE

12

PRODUCER PROFILES

13

THE REJECTION PROJECT

14

HERBS OF SUMMER

16

THE FOOD FOR THOUGHT FILM SERIES 18 FROM THE SUGGESTION BOX

21

CLOSING WORDS 22

MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE STORE… Here are just a few noteworthy items we have the space here to report on: • We’ve welcomed Stephen Quickenton and Bryan Preston onto the Co-op team as, respectively, our new Store Operations Manager and new Human Resources Manager, and are already seeing both bring enormous value to these roles as we strive to advance our operational systems and enhance our HR 3

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practices. Incorporating industry best practices and serving our Co-op staff by ensuring fair and consistent application of store policies are two important ongoing goals we’ve identified as essential to support the success of the Co-op at our current greatly enhanced scale.

• Speaking of enhancements, our two full years of settling into the Watervliet Avenue store (as of June 19th—happy birthday to us!) have given us time to assess ways in which we can better meet our members’ and customers’ needs by taking some of our services to the next level. To that end, by sometime in the fall we hope to be expanding our Deli offerings to potentially include sushi, rotisserie chicken, and a burrito bar; installing a free-standing, fully-stocked olive bar; and doing a re-set of our Meat Department that will give us the space to offer more selection and a larger variety of valueadded products.

Bonded & Insured

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

Cat Sitting in Your Home

• And, summer or not, our Outreach and Education Departments, so critical to supporting our mission, don’t take a break. Our free in-store classes continue to be one of the biggest hits in our new store and a great success story, and Outreach, always in demand, will be bringing its programming and event participation into libraries, health fairs, schools, and community meals all summer long. It’s what we do!!

The wheels keep turning, our forward motion is strong, challenging and exhilarating, and we continue to be grateful and inspired to be part of an organization and a business that is dynamic, community-minded, and impactful.

ENJOY YOUR SUMMER TO THE MAX!

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Strategic Planning Update

by Rossana Coto-Batres, Member of the Board Co-op member since 2013

SPRING WAS BUSY, as we planned for several Community Events as part of our Strategic Planning process. The four events, held in Troy, Latham and Albany, gathered 270 participants who engaged in focused conversation about the current trends affecting Honest Weight, and where we’d like to see our Co-op go in the next 5-8 years. These events were organized by over forty members of the Strategic Planning Committee, which included Co-op members and staff as well as members of the Leadership Team and Board of Directors.

Participating in small groups and reflecting the various voices in our membership, participants engaged in dynamic conversation and shared their collective ideas about the contributions they’d like to see Honest Weight continue to bring to its customers, members, staff, surrounding community and the world. Many of the participants expressed that they had a positive experience at the events, and were encouraged to hear that many Co-op members shared the SUMMER 2015

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same essential values. Some of the comments included: “Thank you for giving us an opportunity for input. The Co-op is important.

Hope we succeed down whatever the ‘right’ road is.”

years. The final piece of our Strategic Planning process involves a revision to our Bylaws, which is occurring concurrently and will enable us to successfully implement our strategic plan.

Thanks to all who were involved!

“More fun than I expected!”

“Good experience, met new people and realized shared values.”

“Everyone worked to give the most important issues—went very smoothly—good idea!”

The information gathered at the Community Events will be consolidated to give us a snapshot of the most prevalent themes identified by participants.

In addition to the Community Events, our strategic planning process also includes a detailed analysis of the business aspect of running a co-operative store. When we consolidate the data at a Strategic Planning Conference in early August, these two tracks will come together to form the Strategic Plan that will guide us in the next 5-8 5

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Kids in the Garden

by Meghan Breen Co-op member since 2007

THE SUMMER IS FINALLY UPON US and the earth is bursting

forth with life! For those of us keeping veggie and herb gardens, that means the weeds are also bursting forth, and we need to stay one step ahead of them if we are going to have anything to eat at harvest time.

If you have kids, gardening together can be absolutely delightful (and a bit crazy-making at times too!). Here are some ways to make the most of gardening with little ones:

1. GIVE CHILDREN THEIR OWN SPACE IN THE GARDEN. This can relieve you of the worry of what to do when they want to dig up your newly planted seedlings. Let them know that in their space, they can dig as much as they want, water as much as they want, and experiment with growing something they are interested in growing.

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2. SUPPLY THEM WITH THEIR OWN GARDEN TOOLS. Remind

them of how to take care of their tools (not to leave metal out in the rain) and show them where to store them. Kids will forget, trowels will get rusty and left behind. But the key is remembering that this is a learning experience for them, and they might make some mistakes along the way. And when it is time for them to use your garden tools, they should have some sense of how to care for them. Hopefully!

3. WATER! Water is so fun for the

little ones. Give them a chance to water some of the things planted in the larger garden. It’s hard for them to know how much or how little to water, and you obviously don’t want drowned plants, or plants that just get a trickle of water. So we often give them a verse of a song to sing, and when done, move on to the

next plant. It makes it fun for them, and less stressful for you.

4. WEED PULLING CAN BE A BIT NERVE-WRACKING in the

early stages of children’s garden experience, but once the plant is clearly identifiable, you might be surprised that kids are quick to learn which is the weed and which is the veggie (and they are so excited to tell everyone who comes to visit the garden about each vegetable). Plus, once they know, who couldn’t use an extra set of hands pulling weeds?

5. MAKE GARDEN SIGNS! This is

great fun and brings so much color to the garden, while also helping with writing/reading skills, and serving as a helpful reminder when even you have forgotten what’s planted where! We’ve made garden banners: The kids in our homeschool group decorated fabric squares with

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crayons, drawing pictures of what a garden needs to be healthy. Then we sewed the squares together for a lovely banner/garland to hang in the garden!

6. GROW SOME THINGS THEY LOVE AND SOME THINGS THAT ARE NEW TO THEM. Many parents find their once hesitant to eat veggies kids will devour veggies if they get to gather them straight from the garden. We have had great success with snap peas as a fun snack for the kids to harvest – and what’s even better is that while they are snacking in the garden, you can get some work done while they are happily occupied doing what all parents want their kids to do more of, EAT VEGGIES!

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Fresh Food Comes from the Farm katchkie farm in kinderhook

by Cara Benson Co-op member since 2013

THE MOTTO at Katchkie Farms, and the why of how it all started: “Fresh Food Comes from the Farm.”

In 2007, Liz Newmark decided she wanted the best quality food she could find for Great Performances, her NYC catering company. So she reached out to Bob Walker, who turned what he called a “real bushy mess” of land in Kinderhook into the sustainably-farmed, organic acres that are thriving at Katchkie Farm today.

Of their sixty acres, about 10 to 12 are in cultivation during the season, producing over 250 different varieties of fruits, vegetables, edible flowers, and medicinal and culinary herbs.

But Newmark didn’t want all the food going solely to catered events, so she came up with The Sylvia Center.

Katchkie Farm donates two acres to The Center, which act as a Learning Garden for growing, activities, and outdoor cooking with kids. During the first growing season, one hundred kids came to the farm to experience fresh food in the field. These days, the farm sees 900 kids between May and October, and The Center provides off-site programs to an additional 700 in the region, in addition to its programming in New York City.

“We do the steps of the story of food,” says Julie Cerny, Farm Education Director and Garden Manager. In a four-hour field trip, students will walk the path from seed to table, beginning at the greenhouse. First, students plant their own seeds among the many starts underway, then head to the fields to see what the seeds become as they grow.

“It only takes one carrot pulled out of the ground for kids to remember where food comes from,” says Cerny.

“It’s a huge wow moment.” She says that one of the goals of the program is to encourage participants to be willing to try different foods. “When 8

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

people say they don’t like tomatoes, I always think ‘Oh, but no.’” As in, don’t say no until you’ve tried one fresh from the farm. Eating what’s right out of the ground is highly encouraged.

The tour continues in the fields, where there are all sorts of tasting opportunities – or sometimes not!

One of the facts of farm life is the need for adaptability. “Sometimes there’s nothing quite ready to taste,” Cerny says. But nothing gets wasted. Those days are opportunities to familiarize students with how long it takes for things to grow, and with the concept of seasonality.

By the time the tour gets down to the The Sylvia Center’s dedicated Learning Garden, the kids have their farmer’s boots and chef’s hats squarely on.

“We invite them to walk like a farmer and think like a chef.” This helps to continually reinforce the idea that eating well is is the ultimate goal. To that end, the half acre cultivated lot is

shaped in a rainbow that faces onto the outdoor kitchen and picnic area.

The kids will be led through the planted rows and guided to help with any work that needs doing, from weeding to planting and transplanting. As always, this can be another opportunity for tasting foods that don’t get regularly produced for chain stores.

“It’s easier to get them to try a red cucumber if it’s next to the green ones they’re already familiar with.” Cerny likes to have a mix, to help increase students’ willingness to try new foods.

She says 95% of the kids will taste what she’s offering, and everyone gets schooled in the “Don’t yuk my yum” approach to tasting. This way participants have the emotional room to find their own preferences without fear of being judged.

After trying cucumbers or rhubarb (kids are instructed never to eat COOP SCOOP

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something without guidance, so that the wrong part of a plant doesn’t get ingested) everyone takes part in harvesting something that’s ready to go. Here’s where the chef’s hats come in. They take their fresh pickings right over to the outdoor kitchen area, and everyone contributes to the meal.

There’s a wood fired stove, and the kids think it’s “cool” to be cooking with fire.

The day always closes with eating what they’ve procured and prepared together. Cerny says everyone has contributed to the meal, and always asks them to name their part in the project. It helps make it clear to students that they each authentically helped put this yummy food on the table. And everyone also goes home with a copy of the recipe.

Most of the participants in The Sylvia Center’s programs, whether at the farm or off-site, get involved through word of mouth or Cerny’s outreach efforts with schools. At a time when obesity afflicts nearly two-thirds of America’s children, The Sylvia Center’s mission to inspire young people and their families to eat well seems particularly crucial. For information on how to participate in or support these programs, visit their websites: sylviacenter.org and katchkiefarm. com.

Sylvia Center Recipe: Garden-Must-Go Fritatta INGREDIENTS:

DIRECTIONS:

• • • •

1. Preheat broiler.

• • • • • • •

10 eggs 2 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 bunch scallions, leeks, or other onions, washed and chopped 8 oz kale or Swiss chard, washed and chopped 1 small summer squash or zucchini, thinly sliced 1 bell pepper, sliced 1 large tomato, chopped 1 cup grated cheddar cheese Salt and pepper to taste Handful of fresh herbs such as oregano, basil, thyme or parsley

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2. Heat oil in a large, ovenproof sauté pan. Add scallions and garlic, and cook 2-3 minutes.

3. Add other vegetables and greens, and cook until greens wilt and vegetables begin to soften.

4. Turn off heat and stir in fresh herbs, salt and pepper.

5. Beat eggs until frothy. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and some pepper.

6. Add egg mixture to pan with vegetables. Stir in cheese. Cook over medium heat until eggs begin to set, about 7 minutes.

7. Transfer pan to broiler and broil for 1-2 minutes, until top of frittata is nicely browned. Serve alongside a green salad, if desired.

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Member Profile: Dee & Frank Wind

by Shanna Goldman Co-op member since 2002

GOOD STORIES ARE LIKE TIME CAPSULES that keep characters,

landscapes, and courageous (or not courageous) acts alive long after people have passed on and landscapes are torn down. Coop members Frank and Dee Wind are preservationists, capturing moments in time and putting them in the hands of future generations to tell.

Dee Wind has been telling stories for over 30 years. With a background in community theater, the first time she was exposed to storytelling as a profession, she felt liberated.

She found it similar to theatre, but “with less fuss;” as a storyteller, she was free to do her own thing. Dee began taking classes and soon was a storyteller in her own right.

Meanwhile, Frank was working with a different kind of medium: rocks.

Working for Texaco, Frank examined soil samples to tell the story of what lived down below, and to find out how many layers of what type of rock drillers would find.

“Frank is an expert on fossils,” brags Dee. “Kind of like the guy who’s a tree expert and so they take him to the forest,” responds Frank. “So they ask him if he knows any of the trees

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and the guy points and says, ‘Sure, I know this tree and this tree and …’ “ The two met when Frank answered Dee’s personal ad. For their first date, she took him to a storytelling event. “I can do that,” Frank thought, and it wasn’t only the beginning of a beautiful relationship, but the launch of a storytelling team. “I was his mentor,” Dee admits. “He still needs to work on his eye contact with the audience.”

They call themselves “FrankLee Speaking,” three different styles for the price of two. They usually each tell a story of their own, and then one tandem story. I ask if it ever gets tense. For example, what if you have to perform while you’re in the middle of a conflict?

“Our relationship never gets to that point,” says Dee. COOP SCOOP

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“It’s nice to have someone up there with you,” adds Frank.

Right now, in addition to doing gigs, they are helping seniors at the Beverywyck write their memoirs.

Like the fossils Frank used to study, they are helping people create an artifact out of their lives so that something lives on. While rewarding, it can be difficult and exhausting work, sifting through folks’ emotional attachments to each memory in order to find the essence of the story they could leave behind.

As a reward, Frank and Dee are taking a trip this summer to one of their favorite places, Scotland. “We are members of the Long Lost Tribe of Scotland, “ says Dee.

I imagine that Dinosaur Skin will find its way into a FrankLee Speaking story, like a time capsule passed on for future generations to learn what once was.

To find out where Frank and Dee will be performing, or to attend one of the house concerts they host with other storytellers, email we_tell@verizon.net.

“Of which there are exactly two,” quips Frank.

Dee is excited to show Frank a prehistoric dig site. “Frank has taught me so much.” I ask her specifically what she has learned.

“I know this rock and that rock and… “ (Frank shakes her hand; the mentoring seems to go both ways).

I ask Frank how someone who shares a common language with the rocks is affected by the current state of our environment. He doesn’t really respond.

Dee, however, prods him further, “Doesn’t it bother you when something is defaced or disappears completely?” This strikes the right chord, and Frank begins telling me about the Dinosaur Skin outcropping. According to Frank, this was a 10-foot high by 30foot long rock outcropping in the Hudson Valley that looked like a giant fossil of dinosaur skin, but was actually fossilized sea creatures from 420 million years ago. Frank’s grief is palpable as he tells me that the formation is no longer there, and was taken down in the name of progress.

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Voted “Best One-Location Mexican”

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436-1855

6/19/15 12:52 PM

Outreach Update

by Amy Ellis, Outreach Coordinator Co-op member since 2009

THIS SPRING HAS BEEN A PARTICULARLY BUSY ONE for the Outreach team. March, April and May brought us lots of new and exciting opportunities that kept us extremely connected to our community.

Jonathan Milks, our Cheese & Specialty Foods Manager, and his team provided attendees with a taste of some of our best local cheeses at the NYS Craft Beer Festival. The event brought together forty New York breweries (and brewers) from every region of the state, featuring up to ninety hard-to-find and awardwinning beers. Making this special

event more exclusive, they featured food sampling and pairing from local Albany restaurants and food vendors!

It was a great opportunity to meet NYS brewers and the movers and shakers in the local food scene that are such an important part of the community.

We participated in our first ever International Women’s Day, a celebration of achievements made by women throughout the world. The Opalka Gallery (The Sage Colleges) hosted an event, during which women-owned businesses put on a showcase of their products. Our 12

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members shared a delicious sampling of cookies from one of our local vendors, Bake For You, a womanowned business here in Albany.

Also this spring, the Co-op held its first ever American Red Cross blood drive.

We surpassed our goal of 20 donors with 25 total donors! Thank you to our staff, members and community members at large for supporting this worthy cause.

Bill Benson, our bakery manager, prepared a delicious chocolate pistachio torte for the Girl Scouts Cookie Cuisine event. This annual fundraiser challenges local culinary arts teams to craft recipes utilizing the Girl Scout cookie of their choice.

A panel of Capital Region celebrity judges chose a winner. Although we didn’t win, we had a great time for another great cause!

This season’s organizations have included All Saints Academy, Arbor Hill Elementary, Delaware Community School, Giffen Elementary School, Montessori Magnet School, New Scotland Elementary, Saddlewood Elementary School, Thomas O’Brien Academy of Science and Technology, Albany Public Library, East Greenbush Community Library, Guilderland Public Library, The College of St. Rose, HVCC, and UAlbany (several times) to name a few—phew, that’s a lot of kids and young adults! Ready, Set, Grow! has steadily grown since its inception in 2002. It’s a wonderful program that connects children and young adults to local food and local farms, allowing them to experience the hands-on preparation of their own snacks!

The Outreach Department is always in need of hard working members who are available during the day and enjoy working with children. If you’re interested in joining the outreach member team, please give our Outreach Coordinator, Amy Ellis, a call at 482-2667 X128.

Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site hosts a wonderful “Farm Day in the City” program every year focused on agriculture, sustainability, nutrition, whole foods and green possibilities.

Attendees experienced a farm market atmosphere in the city of Albany! They learned about the types of animals Philip Schuyler would have had on his farm, and about agricultural practices of the 18th century. Oxen, sheep, and poultry were among the livestock displayed on the grounds, while demonstrations, farm products, and gardening techniques were shared with visitors throughout the afternoon.

Let’s not forgot our school and college-age friends! Spring is always a great time to visit kids and young adults all over the Capital Region.

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producer profiles BLUE MOON SORBET Blue Moon Sorbet was first introduced

by John Donaldson and Pamela Frantz as a dessert in one of Vermont’s finest restaurants. The public response to its rich taste and classic European texture was overwhelmingly positive, and now, ten years later, it’s sold in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

DAVENPORT FARM Davenport Farm is a family-owned farm market, greenhouse, and wholesale vegetable farm located in Stone Ridge, New York. The farm has been in the Davenport family for four generations; a conservation easement now permanently protects the land and assures that it will be in agricultural use in the future.

by Pat Sahr Co-op member since 2005

These sorbets are made from all natural ingredients, with the freshest, highest-quality fruits. Very little sugar is used, and there is no added flavoring or coloring. The intense flavor and vivid color come from the fruit itself.

Honest Weight has a wide variety of Blue Moon flavors for sale, including Mango Passion, Wild Blueberry, Pear Ginger and Blackberry Lime.

in sweet corn, the crop that seemed to grow best in this valley. At one point, he grew over 1,000 acres of corn! Today his sons Bruce and Barth Davenport oversee the planting of 50 acres of their specialty sweet corn, grown conventionally but always with non-GMO seeds.

With the advent of refrigeration, Gordon Davenport was able to specialize

SAUERKRAUT SETH Since 1998, the mission of Seth Travins (a.k.a. Sauerkraut Seth) has been to make the best tasting fermented vegetables of the highest quality. He created and developed Hawthorne Valley’s line of lacto-fermented vegetables and krauts from 1999 until 2012, and then he started his own business.

Seth’s products can be found in many co-ops and retail food stores throughout New York and Massachusetts,

SUMMER 2015

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as well as in Flowerkraut, a shop in Hudson, NY, owned and operated by his wife, Mairead Rhona Travins.

Among the offerings in the Co-op’s cooler are Sauerkraut Seth’s Original Raw, Jalapeño Firekraut, Red Apple Raw and Caraway Juniper Raw. Seth’s products are Certified Organic, and the vegetables are grown by certified organic farms in Columbia and Ulster counties. The kraut is unpasteurized and lacto-fermented. The only ingredients are vegetables, herbs, spices and unrefined sea salt.

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The (incredibly inclusive) Rejection Project

by Allison Lerman-Gluck and Alex Hovet Co-op members since 2014

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

LAST YEAR, ALLISON LERMAN-GLUCK DIDN’T GET HER DREAM JOB. She’s a local theatre educator, and this wasn’t the first rejection she had received, but for some reason, it stung the most. We—Allison and her partner, filmmaker and playwright Alex Hovet—discussed the experience of being rejected. We talked about feeling rejected, rejection as a shared human experience, and how rejection becomes a part of artists’ identities— so common that it becomes difficult to expect success.

THAT INSPIRED US TO START WRITING. At the time, Allison was working on a show called Underneath, a NYSCA grant-funded theatre project 14

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written and performed by a group of young women from the Capital District. Creator and co-director Noelle Gentile encouraged us to apply for an upcoming NYSCA Community Arts Grant through the Arts Center of the Capital Region. With fiscal sponsorship from The Social Justice Center, The Rejection Project (518) was born.

THE REJECTION PROJECT (518) is a theatre piece based on written material from Albany-area community members on their experiences with rejection. These community-sourced writings were compiled into a script by the two of us, and the play will be performed by local community members.

WE BELIEVE THAT ART IS A POWERFUL TOOL, capable of bringing together a community across various divisions, be they socio-economic, racial, or age- or gender-based.

The Rejection Project is an experiment, with our hypothesis being that art can be at once accessible, a forum for self-expression, a tool for community protest, and a platform to share personal stories and feel selfvalidation.

PEOPLE HAVE AN INNATE DESIRE TO SHARE THEIR STORIES and be truly listened to and heard. Allison teaches her students about listening as a radical act of love and care. If we share our stories about rejection and truly listen to others’, we COOP SCOOP

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of acting experience. This isn’t about finding the best actors, it’s about making the arts accessible to the Albany community. And just like our philosophy for finding our performers, no theatre-going experience is necessary to engage with this show.

The final performance will be a nontraditional one: a mix of video, music, monologues, poetry, and scenes from the diverse voices of our community.

The Rejection Project (518) will be performed July 9th, 10th, and 11th at 8PM at the Albany Barn. Tickets are $8 and will be available through the Barn’s website, www.albanybarn.org, and at the door (cash only). do something miraculous: we create a place of acceptance, a place where we won’t be rejected, even as we reflect on the experience of being rejected.

Our definition for the word rejection has been rapidly expanding. At first, our submissions were about love and relationships (he scorned me, why didn’t she love me, it’s not you, it’s me, and so on). As the project has continued to evolve, we’ve been able to inspire other types of responses from people. Rejection is not just about being rejected; it’s also about choosing to reject. This project is about ways that we fight back against systems of oppression. Ways that we reject people, ideas, societal pressures. Ways that rejection can be life-saving. Or maybe, it’s about a time when you were rejected, and that rejection motivated you to make a different choice that ended up being even better for you.

had the opportunity to contribute, we tabled at public libraries and held workshops at Albany High School, The Albany Free School, and The Boys and Girls Club of Troy. By the time we compiled the script, we had received contributions in various forms from over two hundred community members.

Our casting process for the final performances of the project has been unique in that we basically put out an open call. Our stance was that anyone who expressed interest in performing could perform in the piece, regardless

THIS IS A COMMUNITY EVENT—bring your family, friends, co-workers, that person you have a secret crush on, your long-lost best friend from middle school, your teachers, and your students. This project won’t work without you, the audience.

For more information, follow us on Facebook (The Rejection Project, Albany), Instagram (@rejectionproject518), Twitter (@TheRejection518), or email us at therejectionproject518@gmail. com.

We began reaching out to organizations and community members through email and social media, and word about the project spread.

We hosted a handful of community writing workshops and created an anonymous online submission form.

To ensure that people of differing ages SUMMER 2015

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Herbs of Summer

by Mary Theresa Julien Co-op member since 2011

OUR FLOWER GARDENS are delightful in so many ways. They greet us like old friends when they first emerge in the springtime.

Tending our gentle companions provides comfort and peace when our lives get hectic. They welcome us home, brighten our tables, and they may have some other hidden talents worth exploring.

Plants naturally contain a variety of vitamins, minerals and chemical constituents and compounds. It is not without reason that the research and development efforts of our modern pharmaceutical industry consistently look to the plant kingdom for solutions. Some plants like CHAMOMILE, which is relaxing at bedtime, and MINT, which can relieve stomach upsets, are wellknown, simple remedies. Others are far more potent, so be sure to use 16

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caution and take time to positively identify the plants that you plan to ingest or use topically. Though we are generally familiar with the plant varieties in our gardens, it is wise to double-check everything! There is a wealth of information in books and online to help you positively identify the profusion of summertime plants.

used for making perfumes, breath fresheners and cosmetics, and the bluish-violet flowers yield a pigment that is employed in testing alkalines and acids. It’s long been used therapeutically for headaches, coughs, and other ailments.

The lush leaves of SWEET VIOLET (Viola odorata) can be added to salads for flavor and when added to soups helps them to congeal. Nourishing Sweet Violet leaves provide a vitamin and mineral boost and are high in vitamins C and A. Fresh or dried leaves can be added to teas, or infused for added benefit. Though violet flowers have come and gone by mid-summer, they can be candied in the spring, and add a lovely touch to fresh salads and desserts. Commercially, sweet violet leaves and blossoms are COOP SCOOP

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Cheerful CALENDULA (Calendula officinalis) is one of my garden favorites. The “petals,” which are not true petals but ligulate florets, can be plucked from the flower and thrown in a salad to add a visual and tasty zest. The fresh or dried petals can be made into tea. Calendula is a garden annual, but dried petals are available in Honest Weight’s bulk section if you haven’t planted your own. Calendula has a strong history as a therapeutic plant, traditionally prepared for use in skin and wound treatments.

MINT is a huge plant family

SCARLET MONARDA (Monarda didyma), also called Oswego Tea, Bee Balm or Red Bergamot, has large flowers that vary in color from deep pink to purple to red. Bee Balm was used by colonial settlers as a substitute for imported tea, which was in short supply following the Boston Tea Party. As a kitchen herb, the dried leaves can be used in tomato dishes and also in place of sage. It’s aromatic flowers are popular with butterflies, hummingbirds and bumblebees. I had a hummingbird last year who visited my Bee Balm every day, and got so accustomed to me that he would fly from flower to flower while I worked

with hundreds of members—it’s uses are many! In addition to peppermint, and spearmint, the mint (Lamiaceae) family includes

BASIL, ROSEMARY, LAVENDER,

or added fresh to salads, tabouli or other dishes. It too has traditionally been used as a remedy. I’ve heard of people who have averted a migraine by chewing a fresh Lemon Balm leaf at the first indication of migraine onset.

It makes great tea too!

YARROW (Achillea millefolium) can also be added to tea and is another highly beneficial herb worthy of investigation.

Most plants can be dried for future use as well. Gather them at their peak of freshness on a dry morning. Hang them upside down in loose bundles in a cool place with good air circulation and out of direct sunlight. When they are crisply dry, they can be stored in a jar or paper bag. Don’t forget to label them to avoid mid-winter mysteries!

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT YOUR OWN GARDEN to see if you have any treasures waiting to be discovered. Next time the birdsong lures you out on a summer day, you may return to your kitchen with a bunch of very influential new friends.

MARJORAM, SAVORY, AND CULINARY SAGE. Identifying features of mints usually include square stalks and opposite leaves.

One member of the mint family which often graces our flower gardens is Scarlet Monarda.

in the garden, right beside him! Bee Balm makes a delicious, aromatic, spicy vinegar, livening up salads and other dishes. Simply pick blossoms and leaves at their freshest, fill a jar with the plant material and then fill to the top with apple cider vinegar. Label the jar with the date and a description of what it contains. Let it steep for two to three weeks, strain out the plants and it is ready to use!

LEMON BALM (Melissa officinalis) is another amazing mint that can be made into a tasty herbal vinegar SUMMER 2015

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6/19/15 12:52 PM

The Food for Thought Film Series

by Mary Alice Pasanen Co-op member since 1998

Food for Thought’s doors opened for the first time in 2009, on the 3rd Thursday of January, with the showing of “The Garden,” a documentary based on a 14-acre community garden in a once-blighted Los Angeles neighborhood which became targeted for bulldozing after the city sold the land to a developer. It looked at backroom deals, money, poverty, power and racial discord while opening up challenging questions about liberty, equality and justice.

THIS WAS JUST THE START FOR US: Over 60 films, highlighting topics such as sustainable food, fair trade, water rights, autism, hospice care, the health of soil, and the history of co-ops have flashed across the screen over the past six years.

Photos from last November’s Food for Thought by Co-op Member Randall Collura

AS WE CELEBRATE the second

was developed in 2008 as the collaborative brainchild of Honest Weight and WAMC, Northeast Public Radio.

Since both organizations were already invested in community-oriented work, the union was a great match for the presentation of socially relevant cinema. The Linda, with the ability to screen films and present music, was the perfect venue. And Honest Weight’s food, which nourishes the body and mind, helped create a good atmosphere for attentiveness and engagement.

The Co-op 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. The Linda, WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio, brings relevant social issues to the public through the performing arts.

Graeme McKenna, the General Manager and Programmer of The Linda, and Karisa Centanni, then Education Coordinator for Honest Weight, were the original collaborators. Graeme remains the Food For Thought film programmer, and Amy Ellis, our Outreach Coordinator, now represents Honest Weight.

anniversary of the new store on Watervliet Ave., we want to highlight one of our longest-running programs: the Food for Thought film series.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

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Every month, live music is provided by local artist and composer Jack Empie, often accompanied by Peter McGowan on bass. Jack has periodically brought in other guests, performing on various instruments from violin to bagpipes. During this social hour, Honest Weight serves a sample menu of snacks and drinks for your enjoyment. Food selections for the evening are often chosen to correlate with the film topic, emphasize regional and seasonal foods, and/or highlight a great deal the store is offering that month.

AT 7 PM THE LIGHTS GO DOWN and the documentary begins.

Films are immediately followed by a panel discussion with audience participation. Graeme brings in an excellent array of panel members, who are able to shed further personal and professional light on the film topic. At certain times we are even privileged enough to have the filmmaker, editor or cast member join us for this panel. Professionals and organizations in a given field inform the audience on ways to be involved at both local and broader levels.

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Everyone takes away some fresh new awareness or information to ponder.

Offering classes in: Iyengar Yoga All Levels + Gentle, Senior Vinyasa Flow, Kripalu Yoga , Kirtan and Dance

WHATEVER YOUR THOUGHTS OR INTERESTS, Food for Thought invites you to come out and be a part of what has become so much more than just a documentary film screening.

Think about joining us at The Linda when the next third Thursday comes around! Tickets available at www. thelinda.org, or by calling 518-4655233.

540 Delaware Ave. Albany, NY 12209

For Information: www/THEYOGALOFT.NET Call: Gerry 438-2557 Marge 482-8124

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COOP SCOOP

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from the

SUGGESTION BOX

Q: Can we carry lard?

A: We do! We normally have The Piggery lard stocked with our smoked deli meats, and Leaf Lard by Hudson Valley Harvest in the Meat Department freezer.

Ask a staff member for help finding them.

Q: On the plant display, can we list

whether a houseplant is toxic to cats, dogs, or free-roaming reptile pets?

A: Thank you for the opportunity to

let people know about a list that we already have posted, right near the seasonal entrance. It’s from the ASPCA, and contains information about various houseplants that fall into the “toxic to pets” category. We hope it’s helpful!

Q: Please, no canola oil in soup or at the hot bar.

A: We’re working toward using only Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in all of our dishes.

Q: I have noticed that the old Coop sign still hangs at the Central Ave location. Have you considered incorporating this part of our Coop history into the new store? It would be pretty cool!

A: We have taken down the sign and are preserving it as part of our history. We think it’s cool too!

Q: More Paleo options at hot bar please!

A: We’re working on it! Have you tried our turkey meat balls? Watch for more new recipes.

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Q: Let’s make email receipts an option!

A: We’ve been thinking about this for some time, and we’re just working out the bugs. Stay tuned!

Q: The liquid vanilla, anise etc. are too high on the shelf for some short individuals. Please lower them.

A: Please do not hesitate to ask one of our staff or member workers to assist you in reaching items that are on a high shelf.

Q: On the website, can you list the

seedlings that arrive each day, and the menu options?

A: We post our daily menu options to Facebook and to Twitter. Posting seedlings is a great idea, but we’re unsure how we could keep up.

Q: Can Albany Med employees get

a discount?

A: Many groups have requested that

Q: Please add lemon (just plain

we extend a discount to them. While we appreciate the work of all these groups, it would be economically infeasible for us to extend discounts to every worthy group. We encourage shoppers to become owners to become eligible for our various discount tiers.

A: We can’t make lemons available on

Q: Please put mozz sandwish back on the deli menu! It’s a fan favorite!

lemon) as a possible dressing for the salad bar - especially for us “healthy-minded” folks who avoid oil! the salad or coffee bar because of their quick deterioration at room temperature. Lemon wedges are available at our juice and java counter though - just ask!

A: We will be bringing this back this summer when tomatoes and basil are in their peak season. Yum!

Q: The Co-op needs an olive bar where a better selection could be available, unpackaged. There was one at the other store - why not here?

A: We plan on bringing one in this year!

Q: Dr. Joseph Mercola: I’m looking

for fermentation starter kits from him, or from anyone!

A: We just ran out of our kombucha kits, and plan to get more in stock soon. Is this what you want to ferment? We also stock yogurt and kefir starter kits with our probiotics.

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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“

Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.�

- Oliver Sacks

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FORT ORANGE GENERAL STORE A neighborhood shop carrying curated home goods, accessories, kitchen wares, cards, natural apothecary, and more. We hold a

special place for handmade goods created by independent artists, makers and companies from nearby and across the country.

visit: write: view: ring:

2 9 6 DEL AWA RE AV E. A LBA N Y, N Y 12 2 0 9 FORTOR A NGEGENER A L@ GM A IL .C OM FORTOR A NGEGENER A L S TORE.C OM + 01 (518) 7 2 9 -3 7 0 3

follow us for regular updates: SHOP HO URS: TUES -S AT: 11 - 8 / SUN: 12- 6

Would you like your pic featured on our “Closing Words” page?

Instagram it with the hashtag #coopshowoff to enter!

8 Con tac t AM Y at: (51 8)- 482 -CO OP x12 Am y@ hon est we igh t.co op Summer15CoopScoop.indd 23

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Co-op Kids!

SUMMER HARVEST WORD SEARCH

S Q Y C C Q Q L B Y P M I W W

C T Q N C R S U S R N S O A P

BASIL BEANS BLUEBERRY CARROTS CHARD CHIVE

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L P R H M H C M N R H B V T Z

T I A A A M O G A E Z C N E Z

B R S L W O R V E B O F J R U

D M L A R B N Z B E P Q P M H

E O F H B C E R Q U N S O E T

T T S O I A S R H L J T V L L

T U O L K R Z R R B Q L D O G

M I R M G R C D E Y E Q L N O

CORN CUCUMBERS EDAMAME GARLIC MUSHROOMS OKRA

P A I R A O A Q Z P E V I H C

G Q M J J T P G B O P B U K B

C T O N U S O S O R R E L W J

C U C U M B E R S E L Z P D H

N W B J K T E M A M A D E I E

PEPPERS SHALLOT SORREL STRAWBERRY TOMATO WATERMELON

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