News from the Lexington Cooperative Market

LexTalk Eggplants...you either love them or hate them, but one cannot disagree, they are like no other vegetable (or fruit, really) and have great versatility. Grill them, make eggplant parmesan or buy a Lexi’s Eggplant Hummus Pizza.

Tomatoes are the sure winner of all the fall’s harvest. Here comes that Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich! Don’t forget canning the harvest to use all winter. The varieties are endless and its been a banner year.

Look inside the newsletter and at the Co-op for delicious recipes using all kinds of fall harvest fruits and vegetables!

Apples are the most popular of autumn’s fruits. Yikes, when we thought there would be no apples this fall, we went into a collective depression...but good news! We have apples and they are juicy and crisp. Thank you apple trees for giving us your finest!

Fall 2012

Owner Appreciation Days 2012

Peppers – Pick a pepper and Tony Weiss grows them like no other in this area. Purple, hot, cubanelle, sweet- you name it, and you can stuff it, grill it, chop them and freeze to preserve. We’re all pepped up this time of year!

Squash – what would we do without your sweet, versatility! What else can you use to make soup, stew, broil, roast, grill or make pies, cookies and quick breads? It’s every which way during squash days!

Garlic Lovers! Scare those vampires away on October 29th

Taste a number of garlic varieties, learn its history, chemistry, and how to plant your own! With Tom Szulist of Singer Farm Naturals. At Artisan Kitchen and Bath from 6:30-8:30 on Monday, October 29th. Class is $8, just $5 for Co-op members! Sign up in the store, or by phone with a credit card payment, 886-2667.

Autumn: Time to Harvest, Vote and Redeem Your Dividend!

CO-OP EXPANSION VISION 2015

Join us at the Annual Meeting in October to learn more about local co-ops and next steps with our expansion.

After 18 months of study, reflection and engagement with owners, in April 2012, the Board of Directors finalized its vision for the Co-op’s future…

Our Goal is to Double the Co-op’s Impact by 2015.

• More Access to healthy

local foods • More Knowledge about consumer issues and co-ops • More Local farmers, owners, food jobs and community • More Sustainable food practices and infrastructure • More Space to shop and work in

“What we mean by more access is that 40 years from now, we envision a thriving food co-op in every community that wants one, Lexington or otherwise.”

Autumn is here, finally bringing an end to vote for them. We’ll hold two sessions on the most challenging summer in recent October 4th and 15th for owners to ask questions memory for our local farmers. It started in and discuss the proposed changes before March, when an unseasonal hot spell caused placing your vote. I hope to see you there. our local fruit trees to flower. When normal The Co-op had another profitable year in weather returned in April, the blossoms FY2012, and we’re excited to distribute froze and most of the crop was $26,000 in Patronage Dividends. wiped out before it even began. As I Vouchers will be mailed in late Octowrite this column, the new crop of ber. It’s good for the Co-op when you apples is just arriving and we are redeem because it reduces our tax crossing our fingers that the supply burden to the Federal Government, will hold until November. Enjoy so please look for and redeem your them while they last. The long, hot, dividend, even if it’s as a donation to rain-free summer caused most other the Food Bank! crops to arrive a month early and From community ownership to the last for just a few weeks. Now more way we keep capital local, we’ve Tim Bartlett than ever, our local farmers need us General Manager always thought that co-ops are a better all to buy local. way of doing business. On the back Autumn also brings the opportunity to participate in your co-op through our annual Board of Directors elections. Your annual report and ballot should be crossing paths with this newsletter any day now. Please be sure to read it over and select the candidates you’d like to see running the Co-op. This Co-op continues to be a vibrant expression of our community because of the empowerment and accountability that flow from memberowners like you through the Board to me and the staff. But it only works if you participate! So vote!

Thank you to everyone who participated in our four engagement sessions or emailed us about the Bylaws this summer. We received lots of good feedback and the Board made several changes as a result. You will receive BOARD OF DIRECTORS the final Bylaw Revisions with your Annual Jen Nalbone, Hope Hoetzer Cook, Derek Bateman, Alison Wilcox, Report. Please read them over and cast your Caitlin Merna, Patrick Finan, Marty Knauss, ballot. We hope you love them, because the Roy Cunningham & Amy Holt Board worked hard on them and we think For questions please email they will make us more transparent and board@lexington.coop GOL783-Coop Newsletter Ad:Layout 1 11/15/10 4:43 PMof Page democratic. Most all, we really hope you

page of this newsletter is an exciting graphic that outlines some of the ways US food co-ops create more good in the world. There’s a great video that compares the impact of food co-ops to that of supermarkets at www.strongertogether.coop. Check it out! This research is the result of our national collaboration with 127 other co-ops across the US through our National Co-op Grocers Association (NCGA). NCGA is a cooperative that we created about 10 years ago to deliver more value to you, our consumer owners. They do this through staff training, joint purchasing, and marketing support . NCGA also leverages the voices of our 1.3 million consumer owners to advocate for stronger organic standards, farm protection, and truth in labeling laws, and is proof that we are stronger together. Have a wonderful fall everyone. Please join us at the Annual Meeting in October to learn more about local co-ops and next steps with our expansion. And enjoy the Fall Harvest! – Tim Bartlett, General Manager

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Fall Co-op Matters: In your Annual Report... After several months of discussion and review in committee and with Member-Owners, the Board of Directors of the Lexington Co-op is presenting a proposed set of bylaws with your annual report. The BOD believes that these bylaws are clearer, more transparent and better represent the current complexity of the Coop than our current Bylaws. These Bylaws, once approved by the member-owners, will replace our current Bylaws.

Please vote yes!

Dividends are Coming in October! Your investment returned- 4th year in a row!

and also... included in your Annual Report are all the statements by the candidates running for the board of directors and a ballot! Please read through all their statements and vote for 3 board members.

PLEASE VOTE!

October 1st · November 5th

Please e-mail board@lexington.coop if you’d like to attend a meeting

• Patronage dividends are an exciting, sustainable and flexible way for the Co-op to return profits back to owners on an annual basis. • Dividends give the Co-op a tax advantage • Dividends communicate the cooperative principle of democratic allocation of surpluses • When owners receive a patronage dividend they see that when the co-op succeeds, they benefit. • Owners can see that shopping at the Co-op is what makes it possible for the co-op to continue to meet their needs and have a big impact on the local economy and the community.

Timeline for Patronage dividends: How the Board makes the decision

Annual Meeting Please come!

Save the Date Wednesday, October 24

Board Meetings

We love them because....

Burchfield Penney Art Center 1300 Elmwood Ave 5:30- 8:30pm

June 30, 2012 : End of Fiscal Year July 2012 Accounting firm conducts annual financial audit September 2012 : Audit is complete and annual report is mailed. The board makes a decision about dividends based on the answers to these questions: • • •

Is it fiscally responsible to distribute patronage dividends this year? How much of our profits will we allocate to patronage dividends? How much will we distribute to our owners and how much will we re-invest?

October 2012: Distribute dividends at end of month.

111562-bc_Layout 1 9/27/11 9:10 AM Page 8

Jamie Lawrence Director of Marketing

Energy Cooperative of America, Inc.

1408 Sweet Home Road, Suite 8 Amherst, New York 14228 Tel: (716) 580-3506 • Fax (716) 932-7337 Toll Free: 1-800-422-1475 Web: www.ecamerica.org E-mail: jlawrence@ecamerica.org

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Remarkable Tea: Traveling to the Darjeeling Tea Gardens in India I have as many stories to tell about India as there are spices in one simple dish from that country; and they are all bound to my senses and dear to my heart; but the one story I would never been able to tell wit hout Equal Exchange is this tea story. In March of this year, EE offered a representative (fortunately- me!) from our Co-op a visit to tea gardens of Darjeeling, India with 7 other people Tea pickers and farmers walk daily over rugged Himalayan terrain from the US. Like Champagne, you to bring their freshly picked tea to the processing plant. cannot call tea, Darjeeling, unless it comes from that specific mountain region in Part of Equal Exchange’s work over the past West Begal, India. This foothill region in the few years has been to raise awareness Himalayas and is also where international of these tea farmers’ desire and willingness trekkers start their journeys to Mt. Everest to own their land and work for themselves, and travelers visit just to view the majestic growing Fair Trade tea instead of working mountains. for larger, traditional plantations. The pride We were there to tour the tea cooperatives, Potong and Singell. We hiked miles up in the foothills where poufy tea bushes are grown on beautifully terraced hills. We learned about picking the specific, ‘2 leaves and a bud’ for the best tasting tea. The exact tea bushes we watched being picked were planted 150 years ago by the British and now need to be replaced. Who knew? Who knew ordinary tea came from remarkable work done mainly by hand? From picking to drying to sorting, mostly women walk baskets of freshly plucked tea to the 150 year old Singell Tea Processing Plant daily during the picking seasons from March through November. There, women sorted batch upon batch, while squatting on little wooden benches; which I tried and could barely do for 5 minutes; sorting and sifting for the finest leaves classified as First Flush, then medium grade and to batches of tea dust, or what is used in ordinary tea bags. Yes, like coffee beans, tea leafs vary greatly in their quality.

The Potong Cooperative was excited to show us their 15,000 newly planted tea bushes – from your purchases of Fair Trade Tea!

was palpable as these native Nepali farmers walked us through their hillsides. We saw Potong’s newly planted fifteen thousand tea bushes due to an EE $15,000 fundraiser. Our U. S. group was invited to plant our own ceremonial tea bushes that we hope will live to 150! Afterwards we were fed a home cooked Indian meal with fresh foods from Potong’s organic family gardens before

Me! Not so easy doing work while squatting.

settling into a tea cooperative council meeting. There, farmers reported on the state of their farms, sharing similarities to our Co-op board and Member-Owner meetings! We were always met with a sharing of hot Darjeeling tea, making time to pause and give thanks for our being together. Our group also spent hours in the evenings, talking with Indian tea promoters regarding the state of Fair Trade and its many spin off organizations. Talking about the antiquated laws that threaten the farmers’ futures, such as laws that only allow for tea to be grown for re-sale on these designated 80 parcels of land or plantations in Darjeeling. This makes it

“Projects like Potong and Singell gardens are giving the people of Darjeeling hope to be able to own their own land and grow more than the beloved tea.” 4

hard for farmers to expand their markets into other cash crops such as citrus groves, ginger and turmeric so they can sustain their humble lifestyles. Projects like Potong and Singell Gardens are g i v i n g t h e p e o p l e o f Darjeeling hope to be able to own their own land and diversify their crops in addition to growing tea. We also talked about how we can get the message to consumers so as to not confuse you further. What happens to the Fair Trade label as more plantations use that term loosely? How do we differentiate ourselves?

The first pick of the season or “first flush” tea tastes light, elusive and remarkable.

EE’s answer is to ‘Stand with Small Farmers’, and to help see that vision, bringing partners, like Co-ops and churches to witness what really brings a simple cup of tea to us. Now they want you to join their stand, visit tea.coop, watch the video and help plant a tea bush. The tea culture from Darjeeling, India is remarkable and brings the livelihood of these farmers right into our simple cup of tea. We’re an important part of their local economy, one we cannot duplicate. But we can appreciate and support. I now know that Darjeeling tea is one remarkable plant we have access to drinking. Thanks Equal Exchange. Thank you tea growers! Joann Tomasulo, Marketing and Owner Services Manager, Lexington Co-op

FALL IS BUSY WITH ORGANICS, CO-OPS & FAIR TRADE MONTHS Organic Valley: A Co-op in your Co-op

Cut along line

tions: long outside line. along middle line.

ogether

Cut along line

A farmer cooperative that formed in 1988 in rural Wisconsin. Family farms were facing increased difficulty maintaining viability on their own, so they joined together to create an organic produce pool, eventually adding dairy. Since then they’ve branded their co-op as Organic Valley, which now includes almost 1800 family farms across America. Organic Valley farms now yield dairy, produce, meat, soy, juice and eggs. They are supported by OV in farm planning, veterinary consultation, feed pricing and more. The cooperative is committed to family farming and the environment, and transparency about practices and policies both for their member farms and us as consumers. Check out the Organic Valley website! It is home to pages of information about animal care, pasture policy, sustainability, recipes, nutritional breakdowns, and even a “Who’s Your Farmer?” locator, which will take you to a profile of our closest OV farm. (Our Co-op is just 71.7 miles from Sunny Cove Farm in Alfred Station, NY!) Organic Valley is a proud co-op, and we’re proud to have their products in our store! “Family farms were facing increased difficulty maintaining viability on their own, so they joined together to create an organic produce pool”

e. e.

Lexington Co-operative Market members are eligible to join the Buffalo Co-operative Federal Credit Union. Borrow from us for purchasing a car, making home repairs, or paying off high interestbearing credit cards. ...You'll be directly supporting Buffalo's economy! Visit our website at www.coopcreditunion.com for more information and to download a loan application.

Brought to you by the Environmental Working Group 5

Insider’s Guide to easy transitions into fall... BACK TO SCHOOL LUNCHES PACK A PUNCH! Kids’ Favorites: Co-op Picks: Woodstock Organic Peanut Butter This peanut butter’s smooth texture makes it more delcious to kids, even though its all natural! Crofter’s Jams and Jellies - Crofters makes a variety of flavors of organic jam, many in larger, economical sizes, we love them! Bulk nuts, granolas, dried fruits and berries are healthy, fiber filled snacks in a lunchbox. Buying them bulk saves money! Use small reusable containers to refill your kids’ favorites each day. Organic Bananas - Portable, peelable, potassium filled! Organic Valley Stringsters String Cheese - Read about Organic Valley, a fellow Co-op, on page 5! Cheese Curds - sound funny but taste great and the perfect size for lunches. Applegate Sandwich Meats - Send your kids to school with the highest quality sliced turkey, ham, roast beef and cheeses. Applegate is known for leaving out antibiotics, hormones and nitrates. Look for them on sale often so you can stock up. Santa Cruz Applesauce - small, portable 6 packs. Organic, and available in regular and Apricot - Apple varieties, yum! Annie’s Bunny Fruit Snacks - A sweet, natural gummy treat with no artificial colors or ingredients, and cute bunny shapes Nature’s Path Granola Bars - Nature’s Path makes yummy, nutritious bars in flavors like Chococonut and Pumpkin -N- Spice. Often included in the Co+ Deals flyer - stock up on your favorite flavor! Lexi’s Spreads - Try them on bread, pitas, rice cakes or crackers. Top with sprouts, protein, or veggies.

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LEXI’S KITCHEN NEW SPICE RUBS Rub a little fun into your meals with the perfect pick me up for your dinner with our new spice rubs made fresh in Lexi’s Kitchen! Try all 8 and let your taste buds take a trip around the world...and beyond. Already we have 2 favorites: Co-op Spice Rub will remind you of your favorite cookie with nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon, with a savory twist of bay, celery and cayenne. Perfect with vegetables, chicken, beef or pork...Yum! Magic Dust is a spicy-sweet blend with paprika and hints of mustard and chili powder - use it to spice up just about anything, Magic Dust makes everything taste great! Created by Jamie Root in Lexi’s Kitchen - Well done Jamie!

Great Recipes for the Harvest Season! Fresh Tomato Salsa Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds plum tomatoes (6 to 8), cored, halved, and seeded ½ cup red onion, minced 1 jalapeño or serrano chile (ribs and seeds removed for less heat, if desired), minced 1 small garlic clove, minced ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Coarse salt

Directions

Roasted Eggplant & Feta Dip Ingredients

1 medium eggplant (about 1lb) 2 tablespoons lemon juice ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil ½ cup crumbled feta cheese ½ cup finely chopped red onion 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped 1 small chile pepper, such as jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional) 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste ¼ teaspoon salt Pinch of sugar (optional)

Directions 1. Position oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source; preheat broiler. 2. Poke holes with a fork all over the eggplant. Broil the eggplant, turning with tongs every 5 minutes, until skin is charred and a knife inserted near the stem goes in easily, 14- 18 minutes. Set aside until cool enough to handle. 3. Put lemon juice in a medium bowl. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise and scrape the flesh into the bowl, tossing with the lemon juice. Add oil and stir with a fork until the oil is absorbed. (It should be a little chunky.) Stir in feta, onion, bell pepper, chile pepper (if using), basil, parsley, cayenne and salt. Taste, add sugar if needed.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 1. Chop tomatoes into ¼-inch pieces; transfer to a medium bowl. 2. Add onion, chile, garlic, cilantro, and lime juice; season generously with salt. Mix to combine. Let stand 15 minutes to develop flavor.

Butternut Apple Bisque Ingredients:

1 medium onion, diced 1 tablespoon butter or vegetable oil 1 tablespoon curry powder (or more, to taste) 1 butternut squash, about 1 ½ pounds, seeded, peeled, and cubed 1 tart apple, cored, peeled, and cubed 5 cups low-sodium vegetable stock Sea salt to taste

Directions 1. In a 4-quart pot, heat the butter or oil and saute the onion over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. 2. Add curry powder, sautÈ 3 more min, being careful not to burn. 3. Add squash, apple, and stock to the pot and bring to a boil. 4. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 20-30 min, or until squash is tender. 5. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender and salt to taste.

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Open to Everyone 8 am - 10 pm daily 716.886.COOP

807 Elmwood Ave. Buffalo, NY 14222 8