LexTalk: Jan/Feb 2020

January/February 2020

LexTalk

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News from Lexington Co-op Markets

modest cash increases over the past 3 months.

Happy New Year!

We’re so excited about what our co-op accomplished in 2019. With your help, we increased our starting wage to $12.90 per hour, purchased more than $3.4 million in products from local farmers and producers and sold more than $7 million in Organic and Fair Trade goods.

Working cooperatively and making economic choices that align with our shared values, the co-op is living proof that we are stronger together.

In September we sent owners a letter outlining the fiscal challenges and our plan for getting on the other side of them. I’m pleased to report progress toward profitability and

A good deal of our progress this quarter was created by you.

Sales growth in October was the strongest since May. We’re seeing more of your faces in the stores and lawn signs are popping up all over town.

If you haven’t taken a lawn sign yet, please do!

In this one small act you show your co-op pride and recommend your favorite grocery store to your friends and neighbors.

Co-op staff have been focused as well. Staffled initiatives have resulted in operating expenses that were 1% of sales lower than the same quarter last year. Daily, our staff come forward with new ideas to save money and improve your shopping experience.

We still have work to do, and together we are bound to be successful.

to celebrate the season on the back page of this newsletter.

We have many fun events planned this winter to celebrate good food and good values.

My favorite is our Bulk Sale in March, when we will celebrate the co-op’s 49th anniversary of local ownership and service.

Save the date! The Super Bowl is now the 2nd biggest food holiday of the year, and this year we’re putting on an all-out

Many of you shop coop because you want to support our local farmers.

But did you know that our deli uses local ingredients in nearly all of our recipes?

Every time you choose co-op hot bar, you’re supporting the farmerowners of Cabot cheese, Oink & Gobble pork, and FreeBird chicken as well as local egg producers and vegetable farms.

When you bring our famous blueberry scones to the office, you are not only earning big points with your colleagues but you support Childs Farm from Hinsdale, NY.

Avocado Blitz. Our goal is to have every bowl of guac in Western New York made from Fair Trade avocadoes, and we’ll have the best price in town. As of this writing it’s still possible the Bills will be playing!

Look for other events

We at the co-op are so grateful to you for your energy, your ideas and your patronage. Thank you for all you do!

Tim Bartlett, General Manager

Owners: You’re Invited You know you can attend a co-op board meeting!

Where: Unitarian Universalist Church 695 Elmwood Ave Buffalo, NY 14222

When: the first Monday of the month from 7pm-9pm RSVP: email board@lexington.coop to let us know you’re coming!

Rise & Shine Breakfast Bar Sat & Sun 7am - 11am

r @ you ! p co-o

Bacon, sausage, oatmeal, French toast and more are featured on our Hot Bar to help you start your weekend right. Plus, grab coffee, bagels, and breakfast sandwiches to power your weekend plans.

7 month old Charlotte Rose is enjoying her stop at our Hertel store!

Serving up smiles & holiday cheer our staff loved celebrating Owner Appreciation days with you!

YOU + 2¢ = A STRONG CO-OP! We want to hear from you!

The co-op is powered by you, our shoppers and owners. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to give us feedback, recommend new products, suggest improvements, complain, and let us know when we’re going great! Here are 5 simple ways to engage with your co-op...

Shoppers in the Elmwood Village have been treated to some food puns and incredible artwork via sidewalk chalkboard. Our team has some serious talent!

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p o o c e h @t 2 LOCAL grower Barb Henry drops off her holiday wreaths at our Hertel store- and snaps a pic with the alwayssmiling Mo!

Thank you to neighborhood carolers who helped spread the holiday spirit at our stores! Its one of our favorite traditions during Owner Appreciation Days!

2¢ Forms

You can pick up a 2¢ form in our stores, or even easier send an email to twocents@lexington.coop. We read them all and use them to make decisions, even if we don’t respond!

Email Updates

Head to our website and sign up for email updates.

We send an update out once a week but did you know you can REPLY to them! Just like a regular email, send your feedback and start a conversation with us!

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Social Media

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Chit Chat

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Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! Don’t hesitate to leave a comment or send us a message.

We’re as attached to our accounts as you are, so we tend to reply quickly!

Don’t wait to give your feedback- tell us while you’re here, in the moment! All of our staff are ready to help you and answer your questions. We may have you fill out a 2¢ form too!

Board Meetings

You can see co-op policy at work while having time to give your feedback! Information is on the opposite page. Don’t forget to RSVP!

Citrus Around the World Celebrate the sunny flavors of citrus with internationally inspired recipes...

Belgium Lemon Belgian Waffles 2 C all-purpose flour ½ t baking soda ½ t salt 1¼ C buttermilk ½ C milk 2 T vegetable oil 2 T applesauce 2 large eggs, separated 2 T sugar 2 T freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice 1½ tablespoons lemon zest

DIY buttermilk with 1 cup milk + 1/3 ts juice. Let sit fo p lemon r 5 minutes before using!

1. Combine flour, baking soda and salt.

2.

Whisk together buttermilk, milk, vegetable oil, applesauce, egg yolks, sugar, Meyer lemon juice and lemon zest.

3. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir.

4. Whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold in the egg whites into the batter just until moist.

Lightly coat waffle iron with nonstick spray and ladle in mixture. Cook until golden brown. recipe: damndelicious.net

Thailand Orange Chili Sauce 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 3 T sugar 3 T soy sauce 2 t lime juice 1 T sesame oil 1 T balsamic vinegar 1 t chili flakes 1 t kosher salt

Italy Fettuccini with Grapefruit & Mint 1 lb fettuccine, cooked al dente 2 pink grapefruit ½ C fresh pink grapefruit juice 1 T fresh mint, chopped 2 C mushrooms, thinly sliced 1 T extra virgin olive oil 2 T all-purpose flour ½ C chicken or vegetable stock ¼ C Parmesan, grated salt and pepper, to taste 1. Cut the top 1/4 off of the grapefruit and scoop out the insides. Add the insides to a blender and pulse. Strain through a fine strainer, set aside.

2. Saute the mushrooms in oil until soft.

3.Stir in the mint and flour, then add in 1/2 c. grapefruit juice and broth. Mix well.

4. Add your cooked pasta and the cheese, then toss. recipe and photo carriesexperimentalkitchen.com

Wisk together ingredients.

Let stand for 30 minutes to infuse the flavors. recipe: food. com, photo: averiecooks.com

rimp, Dip your sh ken ic ch r shake you ok your co w o wings, sl meatballs!

Canada Maple Lemonade 5 C water 1¼ C lemon juice (5-6 lemons) ½ C pure maple syrup ice

Combine ingredients and chill. Garnish with rosemary or sage (optional). recipe: washingtonpost.com

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CITRUS FEST Jan m uar Saturday & Sunday -2p y 11-12 | 11am

AV O C A D O S Your co-op sources avocados from Equal Exchange, a certified Fair Trade cooperative!

Established in 1986, Equal Exchange is the oldest and largest Fair Trade company operating in the US. The three founding members had backgrounds in food co-ops and spent time thinking of how they could impact the global food industry in a positive way. Those ponderings turned to action when EE formed an alternative trade model.

This model allowed for direct trade, established long term contracts, and offered higher prices to small farmers. EE began with small coffee bean farmers in Nicaragua. They have since expanded to include tea, chocolate, bananas, and of course, avocados!

Equal Exchange has partnered with PRAGOR a network of small-scale avocado farmers in Mexico.

Michoacán, Mexico is known as the “avocado capital of the world,” and due to large corporate interests, it would be impossible for any one small farmer to compete. By linking together and through the work of Equal Exchange, these small family farms are able to produce quality avocados sustainably and fairly.

Many avocados grown in South

America are done so under the umbrella of large international produce companies. They own the land, they horde the profits and the people and communities surrounding the fields are impoverished. Produce corporations often pay low wages, require long days in unsafe conditions, and when workers do get paid, much of their paycheck is spent at company owned stores with inflated prices, or to bunk in company owned hostels if laborers have a long way to travel home with little time between shifts.

PRAGOR and Equal Exchage are changing this. The 18 farmers that make up this collective each own between 10-15 acres of land, all of it organic. One of PRAGOR’s farmers was inspired to go organic once he saw the harmful effects of agrochemicals and fumigation in his son, who was diagnosed with cancer at age 4.

After his son made a full recovery, Rafael Figueroa Castro committed to organic farmland and has worked to convert the farms of his family and friends as well.

Fair Trade certification has also impacted the quality of life for not only avocado farmers but the communities in which they grow. When consumers choose a Fair Trade product, a premium from each item is given directly back to the community. All over the world Fair Trade agriculture has contributed to improving

education, healthcare, and water sanitation among other projects.

Another major benefit to buying Fair Trade is the fixed pricing associated with it. Producers in the Fair Trade system are guaranteed a minimum price for their product. This allows them to better budget for their business and makes them less susceptible to market fluctuations.

When you purchase an avocado at your co-op stores look for the Equal Exchange sticker and know that your guacamole or avocado toast is helping to change the industry and maybe even change the world...

tro, Mexico

Rafael Figueroa Cas

photo and article information from equalexchange.com

GIVE ME SOME SUGAR made ade fresh in

Lexi’s L Kitchen Kit

Lexi’s Vegan Mousse with fresh raspberries CHOCOLOTS OF LOVE

Lexi’s Sugar Cookies Delice de Bourgogne Coupe with Divina Sour Cherry Spread

PRETTY PETALS Rainforest Alliance/ Fair Trade Certified Floral Bouquets

2U WITH LOVE

PERFE CT PAIR

Gondola 3 Cheese Tortellini made ade fresh in

Lexi’s L Kit Kitchen

LOVE IS SWEET

Lexi’s Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Heart

TORTELLINI IN LOVE WITH U

Parkside Sponge Candy

Tuxedo Strawberries

ffle u r T e t a ol

Ingredients 1 cup dark or milk coati ng chocolate 1 cup white coating ch ocolate 12 strawberries

Choc

nts colate Ingredie misweet cho se 2 cups avy cream e h p u c butter 1 spoons avoring le 2 Tab fl s poon colate 1-2 teas misweet cho e s s 2 cup nola oil an or 1 tsp ca saucep . ll a m s oil in cream g to a b 1. Heat til just comin hisk until g n w skillet u hocolate and er and flavorin t. c tt d u fully se 2. Ad ated. Add b e until d then roll t r a . r o h e p t r ig o o r o inc an ref until sm ay and ed tray and mix into shallow tr archment lin e ganache. p ola oil.

3. Pour truffles onto to not melt th late with can p o s c 4. Scoo eres quickly, a and melt cho d let set on n h into sp erate spheres to chocolate a njoy! ig in r f k e r R sired. E o f e 5. d h it s a w ffles ecorate Dip tru d tray. D e n li t n e parchm

Makes 12

1. Melt 1 cup dark or mi lk coating chocolate over a double boiler.

Melt 1 cup white coati ng chocolate over double boiler 2. Dip strawberries in white chocolate and set onto parchment or wa x lined tray and allow to dry (approximately 1015 minutes depending on climate).

3. Dip sides of strawbe rries in dark or milk chocolate, leaving wh ite chocolate showing make “V ” pattern. to 4. Put a small amount of melted dark or milk chocolate into a pape r cone or small pastry bag and cut a very small ho le in the tip. Pipe small bow tie and buttons. All ow to dry 10-15 minutes and enjoy right away or keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.

It’s LOCAL!

Country Honey | Little Valley, NY

The Brachmann’s established Country Honey and Cold Country Queens in 1993. The “cold country queens” name in homage to the type of bees housed in their hives.

This hardy bee varietal is able to withstand the regions cold winters and tolerate a specific type of mite that can harm bees in our area.

Country Honey is raw, meaning it is unheated and unfiltered.

This leaves enzymes and nutrients intact.

Honey takes on the flavor of the plants bees pollinate. In the fall the Brachmann’s bees predominantly visit goldenrod, which gives the honey a light butterscotch note.

The Brachmanns find many benefits to keeping bees, not only for the environment, but for themselves as well. “There’s no end to the connections,” the Brachmanns muse when thinking about how interconnected the world is; from the soil to the plants to the buzzing bees that keep everything in harmony.

ah, HONEY HONEY Honey is not only delicious, it’s good for you as well!

Raw honey is rich in antioxidants, is antibacterial, and also anti-inflammatory.

Unexpected Raw Honey Uses...

Busy Bees To make one pound of honey a hive will fly more than 90,000 miles and pollinate 2 million flowers Bees can fly up to 6 miles in one trip and travel at speeds of 15 miles per hour Worker bees have a life span of about 6 weeks. The queen can live 5+ years! The average hive has 45,000 workers and one queen.

1. Calm irriated skin after shaving! Apply a thin layer of honey to your skin, let dry and rinse with cold water.

2. Cure a hangover. Hot water and a few teaspoons of honey will help your body metabolize the alcohol.

3. Sooth your throat. Honey and warm milk can help moisturize your throat and allivate coughs.

4. Clean and treat minor cuts.

Dab into the affected area and cover with a band aid. learn more at www.experthometips.com

Save the Date...

Get ready for winter fun at your co-op!

HAPPY 1 NEW YEAR 2020

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Tailgate Party 11am-1 pm

we’re open 11-1

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National Bean Day

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11 CITRUS FEST 11am-2pm

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CITRUS FEST

January

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National Booch Day

11am-2pm

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AV O C A D O B L I T Z 26

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31 National Hot Chocolate Day

1 ETASTE GAM m p 1am-2 1

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Board Meeting

February

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STAFF PARTY we close @ 7pm

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Valentine’s Day

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National

Cherry Pie

National Almond Day

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Day

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NEVER MISS AN EVENT www.lexington.coop

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MARDI GRAS

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27 National Toast Day

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