Littleton Food Coop's Official Biannual Newsletter
Digital Edition.
Spring
Summer 2019
From the General Manager's Desk Ed King, General Manager.
Board of Directors
We've always considered Sustainability to be a key component of our mission ↙ We have an active employee “Green Team” committee that makes recommendations to Management on ways we can improve recycling in our store, we choose more ecologically friendly packaging and actively work to reduce our carbon footprint. Another initiative gaining traction (both locally and nationally) is the “Ban the Bag” movement. In fact, the New Hampshire legislature is currently debating just such a measure for 2020. We've always encouraged the use of reusable bags — but have also always had a plastic option available for our customers as well. Starting on June 1, however, we will no longer have single-use plastic bags available at the register. Instead, we will have recycled paper bags which customers can purchase for a dime each. We’ll also have for purchase a large variety of reusable bags at affordable prices to encourage their use. We decided to take this initiative before we are legally required to because it fits our mission and it is the right thing to do. We know that paper bags are not the answer, even if they are made from recycled paper. Manufacturing paper bags requires more energy and water resources than plastic. The real answer is to promote reusable bags whenever possible. We are looking at all of our plastic usage in the store and are transitioning to better options slowly but surely. Many of the alternatives are more expensive, or don’t meet our quality standards. We don’t want to sacrifice food safety in this transition process. Please bear with us as we experiment with different options throughout the store, and we welcome your feedback. I understand that there are divergent views on this topic. Many of our customers wanted us to do this years ago, while others are perfectly happy the way things are. Change is always a challenge, but we feel as an organization that the time for this change is now.
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Spring • Summer, 2019
Marcie Hornick, President. Alyssa Sherburn, Vice President. Luther Kinney, Treasurer. Dr. Charlie Wolcott, Director. Laura Walls, Director. Angela Fi.-McShane, Director. Deb Sullivan, Director.
Management Ed King, General Manager. Chris Whiton, Operations Manager. Charise Baker, Merchandising Manager.
Marketing Dept. Annie Stuart, Marketing Director. Jessy Smith, Graphic Designer. Becky Colpitts, Community Outreach. Anastasia Maher, Marketing Intern.
The Radish is produced by the Marketing Department of the Littleton Food Coop using people, cameras and computers. Jessy Smith is the lead editor of the publication. The Radish is printed locally by Sherwin Dodge Printers, a Littleton-area institution in printed materials and ephemera since their founding in 1889.
Please direct feedback about The Radish via electronic mail: marketing@littletoncoop.org
In This Issue From the GM's Desk, Ed King, Pg 2. Concern for Community, Dani Shaw, Pg 5. Picnic Pefect, NCG Co+op, Pg 8. Meet the Candidates, + More, check out Pg 12. Cooperative Cafe Gallery, Becky Colpitts, Pg 14. What's the Buzz!?, Annie Stuart, Pg 18. ... and more!
Cooperate, Littleton! This issue's cover was composed using a number of photographs from our archive (and others) in honor of our tenth year serving the Littleton Area. Finished Piece by Jessy Smith. Composition includes photography from: The Littleton Historical Society, The Library of Congress, Kristina Zontini, Anastasia Maher, Katelyn White, Lauren Anderson, Jessy Smith, Melissa Bridges, Annie Stuart, Rodeo & Co. Photography (Meg Hamilton), Schilling Beer Co., Gary Hall Photography, Gossens Bachman Architects, as well as other contributors.
The Radish is the Biannual Newsletter of the Littleton Food Co-op — your newsletter! Member-owners are welcome to submit original content, local interest pieces, and original (or family) recipes to the Radish Newsletter. Submissions accepted via electronic mail: marketing@littletoncoop.org
Remembering our Friend
Trish O'Brien, Fmr. President of the Board & Coop Member.
I've been asked, as the former President of the Board, to deliver some sad news. Our friend, colleague, and fellow Board Member, Tom Southworth, passed away peacefully in his home on February 16th of this year. I first met Tom Southworth twentytwo years ago as a stranger who, by pure coincidence, had stopped in my driveway to ask for directions. For me, though, it was as if he'd fallen from the heavens. I'll explain — Tom was a gifted timber framer and we were looking at exactly that method of construction for the home we were planning at the time. Through the planning and construction of our frame, Tom (along with his late brother Harry) were wonderful to work with on every level. Our friendship continued throughout the years.
Patricia O'Brien, Former President, Board of Directors, LFC
Some of you may remember the Littleton Food Co-op before it had a bit more to the West. When we were considering partners for the Expansion Project my mind went directly to the amazing experience we'd had building our home with Tom, seeing firsthand his depth of knowledge and experience in the building trade. I approached him and asked if he'd consider joining our Board of Directors — and the rest is history! Tom fought hard for our solar panels and worked even harder to keep the costs within our budget. Given the chance to lead a tour of the expanded building, Tom would proudly explain how the new building used roughly the same amount of energy as the original store did before the expansion. He'd continue, proudly, that this was possible because of the new solar panels on the building and the pavilion. Beyond all of that know-how being put to great use — Tom was one of the nicest, smartest, calm, and sincere men I have had the privilege to know. It's a gross understatement to say that I, everyone here at the Littleton Food Coop, and many others, will miss him. To his loved ones, I extend the heartfelt condolences and support of our cooperative community. In lieu of flowers, his family has asked that we do something kind for another. Rest well, my friend.
Be sure to include something about the Radish in the subject. Submissions will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Submission does not guarantee publication.
Littleton Consumer Cooperative Society 3
In Memory of our Friend & Colleague, Tom Southworth. 1944 — 2019
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Spring • Summer, 2019
The Green Team
Concern for Community Danielle Shaw, Green Team • LFC Staff.
it’s twice the size of texas - and growing. These materials we introduce to the environment have devastating consequences. Plastics make their way into the diets of animals, wreaking havoc. Marine mammals routinely starve to death by consuming singleuse plastic bags that they mistake for jellyfish. This issue has become inescapable - tiny arthropods have even been documented snacking on microplastics in the Marianas Trench. Our concern for the community stems from a global awareness of some tough These impacts are visible in our own realities - our world is changing, and not backyard. As a hiker, photographer, always for the better. Plant and animal and dog owner, I have yet to hit a species disappear permanently every trail that wasn’t littered with plastic year. A trash patch in the Pacific Ocean wrappers and aluminum cans. has its own Wikipedia page because Native fauna like bears, coyotes, and Most of us have our routines. We bring our bags from home to avoid plastic. We try to make good choices about the food we buy - where it comes from, what went into growing it, and who sees the money from that sale. When Spring rolls around, we share gardening tips so local pollinators like mason bees and passers through like monarch butterflies stay happy.
Q: What do you call a fake noodle?
Littleton Consumer Cooperative Society 5
Concern for Community
Con—
raccoons, are wandering closer and closer to our homes every year. Why, after all, would you spend hours foraging for tidbits when you could raid poorly-secured dumpsters for fast food and tasty pests instead? These are just the ecological costs to our region. In an area that relies heavily on the tourism industry, garbage piled up along our scenic routes deters visitors and sours our reputation. Seeing this need in the world prompted me to join the Littleton Food Co-op in the first place. I regularly tell people that working for the LFC helps me sleep at night. It might sound funny, but it’s true. Being part of a workplace that sees the benefit in being adaptable means everything to me. When we see room for improvement, we act on it, and the smallest of changes can lead to tangible results. Concerns about our customers, our region, the environment, and the products we carry are of the utmost importance to us. Those same concerns led to constructing the Green Team, an employee initiative focused on providing education for others as well as navigating the areas that need improvement. In less than a year, the Green Team has grown from an idea in the back of our minds to a functioning initiative holding its own meetings, recycling demonstrations, and even producing an article for our beloved publication — (Hello everyone!) Long before there was an official Green Team, the Co-op still looked to the future. Maintaining a business that cared about what it sold, where those items came from, and where the packaging would end up, has been a large piece of our identity. It’s in our vision statement, our principles, and our business practices. Veggies on the cusp of spoiling make their way to local farms, becoming snacks for livestock instead of lining dumpsters. We work with local producers as much as possible, both reinvesting in our economy and reducing the amount of emissions from transportation. Three local dairies that we carry (Brookford, Hatchland, and Huckins) use a closed loop system, allowing customers to put temporary deposits on the
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tin—
glass containers they use. When those bottles are returned, so is the deposit, and those containers are then sterilized and reused while generating little to no plastic. We collect the coffee grounds from our cafe and they go home with an employee who composts them. If a carton has a few broken eggs, the rest of those eggs get used in our deli. The list goes on. Currently, we have several recycling options for our customers. We accept cork, plastic bags, and paper egg cartons - the latter of which are sent along to Meadowstone Farm. The cafe also features a new (and evolving) four-bin recycling station, where our visitors can rinse and sort recyclables and compostables from the things that cannot be recycled, such as paper towels or deli pizza boxes with food stuck to them. For those of us who aren’t sure, there’s no reason to be embarrassed - simply rinse the item and place it in the “Not Sure” bin. Compostable bioplastics look so similar to traditional plastics that Co-Op employees are oriented, quizzed, and even play sorting games during meetings to learn the difference. For any recyclables generated internally, we have stations out back to sort steel and aluminum cans, plastic bottles, cardboard, glass, and more. Our advancements aren’t always without their hiccups. The Green Team has its hands full of logistical puzzles. For instance, compostable plastics - while better for the environment - cannot be processed alongside traditional plastics. Being made of different source materials, they will only contaminate the finished material and render it unusable. To make matters more complex, there is currently no facility in the North Country that is prepared to accept compostable plastics. Likewise, moving away from the use of plastic bags has been an ongoing discussion for years. While paper bags are typically considered more environmentally friendly, they come with some rough idiosyncrasies. They’re about three times the cost of single-use plastic bags, they have higher emissions to produce and recycle than plastics, and at the end of the day they
Spring • Summer, 2019
ued still end up in landfills. Bioplastic options, like those made out of hemp or cassava, can be pricey - and the ones that we’ve tested were prone to tearing under the strain of groceries. The clear winner is to encourage others to avoid single-use bags altogether, by bringing their own from home or purchasing one of our reusable bags. For customers who’ve forgotten their bags or prefer another option, we also keep cardboard boxes handy. The process of reducing, reusing, and recycling, is an ongoing adventure - but a worthwhile one. Our forests, lakes, mountains, and incredible wildlife are the calling card for our region. Our local businesses, recreational areas, and warmth toward one another are hallmarks of who we are.
Facilitating a greener future for our local and global communities can have many faces. Recycling is one piece of this vision — for sure, but reducing and reusing are key components to reforming the way we treat our environment. How are you doing your part? Whether you're going on forest crawls or going for a walk along your road to pick up trash (#TrashTag), planting wildflowers for our pollinator friends, #innovating to reduce waste in your office, upcycling something old into something fresh, or even just compasting your coffee grounds — we want to hear about it! Share your story with us on facebook or instagram using #LFCGreenTeam for a chance to win a Littleton Food Co-op Boat Tote Swag Bag or a Chance to appear in the Next Radish!
And after all, if we don’t invest in our region, who will?
Keep it Clean. #LFCGreenTeam A: An Impasta!
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ehacks -prep lif c i n c i P e Thes ing and p your spr e e k p l e h cool, will cbrations i n c i p r e summ ted. and collec delicious Spot? ite Picnic r o v a f a agram! Have us on inst h t i w t i e Shar
Story Originally Published by the National Co+operative Grocers' Association. (NCG) Adapted & Printed w/Permission by the Littleton Food Coop.
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Spring • Summer, 2019
PICNIC Here make
are your
PERFECT some easy pic nic a
ways suc c ess
to ↙
Prep everything ahead of time
Keep it earth-friendly
Stay bug-free
Avoid foods that spoil easily
Practice food safety
Cook meat with care
This may seem like a no brainer, but putting in the time to chop your veggies, assemble your kebabs, or slice your baguette before leaving the house will keep the fuss—and mess—to a minimum once you get outside.
That means mayo, creambased dips, and fresh cheeses are best left at home—unless you’re planning to transport them a short distance on ice and eat them immediately. Any leftovers should be thrown away (so plan your portions carefully!).
Bring reusable napkins (you’ll not only avoid fly-away paper napkins, but cloth napkins can also be used to wrap food and bottles for transport). If you are using disposable products, look for recycled and biodegradable options at the co-op.
Take care to make sure all raw meats are wrapped separately, and transport them on ice. Use separate cutting boards and utensils for handling raw meat (bring an extra plastic bag to keep them in), and wash your hands as often as possible. Hand sanitizer is a must.
Need a Picnic Spot? The Dells Park, in Littleton, is quiet and lovely!
Bring small citronella candles to place along your picnic table. If you’re picnicking on a blanket (where fire isn’t the friendliest option), pack a bottle of chemical-free mosquito repellent from the body care section of your co-op.
If you’re grilling outdoors, keep raw meats below cooked meats on the grill at all times, and make sure they’re cooked thoroughly before eating (a meat thermometer can confirm doneness). Hamburgers should be cooked to 160 degrees, poultry to 170 degrees, and beef, veal, and lamb cuts to 145 degrees.
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Changing the CyCle: Food Waste at the Coop Becky Colpitts, Community Outreach Coordinator.
The Littleton Food Coop, much like many other Grocery Cooperatives, is a mission-driven organization guided by the Cooperative Principles & values. A simple way to remember what we stand for is People, Planet, Profit (in that order specifically). We are always looking for ways to benefit a thriving local economy and community. And to the planet, the earth that we live on and which sustains all aspects of our lives. Benefit people, sustain the planet, use the profits to continue this cycle. 10  The Radish
Another way to practice this cycle is to look at food waste. Take our produce department for example. There is a significant amount of veggie scraps. And what do we do? We give it to local farmers to use for compost! The same goes for the coffee grounds from making many, many cups of java. One of our employees takes it to enhance the compost heap on the family homestead. That in turn enriches the earth on which they live. Benefit people, benefit planet. That waste
Spring • Summer, 2019
Changing the Cycle (Cont)…
does not travel to the landfill. It is turned into black gold! We started to use compostable cutlery in our cafe. It sounded so good: compostable ware. However, we found that there is not an industrial composter in our state that takes compostable ware. So, we have been transitioning to using silverware and mugs in the cafe. Just put your dirty dishes and cutlery in the dishpan provided, so we can run it through the dishwasher. If you purchase culinary delights at the deli to eat in the cafe, please ask them to put your culinary delights on a plate! Use the mugs and cups provided on the counter in the cafe for your tea and coffee! This might change if we had an industrial composter. At this point New Hampshire has not tackled this problem to the extent that Vermont has. I have not found an industrial composting operation in our area and compostable ware cannot be
recycled. Maybe the saving grace is that it breaks down in a landfill. Maybe this is something where New Hampshire can follow Vermont’s lead. Maybe there is a need for one in our area. Any entrepreneurs out there who want to take that on? As a Cooperative business, we strive to make the connections and cooperate to create a thriving sustainable local economy and community. It’s also a way of life. Cooperation just makes life better, more fun when we are supporting one another. How about you? Are you a member? If so - thanks! If not and would like to learn more please go to Littleton Food Coop: Community Owned, Operated & Oriented or visit our service desk or just chat with one of our friendly employees.
Need More Reduction Ideas? Check out the Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. Gov.) Suggested Guidelines for Reducing Food Waste ↘
Green is a Creative Color. Provided it's safe to do so, try to utilize the edible parts of foods that you maybe wouldn't normally consume.
Shop Your Refrigerator First. Always try to cook or eat what you already have at home before adding more to the mix. Plan your Meals. Sit down and plan out your meals for the next few weeks before you head to the Grocery Store. Try to limit yourself to shopping what you need for your menu only.
Are You A Full Member? A Partial Member? Maybe you're Unsure!?
Freeze, preserve, or can surplus fruits and vegetables. Are Your Eyes Larger than your Stomach? At restaurants, order only what you can finish by asking about portion sizes and being aware of any potential side dishes included alongside your meal. Have any leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.
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#LFC #THROWBACK ↘ Header Photo: The First LFC Ribbon Cutting, May 2009, Photo: Littleton Courier/Salmon Press Courtesy Photo (Originally Provided by LFC).
Our Annual Meeting is almost upon us, currently planned for Wednesday, May 8th in the Littleton Food Coop Café. As members, we meet annually to discuss the state of the Cooperative, to elect (or re-elect) our fellow members to represent us on the board, and to review and vote on any proposed bylaw changes being brought forward by the outgoing board. As of the writing of this introduction, there aren't currently (and we don't expect there to be) any bylaw changes on the docket for this years' meeting — but, we'll let you know if that changes! Check out our five Board Candidates for the upcoming election, and be sure to stop by the Coop on May 3rd for the Annual Meet & Greet with the Candidates! More Info Right ▶
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Reminder: Though partial membership (3 or fewer shares) allows you to participate in things like Member Appreciation Day and to attend Board Meetings, it's important to remember that our bylaws require Full Membership to participate in the electoral process(es) at the Littleton Food Coop.
Littleton Consumer Cooperative Society, Inc. / BY-LAWS Effective April 30, 2017 (Available online @ tinurl.com/LFC-Bylaws)
Article II: Membership excrept from — Subsection 4: "Rights;"
❝
Member-owners who have
four or more shares have the right to elect the Cooperative’s Board and to approve amendments to these bylaws. All member-owners have the right to receive notice of and attend membership meetings and to petition as described in these bylaws. Four share member-owners shall have one vote and no more on all matters submitted to member-owners. Partial member-owners who have three or fewer shares shall have no voting rights and their participation in member-owner’s privileges such as discounts can vary at the discretion of the Co-op administration.
Spring • Summer, 2019
❞
YOUR 2019 CANDIDATES Luther Kinney Candidate • Incumbent Treasurer
Luther was born and raised on a fourth-generation dairy farm in Northern Vermont. He’s currently the Director of Property Management at AHEAD (Affordable Housing, Education & Development). Prior to joining AHEAD, Luther and his wife Zora, owned and operated Ski Hearth Farm in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, where they raised organic produce for more than a decade. Luther is intensely involved in the community — he’s served on the Lafayette Elementary School Board, Pemi Valley Search and Rescue, and the University of New Hampshire Advisory Council for Grafton County.
Danielle Shaw Candidate • LFC Employee
Danielle (you probably know her here at the Coop as 'Dani') is 29 years old. Dani's worked in customer service for five years, nearly always in some sort of educational capacity. Dani describes herself as an environmentalist and conservationist who's always looking for new and innovative ways to reduce our environmental impact and to help to protect our planet.
YOUR 2019 CANDIDATES YOUR 2019 CANDIDATES Stephanie Bournival Candidate • HR Director @
Tender Corp
Born and raised in New Hampshire, Stephanie grew up spending the majority of her years living in the Seacoast Region. Currently, she works at Tender Corporation (a Littleton company, renowned globally for making Naturapel & "Ben's" insect repellents, adventure medical kits, and other outdoorfolk gear & supplies), where she's their Director of Human Resources. Stephanie holds a PHR (Professional in Human Resources) credential through the Human Resources Certification Institute, as well as the Society of Human Resources Management. In addition to her HR certifications, Stephanie is also a certified lifecoach who enjoys connecting with people and communities, and helping those people and communities to prosper.
Victoria Lawton
too college, and returned to the area to plant roots and start their families. Following her departure from the Lawton Company in 2014, Victoria has been semiretired and has enjoyed traveling, skiing, and mountain biking.
Frank Wilich Candidate • Entrepreneur, Retired Executive
Although Frank's kept a residence in the Littleton area for over two decades, he's recently relocated to the area full-time. Frank admires the Coop, and makes a point of getting to know the staff. He supports Littleton Food Coop's mission — specifically in regard to supporting and helping to sustain other local businesses. Frank believes that a good, quality, & contentiously sourced food supply is super important for our community. He views board service as a great opportunity to give back to the community and to help bolster and fortify our cooperative community.
Candidate • Semi-Retired Business Administrator
Born in Orange County, Victoria is a native of SoCal. She lived in Park City, Utah for twenty years until a life change led her and her husband to Meredith, New Hampshire in 1986 for a family visit. They fell in love, and relocated their family to "Ski Country," in the White Mountains. Her boys all graduated from Linwood High School, went off
You can Stop by the Service Desk anytime to Check on Your Membership Status!
POLLS OPEN SOON
May 1st thru 13th Online & In-Store, See our Website or the Service Desk for More Information.
MEET & GREET
May 3rd @ 5 PM in the Coop Café Join us for an evening with new & returning Board Candidates. Ask questions and get to know the people who make decisions at your co-op! This event will be live-streamed on Facebook. Littleton Consumer Cooperative Society 13
"Welcome to the Coop Art Gallery —"
The Cooperative Café Gallery An Update on the Gallery Cafe — Community Outreach Coordinator
A blink into the month of December, we received an unfortunate email from our friends at the Womens' Rural Entrepreneurial Network (WREN). WREN, who previously managed the Coop Gallery space, was to be embarking on a yearlong sabbatical to reevaluate the direction of their work in our community and to formulate a plan for their future. While WREN grappled with the challanges they were facing, we were faced with a challenge of our own — namely, what were we going to do with the artist space. An art committee was quickly formed. Annie Stuart, Jessy Smith, Jose Bonilla, Chris Whiton, Melissa Bridges and myself came together to envision an art space in alignment with our Co-op mission and vision. Our mission is to provide a community owned marketplace that supports local and 14 The Radish
Interested in Showing your Work in the Coop Cafe? Email marketing@littletoncoop.org for more info!
Becky Colpitts,
Spring • Summer, 2019
“It is our intent that all of this helps to stimulate the vibrant community and regional economy our Coop collective has envisioned.”
ART CONTINUED promotes healthy choices for people and planet. Our vision states that our Coop is a catalyst for cultivating a vibrant community and regional economy. With these guidelines we decided our art cafe would support our local artists from the North Country and the Northeast Kingdom giving them space and expose for their talents. We would promote the artists through our newsletter, social media, flyers, and send out press releases. The artists receptions are an opportunity to develop relationships with the artist, ask questions, learn, and be inspired. The Co-op provides a way for the artist to sell the artwork right through the register with the artist receiving 95% of the sale. It is our intent that all of this helps to stimulate the vibrant community and regional economy our co-op collective has envisioned. Artists will keep their work up for 2 months therefore we will have 6 different art shows a year. 2019 is filled and we will be looking for the 2020 artists in the fall. This is what is on the docket for this year:the artists through our newsletter, social media, flyers, and send out press releases. The artists receptions are an opportunity to develop relationships with the artist, ask questions, learn, and be inspired. The Co-op provides a way for the artist to sell the artwork right through the register with the artist receiving 95% of the sale. It is our intent that all of this helps to stimulate the vibrant community and regional economy our co-op collective has envisioned. Artists will keep their work up for 2 months therefore we will have 6 different art shows a year. 2019 is filled and we will be looking for the 2020 artists in the fall.
“While WREN grappled with the challanges they were facing, we were faced with a challenge of our own — namely, what were we going to do with the artist space?”
Here's the Lineup for 2019: LITTLETON FOOD COOP
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ART STUFF ( CONTINUED STUFF )
LFC Café Gallery Schedule, MMXIX.
PASSED
01 & 02/19 — Chris Whiton, of Littleton Food Coop & White Mountain Images Fame Chris draws inspiration from his love of the expansive wilderness. He’s been a hiker since childhood and his grandparents were pioneer trail makers, living on the top of Mount Cardigan. His photos are truly a celebration of the grandeur of our area. I hope you were able to see this show. Chris has prints and cards available here at the Co-op or at his website, www.whitemountainimages.org ↓
UPCOMING
05 & 06/19 — Kathie Lovett,
Wildlife and Nature Illustrator Franconia resident Kathie Lovett is bringing her Nourish - Soil and Soul exhibit to our Coop Artist space. Kathie explores nourishment from the soul and the soil knowing that farmers, land, food culture, politics, science, history, and time are all pieces of this puzzle. She hopes to create a dialogue with viewers through her visual vocabulary. Explore her website at kathielovett.com ↓
THIS AUTUMN
09 & 10/19 — Kathy Shuster,
Wildlife and Nature Illustrator
Illustrator Kathy Shuster comes from a background of scientific illustration being the retired Director and Head Illustrator of the Scientific Illustration and Photography Unit of Purdue University’s Biology Department in W. Lafayette, Indiana. She has been published in a multitude of scientific journals, exhibited both nationally and internationally, and remains in permanent collections at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. Her cards are available here at the Co-op. Maybe you have one? ↓
THIS SUMMER
07 & 08/19 — Valery Mahuchy,
Multimedia, Painting & 3D
ENDING SOON
03 & 04/19 — Jeanette Fournier,
Wildlife and Nature Illustrator
Jeanette creates pencil and watercolor artwork of wild creatures to remind all the importance of saving the natural places around us as well as being a part of them. She has spent much time in the woods and mountains of the Northeast Kingdom and the White Mountains drawing what she sees. You have until the end of April to enjoy her work in the cafe. So grab a cup o’ java or a hot cup of tea and enjoy your own connection to our natural world through Jeanette’s artistic eyes. Check out her website at www.jfournierart.com ↗
July/August - Acrylic artist Valery Mahuchy will grace our walls with vibrant colorful points. He is currently a resident artist at 42 Maple Contemporary Art Center in Bethlehem. Deli manager, Jose Bonilla (who is also a talented artist at 42 Maple) says Valery “is amazing at his sculpting, but then he started painting one day and we were all blown away”! If you visit Meredith, NH — sit next to Archie — OK? Online @ valerymahuchy.com ↗ Applications for 2020 Showings are being accepted now. Please contact Becky Colpitts via electronic mail, bcolpitts@littletoncoop.org to learn more or suggest an artist you admire to feature. Selections will be officially decided & announced this fall. Special thanks to José Bonilla, Melissa Bridges, Jessy Smith & Annie Stuart for their help in our combined effort to create a beautiful cafe space for our customers, members & community members!
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Spring • Summer, 2019
HOLIDAY SEASON
11 & 12/19 — Debbie Aldrich
Watercolor Artist
Bold, colorful and expressive watercolor artist Debbie Aldrich of Sugar Hill. Debbie has shown at Sugar Hill’s Lupine Festival Inn and Arts Tours at Sugar Hill Inn, WREN gallery and the Littleton Hospital. Her goals are to expand her horizons with travel and create new pieces from those experiences and find many other places to exhibit ,all over the world . So happy we can provide a space just around the corner. Visit her website, debbiealdrich.com
It’s Always Sunny at the Coop ↘↘ This Article Originally Appeared in the Winter 2017 Edition of the Radish. We're running it again now in memory of our late board member, friend, & colleague; Tom Southworth.
Why Put Solar Panels on a Grocery Store? Producing our own electricity at the Littleton Food Cooperative honors our stated mission to "[…] promote environmental sustainability locally." Solar production fits nicely with many of our additional initiatives that support the immediate geographical area and community — from member ownership to the mutually beneficial relationships we have with local producers. Our recent expansion project provided a timely and sensible opportunity to make the solar installation a reality. Our Solar Array — We have 105 solar panels, each rated @ 285 watts; 57 of the panels are mounted on the roof of the pavilion, and the other 48 are mounted on the main building. These panels have the capacity to generate up to 29.93 KWh of electricity. On a clear summer day the system produces something around 180 KWh (which amounts to 11% of our 1660 KWh average daily usage). Of course, daily production during the winter months is lower because of the shorter days (IE fewer hours of sunlight). Estimates have annual production around 32000 KWh, this would offset 5.3% of our annual usage. System Cost and Value — In totality, the solar array set us back around $90000 — we received a 30% federal tax credit for implementing a renewable energy source, so the net cost was $63000 or so. We're expecting an immediate annual savings of $4000 or more, so as electricity prices continue to increase the value of on-site generation will increase proportionally. The panels are rated to last for 25 years. Really though, why Solar Panels? It's estimated that buildings use somewhere around 46% of the world's energy. The kicker, though, is that buildings (unlike other energy consumers like vehicles) are fertile in opportunity to be either net zero (or even net positive) energy producers. I predict this happening rather quickly as a result of more physical spaces incorporating renewable production into their building materials. Sure, investing in solar will (over time), save money. However, the greater motivator in adding our solar array was (and is) to reduce the building's carbon footprint and lower the Co-op's contribution to greenhouse gasses. In just five months, our solar production has offset more than 11 tons of CO2 emissions. That's huge If you'd like to learn more about eliminating carbon emissions, and why we must — I recommend the T.E.D. Talk by Bill Gates, "Innovating to Zero". It's a compelling lecture, a must see!
LITTLETON FOOD COOP
At 26, Albert Einstein posited his hypothesis that visible light was more than simple waves, as previously thought — that light was made up of waves as well as elementary particles called "photons".
Littleton Consumer Cooperative Society 17
Left: A bee collects nectar and pollen from a tomato blossom, transferring pollen from flower to flower in the process. Below: Once the flower is pollinated, the plant produces plump tomatoes!
(I MAKE THESE POSSIBLE) ↗
What's the Big Buzz About Bees? Annie Stuart, Marketing Manager / Plant Geek
You’ve probably heard these catchy phrases and buzzwords zipping around — “Save the bees!” “Protect our pollinators!” “No bees, no food!” For many of us it can be hard to imagine why we need bees and pollinators, especially in a society where we’re so far removed from our food sources. People say things like: Eww, bugs! Wasps are jerks! Butterflies are pretty, but what purpose do they serve? Or: I’m allergic to bee stings, therefore they are my enemy. I don’t want bugs in my yard. I don’t even eat honey, so bees are not important to me.
18 The Radish
I’ve actually heard all of these things from otherwise nice, well-meaning people. People who recycle. Folks who enjoy plants, and flowers, and food, who are conscientious about conserving energy. Maybe they’re just being snarky as a coping mechanism in the face of all-consuming disaster…? I dunno. Too many people are oblivious about what pollinators actually do, and why they are so important. Simply put: without pollinators, our global food supply is in big trouble. But that’s a huge thing to think about, so let’s start small, in our own backyards, in a garden. When I teach gardening classes one of the questions that almost always comes up is: “Why isn’t my garden producing fruit and/or veggies!??” or, “I grow the
Spring • Summer, 2019
same things every year but this time I’m not getting any tomatoes at all!”. It’s definitely come up more and more frequently in recent years. Nine times out of ten, it’s because there are simply not enough bees around to physically do the work of pollinating the plants. Somebody - preferably an industrious little insect with a knack for finding blossoms - needs to physically schlep the pollen from one flower to the next, and that’s not happening. Not enough, anyway. Lots of new gardeners don’t even realize that’s where their crops actually come from - sunshine and fertilizer aren’t enough! - and are floored (and quite concerned) when I explain that they lack pollinators. The truth is we’re getting to a point where there’s not enough bees in our backyards to consistently pollinate a podunk little tomato plant. That is cause for huge concern.
about, I know. It’s easy to start to feel helpless. But there are lots of little, awesome things you can do to help the bees and support your local pollinators.
Crops Pollinated by Bees — Okra
Fennel
Kiwifruit
Strawberry
Potato Onion
Cotton
Cashew
Sunflower
Celery
Flax Apple
Strawberry
Mango Alfalfa
Beet Mustard
Avocado
Broc c oli
Apricot
Cauliflower
Cherry
Cabbage
Plum Almond
Brussels
Peach Guava
sprouts Pomegranate For starters, Turnip, Pear you might plant Canola Currants a pollinator Peas Beans Raspberry friendly habitat Peppers Blackberry with nectar-rich Safflower Elderberry Chestnut Sesame flowers, especially Watermelon Eggplant in an urban Citrus fruits Clover (not area. City bees Coconut all species) need homes too! Coffee Blueberry Trees, shrubs, Coriander Cranberry Melon Grape and perennials Cucumber Tomatoes So big picture time: We need bees to pollinate provide shelter for Squash our crops, otherwise there is not going to bees as well as Carrot be enough food. A huge portion of our food solitary pollinators Buckwheat system begins with a flowering plant and a throughout the pollinator of some sort. There’s a list here to year. If you have give you an idea of how many crops rely on a lawn, let the pollinating insects. It’s LONG. This includes clover, violets, and dandelions intersperse nuts, tubers and roots, seeds, veggies, and with the regular grasses. Let your garden go especially fruit. Apples, blueberries, potatoes, wild and don’t cut it back in the fall, so the sunflower seeds, pumpkins and squash, nuts, insects that stick around have a cozy nook to beans, onions, spices, coconuts, grapes. All hibernate in. You should also try to eliminate that great stuff you find at the farmer’s pesticide use whenever possible, or at least market and the produce department. use them only in the evening when pollinators are least active. And last but by no means It gets bigger, though. Consider all of those least, support your local beekeepers! Attend items that are processed from those crops meetings and classes, buy their products in to produce basic ingredients like oils, nutlocal markets, and maybe even learn how to milks and butters, and flours. Then, all of the start your own hives! foods that are made from those ingredients, including processed and ready-made grocery Here’s to happy bees everybody! items. And don’t forget all of the plants that Thank you for doing your part. we grow to feed our animals, and the foods we derive from that livestock, including meat, eggs, milk and cheese. So bees make a lot more than just honey - they help us produce a vast amount of the food we eat. Without them, we’re in really big trouble. (TL;DR all the c rops).
All of this is super overwhelming to think LITTLETON FOOD COOP
Littleton Consumer Cooperative Society 19
