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back 40 “What is local?” by Michael Karsh, Produce Manager & WFC Owner
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t was amazing how early the farmer Northeastern Minnesota “Despite the best efforts needed infrastructure calls came this past year, with as defined by of farmers, almost all of will instantaneously radishes and greens nor is it a subThe Superior the food we eat in our appear from southern Minstitute for the hard Compact. region comes from nesota coming in the secwork to provide comOne of the ond week of April. There is somewhere else. petent capacity on the greatest chalno other program that I part of grower/prolenges for Therefore, nearly all of have the pleasure of working ducers. It will, howgrowers, the $1.26 billion spent ever, allow us to on that lines up better with on food here leaves our mission and commitsimultaneously proment to quality of product our region” vide the best regional than the sourcing of farm produce (these will be — David Abazs, fresh produce from our resigned without a Superior Food Web gion, a passion shared in the Local sign, but will rest of the store as well. In contain the farm name) and order to consider our impact products while seeking to reon a truly regional food sysbuild our community closer to tem and to clarify the term home. Local for our shoppers we had A final note, the last criteria adopted a 300-mile radius cenfor being defined as Local repretered on Duluth. This definition sents something that reaches has served us well, and has al- Watch for our beyond the Superior Compact to new Local lowed us to promote many reward businesses within our redesignations overlapping goals including gion that provide jobs and coming soon. food miles, economic multiplineeded cash flow within our own cation of local investment and paying region, even if they are not directly fair prices for food by purchasing diproducing or processing within rectly from the grower. our region. This allows us to capSince the time of that definition our re- processors and proture more of the economic value gion has seen a major initiative in the aspects of our local infrastructure ducers in the Supeform of the Superior Compact (read more rior Compact as we are uniquely able to do as a at http://www.superiorfoodweb.org/) retailer. Watch for more informaregion is the failed that seeks to meet the same goals we tion, signage and our new logo on or non-existent infrastructure that had laid out with some additional emshelves throughout the store. We will makes growth and success that much phases that we have found compelling also be ensuring accurate reporting on more difficult (e.g., the absence of enough that we will begin, as of June the bottom of your receipt to show you USDA certified meat processing in the 1st, using the Superior Compact region with each shopping trip how you have region). By making this change WFC (see our new logo) as our new definibeen involved with supporting this work will still be maintaining the longstandtion for Local on signage throughout on behalf of our community. Thanks for ing and critical relationships with our the store. To be considered Local at continuing down this road with us as grower-partners throughout the region, WFC, products must be: 100% we seek to (re)build the sustainability of such as our long-time Amish growers grown/raised OR produced/processed our region through supporting indewith the previously mentioned greens, OR are from an independently-owned pendent producers, processors and disbut our purchasing priorities will now business of a resident of a 15-county tributors! GG be focused on The Superior Compact area in Northwestern Wisconsin and region. This does not mean that the
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news bites A A WHEELCHAIR AVAILABLE WFC has a wheelchair for customer use while shopping at the Co-op. To access the wheelchair, please ask a Customer Service Clerk for assistance.
A THE REAL STORY ON THE AFFORDABILITY OF ORGANIC FOOD Check out the article from Beyond Pesticides Newsletter (Fall 2011) at www.beyondpesticides.org/organicfood/purchasing/index.htm
A LOAN FROM THE CARLTON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Many thanks to the Carlton County Historical Society for the loan of three display boxes of photographs of area cooperators and their cooperatively-owned businesses from the early Twentieth Century. Look UP when you are shopping to find these displays.
A NOTARY SERVICES AVAILABLE WFC’s Finance Manager Dale Maiers is now a licensed notary. Dale’s notary services are available free of charge to WFC Owners during weekday hours. Please call ahead (218) 728-0884, ext. 152, to be sure he is available.
A REBATE CHECK If you have not already cashed your Rebate Check, please do so before 06/30/2012. Checks not cashed promptly will add to WFC’s tax liability in 2012. If you have misplaced your check, please contact our Finance Manager at dmaiers@wholefoods.coop or by phone at 218-336-0270 If you prefer to donate your rebate, please consider these local nonprofit agencies that work with WFC to create a healthy regional food system: Duluth Community Farm www.duluthcommunityfarm.org Duluth Community Garden Program www.duluthcommunitygarden.org Lake Superior Sustainable Farming Association/www.lssfa.org Seeds of Success www.communityactionduluth.org/pr ogram_seeds.html Slow Food Lake Superior www.slowfoodlakesuperior.org
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