Community Food Co-op

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A monthly publication with your good health in mind
Co-op Community
NEWS
FOOD CO OP
In This Issue
Co-ops Make a Difference—Page 5
Seed Saving—Page 12
October 2012
Owner
Appreciation
Days
Cordata store event
Saturday, October 13
noon to 3 pm
with music by—Chuck Dingée
Downtown store event
Saturday, October 20
noon to 3 pm
with music by—Paul Klein
Join us for...
•Prizes
•Food Demos
• Live Music
•Lots of FUN!
Co-op Month
Happenings
Welcome to the first officially
proclaimed Whatcom County Co-op
Month. Yup, it’s official. We have the
proclamation with shiny golden seals
and everything, and it states, “Now,
therefore, do we, Kelli Linville,
Mayor of the City of Bellingham, and
Jack Louws, Whatcom County Executive, hereby proclaim October to be
Co-op Month, now and into the future
we encourage all citizens to recognize
and support the cooperative organizations in their communities.” Yay!
What’s happening during Co-op
Month, besides Owner Appreciation
Days?
• Doctober Movies: Join us for two
Co-op-sponsored movies at the
Pickford Film Center. “In Organic
We Trust,” Monday, October 22,
7:30 pm with info tables and discussion. “Shift Change,” Sunday,
November 3, 4 pm followed by
Q&A with filmmakers (see details
on page 10).
• Plastic Garden Pot Collection:
October 13 and 14 in the Cordata
Co-op parking lot. Accepted:
plastic plant tags and any size
plastic pots, packs, and flats;
whole or broken (see details on
page 11).
• Dining With the Directors: Enjoy
dinner and conversation with the
Co-op Board members on Thursday, October 18. Registration
required—call or stop by the service desk (see details on page 3).
• Owner Appreciation Raffle: Enter
at either store during the month
of October for your chance to win
(one entry per membership). This
year’s grand prize is a Foodie’s
Gift Card Bonanza worth $225.
• Nominate Co-op and Community
Cooperators: Know someone who
deserves some recognition? More
information about the awards can be
found at both stores. Nominations
accepted all month. Winners will be
profiled in our January newsletter.
1220 N. Forest St., Bellingham WA • 315 Westerly Rd., Bellingham WA • 360-734-8158 • www.communityfood.coop
Co-op Community News
is a monthly publication
produced by the
Community Food Co-op
1220 N. Forest St.
Bellingham WA 98225
315 Westerly Rd.
Bellingham WA 98226
360-734-8158
(both locations)
is published as a service
for members. Letters from
members are welcome
(see guidelines below).
The deadline for submissions of letters is 8 pm on
the 5th of the month
preceding publication.
Editor:
Diana Campbell
Design/Production:
Joanne Plucy
Opinions expressed in the
are those of the authors
and do not necessarily represent those of the Co-op
Board, management, staff
or members. Nutrition
and health information is
provided for informational
purposes only and is not
meant as a substitute for
a consultation with a licensed health or dietary
practitioner.
Acceptance of advertising
does not indicate endorsement by the Co-op of the
product or service offered.
September 12, 2012
Board of Directors Meeting Summary
Jim Ashby, General Manager
The meeting opened with a presentation by
member Jim Davis seeking an endorsement
from the Board for the non-profit group American Alps Legacy Project, an effort to expand
the North Cascades National Park boundaries
to include more lowland wildlife habitat. This
effort will require action by Congress. American Alps is hopeful that a bill will be introduced in the next year. After some discussion
the Board agreed to endorse the proposal.
Following approval of the consent agenda,
agenda review, and announcements, the Board
reviewed the joint Board/management diversity seminar held the previous week. The sense
of the Board was that the training had been
useful and informative. The chance to interact
with the mid-level managers was called out as
a highlight.
For the Board’s study and engagement this
month Holly O’Neil shared information from
a national conference on Food System development she attended in Burlington, Vermont
in August. There are currently more than 200
Food Hubs in operation in the U.S. How Food
Hubs operate varies widely, but generally they
serve as aggregation and distribution centers
for local produce. Several local groups are engaged in some level of Food Hub development,
including Cloud Mountain Farm Center and
Acme Farms and Kitchen. Time was limited
and Holly wasn’t able to share all the relevant
information she’d gleaned from the conference. The Board agreed to continue discussing
this stimulating topic next month.
Finally, the Board discussed the 2013 Governance Budget. The proposed budget included a proposal from the Board Development
Committee (BDC) to increase the Director discount to 15 percent. Board members currently
receive a $10 coupon for each meeting they
attend and a 10 percent discount on everything
they buy in the stores. The group generally
agreed that increasing board compensation
slightly was appropriate given how long it has
been at its current level, but did not agree that
increasing the discount was the way to do it.
Some members thought that it would be more
appropriate to increase the coupon amount.
The Board approved the total budget amount
but agreed to discuss further how Board compensation will be changed.
The first 10 minutes of every Board meeting
are reserved for member input. Our next meeting will be held on October 10 at 7 pm in the
Downtown Co-op Connection building. Hope
to see you there.
October is Non-GMO Month:
Sign the Labeling Initiative
Co-op Month and Non-GMO Month is a
great time to remind everyone to stop by the
Co-op and sign the proposed GMO labeling initiative. Initiative I-522 “The People’s
Right to Know Genetically Engineered
Food Act” is a chance to make your voice
heard. Label It WA, the sponsoring organization, is dedicated to making labeling of
GMO foods a requirement in Washington.
The goal is to gather at least 320,000 signatures before the end of 2012.
You can sign the initiative petition at
the service desk at our Downtown Co-op
or near the front entrance at the Cordata
The Co-op Board of Directors
Meetings are on the
second Wednesday of every month.
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, October 10, at 7 pm
Downtown Co-op Connection Building
1220 N. Forest St.
Members are welcome to attend.
If there is something you want to discuss
at the meeting, contact Jim Ashby,
General Manager (360-734-8158) or
Megan Westgate, Chair (360-592-5325)
by the first Monday of the month so your item
can be included on the agenda.
Jim Ashby
Board of Directors:
Megan Westgate, Chair
360-592-5325
Brooks Dimmick, Vice Chair 360-734-1351
Cynthia Powers
360-714-8460
Deborah Craig
360-738-9015
Mariah Ross
360-820-5251
Steven Harper
360-650-9065
Brent Harrison
360-398-7509
Rosalinda Guillen
360-381-0293
Beau Hilty-Jones
360-318-7517
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Co-op. We will also have special displays
featuring many non-GMO verified products
at both stores.
Store hours:
Open 7 days a week
Cordata—7 am to 9 pm
Downtown—7 am to 10 pm
To learn more about GMOs, pick up
the brochure in our stores or see www.
nongmoproject.org. For more information
about the campaign, see www.labelitwa.
org. For more about the initiative, see www.
sos.wa.gov/elections/initiatives/Initiatives.
aspx?t=l&y=2012.
Co-op Deli hours:
Cordata—7 am to 9 pm
Downtown—7 am to 9 pm
Visit us on the Web at
www.communityfood.coop
Meet Karl Meyer
Letters to the Editor
Guidelines
Letters must include your
name, address, and a
daytime phone number.
Please respect a maximum
of 150 words. Due to
space considerations, we
regret that we may not be
able to publish all letters.
Please send your letters to:
Newsletter Editor
1220 N. Forest St.
Bellingham WA 98225
[email protected]
A long-time Co-op owner and shopper,
I am the newest addition to the Co-op’s
Outreach team with a focus on coordinating
events and volunteers. With early experience
as a farm worker in Eastern Washington’s
apple orchards, I moved to Bellingham in
the early 1980s to attend Fairhaven College.
Drawn by Fairhaven’s focus on community
and the small Outback Farm, I also participated in organizing events such as Fairhaven
College’s Renaissance Arts Fair, the Northwest Bioregional Conference, the first annual
Fairhaven Tree Sale, and the Organic Gardening and Sustainable Agriculture program at
the Outback Farm.
After college I worked as an office manager with a small wholesale clothing company in Bellingham called Yak Magik, which
helped me purchase a 20-acre collectively
owned property in the Oyster Creek Valley. I
currently reside with my lovely and talented
wife Robyn Albro and my 17-year-old son
Jeremiah in the Happy Valley neighborhood.
Farm Fund
Who benefits from the
Co-op Farm Fund?
We all do!
Donations accepted at all
registers, by mail, or phone.
For more information, contact
Farm Fund administrator Jean
Rogers at 360-734-8158 ext. 217
or [email protected].
2
Co-op Community News, October 2012
General Manager:
360-734-8158
Cooperative
Principles
• Voluntary and open
membership
• Democratic member control
• Member economic
participation
I’m involved with the New Old Time Chautauqua, an all-volunteer non-profit organization whose mission is to build community
through laughter, education, and entertainment. Initially I presented workshops on
environmental topics, then entertained with a
three-person juggling troupe called “Nobody’s
Fools,” and later became the co-general manager. Currently I am President of the Board.
I look forward to meeting Co-op owners
and fostering the Co-op’s mission and values
within the community.
• Autonomy and independence
• Education, training, and
information
• Cooperation among
cooperatives
• Concern for the community
Third Thursday Local Music Series
The Hoochies
Thursday, October 18, 6–8 pm
Downtown Co-op
Scratchy, fuzzy, olden-moldy-time tunes. With
Drew Miller on banjo and Lisa McAvoy on guitar,
the Hoochies will be wailin’ some songs from older
times. If you were at the Co-op’s Annual Meeting
and Party last March you know how great these folks
are. If you haven’t seen them yet, you are in for a
treat. Come on out and bring the kiddies.
Volunteer Thanks
We want to express our gratitude to our volunteers. These
folks helped out with various
tasks in the stores, newsletter
distribution, a new member
mailing, and participated in the
Member Affairs Committee.
We appreciate you.
Our first Co-op in Fairhaven.
Our next location on State Street.
Welcome to the ninth installment of the yearlong look at co-ops during the 2012
United Nations International Year of Cooperatives. In the September newsletter we
looked at the unique ways in which co-ops benefit their communities. This month
we take a look at the history of our co-op.
The Co-op Deli begins to take shape during
the Forest St. remodel.
Growing Our Local Co-op
Melissa Elkins, CCN Staff
break in the late 2000s. In 1989 owners
voted on whether to carry products that
contained meat—an entire newsletter
was devoted to the pros and cons. One
of the big issues in 1990 was whether
we should purchase cash registers with
scanners. At the time the Co-op was
proud that we owned four computers,
two printers (a dot matrix and a laser
printer), a modem linking one of the
computers to our main distributor (the
internet had been invented but no one
would really use it until 1995), and
hand-held order machines that transmitted our orders over the phone handset.
By 1989 our Board knew that we
were outgrowing our current location
on State Street and began planning to
move to a new location (by then we
had 3,200 owners and 32 employees).
In May 1994 we moved just a few
blocks away into the Swan’s Moving
and Cold Storage building on N. Forest Street and, in true Co-op style, we
had a big parade to signify the move.
It was exciting and a little scary to
move into such a large space, but with
a lot of work and dedication we got
the store open and hired an additional
15 staff (which brought us up to 47).
While the store has had some interior
remodeling over the years (remember
the giant bulk unit that was between the
registers and produce, and what about
the service desk being in the center of
the store?), it still looks very similar to
when we moved in, and many of our
shoppers really appreciate the sense of
“home” they get when they shop.
Things went along great for a few
years, and then we started to outgrow
our “new” store. We tried to find
ways to make parking easier—we
Dining with the Directors
Got Local Veggies? Who Does and Doesn’t
in Whatcom County and Why?
YWCA Ballroom, 1026 N. Forest Street
Free Event—Registration Required (sign up now)
Now that the Co-op Board of
Directions has adopted a new strategic plan, we’re ready to set the
plan in motion. Join the directors
and other Co-op owners to hear
about food security in Whatcom
County. Mike Cohen and Max
Morange of the Bellingham Food
Bank will share current initiatives
to strengthen our community’s
access to healthy food, and then
engage Co-op owners in a lively
conversation on how the Co-op can
reach it’s 10-year goal: “to embrace
the diversity of our community and
take the initiative to make high-quality, nutritious, culturally appropriate,
and affordable food more accessible
to all.”
Look at all the local food on the
menu: butternut squash soup, green
salad, rosemary pork loin, apple yam
gratin, chantrelle rataouille, crispy
cauliflower with capers, and herb
roasted potates followed by an assortment of tasty bites. If we do our
reconfigured the parking lot several
times—and remodeled the interior, but
eventually it became apparent that we
would have to either build a second
store or move again to a larger building with more parking. After several
owner surveys and an extraordinary
amount of time spent on the issue
by our Board members, in 2001 we
decided that building a second store
was our best option and got down to
serious work. The environmentally
friendly Cordata Co-op finally opened
in January of 2009 and, three years
later the store is going strong and sales
continue to grow. Shoppers diverted
to the new store freed up some parking downtown, but as of summer 2012
the Downtown Co-op is seeing sales
comparable to 2008 when we still only
had one store, and parking is becoming
an issue again during afternoon and
early-evening hours. Fortunately our
Board and Management team are creating a Strategic Plan for the future of
the Co-op and exploring options as we
continue to grow.
Today, many things have changed—
we have more than 200 employees
from all walks of life, about 100 computers, two bustling stores, more than
13,000 active owners, inventory around
$1 million, and our very own delivery
van. But many things haven’t changed,
such as our commitment to our community, our interesting and sometimes
quirky staff, our love of wholesome
foods, and our dedication to our customers. People come and go, but the
community and the local history you’ll
find at the Co-op is unparalleled.
Photo by Habiba Sial
In the early 1970s, the Community
Food Co-op was essentially a concept
that was being developed into a reality. A handful of dedicated community members raised money to open a
storefront in the Good Earth building
in Fairhaven that would evolve into
the Co-op we all know and love today.
Back then, we opened our doors with
about $500 in inventory and membership was $8 (and you were supposed
to send your check in with “a kiss” according to old literature).
In the beginning, the Co-op primarily sold select local and hard-to-find
products, mostly in bulk (like brown
rice and organic raisins). The items
were purchased from California, and
one of the founding Co-op owners
would drive to Oregon to meet the supplier at a truck stop, transfer the goods,
and then return to Bellingham. There
were no checkstands or scanners, no
credit cards or paid employees. This
was a relatively stable period of just
plugging along day-to-day for the Coop. As word spread about the Co-op,
we eventually outgrew our location.
In October 1982 the Co-op moved to
1059 N. State Street—by that time we
had a whopping five paid employees
and more than 40 volunteer workers—
and published our first newsletter. The
volunteers served as cashiers, janitors,
and grocery clerks and worked for a
discount. The 1980s and early 1990s
inspired big changes at our store, including a newly created and elected
Board of Directors, a transition from a
mostly volunteer staff to paid employees, and a newly hired General Manager, who has been with the Co-op since
then, with the exception of a short
strategic planning right, there will
be more of this kind of good food
for everyone.
To reserve your seat, call or
stop by the service desk at either
store. This event fills quickly. In
the interest of hearing from as
many owners as possible, we will
give priority to those who did
not attend the last forum. For
more information, contact Jean at
360-734-8158 ext. 217 or email
[email protected].
Adam Garman
Bill Young
Bob Hendricks
Carol Waugh
Carrie Lewis
Carrie Rolfe
Charles Law
Colleen Wolfisberg
Cynthia Ripke-Kutsagoitz
Dan Hauer
Diane Blake
Ellen Kramer
Ellen Murphy
Erika Jett
Gabriella Andrews
Grant Renee
Jason Wurdinger
Jenny Davis
Jenny Maida-Young
John Lawler
Kate Birr
Katie Chugg
Lisa Heisey
Mike Straus
Nathan Chapman
Richard Stout
Seth Brooks
Shirley Jacobson
FOOD CO OP
Community
Food Co-op
Strategic Plan
In 2012, the International Year
of Cooperatives, the Community
Food Co-op’s Board of Directors
created a 10-year Strategic Plan.
After a year of gathering input and
evaluating opportunities, the Board
determined six long-range goals,
and developed a set of strategies
for how the Co-op can best serve
the owners and the community in
the years ahead.
Our 10-Year Goals
1. Build on our core competencies as natural food grocers and
extend the reach of our cooperative business.
2. Collaborate in the development
of a vibrant local and regional
food production and distribution system.
3. Energize our owners to support
positive change around core
issues that affect the Co-op and
the community’s future.
4. Embrace the diversity of our
community and take the initiative to make high quality,
nutritious, culturally appropriate, and affordable food more
accessible to all.
5. Cultivate a work environment
that generates staff engagement
and models excellent employment practices.
6. Engage with the community to
build strategic partnerships and
effectively tell our story.
3
Working together...
October 2012 Community Shopping Day Organization
Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center
Robin Elwood, CCN Staff
We’ve all had conversations in our
life where we wished we had a referee
to ensure fair play. That’s the first image that comes to mind when I think of
October’s Community Shopping Day
organization. Although I’ve attended
Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center’s (WDRC) annual Peace Builder’s
Awards fundraiser several times, I never heard them use that metaphor once.
So when I contacted Moonwater, the
Executive Director of WDRC, I tried
that description out on her.
“Well, we are a good number of
things,” she replied. “But most of the
time I don’t think of us as a referee.
We’re there more to guide conversations and to provide a structure for parties to be successful. And ‘fairness’ is
a word that can carry a lot of meanings
for different people. So, no, not really
referees.”
As with most things WDRC-related,
Moonwater’s choice of words was
well considered and effective. With
my misconception gently cleared up,
we went on to talk about the WDRC’s
incredible projects, some upcoming
events and trainings, and the daunting
new initiative this month’s CSD funds
will support.
“One thing about us that I want to
emphasize is that this is our 20th anniversary,” Moonwater told me. “It’s
hard to believe; we started as a small
grass roots organization and now we
are fully staffed and growing.”
Since their all-volunteer beginnings
in 1992, WDRC has worked to create
a resource for individuals, businesses,
and organizations embroiled in conflict.
While they describe conflict as “a normal and natural part of life,” WDRC
has always tried to create space for
non-adversarial assistance in resolving conflict. Their mission states, “The
WDRC offers conflict prevention and
intervention services for businesses,
organizations, individuals, and families. On a prevention level, the WDRC
seeks to build the capacity of community members to better manage conflict
as it arises, and to learn ways to minimize the possibility of it occurring.”
The heart of WDRC’s work has
always been the trained volunteer mediators. Whether the conflict involves
child custody, the untangling of shared
household assets, intercultural conflict,
or workplace disputes, WDRC works
to provide a neutral meeting place and
a trained facilitator to assist the parties
in solving their conflict. Judging from
the testimonials I’ve heard at their
events, they help people resolve some
of the most painful conflicts imaginable. Furthermore, as a non-profit, they
offer their services on a sliding scale
making it a lasting, low-cost solution.
While mediators use their own skills
and judgment for each session, they
generally work with a facilitative approach. Clients typically sit in the same
room and the mediator helps them
reach a shared agreement. In some
cases, a situation may call for parties
being in separate rooms, with the mediator taking a more active role. In addition, the WDRC also offers “Conflict
Coaching” for cases where only one
party is willing to come to the table.
The mediator helps that person map
Conflict coaching helps individuals clarify thinking about handling conflict.
The mediator (center) helps participants reach a shared agreement.
Photo by Ellie Rogers
desired outcomes and clarify thinking
about handling the conflict. In general,
WDRC’s belief is that “the most durable and satisfactory agreements are
ones that parties have collaboratively
created themselves.”
Beyond all of those individual and
community mediations, WDRC took
on a new and important challenge in
2011. October’s Shopping Day funds
will support their newest project—a
Foreclosure Mediation Project. “Basically the opportunity is a result of the
Foreclosure Fairness Act,” Moonwater
explained. “After Governer Gregoire
signed it in April 2011, lenders had
some incentive, even a directive to
come to the table before foreclosing.
We are one of 20 dispute resolution
centers in the state working with the
Commerce Department to help make
that a reality.”
The program brings together lenders
and homeowners to find a way to avoid
foreclosure by modifying loans, or failing that, to make the exit from the loan
more graceful and less credit-damaging. By bringing homeowners together
with empowered representatives from
the lending institution, the mediation
helps everyone involved find a solution
together.
“A lot of people in Whatcom County
are barely keeping their homes together. If someone loses a job or is injured,
financial situations can become unmanageable very rapidly and many people
don’t know where to turn. People need
a referral from an attorney or a housing
counselor to get started—they should
call 1-877-894-HOME.”
Moonwater commented that the
CSD funds will make a big difference
in their home-loan mediations. “These
are some of the most challenging and
paperwork-intensive cases we have
handled. It takes from eight to 12 hours
of preparation to open each case, plus
mediation and follow-up. The funds
allow us to take on more cases, so
we want to do more outreach. We’re
excited about this article, because it’s
important to get the word out to the
community about this resource.”
Whatcom Dispute
Resolution Center
Events:
• October is National Dispute Resolution month
• 40-hour volunteer mediator training starts October 4–6 and 11–13
• Volunteer information session
October 10 from 12–1 pm
• October 18 is Dispute Resolution Day, and open house at the
WDRC office, 13 Prospect St.,
Suite 201
• Annual Peace Builder Awards
Gala, November 16, 6:30 pm, at
the Majestic Ballroom
For more information, see www.
whatcomdrc.org.
Photo by Marc Griffin
Each year the Co-op invites organizations to apply for a Community
Shopping Day (CSD). This year
organizations were selected for
their service to our community in
the following areas: Community
Health and Social Justice, Ecological Issues, Education, Food &
Sustainable Agriculture, Health and
4
Well-Being, and Peace and Human
Rights. The Co-op’s Member Affairs Committee (MAC) reviews
and recommends 12 organizations,
and the Board of Directors gives final approval. For more information,
contact Laura Steiger at 360-7348158, [email protected].
2012 Community Shopping Day Schedule
January 21
February 18
March 17
April 21
May 19
June 16
July 21
August 18
September 15
October 20
November 17
December 15
Bellingham Books to Prisoners
Ferndale Other Bank
Whatcom Family & Community Network
WSU Cooperative Extension Community First Garden
Grizzly Bear Outreach Project
Bellingham/Assumption Community Meal Program
Friends of the North Fork Community Library
Brigadoon Service Dogs
Assistance League of Bellingham
Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center
Friendly Visitors—a Visiting Nurse Home Care Program
Whatcom Food Network
Community Shopping Day
What are Community Shopping Days?
Co-ops Make a Difference Every Day
Food co-ops bring
people together to share
good food and create
healthy communities.
This year, cooperatives
of all kinds are celebrating the United Nations
declaration of 2012 as
the International Year
of Cooperatives. We are
thrilled to have the opportunity to show everyone how co-ops build a
better world and make a difference in
their communities every day.
All co-ops are part of an international movement that has strong impacts
globally. Members of the world’s communities and cooperatives play an important role in this. When you support
your local co-op with your shopping
dollars, you are taking part in a business system that cares about people
and contributes to a livable community.
Our food co-ops contribute to many
local economies in the U.S. with $1.3
billion dollars in annual sales and more
than 1.3 million members. That’s just
one of many benefits food co-ops bring
to the table.
Food co-ops have spent the last few
decades being at the forefront of virtually every positive reform in the food
industry. From product labeling laws
and reduced packaging to organic food
production, we have set the standard
for food safety and quality.
We strive to connect our farmers and
shoppers so you know where your food
comes from. Did you know that nearly
30 percent of all farmers’ products in
the U.S. are marketed through producer-owned cooperatives? And of course,
you can find many of these popular coop food brands, such as Organic Valley Family of Farms, Frontier Natural
Products, Equal Exchange, Florida’s
Natural, and Cabot Creamery in retail
food co-ops.
Food co-ops continue to extend their
influence beyond the doors of the store
to make it possible for everyone to
participate in the local food movement
by also promoting community
supported agriculture, community gardens, and farm-toschool initiatives.
In co-op classrooms nationwide, we love to share
what we know about enhancing wellness and enjoying
delicious food. We’re not just
handing out information, but
giving everyone a way to think
about and explore a different
relationship to food, one that
reflects the values and agriculture of a
certain place.
Co-ops are also a critical part of
neighborhoods because we are building and sustaining local communities.
The co-op is owned by thousands of
people who care about where they live.
Vermont’s governor, Peter Shumlin, is
a member of the Putney Food Co-op in
Putney, Vermont. He says, “The great
thing about the co-op is that you see
people from all walks of life coming
together. It’s really a community center. It’s a community resource.” That’s
why we put so much into what we do
to make the world better. It all comes
together at the co-op.
Information from www.strongertogether.coop.
Co-op FAQs
How can I distinguish a co-op from
other organizations? A co-op is a
business, usually incorporated, that
sells goods and services. It is not a
charitable organization or a social service agency.
Who benefits from the co-op’s existence? A co-op exists primarily for the
benefit of its members. Many co-ops
also support other parts of the community through various programs and
philanthropic activities as part of their
commitment to cooperative values and
principles.
Who controls a co-op? In a cooperative, members democratically control
the direction of the business. In most
co-ops each member gets one vote.
Members elect a board of directors to
monitor the business, set goals, and
hire management to operate their business. Ultimately, the board is accountable to the members for its decisions.
What motivates people to form a coop? In private or stockholder-owned
businesses, individuals invest to earn
a financial return. In a co-op individuals are motivated by a shared need for
certain products or services. By joining
together, members gain access to products, services, or markets not otherwise
available to them. In other words,
when forming a co-op, members are
motivated to become co-owners of the
business primarily so that their mutual
needs can be met. And co-ops return financial gains to their members, whether through discounts, lower costs, or
patronage refunds. People join existing
co-ops for a variety of reasons. Whether it is the commitment to community,
the democratic approach to business,
the desire to be part of a business that
is locally owned, or something else
“uniquely co-op” that appeals, anyone
can join a cooperative.
more people, usually to provide employment and a return on investment
to the owners. Local examples include
restaurants, bakeries, and bookstores.
What is a Sole Proprietorship/Partnership? A business owned by one or
Information from strongertogether.
coop.
Volunteer Opportunities
Members who volunteer for Co-op activities or events receive one $5 volunteer
gift card each time they volunteer for 1/2 hour or longer. Ongoing volunteer
jobs in the stores are currently filled and become available only occasionally.
Sign up for volunteer email alerts, look for volunteer sign-up sheets for special
events, or stop by the service desk to fill out a volunteer application.
Owner Appreciation Day
At Cordata Saturday, October 13
and Downtown October 20. For
details contact Karl Meyer at karlm@
community.coop or call 360-7348158, ext. 160.
Healthy Connections
Cooking Class Assistant
Position varies from class to class, but
generally involves food prep, serving
food to class participants, and cleanup during and after class. Cooking
class assistants attend class for free
and receive a volunteer gift card for
store credit. Interested? Contact Kevin
Murphy at 360-734-8158, ext. 220 or
email [email protected].
Newsletter Routes Available
We have a few Bellingham newsletter
routes available. This is a once/month
commitment with lots of schedule
flexibility. Getting the newsletter out
in the community is a vital job as it is
our most effective communication and
education tool.
Get On Our Volunteer Email List
If you’re not already on the
What does Investor-Owned Corporation mean? A business whose stock
is traded publicly by any number of
investors. Examples include Safeway,
Whole Foods, Starbucks, Microsoft,
and General Motors.
What is the definition of a Cooperative? A member-owned and membercontrolled business that operates for
the mutual benefit of all members.
Examples include your local food coop, a local housing or child care co-op,
Group Health Cooperative, and any
credit union. The cooperative form of
business is one that brings the owners,
controllers, and users of a business together into one group.
volunteer email list, please send your
preferred email address to karlm@
communityfood.coop. When you’re on
the list, you’ll get an occasional update
on volunteer activities with the Co-op.
It’s a great way to get involved with
your Co-op and meet other members.
Mailing Party Email List
If visiting with other interesting Coop members while stuffing envelopes
sounds like a fun way to spend a
few hours, add your name to the
mailing party email list. This group
gets together once every two or three
months.
Join the MAC
The Member Affairs Committee
(MAC) meets every month, usually
on the last Wednesday from 5:15–7:15
pm, to consider questions raised by our
members and to work on board and
Co-op Facts
• There are more than 29,000 co-ops
in the United States with Americans
holding 350 million co-op memberships.
• U.S. co-ops provide more than
850,000 jobs and create more than
$74 billion in annual wages with revenue of nearly $500 billion.
• The majority of our country’s two
million farmers are members of the
nearly 3,000 farmer-owned cooperatives. They provide more than
250,000 jobs and annual wages of
over $8 billion.
• Over 8,300 credit unions provide
financial services to nearly 100 million members.
• More than 900 rural electric co-ops
deliver electricity to more than 42
million people in 47 states. This
makes up 42 percent of the nation’s
electric distribution lines and covers 75 percent of our country’s land
mass.
• Approximately 233 million people
are served by insurance companies
owned by or closely affiliated with
co-ops.
• Food co-ops have been innovators in
the areas of unit pricing, consumer
protection, organic and bulk foods,
and nutritional labeling.
• More than 50,000 families in the
U.S. use cooperative day care centers, giving co-ops a crucial role in
the care of our children.
• About 1.2 million rural Americans in
31 states are served by 260 telephone
cooperatives.
• More than 6,400 housing cooperatives exist in the U.S., providing 1.5
million homes.
• The .coop web address extension has
been adopted by more than 3,000
co-ops, and while many cooperatives
may use .com or other domain extensions, when you see .coop, you can
be sure that it’s a cooperative. For
more information, visit www.coop.
• How do co-ops impact the economy? Check out the University of
Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives’
research on the Economic Impact of
U.S. Cooperatives at reic.uwcc.wisc.
edu and the Hoffer Report (summary) at go.coop/sites/default/files/
pdfs/hoffersummary.pdf to see the
impact co-ops have in Northwestern
New England.
Information from www.
strongertogether.coop.
community-based activities. If you
are interested in joining the MAC,
call Jean Rogers at 360-734-8158.
Volunteer In the Community
Co-op members who volunteer with
the Mount Baker Chapter of the
American Red Cross, Bellingham
Food Bank, Small Potatoes
Gleaning Project, Nooksack Salmon
Enhancement Association, or The
Food Bank Farm are eligible for a $5
Co-op coupon. These organizations
determine how to distribute the set
amount of coupons they receive
each month. Check directly with
the organization you’re interested in
before volunteering.
Contact Karl Meyer at
360-734-8158, ext. 160 or
[email protected]
(read about Karl on page 2).
5
10 Tips for
Making Healthy Foods More Fun for Children
Encourage children to eat vegetables and fruits by
making it fun. Provide healthy ingredients and let
kids help with preparation, based on their age and
skills. Kids may try foods they avoided in the past if
they help make them.
• Smoothie creations. Blend fat-free
or low-fat yogurt or milk with fruit
pieces and crushed ice. Use fresh,
frozen, canned, and even overripe
fruits. Try bananas, berries, peaches, and/or pineapple. If you freeze
the fruit first, you can even skip the
ice.
• Delicious dippers. Kids love to dip
their foods. Whip up a quick dip
for veggies with yogurt and seasonings such as herbs or garlic. Serve
with raw vegetables like broccoli,
carrots, or cauliflower. Fruit chunks
go great with a yogurt and cinnamon or vanilla dip.
bagels, or pita bread as the
crust. Have tomato sauce,
low-fat cheese, and cut-up
vegetables or fruits for toppings. Let kids choose their
own favorites. Then pop
the pizzas into the oven to
warm.
• Fruity peanut butterfly.
Start with carrot sticks or
celery for the body. Attach
wings made of thinly sliced
apples with peanut butter
and decorate with halved grapes or
dried fruit.
• Caterpillar kabobs. Assemble
chunks of melon, apple, orange,
and pear on skewers for a fruity kabob. For a raw veggie version, use
vegetables like zucchini, cucumber,
squash, sweet peppers, or tomatoes.
• Frosty fruits. Frozen treats are
bound to be popular in the warm
months. Just put fresh fruits such
as melon chunks in the freezer
(rinse first). Make “popsicles” by
inserting sticks into peeled bananas
and freezing.
• Personalized pizzas. Set up a
pizza-making station in the kitchen.
Use whole-wheat English muffins,
• Bugs on a log. Use celery, cucumber, or carrot sticks as the log and
add peanut butter. Top with dried
fruit such as raisins, cranberries, or
cherries, depending
on what bugs you
want!
• Homemade trail mix. Skip the
pre-made trail mix and make your
own. Use your favorite nuts and
dried fruits, such as unsalted peanuts, cashews, walnuts, or sunflower seeds mixed with dried apples,
pineapple, cherries, apricots, or
raisins. Add whole-grain cereals to
the mix, too.
• Potato person. Decorate half a
baked potato. Use sliced cherry
tomatoes, peas, and low-fat cheese
on the potato to make a funny face.
• Put kids in charge. Ask your
child to name new veggie or fruit
creations. Let them arrange raw
veggies or fruits into a fun shape or
design.
Source: USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, Nutrition
Education Series. For more information, see www.choosemyplate.gov/
healthy-eating-tips/ten-tips.html.
Food Stamps: Follow the Money
Are Corporations Profiting from Hungry Americans?
Michele Simon, Eat Drink Politics
Our new report examines what
we know and don’t know about how
food manufacturers, food retailers,
and banks benefit from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
(or SNAP, formerly known as food
stamps). The nation’s largest food assistance program, SNAP expenditures
grew to $72 billion in 2011, up from
$30 billion just four years earlier, and
is projected to increase even more if
the economy does not improve.
Right now, Congress is debating the
2012 Farm Bill—and some politicians
are proposing massive cuts to SNAP at
a time when more Americans than ever
need this important lifeline. Meanwhile, some health experts are raising
questions about whether it makes sense
to allow SNAP purchases for unhealthy
products such as soda and candy. Advocates are also looking for ways to
incentivize healthy food purchases.
While much attention has focused on
how farm subsidies fuel our cheap, unhealthy food supply, SNAP represents
the largest, most overlooked corporate
subsidy in the farm bill.
Our research found that at least three
powerful industry sectors benefit from
SNAP: 1) major food manufacturers
such as Coca-Cola, Kraft, and Mars; 2)
leading food retailers such as Walmart
and Kroger; and 3) large banks, such
as J.P. Morgan Chase, which contract
with states to help administer SNAP
benefits.
Each of these sectors has a critical
stake in debates over SNAP, as evidenced by lobbying reports, along with
important data being kept secret.
6
SNAP Quick Facts
• Nearly half of SNAP participants are
children
• One-third of children participating
in school lunch also receive SNAP
benefits
• About 41 percent of SNAP participants live in households with earnings
• SNAP benefits moved 13 percent of
households above the poverty line in
2010
• Participation in SNAP significantly
reduces the depth and severity of
child poverty
• Half of all new SNAP participants
leave the program within 10 months
• In fiscal year 2011, SNAP provided
an average of $134 to 44.7 million
people each month
• 230,000 retailers are approved for
SNAP redemption nationally
• Administrative costs are shared between states and the federal government
From the Eat Drink Politics report, Food
Stamps: Follow the Money. For more information see eatdrinkpolitics.com. Source:
USDA Food and Nutrition Service, “Building
a Healthy America”
Farm to School
Month
October is a busy and important month. In addition to being Co-op Month, it’s also National Farm to School Month
(see information at www.
farmtoschoolmonth.org). Local
schools are celebrating with a
featured Harvest of the Month
item in their school lunch.
Watch for information in our
produce department supporting October’s featured harvest
item—broccoli and cauliflower.
The Whatcom Farm-toSchool Support Team and Acme
Farms & Kitchen are teaming
up to process local food for
Whatcom school cafeterias. We
are seeking volunteers who
have food worker permits
to help shred, chop, and bag
produce (you can get a Food
Worker Card online for $10 at
www.co.whatcom.wa.us/health/
environmental/food_safety/
foodworkers.jsp). We also will
need a few food processors
such as Cuisinart or Robot
Coupe.
For more information, contact Mardi Solomon, Whatcom
Farm to School Support Team
at 360-325-6002 or email coordinator@whatcomfarmtoschool.
org.
Wine Notes
Southern Portugal, Bicycle Touring, and Regional Wines
Vic Hubbard, Downtown Co-op Wine Manager
The countryside in Portugal has a very
“old world” pastoral feel to it. Things
move slowly and people have time to
talk. Every village is paved with cobblestones and has the requisite bench with
four old men sitting watching the world
go by (women prefer the door step).
And drivers are polite to bicyclists as my
partner Diane and I found out on a spring
bike trip through southern Portugal.
After a few days waiting out the rain
after our arrival in Lisbon, we headed
south down the Atlantic coast, passing
through regions of Setubal and Alentejo
to the resorts of the Algarve region along
the southern coast. We pedaled, often
along dirt roads, through picturesque
villages, fragrant orange groves, cattle
ranches, cork forests, and vineyards,
often within sight of the ocean. We
stayed in family-owned hostels and small
hotels, sometimes in beachside resort
hotels that may have already seen their
best days, but were inexpensive and
comfortable. We loved the fresh oranges
and the abundance of seafood. Portugal
is a safe country, people are honest and
Biking Portugal meant
some steep uphill peddling (Diane above) and
some easy meandering
through the countryside
(Vic right).
forthcoming, and we were surprised how
many people spoke English—making it
very easy for us.
Travelling east through Algarve we
crossed the Guadiana River into the
Southern Spanish region of Andalusia
for a couple weeks, and then by train to
the border of Portugal at Badajoz east
of Lisbon. We cycled for a week back
to Lisbon, passing through the country
from east to west across the rural Alentejo region. We passed through villages
where streets and buildings were made
of marble from nearby quarries, and we
visited the famous Church of the Bones
in Evora, central Portugal. A local monk
in the 16th century decided to remedy
lagging church attendance by excavating
nearby cemeteries and using the bones
to construct a chapel, thereby reminding
people of their mortality. The cycling was
beautiful as we rode over rolling hillsides
on lightly trafficked roads with ideal May
weather.
We loved the adventure of trying
new foods and wines, such as the local
specialty in the Alentejo—black pork. A
small country with its own language and
culture, Portugal has developed in relative
isolation from Spain and the rest of Europe. Its wines reflect this isolation and,
although use of international varietals
such as syrah and merlot is evident, especially in Alentejo, indigenous wine grapes
still predominate.
The profiles of Portuguese wines are
unique and unusual to our tastes. The reds
tend to be wines of
austerity and depth, the
whites dry and fresh,
and the sweet wines
have flavors that evoke
the wines of centuries
past when sweet wines
were much more the
wines of choice. These
Easy Ideas for
Packing Lunch
The dreaded empty lunchbox. Every
morning, it sits on the kitchen counter
begging for something other than a
turkey sandwich, carrot sticks and an
apple. Boring.
As a registered dietitian and nutritionist
with a private practice, my clients consistently ask for easy, convenient ideas for
packing healthy lunches for themselves
and their kids. A little work invested at
the beginning of the week will make
your lunchbox routine a cinch. Here’s the
game plan.
1. Make whole grains and
beans
Making whole grains
and beans the bulk of
your lunches is a winwin; it’s easy, inexpensive, and healthy. If you
can boil water, you can cook
whole grains and beans. Buying them from the bulk bins is inexpensive and lets you try different varieties
each week, like brown basmati rice,
quinoa, farro, barley, wheat berries,
wild rice, garbanzo beans, black beans,
pinto beans…the list is almost endless.
And whole grains and beans are great
sources of protein and fiber, which
keeps us full and satisfied.
On Sunday, cook a batch of whole
grains or beans to use in wraps, tacos,
are wines that reflect the culture and
history of this isolated country on the
Iberian Peninsula.
Cabriz White Wine 2010 Dão
Region, Portugal, $8.99
We saw this wine a lot; it seemed to
be ubiquitous throughout Portugal. We
often ordered it for lunch at roadside
cafes—a great inexpensive and cold
quaffer to go with local prawns or
other seafood dishes. It’s made from
traditional varietals: malvasia-fina,
encruzado, cerceal, and bical. What
more can you ask for—a dry white
that is lemony, light, fruity, and wellbalanced with moderate alcohol level.
The beauty of this wine lies in its simplicity. It is emblematic of Portuguese whites
in general—clean, fresh, and unoaked.
Terre Forte Vinho Regional Alentejano 2009, $11.95
I’m not sure which came first, the
Alentejo’s famous black pigs or earthy
Alentejo red wine like this—an ideal
match with this dish. Not a fruity wine
in the way many of us are used to. This
wine exudes spice-like character, something like oil of sage and oregano; plenty
of mineral characteristics like iron; and
just a hint of fruit, maybe pomegranate.
This is no soft easy drinker, but has striking vibrant acidity that carries through to
the dry finish. This black-colored wine is
made for full-flavored meat dishes such
as lamb, pork, or wild game. It’s made
from traditional Alentejo varietals, Argonez and Touriga Nacional, with just a
small amount of syrah and cabernet.
Caves São João Vinhos Regional
Beiras Reserva 2007, $13.95
This wine has a bit more overt oak,
consequently some of that oak sweetness
serves to help tame the acidity and tannins, plus with two more years of aging,
the wine tends to soften up a bit. From the
Lisa Dixon and MicKenzie Hall
salads, and pilafs for the whole week.
They’ll last for three to five days covered in the refrigerator. Cooked beans
can also be blended into spreads or dips.
2. Prepare vegetables
On the weekend, buy a variety of
vegetables (celery, carrots, red peppers,
lettuce, etc.) and wash and cut them so
they’re ready to quickly add to lunches.
Go ahead and roast a batch of vegetables—try potatoes, sweet potatoes,
butternut squash, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, and others. Kids love
roasted vegetables because it brings out
the sugars in the vegetables and makes
them sweeter. Roasted vegetables
are great for dipping and using in a
variety of other ways. Combine them
with your whole grains and beans
and you have instant fillings for
wraps and green or grain salads.
3. Buy a variety of fresh and frozen
fruits
Fruits make perfect snacks and desserts, but think beyond just a whole
piece of fruit. Especially for kids, make
it interesting. Cut banana or apple
slices to dip in peanut butter, peaches
to dip in plain Greek yogurt sweetened with honey, or frozen raspberries
whipped into a smoothie.
4. Take advantage of leftovers
When you’re making dinner, think
about how
you can use
the leftovers
in lunch the
next day. For
example, turn
leftover roast
chicken into
a chicken salad wrap filled
with roasted vegetables, or combine it
with black beans for chicken tacos, or
toss it with cooked quinoa, vegetables,
and a lemon and olive oil vinaigrette
for an easy grain salad.
5. Stock your pantry with nuts and
dried fruit
Keep a variety of nuts and dried
fruit on hand for easy snacking and to
make your lunches more interesting.
Making a chicken salad sandwich?
Toss in walnuts and dried currants for
added crunch, sweetness, and nutrition.
Making a farro salad? Adding chopped
hazelnuts and dried cherries boosts the
nutrition content and makes it more
delicious. And if you’re out of snack
ideas, a handful of almonds and raisins
makes a perfect snack.
6. Use your freezer
Freeze leftover lasagna, soups, stews
or anything saucy in single-serving
containers for access to no-brainer
lunches. Just pull a container of soup
out of the freezer and run out the door.
Cooked pasta, whole grains and beans
Vic and Diane savored the simplicity of Portuguese lifestyles and clean, fresh local wine.
Photos by Vic Hubbard & Diane Brainard
Beiras region in north central Portugal,
it is made with 50 percent baga and 50
percent touriga nacional. This is a red
wine that seems to evoke the wildness of
the countryside with flavors and aromas
reminiscent of dried herbs, cherry bark,
black licorice, and a hint of smoke and tar
around the edges.
Balcalhoa Moscatel de Setúbal
2004, $9.95
This region of the Setúbal Peninsula
south of Lisbon was officially declared
a demarcated region devoted to making muscat-based fortified sweet wines
in 1907, and the history of this famous
wine goes back to its invention in 1834.
Fermentation is arrested by the addition
of neutral spirits thereby retaining sweetness. The pungent skins are left in contact
with the juice up to six months. The result
is stored in oak casks, sometimes for decades, turning orange amber color, bringing out characteristics of dried apricot,
raisins, caramel, honey, and nuts. This is
a thick, strong (17.5 percent alcohol content), dessert style sweet wine, made to
drink in small doses after dinner, maybe
alongside a cup of coffee. It’s also good
with candied walnuts, bleu cheeses, or
pumpkin pie.
also freeze beautifully.
Just freeze in small
batches and thaw as
you need them. You
can even freeze muffins
or cookies, which easily
go from freezer to lunchbox
and will thaw by lunchtime.
7. Pack lunches the night before
This one is a given. The morning
routine goes so quickly, there’s never
time to assemble lunch. Pack it the
night before, and it’s ready to go.
8. Have the right containers
Finding containers is sometimes
half the battle. Keep all of your lunch
supplies in one drawer or cabinet—a
cute lunchbox, reusable containers
and sandwich bags, thermoses for hot
soups, and water bottles. And don’t forget the ice pack!
9. Add a note
If you’re packing lunch for someone
you love, tuck a little note into the
lunchbox. It just might make their day!
Lisa Dixon and McKenzie Hall are
Registered Dietitians & Nutritionists and
co-owners of NourishRDs, specializing in
real foods nutrition counseling. They also
teach for the Co-op’s Healthy Connections program. Visit their website at www.
nourishrds.com and be sure to check out
Lisa’s schedule of upcoming cooking
classes and workshops.
7
Healthy Connections
Cooking, health, and well-being classes
offered by the Community Food Co-op
All classes (unless noted) are held at either the Downtown Co-op’s Connection Building (on the south side of the parking lot on Forest Street) or the Local Roots Room, which is upstairs at the Cordata Co-op. Registration requires payment in full. Some classes are
co-sponsored with Whatcom Community College. To register for these classes, call 360-383-3200 or go online to www.
whatcomcommunityed.com For all other classes stop by the service desk at either store location, or call
360-734-8158 (credit card payment only). See each class listing for location and registration. For any other class
information, contact Kevin Murphy at 360-734-8158 or email [email protected].
Lisa Dixon
supports restoration of the body’s
design function. Dress in comfortable clothes and bring a blanket or mat and two pillows. The
only prerequisite is the desire to
heal your pain or posture problems. Kathleen Grimbly has been
a certified Kripalu Yoga Teacher
since 1995.
$15/Downtown Co-op/register at
Co-op
Festive Mexican Dishes:
Mole and Tamales
with Ana Jackson
Simple Cooking:
Healthy Fast Food
with Lisa Dixon, RD
Monday, October 1, 6:30–9 pm
If you (or your children) are fast food
junkies, let Registered Dietitian Lisa
Dixon teach you to make healthier (and
still delicious) versions of your fast food
favorites in your own kitchen. We’ll
tackle burgers, French fries, chicken fingers, and milkshakes. Enjoy juicy turkey
burgers with apple chutney, baked rosemary potato fries, crispy chicken strips
with homemade yogurt ranch dressing,
and a peanut butter-banana milkshake.
$29/Downtown Co-op/register at Co-op
Make Your Own
Raw Chocolates
with Bruce Horowitz
Tuesday, October 2, 6–8:30 pm
Learn to create sweet, chocolate sensations that are full of the antioxidants,
vitality and flavor, but without the sugar
and dairy found in most chocolate. All
creations made with organic, fair-trade,
unroasted cacao. Raw chef extraordinaire Bruce Horowitz will give you new
insight into why the ancient Mayan and
Aztecs considered chocolate “food of the
gods.”
$39/Cordata Co-op/register at WCC (360383-3200)
Bone Health
with Jim Ehmke, CN
Wednesday, October 3, 6:30–8:30
Understand bone chemistry, bone
building and bone health. Jim Ehmke
will give details on a comprehensive program for increasing bone density. He’ll
discuss the role of calcium and other
minerals and vitamins, the pros and cons
of bone density testing, the effectiveness
of hair tissue analysis, and more.
Healing Pain with Yoga:
Upper Body
with Kathleen Grimbly
Thursday, October 4, 10–11:15 am
Learn to unite body-mind-spirit to heal
the causes of upper body pain in this
class focused on the head, neck, back,
shoulders, arms, and hands. Whether
your pain is chronic or acute, try a practice that provides immediate relief and
8
Ana Jackson demonstrates two
authentic Mexican dishes suitable
for holiday feasts and special occasions. The first is turkey with
red mole. In this classic Mexican
mole, ingredients like chocolate,
garlic, chiles, and cumin come
together to create a taste that is complex,
earthy, and spectacular. By Mexican
standards this is a basic mole, but still includes more than twenty ingredients. Ana
will also demonstrate a special “easy”
tamale recipe that can be prepared with
different fillings and sauces.
Ethiopian Cuisine
with Mulu Belay
Monday, October 8, 6–9 pm
Join Mulu Belay of Ambo Ethiopian
Cuisine as she makes Ethiopian favorites including doro wat (a spicy chicken
stew), gomen (stewed kale), ibe (cottage
cheese made from buttermilk) and, of
course, injera, the sourdough flatbread
that accompanies traditional Ethiopian
menus.
Core Control and Pain
with Juliana Bohn, PT
Tuesday, October 9, 6:30–8 pm
Have you ever wondered why all
your sweat equity in core control classes
hasn’t changed your chronic pain? Is it
just hype? Juliana Bohn answers your
questions on core control and pain. Juliana is the owner of Bellingham Sports
and Spine Physical Therapy Clinic and
can be found trail running with a fluid
and dynamic core in the Cascade foothills.
Free/Downtown
Co-op/register at
Co-op
Gluten Free
Baking
for Dummies
with Jean
Layton, ND
Wednesday,
October 10,
6–8:30 pm
Join Dr. Jean
Layton, coauthor of Gluten
Free Baking for Dummies, to create
vegetable-filled calzones with gluten-free
whole grain pizza crust dough (both with
and without cheese), apple turnovers
with vegan pie crust, and cinnamon pullapart bread. Each recipe will use whole
grains rather than gums to create the desired fluffy and firm texture. Bring your
baking questions and Dr. Jean will bring
the answers.
This class is focused on the lower back,
hips, knees, and feet.
Putting the Health Back in
Healthcare
Japanese Izakaya
with Robert Fong
Thursday, October 11, 6:30–9 pm
In Japan casual neighborhood eateries known as izakaya feature traditional
home-style dishes accompanied by a
drink. Robert shares favorite izakaya
dishes: chicken karaage (super crispy
fried chicken); freshly handmade ramen
with shrimp, seaweed, and spicy pickled
cabbage; and yaki shiitake ponzu (grilled
autumn mushrooms). A premium sake
option, payable at class, is $9.
$39/Downtown Co-op/register at WCC (360383-3200)
Nutrition for Active Lifestyles
with Gene Kelly
Monday, October 15, 6:30–8:30 pm
Learn how to support a physically active lifestyle with nutrient-rich whole
foods. Gene Kelly of Switchback Fitness
will demonstrate how to make energy
drinks and energy bars that are delicious,
nutritious, and effective. We’ll discuss
how to design a personal diet, when and
how much to eat, and 10 foods to avoid.
Don’t rely on sugar and supplements to
do what whole foods do better.
Autumn Soups for the Body
and Soul
with Karina Davidson
Drive away those dark weather blues
with hearty soup. Karina presents an
autumn tour of soups from around the
world including classic French onion
with gruyère crostinis, Italian minestrone
with arborio rice, Moroccan chickpea
soup with greens, and Greek lemony
chicken with orzo.
Take Control of Your Health:
Cancer
with Jim Ehmke, CN
Wednesday, October 17,
6:30–8:30 pm
Between the prevalence of environmental carcinogens
and of risky lifestyle
Jean Layton
and dietary choices,
we live in a precancerous culture. Jim
Ehmke will talk
about a wide range
of cancer prevention and therapeutic
strategies including diet, herbs and
nutrients, chemo,
radiation, and more.
$5/Downtown Co-op/
register at Co-op
Healing Pain with Yoga:
Lower Body
with Kathleen Grimbly
Thursday, October 18, 10–11:15 am
See description for the October 4 class.
with Monique Arsenault, CC
Thursday, October 18, 6:30–8:30 pm
Monique Arsenault leads an exploration of options for maximizing health and
well being, and provides suggestions on
what to do when supplements or getting
off of wheat and dairy are not enough.
In this talk we will re-examine historical
and contemporary philosophies of health
and disease as well as learn some simple
techniques to bring quality healthcare
back into own hands. Monique Arsenault
is a homeopathic practitioner at The
Natural Health Clinic in Bellingham.
Free/Downtown Co-op/register at Co-op
Breathe to Heal and Prevent
Chronic Illness
with Deb Zucker, ND
Dr. Deb Zucker offers an introduction
on how to retrain our breath (quality and
pace) to optimize the nourishment of
our body. She will explore the nature of
stress, somatic intelligence, and how the
breath and other biofeedback tools can
help us to consciously regulate our physical bodies and prevent many prevalent
chronic health conditions.
Korean Tacos
with Mary Ellen Carter
Tuesday, October 23, 6–8 pm
It all started with Kogi BBQ, the Los
Angeles taco truck with a cult following.
Now, Korean tacos—using Mexicanstyle corn tortillas and Korean fillings—
are taking other cities by storm. Mary
Ellen Carter will make marinated short
rib tacos and miso-marinated chicken
tacos topped with a spicy sesame slaw
with cabbage and jicama in a chili soy
vinaigrette. Enjoy this fusion phenomenon in your own kitchen. A wine option,
payable at class, is $7.
Washington Wines
with Laurent Martel
Wednesday, October 24, 7–8:30 pm
Veteran wine educator Laurent Martel
invites you on a taster’s tour of the nation’s second largest wine-producing
state. We will sample as many regions
and varieties as time will allow while
discussing Washington’s eight wine appellations (soon to be nine), the particular qualities of Washington merlots, the
potential for syrah in this state, what’s
next for Washington wine producers, and
more. You must be 21 or older to attend
this class.
Festive Mexican Dishes II
with Ana Jackson
Ana Jackson presents three festive
recipes with the spotlight on mancha
manteles (literally “tablecloth stainer”)
a luscious dark-red mole-like stew
Healthy Connections
Continued from page 8
featuring pork, root vegetables, and fruit.
Ana fills out the menu with mushroomcorn tortilla soup and almond flan, a
Spanish-style baked custard made with
almond meal.
Cooking Ahead
with Kathleen Bander
Saturday, October 27, 10 am–3 pm
By keeping your freezer stocked with
meals prepared ahead, you can revolutionize your family’s meal plan, saving
time and money while maximizing taste
and nutrition. Kathleen Bander takes you
through the whole process from planning
and shopping to constructing the meals
while sharing creative tips for every step.
The class will prepare spinach lasagna,
stuffed shells, vegetable soup, chicken
parmesan with marinara sauce and Kathleen’s Catch-All Casserole. Bring your
own lunch and take home two or three
servings of each of these dishes.
Make Your Own
Gluten-free Raw Crackers
with Elizabeth Moonrose
Join Elizabeth Moonrose as she demonstrates how to make raw gluten-free
flax crackers using a food dehydrator.
The basic recipe can be varied to make
crackers that are thin like chips or thick
like cookies, with flavor possibilities
ranging from spicy to sweet to pure and
simple. Easy to make and delicious, these
crunchy raw crackers are an inspiring
addition to any food spread. Hands-on
experience and taste treats are provided.
Foods for Aging Gracefully
with Lisa Dixon, RD
While there’s really no such thing as
anti-aging lotions or potions, we’re all
going to age through the years, whether
we like it or not. You can age gracefully and feel beautiful through those
years—and food can help. Registered
Dietitian and Nutritionist Lisa Dixon will
discuss “beauty foods”—those foods that
help give us glowing skin, healthy hair,
and strong nails. The class will include
sample beauty food recipes and Lisa will
give you tools to create an eating plan
to help you age gracefully. Samples and
handouts provided. A wine option, payable at class, is $6.
$10/Cordata Co-op/register at Co-op
Mangia Italiano
with Karina Davidson
Thursday, November 1, 6:30–9 pm
Enjoy a multi-course Italian feast.
Karina Davidson features Pasta Bolognese as a main dish, complemented by an
antipasto tray of veggies, olives, meats,
and cheeses; mixed green salad with
lemon vinaigrette; and cioppino (a hearty
seafood soup). For dessert we’ll enjoy
a light and luscious fruit panna cotta. A
wine option, payable at class, is $7.
success, and reduce your carbon footprint. Nutrition topics will address the
impact of foods on personal performance
and carbon emissions. Motivational
coaching will help you create a sustainable vision for your own life. A healthy
lifestyle is delicious, sustainable, and
rewarding. Snacks provided.
Clean Thrive Diet
with Jean Layton, ND
Wednesday, November 7,
6:30–7:30 pm
The Clean Thrive program is a physician-led elimination and challenge diet.
By clearing your body of reactions then
reintroducing potential allergens, you
will know which foods are ideal for your
body and which to avoid.
Malaysian-Laotian-Vietnamese
with Robert Fong
Enjoy flavorful, fun, and easy-to-make
Southeast Asian dishes including Laotian
Hot Sour Seafood Soup, Malaysian Massaman Chicken Curry, and Vietnamese
Lemon Grass Beef. A wine option, payable at class is $8.
$39/Downtown Co-op/register at WCC
(360-383-3200)
3 Secrets to Stress
Management
with Steve Noble, DC
Monday, November 12, 6:30–7:30 pm
Learn strategies to deal with life’s major stressors: physical, biochemical, and
psychological. The talk covers the stress
that occurs to your nervous system and
how, over time, your health degrades.
The talk also focuses on solutions to getting the nervous system back on line and
with that we see some remarkable health
improvements.
Free/Downtown Co-op/register at Co-op
Simple Cooking for
Heart Health
with Lisa Dixon, RD
Tuesday, November 13, 6–8:30 pm
If you are trying to lower your risk for
developing heart disease or have been
diagnosed with heart disease and are
interested in learning how to manage
your diet, this class is for you. Registered
Dietitian and Nutritionist Lisa Dixon will
share tips and recipes to help keep your
heart healthy. Recipes will include panroasted salmon with yogurt dill sauce,
and sweet pea puree.
Thyroid Health
with Mystique Grobe, ND
Wednesday,
November 14, 7–9 pm
As our world grows increasingly toxic
and our bodies become more stressed,
problems with the thyroid are nearly
epidemic. Dr. Grobe will address how
we can counteract environmental and
emotional influences on the thyroid. She
will also discuss the role of diet and the
thyroid’s relationship to other organs and
systems.
Sustainable Food and Mood
with Cindy Brooks, LMP, and
Sonja Max, RD
Monday, November 5, 6:30–8:30 pm
Nourish your body, sustain your mind,
and respect your planet. Learn to optimize energy, create habits for long-term
A Fine Fall Meal
with Robert Fong
It’s a cooking class—it’s a splendid
meal. Dungeness crab whiskey soup,
perfectly roasted chicken with truffle salt
and three fragrant peppercorns, and
delicata squash with mushroom duxelles. A wine option, payable at class,
is $8.
$45/Downtown Co-op/register at WCC
(360-383-3200)
Healthy Aging Strategies for
the Holidays
with Richard Tran, DC
Tuesday, November 27, 6:30–8:30 pm
Discover strategies to control holiday hunger while developing healthy
eating strategies that will help you lose
weight and have more energy into the
New Year.
$10 suggested donation/Downtown Coop/register at Co-op
Robert Fong
The Art of Wine
Aromatherapy Gifts
from Nature
with Ryan Wildstar
Thursday, December 6, 6:30–8 pm
Give the gift of health and happiness
this year with aromatherapies for peace,
positivity, anti-anxiety, insomnia, PTSD,
pain relief, and more. In this fun and informative interactive class we will smell,
mix, and test several recipes and make
aroma-sprays and therapy oils for yourself or gifts. No experience necessary,
beginner or advanced, all are welcome.
Class fee includes one therapy blend to
take home.
A unique marriage of fine wines paired
with seminal works of art, literature,
and music by the masters that hail from
the same region. Mozart and Riesling.
Michelangelo and Chianti Riserva. Colette and Cotes du Rhone. Sit back and
let your senses go as we enjoy wine and
cheese that has been carefully paired
with a presentation of art, music, and
literature. We’ll sample one sparkling
wine, two whites, two reds, and one dessert wine. Food pairings matched to each
wine and work of art. You must be 21 or
older to attend this class.
Simple Cooking to Prevent
Diabetes
Make Your Own
Gingerbread House
with Michelle Mahler
Wednesday, November 28,
6:30–8:30 pm
with Lisa Dixon, RD
Wednesday, December 5, 6–8:30 pm
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes, this class is for
you. Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist
Lisa Dixon will show you how to create
a balanced dinner plate, featuring simple
recipes you can easily and affordably
prepare in your home kitchen. We’ll
enjoy roasted pork tenderloin with salsa
verde, creamy cauliflower puree, beet
salad with pistachios and goat cheese,
and grilled peaches and cream.
with Kathleen Bander
Saturday, December 8, 10 am–3 pm
Share in the magic of the season by
constructing a classic gingerbread house
in this workshop for the whole family.
Participants will learn how to build gingerbread houses from scratch and will
have a completed house at the end of
class. Delight family and friends with a
truly unique present. All materials will be
provided, although you can bring special
candies to decorate the house. Please
bring your own lunch to class.
$35 per individual, $20 each additional family member/Cordata Co-op/register at WCC
(360-383-3200)
PeaceHealth Partners with Co-op
The Community Food Co-op is
happy to announce a new partnership with the PeaceHealth St. Joseph
Medical Center Nutrition and Diabetes Clinic for the purpose of offering
cooking and nutrition classes to the
community. The partnership allows
the Diabetes Clinic to expand its
education program to include more
of an in-the-kitchen component.
“Our patients have been asking
for help with basic cooking and meal
planning skills,” said Cindy Brinn,
program coordinator for the Nutrition and Diabetes Clinic. “It seems
meal preparation is becoming a lost
art, and many are resorting to unhealthy frozen foods and restaurant
entrees, so we are thrilled to have
registered dietitian Lisa Dixon teaching classes at the beautiful Co-op
kitchens.”
Besides including information
specific to diabetes prevention, the
classes will emphasize basic cooking
skills, wholesome ingredients, and
simple but delicious recipes. These
classes will be promoted through the
hospital and as part of the Co-op’s
ongoing Healthy Connections class
series, and are open to everyone.
Registered Dietitian Lisa Dixon,
who is teaching all six of the fall
classes in this partnership, is coowner of NourishRDs and operates
a private nutrition practice in Bellingham. “Whole foods are powerful
medicine,” said Lisa. “I’m passionate
about helping people learn to love
to cook with whole foods. It doesn’t
have to be complicated. And what
better way to get healthy than by eating fresh, delicious food?” Upcoming classes include Simple Cooking:
Healthy Fast Food on October 1,
Foods for Aging Gracefully on October 30, and Simple Cooking for Heart
Health on November 13.
The classes are held at both the
Downtown and Cordata Co-ops. Registration for the classes is through the
Co-op by calling 360-734-8158. For
more information on these and other
Co-op classes, see www.communityfood.coop/home/master-calendar.
9
Why Buy Organic?
Liz McMann, Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op
On Labor Day, activists from around the country participated in a fun Facebook action to demand that Hershey‘s
and the rest of the cocoa industry end the grinding poverty
and abusive child labor in the cocoa fields.
Photos courtesy of global exchange fair trade blog
Our Co-op Joins Campaign to
Raise the Bar on Hershey
Forty-one consumer food co-ops and
natural foods retailers operating 62 stores
released an open letter on August 23 to
the Hershey Company, demanding that
Hershey take action to end child slave
labor on its cocoa farms in Ivory Coast.
Retailers asked Hershey, whose house
brands include Dagoba and Scharffen
Berger, to utilize ethically-sourced cocoa
produced under fair labor standards. Ivory
Coast farms are the source of about 35
percent of the world cocoa supply.
Participating co-ops include Ashland
Food Co-op, Bloomingfoods, Whole
Foods Co-op, Bellingham Community
Food Co-op, Bozeman Community Food
Co-op, Hendersonville Community Coop, Neighborhood Co-op Grocery, PCC
Natural Markets, and others.
The action follows a July report by
the Fair Labor Association that found
rampant child slavery in the Ivory Coast
(www.fairlabor.org/report/assessment-
nestle-cocoa-supply-chain-ivory-coast).
In addition to the letter signed by retailers, a group of human rights and trade
union groups—Global Exchange, Green
America, International Labor Rights
Forum, Organic Consumers Association,
AIDS Healthcare Foundation, National
Guestworker Alliance, International
Brotherhood of Teamsters, and United
Food and Commercial Workers—have
called on Whole Foods, United Natural
Foods Inc., and other retailers and distributors to sign the letter.
This article was featured in Cooperative Grocer, the bi-monthly trade
magazine for food cooperatives in North
America (www.cooperativegrocer.coop).
To read the letter signed by co-ops and
natural grocers, see www.raisethebarhershey.org/food-coops-and-natural-grocersign-on-letter.
Learn more about organic
food at this Co-op-sponsored
Doctober movie at
Pickford Film Center
IN ORGANIC
WE TRU$T
Monday, October 22, 7:30 pm
An eye-opening food documentary
that explores commonly asked questions about organic food.
•Doors open at 7 pm for a meet and
greet in the lobby
•Q&A following the movie
•www.inorganicwetrust.org
•www.communityfood.coop
Co-sponsored by Community
Food Co-op and Sustainable
Connections in celebration
of the International Year of
Cooperatives at
Pickford Film Center
SHIFT CHANGE:
Putting Democracy to Work
Saturday, November 3, 4 pm
•Filmmakers present for Q&A
following the movie
•Info from local cooperatives in
the lobby
•www.shiftchange.org
•www.communityfood.coop
•www.sustainableconnections.org
10
If you’ve listened to public radio
or been on the internet in recent
weeks, you’ve likely heard about how
organic food isn’t healthier than conventional. Reporters and researchers
who have come to this conclusion
are basing it on a study of previous
research recently released by Stanford University showing that organic
foods do not consistently have a
higher level of vitamins and minerals than conventionally grown foods.
This research isn’t anything new.
This study is easily critiqued by noticing that the researchers’ definition
of health is limited to just levels of
vitamins and minerals. I don’t know
of anyone who eats organic food because they think there’s going to be
more calcium or folic acid in the food.
People eat organic foods to avoid pesticide exposure (the far lower levels
are supported by this research study),
and to avoid antibiotic-resistant bacteria, GMOs, growth hormones, and
animals cooped up in cages. They eat
organic food to support farmers who
invest in biodiversity, topsoil conservation, and long-term sustainability.
But folks who are just flipping
through the paper might skim these
headlines and conclude that organic
foods are not healthier. If you hear
this or get questions related to this
study, please do your part to expand
people’s definition of health beyond
nutrition to the broader environment.
We don’t live in a vacuum. Our health
is impacted by the environment, pesticides, growth hormones, GMOs, and
antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Organic
food IS healthier.
Reprinted with permission from Liz
McMann, Consumer Affairs Manager,
Mississippi Market Natural Foods
Co-op in Saint Paul MN, www.msmarket.coop.
Another resource on this topic is
the in-depth analysis by watchdog
organization Cornucopia Institute
at www.cornucopia.org/2012/09/
stanfords-spin-on-organics-allegedlytainted-by-biotechnology-funding.
A local resource on this topic is author blogger Nancy Ging’s thoughtful
Whatcom Locavore blog at whatcomlocavore.com/organic-food-betteryou-not.
Protect Organics from Undue Corporate
Influence and Corruption at the USDA
Cornucopia Institute
The organic label was intended
to be a safe harbor for individuals
seeking whole foods produced in
concert with nature, without dangerous chemicals and added synthetic
ingredients. Organic pioneers built
this movement as an alternative to
industrial-scale, chemical agriculture
that has proven ruinous to familyscale farming, the environment, and
human health.
But the might of agribusiness and
corporate power is degrading organics with factory farm production,
the approval of questionable and
potentially dangerous synthetic additives for use in organic food, and
the illegal appointment of agribusiness employees to positions of power
on the National Organic Standards
Board (NOSB).
Meanwhile, the unsavory alliance
between the USDA and corporate
agribusiness remains strong with
wholesale and accelerated approval
of genetically modified organisms.
Things were grim during the Bush
administration and we were promised “change” under President
Obama, but USDA leadership is
looking the other way while the
organic law continues to be compromised.
Cornucopia’s 75-page white paper,
The Organic Watergate, details violations of federal law and the ignoring
of congressional intent that have created a climate of regulatory abuse and
corporate exploitation. Not only is the
15-member NOSB stacked in favor
of agribusiness, but faulty and biased
scientific reviews (written by agribusiness employees and consultants)
are being used to defend and promote
approval of unneeded and potentially
dangerous additives in organic food
like carrageenan (classified as a “possible carcinogen” by the World Health
Organization) and synthetic DHA
(with reports of serious resulting illnesses to the FDA).
Organics should operate under the
“precautionary principle” and preclude risky and gimmicky additives
until proven safe!
The organic label may be regulated
by the federal government, but it is
owned by us all. Help us fight for the
integrity of the organic label and ensure
that it still delivers its needed vision of
healthful wholesome food, responsible
ecologically-based land stewardship,
humane animal husbandry, and economic justice for family-scale farmers.
Together, let us demand that the
USDA operate the National Organic
Program legally and as intended by
Congress.
For details on how to include your
voice on this issue, see www.cornucopia.org/breaking-scandal-the-organic-watergate/.
New Cookbook
Fire in My Belly:
Real Cooking
Chef Kevin Gillespie
Chef Kevin Gillespie, executive
chef at Atlanta’s Woodfire Grill and
fan favorite on Bravo’s Top Chef,
has released his first cookbook Fire
In My Belly.
“Cooking is figuring out the great
qualities of any food and making
those qualities shine.” That’s the
inspiring message of Fire In My
Belly. The book celebrates good
ingredients with more than 120 hip,
accessible recipes presented in a
cutting-edge design.
Kevin’s southern charm, passion,
and funny stories guide readers
through one-of-a-kind chapters like
“Foods You Thought You Hated,”
“When I Want to Eat Healthy,” “My
Version of Southern Food,” “World
Classics Revisited,” and “Junk
Food.” Fire in My Belly shows
cooks what to do with fresh farmers’ market food while providing a
backstage pass to the life of a rising
culinary star.
Now available for pre-sale, the
book will be released on October
Running out of ideas?
Recycle Your Used Plastic Pots
Saturday & Sunday, October 13–14
16. Kevin remarked, “I hope each of
you find it as rewarding to cook from
as I did to write.”
You can meet Kevin at an interview and book signing at Book
Larder, a cookbook store in Seattle,
on October 16, 6:30 pm at 4252 Fremont Ave. N, Seattle.
Find Kevin on Facebook at www.
facebook.com/ChefKevinGillespie
and the Woodfire Grill at www.woodfiregrill.com. See videos featuring
Kevin at communityfood.coop.
GMO Myths and Truths
A recently released report titled
GMO Myths and Truths is an
evidence-based examination of the
claims made for the safety and efficacy of genetically modified (GM)
crops. Authors Michael Antoniou,
Claire Robinson, and John Fagan are
with Earth Open Source, a not-forprofit organization based in the United Kingdom. Below is a recap from
the Executive Summary of the report.
GM crops are promoted on the basis of a range of far-reaching claims
from the GM crop industry and its
supporters. They say that GM crops:
• Are an extension of natural breeding and do not pose different risks
from naturally bred crops
• Are safe to eat and can be more nutritious than naturally bred crops
• Are strictly regulated for safety
• Increase crop yields
• Reduce pesticide use
• Benefit farmers and make their
lives easier
• Bring economic benefits
• Benefit the environment
• Can help solve problems caused by
climate change
• Reduce energy use
• Will help feed the world
However, a large and growing body
of scientific and other authoritative
evidence shows that these claims are
not true. On the contrary, evidence
presented in this report indicates that
GM crops:
• Are laboratory-made, using technology that is totally different from
natural breeding methods, and
pose different risks from non-GM
crops
• Can be toxic, allergenic or less
nutritious than their natural counterparts
• Are not adequately regulated to
ensure safety
• Do not increase yield potential
• Do not reduce pesticide use, but
increase it
• Create serious problems for farmers, including herbicide-tolerant
“superweeds,” compromised soil
quality, and increased disease susceptibility in crops
• Have mixed economic effects
• Harm soil quality, disrupt ecosystems, and reduce biodiversity
• Do not offer effective solutions to
climate change
• Are as energy-hungry as any other
chemically-farmed crops
• Cannot solve the problem of world
hunger but distract from its real
causes—poverty, lack of access to
food and, increasingly, lack of access to land to grow it on.
Based on the evidence presented
in this report, there is no need to take
What to do with all those plastic
garden pots that accumulate during
gardening season? Bring them to
Cordata on October 13 and 14. Nick
Guilford from Sunseed Farm in Acme
will park a trailer at the Cordata Coop to collect any size plastic pots,
packs, and flats—whole or broken.
He asks that you stack them to save
space. They don’t need to be washed
but should be free of soil and debris.
There will also be a separate bucket
for plastic plant tags.
Nick takes most of the items to
Skagit River Steel & Recycling, and if
you have an unusually large quantity,
you could take your pots there directly.
Nick says, “We just do it as a service,
and to help take care of the resources
involved in our business. We have to
pay a nominal amount of money to
drop them off at the recycler, but we
purchase pots made from recycled
plastic, so this is a great way for everyone to keep the cycle going over and
over.” Our thanks to Nick for providing this service for Co-op owners.
For more information about
Skagit River Steel & Recycling, see
skagitriversteel.com.
risks with GM crops when effective,
readily available, and sustainable solutions to the problems that GM technology is claimed to address already
exist. Conventional plant breeding,
in some cases helped by safe modern
technologies like gene mapping and
marker assisted selection, continues
to outperform GM in producing highyield, drought-tolerant, and pest- and
disease-resistant crops that can meet
our present and future food needs.
For the full report, look for GMO
Myths and Truths on www.earthopensource.org. Earth Open Source is
dedicated to assuring the sustainability, security, and safety of the global
food system.
Co-op
Community News
Advertising Sign-up Dates
EveryMonthly
Other Month
Ad Sign-up Schedule
Issue
Sign-up Dates
NOVEMBER
Sept 25–Oct 5
DECEMBER
Oct 25–Nov 5
JANUARY
Nov 25–Dec 5
FEBRUARY
Dec 26–Jan 5
Ad space is limited. All ads are reserved
on a first-come, first-served basis during
designated sign-up times only, and must
be prepaid. For ad forms and more complete info, stop by the service desk or call
360-734-8158.
Information to place an ad is available
online at www.communityfood.coop.
11
Revisiting Grandma’s Persimmons
Kate Ferry, Co-op Owner and Blogger
I try to embrace each of the seasons
as they arrive, but hold a very special
place in my heart for fall. Crunchy leaves
and a rainbow of splendid oranges, yellows, browns, and reds is an intoxicating combination. The sun still provides
a cozy warmth, and the mornings are
greeted with heady fog. I am admittedly
a sucker for the bounty of produce, too.
Pumpkins, squashes, and apples tempt
your tastebuds and tickle your nose. And
the misunderstood and under-appreciated
persimmon makes its appearance in fall. I
have a love-hate relationship with the persimmon that goes back to childhood.
My late grandmother, Mary, had a
bountiful persimmon tree in her California front yard. Come October the branches would bow low with the weight of the
orange globes and Grandma’s kitchen
would begin producing spicy cookies,
moist loaves of bread, and dense pudding.
Every tasty treat had a beautiful orange
hue and was flecked with the flesh of the
persimmon. My grandma passed away
in 2008, and I attempted to console my
lonely heart by buying persimmons from
the grocery store. I desperately wanted to
cling to those childhood memories and
bring a bit of Grandma Mary back.
My first venture into working with
persimmons yielded a strange fuzzy feeling and mouth altering tingly numbness.
What had happened to those delectable
sweet fruits that made such scrumptious
desserts? I figured that I lacked the “persimmon touch” that Grandma had and
gave up. A few years later, I was flipping
through my recipe book and stumbled
upon the original Persimmon Cookie
recipe from Grandma’s recipe box. I decided to give the persimmon another try
and succeeded by following some hints
from Google.
Below are some tools to help guide
you in the world of persimmons and
offer you the know-how to enjoy this
splendid fall fruit.
The Ins & Outs of Persimmons
The two most common types of persimmons found in North America are
the Fuyu and the Hachiya. Both varieties are orange in color and are readily
available at local grocery stores. Persimmons are harvested in October or November, when their color has developed,
but they are still hard. The green calyx
(stem portion) is left on the fruit when it
is removed from the tree.
The Fuyu is not an astringent (mouth
numbing) and is distinguished by its
short, squat stature. Fuyu persimmons
can be used right after picking or allowed
to ripen at home. They can be sliced and
peeled and added to salads.
The Hachiya (the variety in my
Grandma’s yard) is a strong astringent
fruit when raw and is primarily used for
baking. The fruit has a heart shape with
an elongated end. When fully ripe it has
a very sweet flavor and makes wonderful cakes, puddings, jams and cookies.
Allow the fruit to fully ripen on the
counter at room temperature. The fruit is
full ripe when it is beyond squishy. The
inside will feel almost liquid, as though
the only thing holding it together is the
skin. You can prep the fruit by cutting it
into quarters and then scraping the flesh
from the skin.
Fall is a season worth embracing,
and the black sheep of the harvest, the
persimmon, is a fun fruit to experiment
with. My recipe of choice for the beginner is the cookie. Its uniquely sweet flavor and moist cake-like fluff will leave
you wanting to experiment with more
persimmon recipes. The pudding is a
unique twist on an old standby and wor-
thy of praise. Enjoy these shorter days
of fall and celebrate the season by delving into the bounty. These recipes are
courtesy of Grandma Mary Kosanovic.
Find Kate Ferry’s blog at sacredbee.
net to follow the Ferry family’s effort
to buy organic and local, reduce their
waste, and eliminate artificial and
harmful products from their home.
Persimmon Cookies
1 cup persimmon pulp (about 3 persimmons)
1 tsp. baking soda sprinkled over
mashed pulp
1 cup sugar
½ cup shortening
1 egg, beaten well
2 cups flour
1 tsp. cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup raisins or dates
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat
persimmon pulp, baking soda, sugar,
and shortening thoroughly. Add egg
and mix. Mix in remaining ingredients. Drop by teaspoonful onto
lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake
for 12 to 15 minutes. Yields: 3 dozen
cookies.
Persimmon Pudding
Photo by Kate Ferry
1 cup sugar
1-1/3 cups flour
1 cup persimmon pulp
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup shortening
1 egg
½ cup milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. vanilla
½ cup of each: raisins, nuts, dates
Mix all ingredients well. Steam
90 minutes in coffee cans covered in
foil. Do not overfill to avoid spillage.
Freezes well.
Farm Fund Spotlight
Seed Saving—
a Legacy for Whatcom County
Kate N. Nichols
Inspiration Farm was well named
for the abundance of creative ideas and
projects flowing out of it into the community. Brian Kerkvliet and his wife Alexandra King steward this unique farm.
Celt Schira, another innovative farmer,
collaborated with Brian on an important project at the farm—saving seeds
for crops that the community needs to
thrive in the future. The Co-op helped to
fund this project through its Farm Fund
by helping to pay for the refurbishing of
a seed cleaning winnower.
“Independently we have been producing vegetable seed crops and growing
small amounts of grains, dry beans, and
corn for several years,” Celt explains. She
has grown many of her seed trials in her
yard on the south side of Bellingham. Her
passion is growing cold season vegetables
to learn the best varieties for the busy
backyard gardener. Brian has planted
heritage seeds from as far away as Nepal,
Russia, and Brazil—countries with analogous climates, trial seed crops and small
grains—to learn which ones will work in
Whatcom County’s maritime climate.
After harvesting their crops, they thresh
and winnow the crops together. Threshing is a method of separating the grain
or seeds from the husks and straw, and
winnowing separates the grain from the
chaff. Brian built a small thresher out
of a chipper by slowing down the gearing. At first they were winnowing using
hand screens, a technique that requires
a knack for tossing seeds and the right
wind; too much wind blows away the
seeds, not enough wind and the seeds
won’t separate from the chaff. When
Brian and Celt’s success at growing
crops expanded the quantity of seeds
beyond hand winnowing, Brian created
a winnower out of a fan, an irrigation
pipe, and two street Ys.
But they reached the tipping point
when they grew enough quantity to need
a machine that was more consistent and
adjustable than Brian’s invention. Both
Celt and Brian believe that it is important
to grow crops in a way that farmers can
feed themselves and others without getting to the level that demands commercial investments and equipment such as
a commercial winnower for $8,000. Celt
researched the next step for the intermediate farmer. She found, and bought,
a hundred-year-old Clipper 2B fanning
mill from Illinois.
The Clipper arrived in good shape,
but as with most hundred-year-olds, it
needed some refurbishing. The wooden
frame requires sanding and refinishing,
but is solid.
“We have the plywood, sheet metal,
and electric motor to restore the Clipper,” Celt said. Brian will fabricate the
metal pieces that it needs by using the
original pieces as patterns.
The Clipper came with only one
screen, and that’s where the Co-op’s
Farm Fund grant kicked in to help
them buy the screens they need to
clean grain seeds. The Farm Fund grant
will pay for a set of 22 2’ x 2’ metal
screens from Hoffman Manufacturing
in Portland. The next step will to be to
acquire more screens to accommodate
dry seed production for brassicas, alliums, lettuce, carrots, beets, spinach,
chard; small grains, peas, and small
beans; and flowers and herbs.
Many area
farmers have
been growing
seed trials to find
what crops work
best in this maritime climate.
What is really exciting about the fanning mill is that it allows smaller farmers to start producing enough seeds to
plant and grow production quantities.
“It takes about three years for seeds to
adapt to this climate and soil,” Brian
said. He also pointed out the need for
diverse crops for rotating to maintain
good soil health without excessive fertilizers and irrigation in an integrated
system.
Brian and Celt regard the seed cleaner as a community resource. Because
of its age and the skill needed to run it,
Brian and Celt’s intention is to set up
the Clipper at Inspiration Farm and have
winnowing parties similar to what farmers used to have. So farmers growing
similar seeds would come on a particular day and get their seeds winnowed. It
would also be available for community
members who home garden.
Brian pointed to the Whatcom Pastured Poultry Group equipment standing
next to the Clipper and said that he’d
like to see a program similar to that one,
a cooperative that charges a small lending fee for people to use it. Heifer International paid for that equipment which
made it affordable for the backyard
chicken raiser. The Clipper could also
be used for a small fee.
Celt holds the
screen included
with the Clipper (l).
At the Clipper Brian
sorts new screens
purchased through
a Farm Fund loan
(above ctr). An
original Clipper
piece that will need
to be fabricated
(above r). Brian
and Celt hand winnow some of their
own wheat (r).
Photos by Joanne Plucy
Seed saving is important because it
gives Whatcom County farmers the diversity of crops already adapted to this
climate, needed to maintain a healthy
farming environment. The Clipper provides farmers with the opportunity to produce the quantity of seeds that they need
for larger scale cultivation. Local seed
production is a piece of the larger vision
that in the future local farmers can grow
all the necessary food for our community.
Some material in this article was used
with permission from Celt Schira’s blog
at transitionwhatcom.ning.com/profiles/
blog/list?user=0a99ghcin8jvu. To learn
more about Inspiration Farm, see www.
inspirationfarm.com. Kate Nichols is a
Bellingham-based freelance writer who
is passionate about food, community, and
the environment.

Community Food Co-op

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