HOOTENANNY - Community Food Co-op

NEWS
September 2014
Enter to Win a
50 Co-op Gift Card
$
Look for the hidden Hootenanny sunbursts throughout the newsletter,
including the ones shown on this page.
Then submit your name, phone number, and how many sunbursts you
found in the entry box at the service desk at each store.
We’ll draw one lucky winner on October 1. Good luck!
­Farm
Fund Hootenanny —
Fund Our Farms and Eat Local
Kick up your heels at the Community Food Coop’s second annual Farm Fund benefit!
neft supporting
e
b
a
and farming pr
d
o
oje
fo
l
a
cts
loc
HOOTENANNY
Saturday, September 27
Firehouse Performing Arts Center
1314 Harris Ave in Fairhaven
doors at 6 pm • $5 – $20 donation
KICK UP YOUR HEELS!
Square Dance
Raffle Prizes
Local Food
The Hootenanny is
back by popular request!
Join the fun and support
local farms—100% of the
proceeds directly benefit
food and farming projects
in Whatcom and Skagit
counties.
Doors open at 6 pm and a
delicious local meal will be available
for purchase throughout the night
featuring food donated by some of
our supporters: Homemade Firehouse
Café chili; Co-op bakery cornbread;
salad from Moondance Farm, Growing
Garden, and Cloud Mountain
Farm; BelleWood Acres cider; and
Mallard Ice Cream and Co-op bakery
chocolate chip walnut cookies.
The square dance will swing into
action at 6:30 pm with The Great
Big Taters, an ensemble of some of
Bellingham’s best old-timey musicians,
and square dance caller Charmaine
Slaven. Join in or enjoy from the
sidelines. This was a huge hit last year;
beginners and all ages are welcome.
We’ll take a break from 7:45–8:15 pm
for local farmers to share exciting and
innovative projects supported by the
Co-op Farm Fund.
The evening will wrap up at 9 pm
when we draw the raffle winners
(must be present to win). Fabulous
local prizes include dinner for two
at The Willows Inn, a bicycle from
the Hub Community Bike Shop, lift
tickets for the Mt. Baker Ski Area, a
gift certificate for Doe Bay Resort on
Orcas Island, one year membership
and tickets to the Pickford Film
Center, and more.
If you didn’t attend last year’s
Hootenanny, watch the “Community
Food Co-op Farm Fund Hootenanny
August 2013” video on YouTube and
see what all the buzz is about!
Since 2000, the Farm Fund has
worked in partnership with Co-op
shoppers and the community to provide
more than $139,000 in grants, loans,
and training for local farmers using
sustainable and organic practices.
Find information about the Farm
Fund at www.communityfood.coop.
Farm Fund donations accepted at all
Co-op registers.
Downtown: 1220 N Forest St (7 am – 10 pm) • Cordata: 315 Westerly Rd (7 am – 9 pm) • Bellingham WA • 360-734-8158 • www.communityfood.coop
Board of Directors Summaries for June & August 2014
FOOD CO OP
Jean Rogers, Board Administrator
The Co-op Board of Directors
Meetings are on the
second Wednesday of every month.
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, September 10, at 7 pm
Roots Room at the Cordata store
315 Westerly Road at Cordata Pkwy.
Member-owners are welcome to attend. To share
your suggestions or concerns at the 10-minute
member-owner forum at the start of each meeting,
contact Board Administrator Jean Rogers in
advance, at 360-734-8158 or [email protected], by the first Monday of the month, if
possible.
Jim Ashby, General Manager 360-734-8158
Board of Directors:
Steven Harper, Chair
Brooks Dimmick, Vice Chair
Brent Harrison
Caroline Kinsman
Jade Flores
Laura Ridenour
Mariah Ross
Megan Westgate
Melissa Morin June 11, 2014
August 13, 2014
• Thomas Kaplan, from WWU Students for Farm Worker
Justice, presented concerns about Sakuma Brothers Farms
berries being carried under the Driscoll label.
• Jason Perry, CPA with Larson Gross, reported on the
Co-op’s internal review for 2013. Sales and profit
increased, and it was a good year for the Co-op. About 70
percent of sales were to member-owners, and a patronage
payout will be made for the year.
• The group reviewed the recent Spring Retreat and
identified Board priorities for the coming year.
• Directors participated in a consensus training presented
by Holly O’Neil of Crossroads Consulting.
• The Board approved three resolutions related to financing
and construction on the new Connections Building.
• Several member-owners expressed views both pro and
con on the question of an Eden Foods boycott during the
member open forum at the beginning of the meeting.
• Thomas Kaplan, from WWU Students for Farm Worker
Justice, asked the board to consider dropping Driscoll
labeled berries in support of the workers engaged in a labor
dispute with Sakuma Brothers Farms.
• The group discussed how best to build on its goal of
embracing the diversity of our community in the coming
year.
• Much of the rest of the meeting was taken up with a
discussion of the Board’s response to the Eden Foods
lawsuit.
• The Board approved a resolution related to financing and
construction on the new Connections Building.
360-650-9065
360-734-1351
360-398-7509
360-224-9525
360-734-8158
970-372-8344
360-820-5251
360-592-5325
360-510-5382
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Co-op store hours— Open 7 days a week
Cordata—7 am to 9 pm
Downtown—7 am to 10 pm
Co-op deli hours—
Cordata—7 am to 9 pm
Downtown—7 am to 9 pm
Visit the Co-op website at
www.communityfood.coop
Cooperative Principles
•Voluntary and open membership
Complete minutes for all Board meetings and our governing policies are available at the service
desk. Complete minutes are also posted at www.communityfood.coop. The first 10 minutes of every Board meeting are reserved for member input.
Next meeting: September 10 at 7 pm, Roots Room at the Cordata store, 315 Westerly Road.
Member-owners welcome to attend the meeting. Hope to see you there.
Member-owners
Help Shape the
Downtown Store
and Deli Remodel
What would make the downtown store
and parking lot work better for you?
Holly O’Neil, Member Involvement
Facilitator, and Adrienne Renz, Outreach
Manager
•Democratic member control
•Member economic participation
•Autonomy and independence
•Education, training, and information
•Cooperation among cooperatives
•Concern for the community
Community Food Co-op News is produced by the
Community Food Co-op and
published eight times per year.
Downtown
1220 N Forest Street Bellingham WA 98225 Cordata
315 Westerly Road
Bellingham WA 98226
360-734-8158 (both locations)
Community Food Co-op News is published as a service for
member-owners. Letters from member-owners are welcome
(see guidelines below). The deadline for submission of letters is 8 pm on the 5th of the month preceding publication.
Editor:
Design/Production:
Laura Steiger
Joanne Plucy
Opinions expressed in the Community Food Co-op
News are those of the authors and do not necessarily
represent those of the Co-op Board, management, staff
or member-owners. 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.
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 letters to:
Newsletter Editor, Community Food Co-op News
1220 N Forest Street, Bellingham WA 98225
or email editor: [email protected]
Over the last month we have been collecting
fascinating member-owner feedback about the
Downtown store and deli. We set up an online
survey, available at www.communityfood.
coop, surveyed shoppers in the Downtown
store during July and August, and had a vision board at
the Community Party and in the Downtown store for
people to share ideas using sticky notes.
Here are some of the common themes we have heard
so far. First off, we received some great insight on areas
in the store where shoppers experience congestion
(no, not the head cold type, the “I can’t get past you”
type), especially at the spice and coffee aisle and the
dairy cooler and beer aisle. We also heard requests for
increased product selection, continued improvement
to customer service, and keeping prices affordable.
Many people expressed how much they like the feel
of the store the way it is now, while others had lots
of suggestions for improvements: more local art on
the walls, more live music, better signage, and an
education/community bulletin board. Several people
suggested giving the wellness department its own
corner, and making the produce department more
prominent. And, of course, the parking issues need
to be addressed.
When considering the deli, an overwhelming number
of you mentioned more deli options, including kidfriendly choices, a salad or juice bar, updated and more
Dining with the Directors Forum:
Dear Community Food Co-op,
I wanted to again give a heartfelt thank you to the Community
Food Co-op for allowing us to participate in last year’s Community
Shopping Days. As we mentioned in our proposal, we were spending
the month to refurbish and improve our outdoor playground area.
We talked about our wish to enhance the natural environment and
green space for our children. Over several work parties, we managed
to build a retaining wall with timbers, spread 28 yards of top soil, and
finally hydroseed our backyard area. As you can see from the photo,
the grass is now hearty enough for our children to enjoy!
Thank you so much for making this possible. The joyous faces on our children speak volumes!!
Warmly,
Karen Ekdahl, Executive Director, Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center
Photo courtesy of Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center
Co-op Community News, September 2014
DWD
Save the Date
Letter to Editor
2
diverse recipes, and more hot food options. Reducing
the noise level in the deli area and more comfortable
and quieter furniture were requested. People were
excited about the addition of mezzanine seating, and
also hoped for better flow for ordering and check out in
the deli.
We will continue to gather comments through
September and early October, and then we will
present and review the findings at the Dining with the
Directors Forum on October 30, so please keep your
suggestions coming! There are paper surveys at the
service desk in both stores, and you can also continue
to share your comments via the online survey at our
website. Consider signing up for the Dining with the
Directors event if you haven’t ever attended—it is truly
a good time.
While the vision of a skybridge between the new
Healthy Connections building and the Downtown store
is not possible, now is the time for us to dream and to
think seriously about what we want our Downtown
store to look like, feel like, and provide for our
community. This is our store—we own it!
Renewing the Downtown Co-op
Experience
Thursday, October 30, 7–9 pm
YWCA Ballroom, 1026 N. Forest Street
Free Event—Registration required
(starts Wednesday, October 1)
To reserve your seat, call or stop by the service desk at
either store starting October 1. This event fills quickly. In
the interest of hearing from as many member-owners as
possible, we will give priority to those who did not attend
the last forum. For more information, contact Jean at 360734-8158 ext. 217 or email [email protected].
www.communityfood.coop
Patronage Dividend Declared
Bringing Balance Back to Business
Jon Edholm, Co-op Finance Manager
Nancy Metcalf, Co-op Member Affairs Committee
Co-op
collecting money for at our
Your Community Food
Dividends
registers.
Co-op is proud to declare
$$$$$$
member-owner patronage
Frequent questions we
dividends again for 2013.
receive—
The patronage dividend
Why didn’t I get a dividend?
is how the Co-op shares
profits with its memberMember-owners needed
owners. The Co-op had a
to have spent $981 or more
very good year in 2013.
at the Co-op in 2013 to
The dividend amount
qualify for the minimum $5
is determined by
patronage dividend. If you
allocating profits that
think you were eligible for a
pertain to the total of all memberdividend but did not receive it, check
owner purchases. We then apportion
at the service desk to verify eligibility
the member-owner profits based on
and find out if your dividend was
the total purchases made by each
returned as undeliverable by the U.S.
individual member-owner. Members
Post Office. You may need to update
will receive 20 percent of their
your mailing address.
dividend as a coupon (minimum
What happens to the other 80
coupon amount will be $5)
percent of my dividend?
redeemable for merchandise, cash, or
a combination of the two. This year’s
When you redeem your dividend,
total dividend is approximately 2.55
the Co-op keeps the remaining 80
percent of your total 2013 purchases.
percent of your dividend in a retained
Dividend coupons were mailed to
patronage account in your name,
member-owners in mid-August.
and may repay it at a later date when
Please redeem your dividend
the Board decides that the Co-op
by December 31. There is no
no longer needs to use the retained
financial benefit to the Co-op by
portion as operating capital.
not redeeming your dividend. If you
What happens if I don’t redeem my
do not want to use your dividend,
coupon?
consider donating it to the Farm
If you don’t redeem your 20 percent
Fund or the Donate the Difference
coupon
you will lose that immediate
program that benefits our monthly
benefit,
and the 80 percent that
Community Shopping Day recipients,
the
Co-op
would retain (retained
or to one of the other groups we are
patronage) in your name.
Ask the Nutritionist
ionist,
Dear Nutrit
d
hool time, an
It’s back to sc iration. Can
insp
I need some
with healthy
e
m
you help
eas?
lunch box id
and creative
Be sure to include a source of protein,
so they have a source of energy that will
stick with them through the afternoon:
sliced turkey, sliced cheese, bean dip
(like hummus), Greek yogurt, or schoolapproved nut butters, nuts, or seeds.
Make lunch fun. Make “sushi”
pinwheels
out of whole wheat pita and
Dear Member,
fillings,
or
use character-shaped cookie
When it
cutters
to
cut
sandwiches into shapes.
comes to packing
Bento
boxes
allow
your child to mixlunches, it’s easy
and-match
the
contents
to make their
to fall into a rut
Lisa Samuel, Registered own creations.
of the same old
Dietitian and Nutritionist
Include a treat, but keep it rather low
sandwich and
in
refined sugar so your child doesn’t
chips. Kids like variety, too! But you also
fall
asleep in class. Fruit is a great choice,
don’t want the hummus to end up in the
but
cookies or muffins made with whole
trash. Here are a few ideas for keeping
wheat pastry
the lunchbox desirable for
flour (for fiber)
your kids—and healthy.
and filled with
In general, half of their
dried fruit or a
meal should be fruits
little chocolate
and vegetables, but with
are also great.
school lunch, go fruitMostly, ask
heavy. Kids love fruit, and
your
child to
it gives them a naturally
help
you
design
sweet treat. Apple, pear,
their
lunches.
or nectarine slices can
In general, kids
be a great alternative
are more likely
to bread or crackers for
to eat what they
dipping in almond or
have a hand in
sunflower butter or eating
creating.
It’s
a
great
way
to
spend time
with cheese slices. Try adding mashed
together!
berries or sliced fruit to sandwiches, in
place of jam or jelly. Or experiment with
Send your nutrition questions to lisa@
making your own fruit leather. It’s easy
nourishrds.com.
Lisa Samuel is a Registered
and you can customize it to your child’s
Dietitian
and
Nutritionist
and founding
liking.
partner
of
NourishRDs.
Check
out Lisa’s
When it comes to vegetables, school
schedule
of
upcoming
cooking
classes
and
lunch isn’t the time to try to get your
workshops
through
the
Co-op’s
Healthy
child to eat broccoli—unless she loves it!
Connections program. You can also
Include kids’ favorite veggies, like sweet
find more of her non-diet advice on the
cherry tomatoes, snow peas, or carrot
NourishRDs Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
sticks. Add some fun with a dipper, like
Pinterest, and blog at www.nourishrds.
homemade ranch dressing made from
blogspot.com.
Greek yogurt.
This newsletter is printed on 20% post-consumer-waste paper with soy inks.
Business as usual is the American
way, or is it? Although capitalism
has ironically become synonymous
with democracy, the cooperative
business model is as old as America
herself. Starting in 1752 with
Benjamin Franklin’s Philadelphia
Contributionship, a house insurance
co-op, co-ops are increasingly present
in our modern age. Austin, Texas,
home of Dahlia Green Cleaning
Services Co-op, Black Star Co-op Pub
and Brewery, Moontower Agricultural
Co-op, and many more, is a prime
example of the significant boom of
cooperative businesses nationwide.
Cooperative development is
imperative to bring balance to the current
reign of bottom-line corporatism.
Granted, co-ops will never, and should
never, fully replace the corporate
model. Both models have their own
place in and benefit to society.
Think monarchy vs. democracy.
Converse to the top-down hierarchy
inherent in the corporate business
structure, the cooperative model operates
from the bottom-up as a democratically
owned and operated entity. This means
a co-op’s member-owners have an
equal stake in the business and directly
influence the business’s governance,
operation, and direction.
Why now? Why is cooperative
development so crucial today and to
our community?
As our community reviews largescale development proposals from
multi-national corporations, we are
faced with the alluring prospect of new
employment opportunities. Although
external investments are initially
enticing, resources and profits are
ultimately and inevitably funneled back
to the investment source and away from
our community.
On the other hand, cooperative
development creates empowering
employment opportunities. Co-ops
generate and circulate investment
from and into the member-owners’
community, creating a stable, creative,
responsive, and resilient local economy.
Cooperatives’ natural self-resiliency
is evidenced by the Mondragon
cooperatives in Spain; these were
among the most vital businesses to
survive the 2008 global financial crisis
and were able to avoid downsizing staff
during that time.
Whatcom County—full of creativity,
strong values, and vigor to think outside
of the box—is ripe for cooperative
development. Local entrepreneurs
have already cultivated several thriving
cooperative enterprises, including
Circle of Life Caregiver Cooperative,
Bellingham Bay Builders, and the
Community Food Co-op.
You, too, can tap into an American
economic tradition and bring balance
back to business as usual. Learn more
with experienced local cooperators
this fall in the Community Food
Co-op Member Affairs Committee’s
Starting a Co-op class series. Find more
information about the class series on
page 7 and in the class listings on our
website. Hope to see you there.
Nancy Metcalf coordinates public
education campaigns to further domestic
and global fair trade practices, GMOlabeling initiatives, and renew support for
U.S. hemp farming.
A message from Community Food Co-op
Board of Directors
RE: Eden Foods, Inc.
In our view, Eden Foods’ federal
lawsuit seeking the right to opt out of
the Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandate
to provide contraceptive coverage is
contrary to the fundamental cooperative
values of fairness, equal access, and
democracy. We also see this action as
fundamentally at odds with Eden’s
stated goal, “To maintain a healthy,
respectful…environment for employees.”
Furthermore we find it impossible to
square this suit with Eden’s commitment
to supporting social justice for workers
within its supply chain. According to the
Better World Shopping Guide, which
named Eden the No. 1 food company in
the world, social justice is, among other
things, freedom from “…discrimination
based on: race, gender, age, ability,
religion, sexuality, ethnicity.” In our
view, the Eden suit is an attempt to
introduce discrimination based on both
gender and religion into the workplace.
This suit, if successful, will set
precedents eroding the legal rights of
all U.S. workers. We strongly believe
in every worker’s right to equality,
respect, privacy, and dignity in the
workplace. Because of its potential to
broadly undermine rights, which are
fundamental to the cooperative values
and the Co-op’s commitment to an
excellent workplace, we feel that our
members should consider choosing
alternative products.
The Board regrets having to make
this recommendation and doesn’t do so
Eden Foods, Inc. has sued the Federal Government to
opt out of the Affordable Care Act mandate to cover
contraceptives based on religious objections.
The Co-op’s Board of Directors believes Eden’s action
is inconsistent with our values as an organization. The
Board recognizes that Eden products are of the highest
quality and their product standards are among the most
rigorous. The Board encourages you to consider both
Eden’s stance on this social justice issue and their longstanding leadership in the food industry as you decide
which products to buy. Pick up the Board’s full statement and FAQ at the Service Desk for more info.
Look for these Co-op shelf tags posted near
many Eden Foods products in our stores.
lightly. Eden Foods is an industry leader
with an unquestioned commitment to
quality products. They scrupulously
source only the purest ingredients and
use manufacturing techniques that
ensure very high quality. Eden has also
remained an independent company,
while many other formerly independent
brands are now owned by conventional
food companies.
We will encourage Eden Foods to
rethink their decision to continue this
lawsuit. Their attempt to win a broad
legal right to base workers’ access to
health care decisions on the owner’s
religious philosophy undermines their
otherwise very strong reputation for
integrity. It is wrong, and as much as
we admire Eden products and its other
corporate practices, we feel that the
larger issues of respect, equality, and
dignity are too important to ignore.
Co-op Community News, September 2014
3
Happy Eat Local Month
Sara Southerland, Food and Farming Program Manager at Sustainable Connections
September is a special time in
Northwest Washington. It’s the height
of the harvest season and the prime time
to shine a light on all the good folks
who grow, raise, create, and lovingly
prepare the delicious food we eat—and
to celebrate!
Kicking off the month, we are
partnering with the Co-op and Pickford
Film Center to host the Eat Local
Month Launch Party on Wednesday,
September 3, at the Pickford Film
Center. The event features local tastes
and a free showing of short food and
farm-based films from the Real Food
Media contest, which highlights
short films about food, farming, and
sustainability.
New this year is a Bow-Edison Food
Trail Trek on Sunday, September 7,
where you can “hunt and gather”
ingredients for a local meal or enjoy a
pop-up dinner that evening at Bow Hill
Blueberries featuring organic food chef
Ryan Ross.
Near and dear to our hearts is the 7th
annual Whatcom County Farm Tour on
Saturday, September 13, featuring 12
delicious stops: nine farms, two farmers
markets, and one winery. Head out with
family and friends for a chance to see,
taste, and explore Whatcom County’s
diverse family-owned farms on this free,
self-guided tour.
And that’s not all. In addition to more
than 20 events to choose from all month
long, 19 restaurants will offer Eat Local
Month specials throughout the month
featuring dishes made up of 50 percent
or more locally sourced ingredients. Talk
about fresh!
Pick up an Eat Local Month passport
and get stamps to win one of four tasty
grand prize packages: the omnivore,
herbivore, locavore, and beer-a-vore,
featuring great stuff from local businesses.
At Sustainable Connections, local
means food that is grown, raised, or
produced in Whatcom, Skagit, Island,
and San Juan counties. When you buy
local food at a grocery store, make the
effort to head to the farmers market,
or choose a restaurant that buys local,
you are eating in support of families,
our community, and lots of hard
work done behind the scenes to get
our food from seed to plate. And
doesn’t it make it that much more
satisfying? So this month we want
to say kudos to you!
Join us all September for Eat Local
Month: full of lively events, culinary
adventures, a passport to prizes, and
Whatcom County’s own Farm Tour
offering a chance to explore, meet your
farmer, and taste the freshest flavors
around.
For a list of events, passport prizes, and
Farm Tour details, pick up a Farm Tour and
Eat Local Month Guide at Community Food
Co-op stores, Village Books, public libraries,
farmers markets, Whatcom Farmers Co-op
stores, participating restaurants, and online at
eatlocalfirst.org.
Information about the Real Food Media
Contest is available at realfoodmedia.org.
What Makes It “Local” at the Co-op?
Adrienne Renz, Co-op Outreach Manager
Buying local is, and always has
been, of utmost importance
to the Co-op.
We’ve been buying local since we
opened our doors more than 40 years ago.
We get to know the people who grow our
food and make the local products we sell.
We visit their farms, roasteries, kitchens,
and workshops. We chat with them when
they deliver their products to our stores.
We develop relationships with them.
In the past few years everybody has
been jumping on the local bandwagon,
including large corporations like
McDonald’s that touts using local potatoes
for their french fries and local apples
from Washington state in billboard and
commercial ad campaigns designed
specifically for the Western Washington ad
market.
So, in the interest of transparency, we
want to define what local means at the
Co-op.
At its most basic level, a product is
local when it is warehoused and shipped
from within Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan,
Island, or Snohomish counties, and either
grown or processed within the defined
five-county area.
• Grown is self-explanatory.
• Processed means value-added products
made by combining or altering raw
materials to make a new finished
product, and that creates one or more
full-time-equivalent jobs in addition to
the business owner. Familiar examples
would be teas, cereals, and salsas.
Behind the scenes, we continue working
to cultivate and develop even more local
producers to some day be Co-op suppliers.
We also track the Co-op’s local
purchases.
• In 2013, 10.7 percent (more than $2
million) of wholesale purchases made
by the Co-op were local.
• 77 percent of these local purchases
came from within Whatcom County.
Local—
Following local criteria
within the five-county
area of Whatcom, Skagit,
San Juan, Island, and
Snohomish.
Washington—
Based on the same
criteria as the Local
label, but expanded to
Washington state.
Why local? When we buy local it
is good for developing a sustainable
economy with local jobs, it supports the
growth of local sustainable farms, it is
environmentally responsible given the
impact of cross-country transportation,
and it keeps our community unique and
diverse at its most basic level.
Co-op member-owners have let us know
that they are interested in supporting local
suppliers by buying local goods. So, we are
making it even easier for you to identify
Farmer Direct—
Purchases made directly
from farmers regardless
of their geographic
location. The farmer
handles the order and
ships it directly to the
Co-op. This label is
used specifically within
produce departments
to highlight products
that support sustainable
farming partners.
local products in our stores with updated
Local, Washington, and Farmer Direct
labels. The Co-op and our local suppliers
thank you for buying local.
Third Thursday Local Music Series
Eat local dinner theater
variety show
featuring
circus and musical performances
Sara shows us here cake face.
Want to win some irresistible Co-op
cake? Then you’re in luck, because Coop Prepared Foods Manager Sara Young
loves cake so much she is celebrating her
birthday month by hosting a contest to
give one lucky winner a free slice of cake
every week during October.
To enter, send a photo of yourself
eating a piece of Co-op cake to saray@
communityfood.coop, and tell Sara
why this cake is special to you. Be
silly, creative, or messy—just have
fun! You are also invited to share
your cake face photo to the Co-op’s
Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, tagged
#coopcakeface, or pin your photo to our
#coopcakeface board on Pinterest.
See complete contest rules on the Kitchen
Notes blog, linked on the bottom of our
website.
4
In celebration of Eat Local Month, the Co-op is
hosting an expanded Third Thursday Local Music Series
event. Guest artist Clay Mazing and his Bee Bones Band
is teaming up with the Bellingham Circus Community
for a special Eat Local Dinner Theater variety show.
Join us in the downtown deli for an evening of free
entertainment with the option to purchase a locally
sourced deli special of Honey Balsamic Glazed Chicken
topped with lion’s mane mushrooms, fingerling potatoes
with purple garlic and mint, and a mixed greens and
arugula salad.
Celebrate the bounty from local farms, while enjoying
the bounty of local talent in our beloved community!
Co-op Community News, September 2014
Photo courtesy of Emergency Circus
Thursday, September 18, 6–8 pm
Downtown Community Food Co-op deli
All ages, everyone welcome
Show Us Your
Cake Face
Emergency Circus
www.communityfood.coop
Farm Fund Spotlight
Spring Time Farm
Meaghan Flesch, Co-op outreach intern
The smell of garlic floats in the air as
you approach the field being harvested by
Nick Spring and partner Sarah Robinson,
owners of Spring Time Farm in Everson.
Along with a booth at the Bellingham
Farmers Market, a blossoming CSA,
and a successful summer of growing
approximately 25 varieties of flowers,
Spring Time hopes to provide Whatcom
County with an abundance of local,
organic garlic.
Spring Time Farm broke ground in 2013
on five acres in the fertile Nooksack Valley,
growing a large variety of vegetables, fruits,
nuts, and flowers. While farming locally for
the past eight years, Nick has been saving
garlic seed and expanding his collection of
varieties, which he and Sarah planted this
past fall.
After years of working at Broadleaf Farm
in Everson, Nick has built a relationship
with Broadleaf owner Dusty Williams
and now leases five acres of land from him
under the name Spring Time Farm. Spring
Time, Broadleaf, and Terra Verde Farm all
grow garlic on a plot north of downtown
Everson, separate from their main farm,
because the soil contains more clay and
minerals, which Nick said is ideal for garlic
and other root vegetables.
With the help of a Farm Fund grant,
Spring Time was able to purchase two
pieces of equipment to process garlic—
a separator and a peeler.
“This will hopefully expand how much
garlic we are producing,” said Nick. Spring
Time is currently harvesting a half-acre
of garlic, but with the help of their newly
acquired processing equipment they hope
to plant two acres in the next growing
season.
Whole heads of garlic can be thrown
into the separator, which will then break
apart the cloves, saving hours of time that
would normally be spent separating by
hand and increasing the farm’s ability to
save seed to replant in the next growing
season. In addition to saving time and
labor, Nick said the seed will also save the
farm money by eliminating the need to
purchase certified organic garlic seed that
typically costs $18 a pound.
The peeler will provide multiple benefits
to Spring Time Farm. In the long run it
will enable sales of peeled garlic, a product
commonly used at local restaurants and
other commercial kitchens such as the
Co-op deli kitchens. More immediately, it
will help their recent endeavor to produce
value-added products using their garlic
harvest.
“As I learned from my Grandma, who
emigrated to the U.S. from Italy, everything
tastes better with garlic,” said Nick.
Nick and Sarah just secured use of a
local, commercial kitchen and finished
the long process of receiving approval
as certified acidified food processors, or
more simply, producers of pickled foods.
They have plans to create bloody mary
mixes, jalapeno dill pickles, and pickled
asparagus, among other things, to sell at the
Local Food Works!
Meaghan Flesch, Co-op outreach intern
A fresh bed of wood chips on the
east side of the Deming Public Library
grounds may at first appear to be merely
new landscaping, but in fact is part
of a project aimed to provide a new
place for the community to gather. The
centerpiece of the gathering space is the
Deming Library Learning Garden.
Local Food Works!, an organization
dedicated to food equity, self-reliance,
and sustainable living practices in the
East County, received a grant from the
Co-op Farm Fund to help fund the first
phase of the two-year project.
“This project is an ideal way for Local
Food Works! to continue our grassroots
efforts in the community,” said Marjie
Bell, co-founder of the kitchen-table
organization.
Since last fall—with the help of
community volunteers and donations—
the project has created the wood chip
bed and begun to populate it with native
plants, constructed three raised garden
beds, planted blueberry bushes, and
installed a drip irrigation system.
“I look out there and think it doesn’t
look like much, but to get here was
huge,” said Katrina Carabba, Deming
Library manager. “We’re talking hours of
volunteer effort and gathering of many
Photo courtesy of Spring Time Farm
Spring Time owners Sarah
Robinson and Nick Spring jump
for joy after harvesting a truckbed load of garlic (above). Garlic
from Spring Time Farm for sale in
the Co-op produce department
(right). Flowers are also an
important crop on the farm; these
lovely bouquets are available in our
stores (far right).
Bellingham Farmers Market. Eventually
they hope to sell their value-added products
at area stores like the Co-op. They will
use much of the garlic and vegetable yield
from Spring Time Farm’s summer harvest
on these products and hope to grow their
wholesale, peeled garlic business next year.
Spring Time plans to share the peeler
and separator with Terra Verde and
Broadleaf so that all three organic farms
may be able to expand garlic production to
provide Whatcom County with even more
local, certified organic garlic—a win for
three local farms and for local eaters!
Photos by Meaghan Flesch
Meaghan Flesch is a Visual Journalism
student at Western Washington University.
She loves photography, food gardening, and
cooking, and hopes to eventually start a food
blog.
Volunteers construct a hoop house to grow tomatoes and fall vegetables at the Deming Library Learning Garden by first lining a raised bed with cardboard to suppress weeds, then filling with topsoil, and
finally installing the hoops and covering with plastic. The volunteer crew, from left, Asia Roman, Katrina
Carabba, Heather Haynes, Marjie Bell, and Kasey Bell.
Photos by Meaghan Flesch
coming out here and eating,” said
different people who have come together
Katrina.
multiple times in the last few months.”
A hoop house, donated by Becca
Katrina and Friends of the Deming
Library came to Marjie
The Farm Fund Schwarz Cole, was the next
addition to the garden.
with the idea for a garden
grant was used to Katrina hopes to use it to
as an educational tool and
grow large tomato plants and
community resource. “The
purchase native
idea is that the garden will
plants and multiple fall vegetables.
In the near future, a path
become a site for our handsyards of soil for
will be created along the
on workshops, which will
give community members the use in creating the native plant bed, and plaques
will be added to teach visitors
chance to actively participate blueberry patch
about past and present uses
in its care,” said Marjie.
of native, edible plants such
The Farm Fund grant was and raised beds.
as salal and kinnikinnick.
used to purchase native plants
The final touch to the
and multiple yards of soil for
learning garden will be an outdoor reading
use in creating the blueberry patch and
room. By next spring Katrina said she
raised beds, now blooming with purple
would love to hold her preschool story time
peas, beets, zucchinis, and sunflowers.
in the garden and will hopefully start a
Donations have poured in from others
garden club for kids.
in the gardening community like Mount
“Libraries are gathering spaces,
Baker Berry Farm, which donated
ultimately,” said Katrina. “My hope is
17 blueberry bushes to be planted.
that we can come and gather around
Community members attending the
gardening and food issues.”
library’s annual spring gardening
workshop, taught by berry farm owners
Meaghan Flesch is a Visual Journalism
Stephanie and Alan Soicher, learned
student at Western Washington University.
about site and soil prep, planting,
She loves photography, food gardening, and
mulching, and irrigation while planting
cooking, and hopes to eventually start a food
the donated bushes in the garden.
blog.
“Kids are already excited about
This newsletter is printed on 20% post-consumer-waste paper with soy inks.
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].
Co-op Community News, September 2014
5
Working together...
What are
Community Shopping Days?
September 2014 Community Shopping Day Organization
Common Threads Farm
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: food and
sustainable agriculture; social justice,
peace, and human rights; ecological
issues; education; health and well
being; and community health. 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 Karl Meyer
at 360-734-8158, ext. 160, or karlm@
communityfood.coop.
Robin Elwood, Co-op News Staff
On the last day of Camp Pasta, campers at Common Threads Farm
staffed a youth-run farm stand (above). Campers make sushi rolls
as part of their “plant-part” themed lunch (above right). Campers spend some
time with Ralphie the bunny. Learning about the animals on the farm is always a
highlight for the kids (lower right).
2014 Community Shopping
Day Schedule
Photos courtesy of Common Threads Farm
“The thing that I always say is when
children are engaged in growing and
harvesting real food, they will love it and
they will eat it. What kid doesn’t want to
eat the soup they cooked from produce
they grew?”
That observation is from Laura Plaut,
who founded Common Threads Farm
in 2006. I caught up with her in the
midst of a busy Bellingham summer to
ask a few questions about their flagship
program, the Common Threads School
Garden Collective. I had often seen
the brightly painted raised beds at Carl
Cozier Elementary, but I soon discovered
that Common Thread’s efforts bear fruit
all over Whatcom County.
Common Threads School Garden
Collective is active in 13 schools. At
most of the schools they report 100
percent participation, which resulted
in well over 3,000 students engaging
in formal garden-based and hands-on
learning sessions about soil health,
plant anatomy, nutrition, garden
ecosystems, and more during the
2013-14 school year.
Common Threads supports the
creation of sustainable school gardens,
both as a source of local food for
students and as a tool for learning
across a number of disciplines. The
organization’s website explains some of
the thinking behind the collective school
garden model, “The Common Threads
School Garden Collective was born of
the recognition that school gardens,
though relatively easy to start, are more
difficult to sustain over the long run in
ways that are meaningfully connected
to the classroom, the cafeteria, and the
community.”
To make school gardening sustainable,
Common Threads provides technical
assistance, multi-discipline curricula,
and a paid part-time food educator
at each school. Schools buy-in to the
collective through an annual fee and are
responsible for supporting the program
through parent volunteers. The cost per
student is $25 per year. A portion comes
from the schools, and the remainder
comes from grants and donations
generated by Common Threads. This
school year will be the first trial of the
expanded, year-round, half-time food
educator model, and Laura told me she
hopes it will be a huge success.
“I have yet to meet a teacher who
doesn’t think having school gardens
integrated into learning is a good idea,”
Laura said. “But teachers’ plates are so
full, you can’t come in with a bright
6
idea and put more work on them. You
need to bring the energy and the skills
to execute the idea with you. That’s
what having on-site food educators
accomplishes.”
The same goes, she went on to say,
for cafeteria staff: “One thing I’m really
proud of recently is we were able to
work with the food service director for
Bellingham Public Schools. After three
years of discussion, we can now grow
food for the lunch program. The supply
chain doesn’t get any shorter than that!
“It’s the program I wish I could have
experienced as an 8 year old. Watching
the messages my son was getting from
the culture about what to eat, and how
to think about food was scary. I thought,
‘I could either be the nagging parent
who complains, or I could create a fun
alternative.’ My dream is that there
will come a day when kids look at their
parents and ask, ‘What do you mean
there didn’t used to be a school garden?’”
Another theme of my conversation
with Laura had to do with social class
and access to healthy food. Referring to
the well-documented positive effects of
eating healthy food, Laura got fired up
about the inequality of access to local
food and gardening education.
“Schools are a great place to equalize
gardening opportunity. Almost every
kid is in school. Even if they aren’t
getting positive messages about growing
and eating fresh local food from other
sources, just creating those early positive
experiences at school makes a difference.
Eating healthy food becomes part of
their universe; the potential is created.”
Over the summer, Common Threads
worked with Rebound of Whatcom
County’s Ray of Hope summer camp
for children experiencing emotional,
behavioral, or economic challenges.
And, as Laura told me: “Those kids, like
any other kids, if they are engaged in
growing and harvesting real food, they
will love it. It’s important to provide
that access for all children in our
community!”
In October, Common Threads Farm
will celebrate their 5th annual School
Garden Harvest Dinner. Produce from
school gardens, grown and harvested
by the students, will be cooked into a
delicious dinner by those same students.
The entire community is invited to
attend. Laura suggested checking out the
organization’s website or Facebook page
for details.
In closing, I asked Laura for some
final thoughts about school gardens:
Co-op Community News, September 2014
1/18 Growing Veterans
2/15
Sterling Bike Works
3/15
Bellingham High School Band
Boosters
4/19
Friends of Island Library (FOIL)
5/17
Pails-n-Trails 4-H Club
6/21
Catholic Community Services
Homeless Housing Program
7/19 LAW Advocates
Donate, volunteer, or learn
more at:
www.commonthreadsfarm.org.
You can also find Common
Threads Farm on Facebook
and Instagram.
8/16 Community to Community
Development
9/20 Common Threads Farm &
School Garden Collective
10/18 Conservation Northwest
11/15 Domestic Violence and Sexual
Assault Services
12/20 Futurewise Whatcom
Volunteer
Thanks
Round up your purchase
amount at the register and
Donate the Difference to
benefit the CSD organization
of the month.
When we all Donate the
Difference, our spare change
adds up to big cash.
“School gardens are not an add-on
to education. They’re actually an
effective way of engaging kids in the
core teaching and learning goals of the
schools. Kids are so smart, and they have
a sense of when education is real.”
The Co-op thanks all of our
volunteers for their contributions.
Volunteers assist with cooking
classes, newsletter distribution,
events, mailings, and participate in
the Member Affairs Committee.
Ongoing opportunities in our stores
are currently full. Co-op memberowners receive one $5 coupon each
time they volunteer for 1/2 hour or
longer. For updates on volunteer opportunities, join our volunteer email
list. Contact Karl Meyer at karlm@
communityfood.coop or 360-7348158 ext. 160.
www.communityfood.coop
Healthy Connections
Monday
1
Full class descriptions on our website • Online class registration available • Full class descriptions on our website
SEPTEM BER
SEPT EM B E R
SE P TE MB E R
SEPTEMBER
SEPTEMBER
Week #1
Week #2
Week #3
Week #4
Week #5
Tuesday
2
8
15
22
9
16 Pediatric Astrology
23 French Bistro Dinner
Wednesday
10
17
4
11
18
Thursday
3
Friday
5
12
Fresh and Alive in Five:
Level 1 (5 sessions)
Sonja Max & Cindy Brooks
noon–1:30 pm
DT • CO-OP • $125
Monday
6
7
1
The Blue Foot
Chicken
8
Robert Fong
6–8:30 pm
COR • WCC •
AntiInflammatory
13
Starting a
Co-op #2
Robert Fong
6–8:30 pm
COR • WCC •
D. Craig &
J. A. McNerthney
6:30–8:30 pm
DT • CO-OP • $5
2
Nat. Solutions
Low Back Pain
Gourmet
Old-Fashioned
Pickles
9
Tai Chi for
Arthritis
Session 3
(see Sept. 19)
15
Cardiovascular
Health
Fresh and Alive:
Level 1
10
Session 4
(see Sept. 12)
4
•
26
O C TO B E R
Week #3
Fresh and
Alive: Level 2
East Indian,
West Indian
16
Tai Chi for
Arthritis
Fresh & Alive:
Level 1
Session 4
(see Sept. 19)
Session 5
(see Sept. 12)
11
17
18
Starting a
Co-op #3
Session 5
(see Sept. 19)
Session 2
(see Oct. 13)
21
HC Class Legend­
Locations:
DT = Connection Building at the Downtown store, 1220 N Forest St,
Bellingham
COR = Roots Room at the Cordata store,
315 Westerly Rd, Belllingham
Registration:
CO-OP = register online at
www.communityfood.coop;
click on Co-op Calendar, then click
on class title. (Need help registering?
Service desk staff can guide you.)
WCC = co-sponsored by Whatcom
Community College, register at
360-383-3200 or
www.whatcomcommunityed.com.
= additional fee for wine option,
payable at class.
•
Please do not wear strong fragrances
to class.
•
Financial aid is available for some
classes. For info on this, and for other
class questions, contact Kevin Murphy
at 360-734-8158, ext. 220, or
[email protected].
27 Fresh & Alive:
Level 1
& J. Buller
6:30–8 pm
COR • CO-OP
• free
Session 3
(see Oct. 13)
28 Nat. Solutions
On Cabbage
Rustic French
to Neck Pain Karina Davidson
Robert Fong
6:30–9 pm
DT • WCC •
Richard Tran, DC
6:30–8 pm
COR • CO-OP
• free
22
Bone Health
29
Jim Ehmke, CN
6:30–8:30 pm
COR • CO-OP
• $5
$39 •
Small Dishes:
Meze
Jesse Otero
$39 •
$39 •
Juicy Joints
6:30–9 pm
DT • WCC •
6–8:30 pm
COR • WCC •
23
24
Raw Tricks &
Treats
Digestive
Health
B. Horowitz
6:30–9 pm
COR • WCC•
$39
M. Arsenault
6:30–8 pm
DT• CO-OP •
free
30
Tai Chi for
Arthritis
Oct. 30–
Make
Raw GF Nov. 20
Intro to Crackers The Art
Qigong & Elizabeth of Wine:
Italy
Tai Chi Cardarelli
Oct. 30–
Nov. 13
3 sessions
31
4 sessions
Tai Chi for
Arthritis
Session 7
(see Sept. 19)
Session 6
(see Sept. 19)
Gifts from the Kitchen
25 HolidayCindy
McKinney
11 am–2 pm
COR • WCC • $39
Full class descriptions on our website
Online class registration available
O C TO B E R
Week #5
$39 •
6–8:30 pm
COR • WCC •
Carolyn Hallett
6:30–8 pm
Valeri Wade
6:30-8:30 pm COR • CO-OP
• $5
DT • CO-OP • $7
Tai Chi for
Arthritis
Fresh and Alive in
Five: Level 1
Session 3
(see Sept. 12)
O C TO B E R
Week #4
D. Craig and J. A.
McNerthney
6:30–8:30 pm
DT • CO-OP
• $5
Small Dishes:
Basque Tapas
Jesse Otero
Santosha Nobel
Orchard
Mason Bee
Care
Tai Chi for
Arthritis
Session 2
(see Sept. 19)
More Energy 20 Fresh & Alive: Green Burial
B.Flowers
Level 1
Mystique
Clearing for
Sound Sleep
6:30–8 pm
DT • CO-OP
• $5
Mexican
Harvest
Starting a Co-op #1
D. Craig & J.A.
McNerthney
6:30–8:30 pm
DT • CO-OP • $5
Mary Ellen Carter
6–8 pm
COR • WCC • $39
Sarah Chan
6–9 pm
COR • WCC
• $39
Ana Jackson
6–9 pm
COR • WCC •
$39 • beer
Richard Tran, DC
Bruce Horowitz
6:30–8 pm
6:30–9 pm
DT • CO-OP •
COR • WCC • $35
free
3
14
30
Cholesterol and
Heart Health
Joseph Garrett, ND
6:30–8 pm
DT • CO-OP • $5
(5 sessions)
Grobe
S. Max, & C. Brooks
7–9 pm
6:30–8 pm
COR • WCC
DT • CO-OP •
• $5
$125
Ahoy, Lummi
Island!
Ethiopian Cuisine
Mulu Belay
6–9 pm
COR • WCC •
$35
Floating
25 Vietnamese
Market Fare
Tai Chi for Arthritis Fresh and Alive in
(9 sessions)
Five: Level 1
Kelly Hong-Williams
Session 2
11:30 am–12:30 pm
(see Sept. 12)
COR • CO-OP • $60
Jim Ehmke, CN
6:30–8:30 pm
COR • CO-OP
• $5
$45 •
24
Kiss Burn-out
Goodbye!
Jeanell Innerarity,
6:30–8 pm
DT • CO-OP • $5
Sonja Max, RD
6:30–8:30 pm
DT• CO-OP •
$20
Tuesday
Wednesday
The Physics of
Healing
Richard Morrison,
PhD
6:30–8:30 pm
DT • CO-OP • $5
O C TO B E R
Week #2
$49 •
Saturday Friday Thursday
19
29
Matrix Energetics
Ralph Havens, PT
6:30–8 pm
DT • CO-OP • $5
Karina Davidson
6:30–9 pm
DT • WCC • $39•
Patricia Herlevi
6:30–7:30 pm
DT • CO-OP • $5
OC TO BER
Week #1
Cooking, health, and well-being classes
offered by the Community Food Co-op
More information online:
www.communityfood.coop
Deborah Craig (left)
and Jo Ann McNerthney
Healthy Connections Spotlight
Starting a Co-op
The world needs more co-ops—that’s
obvious, right?—but the transition from
that vision to the reality of a functioning
co-op is an involved process requiring focus,
patience, and foresight. To help prospective
cooperatives (cooperators? cooperativists?)
navigate the course, the Co-op’s Member
Affairs Committee (MAC) has put together
a three-part educational series—Starting a
Co-op. The series kicks off September 30.
The fall series is an expansion of a very wellattended class that was offered in April.
The first class is entitled, “Organizing
the People Power,” and it’s a topic to which
instructors Jo Ann McNerthney and
Deborah Craig bring an abundance of
experience. Jo Ann and Deborah work for
the Circle of Life Caregivers Cooperative,
and both are former Community Food
Co-op board directors.
Circle of Life began when Jo Ann needed
round-the-clock care for her father. At that
point, Jo Ann was already well-versed in
the co-op business model, having worked
in both a tree-planter’s co-op and an
accountants’ co-op. When the agency she
This newsletter is printed on 20% post-consumer-waste paper with soy inks.
tried didn’t work out, it didn’t take
long for her to realize that applying
the co-op business model to home
care could work to the advantage
of both the caregivers and those
receiving care. She began laying the
groundwork for Circle of Life in
2007, and it became a fully licensed
business in 2009.
Deborah Craig joined Circle of
Life’s administrative team as caregiver
coordinator in 2011, and since then the
growth of the co-op has been dramatic.
The number of caregivers has grown
from 13 in 2011, to more than 50
today. In February, Circle of Life was
able to distribute $90,000 of profit to its
member-owners, essentially adding $2.78
an hour to wages.
The success is not just a matter of
numbers. At Circle of Life, the caregivers
are business owners, and as such, they
all have a stake in the quality of the care
provided. The caregivers can concentrate
on the job of providing compassionate
care while the administrative staff—both
Photo courtesy of Circle of LIfe
Jo Ann and Deborah work for the
co-op but are not members—take care
of paperwork, scheduling, etc. Workerowners are able to take vacations and sick
days, knowing that the other caregivers will
fill in and burnout is avoided. The result is
humane and compassionate care for those
who need it.
Jo Ann is optimistic about the
cooperative movement in Whatcom
County. She loves the Community Food
Co-op, but she speaks for all of MAC
when she says that she “looks forward
to the day when we can no longer talk
about ‘the Co-op’ because it would be too
confusing—there would be too many of
them!”
Co-op Community News, September 2014
7
Wine Notes
The Wines of Galicia
Vic Hubbard, Downtown Co-op Wine Manager
Not long ago the Galicia region of
northwestern Spain was considered a
backwater in terms of wine production.
The obscure varietals grown there over
many centuries—grapes uniquely suited
to the cool marine environment—were
overshadowed by the big international
varietals like chardonnay and cabernet.
Many of the vineyards were left untended. More recently—perhaps as a backlash
against the industrialization of the world’s
most well-known wine grapes or a renewed appreciation of the link between
unique regional wines to the history and
culture of the region—some traditional
wine regions such as Galicia have come
back to their winemaking roots. Vineyard
and winemaking methods have been
modernized and more emphasis has been
put on the best vineyard sites.
For this month, we offer a chance
to try the following wines made from
unique native varietals of Galicia. Watch
for these wines at special prices throughout the month at both stores.
Lagar da Condesa Albariño 2013,
Rias Baixes, Galicia, Spain. 100%
Albariño. $13.95
Rias Baixes is one of five Denominacion di Origin (legally designated wine
regions) of Galicia. It is located along the
Atlantic Ocean just north of the vinho
verde wine producing region of Portugal.
Albariño, first planted here by Cistercian
monks in the 12th century, is the pre-
dominant wine grape
of the region and is
gaining status in the
international wine
world.
This wine from
the Gil family is
an amazingly wellproportioned white
wine. Made from
handpicked grapes,
this wine is light and
fresh with accents of
tropical fruits and
flowers, finishes dry.
Tasting it with Cordata Wine Manager
Tim Johnson, we
picked out starfruit, apple, and lemon
components, along with hints of gardenia and spice. It is a wonderfully complex and delicious example of regional
Galician wine. Try it with fresh halibut
and mango salsa or jasmine rice.
Antalya do Mar Godello 2012,
Monterrei, Galicia, Spain. 100%
Godello. $12.95
Monterrei, located in a valley inland
from the Atlantic, offers a warmer, more
continental climate. The mainly white
varietals grown in the region come from
high-production hillside vineyards along
the Tamega River at about 1,500-foot
elevation. This godello is typical of the
region’s wines.
Vineyards in Galicia are influenced by the high humidity and close proximity to the Atlantic.
Grown and vinted by the Mendez
family in their 25-acre vineyard. It is a
minimal intervention wine, fermented
on native yeasts and aged sur lie (on
the spent yeast cells, adding flavor and
creaminess to the wine).
The beauty of this wine is in its simplicity. Just a clean well-made wine that shows
subtle touches of slate, acacia, melon, and
creamy mouth feel. No oak is used.
D. Ventura Ribeira Sacra 2010.
100% Mencia. $20.95
This wine represents the culmination
of two millenniums of wine-growing
history along the Sil River in the Ribera
Sacra region of Galicia. The vineyards
of today are still planted on the steep
rocky hillside terraces first built by the
Photo by Enrique Dans
ancient Romans and later maintained
through the middle ages by monks who
resided in this area that is famous for its
monasteries (Ribera Sacra is translated as
“sacred shore”).
From mencia, the heritage grape of
the region, this wine is a deep red color,
almost opaque. It reflects the wildness of
this almost inaccessible valley in the wild
cherry, blueberry, rose hips, and juniper
aromas and flavors. It has hints of leather
and a slight gamey quality. Although
it seems very concentrated, fine-tuned
acidity keeps it vibrant and tannins are
nicely integrated. It is aged only in stainless steel tanks, no oak.
Try this wine with paella, chorizo,
manchego cheese, pork stew, ham, or
roasted meats.
A Grand Time Was Had by All
Karl Meyer, Outreach Coordinator
Thanks to everyone who came to the 17th annual
Co-op Community Party. On a beautiful sunny day
at Maritime Heritage Park, partygoers were treated
to a festive day of entertainment and activities.
Opening the event was local band Kuungana
with a lively performance that set the tone for the
day. The upbeat marimba music greeted community
members as they found their way to longtime
party favorites, including the ever-popular Co-op
deli burritos, creative play area for kids, Co-op
and community nonprofit info fair, and more fun
performances.
A highlight of the day featured the
Emergency Circus, a local and nationwide
group of volunteer circus performers, and their
superpower show that—in accordance with
old vaudeville tradition—left the audience
wanting more.
The Clumsy Lovers capped the day with a
rousing set of fun-filled musical mayhem that
had partygoers tapping their toes and dancing
on the lawn.
Thanks to all the staff, volunteers, performers,
and community members who helped make
this event such a fine celebration of our amazing
community—a community where, as emcee
Kevin Murphy said, you don’t need to run away
to join the circus, because the circus is right here!
Bellingham in Winter, a pastel by Nancy Ging
Art Appreciation at
Cordata
The first two weeks of September
will be your last opportunity to see
Nancy Ging’s art show on display
in the Cordata café. Nancy is not
only a talented artist, she is also a
talented cook and pens the Whatcom
Locavore column in The Bellingham
Herald.
Up next at Cordata will be the
third biennial Co-op staff art show.
The staff art shows are always fun
and eclectic. Hope you can visit and
appreciate our talented staff. The
staff art show will remain on display
through mid-November.
Photos by Fredrick R. Sears and Meaghan Flesch