French Broad Food Co+op's The Buzz Newsletter - May / June 2016

CONFESSIONS OF A BOARD PRESIDENT or

Annual Meetings Are for Everyone!

by Justina Prenatt, President, FBFC Board of Directors

I have a confession to make. Though I have been an owner of FBFC since 1992, I never attended an annual meeting until after I became a member of the Board of Directors! Can you imagine?

I have always loved coops, that is why I have been a dedicated co-op owner and shopper my entire adult life. But until my Board service, I did not realize how valuable an opportunity it is to participate in the business and democracy of a cooperative like ours. I often wondered what went on at those meetings, but never got around to attending. Now I cannot imagine missing one!

The FBFC annual business meeting is a committed, dedicated time for owners to have management and the Board of Directors report to you. This is your chance to hear the highlights and important business from the year, from finances to major operational changes, reported along side up coming plans and visions. And especially during a time such as now, while we are on the verge of a historic expansion, this news is more interesting and exciting than ever before!

(You did know FBFC is getting ready for a major expansion, right? If not, you really need to get to the annual meeting!)

The annual meeting is also an opportunity to connect with the the other folks in the FBFC community. I bet you shop at the co-op for a reason, right?

You are driven by your values to support an environmentally conscious, cooperatively-owned, Living Wage certified, organically focused, natural food store for a reason.

So are the other folks who are your co-owners and compadres! This is your natural tribe, and participating in the meetings and subsequent community potluck together allows you to forge new connections and deeper existing ties.

Each year the Board tries to offer active engagement for owners, like you, at the meeting, also. This year we will be exploring the 7 Cooperative Principles (can you name them all?!) and seeking your input on how FBFC is aligning with those principles. Rather than being expected to sit for a couple hours and listen to reports, a significant portion of this meeting will be interactive, continued on page 2

continued from page 1

Bobby Sullivan General Manager

Sage Turner

Finance & Project Manager

Clare Schwartz

Outreach Co+ordinator

Ryan Prenger

Grocery Manager

Darren Stroupe Produce Manager

Greg Mosser Deli Manager

Melissa Fryar

Health & Body Care Manager

FBFC Board of Directors Justina Prenatt President

Danielle Goldstein Vice President

Jennifer Gustafson Secretary

Bob LeRoy Treasurer

Alanna Hibbard Kelly Fain Pauline Heyne Josh Littlejohn Daav Wheeler Josh O’Conner Jean Karpen Board Assistant

French Broad Food Co-op 90 Biltmore Ave. Asheville, NC 28801 Tel:828.255.7650 info@frenchbroadfood.coop www.frenchbroadfood.coop

Monday-Saturday 8am to 9pm Sunday 11am to 7pm

allow you to get out of your seat, meet your neighbors, and share your voice!

This is your official invitation (though we will remind you with emails and in the store until the special day!) - join us for the 41st Annual Business Meeting of the French Broad Food Coop on 6/5, 2-4pm at 76 Biltmore, the building adjacent to the co-op. We will close that lot for some parking, but overflow parking will be on the corner lot across from the Orange Peel or at the Aloft. Bring your open mind, your helpful feedback, and your desire to be a transformative force in the community, just like our mission statement asserts. If you want the opportunity for cooperative camaraderie, please stay after the meeting for a community potluck. FBFC will provide beverage, please bring a generously portioned, a healthy and delicious potluck dish to share, with an ingredient card, according to the following: LAst name A-G a veggie salad, H-N a grain dish, O-T a protein, U-Z a dessert. We will see you there.

BOBBY’S PILAF

A Perfectly Balanced Meal All in One Pot Ingredients: • 2 cups of organic short grain brown rice, or any grain • 1 12 oz. can of beans, or 1/3 cup red lentils, or ½ a 1lb. package of frozen peas • 2 carrots, 1 small turnip, and 1 small burdock root, any veggies you like • ½ lb. cremini mushrooms • Enough oil to cover the bottom of the pot.

I recommend coconut oil.

• ½ teaspoon each of turmeric, oregano, garlic powder and onion flakes Costs roughly $8.25 for the items in bold and feeds 2½ - 3 people for dinner.

That’s $2.75 - $3.30 per serving for a totally organic balanced meal!

Directions: 1. Pour the rice into a large mixing bowl that is at least 3 times larger than the amount of grain, so you can use plenty of water for rinsing without pouring out the good stuff. If using lentils, combine them with the grain before rinsing. Rinsing can be skipped if you’re in a hurry, but I highly recommend it.

2. Place the bowl under your faucet and fill the bowl most of the way up with lukewarm water, while you stir the grains with your hand, making sure they get thoroughly rinsed. Most of what you need to wash away floats to the top. After the seeds sink to the bottom, pour off the water that is above the level of the seeds. It’s easier if you have a nice mesh handheld colander to catch the grains that you don’t want to lose. If not, a fork will do, if you’re not too ambitious about pouring all the water out. Repeat the rinsing 3 times and leave the wet grain in the bowl – it can be really wet as you will soon cook off all the water.

3. Add the oil to a 3-quart cooking pot, or larger, and turn the heat up to 6. Once it’s melted and spread around the entire bottom of the pot and even up the sides a little, add the spices and pick up the pot again, tilting it to mix the melted oil and spices, so they are evenly mixed across the bottom of the pot.

4. Once it starts bubbling up and you smell the spices, add the wet grains spreading them evenly across the bottom of the pot with a spatula that will effectively scrape the bottom of the bottom if things start to stick. Let it sizzle and turn down the heat to 4. This is when I usually measure out the water and put it in the mixing bowl that once held the grains, so you can add all the water at once (but not yet).

5. Once you start to smell the grains toasting, stir the pot with a spatula and make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. Keep stirring until all the water is gone and the grains are smelling nice and nutty.

6. Add the water and stir again, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom and cover with a nice tight lid. Then turn the heat up to high to get it bubbling. Once the water is moving around, turn down the heat to 3 or 4, making sure the water is still bubbling but not flowing over and set the timer for 40 minutes.

7. Wash and chop your veggies so they’re ready to go in at the 20-minute mark, but wait to put the mushrooms in until there’s only 10 minutes left. Cut the carrots and turnips into ½ inch cubes, but slice the burdock thin – it’s a much denser root. Once the veggies are added, you may need to turn the heat to high again so the pot will still be simmering.

8. Open the can of beans and rinse them thoroughly so you can add them once the timer goes off.

9. When the timer goes off remove from heat, add the beans and let the covered pot sit for 10 minutes. Then add tamari, dulse flakes, nutritional yeast and/or Celtic Sea Salt - anything you like, stir it all up and enjoy the goodness!

Become A Member!

Join a farmer-led coalition to bring established farmers, farm apprentices, and aspiring farmers together for year-long networking and training in sustainable agriculture.

WWW.ORGANICGROWERSSCHOOL.ORG

Feeding Four Affordably

FBFC - MORE WAYS TO SAVE!

-Pauline Heyne, Board Member

There are so many exciting things continually happening at the French Broad Food Co-op! From being living wage certified to the new Back to Basics program, from the hundreds of local goods available and the support they provide local businesses, to how more of every dollar you spend at the Co-op goes back to the local economy, and of course our upcoming expansion - our Co-op makes a difference in the community because of people like you!

But when I talk with my friends and colleagues about the French Broad Food Co-op I often hear how expensive it is to shop there. I find this to be untrue. So I sought out to price some of my go-to family meals and actually see “how expensive” it is to feed my growing family. Soon my family will grow to four, so I used a family of four as an example when pricing out these easy and healthy meals.

For breakfast, one of my go-tos is cereal and fruit. As part of the Back to Basics program you can get an organic box of cereal for $2.99, that’s 27 cents per serving! I picked up a carton of almond milk for $2.50 (with in-store coupon) and organic bananas for $1.39. For 4 bowls of organic cereal with fruit I spent $4.97.

Co+op Deals

Look for the green Co+op Deal signs to find great saving on some of our most popular products. Look for the Co+op Deals Coupons in the store too and save even more, even on sale items!

Owner Deals 4

I’m super excited we started carrying the Chia Cheeze Sauce by Heidi Ho Veganics (featured on Shark Tank) which makes a tasty and super easy vegan mac n cheese.

I picked up a bag of Field Day Organic Elbow Macaroni for $1.79 and container of Cheeze Sauce for $6.99 (you only need half the container) and a bag of organic frozen peas for $1.99. To make four hearty bowls of Mac n cheeze with peas came to $7.28. Just throw in the peas with the boiling macaroni with about two minutes left then drain and add the cheeze sauce and you have an affordable, healthy easy meal!

Organic kale is so abundant in our region and I love sauteing kale with garlic as an easy go-to side. Pair that with some roasted organic potatoes and grill up some Tofurkey Italian Sausage and you got yourself a proper dinner. For 2 bunches of organic kale and garlic I paid $4.50, for 4 medium sized organic potatoes I paid $2.86 and for a package of 4 Tofurkey Sausage I paid $4.49. Combined I paid 11.85 which comes to under $3 a meal!

With a growing family and a limited budget, I am continually looking for ways to feed my family healthy, organic meals for a good price and I can do that at the Co-op. There are many other ways to save money by shopping at the Co-op: 5% off the 5th of every month, owner deals, using your Go Local Card to save $5 off $50 (certain hours apply) and the great deals in the weekly flyers.

I will continue to promote the affordability of the Co-op because to me, it’s the only grocery store in Asheville that is owned by the people who work and shop here and a place where everyone makes a difference.

Membership has it’s perks! Look for the orange Owner Deal signs to find great prices exclusively for owners.

OWNER DEALS

5% on the 5th

Owners save 5% off their purchases on the 5th of every month.

Special Order and Save

Special order your items in a case or bulk quantity and get 20% off for owners, 10% off for non owners.

Community Appreciation Days

Four times per year we offer 10% OFF ONE ENTIRE SHOP for everyone, not just owners, during Community Appreciation Days.

Shop Bulk

Buy a pinch or a pound. Our bulk section is awesome, with over 1000 bulk foods, herbs, spices & liquids.

B U L K

Patronage Rebate

In profitable years, owners can receive a percentage of the profits back based on the total spent at the co+op during that fiscal year.

Co+op Basics

Co+op Basics offers you new low prices on over 100 of the same staples every week, so you can plan your weekly meals around affordability and quality.

In the Bulk Section

By: Co+op, stronger together

More and more shoppers are being enticed into the bulk aisles of their food stores—and for good reason! Buying in bulk is great for your budget (buy just the amount you need, at the best prices) and the environment, since there’s less packaging required. With the opportunity to see and smell a product outside the package before you buy, it’s a fun way to shop too.

Start by stocking up on staples: the bulk section is full of great buys for your pantry, like beans, nuts, cereals, flours, and grains. You can take advantage of the bulk section to sample small amounts of nut butters, pastas, and teas and coffees before committing to a large quantity.

Whatever your recipe, herbs and spices can be bought in just the amount you need for a fraction of the price of whole jars. It makes it easy and cheap to explore new cuisines that call for small amounts of herbs and spices you don’t stock in your pantry. Also look for household and toiletry items, such as Locally Made Warhorse Soap and Dr. Bronner’s Castile soaps.

Besides being more cost-effective, buying bulk allows you to experiment with new foods. Bring home just enough quinoa for one meal, for example, or enough currants to substitute for raisins in your oatmeal one morning, and then come back for more when you know it’s a winner. No section of your co-op is more fun to browse, especially at the FBFC! If you’re new to bulk buying, don’t be shy; co-op staff will be happy to help you get started with weighing and marking your items.

Bring your own container and have a cashier weigh it before you fill it up!

What are your favorite bulk buys?

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Students do not need to currently own land, but some farming or production experience is helpful to get the most out of the class.

Application period opens in June. Program begins October 2016.

Foraging Fun Melissa, HBC Manager

The warm weather is here! Flower and leaf are blooming, seeds are sprouting, and the sun is out! I love this time of year in the mountains with everything bursting forth. We are so lucky to have such biodiversity here and we are able to grow and forage so many different foods and medicines.

Some of my spring/summer favorites are: dandelion, lamb’s quarters, any and all berries, nettles, violets, elderflowers and berries, yellowdock, yarrow, and beebalm. So many of us garden, clearing space for nutritious veggies and fruits … and fail to see that many of the plants we are clearing for our garden space are nutritionally superior to anything we could cultivate. So, personally, I never grow spinach.

Instead I forage the nettles and lamb’s quarters that grow so abundantly and can be used in similar ways. I most enthusiastically encourage you to get a good guide (or three), take a class (or 3), and begin to discover all of the wonderful and free foods available to you in your yards, fields, and pastures. Many are easily identifiable, such as dandelion and plantain. Including these wild foods into your diet are a great way to increase nutrients and feed your inner wild woman or wild man. I also think it gives us a sense of grounding in a place … eating food from the place we live and sleep and play and work is an amazing thing and talk about local! I love including my medicines into my daily diet and here are a recipe or two to get you started this season:

Lamb’s Quarters Spice

4 Tbsp. dried lambs quarters greens 1/2 tsp. dried powdered kelp 1/2 tsp. dulse powdered 1/8 tsp cayenne powder 1/2 tsp salt (optional) 1/2 tsp mustard seed ground 1 tsp. celery powder 1/2 tsp. garlic salt 1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Directions: Blend all dried herbs together and sore in glass jar. Sprinkle on to soups, salads, dips, etc.

Plantain Mango Lassie

1 ripe mango 1/2 cup plantain leaves 1 tsp. plantain seeds 1/2 cup cashews 2 tbsp. honey 1 tsp. vanilla extract 2 cups water (I use 1 cup water and 1 cup mango nectar) also consider adding vanilla yogurt or raw milk Directions: Blend all together until smooth and chill before enjoying. from The Wild Wisdom of Weeds by Katrina Blair If you are interested in further info on wild foods and medicines, check out the above book, An Herbal Feast

by Risa Mornis, and Susun Weed’s Healing Wise for delicious recipes and lots of information and inspiration.

As for teas....so many to love this season! I always love the cooling mints available in abundance now: spearmint, peppermint, lemonbalm, mountain mint, etc. These blend really well with holy basil, hibiscus flowers, nettles, violet leaves.... the potential is huge. Consider making yard tea each evening.

For my family, yard tea is a blend of whatever is in the yard or garden and looks good. Maybe some mint with rosepetals and red clover or oatstraw with holy basil and plantain. Herbal teas are such a wonderful way to get extra nutrients in your diet and are easy to include into your daily diet.

If you ever have questions or need some guidance, please feel free to come talk with one of us and we can help get you started. Also, don’t forget to attend the May Herbfest at the Farmer’s Market on Brevard Rd. if you want to grow your own herb garden.

New items in HBC are many this season! We will have a limited supply of Mountain Rose Herbs Ginseng Leaf available. These will be 4 gram tins of forest grown ginseng leaf from 25-30 year old plants. Many indigenous cultures in the eastern part of North America utilized the leaf in their medicine ways and even modern scientific studies have found that the leaves contain a greater concentration of the same active constituents as compared to the root. I purchased some of these and can say “WOW!� They are so vibrant and tasty. Plus, 5% of profits from these tins goes directly to the United Plant Savers so that we can ensure plant abundance for future generations. The retail price will be $29.99 per tin.

We are expanding our bulk teas with a local tea company: Panther Moon Teas. Look for puerh, matcha, jiao gu lan, and goji leaf to start. Many more will be coming, as these are some of the best teas that I have ever tasted!

We have Boody Wear! Bamboo fiber undies, t-shirts, and leggings for women and men. Fairly priced and so comfortable.

We are all about sustainable materials!

Savannah Bee Company has some new delicious honeys ....

Lavender and Rosemary. So distinct and delicious!

From Purifoy Flower Essences comes her new body care line: Sacred Ways Apothecary. From Golden Rose Body Balm to her Womb Anointing Oil, this line is decadent! Infused with pure ingredients, flower essences and gem essences.

Simply Brigit is a small line of super clean bodycare, including a pit paste and nourishing face cream and always check out the new Dr. Haushka items. This month we have their Birch Arnica Body Oil for all of those warm weather strains and sprains that we endure and a Nail and Cuticle Oil that is perfect for garden hands like mine.

May your summer be lovely and filled with good food gatherings, some hammock time, maybe time lounging by a river or the ocean, or simply playing in the garden. Whatever you do, I hope it is good! ~Melissa

Eating Local on a Budget

By: Co+op, stronger together

Maybe you’ve noticed the buzz about “eating local,” and you’d like to give it a try—after all, wouldn’t it be great to know more about where your food comes from and enjoy the benefits of freshly picked, locally raised foods from right nearby?

for locally produced honey, butter, and eggs or bread, cheese, and sausages, you’re likely to find the co-op to be your “one-stop shop.”

While local foods often come from smaller producers that don’t have the mass distribution—and therefore cost savings—of large growers, you can find great local values if you know where to look.

Purchasing whole foods, rather than packaged snacks and prepared meals, will save you a lot on your grocery bill—and turning them into a meal is probably easier than you think. Find some great ideas at strongertogether.coop

Here are some strategies for enjoying local foods without blowing your grocery budget.

Learn what’s in season

Seasonal foods are more abundant and affordable, and they tend to be picked when ripe, meaning they retain more nutrients and flavor. In the kitchen, you won’t have to do much—or use much—to make these fresh foods delicious. To find out what’s in season in your region, visit weekly Farmers’ Markets and talk to your Produce staff, they can talk veggies all day!

Get to know local farmers and producers

By shopping regularly at Farmers’ Markets, you’ll get to know which growers have lower prices. They will guide you to the best seasonal values and might even offer a deal or two. To find farmers’ markets close by, check out ASAP’s Local Food Guide for all of the listings http://appalachiangrown.org/

Browse the local foods at your neighborhood co-op

Food co-ops around the country tend to have long-term relationships with local farms and food producers (including producers who may also sell at your local farmers’ market), and co-op staff can help point you to the local products in the store. Whether you’re looking

Cook more often

Join a community supported agriculture (CSA) program CSAs—membership programs that offer regular shares of regional farm harvests—tend to be a good bang for your buck. You’ll expand your culinary horizons and get a lot more of those recommended fruits and veggies.

Grow your own

You can start small, with easy-to-grow crops like tomatoes and basil in pots, or go big with your own garden plot. Either way, it’s an inexpensive, healthy, and delicious way to enjoy local. You can buy your plant starts from Wildwood Farm or Appalchian Seeds at the Co+op or buy your Sow True Seeds there.

Try out a few of these tips, and look for sales at your local food coop. With the right strategy, eating local can be budget-friendly and fun. Of course don’t forget that there are so many ways to save by becoming an owner at the Co-op; 5% off your purchases on the 5th of every month, Special Order and save 20%, Community Appreciation Days, save 10%, Use your Go Local card for $5 off $50, before 12 noon Monday-Saturday and all day Sunday.

FRENCH BROAD FOOD CO-OP CALENDAR OF EVENTS

www.frenchbroadfood.coop • 90 Biltmore Ave. • Downtown Asheville • 828.255.7650