May 2021 Honest Slate

Honest

SLATE

Honest Weight Food Co-op’s Community Newsletter for Membership • Staff • Governance • Management Published monthly by the Communications Committee to promote transparency, report without bias, and sustain community.

May 2O21

Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Avenue, Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667

honestslate@honestweight.coop • https://www.honestweight.coop/

Voting Results: April’s Remote Membership Meeting 162 Member-Owners attended our fourth Remote HWFC Membership Meeting on April 25. Thank you to all who joined us.

Proposed Change to Bylaws

Sections 470.2(f), 471.3(a), and 420.6:

• that Bylaws Section 470.2(f) which states: “The GRC shall appoint two people to serve on the Bylaws Panel.” be amended to state: “The GRC shall appoint two Member-Owners who are not Directors but may be employees to serve on the Bylaws Panel.”

Comments about April’s Mem-

bership Meeting from the Communications Committee/Honest Slate team: “Janet was professional and a calming presence as always.”

“The Co-op was in good hands.”

“Tech queries were handled deftly.

Avery knew exactly what MOs were requesting; clearly his experience was showing. He has the skills needed and is incredibly capable and calm.”

“Becca was the star! She was enthusiastic and well-spoken. Sharing her story made her participation relatable.”

Regarding a scarcity of candidates—a first for Honest Weight during this pandemic year—an ENC member mentioned how lacking the opportunity to talk person-to-person during this election cycle may have hampered efforts at recruiting for Board seats.

Ordinarily the committee would have been able to reach out in real time via in-store tabling.

honestslate@honestweight.coop

• that Bylaws Section 471.3(a) which states: “The Panel shall consist of eight Member-Owners appointed to two-year staggered terms. The Board, the GRC, the Membership Committee, and Management shall each appoint two Member-Owners to the Panel. The Membership Committee’s appointees may not be members of the Board, the GRC, or Management whereas the other appointees have no such limitation. Appointees may be reappointed. In the event that a member cannot complete the term, another person may be appointed by the same entity that appointed the resigning member.” be amended to state: “The Panel shall consist of eight Member-Owners appointed to two-year staggered terms. The Board, the GRC, the Membership Committee, and Management shall each appoint two Member-Owners to the Panel. Appointees may be reappointed. In the event that a member cannot complete the term, another person may be appointed by the same entity that appointed the resigning member.”

•that Bylaws Section 420.6 which states: “The Board shall appoint two persons, who may be Directors or Member-Owners, to the Bylaws Panel.”

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The resolution was approved by 91% of the members casting ballots and passed. Note that Bylaws amendments require two-thirds of Members present and voting to approve in order to pass.

Election for Seats on the Board of Directors 138 valid ballots were cast. A candidate must achieve 25% of votes cast in order to be elected. Member-Owner Rebecca Dinhofer was elected to the Board of Directors with 128 votes, or 92% of valid ballots cast Thank you to all who joined us and helped to make this meeting a success! It is with deep appreciation that we acknowledge outgoing Director Chris Edwardson for fulfilling his commitment to Honest Weight by completing his term of service.

—The Board of Directors Please note: the data recorded from “non-confidential” votes by phone or Survey Monkey have been used only for April 2021’s election, voting, and counting process and will not be “data-mined” or used for any other purpose in the future.

CONTENTS Kitchen News.................................. 2

be amended to state: “The Board shall appoint to the Bylaws Panel two Member-Owners who may be Directors and employees, but who are not serving on the Governance Review Council.”

Zooming Out from COVID............... 3

Results were as follows: The total number of

MOs Dig Garden Time!................... 7

ballots cast at the Membership Meeting on this resolution was: 139

Of these ballots: 127 approved, 8 rejected, and 4 preferred not to vote on this issue.

Coupon Upgrade!........................... 3 Cabbage Cousins............................ 5 Q&A.................................................6 May Board Decisions...................... 8 Committee Corner...........................9 Co-Opportunities.......................... 10 https://www.honestweight.coop/

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Honest Slate

kitchen news with Dan Hurlbut, Food Service Department Manager •The salad bar is reopening; soup’s back on the menu. How does the availability comply with state law?

State law at this point is back to normal— and has been since about the beginning of the year. We have and are taking extra precautions to keep our team and guests safe.

•When did soup come back?

Soup opened in the middle of February with quite a different process to ensure the health and safety of all. We offer gloves and sanitizer at the station, with signage stating that masks must remain on at all times and no sampling is allowed.

Single-use ladles. We purchased 75 ladles so that we could offer a clean one to everyone buying soup; we have a “clean pot” and a “dirty pot” for ladle storage at the soup station. Our team would bring in the dirty pot to wash and sanitize before returning to service.

Now Collecting Glass Yogurt Jars from Berle Farm Cow-friendly Berle Farm of Hoosick Falls is committed to sustainability “from the ground up.”

Because sustainability is a community

effort, HWFC will now be collecting glass jars from Berle Farm’s cow milk yogurt. Jars simply need to be rinsed and dried, then returned to the Service Desk at the Co-op.

We’ll send them back to Berle Farm biweekly for reuse as part of a continued effort to cut down on packaging and waste in our local food chain.

Salad bar opened with very minimal offerings at the beginning of April and we just expanded it [in late April]. Here it is not feasible to offer a single-use tong for everyone due to cross-contamination of the toppings, so we offer sanitizer and gloves for this self-serve station. The station has been working well so far with happy customers.

•What about other offerings?

Plans are in the works for the hot bar to return. There is no set date as of yet, but we will be looking to have some sort of offer available by the end of May. Safety precautions will be similar to that of the salad bar. But before the rollout of the hot bar, a brand-new... ...burger bar will debut!

We have a new program that will be moving forward—a burger bar! Create your own burgers. This will include beef, mar-

Thanks to HWFC dairy buyer Laura Angell for setting this up, and thanks to all for spreading the word to shoppers who will make the extra effort to get the beautiful jars back to these dynamic farmers whose commitment is fundamental.

“Jars...can be hand washed,” added Laura. “We only carry one plain yogurt product from Berle, but it is [sold] off the shelves regularly and is a staple in Dairy. The jars have a printed logo so no labels need to be removed...this [may] be a first time for collection at Honest Weight.

“It is super that we can initiate a system to get these beautiful jars back to her for reuse to reduce waste. It is a community effort!”

—Morgaen Hansen

May 2021 inated mushroom patties, and Beyond Meat patties to choose from, along with many toppings. In addition, we will be offering sides of crispy potato wedges or Cajun charred green beans; the team recently met with local chef Ric Orlando and will be using his Cajun seasoning for the beans. Loaded potato wedges will also be an option. Guests can choose sauces and toppings to load up their basket!

•We placed 1st in the Times Union’s “Best Of” for vegetarian restaurant. That’s HUGE. Hearing the news that the Kitchen at Honest Weight won best vegetarian “restaurant” was such an honor! Being looped into the wonderful restaurants in the area really made the team and myself proud.

Owners, shoppers, and staff have all been thrilled to see soup and salad back in action. Everyone seems to be very satisfied with our current safety precautions, so we’re starting to feel much more confident in bringing back offerings like the hot bar.

The team is doing an incredible job keeping up with the additional work of keeping everything clean and presentable, in addition to the regular work of keeping everything fresh and delicious!

We are back to selling $1,050 in soup each week, and $270 from the salad bar (though we just fully launched the salad bar with all of its options this week, so that will continue to grow quite a bit). Our overall Food Service Department sales are back to $52,000–$54,000/week these past few weeks, which is about 24% below where we were pre-COVID. Café! Olé!

Some more exciting news: we are tentatively planning to reopen the indoor café seating area in June.

The café seating area is really the heart of the Co-op in so many ways—people love to have a place to sit, chat, have a meeting, enjoy a coffee, breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

This is an essential piece of bringing our Food Service Department, and the Co-op as a whole, back to normal, and we can’t wait. We should have an official reopening date to share with you soon.

Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • https://www.honestweight.coop/ • honestslate@honestweight.coop

May 2021

Honest Slate

Zooming Out from COVID Honest Weight has always had a culture of people-mindedness. It’s the people that make us what we are—people, planet, profit—people who coordinate, communicate, and work cooperatively.

Just over a year ago, the pandemic put a huge damper on this community-driven entity: closing down classes and community spaces, and clamping down on governance as in-person meetings ceased and everyone scrambled to figure out how to get things done.

by Avery Cotton

drive-ins, or large parks; or rotating people through a “normal” space a few at a time.

Distanced communication ideas to connect the 100+ expected Owners spanned a wide spectrum of possibilities—from headlight flashes and car horns to PA systems, smallscale radio transmissions, or a network of cell phones.

Many potential meeting venues were considered, including: possibly continuing at the Ramada; convening in empty parking lots,

ings and work sessions—initially believing it to be a good system for running a Membership Meeting. However, disappointment marked a 40-person scale-up test—just 13 days before our first full-scale test run with the Membership!

Subsequently, in just 5 days, the Board rigorously tested nearly a dozen other platforms.

While none were perfect, unconventional use of Zoom served our needs for the virtual Practice Membership Meeting in May 2020. Since then, Zoom has upgraded several times, and we’ve continued to grow with it.

After consulting with each governance group, early this year the Board approved a rollout of Zoom accounts, solidifying virtual meetings as a mainstay for the near-present. Despite hopes that the pandemic’s grip might loosen, meetings across the Co-op have all shifted to virtual— from Board and Membership meetings to gatherings of committees, the Governance Review Council, the Bylaws Panel, and now All-Staff meetings.

At that point, the 2020 annual Membership Meeting for Board Directors elections was looming, so plans already under way required an immediate overhaul. Not without wariness of “overreach,” the Board twice delayed that meeting in the hope of the pandemic subsiding—and to allow adequate research, development, and testing of alternatives to ensure that Membership retained its voice.

Previously, voters obtained ballots or provisional ballots (with the latter customarily checked for eligibility before counting). For new meetings, all ballots became provisional—so every ballot received needed an eligibility check. In June 2020, voting was achieved mainly with in-person drop-off, but it has now grown to embrace multiple methods, including both phone and internet voting.

We continually strive to improve our voting and counting procedures.

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While we’re still often so in-the-moment, addressing each new challenge, it’s truly breathtaking to zoom out from such a narrow focus and see just how far we’ve come in the past year from occupying in-person community spaces to sharing these virtual spaces together.

Ultimately the Board concluded that the only choice for safe Membership participation was to host a “super-conference call,” or an online meeting allowing users to connect through both the internet and landline phones. At the time, the suggestion was unprecedented.

At the pandemic’s onset, the Board used one specific virtual platform for Board meet-

Just as at previous in-person meetings, these virtual meetings run with the support of several dozen MOs behind the scenes—because, pandemic or not, it’s all about community and cooperation.

To keep Membership informed and encourage Co-op governance participation, we have created a Zoom Links page with details for Membership connecting to any Co-op Zoom meeting.

Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • https://www.honestweight.coop/ • honestslate@honestweight.coop

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Honest Slate

Coupons Turn a Corner

User-Friendly Discounts Grow More Accessible HWFC Marketing has been slowly tweaking the rules to our popular Times Union coupons with the goal of benefiting Owners!

From now on, most coupons that

Honest Weight puts out into the world can be used by Owners in combination with their discount. This means that published coupons specific to items, departments, brands, and categories can now be stacked with Owner discounts of any level.

However, those coupons offering a flat dollar amount off an entire purchase (such as $20 off $100) still cannot be used by Own-

May 2021 ers. Unfortunately, that won’t change in the foreseeable future. We are gradually moving away from frequent, flat-amount, high-value coupons, as these have reached a point of diminishing returns; but over time, our coupons will become even more owner-friendly!

We will always explain which coupons can, or cannot, be used by Owners with discounts in the “fine print” at the bottom of each coupon.

—Alex Mytelka

Department News •Education offers free virtual yoga classes with Lisa Sunday, May 16 from 6:30–7:30pm. To join, sign up here.

Free Yoga

• for every BODY • stretches • breathing • modifications offered • meditation • creating community • easing transition to our “new” normal • movement to build strength and balance

•Produce

currently has local fiddlehead ferns and wild foraged ramps—while they last!

while they

last

•Deli now carries

bagels from local Nyx Baking in Plain, Everything, Sesame, Super Seedy, and spicy Sesame Gochujang.

•Wellness is shaving 50% off the entire

line of RAD Soap through the end of May! It includes all RAD soaps, lotions, creams, and CBD. Savor some serious savings by combining the sale with your discount.

Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • https://www.honestweight.coop/ • honestslate@honestweight.coop

May 2021

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Honest Slate

Food for Thought Spring Greens: Cabbage

by Joyce Chicoine, Nutrition and Education Committee

The Brassicaceae family, also known as the “mustard” family, includes thousands of species. They are also called Cruciferae (cruciferous) because the 4 petals of their flowers resemble the shape of a cross.

Today we are focusing on the group of species that are most closely related to cabbage. Cabbage and its cousins are quite nutritious. They are rich in fiber and essential nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, K, B6, folate, as well as the minerals potassium, calcium, iron, and manganese.

Also notable about these cabbage cousins is that they are planted early in the growing season. Turnips can be planted 3–5 weeks before the last frost. Broccoli, broccoli rabe, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, collards, kale, and bok choy can all be planted 3–4 weeks before the last frost.

Finally, rutabagas can be planted 1–2 weeks before the last frost. In Albany, the last frost date is around May 1.

CABBAGE (Brassica oleracea, variety capitata) Cabbage is believed to have been domesticated in Europe around 1000 BC and is popular in many styles of European cuisine. It can be eaten raw in salads or coleslaw. It can also be steamed, stir-fried, or boiled. It’s a great addition to soups or stews. Another popular way to eat cabbage is to ferment it, in the form of sauerkraut. The only ingredients for making sauerkraut are raw cabbage, salt, water, and optional seasonings. Following the proper technique for making sauerkraut is important, but the process is fairly simple. The Co-op typically carries both red and green cabbage, in addition to prepared sauerkraut.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS (Brassica oleracea, variety gemmifera) What’s fun about Brussels sprouts is that they look like miniature cabbages. They actually grow attached to a tall stalk and keep better if they remain attached to the stalk. The downside to that is storage becomes more difficult. Brussels sprouts

Second in a series

are indeed popular in Brussels, Belgium, as well as other parts of Europe. Brussels sprouts can be steamed, boiled, sauteéd, or roasted. They are quite tasty with a balsamic or honey-mustard glaze. They are also delicious topped with crispy bacon bits, walnuts, or grated cheese.

BOK CHOY (Brassica rapa, variety chinensis) and NAPA CABBAGE (Brassica rapa, variety pekinensis) Both bok choy and napa cabbage are popular ingredients in Asian cooking. In fact, napa cabbage (also called Chinese cabbage) is the most popular vegetable in China. While the two vegetables are very similar, there are some important differences between them. Bok choy tends to add more bitterness to a dish and its stem is tougher than the leaves. For this reason, when cooking bok choy, it is best to separate the stalks from the leaves and begin cooking the stalks before adding the leaves. Napa cabbage has a milder flavor that gets sweeter when cooked. Both of these vegetables can be used in stirfries or soup. When fermented, they can be used to make kimchi. The Co-op sells a variety of kimchis, including several that are locally made.

BROCCOLI (Brassica oleracea, variety italica) Broccoli most likely originated in what is now Italy more than 2,000 years ago.

While it did not become popular in the US until the 1920s, today it is considered one the most popular vegetables in this country. Many people only eat the florets and toss the stems and leaves. In fact, the stems and leaves are also edible. The stems can be tough, however, but will be more tender if the outside is peeled with a vegetable peeler. Broccoli can be eaten raw in salads or with vegetable dips. It can also be boiled, steamed, grilled, stir-fried, or roasted. My favorite way to prepare broccoli is toss in olive oil, grill or roast (at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes), and then season with garlic salt.

RAPINI (Brassica rapa variety Ruvo), a.k.a. broccoli rabe or broccoli raab Rapini closely resembles broccoli, but it never forms heads like broccoli does. The stem, florets, and leaves are all eaten. The base of the stem is most tender early in the season. It is a popular ingredient in Italian dishes.

CAULIFLOWER (Brassica oleracea, variety botrytis) I have been eating steamed or stir-fried cauliflower for years.

As I cut back on starchy foods, I have discovered new ways to eat cauliflower, which I absolutely love.

Cauliflower is a great substitute for rice. After finely chopping the cauliflower florets in a food processor, it can be tossed in olive or avocado oil and sautéed or roasted in the oven (450°F for about 16 minutes).

After that it can be used in place of white rice in a variety of recipes. Cauliflower also makes an excellent substitute for mashed potatoes. After steaming the florets, drain them well and add them to a food processor with a dollop of butter or ghee. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Roasted cauliflower is great, too. I like to shake the florets in a bag with Indian spices (turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, and salt) before putting it in a pan with olive oil for roasting.

Cream of cauliflower soup is also fabulous.

COLLARD (Brassica oleracea, variety acephala) A popular ingredient in Southern (US) cooking, collard leaves are dark green, tough, and bitter. The stems are even tougher and are seldom used. Collard greens can be used in salads, but it’s a good idea to massage the leaves to soften them first.

The best way to cook collard greens is to slow cook them in moist heat, such as this continued on page 6

Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • https://www.honestweight.coop/ • honestslate@honestweight.coop

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Honest Slate

caBBage family continued from page 5 slow-cooker black-eyed pea dish (with ham). This reduces the bitterness and makes them more tender.

KALE (Brassica oleracea, variety acephala) While I have enjoyed kale in various dishes, like quinoa stew or chorizo/kale/sweet potato hash, I have rarely eaten kale by itself. That changed when I learned how to make kale chips. To make them, simply remove the stem, wash & dry. Toss in olive oil. Then cook in an air fryer for about 6 minutes. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake your kale chips in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges are slightly brown. Sprinkle with garlic salt. The result is light and crispy. It reminds me of popcorn.

KOHLRABI (Brassica oleracea, variety gongylodes) Sometimes called “German turnip,” kohlrabi looks somewhat like a pale green turnip and is a popular ingredient in both German and Hungarian cuisine.

Suggestion Box

Q&A Q: When is the café going to open again?

A: Although we do not have a specific date set, we do look forward to reopening the café when it is safe to do so [see page 2].

Q: Please sell hard boiled eggs, i.e., in 2 to a package or egg salad (on rye?) [or] deviled egg ready. Thank U. A: This is an intriguing idea for us to think about.

Q: Could you consider stocking campari tomatoes? They are juicier and tastier—especially in winter. Thanks!

A: We stock them when we can get them.

They are available sometimes but not all the time.

Kohlrabi leaves are edible and can be used like other dark leafy vegetables. The main part that gets eaten, the spherical section, is actually an enlarged stem.

The outer sections of this bulbous stem are tough and should be peeled and discarded.

While it can be eaten raw, kohlrabi is usually cooked—roasted, steamed, stir-fried, or added to soup.

RUTABAGA (Brassica napus, variety napobrassica) and TURNIP (Brassica rapa, variety rapa) Rutabagas and turnips are so similar that people often get them confused. The most obvious difference is that rutabagas are much larger than turnips. Another difference is the color.

Rutabagas are tan colored, while turHWFC does not provide medical advice.

Please check with a health care practitioner before treating any condition. See page 8 for all policies and full disclaimer.

Q: Please bring back the Moroccan lentil balls. Thank you.

A: They will return in another menu rotation. They are not discontinued and will return again.

Q: Justin (Bulk) was very helpful, searched multiple departments to locate what I needed. He was very informative. He went above & beyond. Thank you, Justin!

A: Great job, Justin! He is a model employee.

Q: Great person in Cheese “Guinevere” went above & beyond finding me a better quality cheese than I was asking for.

A: She’s been a Member-Owner for a number of years. She does know her cheese and loves to share her passion for it.

Q: I had a couple of price overcharges + Sarah handled them promptly. Just thought U should know.

May 2021 nips are white and purple. There is also a difference in taste. Turnips tend to be tangier, while rutabagas have a slightly sweeter flavor. At our house, you are most likely to see rutabagas boiled and mashed. My family affectionately calls it “dirt” due to the texture, but we would consider Thanksgiving dinner incomplete without it.

Cabbage and its cousins are a valuable

part of a nutritious diet because of the fiber, vitamins, and minerals they contain.

However, many of these vegetables can cause discomfort from gas and bloating.

This is due to the high fiber content. There are a couple of ways to avoid this problem.

One is to spend extra time chewing, to help break down the fiber before it enters the digestive tract. Another solution is to take a product like Beano that contains alpha galactosidase enzyme.

Some of these vegetables may already be a regular part of your diet. Perhaps some of them are new to you. There are dozens of ways to prepare them, so even the familiar ones can be made more exciting and delicious. I encourage you to explore the many options that can be found on the internet.

A: We’re glad that she was able to help you and fix your issue in a friendly and efficient way.

Q: Grateful you sell refillable dish soap! Any way to carry something other than Better Life?

It does not work well nor create any suds!

A: That’s good to know. Thanks for bringing that to our attention. Our previous brand became unavailable to us. There’s not a lot of options out there.

Q: Possible to carry more bagged lettuce options? I hate all the plastic containers!

A: In addition to our bagged and triple-washed spinach, we now have Juniper Hill bagged lettuce. We expect to receive more bagged lettuce from our local farmers as the growing season progresses.

Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • https://www.honestweight.coop/ • honestslate@honestweight.coop

May 2021

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Honest Slate

Gardening Group Digs Outdoor Beds

photo essay by Lynn Huntington

Preparing for planting

Work in the native beds includes planting donated native plants.

Member-Owners of the garden committee work diligently on the native beds at the store.

Garlic is up and thriving in the raised bed.

Contact Yevette if you’re interested in helping the gardening committee: memberservices@ honestweight.coop.

These sisters teamed up to tackle a planting bed.

More Member-Owners are needed for this committee and the work Is very rewarding. You can see the fruits of your labor on every visit.

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May 2021

Honest Slate • Avery Cotton was elected Secretary of the Board of Directors.

Board Decisions

• Mollie Lampi was elected acting-Treasurer of the Board of Directors.

The HWFC Board of Directors approved the following at the 6pm May 4 Board Meeting: The following decisions were affirmed: • The Member-Owner Coordinator job title was changed to Membership Manager.

The following decisions were made: • Kim Kaiser was appointed to the Board of Directors.

• Jack Mahoney was appointed to the Board of Directors.

• Janet Sorell was elected President of the Board of Directors.

• Mollie Lampi was elected Vice-President of the Board of Directors.

WE Owe YOu The Co-op has money waiting for a number of individuals whom we cannot locate.

If you or anyone you know appears on the list below, the Finance Department urges you to contact the Co-op at your earliest convenience: finance@honestweight.coop.

Hank Adams Nishi Beharry Timothy J. Cowper Stephen Dornbush Gillian Eastwood

Eva Foitzik Laurel Holden Maria Kuhsel Emily Mowel Mark Pranys

Lily Ringler Elias Saifan Kimberly Truitt Kenneth Windstein

• Member-Owners investing time on the floor or in admin from May 4 until the next meeting of the Board of Directors are to receive one-and-a-half (1.5) hours for each hour of time invested.

• The Board approved, until the next meeting of the Board of Directors, Employees who are not absent due to COVID-19 related reasons may access sick time accruals without the need to supply a doctor’s note other than for compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

• Extend until the next meeting of the Board of Directors the suspension of the one-year service requirement and the requirement for a doctors note for those with a personal illness to use the Leave

Transfer Bank Policy with the modification that FFCRA eligible Employees are not eligible for the Leave Transfer Policy.

• On-site committee meetings are suspended until the next meeting of the Board of Directors.

• The Fiscal Year 2022 Budget was recommended to the Membership for approval at May 23, 2021’s Membership Meeting.

• The Safety and Security Manager job description was approved.

• The Chief Cooperative Officer job description was approved.

• Rebecca Dinhofer chose to serve a twoyear term on the Board of Directors.

“Pandemic or not, it’s all about community and cooperation.”

See page 3.

MemBerOwners:

1.5 time investment credit continues until the June 1 Board meeting. We’re so glad to see everyone who is able to come in; thanks for your help and stay safe!

See MO Opportunities, page 10.

To donate hours to the Member-Owner hours bank, or to request a donation due to COVID-19 hardship, reach out to Yevette at memberservices@honestweight.coop.

May 2O21

Cafe seating comes back soon... look for signs next month (in June)!

Statement of Purpose: Honest Slate is a platform for HWFC Membership, Staff, Management, and Gov-

Submissions Policy for articles & contributions:

• Preferred maximum length is 800 words.

• Material is published at the discretion of the Honest Slate team.

Editors & Contributors: Yevette Buddeau David Bulnes Joyce Chicoine Stephanie Conde Avery Cotton

Erin Donahue Elisa Grimm Morgaen Hansen Dan Hurlbut Lynn Huntington

Don Kennison Alex Mytelka Carol Ostrow Janet Sorell Tyler Varese

• Only signed work is accepted; items are edited for length, grammar, & style.

We may consider unsolicited material but encourage individuals to submit ideas first. Letters to the Editors do not require preapproval.

Contact honestslate@honestweight.coop with questions, comments, or article suggestions.

ernance: promoting transparency, reporting news without bias, and sustaining community.

Honest Slate articles are for informational purposes and are not intended to diagnose or treat disease. Opinions expressed in Honest Slate do not necessarily represent the views or policies of Honest Slate or Honest Weight Food Co-op.

All contents ©2021 Honest Weight Food Coop; no material appearing in Honest Slate may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of HWFC.

Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • https://www.honestweight.coop/ • honestslate@honestweight.coop

May 2021

COMMITTEE CORNER

by Stephanie Conde

Sales and Fiscal Performance (for 9 mos. ending Mar. 31, 2021)

∙ Ordinary Income decreased $92,981 or 23% to $304,600 vs. $397,581 last year ($220,747 or 58% under budgeted amount of $525,347). ∙ Net Income increased $23,679 or 19% from $124,979 to $148,658 ($151,544 or 50% under budgeted $300,202). ∙ EBITDA decreased by $272,586 to $597,240 v. $826,826 last year (under budgeted $781,608 by $184,367). ∙ Total Expenses were down $141,483 or 1.7% from $8,335,923 to $8,194,440 (under budgeted $8,274,650 by $80,210 or 1%). ∙ Costs of Goods were down $73,797 or 0.6% at $12,754,090 vs. $12,827,886 last year (under budgeted $13,015,536 by $261,446 or 2%). ∙ Overall Gross Profit was down $234,464 or 2.7% at $8,499,040 vs. $8,733,504 last year (under budgeted $8,799,997 by $300,957 or 3.4%). Gross Margin was 40% vs. 40.5% last year (under budgeted 40.3%).

Governance Review Council (GRC) ∙ Reviewed appropriateness of non-MO HR Staff participating as voting members of PC. Brainstormed ideas for amending composition of PC in Bylaws (section 464.3) to harmonize with requirement that governance is restricted to MOs (section 460.2). ∙ Discussed Board of Directors (BOD) decision to retain CCO and add enhanced duties to specific job descriptions without public vote. [Editor’s note: Our management structure did not change so a vote was unnecessary.] ∙ Discussed HOP (Honest Weight Ombuds Panel) proposal’s benefits, drawbacks. ∙ Reviewed May Membership Meeting (MM) notice; suggested two changes.

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Honest Slate

HWFC Meeting Summaries

May 2O21

Elections and Nominations Committee (ENC) ∙ Received BOD approval to require all Board nominee names on ballots, including floor nominees. BOD requested designation be placed on ballot for candidates who submitted nomination forms (rather than being nominated from floor). ∙ Reviewed April election meeting work plan including PowerPoint slides planned. ∙ Completed Nominating and Voting Guide updates; submitted for BOD review and approval.

Environment Committee (EC) ∙ EC energy experts consulted on ABS Energy proposal (4–5 measures, adding doors to coolers lacking them, condensers with air fans, cooler controls). Exploring savings estimate. Continue to develop spreadsheet and analysis of interval pricing of HWFC’s utility expenses. ∙ Zero Waste presentation preparation continues. One EC member involved in creating Zero Waste NY organization; will explore whether HWFC can be founding member. ∙ Development of Environment and Sustainability Manual continues. Researching products created by other cooperatives and institutions to aid development of general outline.

Nutrition and Education Committee (NEC) ∙ Article on spring greens submitted for May’s Honest Slate; article on hydroponics and its controversial inclusion in organic program planned for June. ∙ Meat Charts appear acceptable to Management, except Farm Visit section (to be addressed in future meetings). ∙ Seek to conduct tabling for Food and Product Manual when possible (inside HWFC or, weather permitting, outside).

This article provides a summary of preliminary committee reports submitted to the Board of Directors for their May 6, 2021, Board meeting. See Board meeting packet for details. Full Board-approved committee reports are posted on HWFC’s website.

Communications Committee (CC) ∙ Approved edits to recently updated guest writers’ guidelines. ∙ Seeking one or two MOs to invest time with page proofreading and/or copy editing assignments; training provided. Email honestslate@honestweight.coop if you can help. ∙ Copy deadline for June Honest Slate is May 21. Next publishing dates are May 6 and June 3.

To learn more about Honest Weight Food Co-op committees, visit https://www.honestweight.coop/page/ committees-of-the-board-14.html

Membership Committee (MC)

∙ Orientations continue successfully via Zoom platform while in-person sessions remain on hold due to pandemic. ∙ Outreach continues to MOs who have not yet returned to contributing time investments. ∙ Continue outreach to appointees for Bylaws Committee updates. Appreciate receiving information from Bylaws Chair on future changes. ∙ Next book discussion group is May 13 (Cannibals with Forks) to be co-facilitated

by Erin and Cara. Will ensure coordination with Honest Slate and will collaborate with other committees on future books (July’s collaboration may be with Anti-Racism Committee).

Anti-Racism Committee (ARC) ∙ Discussed Update on Challenge (implicit bias module series) including Kirwan Implicit Bias Module Series, MO and staff incentives for completing, and surveying MO/staff who complete series.

Personnel Committee (PC)

∙ Continue Employee Manual revisions.

Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • https://www.honestweight.coop/ • honestslate@honestweight.coop

10

May 2021

Honest Slate

Co-opportunities: mEMBER-oWNER

Announcements

by Yevette Buddeau,

Membership Manager (MM)

We had our April showers and now it’s time for May flowers, right?

It’s so exciting to be moving into the warmer months, looking forward to shedding some of the heavier layers of clothing and the heavier thought processes as well.

Here’s to a beautiful May for all, full of gratitude and productive activism for the coming months.

Are you interested in helping out

with some springtime planting? We have multiple ways for Member-Owners (MOs) to get their hands in the dirt and have fun with plants! Our native bed gardening group is planning planting days in May (flexible dates) to fill in some of the spaces in the native beds. Our new vegetable garden group is also looking for a coordinator who can help with scheduling and directing the veggie gardener team and also scheduling some planting and harvesting, among other tasks. Reach out to Yevette at member.services@honestweight.coop for details, or to Deanna at deannab@honestweight.coop to talk about the veggie garden coordinator position.

Additionally,

we have our Parking Lot Attendants and Customer Counter and Cart Cleaner positions for people who are able to do most or all of their shifts in the outdoor air. Parking Lot Attendant is the kind of task that MOs can drop in and do if there is a space—just pop in and ask at the front desk for a reflective vest, gloves, and garbage bag, then help pick up around the property and retrieve shopping carts. The Counter/Cleaner position is more structured, and we prefer people who are able to commit to a weekly or biweekly sched-

ule and consistently arrive on time and follow through. Reach out to Yevette at memberservices@honestweight.coop to inquire about either opportunity.

Have you always loved the Bulk De-

partment at the Co-op? Now’s your chance to do your MO hours in Bulk! They’re super mission-oriented in Bulk, ecologically conscious and friendly. We are looking for MO help for many Bulk shifts. Common duties involve filling bins and portioning products, cleaning up and stocking, and we have a special focus on cleaning and rotating the bins, scoops, and other tools. Email Justin at JustinHardecker@honestweight.coop to inquire and set up your schedule, or stop by and talk to them when you’re in next (be mindful of how busy they are if visiting in person).

We have

two very cool upcoming projects for MOs to be part of! We are doing a second run of our e-waste (electronics) recycling tent in June. The event in April was a nonstop success with many more items being dropped off than we had expected.

For our June e-waste tent, we’re looking for some MOs who can lift heavier items, some MOs who can direct traffic, and some who can help clean up and break down cardboard. Shifts are either 11am–2pm or 2–5pm on June 12. Reach out to Yevette at memberservices@honestweight.coop.

Secondly,

we need help with a July event involving a weeklong mural painting project. The Co-op will be hosting a group of local kids and working with Amplified Voices to paint a mural on Co-op property.

Kudos to Amy in Outreach for pulling this together and keeping it integral and local!

Interested in joining Honest Weight Food Co-op’s Team as an Employee?

Check out our Employment Page.

We need MOs for traffic control and support. MOs will not be painting or directing the kiddos, but they will be part of making sure the Co-op is a great host for the group and project. Reach out to Amy at amy@ honestweight.coop or Yevette at memberservices@honestweight.coop to sign up and help.

Finally, get involved in one of our up-

coming community-building MO events.

Our next Regular Membership Meeting will be on May 23 at 6pm, when we’ll vote on the budget and hear about how we think the next year will unfold.

Our book discussion group this month is on May 13 at 7pm, when we’ll be discussing Cannibals with Forks by John Elkington, about where the concept of a triple-bottom-line business came from. We have a couple copies of the book to loan.

MAY book discussion Thursday, May 13 • 7–9pm Join Zoom Meeting Online https://zoom.us/j/93245124472 Meeting ID: 932 4512 4472 To join by phone +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) Meeting ID: 932 4512 4472 In June we’re getting back into safe and careful social interaction with our Staff and MO outdoor BBQ. We’ll need some MOs to help support the event, and we plan to have tents and food for the Staff and active Member-Owners who are current with hours and payments. To inquire about details of any of these events, reach out to Yevette at memberservices@honestweight. coop.

Enjoy May!

Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • https://www.honestweight.coop/ • honestslate@honestweight.coop