Honest Slate 2019 March

Honest

SLATE

HWFC’s community newsletter

march 2019

Published monthly by the Communications Committee to promote transparency, report without bias, and sustain community among Membership • Staff • Management • Governance Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Avenue, Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 honestslate@honestweight.coop • https://www.honestweight.coop/

________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ iboard of directors ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ governance development Workshop: ________________________________ ________________________________

•CONTENTS• Zero Waste Class Recap .............. 2 Egg-citing Department News ...... 3 Budget Workshops...................... 3 Coffeehouse News ..................... 4 Do We Owe You? ........................ 4 Run for the Board........................ 5 Slate Readership Survey ............. 5 In Remembrance......................... 6 Call for Action.............................. 6 Committee Corner ...................... 7 Board Decisions .......................... 8 Q&A/Suggestion Box .................. 9 Care to Share?........................... 10

memibership

committee call: The Membership Committee seeks

Member-Owners looking to make a time investment through committee work.

A good fit for the Membership Committee is a Member-Owner with an awareness of the history and workings of HWFC who can commit to monthly committee meetings; participate in membership appreciation events and quarterly membership meetings; works well in a group, and is able to invest time in other engaged ways at the Co-op in order to keep a current context for membership- related issues.

March 9 March 17 March 20 March 21 Mar. 21-Apr. 8 March 25 April 28

dates to remember

Budget meeting, 2 p.m. (page 3) Budget meeting, 3 p.m. (page 3) Coffeehouse & Open Mic (page 4) What Do Boards Do? 6 p.m.

Nominations Open for Board Candidates Honest Slate April submissions due (see pg. 8) General Membership Meeting & Elections (see pp. 5,6)

honestslate@honestweight.coop

Please direct all questions to membershipcomm@honestweight.coop, or visit the Membership Committee meeting on the second Monday of the month at 5:30 pm in the HWFC teaching kitchen.

Our next meeting is March 11; we hope to see you there! https://www.honestweight.coop/

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Honest Slate

Techniques for Zero Waste with Tom Gillespie

By Kim Fujioka

T om Gillespie, the manager of HWFC’s Bulk Depart-

ment, led the class “Bulk 210: Techniques for Zero Waste Household Management” on February 21, 2019. He started the class by saying his desire was for a conversation. Even though the chairs were positioned in rows, as an attendee, I never felt that I was a mere spectator. Tom made it clear he wanted us to generate ideas for practical use on how to reduce our dependence on single-use plastics and eliminate waste.

Tom started his talk by explaining his role as manager of the Co-op Bulk Department. He explained in detail many of the plastic items he deals with on a daily basis. He quoted the prices of these items as well as the process they underwent to arrive at the Co-op.

For example, one green recyclable bag including a simple twist tie costs .0297cents and the small plastic container including the lid, costs 2.91 cents. The energy involved in producing single use plastics, plus the packaging and shipping must all be calculated in the total cost to our environment. But how do we calculate energy?

W e soon learned when Tom led us into the next

segment of his talk, with his entertaining presentation based on an actual short video he created entitled “Tom is Full of Beans,” which illustrates the difference between the energy used in consuming bulk dried garbanzo beans versus canned.

March 2019

Conversation To Continue!

Tom stood in front of the classroom pointing to an invisible 25-lb. bag of dried beans on the one side and a pallet of cans wrapped in plastic on the other, while reading his script for the video he created. In short, we learned that a 25 lb. bag of dried garbanzo beans—which yields 175 cups—when compared to equal amounts in cans (116 cans or 9.75 cases) is a savings of 79%.

H owever, economics is only one side of the story.

Tom calculated the energy it costs to produce the metal, cardboard, and shipping wrap in producing the cans equal to 25 lbs. bulk. The energy utilized is 43,847 watts of energy or 36 times the energy used to produce a bulk 25 lb. bag.

Throughout the class, Tom asked questions of us in the audience then sat back to listen. When we shared waste problems in our everyday lives, everyone became animated and participated in the conversation.

The discussion turned to the deeper issues involved in limiting waste such as our western culture rooted in abundance and ingrained daily wasteful habits that are hard to break. Recycling was discussed and became a topic of concern when we quickly realized the limitations of Albany’s recycling facility coupled with the lack of political will to invest in a more comprehensive alternative.

T oward the end of the class, the atmosphere was

more of a lively discussion. Tom threw out the question: how can this conversation continue? Maybe we should have panels, he suggested. At the end we all decided to meet again.

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

March 2019

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Honest Slate

Egg-citing News! HWFC Picks Top Products Currently, 18 all-local farms supply eggs to the Cheese Department.

The offerings are chicken, duck, and quail eggs. All farms meet the HWFC standards of humane treatment and provide as natural an environment as possible to protect the fowl from predators. They are barn or greenhouse sheltered, with ample room per bird to roam freely. All but one farm, due to its thousands of chickens, permit free range, which means the birds go outdoors (pastured) where they can eat bugs and enjoy the summer grass and sunlight.

Did you know that in this environment, eggs from hens raised on pasture are far more healthy and nutrient dense than eggs from confined hens? The Mother Earth News Egg Study Project showed four to six times as much vitamin D as typical supermarket eggs, according to USDA nutrient data for commercial/ conventional eggs. Eggs from pas-

We’re Looking Forward to Hearing from YOU! it ’s Budge t ti m e at hwfc

ture-raised hens also may contain more vitamins A and E, more Omega-3, and less cholesterol.

The Cheese Department proudly offers not only what to buy, but the best choice. Happy hens lay healthy eggs with larger yolks that take up a larger portion of the egg. The yolks are darker with more of an orange-yellow color. The egg white is also noticeably bigger and thicker.

In the egg case, a broader selection has developed over the last three years from chicken farms that provide farm-raised, Non-GMO, organic, or organic soy-free eggs. We continue to use farms that offer a discount per dozen when new pullets start laying an abundance of eggs, and we pass that discount along to you.

Cheese & Specialty Watch for great deal egg sales periodically or during the holidays.

Did you know that you can select eggs individually, by the half dozen, or by the dozen? It’s also egg-citing to enjoy all the different colors!

There are brown, dark brown, green, blue, and white eggs at Easter for coloring.

Any of our Staff in the Cheese & Specialty Department can guide you to a selection, or you can use charts on either end of the egg case to answer your questions.

—Linda Donegan, Cheese & Specialty Manager

budget sessions continue The remaining two budget meetings are now scheduled

CFO Erin Martin and Finance Committee Members will be present to

Sat. 3/9 • 2 p.m. and Sun. 3/17 • 3 p.m.

answer questions and listen to suggestions/input from both Staff and Member-Owners regarding the upcoming Budget for Fiscal Year 20192020.

in the Community Room on

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

March 2019

Unclaimed

Funds

The Co-op has money waiting for a number of individuals who we cannot find.

If you or anyone you know appears on the following list, the Finance Department urges you to contact the Co-op at your earliest convenience.

Timothy J Cowper Eva Foitzik Elizabeth Yoquint Elias Saifan Gillian Eastwood Druis Beasley Mark Pranys Nishi Beharry Meika Loe Maria Kuhsel Lauren Holden Daren Zal Kimberly Truitt Shavon Taylor Lily Ringler Joseph Gietl Ras Vance Javier Mendoza Frank Mendoza Stephen Dornbush Cathey Kennedy Estelle Fach Theresa Haman Susan Fuss Dan Spillman

Unclaimed Fund$ 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

March 2019

6 i b o a rndi n g s ope

The 2019 Board of Directors elections are coming up in April. Six of our nine seats will be open and we would like YOU to think about who would be great for these seats.

This is an outstanding opportunity to serve your cooperative and grow yourself in the process. Great skills-builder, great life experience, great community, and plenty of hours. Invest time on a team with people who care as much as you do, here at the Co-op!

Applications will be accepted from March 21 until 5 p.m. April 8. For more details contact ElectionsComm@honestweight.coop TODAY. The Nomination Form and additional information will be posted at Honest Weight Food Coop - Elections & Nominations Committee and available at the Service Desk by March 21. All candidates must be Member-Owners in good standing as of March 31, 2019.

dear : reader It’s here—an opportunity to convey what you want in your newsletter!

Please take this short survey & tell us what you’d like to see included in future issues of Honest Slate.

Click here for Honest Slate’s March survey.

The Nutrition & Education Survey will resume in future issues.

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• Every month • Occasionally • I haven’t yet Comments: 2. How do you access Honest Slate?

• e-mail • website • hard-copy in Co-op • N/A Comments: 2a. If reading online: • I like the current electronic format (reads like a newspaper) & find it easy to read • I like the current electronic format

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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

From the Board:

A Call for action

If you are interested in or would like to discuss serving on the Board, please contact the Elections and Nominations Committee at ElectionsComm@honestweight.coop.

Today, I put a call out to the energetic

and enthusiastic community activists, to those who are ready to respectfully work with others, to those who want to be part of the solutions.

If you are inspired by those who are champions for the people, the planet, and our financial stability, then I applaud and urge you to challenge yourself to be part of a community that will challenge you right back to be your best.

The Girl With The Infectious Smile From the moment I first met Debra six years ago at Honest Weight Food Coop, I was always greeted by her smile.

We quickly exchanged phone numbers to bond us. That was the start of a wonderful friendship with this vibrant woman whom I always thought of as the Energizer Bunny!

On Fridays, I had the pleasure of shelving groceries with her from her cart, as she quickly knew where everything belonged and would help me out. She was also flitting around the store always saying hello to all the Staff, Member-Owners and customers she might know. She introduced me to cull in the produce section. There was also the discontinued bread in the cart

March 2019

If intimidation is a concern, don’t be intimidated by those who say you need to wait your turn. Step up and be prepared to do your homework and know that as long as you come to the table prepared, you are helping with our progress. Experience is good, but no need to wait for your perfect level of experience.

If you have the desire to work hard,

to listen, to do well for us, then the time to learn and be ready to make suggestions and take action is now. in the back, which she would share with other departments and whomever she decided had a need for it. She was a conscientious worker and very knowledgeable about her department and others. A true shopper’s helper to me, others, and all the customers.

Every day when Debra worked at the break of dawn, she would either wait for the bus or walk. She always said that she had a “BMW” (Bus, Metro and Walk). She enjoyed her hours—giving her the rest of the day for her many leisure activities.

Outside of work, Debra was involved in many recreational activities with me and other friends. She enjoyed cooking at her apartment, Rain’s house, and my apartment. She even prepared my Thanksgiving dinner with her love of “turkey thighs!”

She would dog sit for my Westie dog, Sasha, when I went away. “Pupper Dagger’’ was her affectionate name for Sasha!

Alexis DeLaTorre photo by Drea Leanza

Maybe you are the person who people love to hate? Maybe you are the person no one saw coming? Maybe you are the person who has always secretly wished to blossom into a leader? Maybe you will become an HWFC rock star, or maybe you will find comfort knowing that behind the scenes you protect our mission. Either way, this is your chance, and I am talking to you!

This April, run for a seat on our Board.

Come and be among our group of Directors and be the change you want to see. It won’t always be easy, but it will be worth it.

—Alexis DeLaTorre Debra also enjoyed walking all around town as well as going on hikes with her Co-op friend, Marilyn. She also spoke at length on her cell phone with me, Rain, Burda, Lynn, Marilyn, and others until her battery wore out! Debra was out keeping busy—going to farmer’s markets, other supermarkets for the sales, the YMCA, and getting massages from Melissa. Music was an all-time favorite—from concerts to cranking up the K-LOVE radio station in her apartment, my apartment, and in my car!

All of her close friends were involved in her trials and tribulations being as supportive as we could. “Thank God—God Bless,” she would always say. Without a doubt, Debra’s faith has brought her to a peaceful place—to a place we can only believe in.

We can feel Debra’s presence with us now by remembering all the good memories of her that we shared together.

God Bless to You, Debra Kilburn!

—Submitted by Lynne M. Giminiani

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

Honest Slate

March 2019

COMMITTEE CORNER: Monthly HWFC Meeting Summaries

by Stephanie Conde

This article includes a summary of preliminary committee reports submitted to the Board of Directors for the Feb. 12 Board meeting. See the Board meeting packet for details.

Committee reports are available on the HWFC website upon Board approval.

Sales and Fiscal Performance • For the 7 months ending Jan. 31, 2019: ○ Sales were up 3.9%. Most department sales were up (Grocery up 4.1%; Bulk up .8%; Food Service up 5.2%; Cheese up 6.2%; Produce up 2.9%, and Wellness up 9%); Meat and Seafood was down .8%. ○ Costs of Goods were up 3.6% (1.9% over budget projection). ○ Overall gross profit was up 4.4% (1.6% over budget projection).

• Overall, year to date, ordinary income decreased .8% but 14% over budget; net income increased 82% from $197,123 to $358,261 compared to the same period in 2018 and was over budget by $83,305.

• See Board meeting packet for more details.

Governance Review Council (GRC) • Elections and Nominations Committee Chair visited to discuss recruiting possible candidates for the Board of Directors.

• GRC discussed a Member-Owner’s concerns about possible non-emergency decision-making processes used by the BOD, possibly to fund a position (rather than it being strictly a time investment). Per Section 708 of the Business Corporation Law, GRC concluded no procedural violations existed.

• GRC attendance at BOD meetings requires them to apply knowledge of bylaws to serve as process guidance monitors at BOD meetings and alert BOD in real time if processes conflict with Co-op Bylaws.

• GRC continues work on the Co-op’s Historical Document Archives for future posting on the HWFC website. All previously lost internet links are restored, and historical documents are being uploaded.

• Continues reviewing draft BOD manual and hopes to include Bylaws and Bylaw specific language to reference duties and expectations of BOD. • Will review Personnel Committee SOP, Committee Structure and Process, and Finance Committee Member Tasks in

March. GRC role is limited to policies and procedures that violate the Bylaws.

•GRC is satisfied with SLA attorney’s position regarding HWFC’s liquor license. To read the attorney’s letter, Member-Owners may contact the Board Administrator; must first sign a non-disclosure and confidentiality agreement.

Bylaws Panel Report (February 2019) • Renewed Ursula Abrams and Saul Rigberg (both GRC appointees) as co-chairs.

• Reviewed GRC requests and suggested the following changes to the Bylaws: ○ Bylaw 342.1: Adding a requirement that the GRC report, at each Regular Membership Meeting, a summary of all issues addressed by the GRC since the previous meeting. New Bylaw 470.2(i) notes the same requirement. ○ Bylaw 461.3: Revised to indicate the ENC will be responsible for producing and maintaining a Nominating and Voting Manual (to be approved by the BOD and submitted to the Membership for final approval). ○ Bylaw 330.5(c): Revised to include Member-Owner Manual, Food and Product Manual, and Nominating and Voting Manual. ○ Bylaw 470.3(a): Adding a reference to the tie-breaker process described in Bylaw 410.1(a).

• Will address requests from GRC and BOD regarding Section 471 at the March meeting. Suggested language on removing Panel Members for four consecutive absences or for cause.

Personnel Committee (PC) • Continues revising the disciplinary process contained in the Employee Manual.

• Removed language allowing suspension of employees without pay.

Communications Committee (CC) • Honest Slate copy is due by the 25th of each month.

7 • Honest Slate hard copies are available for those without computer or mobile device access.

• Hard copy is displayed on the bulletin board monthly.

• Honest Slate readership is 20% of Employees and 27% of Member-Owners who receive the newsletter via email.

• Several new writers and tech-knowledgeable people have joined Honest Slate.

Membership Committee (MC) • February’s meeting included discussions on: Bylaws Panel appointee (Richard Beer was unanimously appointed), orientations, Coffee House, a “want ad,” Member-Owner Manual revisions (including planning an open feedback session), possible substitutes for Co-op Soirees (including ideas and related logistical and budgetary concerns), the new food table at the Jan. 29 General Meeting, the Co-op’s archives and public records, and incident reports.

Elections and Nominations Committee (ENC) • Will hold “What Do Boards Do?” governance development workshop on Thurs., March 21 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Community Room. Planning and publicity continues.

• Will visit all HWFC committees and governance bodies as part of the search for BOD candidates.

• Drafted an email to Member-Owners whose orientation skill sheets listed desirable skills for BOD Members. Member-Owner Coordinator will send emails.

• Reviewed and revised BOD Nomination Packet for the April 28 BOD election.

Drafted Floor Nominee Form. Discussions included the creation of an online nomination form expected to be ready for March 21 opening of nominations.

• Requested BOD approval for the Nomination Packet, Floor Nominee Form, and hours to design a fillable online Nomination Form.

Nutrition and Education Committee (NEC) • Discussed ideas for Honest Slate survey; nothing finalized due to low attendance.

Plan to do an April survey.

• The NEC is mindful of the Elections and Nominations Committee’s request to facilitate the participation of qualified potential BOD candidates.

Committee Corner continues on page 8

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

COMMITTEE CORNER continued from page 7 Environment Committee (EC) • EC met with Management on projects including: (1) Sustainability Coordinator job description; and (2) minimizing use of single use disposables. HWFC’s Food Service Manager acquired a color-coded recycling bins to facilitate employee recycling; they will provide reusable ceramic coffee mugs and soup mugs for the hot bar. Customers using a reusable cup when buying a beverage will get a 15 cent discount. ○ Deli discontinued use of no-pest strips per Cornell’s Integrated Pest Management information. Pest control contractor practices correspond to IPM. • Will share research on HWFC in-house cleaning supplies in EC’s April report.

• Met with Front End management to reduce the use of paper bags at checkout.

• Identified two non-committee Owners interested in leading EC’s zero waste workshop.



Congrats to EC & CC Member Courtney Galligan Semoff who gave birth on Feb. 12 to her first child, a daughter named Adelyn Jo!

Suibmissions Policy We welcome articles & contributions.

Maximum length for contributions is 500 words unless otherwise requested. Material is published at the discretion of the Honest Slate team; only signed work is accepted; items are subject to editing for length, grammar and style.

Any articles deemed controversial in nature shall be reviewed before publishing. Writers must substantiate claims with facts and avoid inflammatory language. Articles regarded as attacks or otherwise harmful to individuals will be returned to the writer for non-personal rephrasing.

Honest Arts Committee (HAC) • HAC’s first 2019 show was installed in mid-February; it will hang until the first week of April.

• HAC is pleased with the new sign directing attention to the Gallery. Thanks to John Akots and his team!

• Themes for upcoming shows were identi-

HWFC’s Board of Directors approved the following at the 6 p.m. Board Meeting March 5, 2018:

•Three documents presented and discussed at the April 17, 2018 Board meeting; Progressive Corrective Action and Discipline Process, Interpersonal Conflict Resolution, and Employee Grievance Procedure have been affirmed as the current policies in effect as of 3/5/19 and are to be added to the Employee Manual.

•The Bylaws Panel was asked to propose definitions of “supervisory employee” as it pertains to Bylaws § 410.3(c) for a vote by the Membership.

•Ten hours were added to the Elections & Nominating Committee workplan to accommodate the “What Do Boards Do?” workshop which the committee is hosting on March 21, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the Community Room.

Articles referring to HWFC policies and practices will be referred to the appropriate individual or body prior to publication.

We will consider unsolicited material including letters to the editors but encourage individuals submit article ideas or outlines before writing.

Spontaneously submitted articles are not guaranteed to earn time investment or acceptance for publication and are subject to the same editing practices as assigned work.

NOTE: Letters to the Editors are welcome any time and do not require approval. Please contact Honest Slate with questions, comments or suggestions: honestslate@honestweight.coop.

contriibutors:

Erin Donahue Linda Donegan Susan Flack Kim Fujioka

fied as: Green, show #2; Rhythm, show #3; and Partial Disclosure, show #4.

• Long-time Member-Owner Linda Ford’s artwork will be featured in the Gallery in April between curated shows #1 and #2.

........

Full Committee reports are routinely posted on the HWFC website once approved by the Board.

Board Meeting Decisions

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yevette Buddeau Stephanie Conde Avery Cotton Alexis DeLaTorre

March 2019

Lynne Giminiani Elisa Grimm Carol Ostrow Karen Roth

Courtney Semoff Janet Sorell Audrey Troy Jordan White

•Member-Owner Alix Foisy was appointed to the Personnel Committee.

•The Anti-Harassment policy was updated to comply with the NYS GENDA legislation and approved by the Board of Directors.

•Governance Development Initiative was approved.

•The HWFC Universal Expectations included with all job descriptions was updated and approved.

•In preparation for the April election the Board affirmed that Members are permitted to ask questions of individual candidates as long as questions are relevant to board service and asked with civility and respect in addition to submitting written and verbal questions.

Statement of Purpose: Honest Slate is a platform for HWFC Membership, Staff, Management, and Governance: promoting transparency, reporting news without bias, and sustaining community.

Articles in Honest Slate 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 ©2019 Honest Weight Food Co-op; any material appearing in Honest Slate may not 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

March 2019

Your comments matter!

Q: Pictures of what goes in recycling bins above each bin would make it easier to know what to put in.

A: We do have signs on the recycling bins in the café. The bins behind the service desk are for staff and the items that go in which bin is covered by training.

From the Suggestion Box

Q: Why do you have plastic windows in your bakery bags? Please get rid of plastic.

Q: Please replace the current bakery bags with ones without plastic windows that can be composted/recycled. Reduce plastic!

Thank you!

A: We will speak with our vendor about a window bag with a compostable window.

Thanks for pointing this out.

Q &A

Don’t see your comment here?

Check the bulletin board in the café.

Q: We can do better with cleanliness in eating area. Please consider more frequent maintenance—wipe down tables, restock silverware, etc.

A: We will remind our cleaners to pay close attention to the café. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Q: Please offer whole grain 100% bread for sandwiches made in the deli. Thanks!

A: We’ll look into offering a 100% whole grain bread as an option for our deli sandwiches.

Q: Please keep stocking Curry Cashew Tofu in the Deli. We miss it when it’s not there.

“Matt’s Tofu” is no substitute!

A: We’re glad that you enjoy our curry cashew tofu. We’ll definitely continue to offer it in our rotation.

Q: The fennel soup today was delicious. A: Thank you for letting us know! We’re glad you like it!

Q: Any chance the quarterly totals for Envirotokens could be displayed at the end of the quarter? We want to know the results.

A: We post quarterly totals for the previous quarter’s organizations at the bottom of the sheet posted next to the token drop boxes.

Q: Please consider using tongs in the Bakery case. The wax papers were dragging on the floor one morning. Thanks!

A: That is a constant issue. We monitor the area throughout the day.

Q: Please have more kundalini [yoga]!  Q: I loved the kundalini class, more please.

A: We are looking into offering kundalini on regular basis.

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Honest Slate

Q: “Mini portobella pizzas” in prepared foods are as much like pizza as mud. Unless you think vinegar is pizza sauce, they are ridiculously mislabeled. (And not very good either.)

A: We’re sorry that you did not enjoy it.

They are rather popular.

Q: More vegan scones, please!

A: We’ll try to keep up with demand.

Q: I suggest the Co-op stop supporting/selling products from companies that do not make significant efforts to reduce plastic in packaging. The store could fill the space with more local + low-waste products.

A: This is an interesting idea. We’re unsure how we could measure progress towards that goal. Do you know of any specific companies that we should monitor?

Q: Can you consider getting a grain mill to freshly mill whole grain flour? Thanks!

A: This is an intriguing idea. We’ll take it under advisement. Do you have a particular mill in mind?

Please identify specific products, brands, or flavors when you request a new item or category.

Q: I would buy inexpensive tortillas + so would many shoppers. I would be okay with low salt Mexican tortillas with some citric acid + white or blue corn.

A: We have an extensive selection of tortillas in our refrigerated case as well as in the freezer. Do you have a particular brand in mind?

Q: Please carry Beyond Meat sausages in addition to the burgers.

A: We’re trying to get it in stock. We’ll keep ordering it.

Q: Cup holders on the carts. Because my hands get cold.

A: We did research cup holders for our carts and have not ordered them as they would limit their stackability.

Q: What happened to walnut pesto pasta in grab’n’go area? Haven’t seen it in months!

A: This is typically a summer item as it uses summer vegetables. We’ll bring it back in a few months.

Q: Please continue to keep the green beans in bulk [produce] as opposed to baggies. They tend to last longer.

A: We like it that way too. We plan on continuing to offer loose bulk green beans.

Q: Why not sell catnip in bulk herbs?

A: We do stock organic catnip in bulk between cardamom and cayenne.

Q: I have observed people with really nice Honest Weight sweatshirts and we should sell them —I would buy one!!

Q: I love Miss Katie!!!

A: Back at you Ginny! Love you too!

Q: Please sell T-shirts + hoodies with logo!!

Q: Thanks for such knowledgeable staff.

A: We’re glad you noticed! We are truly fortunate to be the locus for a diverse collection of individuals with complementary knowledge sets. Thanks!!!

A: We’re happy people are requesting these items. We are working on some HWFC apparel and hope to have it available for sale in the near future.

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

March 2019

Care to Memiber-Owner Announcements & Opportunities

share?

Marching INTO MARCH! News about the upcoming April Membership meeting: With Board elections and the budget vote right around the corner on April 28, you may be looking forward to exercising your democratic voice and voting at the membership meeting. To that we all say “Thank you!”

A quick reminder that to be eligible to vote at the meeting you will need to be up to date on the hours you’ve committed to getting in and also up to date on any ownership payments you are scheduled to make (if you’re still paying off your $100 ownership) by March 31. Don’t wait until the last minute! The Co-op functions best when people come in to help out at scheduled times so we can best accommodate the Co-op’s needs in a predictable way.

Do you have someone in mind who would be great on the Board of Directors? Is it you? All candidates for the Board elections on April 28 will have to be eligible as of March 31. The same criteria as voting eligibility applies for candidates—up to date on hours and payments by March 31. Come be part of the robust conversation that makes us a democracy, run and vote for the Board!

A change of pace: The Membership meeting in April will be held at the Ramada Inn on Watervliet Ave. Extension, right across from the Co-op. The dessert potluck before the meeting will be held at the Co-op in the community room and then the meeting will start at the Ramada at 6 pm. Help spread the word so everyone knows where we’re going for this one. More details to come!

Interested in giving feedback on the Member-Owner Manual? We’re interested in hearing it! The membership committee is hoping to hear from YOU as we look over the manual for accuracy and updates. Reach out to

membershipcomm@honestweight.coop with your suggestions or stop by the Membership Committee’s open comment period for the first fifteen minutes of every meeting on the second Monday of every month in the teaching kitchen at the Co-op [March 11]. We hope to see you there!

Are you aware that we have an hours bank at the Co-op for Member-Owners in case of emergency? You can always donate to the hours bank in order to anonymously support fellow Member-Owners who need help. If you know someone who is in a tough spot, you can refer them to Member Services to see if they qualify and if there are hours in the bank to help them get through temporarily.

Needs and more announcements: The Cheese Department is so Interested in Joining happy to announce that they’ve the HWFC Team as an Employee? Check Out got two new Member-Owners Our Employment Page as staff in their midst. Make sure to say hello to Scott, and by the end of March you’ll also be able to say hello to Wendy as you sample the tasty offerings at the cheese counter! [Fun note: Scott is a professional bartender; he drew accolades from the reviewers at our December YELP Event for his professionally made Shrubs—Linda] For St. Patrick’s Day and the few days preceding the holiday we could use some extra help in the store to keep everything running smoothly and up to our normal friendly standards. Please reach out to the departments you regularly help out in to see if and when they will need the extra help. We could especially use the more help in the Front End during the St. Patty’s Day week, if you are one of the Front End trained Member-Owners then reach out to Katie and Kelly right away.

As always, send any questions or concerns to Yevette at memberservices@honestweight.coop, and we’ll look forward to seeing each other at the Co-op!

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