March 2020 Honest Slate by Honest Weight Food Co-op

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.

march 2020

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

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

Upcoming HWFC Board Elections Offer MOs Learning Opportunities This year’s annual HWFC Board elections will be held April 26 at the regular Membership Meeting. There are 7 open seats this year. Nomination forms will be available when the nomination period opens March 26. To see your name on the ballot you must submit a completed form by 8 pm on April 16. If you are interested in working with the Board and the HWFC community to advance the Co-op’s mission, then Board service may be right for you! Serving on the Board is an incredible opportunity to help further shape the Co-op’s mission to promote fair employment practices while providing organic, locally produced, lowcost food and products to the broader community. Serving on the Board also brings legal obligations and demands on your time that need to be carefully considered. In addition to attending Board meetings on the first Tuesday of the month at 6:00 pm, Board members serve as Board liaison to at least one Co-op committee and attend that committee’s monthly meetings. Board members also attend regularly scheduled working meetings of the Board and the four annual regular HWFC Membership Meetings. To learn more about serving on the Board, please attend the second Governance Workshop on March 7 at the Co-op. Evelyn Wright will explain the legal, governance, leadership, and cultural responsibilities

honestslate@honestweight.coop

that Member-Owners can fulfill by serving on the Board. In this year’s workshop, Evelyn will also focus on facilitating conflict resolution—always a timely and important topic for HWFC members! Join fellow Co-op members at the workshop March 7 at 3 pm; check Honest Slate for more information on the upcoming elections.

Board of Directors Nominations Due by April 16

CONTENTS Business Profile: Ta-da!.............. 2 Community Connections........... 3 Board Nominations to Open...... 3 New MM Shares Insight............. 4 HWFC Wins Shout-Out!............. 5 Suggestion Box/Q&A.................. 6 MOs Bank on Hours................... 7 Committee Corner.................... 8 Vigil Set for March 6................. 9 Board Decisions....................... 10 Unclaimed Funds..................... 10 Arts News & Coffeehouse........ 11 Co-Opportunities!.................... 12

What Boards Do: The Sequel Don’t miss the second Governance Saturday Workshop on Saturday, March 7, 2020, from 3:00–4:30 pm in the HWFC CommuMarch 7, 2020 nity Room. Evelyn Wright will reprise her Governance Workshop, “What Boards Do: The Sequel.”

Last year’s standing-room-only crowd heard Evelyn explain how HWFC Member-Owners can share responsibility for the Co-op by running for election to the HWFC Board of Directors. Obligations that Member-Owners can fulfill as a Board member include legal, governance, leadership, and cultural responsibilities.

Community Room • 3–4:30 pm

In this year’s workshop, Evelyn will recap last year’s presentation and highlight best practices. Remember, Board elections are April 26 this year so mark your calendar and join your fellow Co-op members on March 7 to learn how Member-Owners exercise this responsibility.

Step up and run for a seat on the Board! https://www.honestweight.coop/

Honest Slate

March 2020

Active MO Runs Local Gift & Toy Shop Story and photos by Courtney Semoff

Michael Richman is not only an

HWFC Member-Owner (MO) but also the founder of his own expanding business. His novelty gift store, ta-da!, has two locations: Albany’s Stuyvesant Plaza and Clifton Park Center. As a partner in HWFC’s Community Connections program [see page 3], Michael offers fellow MOs a 10% discount in his stores (must present MO card).

Michael Richman owns two Capital Region stores.

Michael classifies his shops as novelty rather than toy stores. When his son turned 8, he discovered that the boy had already aged out of conventional toy stores, which tend to cater to younger children, toddlers, and babies. Michael wanted to create an age-appropriate toy option for older children—believing that kids learn best through play! As he continued brainstorming to turn this idea into a reality, he saw his future store as a place for the young at heart to find fun, whether age 3 or 103. The concept of a novelty store opened up many possibilities. He could include not just toys but books, gadgets, board games, candy, some gag gifts, and popular cat items from pins to mugs and pot holders.

Crazy Aaron’s Putty is made by a company that prioritizes giving jobs to people with disabilities.

“It turns out this idea was hatched during a time of career transition for me so the timing was perfect,” commented Michael, who opened the Stuyvesant Plaza store about 5 years ago. Growing up in Guilderland, he had been a longtime regular HWFC customer but could not seem to find time to invest MO hours. The career change helped him understand that one can find time for whatever one chooses to prioritize. He became passionate about sourcing his food and found investing MO hours in our Bulk Department lets him serve his family more efficiently .

Stuffed animals nestled in ta-da!’s busy aisles.

Michael has learned a great deal at HWFC— how to find healthy food, prepare dishes of all cultures that can benefit the body, and learn about where it is produced. Acquiring such knowledge allows people to support their nutritional, political, and ethical ideals regarding food and its ripple effects.

Michael has discovered much about food and its origins through conversations with Staff and other MOs at HWFC. Once he made investing hours a priority, bonds were formed with like-minded members and he spent time getting to know them.

“I went to the Co-op to get close to food and I met people that will be a part of me forever.” He has applied HWFC practices to his own business model, such as purchasing U.S.made products as often as possible. Among his most popular gifts are cat products, board games and Nancy Pearl action figures. No matter what your age, you’ll find something to add fun to your life; even vintage toys and games from childhood, adding a nostalgic aura to the customer experience. Michael is a passionate and engaging person—whether you meet him at his novelty shop or in the Bulk Department at HWFC! Take a trip to ta-da! to please your growing kids—or to honor your own inner child.

ta-da! gifts • toys • novelties

ta-da! at Stuyvesant Plaza 1475 Western Ave, Albany, NY 12203 Sunday 11-5 Monday-Friday 10-8 Saturday 10-7 ta-da! at Clifton Park Center 22 Clifton Country Rd, Clifton Park, NY 12065 Sunday 11-5 Monday-Thursday 10-8 Friday-Saturday 10-9

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

March 2020

All About Honest Weight’s Community Connections Program by Morgaen Hansen

Co-op Community Connections was

born in autumn of 2015, out of a desire to increase the value of ownership at Honest Weight.

Honest Slate Being a member already meant so much to us here in our own aisles; extending the benefit of Co-op membership to other local businesses seemed like a natural next step. The original idea belonged to Duke Bouchard, former CFO of HWFC, who tasked me (as Member Services Coordinator at the time) with creating the program: finding local businesses eager to participate, working with our Marketing department to create materials for distribution, and messaging the program’s existence to our membership.

I reached out to locally-owned businesses throughout Albany, and started with a test run of 6 businesses and 6 months. Over time, the program has waxed and waned; we currently have a dozen solid business partners—several of whom are Co-op Member-Owners—with plenty of room to expand the program. Any business is eligible to participate, though we’ve mostly partnered with locally-owned or like-minded businesses. If you have a business in the area (or know someone who does) that would like to attract new patrons by extending a discount to the Owners of Honest Weight, please reach out to our Member-Owner Coordinator Yevette Buddeau at memberservices@ honestweight.coop. Owners can check our website’s Member Resources section to see the great offers available to them at these spots, and feel good knowing that they are maximizing their membership benefit as they shop local.

Are you a business owner who

supports HWFC’s values? We invite you to join our Community Connections program—a great way to grow connections and goodwill between our businesses.

We seek more local, communityminded independent businesses interested in offering perks of their choice to our Owners in trade as we send people their way—promoting them via our website and Co-op communication channels. Click here to check it out. We have some great participants! Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • https://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate@honestweight.coop

Honest Slate

March 2020

Honest Weight Welcomes New Marketing Manager To welcome recently appointed Marketing Manager [MM] Alex Mytelka, Honest Slate invited Alex to answer questions about his new position and the exciting future of the HWFC Marketing Department. • Can you trace your path at HWFC for us? When were you first hired; and what years or how long were you in previous departments and positions? You were once in the Finance Dept. as well as Wellness and Grocery. Are you also a Member-Owner? My path with HWFC began when I became a Member-Owner in June 2014 and took on a time commitment working in the Produce Department. I had shopped a handful of times at the Central Ave. store and I was eager to get involved on a deeper level. After about 6 months as a Member-Owner, I applied for a part-time job in the Food Service Department. I was a full-time student working on my MBA at the time. I totally intended for this to just be a part-time job for a year or so, then I would go back to doing member time commitments. I never would’ve guessed I would end up working here for (hopefully) the rest of my life! I spent the next 6 months working the front of house, mostly on the juice and java station, before applying for a full-time job in the Finance Department. From 2015 to 2017, I played a bunch of different roles in Finance during the transition period between three CFOs. This was a really cool opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the entire Co-op from the background. In February of 2017, the Wellness Department manager position opened up and I became excited about the prospect of being back out on the floor, working with shoppers and making product decisions. I had always been super interested in herbalism and supplements in general, so I applied and got the job! I managed the Wellness Department from February to November of 2017, then in the midst of a bunch of changes happening

structurally in both Grocery and Wellness, I took on managing both departments to create the somewhat combined Wellness and Grocery “Center Store” just two weeks before Thanksgiving 2017.

“I am ... grateful that the Co-op values promoting from within.”

As a part of this restructuring, the Co-op was able to create three new positions in addition to mine—a Wellness buyer, a Grocery buyer, and a Refrigerated/Frozen manager, all three of which were filled by promoting from within! Managing the Center Store was a major challenge and totally took me out of my comfort zone, but I had a blast doing it. There are so many moving parts, especially the sheer quantity of weekly Member-Owners--over 200! I’m psyched to step outside of my comfort zone again in this new adventure as Marketing Manager.

• Did previous MM John Akots spend time with you for orientation to the position?

• How will your well-rounded background inform your new role as Marketing Manager? Might it lend the department a better perspective from having floor experience? As we continue to evolve and grow as a Coop, I think it’s extremely important that we always maintain the “small business” feel and fluidity. One of my favorite things about working at HWFC is that if you have a great idea or want to do something, regardless of your position, there is a pretty good chance that you can actually make it happen. There isn’t this huge corporate structure you have to climb through to bring an idea to life—often, you can literally just do it. That is really cool and extremely rare in this day and age, and I don’t ever want us to lose that. That said, my experience having worked in many different areas of the Coop and having existing working relationships with most of our staff will allow for this fluidity to flourish. All of our 200 or so staff are responsible for building the Co-op’s brand each day—it’s a big part of all of our jobs. I know firsthand the challenges of working in Food Service, in Wellness, in Grocery, in Finance, etc., so I can relate. It’s easier to make things happen when you can relate. I am really grateful that the Co-op values promoting from within.

I had an awesome relationship with John. We worked together pretty closely during my time as Center Store Manager. When he told me he was going to be leaving, we went out to lunch together and spent a few hours talking about the job. He gave me lots of great insights that really helped me to ultimately decide that I wanted to apply. I still chat with John from time to time—he is doing well in his new job and he misses the Co-op! In my first few weeks, the entire marketing team and CCO Rick (Mausert) have been invaluable in getting me oriented and up to speed. • Who interviewed you, and what was the process like? Of all the interviews I’ve had at the Co-op over the years (four), this one was by far the most thorough, and my favorite. It felt to me about as cooperative and inclusive as an interview process could possibly be. Rick led the process, but there were tons of people involved. My first interview was with Rick, Yevette (Member Services), and Janet (Merchandising & Promotions). They asked great questions, and while I obviously knew them all, they were very clear that I was going through the same process as all the other, external candidates. My second interview was with a much larger group, including the whole Marketing Department—Matt (designer), Georgia (marketing digital coordinator), Amy (outreach), Deanna (education), Liza (designer), as well as Rick, Erin (CFO), Rhoda (HR director), and Tyler (board administrator). After that, I had a final smaller interview with Rick, Erin, Rhoda, and Stephen (director of operations) before finding out that I got the job! continued on page 5

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

March 2020

New Marketing Manager continued from page 4

• Currently, both Outreach and Education (with Member Services, comprising the Mission-Based Team) report to the Marketing Manager, as well as the in-house graphics team and web coordinator. Will that change or regroup at all? I love the structure the way it is currently. It makes a lot of sense operationally and we are already having a ton of fun working together as a team! My vision for the Marketing Department is one that combines the “mission” side of the Co-op with the “business” side of the Co-op. I hate to even call them different “sides,” because in my opinion, if we are functioning perfectly, it is all the same. Everything that relates to our business needs to be totally on brand and supportive of our mission, and vice versa. It isn’t always easy to keep both mission and business in mind when making each decision, little or big, but I think that it is absolutely essential to keep us on the right track. • We understand that Stephen Q. is filling in right now to run Grocery and Wellness. Are there plans to appoint a new Center Store director, or will that be reorganized? I am super grateful for Stephen’s willingness to step up and fill in. He has made the transition totally seamless and he has been 100% supportive of my move, despite it creating a lot of extra work for him in the interim! Stephen is in the process of gathering feedback and input from all of the members of the Grocery and Wellness staff teams before taking a next step on hiring. • At February’s Board meeting Rick mentioned that sales were a bit flat and credit card fees were up. Do you see any ways to overcome such hurdles without incurring extra expenses or by lowering existing ones? Might there be room in the advertising budget for cost-cutting, for example? I think I could write a book to answer this one question, so I’ll keep it really short! I see many ways to overcome the hurdles of

Honest Slate

slowly growing sales and rising credit card expenses. Our advertising budget number is right in line with the industry standard and the standard at similarly-sized co-ops. I don’t see our budgeted number changing much if at all, but I do plan to use this number in very different ways than we have in the past. My role is to do just that—to take our advertising budget and spend it in the most meaningful way possible.

I love change, I love to try new and

interesting things, I dislike stagnancy. The nature of marketing, especially in a dynamic and rapidly evolving industry like ours, requires us to constantly change things up. You will see lots of new and exciting ideas coming out of the Marketing Department in the very near future, with a focus on driving sales in a mission-based fashion.

• Do you have any plans for Marketing to refresh or simplify HWFC’s advertising

motifs / themes or are we sticking to what

Author Exposes Co-op’s True Nature:

Honest Weight Has Heart!

has proven to work? Have you had any ideas for building on the Co-op’s larger identity / reputation?

It’s amazing that what we have always

been the best at—sustainability, zero-waste shopping, local, organic, fair trade, cooperation, the list goes on and on—are all things that are now taking over the mainstream. There are many marketing jobs in the world where your primary goal is to make your “average” brand seem “cool and exciting.”

We are so fortunate

that we don’t have that problem at all—we already have just about the coolest story and brand you could ever ask for. I view my role as taking our already amazing foundation, values, mission, story, products—brand—and building upon it, enhancing it, spreading the word, showing it off to people who haven’t seen it yet! I’m a big basketball fan, and I kind of feel like I was just hired to coach the team that won last year’s championship.

Honest Slate readers may recall Jon Steinman’s visit to Honest Weight in April 2019; we were among the very first stops in this Canada-based author’s extensive tour of North American co-ops to publicize his book, Grocery Story. Evidently we made quite an impression, as Jon recently wrote to CCO Rick Mausert: Hi Rick, I hope all is going well at Honest Weight. You may have already heard but I’ve been putting out a steady stream of awards following my extensive tour of food co-ops. Honest Weight received the “Enthusiastic Owners Award”! Awards are being posted to the Grocery Story site here: https://grocerystory.coop/ food-coop-awards and have been posted on social media as well.... Congrats! Jon Steinman

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

March 2020

Honest Slate

Q&A From the Suggestion Box Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see your comment here? Check the bulletin board in the cafĂŠ.

Kudos!

Q: Dear Co-op, thank you for allowing us to contribute by [having] working members. A: Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re welcome! Q: Rich cashier #5 always has new information for me when I check outâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;always interesting-+ fun convoâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;I leave smiling! đ&#x;&#x2DC;&#x160; A: Thank you for taking time to let us know!

Such Class!

Q: The Porcini and Barley soup class was amazing! đ&#x;&#x2DC;&#x160; A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re so glad that you enjoyed it! Justinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s skill at showcasing our bulk items is extraordinary. Watch for his next class April 18.

Beverage Biz:

Q: Please carry spouts to put on glass milk bottles to pour nicely. A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been looking for a distributor. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll keep our eyes open. Q: Bulk decaf coffee selection is too limited. More, stronger, selections would be great! Thanks!! A: Thanks for your suggestion. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll see what is available to us. Q: Please carry Utica Roasting Coffee Peruvian Organic light roastâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;so good! A: Sometime in the near future we will be bringing in another locally roasted coffee from Gloversville. Utica Roasting is welcome to submit a vendor application. Q: More non-alcoholic beer options. A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve picked up two new N/A beers by Brooklyn and Brewdog. Q: Please make â&#x20AC;&#x153;On the Dark Sideâ&#x20AC;? dark. Too much water, not enough coffee. Weak dark side. ď &#x152; A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll check ratios with our coffee vendors to make sure the machines are calibrated.

Hot Bar:

Q: How about a vegan meatball/parmesan sub. Beyond Meat meatballs and Daiya mozzarella. A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working on bringing in vegan meatballs from â&#x20AC;?The Green Plate.â&#x20AC;? Please stay tunedâ&#x20AC;Ś Q: Can you please have polenta again on the hot bar? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s SO good and hard to make! A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll look at making a polenta dish as part of our next menu rotation. Thanks! Q: Deli is still using plastic sample cups. ď &#x152; A: At this point we offer samples in our plastic salad dressing cups. We will work on switching to paper sample cups.

Policy & Sustainability:

Q: Could you please make a sign that shows the location of the price scanners in aisle 6 and in dairy? A staff member pointed them out for me. I never saw them before!! A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll work on making our signage more visible. Q: Thank you for the signs reminding me to bring my shopping bags. I ALWAYS have them in the car AND I ALWAYS forget to walk in with them too. A: Cool! ...happy to promote reusable bags. Q: Reusable netting produce bags. A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got more on the way. Q: There is always a line of multiple people for the bathroom. Today there were 5 of us in line and we wait over 10 min. for someone to exit. Would you consider a sign on the inside of the door saying something to the effect: Please be considerate of those in line. PLEASE no texting, changing clothes, etc. Thank you. A: We wish we had built the store with more bathrooms. Q: More electric car charging? All full today. A: Did you notice our 4 new charge point stations? We installed those in 2019. Q: Why is the security guard at the entrance rather than the exit? A: Our security guard monitors the entrance from the vestibule in the warmer months. In the cold weather, the guard watches the exit from the area inside the 2nd door.

Bakery:

Q: Whole wheat burger buns, please đ&#x;&#x2DC;&#x160; A: We stock Vermont Bakery whole wheat hamburger buns on the rack by the hot dogs by the hot dog cooler. Q: I love the blueberry muffins!! They are out today, please have more next time. A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re glad you liked them! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to keep up with demand. Q: Please make the peanut butter cookies again. They were great! A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re glad you liked them! We make the peanut butter cookies on a periodic basis. Q: Can you get slices of cheesecake back? A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re glad you liked them. Our previous cheesecake vendor no longer delivers to retail businesses. We had Lucky Clover whole cheesecakes around December and are working on bringing in slices. Q: Please feed [us] a much better supply of Chatham Bakery Ginger cookies. A: Special ordering is the best way to ensure that you have sufficient cookies. Q: What happened to Anise cookies from Saratoga Gluten Free?? (Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re amazing with coffee!!) A: They have discontinued cookie sales outside of their bakery. Saratoga Gluten Freeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Schuylerville bakery is still carrying them.

Center Store:

Q: Sell condoms. A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been unable to find a brand that meets our buying guidelines. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll keep looking. Q: What happened to the May Wah brand in the freezer aisle? Vegan â&#x20AC;&#x153;Chicken Legsâ&#x20AC;? were good. [Please] continue to carry them. A: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working on re-establishing our supply of May Wah. We remain hopeful although we have not found another distribution chain to bring it in. Q: Your store should have my momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bella Blends in it. P.S. Search it up. A: Please let your mom know that she may visit our website and click the link for â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vendorsâ&#x20AC;? found under â&#x20AC;&#x153;Contactâ&#x20AC;? on the top bar of our main page.

Honest Weight Food Co-op â&#x20AC;˘ 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 â&#x20AC;˘ 518-482-2667 â&#x20AC;˘ https://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate@honestweight.coop

March 2020

Honest Slate

What Is the Member-Owner Hours Bank? by Elisa Grimm

Have a penny? Leave a penny! Need a penny? Take a penny! There are a few more steps to the Honest

Weight Food Co-op Member-Owner Hours Bank than sharing copper coins, but the idea of helping one another out in a time of need is the same. Many of us are familiar with hours-sharing programs through our workplace. Sick leave banks can be found in government, educational, nonprofit, and for-profit organizations. Although the general idea may not be news, the fact that you can participate in an hours-sharing bank at the Co-op may be! Throughout the Co-op’s history, there have been various methods for sharing hours. The Membership Committee and Member-Owner Coordinator developed the current Member-Owner Hours Bank in 2018. The Co-op’s principle of concern for community is demonstrated in the bank, with Member-Owners sharing with other Member-Owners in need.

How does the MemberOwner Hours Bank work? • How do I check my hours? There are several options for confirming how many hours you have. You can check in at the service desk and review your hours regularly. When you check out at the end of your time-investment shift, look at the hours tally under your name. For households with multiple Member-Owners, the tally reflects the hours available to the entire household, not just the individual. Hours needed to maintain the discount are subtracted from the tally at the beginning of each month. You can also ask staff members at the service desk to check your hours tally or contact the Member-Owner Coordinator by calling 482-2667, ext. 104, or emailing memberservices@honestweight. coop.

• What are some reasons one might request hours? The bank is intended for unusual situations that prevent you from meeting your normal time investment. These may include surgery, having a baby, or unexpected household disruptions. The Member-Owner hours bank is not intended for more common occurrences. If you need to miss a shift due to illness or vacation, please notify your department as soon as possible. All MOs accrue an additional 0.08 hours of time for each hour worked. This extra accrual provides a cushion for the occasional missed shift.

• Are there any other eligibility requirements? Yes, a Member-Owner must have invested time at least once a month for four of the previous six months before the hours donation request is submitted.

• How do I request hours? Contact the Member-Owner Coordinator by calling 482-2667, ext. 104 or emailing memberservices@honestweight.coop to inquire about a donation. Requests must be submitted in writing to the Member-Owner Coordinator. While Member-Owners can and do submit requests on their own behalf, to date Coop staff have contributed most requests to benefit Member-Owners and also have initiated the process for MOs in their departments who are facing hardships.

• Is there a limit on the number of hours I can receive? The maximum a Member-Owner may receive is three consecutive months of hours. Donations may be taken in smaller increments. The number of hours is connected to the MO’s time investment, with donations in proportion to the number of hours invested per month.

• I invest all the hours for my household, which has two Member-Owners. The other household MO can’t invest hours. What do we do? The Member-Owners in some households split time investment equally, while the MOs in other households split their Co-op time-investment requirements differently, due to job requirements, physical capability, or other reasons. Given that this is a hardship request, donation requests from households with more than one MO are evaluated on an individual basis.

• How do I donate hours? May I donate to a specific individual rather than to the general hours bank? You may donate to the general bank, or you may donate hours to a specific individual. If you wish to donate to a specific individual, you can inquire at the service desk or contact the Member-Owner Coordinator. Many of the available hours in the Member-Owner bank have come from members resigning from the Co-op, because of job relocation or other reasons, who have generously donated their extra hours for the good of the Co-op community. As the “What Is a Co-op?” section of our website states, “In co-ops, members pool resources to bring about economic results that are unobtainable by one person alone.” Honest Weight’s focus is on bringing local, healthy food to our community; yet we also live out our mission by helping each other when help is needed. For more information, please contact the Member-Owner Coordinator by calling 482-2667, ext. 104 or emailing memberservices@honestweight.coop.

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

March 2020

Honest Slate

COMMITTEE C O R N E R March 2020 Environment Committee (EC) • Attended webinars on food waste, researched local food waste composting options, assessed recycling plan for plastic Plant Dept. pots, reviewed revisions to Sustainability Group proposal, and further explored ways to move toward zero waste. • Prepared for Community Solar Presentation held Feb. 24 in Community Room (contacted companies, narrowed down invitees, created scoring sheets and analyzed scores, coordinated room, tech setup and facilitated event). • Focusing tasks, goals for annual work plan.

Nutrition and Education Committee (NEC)

HWFC Meeting Summaries • Completing report on October Membership Meeting survey to present for Mar. 3 Board Meeting. Requested Board authorize distribution of survey report. • Preparing for Apr. 26 Membership Meeting. Will review and update Board Nomination Form and attempt to streamline 8-page packet (for submission to Board Administrator by Feb. 25). Nomination process will open Mar. 26 with Apr. 16 (8pm) deadline to submit forms and print names on ballot. Meet the Candidates events will be held week of Apr. 13 based on Community Room availability. Reviewed workplan and assigned tasks. • Requested Board: (1) approve use of social media and HWFC newsletters to advertise governance information, and (2) accept / approve Board Nomination packet.

• Will request Management share actions taken to deal with products that contain GM ingredients.

• Reflected on Rita Nolan’s substantive impact on ENC’s work and grief Members experienced losing her.

• Finalizing labeling standards for Meat and Poultry Policy (hoping to submit for vote at April Membership Meeting).

This article provides a summary of preliminary committee reports submitted to the Board of Directors for the March 3, 2020 Board Meeting. See Board Meeting packet for details. Full committee reports are available on the HWFC website upon Board approval.

• FPM Tabling held Feb. 28, 4:30–6:30 pm.

Elections and Nominations Committee (ENC) • Discussed ways to establish new procedures for creating Document Revision Ballots. Feedback on proposed process has been shared and will be incorporated into proposal for Mar. 3 Board Meeting. Requested Board approve new procedures prior to next Membership Meeting. • Discussed topics from last Board Meeting: (1) timing of Membership Meetings (scheduled for Apr. 26 and May 31); (2) seven open Board seats to be filled; and (3) Comm Comm’s proposal to amend workshop’s title to “What Boards Do.”

Bylaws Panel (BLP) • Discussed comments on our presentation at January Membership Meeting. • Continued editing Section 471. • Requested Board: (1) provide informal feedback on working draft rewrite of 420.3(a)—progressive discipline and griev-

by Stephanie Conde

ance procedures applicable to all employees whose status is not temporary or probationary; and (2) post text of 330.4 proposed changes on HWFC website.

Honest Arts Committee (HAC) • Approx. 25– 35 guests and artists attended “I See Me” reception for Winter Show. • Call for entries for Spring show themed “Textile” will go out Mar. 23. • MOs with skills and interest will be recruited for Sidewalk Chalk Art. • Requested Board consider $300 budget allocation for food provided at 4 annual receptions. • Tyler Varese, Board Administrator, will serve as committee’s Board liaison proxy.

Membership Committee (MC) • Reviewed feedback from tabling session on Accountability, including input to consider during workshop. Tabling was valuable; confirmed and prepared for additional tabling sessions. Workshop date for post-tabling sessions will be Thurs., Mar. 12 (5–9 pm). • Debriefed Mem Comm’s January Membership Meeting presentation (and subsequent discussion) on developing Accountability Policy, including specific suggestions. • Will submit proposed Membership Manual revisions (on training, anti-harassment policy) with Accountability Proposal at May Membership Meeting. • In preparation for 2020 Workplan, reviewed previous workplan, discussed directives, hours needed, addition of new initiatives under way. Will finish plan at March meeting. continued on page 9

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

March 2020

COMMITTEE C O R N E R continued from page 8

• Discussed process to create new Cooperative Principles wall hanging (older one not found). • Reviewed Bylaws Panel December minutes provided by our committee members who attended. • With Elections and Nominations Committee, will more closely monitor ballot process. • After Membership Manual revisions are presented for vote in May, will develop timeline for Moderation Workshop (sociocracy/dynamic governance) including creation of subcommittee to begin research.

Personnel Committee (PC) • Revision of time and attendance policies continues; preparing layout for Employee Manual. • Created plan to solicit Employee input on “single bucket” PTO Proposal.

Sales and Fiscal Performance

(for 7 mos. ending Jan. 31, 2020)

• Ordinary Income decreased $340,538 or 54% to $289,947 vs. $630,485 last year ($69,966 or 20% under budgeted amount of $359,913). • Net Income decreased $310,222 or 86% from $360,989 to $50,767 ($98,147 or 34% under budgeted $148,913). • Costs of Goods were up $143,641 or 1.5% at $9,676,051 vs. $9,532,410 last year (under budgeted $9,757,012 by $80,961 or 0.8%). • Overall Gross Profit was up $57,722 or 0.8% at $6,732,736 vs. $6,680,014 last year (under budgeted $6,805,716 by $72,980 or 1.1%). Gross Margin was 41% vs. 41% last year (on budget). • Total Expenses were up $393,260 or 6.5% from $6,049,529 to $6,442,789 (under budgeted $6,445,803 by $3,014).

Honest Slate Finance Committee

(contains Jan. and Feb. report info) January: • CFO Martin discussed current financial report (see previous paragraph). (1) Over $100,000 in lost sales due to July and Aug. power outages and Dec. snow closure; product loss and equipment damage from outages were covered except for $5,000 deductible. (2) Concern over continuing increases in personnel costs (wages, health and disability insurance). (3) Rising Operating and Administrative costs. (4) Suggests watching sales over next few months with aim to meet budgeted sales target (current sales reflect very small profit of $50,000). • Long Range Planning Initiative should be undertaken soon (primary focus: “What do you see HWFC doing five years from now; and how do we get there?”). Request to Board included suggestions that: (1) our committee and CFO Martin lead process; (2) process involves members from other existing committees; and (3) ad hoc committee is formed (comprised of reps from other HWFC committees) to develop the process.

• Low Income Discount has significant support, including FC. CFO Martin estimated impact of implementation at $43,000 (based on FY2019 figures). Would require Board and Membership approvals. Increased sales and development of sustainable method to fund this discount are needed. • Denis Caplan is coordinating with Board liaison to schedule Finance 101 sessions for Board and Members. February: • CFO Martin: (1) advised HWFC will meet its EBITDA for fiscal year (despite lower than expected sales); and (2) encouraged FC members to attend Budget Meetings (Mar. 19 and 21). • Requested Board approve: (1) request to lead development of HWFC’s long-range plan (including series of meetings with other committees to generate interest and commitment to developing goals and means to achieve them over next 5–10 years); and (2) development of Low-Income Discount for shoppers (including identification of approx. $40,000–$50,000/year funding).

Stand with the Wet’suwet’en Vigil and Celebration Member-Owner Grace Nichols reports that ongoing territorial conflict between authorities and indigenous residents in British Columbia, Canada over land rights has resulted in plans for negotiations. She contacted Honest Slate to announce this event:

Stand with the Wet’suwet’en Vigil and Celebration

Friday, March 6, 4:30 – 6 pm • Townsend Park Henry Johnson Blvd and Central Ave. • Albany

“Here on Algonquin/Mohawk land, we remain clear and steady in our desire for a world in which indigenous nations are treated as nations and given respect and legal protections,” Grace wrote. “We celebrate that the Canadian government, after weeks of train blockades, bridge blockades, protests, occupations and traffic slowdowns, has now agreed to negotiate with the Wet’suwet’en government as equals, in conformance with both Canadian and International Law. We will gather while PAUSE and other allied groups give Statements of Solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs and their Mohawk allies….” WET’SUWET’EN STRONG, Please Join Us! Sponsoring organization: PAUSE, People of Albany United for Safe Energy Contact: Grace Nichols mtnsbluegreen@gmail.com

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

March 2020

Honest Slate

From the Suggestion Box

: : : :

Board Decisions

Be closer to the Catskills. đ&#x;&#x2DC;&#x160;

The Board of Directors approved the following decisions at the 6 pm HWFC Board Meeting of March 3, 2020:

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re so happy that you make the trek up here!

â&#x20AC;˘ The Board approved the proposal for the Honest Slate newsletter managing editor / designer contract renewal with terms to be finalized by the April meeting of the Board of Directors. â&#x20AC;˘ At the request of management, the Board decided to temporarily suspend, until the next Board meeting, the oneyear service requirement and the requirement for a doctors note for those employees with a personal illness to use the Leave Transfer Policy. â&#x20AC;˘ The Board approved the Elections & Nominations Committee proposed new Procedure for Creating Document Revision Ballots. â&#x20AC;˘The Board approved the use of social media and Co-op newsletters to advertise governance information in advance of the April Board elections. â&#x20AC;˘The Board authorized the distribution of the Governance Survey Results from the October 2019 Membership Meeting. â&#x20AC;˘The Board approved the Human Resources Benefits Specialist job description as revised. â&#x20AC;˘The Board approved the allocation of three-hundred dollars for the Honest Arts Committee budget.

Massage Practitioners Needed We are in need of one or two massage practitioners who may want to invest their time with Education đ&#x;&#x2DC;&#x160; Calling all Member-Owners who are also NYS licensed and insured massage therapists! Are you interested in becoming a weekly/bi-weekly practitioner? We are looking for all types of massage and have select hours available on Mondays, Tuesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. If interested, please email Deanna at

deannab@honestweight.coop.

March 2O20 Submissions Policy:

Editors & Contributors: Yevette Buddeau Nicole Collins Stephanie Conde Erin Donahue Elisa Grimm Morgaen Hansen

Don Kennison Grace Nichols Carol Ostrow Courtney Semoff Janet Sorell Tyler Varese

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

We welcome articles & contributions. â&#x20AC;˘ Preferred maximum length is 500 words. â&#x20AC;˘ Material is published at the discretion of the Honest Slate team. â&#x20AC;˘ Only signed work is accepted. â&#x20AC;˘ Items are edited for length, grammar, and style. We may consider unsolicited material but encourage individuals to submit ideas or outlines first. Letters to the Editors do not require preapproval.

â&#x20AC;˘ The Board authorized the Finance Committee to plan a series of workshops to educate the Membership and our community about the process of long-range planning. â&#x20AC;˘ The Board approved the Designer & Marketing Coordinator job description. â&#x20AC;˘ The Board approved the creation of an ad hoc Committee on Anti-Harassment Policy and its proposed workplan. â&#x20AC;˘ The Board approved the Notice of the April 26, 2020 Membership Meeting, pending inclusion of final meet-the-candidates dates and times, for GRC review.

Membership Meetings: April 26 â&#x20AC;˘ May 31 â&#x20AC;˘ Oct. 25

DO WE OWE YOU? The Co-op has money waiting for a number of individuals who we cannot locate. 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: finance@honestweight.coop. Gillian Eastwood Eva Foitzik Timothy J. Cowper Maria Kuhsel Oliver Holecek Stephen Dornbush Hank Adams Alyssa Gallagher Estelle Fach Susan Fuss

Laurel Holden Druis Beasley Mark Pranys Nishi Beharry Lily Ringler Joseph Gietl Kimberly Truitt Elias Saifan Timothy Long

Statement of Purpose: Honest Slate is a platform for HWFC Membership, Staff, Management, and Governance: 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 ÂŠ2020 Honest Weight Food Co-op; no material appearing in Honest Slate may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of HWFC.

Honest Weight Food Co-op â&#x20AC;˘ 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 â&#x20AC;˘ 518-482-2667 â&#x20AC;˘ https://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate@honestweight.coop

March 2020

Honest Slate

Call for Art:

textile We are looking for paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, mixed media, and of course fiber and textile arts! Pieces must be able to be hung using our current picture rail system. Entries welcome from March 23– Apr. 6. Please email us for information: HonestArtsCommittee@honestweight.coop

Music, food and art highlighted the Jan. 12 Margaret Foster art show reception. —Photo provided by Honest Arts Committee.

Thank you!

Thank you for joining us to celebrate our two recent openings in our Gallery Space! We hope you enjoyed our Margaret Gelbach Foster Exhibit as well as the current show “I SEE ME”.

Join us on Sunday, March 23, 2020 from 2–4pm in the Community Room to celebrate the opening of our show “I SEE ME”. We hope to see you there!

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

Honest Slate

Co-opportunities:

memBer-owner Announcements

by Yevette Buddeau, Member-Owner Coordinator (MOC) Happy vernal equinox month! I’ve seen buds on trees where leaves will soon grow and I bet you can find some too. Consider signing up for one of our outdoor Member-Owner opportunities. The Plants Department will be blooming into action very soon with MO orientations and then the opening of the spring plants sale season. If you would like to be part of the fastpaced and customer service–driven Plants Department then you’ll need to sign up for an orientation in early April. Reach out to CarolSurash@honestweight.coop or ShannonFriel@honestweight.coop if the Plants Department is for you. Co-op Gardening is another group that gets to invest time in the blossoming outdoor spring and summer air. These Member-Owners take care of the garden beds around the Co-op property with tasks such as weeding and coordinated plantings— think of these fine people when you see the tulips pop up this spring! To get involved with our Garden group, contact Yevette at memberservices@honestweight. coop. March brings our 2020 Governance Workshop “What Boards Do: The Sequel” to the forefront of our minds and schedules. If you haven’t signed up for this fun and interactive workshop then get on board! See our description on the website’s governance page at https://www.honestweight. coop/page/governance-380.html. The info is inclusive enough that there’s no need to have attended the first workshop to get solid use out of this sequel. Be part of the conversation. Plus, Board elections are right around the corner in April, so make sure you are eligible to vote! In order to vote at the April 26 Membership Meeting, all hours and payments must be in by March 31. Questions? Reach out to Yevette at MemberServices@ honestweight.coop. It’s never too early to think about who you would like to see getting involved in governance at our self-governing Co-op.

March 2020

For contact info on each of the Co-op’s Board committees and the calendar of committee meeting times, visit our website’s committee page at https://www. honestweight.coop/page/committees-ofthe-board-14.html. Self-governance works best when we are an active and engaged community of participants, so come be part of the picture. Our department of greatest need right now is Grocery, with various tasks to fulfill. Our grab-and-go beverage case needs MOs each day of the week from 6–10 am and from 6–10 pm. Please contact LauraAngell@honestweight.coop to sign up. Grocery is also seeking MOs to condition shelves as well as look for products that are about to expire so we can discount them and neaten shelf space. Contact StephenQ@honestweight.coop to sign up for this. Grocery is also looking for bread stockers; going in and out of the walk-in freezer is part of this gig. Contact breadbuyer@honestweight.coop. The Front End service desk has a spot for weekend morning Member-Owners weighing jars for bulk shoppers. Contact Katie@ honestweight.coop to sign up. We are also seeking a Member-Owner to drive the Honest Weight van and all our redeemable bottles and cans to the redemption center on weekend mornings, then return with the van and cash. Interested? Contact StephenQ@honestweight.coop to sign on. This MO needs to have a valid driver’s license and be insurable under our auto insurance policy.

Interested in joining Honest Weight Food Co-op’s Team as an Employee? Check out our Employment Page.

Sate your hunger; Slake your thirst. Read Honest Slate, where news comes first!

Honest

SLATE

march forward! The Buyerarchy of Needs Canadian illustrator Sarah Lazarovic has devised a new model for consumerism, shown below. What are your buying habits like? Do you favor gently used, refurbished, &/or upcycled products? Tell us in a short letter how you contribute to sustainability at a material level. Email honestslate@honestweight.coop and look for your ideas to appear in print!

The IT Department still needs a couple of MOs for our data entry project at the Coop. Contact DaveF@honestweight.coop. As always, see our Member-Owner opportunities page for contact information and general needs of any store department at https://www.honestweight.coop/page/ member-owner-opportunities-101.html.

—Photo credit: Sarah Lazarovic

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