Bulgur Wheat Salad with Chickpeas, Goat Cheese, and RematriatingCommunities:HealingArtichokesOurCelebrating,Saving,andSeedsALetterfromPetraofFruitionSeedsStockTaking ∙ Sept/Oct 2022 Coop Scoop A FREE publication from Honest Weight
www.HonestWeight.coop Open to All Store Hours: Daily 8am-9pmCENTRALAVE 90 WATERVLIETAVEEXT LIVINGSTONINDUSTRIALPARKRDAVEWATERVLIETAVEGRANTAVE KINGAVE EVERETTRD NSEW committed to providing our with A and for foods and products for healthy living. who choose to participate in a community that embraces cooperative principles in an atmosphere of To promote more ways of living. andis Open to All Store Hours: Daily CENTRALAVE 90 WATERVLIETAVEEXT LIVINGSTONINDUSTRIALPARKRDAVEWATERVLIETAVEKINGAVE EVERETTRD NSEW committed to providing our with A and for foods and products for healthy living. a community that embraces in an atmosphere of To promote more ways to living. andis
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What is the Triple Bottom Line? Melanie Pores and Cooks Deli
Gardening is a political practice! A master gardener and seed-keeper explains why.
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Photo: Fruition Seed Co. Illustrations: Jane Welch ISSN 2473-6155 (print) • ISSN 2473-6163 (online) The Coop Scoop is for informational purposes only, and not intended as medical or health advice. Always consult your physician or other qualified healthcare provider. The views of our guest writers do not necessarily reflect those of Honest Weight, and we do not take responsibility for them. Be Sure to Check Our New Coop Scoop Blog! www.HonestWeight.coop/Scoop Coop ArchiveScoopExhibit Scoop News: Looking Back to Look Forward Five Staff Picks Persistently Problematic Pests: Fungus Gnats Check Them Out Here!
By investing in the cultivation and care of Native and heirloom seeds, we can also cultivate a more just and sustainable relation ship with the planet and the life that it supports.
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What were member-owners of Honest Weight thinking about forty years ago? Looking back on their conversation, we can also reflect on our own commitments and values today. the Change: Farms Natalie Criscione
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Smalley PhD, is our Content Editor. An educator and writer, with a 4-digit coachingandwellness,RuthfrommemberCo-opnumbertheearly90s,Annofferswriting,creativitythrough her practice at www.vibrant-energies.com or www.ruthannsmalley.com.
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e’ve got several new educational offerings that we’d like to share with you as we head into the autumn. Some of them are drop-in classes, some require registration, and all of the details are on our website:
Here are a few highlights:
EducationalNewClasses
Fresh News!
We’ve started with a modest plan that includes some of the “easier” plants to grow (including: lettuces, tomatoes, zucchini squash, pole beans, peppers, and various herbs) and hope to expand our planting based on what works (or doesn’t) this T
Yoga with Scrap and Kids’ Yoga with Scrap is being offered on alternating Saturday mornings (registration is preferred, drop-ins if space allows, no late entry); Hair by Izzy is on site every Wednesday from 2 to 5pm providing FREE haircuts for the community (sign up at the Service Desk);
TAKING STOCK
Pat Sahr introduces us to a new deli meat supplier, Farmers and Cooks Deli Meats. They sell “hand-rubbed and open roast ed” with “REAL INGREDIENTS”. We explore how through our Be the Change program, the co-op community can support Albany High’s “Falcon Farms”. This continuously blooming student run farm depends on “…grants and donations to operate and plans to expand by providing food to both the cafeteria and the culinary and nutrition programs at Albany High and Abrookin”, so please consider donating at the regis ter this Finally,fall.Lucia Hulsether breaks down the Honest Weight’s “Triple Bottom Line” and showing how this practice separates us from "conventional capitalist corpora tions [which] serve a single mission,” and how we support our community and planet. With all these stories about exploring what’s next for our community and partners alike, I’m excited to daydream about the new blooms I have planned for next year. Happy reading to y’all!
EditorfromLetteran
T is a catalogerretiredat the New York State Library, where she worked for over 35 years. She wrote a 10-year blog called “Typo of the Day for Librarians” and has been a Co-op member since the 1980s.
Natalie Criscione shoppingremembersat the Quail St. Honest Weight location. She wears many hats: volunteer.manager,musician,writer,educator,artist,propertyadvocate,She loves being part of the Coop Scoop team! Lucia Hulsether is a teacher and writer currently based in Saratoga Springs, NY. Her first book, www.dukeupress.edu/capitalist-humanitarianismUniversityfromisHumanitarianism,CapitalistforthcomingDukePress.
Honest to Goodness
Crystal Sound Healing is offered every month on Saturdays at 5pm by Chelsie Marie Inlong and people are welcome to drop in; We’ve recently introduced an hour-long Forgiveness Meditation on the second Monday of the month; Vegetable Love Spells by Studio Halibey have begun in person and are held monthly in the Teaching Kitchen; Around the World Cuisine for Kids is held monthly on Saturdays; Indian Cooking with Sam Raj classes are a great way to explore the cuisine of Southeast India.
HonestWeight.coop/Education
Coop Scoop his year was the first time trying my hand at growing cut flowers. I placed seed to tray, seedling to soil, then flower to vase. My whole mid-spring to summer has been filled with blooms but now it’s time to remove the old in preparation for the new. I now have moved to paper, writing lists about my new flower endeavor. Learning from my failures, I thumb through old and new seed packets I ldream of growing next year, and plan where things will be placed. Just like this Coop Scoop issue’s theme, it’s now time for me to start “Taking Stock”. In this issue, Ruth Ann Smalley investi gates the cultivation and care of Native seeds and practices of the seed compa nies we carry here at the coop. She guides us through understanding how these practices can create sustainable relation ship with the planet and the life that it supports. Natalie Criscione looks back some 43 years ago, at a Coop “brain stretch” meeting. We see how members' propositions are like seeds that continue to shape the purpose and goals of the Co-op. In our “Honest to Goodness” section Deanna Beyer tells us about all the new classes coming up this fall, so you can plan your future Co-op trips accordingly.
EditorfromLetteran
By Mathew Bradley
Rebecca Angel has been a part of Honest Weight for twenty years and is Managing Editor of the Coop Scoop. When not at the co-op, Rebecca is a teacher, musician, and currentlywriter,working on a memoir about her experience with Cushing’s Syndrome. www.RebeccaAngel.com
Mathew Bradley is our Layout Editor. He has been the Lead Designer at Honest Weight since Outside the co-op, he enjoys writing band, tending to his garden, and training his English Cocker Spaniel, Cricket, for field work.
Honest EditorsRuthAnn
By Carol Reid
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his has been a rather fraught year for me and not just for the obvious Covid-related reasons. I’ve also learned that I have two different physical disorders, one fairly common for people my age and the other one far less common. I made the first discovery right at the beginning of the pandemic and the other one just after getting my second vaccine dose. On top of the anxiety and isolation and fears of leaving the house in general (just like everybody else), attempting to simultaneously deal with all the uncertainty and doctor visits and various new health regimens I’ve had to adopt due to these sudden revelations has greatly intensified my personal yearlong ordeal. But obviously, I’m not the only one who’s been struggling with such issues—wheth er for oneself or one’s family members, friends, or colleagues; whether Covid-re lated or not; whether serious or routine. It’s enough to make you downright sick, and often quite desperate and depressed to boot. People have been afraid to make or keep their medical appointments, to go in for testing, or to even be around other afflicted people. Mental and emotional illnesses have been exacerbated and are sadly on the rise. But there are also a lot of resources available online right now, and there’s hope that we can finally beat the Virus and deal with whatever else might be currently ailing us. In this issue of the Coop Scoop, entitled “Heal,” Rebecca Angel writes about her own experience with healing heartburn; Melanie Pores makes what’s good for you also taste good with her delicious Date-Sweetened Smoothie recipe; Ruth Ann Smalley gets to the root of things with an article on Regenerative Agriculture; and [etc.]. We’re hoping that all of the articles and information contained herein will contribute to helping all of us on our personal journeys toward renewed health and healing.
• Locate the collection bins near our bike lockers • Only place clear, clean glass in the bins Make sure to remove both the lids and little plastic rings (labels are ok)
Salad, Hot Bar, and Cafe are Back, with
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LocalSeasonalProduce
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Just follow these simple steps: What could be fresher than all of your favorite produce arriving daily from local farms? (could we include a couple of relevant farm names here?It’s growing season and we’ve got farm-fresh fruits and veggies from all over the area. So, whether you’re looking for nNon-GMO sweet corn, crisp cucumbers, or super juicy, tiny strawberries, we’ve got you covered! Be sure to check out all the beautiful new arrivals next time you’re here.
By Deanna Beyer
Please note that in the August “Co-op 101: Greenwashing” article, the amount of compost created by Honest Weight’s kitchens is 13-15k lbs each month, not tons. We apologize for the mistake.
What
If you’re new to Honest Weight, you might be wondering what makes us different from any other grocery store. There are lots of things, but probably the biggest is that we’re a community-owned co-op! is a Co-op?
By Lucia Hulsether f you’ve walked our aisles or flipped through the pages of this magazine, you've probably noticed that Honest Weight is different from a “normal” supermarket. Most grocery stores don’t have a community events bulletin board, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more abundant bulk depart ment this side of the Mississippi. But some of our most important differences are more subtle. They show up behind the scenes in basic decisions about who we are as a business. It all comes down to our triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit. I
BottomTripleLine
5 TAKING STOCKhatisHonest Weight Food Co-op? Who is it for? What are its food policies and who decides them? How does one get members to become more involved? How does one manage financial decisions? And, “should it [the Co-op] go to college?” Although these are not questions one usually ponders when they stop in for their daily cup of coffee, weekly groceries, or to satisfy an occasional kombucha craving, the early years of the Co-op buzzed with such discussion. Members continued to define what it meant to be a food co-op in Albany, NY. In the #28, March 1979 edition of the Coop Scoop, Edith Higgins summarized points made at a meeting in which the “purpose and goals of the Co-op were examined.” Below are portions of that article:
3. Drizzle the dressing over the bulgur.
Corner 6Coop Scoop
Bulgur Wheat Salad PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTHA
PESA
2. In a food processor or blender combine water, bouillon cube, lime juice, chives, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, cilantro, coconut aminos, and fresh ground black pepper. Lime juice, vinegar, coconut oil, chives, and cilantro can be added according to taste.
4. Mix in the add-ins, except for the nuts or seeds, and toss well to combine.
1. Combine bulgur, water, salt, and a drizzle of oil in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
6. For a little crunch and additional protein, toss in the walnuts, pistachios, or sunflower seeds, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. 1 cup bulgur wheat (makes about 3 cups cooked bulgur) 1½ cups water Pinch of salt Drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil 1 cup water 1 cube Edward & Sons Low Sodium Garden Veggie Bouillon cube 2 Tbsp lime juice 2 Tbsp chives, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, Coconutchopped aminos and fresh ground black pepper, to taste 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained ½ cup artichoke hearts, drained ½ cup goat cheese, crumbled ½ cup finely chopped walnuts, or shelled pistachios or sunflower seeds (optional)
Bulgur:Dressing:Add-ins:
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5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
8SEPT/OCT 2022
Freeing the Seed
In the U.S., rural to urban migration and the industrialization of food detached most people from seeds.
By Ruth Ann Smalley
“importantparticularlyinaneraofclimatechange”EHealing Communities:OurCelebrating,Saving,andRematriatingSeeds
very fall, we celebrate the abundance brought forth from the fields by the summer growing season and the labor of farmers. As we enjoy and share the harvest, some of us are also preserving it for winter use. Still others are ensuring that there will be a harvest next year, by saving seeds. Though seeds are commonly associ ated with spring and new life, the seed life cycle is also reborn as part of the harvest process. Autumn is a good time to celebrate seeds. With this in mind, we’d like to share news and resources surrounding the role of seed saving and seed activism, along with information about the seed companies we carry.
Many people’s primary “eating relationship” is with foods that have already been put in a package. But when we consider that the fundamental package is the seed, this loss carries huge economic, environmental, cultur al, and even spiritual consequences. Over the past century, market forces have worked relentlessly to standard ize and patent seeds. This has reduced biodiversity, as well as farmers’ control. Commodity crops are now “owned” by a small number of corpora tions, whose seeds farmers cannot save for future planting. As Jack Kloppenberg, author of First the Seed, puts it, “Farmers no longer buy seed. They rent that seed from Monsanto or Syngenta” (qtd in Danovich, Civil Eats, 4/21/2020).Andeven seeds someone might pick up at a garden store have arrived in those packages from who knows where. Petra Page-Mann of Fruition Seeds points out that many seed companies are, in reality, simply distributors (“the vast majority of them do not grow their own seeds”) and the result tends to be, again, that the “power balance shifts away from farm ers”(Cultivating Place podcast, 2/3/22).
Having seeds adapted for a local environment is -Tove Danovich
The freedom to share, trade, or sell seed to others. The freedom to trial and study seed and to share or publish information about it.
How does Honest Weight support the local community? Most co-ops devote significant time and resources to educational programming, community develop ment, and outreach initiatives. We donate 5% of our net profits to local not-for-profit organizations, run free and low-cost educational programs that are open to all, and are always looking for ways to collaborate with partners in the community. We offer many opportunities for mem ber-owners to help with this commu nity engagement. What other co-ops are in the area? You can find co-ops every where! In addition to Honest Weight, there are several others you can check out: Niskayuna Consumers Co-op, Chatham Real Food Market Co-op, Mohawk Harvest Cooperative Market, and Cambridge Food Co-op. While every co-op has its own distinctive vibe, we are all founded on the same basic principles: · voluntary and open membership democratic member control · member economic participation · autonomy and independence · education, training, and informa tion
Vermont-based High Mowing Seeds has been certified organic since their start in 1996. They have a history of leadership in seed safety, and released an Open Source Collec tion of seeds starting in 2016.
The OSSI Pledge ensures the Four Open Source Seed Freedoms for this and future generations: The freedom to save or grow seed for replanting or for any other purpose.
Hudson Valley Seed Company: an outgrowth of an innovative seed library in Gardiner, NY, this organic farm in Accord has been a source of open-pollinated and heirloom seeds—and great art—since 2009.
Fedco is a long-established cooper ative in Maine that supports independent and “backyard breed ers.” They also donate a percentage of sales of certain varieties as “Indige nous Royalties” to Nibezun, which is “a Wabanaki project . . . working to rematriate Penobscot land to create dialogue on healing through out the extended community” (see Scoop Feb 2022). Returning the Seed
Located in Naples, in the Finger Lakes region, Fruition recently celebrated its 10th birthday. Focused on “regionally-adapted seeds,” about 60% of their seeds are grown on their land, with the rest sourced from regional farmers. Their company is also in the process of becoming Employee-Owned.
standards those products and their producers have to meet (think growing practices, clean ingredients, etc.). At Honest Weight, we’ve got about 14,000 members. Who can shop here? Everyone is welcome: anyone can shop at the co-op. If you decide to become a member, you’ll purchase a “share” of the co-op, become eligible for lots of additional discounts on products, and have voting rights on decisions that affect the store. Honest Weight member-owners can choose to invest their time at the store, serve on one of our committees, or work with a program, in order to receive a bigger discount (up to 24%) on their groceries.
Founding partners K Greene and Doug Muller and their team have been thoughtfully expanding their acreage and biodiversity ever since (see Scoop March 2022).
“Having seeds adapted for a local environment is particularly import ant in an era of climate change,” Tove Danovich points out. Her Civil Eats article is aptly entitled “Gardening Is Important but Seed Saving is Crucial.” She notes: “The renewed popularity of open source seeds, independent seed companies, seed libraries, and other exchanges means that it’s getting easier to find seeds adapted for local conditions. But you still won’t find them in the plant section of Home Depot—or most other mainstream plant stores.” At Honest Weight, we are fortu
nate to have great options from reliable, local, and regional seed companies offering organic, heirloom, and open-pollinated seeds (meaning the plants produce seeds that can be saved and grow “true to type”). These include High Mowing Organic Seeds, Hudson Valley Seed, Fruition, and Fedco. These companies are all in partnership with the Open Source Seed Initiative (OSSI). This organiza tion is devoted to ensuring access to seed “germplasm” because “patented seeds cannot be saved, replanted, or shared by farmers and gardeners.”
The freedom to select or adapt the seed, make crosses with it, or use it to breed new lines and varieties. BY RUTH ANN SMALLEY
ILLUSTRATION
It also means that those seeds may be less suited to the locale of the person who is taking them home.
What is on offer? We believe everyone in our community should have access to affordable, high-quality, natural foods and products for healthy living. So we offer things like Co+op Basics (a line of over 450 high-quality foods and house hold items) at Everyday Low Prices. We Specials. We also accept SNAP benefits. How is Honest Weight part of the important to you, we’re one of the best places around to shop. Co-ops form strong relationships with local, small-scale producers, which means you can find products that aren’t typically available at traditional supermarkets. At Honest Weight, we work with over 285 local farms and 319 local producers; that list is always growing. And because we get daily deliveries, it means fresher, lower-impact food that hasn’t travelled across the country for days.
Shopping for special dietary
“I don’t know how to quantify the culture of grief associated with loss of your most ancient varieties. I don’t know what that price tag is.” Winona
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We get it. It’s easy to find tasty food alternatives in every department at the co-op. Our friendly staff can also make suggestions if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the choices, as many of them are on special diets, too!
-Winona LaDuke TedxTC, “Seeds of Our Ancestors, Seeds of Life”
Start saving your own seeds. K Greene of Hudson Valley Seeds suggests that you “choose one variety to really observe and be part of the full life cycle of that plant.” Phillip Kauth, of Seed Savers Exchange, says it’s easy to “start with beefsteak tomatoes or beans because the seeds are large and the plants are familiar” (Danovich). There are some great resources at these ing-for-everyone/seeds.com/blog/easy-seed-savhttps://www.highmowingseed-savinghttps://www.seedsavers.org/learn#pages:
I don’t know how to quantify the culture of grief associated with loss of your most ancient varieties. I don’t know what that price tag is. “
Across the country, initiatives and organizations—such as Native American Food Sovereignty Alliance, the Indigenous Seed Growers Network, Dream of Wild Health, and many more—are working to empow er a growing indigenous food move ment. They are strengthening networks, sharing resources, provid ing educational programming, and expanding land ownership and legal self-determination.Acrucialcomponent of this work is seed rematriation, the reuniting of native groups with their traditional seeds. This is about restoring ances tral relationships between people, plants, and the land after centuries of colonial disruption, genocide, and violentCloserdisplacement.tohome,the Akwesasne Seed Hub and the Lenape Center have developed partnerships with the Hudson Valley Farm Hub, a regenerative agriculture center in Hurley, NY. These seed rematriation collaborations are native-led, provid ing food and seeds to Akwesasne and Lenape communities, and protecting the future of endangered varieties. For more information about this project and many other seed-related stories, please check out the Refer ences and Resources page of our digital edition. As we face the challenges of the current climate crisis, it is more important than ever that we partici pate in healing our relationships with each other, and with the land and the plants that sustain us all.
LaDuke TedxTC, “ Seeds of Our Ancestors, Seeds of Life”
Prioritize purchasing from organic seed companies that are OSSI partners: your purchases help “free the seed.”
Check out the Seed Savers Exchange, a fascinating non-profit organization with a long history as a seed bank and seed swapping site.
committed to providing our foods and products for healthy who choose to participate a community that embraces cooperative principles in an atmosphere of To andpromotewaysto
Here’s how you can get involved: Over 50 varieties of delicious NewYork grown apples are availablethroughout the autumn harvest. DIDKNOW?YOU
”According to Claire Luby, co-founder of OSSI, “People are starting to recognize the role seeds play in food sovereignty, but it’s been slower than the local food movement” (Danovich).
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www.HonestWeight.coop
” ” uring our seed research for this issue, we reached out to Petra Page-Mann of Fruition Seeds because their approach to gardening is expansive and expressly politi cal. As their Community Guidelines state, “gardening is a politi cal actLove,of: honoring the untold generations whose hope is embodied in each seed, that against all odds they are here, in our Resistance,hands. knowing self-care and community care are antidotes to oppression. Liberation, knowing beauty and abundance are amplified when collectively enjoyed.”
A remarkable organization, Oji:sda', grows gardens and so much more. We dig in for their volunteer days, donating all the seeds they ask for. We grow specific herbs for them on our farm and their community is welcome to wild harvest herbs on our land. Other regional indigenous and BIPOC food/garden/sover eignty initiatives that we donate seeds, dollars and time to, as well as prioritize being in personal, accountable relationship with them all, are:
PHOTO COURTESY OF FRUITION SEED CO.11
Jane Minor BIPOC Garden in Ithaca Buffalo Freedom Gardens Black Farmers United in Rochester Food for the Spirit western New York (for four years Fruition has sponsored their Black Girls Retreat) We're deeply inspired by the work of A Growing Culture, whose Seed Is Power fund we share 2% of our proceeds with. Also, we are connected and committed to the ongoing work of #halftownmustgo, sharing seeds, water tanks and other resources with the indigenous folx at the frontlines, as well as amplifying community awareness. It's deeply affected us to see the ravages of colonization in our literal backyards in such overt, violent and ongoing ways. Rowen White says “seed companies didn't exist 150 years ago; if we do our work well, they won't need to exist in 150 years.” Her words have become a north star for us—how do we compost Fruition as an organization selling seeds and commit ourselves to the work of making seed a community commons once again? In the meantime, we share detailed seedkeeping informa tion; on-farm workshops; programming with our regional libraries (& their seed libraries!) and we've just released an extensive online course about seedkeeping that is free and for us all. Check out our seedkeeping chart! (see Resources) Above all, we're constantly learning and leaning into relationship. And goodness, we're learning! All the time! There's so much more to say! We're honored to grow in all the most important ways with our wide community, including everyone at Honest Weight.
We asked about Fruition’s activities regarding seed sovereignty and BIPOC farming issues. Petra generously replied: Seed companies have a massive responsibility to lift up legacies of colonization, genocide and appropriation. We've hesitated to write about our learnings and relationships, not wanting to seem like we're “doing enough” or otherwise performing allyship and shift. But I now realize that simply sharing those sentiments, along with the relationships we are accountable to, with an invitation for indigenous and BIPOC folx to deepen relationship with us, is an important way to share our learnings and be more accountable in our communities. Thank you! Here are a few ways we're learning to be in more respectful relationship with seeds as well as our local indigenous communities:Aswelearned better, we stopped selling Haudenosaunee Skunk bean in 2017 and though it wasn't a candidate for rematriation (this bean is widely grown across Turtle Island), we returned 100% of the proceeds from our histori cal sales to Ganondogan, just a few hills away from us, and also gave them all the Skunk beans we still had at the farm for them to share. We continue to deepen our relationship with Ganondogan across the years.
D
Gardening as Practical Politics: A Letter from Petra By Ruth Ann Smalley
a pleasure being part of the Honest Weight family, and I've especially enjoyed communicating with the various producers whose products are sold at the Co-op!" Farmers and Cooks Deli Meats FarmersAndCooksDeli.com M 651Dental.Com651 Delaware Ave. Albany, NY 12209 De ntal We lln ess o f Alban y Bio lo g ic De nti st ry Mercury-free, Mercury-safe amalgam removal by IAOMT protocol. Laser assisted periodontal treatments, Ozone Therapy, Biocompatible materials, Implant placement, Extractions using L-PRF Fax: 518.427.7346 Rob er t He rz og , DDS, FAGD, IB DM Laser Dentistry TRA DI T IO NA L, B IO LOGI C & HOLIS TI C DE NT IST RY Farmers and Cooks real deli meats are a new addition to the Co-op, although this product is also sold in stores throughout Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Maine. At: you will find detailed information about the roasts as well as recipes and handling tips. 12Coop Scoop SEPT/OCT 2022 www.HonestWeight.coopCENTRALAVE 90 WATERVLIETAVEEXT LIVINGSTONINDUSTRIALPARKRDAVEWATERVLIETAVEGRANTAVE KINGAVE EVERETTRD NSEW committed to providing with and for foods andincooperativewhoproductschooseacommunityanatmosphere
Coop Scoop Heal 14
Double Up Food Bucks is a nation wide fruit and vegetable incentive program, servicing millions of SNAP users, active in 20+ states at over 800 farmers markets, CSAs, farm stands,
Pat Sahr has been a member of the Co-op since 2005. She contributes to the Coop Scoop as the writer of the Producer Profiles. Sahr says, "It’s
Fresh News!
Hunger Free America estimates that this past year has seen a 67% increase in food- insecure New York ers. And here at Honest Weight we’re on track to have the highest redemption of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits that we’ve seen in a single year. Which is why we’re so excited to participate in Double Up Food Bucks!
ost deli meats are processed. The American Institute for Cancer Research defines processed meat as “meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or by addition of chemical preservatives.” Even those labeled “natural” are highly processed. So how is Farmers and Cooks deli meat different?
Double Up Food Bucks!
By Deanna Beyer
First of all, it’s real meat in its natu ral state, not a conglomeration of different meat parts with the addition of additives. When this Boston-based business sells a turkey breast, a beef roast, or a ham, it is the real deal, cooked right on site without artificial ingredients or colors, and sourced from farmer cooperatives. Farmers and Cooks uses herbs and spices, extra-virgin olive oil, cider vinegar, and sometimes even fruit juice or minced vege tables—in other words, REAL INGREDIENTS.
The meat is hand-rubbed and open-roasted, no steam-bagging. Furthermore, the animals that provide the meat are humanely raised, vegetari an-fed, and never administered antibiotics or growth hormones. The products are nitrate-free andSamgluten-free.Estridge is the head of sales for Farmers and Cooks; however, it was his dad who started the business in 2007. His father, Dan, is a lifelong foodie from Long Island who yearned for the deli traditions of his youth and wasn’t happy with what deli fare had become. He started cooking pastrami and corned beef, learning everything he could about the culinary influences of melting pot NYC, and quickly found that there was a real demand for better-tasting and less processed deli meats. Fifteen years later the Estridges are roasting more items and supplying many retailers in the Northeast, but they are still working in small batches with the same dedication to health, quality, and detail.
ProducerProfile
Chelmsford, MA
ith nearly a dozen student-de signed and constructed raised beds, a farm stand, and a chick en coop (for temporary feath ered visitors), Falcon Farms, located near Albany High’s athletic track, has grown beyond expectations. And it is still expanding as more and more students take part in the educational and hands-on learning that only a farm can provide. Students across disciplines are involved in the farm’s planning, planting, and perfor mance, while their teachers gently guide and mentor. There are vast varieties of vegetables and flowers to enjoy, but even more essential is the sense of belonging, self-sufficiency, joy, and well-being that such a project invites. The farm is fun, attractive, and rich with experiences that provide lasting memories. Picnic tables (also designed and constructed by students) and fruit trees offer a refuge for students to have lunch, meet up with friends, and enjoy the natural beauty that has transformed a corner of the school’s campus into a working farm. It is not unusual for students to stop by the farm stand on their way to their sports practice and snack on a cherry tomato (or two); the vegeta bles are free for the students and their families.
2. Start blending on low and, as greens start to break down, increase to medium speed until completely broken down and smooth, approximately 45-60 seconds.
3. Add in soaked dates and cooling summer fruit.
2 cups fresh greens (e.g, kale, spinach, or a mixture of greens)
The students’ sense of ownership empowers them to delve even deeper into the science of growing their own food and expanding their farm.
13 PHOTOGRAPHY FROM FALCON FARMS By
This month, when you say “yes” at the cash register to the question, “Would you like to round up for Falcon Farms?” you are making a donation to the future of young people, educa tion, food, sustainability, and well-being. Yes, yes, yes!!!!! Natalie Criscione
1/4 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 -2 Tbsp healthy fat (e.g, coconut butter, coconut oil, avocado or almond butter or other nut or seed butter) also experiencesing a surge in temperature and beginsning to accumulate moisture internal ly. People of all constitutions in this season need to be mindful of fluid intake and electrolyte balance.Tothis end, I thought you might enjoy here is a healthy blended fruit recipe, that you can either enjoy as a yummy drink or easily pour it into an ice pop tray and place in your freezer to help keep you hydrat ed. It’s a healthy, and delicious way to attend to your body's thirst, as soon as it arises, and to restore your body’s electro lyte balance. I hope you will enjoy my simple recipe for a date sweet ened fruit smoothie.
1. Pour coconut water/ or coconut milk, and unsweetened almond milk, filling a high-speed blender to the 2 1/2 cup mark for 2 quarts of smoothie. Add the greens.
4. Add ground flaxseed, protein powder, and carda-
Melanie’s Favorite
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed 1-2 scoops protein powder (pea protein powder for vegans)
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Falcon Farms W
1 1/2 cups coconut water or coconut milk 1 cup almond milk 1 cup pitted, chopped dates, soaked overnight 1 cup fresh or frozen cooling summer fruit (e.g, blueberries, blackberries, chunks of mango)
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DEB PERELMAN
Although the farm, in some form, has been around for many years, the pandemic saw a huge growth in it as most student activities were canceled. Working outside became the norm and what better way to do that than on a farm that brings all facets of student life together?
Falcon Farms depends on grants and dona tions to operate and plans to expand by provid ing food to both the cafeteria and the culinary and nutrition programs at Albany High and Abrookin (Albany High’s Career and Technical Center).
This might just be your new favorite energy drink! YACHAK organic plant-based energy teas are now on our shelves. Yerba Mate is a species of the holly plant that grows in the central and southern regions of South America and is a natural source of caffeine. Even better, YACHAK has partnered with the One Tree Planted nonprofit to restore nearly 300 acres of green space by planting 280,668 tree seedlings and will plant over 500,000 by 2024.
Looking for an interesting new snack that’s organ ic, vegan, soy-free, paleo, and/or planet-friendly? Then you’ve got to try Eat the Change Mushroom Jerky. Let the FUNgi begin and try all of them: Sea Salt + Cracked Pepper, Hickory Smokehouse, Maple Mustard, Teriyaki Ginger, and Habanero BBQ. Just because summer is officially over, it doesn’t mean you have to put your grill away. Especially when we’ve got some serious incentive to amp up your grill skills! Enter Urban Accents – your culinary wingman – with premium blends ranging from Argentina Steak Rub to Mozambique Peri Peri, Heartland Pepper & Garlic, and a variety of Veggie Roasters. Take your meals to the next level with these simple solutions. Eat the Change Mushroon Jerky
This past summer, we excitedly welcomed ace sushi to the Co-op. Now you can enjoy fresh, chef-made rolls, sashimi, calamari, poke bowls, boba tea, and other Asian Fusion items seven days a week! Perfect for lunch or an easy dinner. Find them in the sushi case across from the chilled beer.
Urban Accents
Ace Sushi
ore 14Coop Scoop SEPT/OCT 2022
YerbaYACHAKMateEnergyDrink
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Seedkeeping
Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) Eggplant (Solanum melongena) Flowers (diverse species) Herbs (diverse species)
17.
Melon (Cucumis melo, Citrullus lanatus)
Rutabaga (Brassica napust)
Squash (Curcurbita pepo)
Tomato (Lycopersicon lycopersicum) Plant (Latin Name)
Garlic (Allium sativum) Kale (Brassica napus)
Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) Carrot (Daucus carota) Corn (Zea mays)
Onion/Leek (Allium cepa, Allium porrum)
Pea (Pisum sativum) Pepper (Capsicum annuum) Potato (Solanum tuberosum)
Radish (Raphanus sativus)
Spinach (Spinacea oleracea)
Chart
Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Beet (Beta vulgaris) Broccoli (Brassica oleracea) Brussells Sprouts (Brassica oleracea)
Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea)
Pumpkin (Curcurbita pepo)
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Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)
