September Honest Slate by Honest Weight Food Co-op

Honest

SLATE

WELCOME to

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Honest Slate

HWFC’s Communications Committee (aka “Comm Comm”) is pleased to launch this first issue of Honest Slate for the Honest Weight community. We look forward to providing relevant, accessible information in one monthly publication; see our statement of purpose above and on page 5. We’ll publish monthly with Board decisions; news from our Member-Owner Coordinator (Co-op Connections), Departments, Managers and Board of Directors; and contributions from you, the readership. All Membership, Ownership and Staff will receive links to online issues via Constant Contact or SMS emails. Print copies will be available in the store as needed.

A platform for communication among HWFC Membership, Staff, Management, and Governance: • Promoting transparency • Reporting news without bias • Sustaining community

We begin September 2018 with a look inside the suggestion box; FAQ with Operations Manager Stephen Quickenton; particulars from Produce manager Brendan Kelly, and greetings from CCO Rick Mausert and past Board President Carolynn Presser. Our first feature article, by Courtney Semoff, appears on page 2. We want to hear from you. Before you email us at honestslate-AT-honestweight. coop with letters or article ideas, please turn to page 5 and take a moment to read submissions guidelines. We plan to cover all aspects of life here at HWFC. While Comm Comm produces Honest Slate under its bylaws mandate, we are clearly committed to open, ongoing civil dialog on issues facing our co-op. We believe that this is how we build and sustain community. Honest Slate belongs to all of us, and it is an honor to introduce it. —Carol Ostrow

Where did the kids’ shopping carts go?

What Do Committees Do for the Co-op? Every month, all Honest Weight committees submit a document to the Board of Directors summarizing their actions and decisions over the previous month. Excerpts taken from their reports will appear in each Honest Slate issue (see page 7). To learn more about HWFC committees and their work, go to https://www.honestweight.coop/page/committees-of-theboard-14.html for descriptions & contact information.

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septemBer 2018 Honest Weight Food Co-op 100 Watervliet Avenue Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667

• honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop https://www.honestweight.coop/

wanted: Call for Slogans The New York Times goes by ‘All the News That’s Fit to Print’ while for The Washington Post, ‘Democracy Dies in Darkness.’ A slogan, motto or tagline briefly expresses an organization’s purpose. What should Honest Slate abide by—in other words, what should our slogan be? We’re looking for short phrases (up to seven words) conveying Honest Slate’s approach, direction or intention. Send ideas to honestslate-AT-honestweight. coop with the word SLOGAN in the subject line. We’ll consider all entries through October 1 and publish the results.

•CONTENTS• Security Guards at HWFC ........... 2 Outreach Shindig Potluck............ 2 Where Watermelons Are . .......... 3 Call for Art: Horizons................... 3 Q&A/Suggestion Box .................. 4

Q&A page 4

Reach us at

honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop

Find us at https://www.honestweight.coop/

FAQ with Stephen Q ................... 5 CCO’s Welcome .......................... 6 Board Decisions .......................... 6 Committee Reports .................... 7 From the Board .......................... 8 Co-op Connections ..................... 9 Connecting with Community..... 10

Safe & Secure: Still Unsure? By Courtney Semoff On July 1, 2018 Honest Weight Food Co-op introduced the presence of security guards into our wholesome culture. This change has brought some Staff, Member-Owners and customers to a screeching halt; some I spoke with asked questions like: • “How will the presence of security guards seem to the people living in this area?” • “Is the cost of paying an outside company really worth the profit saved in theft?” • “Why wasn’t someone hired on the Coop’s payroll and trained for the job?” I had the chance to speak with CCO Rick Mausert who explained the process undertaken to come to this difficult decision. Staff members presented the concept a little over a year ago. These requests were made not only due to theft but also aggressive and/or intoxicated customers and solicitors in the parking lot who have pursued and harassed the Co-op’s customers. Once this request was made it was tested in the budget to see if it could realistically and responsibly be covered by the Co-op.

Outreach is considering sponsoring a low-stress potluck on Shindig evenings to begin right before the event at 6:30 pm at the 405 Quail Street First Congregational Church. We are looking for a couple of Member-Owners to help organize the potluck; if interested in helping out please reach out to Yevette at memberservices-AT-honestweight.coop.

Honest Slate

September 2018

This budget was presented to the Finance Department then the Board of Directors, Member–Owners and Staff. All groups approved this budget change to add externally hired security guards.

in the event of a conflict. US Security Associates trains each of their guards to handle the various situations they were hired to resolve, and each guard is fully insured by their company.

The company employed to protect us as we shop is one well-known throughout Albany. US Security Associates provides security to Spectrum, BSNENY and Price Chopper. I was surprised to learn that our Co-op is one of the last grocery stores to employ the safety feature of internal and external security.

The guards who are present to protect us are not armed. They are not meant to police the customers or staff. They are simply meant to be a deterrent to those who may not have the best for the Co-op in mind. I spoke with various members of our small community who have been directly affected by these situations—who have seen the results of the guards efforts in the last two months and are grateful for the change.

Although there are cameras posted throughout the building and the grounds, the Staff and Member-Owners are trained to keep themselves out of harm’s way and their safety is the Co-op’s priority. Now, 5 days a week in the evenings our Front-End Staff and Management can rest easy knowing they have the back-up to allow them to do their chosen job safely: help every shopper have the best Co-op experience possible! As for the cost of hiring an outside company, the Co-op does not have the resources in place to provide the kind of internal training that would be required for a Staff position. A hire of this kind would change much more in the budget than just payroll. Additional workers compensation would need to be purchased along with a different type of insurance to cover any harm done by security

Take a second to say “Hi!” and welcome George, Tony and Robin to the Honest Weight Food Co-op family! •

It has been suggested that we have “aisle assistants” to offer customer service— deemed to be a good theft deterrent by maintaining a presence. Some concerns have been conveyed about security at the Co-op potentially alienating our surrounding neighborhood. The “people” portion of our triple bottom line might suggest that we show sensitivity as security and police are disproportionately over-used in such communities. Let us know what you think.

Outreach Announces 2018-19 Albany Shindig Dates: “Amy Ellis and the Outreach team of Member-Owners are simply amazing... Way to go!” —Yevette Buddeau, Member-Owner Coordinator (MOC)

During September the Co-op’s Outreach program will be working with or tabling at 16 different venues!

Partially sponsored by Outreach, Albany Shindig offers a great way for people of all skill levels and ages to connect through easy-to-follow community dances. 2018-2019 Shindig dates are Oct. 19, Jan. 18, Feb. 22, March 15, and April 26; Hours

• October 19. 2018 • January 18, 2019 • February 22, 2019 • March 15, 2019 • April 26, 2019 are 7-9:30 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, 405 Quail Street, Albany. Membership perk for October 2018! Show your HWFC Owner card at the door and receive FREE admission! This is for the October date only, but with continued participation, Co-op Owners and Staff may attend for a reduced rate of $5 instead of $8 for the rest of the 2018-2019 season.

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

Honest Slate

September 2018

Growing seedless watermelons does not involve genetic modification.

Watermelons of All Stripes By Brendan Kelly, Produce Manager “Where are the seeded watermelons?” is commonly heard along the produce aisle by customers desiring to recapture the delicious fruit of their youth or who believe seeded watermelons provide a more natural and nutritious alternative. Due to market forces seedless watermelon now approaches ubiquity: as of 2014, nearly 85% of watermelons consumed nationwide were seedless, with the trend showing no sign of slowing down. The USDA’s National Watermelon Report recorded less than 6% of 2017’s crop as seeded; the numbers were even lower for organic watermelons. Watermelon cultivation began over 5000 years ago; much like the vast majority of fruits and veggies on store shelves today, the watermelon as we know it bears little resemblance to its ancient, tiny and bitter brethren. The seedless watermelon dates back to 1939 in Japan. It is a hybrid created by crossing the pollen of a traditional diploid watermelon, which has 22 chromosomes, with the female flower of a tetraploid watermelon, which has 44 chromosomes.

Illustration by Nicholas Gleckman Tetraploid watermelons are created by administering colchicine to a growth point or soaking the seeds before planting. Colchicine, which is derived from the autumn crocus, is commonly used to induce polyploidy in plants; its usage dates back to ancient Egypt. The seeds produced by the pollinated tetraploid fruit are triploid (having 33 chromosomes) and when planted, will produce sterile seedless watermelons. This process does not involve genetic modification and predates the sale of the first GMO crops in 1994 by more than 50 years.

The Honest Arts Committee is seeking submissions for its fall 2018 show, Horizons. Entry is open to all Member-Owners, Owners, Staff, and the public.

Call for Art During September, Honest Arts will accept submissions for this juried exhibition. Horizons will run from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, 2018. Each artist may submit up to five pieces of 2-D art such as painting, photography, prints, drawing/illustration or mixed media. In addition to the Horizons show, Honest Arts is accepting submissions of larger pieces for other areas of wall-space in

the HWFC store—a great way to showcase artwork in larger spaces. (Photos of specific store areas can be provided upon request.) All works for this project need to be at least 24” x 36” and be ready to hang. For submissions instructions or questions email us at HonestArtsCommittee-AT-honestweight.coop. We will connect individually with every artist whose work has been accepted.

“We do our absolute best to source seeded watermelons as often as we can April through July but until local watermelons are available there are no reliable sources for seeded watermelons nationally or internationally.” Whether or not seeded watermelons actually taste better is a matter of varying opinion. In my experience, seeds or no seeds makes little difference. Rather, it is the fact that seeded watermelons are now the domain of local farmers and farmers markets that makes all the difference. Local farmers may choose from over 1200 cultivars, and local farmers have the advantage of picking watermelons at peak ripeness without concern for long shipping distances and ensuing shelf life requirements. Honest Weight’s Produce Department is committed to carrying watermelon all summer long. Capital Region residents will find locally grown watermelons of every stripe—conventional, organic, seeded, seedless, whole, and sectioned—by the co-op’s entrance, at the front display and in the cooler section from late July through early to mid-September.

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

Honest Slate

Q&A

With this first issue of Honest Slate we bring back a popular feature from the Co-op’s early days: samples from the HWFC suggestion box. Comments and questions can be submitted any time with store-provided forms at the Front End’s service desk.

from the Suggestion Box Q: Can you carry lactose-free ice cream made with lactose-free half + half? A: Halo Top may make some varieties that may suit your needs. Do you have a specific flavor or brand in mind? Q: Please redo salad bar to original! A: Please let us know what specific items you would like to see. We have been making changes based on customer demand. Q: Order more Chatham Bakery GF Bread. The shelf is empty most of the time. A: We’ll be happy to special order any bread available to us. Chatham GF bread arrives on Mondays and Thursdays. It typically sells out. Q: The little table at the entrance to produce (with pencils and labels) is very unsightly—cups are old and empty—not a good look at store front. A: The table is a relic from our Central Ave. store. The bag holder is the only dispenser we have for larger clear produce bags. We do our best to keep it stocked with supplies. Q: I ♥ love ♥ the Santa Cruz applesauce, but it’s almost never on sale! Why? And could it maybe be on sale more often? Thanks!  A: Santa Cruz apple sauce does go on sale periodically; when the distributor or manufacturer puts it on sale, we pass the savings on to you. Q: Can we get single produce mesh bags? A: Our mesh bags are not available in single packs. The 3-pack is the smallest available to us. Q: Isn’t Morgaen H the best?!! Kind, funny, helpful, efficient, and professional ★ A star employee. ★ A: She definitely is a STAR employee! The coop and the Front End is so lucky to have her as an employee. Thanks for the kind words.

September 2018

• Q: Salad Bar really needs longer tongs in the back rows; can’t reach that far. Just about reaching under the guard + we don’t want that! A: We’ve been monitoring the situation and we’re working on a solution. Please feel free to ask for assistance if you need help at the salad bar. Q: Go Vegan ♥ A: We agree and encourage customers to enjoy our many vegan offerings. Q: Yay! Boh is back in the meat dept. Please let him make the hot chicken sausage. He makes it right. A: We’re also glad Boh is back! He’s already made a batch of hot chicken sausage.

Q: There are over 3,000 open pollinated tomato varieties. Please do not sell hybrid seeds or plants. Hybrids do not help people—only corporations. I can do lectures on this. A: We provide both open pollinated and hybrid seeds and plants in order to allow our customers to make their own informed decisions. Q: Hi there! No one likes Angie’s Dill Pickle Chick a Boom popcorn! WHY can’t we keep Angie’s Spicy ‘n’ Sweet in stock??  So amazing! A: We’ll try to keep Spicy and Sweet Angie’s in stock.

Q: Toona crunch was amazing!! Make it a regular menu item  A: Thanks! We’ll bring it back as a special. Q: Please provide bite-size artichoke hearts at the olive bar [2 requests] A: We lack a source for “bite size” artichoke hearts to buy in bulk for the olive bar and prefer to let customers cut the whole heart as needed. We trust you are enjoying the olive bar’s new offerings. There are also artichoke hearts in grocery aisle 1. Q: Vegan breakfast burritos are GREAT! Any chance you could make some smaller ones, like the GF + reg? Thanks!! A: We’re glad you like them! We’ll look into changing up (or down) the size. Q: Love my fav cashier Mo! A: Thank you and thanks for letting us know. We’re happy to have her as part of our team.

Didn’t see your comment here? Check the bulletin board in the café. •

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

September 2018

FAQ with Stephen Q: One of our suggestion box items this month came from a young shopper, who asked:

“Can we please have the kids’ shopping carts back? I miss them.” –G, age 5

“The items in the basket are too heavy and tall, relative to the cart, to not fall while being steered by a small child,” Stephen said. “While the carts are a lot of fun, I do not want to have accidents happen, already knowing what’s happened here.” To avoid further safety issues the carts were discarded rather than donated.

The answer, “We found it necessary to discontinue the small kids’ carts because of safety considerations,” piqued our curiosity so we asked Operations Manager Stephen Quickenton for more details.

We welcome contributions to Honest Slate at HonestSlate-AT- honestweight.coop observing the following policy:

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Word limit for articles shall be 500 words unless otherwise requested. Material is published at the discretion of Honest Slate staff; only signed articles will be accepted, and all articles are subject to editing for length, grammar, style and citations. Any articles deemed controversial in nature shall be reviewed by staff before publishing.

A related suggestion:

Q: “Dear People: More [smaller adult] shopping carts please!” A: “We are researching new smaller carts. We need to find a new manufacturer as the maker of the current carts no longer distributes in the U.S.” Editor’s note: Target abandoned childsized shopping carts for similar reasons in 2016. According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the retailer fielded many complaints about bruised limbs, collisions, congested aisle traffic and extra hassles for staff before pulling the plug on the feature.

“The shopping carts easily tipped over when filled with products and we had many spills and broken products,” he explained, adding that when he called the manufacturer to ask for guidelines, their response addressed weight limits for the cart itself but not how much the cart could hold while being pushed and turned, which is when all the problems occurred.

Submissions Policy

Honest Slate

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. Articles referring to HWFC policies and practices will be referred to the appropriate individual or body prior to publication. We may consider unsolicited material but encourage individuals to first submit article ideas. Spontaneously submitted work is not guaranteed to earn time investment or acceptance for publication and is subject to the same editing and proofing policies as assigned work.

Statement of Purpose: Honest Slate is a platform for communication among 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 staff or Honest Weight Food Co-op. Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • https://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop

Honest Slate

CCO’s Welcome

Rick Mausert, Chief Cooperative Officer (CCO)

Welcome to Honest Weight’s newest newsletter: Honest Slate. It has been five years since the opening of our location here at 100 Watervliet Ave. At the June 23 anniversary celebration, it was fun to see so many people come out and share their cooking and entertaining talents. The large turnout showed our pride: we aren’t just a place to buy local, healthy food; we are also a place committed to being a good citizen. In the two years I have been with Honest Weight Food Coop, I have been focused on the ways we can continue to provide value to the members, employees, and the public. Our goal to establish good finances both now and in the future is a challenge that Erin Martin (CFO) and I spent—and spend—a good deal of time on. When we opened in June 2013, we took on over $9,000,000 in debt. Five years later, we’re down to $5,600,000. We’ve refinanced to save over $1,000,000 in interest payments in the coming years. Our store is the solid investment those of you who voted to move from the Central Ave location thought it could be. This year we passed $27,000,000 in sales for the first time— we are well positioned for our future. We have to keep giving our customers compelling reasons to shop with us. The Coop offers many, many things that make us different and special: responsibly sourced meat and seafood; cheeses from around the block and across the world; the many benefits of becoming an owner. Our marketing team has put together plans to reach people who haven’t heard about us, from radio spots to Instagram, from Mail Chimp to the Times Union. We have to find

“Sometimes it takes longer than you think to make great things happen.” people where they are, think about what’s important to potential customers, and show existing customers why they should keep coming back. We should tell stories about our Coop that are interesting and unique to us. As we continue to grow our business and pay down our debt, Honest Weight will

September 2018 have a chance to plan for our future. The shape that future takes is important. Our mission and values—how are they best realized? Sometimes it takes longer than you think to make great things happen. As you continue to reach for success, it never means you have no problems—just that you’ll have better problems. We need to ensure solid finances that will allow us to plan for the future without the worry of the day to day. We all need to take time and do the work to put these plans in place. I hope that we all get involved and increase the participation from our member owners. We should all support a business that has integrity, supports our local community, and builds connections with local farmers and makers. —Rick Mausert 518-482-2667 x 101

HWFC Board Meeting Decisions The following decisions were made at HWFC’s 6 p.m. Board Meeting of August 7, 2018:

The following decisions were made at HWFC’s 6 p.m. Board Meeting of September 4, 2018:

Meeting Agendas On the Board Meeting agendas, committee work will permanently be listed ahead of Board work.

The Board elected Nate Horwitz as President and Carolynn Presser as Vice President. The Board approved the Membership Committee’s discussion of Board service possibilities: minimum requirements, ramifications thereof, alternative methods to vet candidates; conveying the importance of an informed electorate, working with other committees; recommending how to operationalize those changes in our governing documents. Nutrition and Education Committee produced a brochure about glyphosate. The Board decided (to): ask Rick Mausert about in-store distribution pros and cons; involve the author in Marketing’s brochure edits. Board Treasurer Chris Dorando will verify brochure sources; HWFC lawyers will review; information will be integrated in Outreach, classes, education of Staff and Member-Owners. Personnel Committee Staff Representatives will report to the Board of Directors. The Board will ask Rick Mausert for his assessment of the Environment Committee’s Solar options; discuss options with committee members as needed, and possibly get Finance Committee’s input. Based on the recommendation of Rick Mausert and Erin Martin, the Board approved a staff bonus based on 25% >EBITDA, with an additional approximate $30,000, for a total staff bonus of $50,000. The Board approved a Mission-Based Team proposal to link Marketing and Mission-Based staff as the Identity Team, whose goal is to infuse a collaborative and cooperative consciousness in HWFC’s internal and public identities. The Board appointed Yevette Buddeau as its representative to the Bylaws Panel.

Board Appointment The Board affirmed their decision to appoint Warren Hamilton as the seventh board member. Bylaws Panel The Board asked the Bylaws Panel to add on to the GRC’s June 16 request to look at the whole Bylaws Panel section of the Bylaws, including sections 471 and 500.4. The Bylaws Panel should still submit the required report to the GRC by Aug. 16. Honest Slate Honest Slate’s logo was approved for the inaugural issue. The title ‘From the Board’ was approved for Honest Slates Board column. Committee Liaisons Warren Hamilton was appointed liaison for the Elections and Nominations Committee. Carolynn Presser was appointed liaison for Honest Arts. Staff Input on Supervisor’s Evaluations Rick Mausert will send the evaluation form to department managers for feedback and submit feedback to the Board based on consensus among the managers. It should be considered as if the input is coming from both subordinates and a store-wide population. Managers should also provide feedback on the idea of who should complete. Rick will submit Stephen’s form to the Board for comparison.

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

Honest Slate

September 2018

News at a Glance:

HWFC Committee Meeting Summaries Preliminary committee report summaries submitted to the Board of Directors for the Sept. 4 Board meeting are below. Committee minutes will be made available on the HWFC website after Board approval. Sales and Fiscal Performance. While overall July sales were flat, the Wellness and Food Service Departments exceeded projected goals. Improved August 2018 sales (5.2% above budget projections thru Aug. 22) and expense savings in both July and August are expected to make up the July sales shortfall. Governance Review Council (GRC) Members unanimously elected Jim Kaufman to serve as Chair for the next 12 months. The GRC notified the Elections and Nominations Committee that there will be up to three open GRC seats at the next GRC election at the General Membership Meeting on Sunday, Oct. 28). The GRC requested the Bylaws Panel resolve a discrepancy on tie breaker votes (Bylaws section 410.1a directs a GRC Member to break BOD ties, but section 470.3 does not provide a resolution for GRC ties). The GRC voted not to direct the Bylaws Panel to consider minimum time requirements for BOD nominees. The GRC also voted against serving as the tie breaker in the event of an Honest Slate editorial board tie. GRC is reviewing historic GRC documentation for possible inclusion on the HWFC website. Communications Committee (CC) requested that the BOD provide a list of standard organization-wide capitalization for HWFC-specific terms to be used across all Co-op platforms. Honest Slate established editorial and submissions policies and created a style guide. Honest Slate will be included on the HWFC website under the Membership tab. Membership Committee (MC) created a sub-committee to compare the Member-Owner Manual with the Bylaws for compliance.

by Stephanie Conde

The MC is reviewing the process for filing Incident Reports (response timeline and guidelines on the communication of incident report content). The “skills inventory sheet” provided to new Members at orientation will be updated to include prior board service. Elections & Nominations Committee (ENC) will manage the GRC’s October election, including a timeline and Nomination Form revision. The GRC is expected to approve the ENC’s election oversight plan by mid-September. By the end of the fiscal year, the ENC will oversee two elections, work on Bylaws amendments, their Manual, and election procedures. As part of the Board’s Governance Development workshops, the ENC requested BOD approval of two proposed courses to be delivered before the call for candidates for the April 2019 BOD election. Nutrition and Education Committee (NEC) The NEC is working (with the Membership Committee) to increase awareness of the food and product manual (FPM) among the Membership and (with management) to make the FPM more accessible to shoppers. The NEC is contacting manufacturers to research GMO content (genetically-modified organisms) and is working with our CCO and management to ensure efficient and manageable implementation of GMO labeling. The NEC has requested BOD approval for the distribution of a brochure (compiled by a Co-op Member) on the consequences of the decades-long use of glyphosates (contained in Roundup® and other pesticides and herbicides). Look for the NEC’s 3-question survey in upcoming editions of Honest Slate. Personnel Committee (PC) The PC completed its review of and edits to HWFC’s Employee Grievance Procedures.

7 The PC continues to simplify Grievance Procedure language and will produce a flow chart for the grievance process. Non-native English speakers will be sought to review the document to ensure clarity. Conflict Resolution and Progressive Corrective Discipline documents will be reviewed and, if necessary, edited to comply with the BOD’s directives for corresponding documents approved by the BOD in April. The PC requested the following from the BOD: (1) select a Member Rep to the PC; (2) determine who will be supervisor to the PC Staff Rep; (3) clarify the PC’s role in editing approved conflict resolution, grievance and discipline documentation; (4) clarify whether a Staff Rep who is also PC Chair/”Facilitator” can serve this dual purpose at BOD meetings; and (5) to limit expenses, clarify whether PC attendance at the Committee Fair should be limited to Members and/or salaried Staff (rather than an hourly Member Rep) and/or whether Staff Rep attendance should be limited to one person. Environment Committee (EC) The EC will present material on their department waste audits and waste management and energy research to the BOD before the October BOD meeting. The last department waste audit (Plants Department) will be completed before the September meeting, fulfilling waste audits of all HWFC departments. Eight Managers and Member-Owners toured a recycling sorting facility; EC Chair Tracy Frisch will author an article. The EC submitted the Co-op’s Energy Star application and received certification, indicating that HWFC is far above average energy efficiency performance relative to grocery stores nationwide. A revised solar options report was provided to the BOD. While all options include the installation of solar panels on the store’s rooftop, a variety of options exist at various price points to facilitate the use of solar power (either by the Co-op directly or through rental by neighborhood households). Initial research indicates that solar power savings could cover approximately one-third of the Co-op’s electric power payments.

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

8 From the Board

Congratulations to the Member-Owners who contributed their time and many talents to this inaugural issue of our membership newsletter, Honest Slate! Thank you! The monthly Honest Slate newsletter, produced by Member-Owners of the Communications Committee for the benefit of Member-Owners and accountable to Member-Owners, will provide a critical communication platform by which our Membership will be informed and educated about matters—especially governance and policies—important to our cooperative community, and share opinions, perspectives, initiatives, kudos, and complaints about the same. Critically, this outlet for such communication will facilitate our continued functioning as an energetic, Member-Owner-run cooperative. Communication among Owners provides the bedrock for a vibrant cooperative, because awareness of events and practices within our Co-op is essential for participation. Our Bylaws support this logic: Bylaw 466.2 provides that, “The Communications Committee shall be responsible for producing a regular newsletter.” With this premiere issue of Honest Slate, the Board takes yet another significant step in our ongoing progress, since the Special Membership Meeting of November 2015, to recommit to the founding cooperative principles of Honest Weight Food Co-op as a Member-Owner run cooperative corporation and reaffirm what we do to act on those principles. In 1976, members of our community invested their time and talents in common-cause to establish a peer-governed, healthy-food-based community. Our original commitment and focus on achieving

Honest Slate Carolynn Presser, past President

health while organizing around cooperative principles established Honest Weight as the place to go to in the Capital District to find the highest quality, least-processed food, health, and home products, sold by a community of well-informed, congenial, and helpful owners, who were then eventually joined by our dedicated employees. The guiding mutuality of our original commitment ultimately brought forth a synergy of benefits that are still evident to this day at Honest Weight. As we’ve grown over the past 42 years, we have expanded our mission, vision, and efforts to extend to a wider, more diverse community, including a much larger ownership, employee group, and shopping public than was ever originally imagined. Ironically, our reputation for and commitment to the highest standards in all our offerings enabled us to attract an ever-larger buying crowd and employee base. In turn, they provided capital and leverage, attracting forces both within and outside our cooperative community, catapulting our growth far beyond our cooperative beginnings and challenging the essence that enabled us to flourish: an active, educated, informed, cooperative-minded Member-Ownership. Given that communication was—and continues to be—essential for such vital involvement by the Membership, it was no accident that Member-Owner communication, historically accomplished through the old Coop Scoop, was curtailed over time. This publication of Honest Slate signals definitively the Board’s support and encouragement of full communication within our community. We expect Honest Slate to highlight, underscore, and extol the contributions of all in our community—Member-Owners, Em-

September 2018

ployees, Owners, Vendors—to the success of Honest Weight Food Cooperative, with the emphasis on “cooperative.” We expect Honest Slate will contain vital monthly features to inform our community on matters of importance in operating our Co-op, and most importantly, about how we run the Co-op we own. We also expect that Honest Slate will help our membership fulfill its obligations under our Bylaws “to keep informed about and take part in HWFC activities” (310.2) and “to further the purposes of HWFC as described in Section 100 and in the HWFC Mission Statement” (310.3). We expect that Honest Slate will provide a forum for frank, constructive critique of policies and practices that we, the Member-Owners,

We have expanded our mission, vision, and efforts to extend to a wider, more diverse community [amd] larger ownership, employee group, and shopping public than was ever originally imagined. either implement well; neglect to implement; or fall short of our cooperative principles and ideals in implementing, despite best efforts and intentions. When we remember our cooperative roots and behave accordingly, collectively we bring out the best in each other and our community and create more bounty than we ever could imagine on our own. The very nature of a cooperative means that we must hold each other accountable for the actions and policies of the corporation we own. In order to achieve that essential cooperative goal of mutual accountability with a cooperative spirit, we must be constructively informed, because a well-informed voting membership is the best method of ensuring accountability of all Member-Owners by all Member-Owners and of preserving Member-Ownership within our Co-op. We welcome Honest Slate as the vital forum for such mutual accountability. —Carolynn Presser

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

September 2018

Honest Slate

CO-OP CONNECTIONS Member-Owner Announcements and Opportunities: by Yevette Buddeau, Member-Owner Coordinator

Thanks so much for all of the wonderful ways you all contribute to our cooperative and community! With September here and the next few months being our busiest in the store, we would like to remind and encourage all Member-Owners to view their time-investments as necessary and integral to the functioning of a healthy Co-op and successful grocery store. When Member-Owners pick up shifts to invest time, they become part of the schedule that the department counts on to cover the business needs of the day. Volunteering is a word that we hear sometimes, which seems to carry with it some implications of the volunteer being a non-essential part of the business which is not the same as investing time. Member-Owners, or those who invest time in their Co-op, are important to us! Please be on time and committed when you consider your time-investments.

by someone on the Finance team. The ideal person for this task is someone who can stand for their shift and has enough technical know-how to operate a commercial scanner. Our fast-paced and friendly Front End team needs cashiers with experience for evening shifts on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. No cashier experience but you want to be part of the Front End team anyway? They would love your help as a Courtesy Clerk on weekend afternoons and evenings! Do you prefer to work with fresh fruits and vegetables as your time-investment? Head over to Produce and join the team! Morning shifts are available on Fridays and Saturdays, while evening shifts are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. For those with afternoon hours available there are spaces on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays. We’ll look forward to seeing you here and at the Co-op’s community events!

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While anyone can look up the Member-Owner Opportunities page on our website at any time to see a general list of what each department is accepting help with, we would like to put a few openings here to make sure the departments get these covered. Please reach out to the head of the department to inquire about filling these openings. Department contacts are listed on the Member-Owner Opportunities page of our website under the Membership tab. The Grocery Department is looking for individuals for early morning stocking every day of the week, these shifts can run between the hours of 6 am and 11 am. They can also use help for evening backstock and fronting between the hours of 4 pm and 10 pm on any day of the week. Wellness has its greatest need all day on Saturday to stock and provide excellent customer service, all time slots are available. We currently have no Saturday Member-Owners in Wellness. Both Grocery and Wellness have administrative projects available for those with strong organizational skills and a background in Microsoft Excel. For the months of September and October the Plants Department needs a couple of Member-Owners who would like to close the department on Saturdays and Sundays. The time for these closers is 5 pm until 8 pm with the possibility to come in earlier than 5 pm for those who want a longer shift. Our Finance department would love some help with scanning their documents into the system. The hours can be flexible to meet the Member-Owners needs but the first shift must be during business hours so that all the instructions can be relayed Honest Weight Food Co-op • 100 Watervliet Ave. Albany, NY 12206 • 518-482-2667 • https://www.honestweight.coop/ honestslate-AT-honestweight.coop

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