The ComPost - Just Food's bi-monthly Newsletter

s t o P m o C The

June/July 2016

Fertiliz er Fo r

The Min d

Run For the Board...Again?!?

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Living Wage for JFC Staff Page 8

Eat Local Farm Tour 2016 Page 12

Contents Run For the Board! ������������������������������������4 From the Interim General Manager ��������5 Board of Directors 2016

Comment Cards �����������������������������������������7

Dirk Peterson - President Penny Hillemann - Vice President Clark Ohnesorge - Secretary Adam Hoffman - Treasurer Matt Berg-Wall Dan Forsythe Doug Hiza Ann Iijima Kathy Zeman

Living Wage for JFC Staff �������������������������8

board@justfood.coop

New Sale Programs �����������������������������������9 Eat Local Farm Tour 2016........................12 JFC Board Sponsored Movie Night ��������18

Management Team

Sherri Meyers, Interim General Manager Stephanie Aman, Marketing and Member Services Manager Robert Erpenbach, Finance Manager Sara Payne, Human Resources Manager

Membership Benefits

• Supporting a locally-owned, sustainable and socially responsible business.

• Email Subscription to The ComPost.

• Profits returned to members as patronage rebates, at the discretion of the Board.

• Member-only prices on Co-op classes.

• Check writing for up to $20 over the amount of purchase.

• Member-only specials on selected items throughout the store.

• 10% case discounts, some exclusions apply.

Membership application on page 19.

About The ComPost

Fertilizer For The Mind

Editor: Stephanie Aman

The ComPost is a bimonthly publication of Just Food Co-op and is published for the benefit of our membership and the community. The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Just Food Co-op or its members.

For information about submissions, contact Stephanie Aman at 507.650.0106 or outreach@justfood.coop. Letters to the editor are welcome and may be sent to the same email or 516 Water St. S., Northfield, MN 55057.

Just Food Co-op is a proud member of the Twin Cities chapter of the National Cooperative Grocers (NCG).

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The ComPost

Important Dates Thursday, June 2 Coffee with the Board: 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

Thursday, June 16 Wellness Third Thursday - 5% off JFC’s Wellness Department.

All day - for everyone!

Sunday, June 26 Dairy Days: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Monday, July 4 Open regular Hours: 8am - 9pm Friday, July 15 Board Applications Due Saturday, July 16 Twin Cities Co-op Sponsored Eat Local Farm Tour Thursday, July 21 Wellness Third Thursday - 5% off JFC’s Wellness Department.

All day - for everyone!

Tuesday, August 2 Just Food Board Sponsored Movie Night: Open Sesame: The Story of Seeds (see pg 18)

June/July 2016

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Board Update

Run for the Board...Again?!?

Every year you hear the same thing from the Board… “Run for the Board.” “Run for the Board.” Why do we repeat the same refrain time after time? Well, because it’s important.

Doug Hiza Board Member Co-op Member

The purpose of Just Food Co-op, the reason for any co-op, is to meet the needs of its owners. The Board is elected by Just Food member-owners to see that Just Food remains a trusted, viable store for meeting those healthy and delicious food needs and to plan so that they continue to be met in the future. We’ve grown from 300 to over 3000 members and with that growth we have acquired a more diverse ownership encompassing a wider range of needs and interests. Our job as a Board is to represent all these needs and interests as best we can. We can effectively consider, discuss and make decisions on that increasing variety of needs only with a Board having a diversified culture and thinking around food.

It has taken a while to get to my point, why you should become a member of the Just Food Board. While our Board is fairly diverse—a mixture of young and oldish, male and female, ones with children at home and ones without, various backgrounds and careers—we always need to try to better represent various ownermember needs.

I think one reason people don’t run for the Board is they think they don’t know enough about food or the grocery business or local, sustainable, organic, small-producer foodsheds. But everyone, most especially our shoppers, interacts with and makes choices about food every day based on their own set of beliefs and preferences. You are someone who cares enough about their food to have purchased a share in Just Food. There were reasons you did that and those reasons are important to us.

Another explanation, I think, is that people haven’t been asked to run. I was talking with someone recently about running for the Board and she exclaimed, “I’m honored you think I’d be a good Board member. I’ve never been asked.” So…

the time commitment?”

The Board meets monthly for about 3 hours. It takes a couple of hours to study the materials prior to the meeting. We have an annual daylong planning retreat.

Each of us takes turns participating in Coffee with the Board once a month for two hours about three times a year. There are various committees, assignments, and other meetings that come up from time to time that you might be a part of, and there are training opportunities available.

If you add up all of the time it would average about 5 to 12 hours per month.

“What do I get in return?”First, and most importantly, there’s the satisfaction of working to keep Just Food a great place to shop and to plan for its future. We get a delicious meal served by our deli prior to the Board meetings. You have the opportunity to learn more about food, food systems, the grocery business and governance, among other things. And you get to meet and work with a great group of people who share a commitment to the co-op.

“How do I run for the Board?”You can stop in at the Customer Service desk at Just Food to pick up an information packet or you can download it from our website.

Completed applications are due July 15th and may be mailed to or turned in at Just Food. You can also submit your application by email to nominations@justfood.coop.

This year there are three Board positions up for election with one incumbent running. The election is in October, and while the new Board term officially begins in January, newly elected members are asked to attend the November and December Board meetings.

If you have questions you can contact a member of the Continuity Committee: Doug Hiza (doughiza@me.com or 651-2787813) and Ann Iijima (ann.iijima@gmail. com or 507-645-6850). We would be glad to chat with you and set up a meeting to go over things in more detail. We are eager to have you join us!

I’m asking you now. Won’t you consider running for the Board? You’d be good!

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“Ah…I’m pretty busy,” you say, “what’s

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Please download the entire application packet from Just Food’s Website, (http://justfood.coop/about/board-of-directors/), or pick up a packet at the customer service desk.

June/July 2016

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From the Interim General Manager

Listening During the Interim

Sherri Meyers Interim General Manager Co-op Member

A large part of the job of a general manager, even and especially in an interim period, is to listen. Listening to staff as they voice concerns or present new ideas, listen to the market and react to trends, listen to our members and respond to their inquiries – all while running a profitable cooperative grocery store.

In order to inform our decisions and steer us toward our future, we need to look to the bylaws and policies as our guide and use them to help us achieve our ends.

Article 1 Section 1 of our bylaws state “The purpose of the association is to operate a financially sound retail grocery to provide the Northfield area with natural and healthful foods and other household and personal items and services at the lowest possible cost…”

When we conduct member surveys, we hear from our members that they want lower prices. In fact, you tell us that you don’t do all of your shopping at the Co-op, and if the prices were better, you would shop here more. It is our intent to capture more of your shopping dollars (if not all) and to ensure your satisfaction by delivering on the demand for more affordable pricing. You are asking for it and our bylaws are charging us to make it happen!

One of the ways we have worked to deliver on this demand is to introduce the Field Day brand. Field Day is a private label brand supplied to us through our major distributor United Natural Foods (UNFI) and backed by National Co-operative Grocers (NCG). The Field Day brand will not be sold in any big box store, and will only be found in independent retailers – some of whom also have an online presence. Through the ability of NCG to negotiate on behalf of its member cooperatives, the brand was made available to us at a very affordable price. This makes it an attractive entry into the organic market for the shopper that is on a tight budget, who may not be able to afford the more “boutique” or legacy brands that so many of our shoppers love. It is not our intent to dissuade anyone from

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choosing the legacy brands – if you love Westbrae beans (for example), that’s great! Keep buying them! But for the shopper who cannot afford to purchase Westbrae beans, we feel that purchasing the Field Day brand from Just Food is a better alternative than purchasing the private label organic brand from our competitors.

After all, it’s the sales of food that enable us to do amazing things on our community – like provide after school snacks for Greenvale Community School, or sending staff to the local schools to teach the children about the importance of bees in our ecosystem.

One of the concerns we heard from members about Field Day is that it would take away sales of the more boutique or specialty brands, and could potentially take sales away from local items of higher quality. I took some time to analyze the data after the first 6 months of Field Day sales and I am pleased to announce that this concern has not come to pass. In fact, the opposite is true!

After we introduced Field Day, the specialty brands saw a dramatic increase in sales compared to the same time period the previous year.

For example, after the introduction of Field Day apple cider vinegar, Eden cider vinegar sales increased 46%. We introduced two types of Field Day olive oil and California Olive Oil sales increased 96.5%.

Cascadian Farms Honey O’s sales increased 51% after we introduced Field Day Honey O’s. Gerolsteiner Mineral Water sales increased 41%, Back to Nature Round Crackers sales increased 40%, the Wheat Crackers sales increased 97% and Whole Grain Milling Tortilla Chips sales increased by 27% all after the introduction of Field Day items competing in those categories.

What this says to us is, our shoppers are using the savings on some of the staple items in their basket to splurge on the specialty items. If a customer can save on their cereal purchase by selecting Field Day, they might decide to splurge on California Olive Oil.

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We know you don’t do all of your shopping at the Co-op – you have told us that and we listened. We are working every day to change that and earn more of your grocery dollars. One of the ways we are doing that is by following the bylaws our founders gave us - selling you “natural and healthful foods at the lowest possible cost”. In coming up with strategies to lower prices, we will do our best to keep you informed and bring you along on the journey.

Some things might not work as we anticipated. This team of dedicated

grocers will learn everything they can from that situation in order to make better decisions in the future.

When things do work, we hope you will join us in celebrating as we get more healthy food onto more plates in the Northfield area.

Comment Card Feedback Comment: My favorite item is no longer on your shelves.

This is frustrating!

We apologize for the frustration.

There are a couple things that could have happened. The warehouse we receive product from may have discontinued the product to us. That has happened more often than we care to see this past year and we are looking at other options to be able to provide those products to our customers. Alternatively, items that do not sell well to many customers do get discontinued as we try and find the mix of products that serve the most members.

If your favorite item is no longer on the shelves, check with us and we’ll look into special ordering it for you.

If the warehouse has it, we can get it for you by the case! Just give us a call and we’ll be glad to place the case order for you (and as a member, you’ll receive 10% off for purchasing a case!).

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Comment: I am so pleased to see almond milk pudding again.

Thank you for taking the time to comment and share your excitement. We are excited that it’s back as well - enjoy the pudding!

Comment: You might want to consider a different word to describe your sales other than “crazy.” It makes light of mental illness.

Thank you for taking the time to comment! Obviously our goal is never to ostracize nor make light of mental illnees. Your concern has been heard!

Comment: Have a class on avocados and what to do with them so that the 2nd half does not go bad. Summer salads and what to do with all the varieties of tomatoes.

Great suggestion! While our summer classes have been set, we will certainly look at options and how we can better serve our members and customers with classes!

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Department Update

Paying a Living Wage Many of you may have noticed the back of our black staff t-shirts which state, “Sell more good food; Create more good jobs; Do more good in the community.”

Sara Payne Human Resources Manager Co-op Member

As competition in the organic market gets stronger and unemployment remains low, we know that one of our best competitive advantages is our staff. We want to retain our employees and attract strong new candidates. We’re committed to making their jobs, “good jobs”—interesting and challenging, with a pleasant work environment, growth opportunities, good benefits and pay that is fair and livable.

Paid Parental Leave is a hot-ticket item in the world of employment.

While Just Food cannot compete with our local college employers or the large tech corporations, which offer weeks and months of paid leave, in April 2016, we implemented a new policy entitling new parents or those adding to their family one work-week of paid leave. It’s a start!

Living wage is an equally hot topic and has been much discussed in the co-op world and elsewhere. As part of our Fiscal Year 2016 strategic plan and in accordance with our newly-developed Total Compensation Philosophy, we created an implementation plan to offer Living Wage. We are pleased that it will be effective with the beginning of Fiscal Year 2017 (July 4, 2016).

In January 2016, Just Food Co-op adopted the MIT Living Wage Model for Rice County as the basis for defining a Living Wage, with consideration to local factors. Our definition of living wage is:

rate acknowledges the higher-thancounty-average cost of housing in Northfield. Currently, Rice County MIT Hourly Living Wage Rate is $10.30.

With the 5% increase, it comes to $10.81, and since we like to be tidy, we have rounded the Living Wage Rate to $11.00—a full 7% above the Rice County rate.

Beginning July 4, 2016, Just Food Co-op will be paying a Living Wage Rate to all entry- level employees who successfully pass their 90-day Initial Employment Period (IEP). Just Food’s entire wage scale was revamped for all levels, taking into consideration living wage, local competing employers, and Twin Cities’ co-op rates.

On April 28, current employees attended an all-store meeting during which the new compensation plan was communicated. Each employee received a letter providing information about their rate of pay as of July 4, 2016. All current employees will earn at least 25 cents an hour more than new hires who have completed their IEPs in the same job level.

Our wage scale and definition of Living Wage will be reviewed annually. We already have an aspirational goal for Fiscal Year 2020 (July 2019).

Earlier this year, National Cooperative Grocers (NCG) and CDS Consulting, consultants for co-ops, announced their new NCG/CDS Living Wage model. We would love to use its more robust assumptions (such as a Living Wage being calculated to include saving 12% of earnings), but it is not yet feasible. We will continue to work on our productivity, efficiencies, sales growth and membership expansion.

We encourage everyone to help make us a great employer.

• The hourly rate that single individuals must earn to support themselves if they are working full-time, with a multiplier of 1.05 (5%) above the Rice County rate

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The 5% increase above Rice County

The ComPost

Meal Solutions, Flash Sale Friday, Two Ad Tuesday - Oh my!

Flash Sale Friday! Meal Solutions! Two Ad Tuesday! What are all these new things at Just Food?

These new programs at Just Food are a direct result of our member survey that many of you took in February.

We took your comments and concerns and built programs that we hope are starting to meet your needs a little more effectively. In looking through the data in the survey, we saw that you think we are doing some really great things at the Co-op and you enjoy us featuring local and niche products, but that you’d like to do more of your shopping here and to do that, we need to figure out a way to make everyday items more affordable. The Basics program has a strong following and has met some of that need, but it was clear to us that you need more. As buyers for our membership, we are doing just that!

Enter Flash Sale Friday. Flash Sale Friday is designed to offer a deep discount on one item that is typically a good seller - meaning it is something many of our customers want and purchase - for one day. Friday! We launched this program this spring and it appears as though you are enjoying the sales and the variety that is being offered. I am grateful that our buyers are working to secure some great sales for you! The program has been a success!

If you follow Just Food on Facebook, you’ll also know that we offer a Wednesday Facebook Giveaway that features a meal for your family. At a member’s suggestion, we have turned this into a weekly Meal Solutions Program! At the front of the store, right when you walk in, you’ll find a space that has all the items you will need to create a meal for your family.

We know you’re busy, we know that

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families are often running and want a quick idea for feeding their family and this area will allow you grab the ingredients you need and get in and out of the store quickly.

Really short on time and not feeling like cooking? Our Deli offers some great grab and go sandwiches and salads, hot bar and soups

Stephanie Aman Marketing & Member Services Manager Co-op Member

Two Ad Tuesday. Well that’s new, isn’t it? This program will roll out May 31. Two Ad Tuesday gives you double the savings with Co-op Deals. Co-op Deals sales cycles run for typically two weeks; at the end of the sale cycle, on that Tuesday, you will be able to buy the next sale cycle’s deals that typically start on Wednesday on that Tuesday! A little muddy, right?

Here’s how this works Sale Cycles: * May 18 - May 31 * June 1 - June 14 * June 15 - June 28 On Tuesday, May 31, you will be able to purchase at Co-op Deals pricing, from both the May 18 and the June 1 flyers. On Tuesday, June 14, you will be able to purchase from both the June 1 and June 15 flyers.

We appreciate and are constantly evaluating feedback that you give us and are making changes that meet your needs. We hear you and we hope you enjoy the new programs!

To ensure that you are receiving the most current information about sales and specials, get on our email list!

If you are not currently receiving a weekly email, send a message to outreach @ justfood dot coop to be added.

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REGISTERING FOR CLASSES Pre-registration is required for classes. You may register online or at our store at our customer service desk. Class fee(s) are due at time of registration. Registration closes 48 hours prior to the class.

Visit justfood.coop for more information and to register.

Classes

Cooperative Cooking Join us in a fun community cooking class with community partner, Growing up Healthy. We’ll cook together and feast together. All are invited to this great inter-generational class. Adults and kids alike have a blast cooking and chatting together while the meal is prepared.

Come and connect with the community and join in the fun!

Monday, June 13 Monday, July 11 ������������� 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Free!

Summer of Essential Oils

Let’s explore the many wonderful aromatic Veriditas Essential Oils for Summer skin, home made bug spray recipes, diffusing and so much more!

There are so many essential oil options for staying cool, warding off bugs and staying well and healthy during a summer of travel & holiday gatherings.

Let’s take an aromatic journey!

Monday, June 6...........6:00-7:30 p.m.

Cost: Member, $10; Non-Member, $12

Ayurveda: An Overview of the Doshas

Explore the basics of Ayurveda and the doshas. We will talk about the fundamental bioelements of the body in Ayurveda while learning to create balance between the doshas using food as medicine.

Food As Medicine: Anti-Inflammatory Eating for Pain Management

Getting the right nutrients can positively affect overall health, and there are many creative ways to do it! Learn to work with your own unique body to follow a diet and routine that works best for you using food as medicine. You will learn how to identify anti-inflammatory foods while learning fun ways to make healthier alternatives to your favorite snacks. You will also learn how to incorporate herbal allies and meal plans into a busy schedule, as well as how to plan and shop while on a budget with example grocery lists and recipes.

Register online to save your spot!

Participants will receive a $5.00 Gift Card upon arrival!

Saturday, July 9 ���������� 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Cost: Member, $7; Non-Member, $10

DIY - Fermented Foods

Join us for this hands-on class to learn about how to make your own fermented foods. We will learn how to make your own kimchi, different fermented veggies, kombucha, and kefir. You will go home with your own kimchi or custom kraut that we will make in class!

Cost covers supplies.

Online sign-up required Minimum: 5 Maximum: 12 Tuesday, August 23........6:00-8:00 p.m.

Cost: Member, $5; Non-Member, $7

Participants will receive a $5.00 Gift Card upon arrival!

Monday, June 13................6:00-7:30 p.m.

Cost: $5

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The ComPost

What’s New at JFC? Look for those little green “New” tags shouting out some of the new products in the store. Here’s a quick round up of some staff favorites!

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P6: Cooperation Among Cooperatives

Eat Local Farm Tour - July 16!

It’s all about the real people behind the real food.

Minnesota. Follow our Facebook page updates and more information on the farms: https://www.

The Twin Cities area food co-ops have facebook.com/EatLocalFarmTour. come together to once again bring coop/?fref=ts. you a day that will Sponsoring food This year’s participating farms change the co-ops include: include: way you exEastside Food Co-op, perience your • 10th Street Farm and Market GrassRoots Co-op, food. The Eat • Blooming Prairie Natural Beef Just Food Co-op, Local Farm • Buttermilk Falls CSA & Folk School Lakewinds Food CoTour is a day • Bull Brook Keep op, Linden Hills Codedicated • Featherstone Farm op, Mississippi Market • Ferndale Market to you, your Natural Foods Co-op, farmers, and • Garden Farme People’s Food Co-op, • Hmong American Farmers your food.

River Market CommuAssociation Save the nity Co-op, Seward date to learn • Hoch Orchard and Gardens Community Co-op, St. • Hope Creamery more about Peter Food Co-op and • Hungry Turtle Farm the families Valley Natural Foods.

• Mississippi Mushrooms behind the • Poplar Hill Dairy Goat Farm fresh and • Shepherd’s Way Farm Tips for enjoying the tasty foods • Simple Harvest Organics tour: • Sin Fronteras you buy at • Visit farms only • Star Prairie Trout your local during their set open • Steady Hand Farm co-op. hours.

• Stone’s Throw Urban Farm • Because GPS can be • Riverbend Farm On Saturday spotty in rural areas, • TC Farm July 16th check your directions • The Beez Kneez Farmers on Google Maps • Thousand Hills Cattle Co. throughout • Urban Roots before heading out: central Min• Whistling Well Farm http://s.coop/1usbu. nesota will • White Pine Berry Farm • Bring a cooler to • Will Heal Farm open their store all the farm• Windland Flats gates and fresh goods you find. barn doors • Stay on established to the public paths, and don’t pick to share the stories and experiences produce without the farmer’s behind their fruits, veggies, meats and permission. dairy. This tour is free and self-guided. • Leave pets at home.

Pick up a guide at your local co-op • Swing by the local food co-op and cater your tour to your needs and for snacks and drinks. interests. Spend the afternoon hopping around to a few urban farms in the cities, or load the car up with snacks and sunscreen and make a day of it traveling to the further reaching pockets of central and southern

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College Connection Seniors who served: Food system change makers from the Carleton class of 2016

Sarah Goldman Environmental Studies Major - ‘17

Over the past four years, members of the Carleton class of 2016 have worked tirelessly within and beyond campus to shape the local food system. These special seniors recognized below, have worked tirelessly with other students at Carleton and in Northfield schools, with faculty, staff, various community organizations, and inevitably, through their various contributions, with all of you.

In recognition of their tireless effort, for their tenacity, determination, and above all else, their vision and willingness to act, I am honored to recognize some amazing seniors who will continue to shape a changing world. I look forward to seeing all of the great work that they will continue to do.

Emma is an Environmental Studies major from California. During her time at Carleton, Emma has served as both a Sustainability Assistant to the Facilities and Sustainability department at Carleton as well as an Environment & Energy Fellow at the Center for Community and Civic Engagement. Through both of these positions, Emma has worked on transportation issues on campus and in the local community. This work has involved collaborating with Bike Northfield, and organizing Carleton’s first ever Bike to Work Week. Emma has also helped organize Carleton’s Climate Action Week, the 10th anniversary Empty Bowls fundraiser and Hunger Awareness Week, and the second annual Tri-College Food Summit, as well as serving as a program director for food recovery network.

When asked about the greatest lessons learned through these experiences, Emma says that “it has been incredible for me to see how many wonderful, passionate people there are in the world of food and environment, and not just on Carleton’s campus! The ability of the local community to come together and address some of the most pressing issues of our time, all while having a blast, is inspiring to me. I have also been so impressed with how big of an impact we can have as college students… all it takes is a group of passionate students willing to dedicate a bit of their time to help address the very real issue of food insecurity in our local community.”

tainability at Carleton, says that Emma “is a thoughtful and effective manager and mentor to fellow students working in our office. Her ability to draw connections between the CCCE, the Sustainability Office and the ENTS program has created an invaluable network of outreach and action on environmental issues. I feel so fortunate to have worked with Emma during her time at Carleton and I look forward to seeing how she touches the world beyond with her energy, intelligence and enthusiasm.”

Emma Vinella-Brusher

After graduating, Emma hopes to use her experiences working with food & environment-related issues to go into urban planning. Emma is particularly interested in community development and how creating more “livable” communities can contribute to the overall health, happiness, and sustainability of a community.

Martha Larson, the manager of campus energy and sus-

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Shira Kaufman is a Sociology & Anthropology major from Massachusetts. Shira founded the Carleton Food Recovery Network Chapter, and also has worked with the Food Shelf and been actively involved in the Farmer to Family program. Shira also helped run the Empty Bowls event at Carleton, as well as the gardening project “Eat the Lawn”. During Shira’s freshman year, she began to contact Northfield community members and worked closely with Bon Appetit at Carleton and the national Food Recovery Network to establish a Carleton chapter. The food recovery network transports uneaten food from the Carleton dining halls to community partner organizations in the Northfield area.

So far, the chapter has recovered over 6,000 pounds of food. When talking about these experiences, Shira says that she has “gained so much from being a part of the Food Recovery Network; getting to know the behindthe scenes of the dining halls, learning how to problem solve and navigate a program with many moving parts and different people involved, and developing relation-

Erin Roth is a Physics major from Illinois. Over the past four years, Erin has been involved with the Young Chefs program and the Northfield Middle School (NMS) garden. Young Chefs is an organization, founded at Carleton in 2011, that uses hands-on cooking education to empower the next generation Erin Roth with culinary skills and scientific knowledge.

Stemming from Young Chefs, and generously funded by the Kitchen Garden Laboratory, the NMS garden was built in the spring of 2015. Weaving together hands-on activities in both the garden and kitchen, this program works to connect students with nature while also highlighting the value of sustainable and healthy food. When asked about the greatest lessons learned through these experiences, Erin says that “of particular importance is the simple power of cooking together.

Cooking is an avenue that encourages creativity. Both the kitchen and garden are places to experiment, make mistakes and learn from one another.” After leaving Carleton, Erin plans to continue her involvement in

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ships with Bon Appetit staff, the CCCE and various community partners.”

In developing such programs and projects, she says that she’s “learned that food insecurity and food access are nuanced issues that touch people Shira Kaufman in a variety of deeper ways.” Cheryl Mathison from the Alternative Learning Center met Shira when she was a sophomore starting the Food Recovery program. Cheryl says that she “will miss Shira’s smile and passion for the food recovery program and her desire to help others through it.”

food education. Erin is excited to start a Young Chefs chapter wherever she ends up next year.

Linda Oto, the Connected Kids and Youth Development Coordinator for Northfield Public Schools, has know Erin since her sophomore year when she was in the group of Carleton Firebellies students who started the Young Chef’s Club at the Middle School Youth Center.

Linda says that “one of the things that strikes me about Erin is her passion and her ability to share that passion and excitement with middle school youth. She is easy to collaborate with because she keeps the big picture in mind while working with the details. Erin doesn’t just get the project off the ground but stays committed to its success and her role (as well as the Carleton students’ role) and the sustainability beyond her time at Carleton.

I will miss the ease of working with Erin, the smile and the passion she shows and shares with others and watching her work with middle school youth. It has been a privilege working with her to make the garden a reality to create new experiences and opportunities for youth.”

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Claire Kelloway is a Political Science and International Relations major with a concentration in Political Economy from Minnesota.

Claire has been an active leader of Carleton’s food justice organization, Food Truth, and has also served as a Food Fellow in the Center for Community and Civic EngageClaire Kelloway ment, and is currently an Educational Associate for Food and the Environment. Through these roles, Claire has worked on the Farm Bike Tour, the 2014 Food Forum, the Carleton campus Food Tours, and the Real Food Calculator Task Force, among other projects. The Real Food Challenge is a national organization that mobilizes college students to promote more local, ecologically-sound, fair trade, and humanely raised foods in their dining halls (what RFC defines as “real food”). Claire helped created the Real Food Calculator Task Force, which audits Carleton’s dining halls to determine the school’s “real food percentage.” This group also analyzes the data to identify areas of improvement, and works with Bon Appétit to research product shifts and increase the school’s real

Charlotte Beal is a senior Geology Major from Massachusetts. Charlotte worked at Carleton to promote a transparent, sustainable, and equitable campus food system by collaborating with Bon Appétit and nonprofit Real Food Challenge to track Bon Appétit’s food Charlotte Beal purchasing and make future purchases more sustainable, local, humane, and equitable. During her time at Carleton, Charlotte has helped create the Real Food Taskforce, and worked closely with the Real Food Challenge.

Charlotte has taken time to train others in how to use

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food percentage. Over the past two years, the Real Food Percentage at Carleton has increased from 23% to 31%, and Claire says that she “now loves supply chain logistics and thinking about small shifts that can have major impact.”

When asked about the greatest lessons learned through these experiences, Claire states that she’s “learned that food work is not a niche environmental issue or a trendy topic. It’s a fundamental life force and the food systems impact our health, environment, and happiness. I’ve also seen that food is incredibly personal and cultural, and nothing is as simple as switching inputs. But Northfield’s supportive local food community has also given me hope that connections and caring can create real change.”

Katie McKenna, Dining Service Manager at Carleton, says that “Claire has been such an asset to our campus in all areas of food sustainability. She has worked diligently on the Real Food Calculator (RFC), Food Alliance, and Food Tours. Many students tell us that the tour was how they learned about the sustainable food movement on our campus. Claire has been a joy to work with and I’m happy to say I will still be able to connect with her as she is joining the Bon Appétit Team as a Fellow this summer!”

the calculator, has helped develop the manual on how to use the calculator here at Carleton, and worked on the analysis of the data compiled. Charlotte was also instrumental in completing the analysis of the results from these calculations. Martha Larson, the manager of campus energy and sustainability at Carleton, says that Charlotte “has made some recommendations on changes that could make an impact on the amount of real food that Bon Appétit has purchased here at Carleton. Charlotte has presented the data for several groups and done a fabulous job. Charlotte’s organizational skills, and ability to see the big picture will be big assets in her future.”

The ComPost

Congratulations Graduates!

Thank you for all you did for the Northfield Community! We know you will go out and do great things in the communities in which you will be heading!

Just Food is honored to have played a role, however small it may have been, in your education and in your food journey in Northfield!

June/July 2016

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Board Sponsored Movie Night!

Come and talk with seed saving experts in our community room at 7:30 p.m.

Learn how to seed save and the benefits of seed saving from local farmers.

The movie will begin around 8:00 p.m. Bring a chair or blanket we’ll show the movie outside in the parking lot; if it rains, we’ll be in the community room for the movie.

Everyone is welcome!

Tuesday, August 2 7:30 p.m.

Talk with Seed Saving Experts 8:00 p.m.

Movie Begins

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The ComPost

Everyone Can Shop, Anyone Can Join!

Member Name 1: ����������������������������������������������������������� (Other members of the household are welcome to use the member number)

Street address: ������������������������������������������������������������� City: ����������������������������������������������������������������������� State: ____ Zip:__________ Phone: �������������������������������������������� Email: ��������������������������������������������������������������������� Would you like to receive the weekly email updates? __Yes __No I agree to buy 1 Class A (voting) share for $25.00 and 20 Class B (non-voting) shares at $5.00 each in the Just Food: Northfield Community Co-op (the Co-op) for a total of $125.00.

I understand that this application is subject to acceptance by the Board of Directors of the Co-op and that my membership is subject to the Co-op Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and membership provisions. I have received a copy of the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws and acknowledge the statement of membership provisions.

I am paying for these shares as follows: ____ $125 payment in full with this application. ____ $ 25 down payment + $10 processing fee ($35 total initial payment), with a $25 payment quarterly for a total of $135 (1 year payment option). ____Other terms arranged on request. ���������������������������������������� Please tell us how you learned about the Co-op: ������������������������������ ��������������������������������������������������������������������������� Referred by: ���������������������������������������������������������������� Member #1 Signature: ������������������������������������������������������ Member #2 Signature: ������������������������������������������������������� Date: ���������������������������������������������������������������������� Please give this application to a cashier or send it along with your payment to:

516 Water Street S Northfield, MN 55057 507-650-0106 justfood.coop

June/July 2016

Membership

Member Name 2: �����������������������������������������������������������

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516 Water Street S Northfield, MN 55057 507-650-0106 justfood.coop

Just Food Co-op ENDS Statement Just Food Co-op nourishes a Just, Healthy and Sustainable Community • Justice – We strive for fairness in all our relationships in the community and throughout the supply chain.

• Health – We provide healthy, sustainably produced products, and we work to strengthen our local foodshed through ongoing support and partnerships.

• Sustainability – We work to build a resilient social, economic and ecological environment in our community and beyond.

• Education – We are a community resource for education and information about healthy, sustainable food and lifestyle.

We do this in context of being a financially viable, member-owned cooperative business.

Everyone Can Shop, Anyone Can Join!