Co-op News North Coast Co-op 811 I Street Arcata, CA 95521
Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Eureka, CA 95501 Permit No 327
CO-OP NEWS A Publication of the North Coast Co-op • Feb. 2015
CO-OP NEWS Issue 74 |Feb. 2015
| FOR THE FOODIES |
Raw Chocolate for Valentine’s Day
www.northcoast.coop co-opnews@northcoast.coop EDITOR Melanie Bettenhausen Marketing & Membership Director (707) 502-3555 ext. 132 melanieb@northcoast.coop GRAPHICS & COORDINATION Amy Waldrip Graphic Design Coordinator (707) 502-3555 ext. 120 amywaldrip@northcoast.coop Jeremy Smith-Danford Marketing & Graphics Assistant (707) 502-3555 ext. 129 jeremy@northcoast.coop ARCATA LOCATION 811 I St., Arcata • (707) 822-5947 Open daily: 6 am to 9 pm Kevin Waters, Store Manager kevinwaters@nor thcoast.coop EUREKA LOCATION 25 4th St., Eureka • (707) 443-6027 Open Daily: 6 am to 9 pm Toby Massey, Store Manager tobymassey@nor thcoast.coop COOPERATIVE OFFICES 811 I St., Arcata GENERAL MANAGER Kelli Reese (707) 502-3555 ext. 124 kellireese@nor thcoast.coop MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Bella Waters (707) 502-3555 ext. 135 bellawaters@nor thcoast.coop HUMAN RESOURCES Lisa Landry (707) 826-8670 ext. 127 lisalandr y@nor thcoast.coop ACCOUNTING Kelli Costa (707) 502-3555 ext. 138 kcosta@nor thcoast.coop BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kelly Boehms, Dave Feral, Kate Lancaster, Fred Moore, Cheri Strong, Steve Suttell, Jessica Unmack board@northcoast.coop THE COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLES: Voluntary & Open Membership Democratic Member Control Member Economic Participation Autonomy & Independence Education, Training & Information Cooperation Among Cooperatives Concern for Community The Co-op does not officially endorse the services or products of any paid advertiser. All articles, columns and letters are the expressed opinion of the author and not the Co-op News.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, address, member #, and telephone #. Letters should be kept to a maximum of 250 words and may be edited. We regret that we may not be able to publish all letters due to limited space. Email your letters to co-opnews@northcoast.coop or send them to: Co-op News, 811 I Street, Arcata, CA 95521. Deadline for letters is the tenth of each month.
Brenda Harper Consumer Education Coordinator
olate, especially dark or unprocessed chocolate contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and Pantothenic acid along with several antioxidants and other compounds that help promote a positive state of mind and mood. Chocolate comes from the fruits—or pods—of the Theobroma cacao plant, which grows in hot, rainy regions of the world, primarily near the equator. Cacao pods contain cacao seeds. Once their husks are removed, cacao seeds are roasted and ground to produce cocoa. Further processing creates different kinds of chocolate, such as milk, dark, bittersweet and semisweet. Raw cacao nibs, or broken pieces of unroasted seeds, have become popular
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ebruary has long been celebrated as a month of romance. While the roots of Valentine’s Day go back to Roman times, candy giving is a much more recent development. Chocolate had been considered a luxury, but when average citizens in Europe were able to purchase chocolate and the heart-shaped box was created in 1861, chocolates for Valentine’s Day became a new tradition. You’ll be happy to know that choc-
as people are searching more for unprocessed foods. Cacao nibs have a chocolaty taste, but they’re not sweet. Their flavor can vary depending on if they are roasted or not. You can snack on raw cacao nibs right out of the bag, add to trail mixes or smoothies, or use them whole or powdered in your cooking and baking. They are available in our Bulk Department, our Raw Foods section, and our Wellness Department. We think you might like our recipe for Cypress Grove Chevre with Cacao Nibs (see below), but if raw chocolate isn’t for you, you can find a variety of chocolates at the Co-op. In addition to the many varieties of chocolate bars you’ll find on our shelves—including organic and Fair Trade—our Bakery produces amazing chocolate covered caramels (salted or not) as well as truffles, chocolate almond bark, and chocolate dipped biscotti and granola bars.
Try our bakery’s dark chocolate salted caramels, sure to be an instant Valetine’s Day classic.
Cypress Grove Chèvre with Cacao Nibs Ingredients •½ cup unsweetened cacao nibs (from our Bulk Department) •1 (4-ounce) disc Ms. Natural plain Cypress Grove Chevre (on sale this month for $4.59!) •2 three-finger pinches coarse-ground pink Himalayan salt • 1 plain North Coast Co-op Bakery baguette Directions 1. Spread the cacao nibs on a sheet of foil. Roll the edge of the goat cheese disk carefully in the nibs, pressing gently so the nibs stick. Then place each flat side in the nibs and press. Once the cheese is well coated, use more pressure to embed the nibs into the cheese. Place the nib covered chèvre disk on a serving plate.
2. Sprinkle the cheese with salt, allowing the crystals to tumble across the plate. 3. Cut the baguette into thin slices and arrange on the plate with the cheese or place them in a basket to serve alongside.
Find Ms. Natural Plain Cypress Grove Chevre on sale this month!
Recipe adapted from Salted: A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes, by Mark Bitterman.
INSIDE FEBRUARY 2015
2 Eating My Way through Italy
8 GM Report
3 Beet Salad
9 Letters to the Editor
4 Member News
9 Share the Spirit Total
5 Layered Berry Dessert
9 Shopper Survey Update
6 Co-op Community Fund
10 Save with Co-op Basics
7 Community Partners
11 Reference Guide
8 Pardon Our Painting
11 We’ll be at the Crab Crawl!
| CO-OP ADVENTURES |
By Larry Crabb, Arcata Senior Clerk
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n October of last year, I had the opportunity to take an amazing trip to Italy. The highlight of this journey was a seven-day cooking class called The Flavors of Tuscany. My traveling companions were my wife and my mom. Now I probably could have found a cooking class closer to home, but a trip to Italy sounded like a real culinary adventure. We flew to Milan, and then traveled by train to Venice and Florence before going to Lucca for the class. Our lodging for the week was a stone villa built in the 1500s, although upgraded with modern amenities. A driver met us at the train station in Lucca, along with three classmates he had picked up at the Pisa airport, and drove us to our home for the next week in the Tuscan countryside. There were ten of us taking the class, all from the United States. Our chef was Angelo Prosperi-Porta, who lives and works in Canada, although his parents are Italian. He also had an excellent sense of humor, which really made the class fun. His assistant was Karoline, an excellent chef from Poland.
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Day One: We began our first evening with Prosecco while we peeled lemons to make limoncello — a lemon liqueur — which would be ready for our final dinner of the week. We then made individual pizzas cooked in a wood fired oven. We ended the evening with a toast of limoncello that the previous class made. Day Two: We cooked a whole lamb in the wood fired oven. We made a wet rub for the lamb with basil, mint, garlic, rosemary, sage and olive oil. Along with the lamb we had potatoes, green bean salad with red onions, and cipollini onions braised in balsamic vinegar. We also cooked some pigeons and guinea hens to use in a pate later in the week. Day Three: We drove into Lucca, which still has walls around the city from the Renaissance. We explored on our own and returned to go out for dinner. Angelo teamed up with chef Maurizo at a local restaurant to serve us a very gourmet meal with many courses. They included cuttlefish with apple, risotto with porcinis, sea bass in a bean sauce, guinea hen with a wine reduction that was heavenly, and pancetto for dessert. Day Four: We drove to the coast to buy fish from the fish market. We walked on the beach and bought our lunch from a little floating restaurant on a canal. We had grilled swordfish and tuna, fried shrimp, calamari and octopus, French fries and deep fried vegetables along with Prosecco. On our way home we stopped at a bio
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dynamic winery for a tasting. Guiseppe, the owner and winemaker, was very passionate about making wine and olive oil organically and bio-dynamically. He also believed it was important to grow the varieties of grapes that had typically been grown there. The winery has produced wine since the 1700s, and he and his wife live in the house that was built in the 1700s. We returned home to prepare the fish we purchased. We had grilled swordfish
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with a fresh tomato salsa, sautéed fish with garlic, onions and tomatoes, two kinds of crostini with parmesan and tomatoes, green salad with olive oil and balsamic dressing, and the pâté that we had started a few days earlier with the pigeon and guinea hen. Cantaloupe and watermelon were for dessert. Day Five: For lunch we had wild boar ribs sautéed in wine, garlic, onions, sage
and parsley accompanied by an octopus salad. After lunch we traveled to Lucca for a wine tasting in this little wine shop with tunnels underground to store the wine. After the wine we went to a church for a concert of arias by Puccinni, who is from Lucca. Following the concert we had yet another gourmet dinner at a little outdoor restaurant. The chef, Pasquale, was from Sicily. The highlight was custard for dessert, served in a miniature mason jar made with a quail egg. Day Six: We were off to the castle village of Bolgheri, home of the Super Tuscan wines. We enjoyed a six course lunch in a little combination wine shop and restaurant. The highlight was probably the zucchini flowers stuffed with shrimp, or the gnocchi with cuttlefish, although the bruschettas with sun-dried tomatoes and sausage weren’t bad. The spinach and ricotta raviolis were quite good also. After lunch, we went to a winery for yet another wine tasting, then headed back to our villa for an excellent dinner of baked chicken, mashed potatoes, risotto, and green salad. We ended dinner with a nightcap of our homemade limoncello because two of our classmates were leaving the next day. Day Seven: On our final day we were off on yet another excursion to the beautiful hillside town of Montescudaio, where the whole town was having a wine festival. It was a very picturesque town with a view of the Ligurian Sea. For lunch we had the zuppa, a local soup made with beans and day old bread. We also had some ravioli stuffed with calamari, then home for our last night’s dinner, grilled steak Florentine. They looked like T-bones and were about four inches thick! The traditional method of cooking them is just with olive oil and salt and pepper, nothing else. We also had mushrooms stuffed with ricotta and grilled veggies, which yours truly grilled. We also had a simple yet awesome salad made with thinly sliced fennel bulb, red onion and sliced oranges. Of course we finished the evening with our limoncello. Sadly, the next day we were all going our separate ways, but I think it was a week that we will never forget. Editor’s note: Larry’s tour was hosted by Abbondanza Toscana.
Photos courtesy of Larry Crabb 1. Larry standing in front of the train station in Venice / 2. Larry’s first meal in Italy, Spaghetti with Seafood Medley / 3. Appetizer Plate with Brie / 4. Larry grills veggies in his Italian cooking class / 5. Stone villa circa the 1500s, where Larry and his traveling crew stayed. www.northcoast.coop
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| LOCAL PRODUCE RECIPE |
Photos by Jeremy Smith-Danford
By Brenda Harper, Consumer Education Coordinator & Pamela Hawkins, Outreach Coordinator
Beet Salad with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette Featuring locally grown beets from Wild Rose Farm
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eets are colorful root vegetables often described as having an earthy flavor. These roots are most commonly deep red-purple in color, but also come in a variety of other shades, including golden yellow and red-
and-white striped. Rich in folate and potassium, beets are also a good source of fiber. Plus those vivid colors aren’t just for show. The pigments are actually full of potent antioxidants. When stored, beets become sweeter as their starches
Salad Ingredients (serves 2) 4-5 small beets, or 2-3 large ones ½ cup walnuts (optional) Pea shoots, for bedding
Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Wash the beets (Fig. A). Peel the garlic. Wrap the beets and the garlic in foil and place in the oven. 3. Roast for about 1 hour or until a knife goes through easily. It is okay if the beets are still firm after roasting. 4. Peel the beets (they should be really easy to peel) (Fig. B) and chop the beets into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl. Wash the garlic and set aside for dressing. 5. Meanwhile, toast the walnuts, if using, in a skillet over medium heat. 6. Mix with the mashed garlic the rest of the dressing ingredients (Fig. C), then pour over chopped beets and toss. 7. Sprinkle with the toasted walnuts, if using them. Serve hot or cold on pea shoots or other greens.
Dressing Ingredients 3 teaspoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic, roasted and mashed 1 teaspoon vinegar 1 small shallot, minced Dash of salt
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B
CO-OP NEWS | Feb. 2015
convert to sugar. They can be eaten raw or they can be boiled, steamed, roasted or sautéed. Beets are one of those overlooked vegetables that once you realize all it beholds, you will cultivate a new appreciation, & maybe even love, for them!
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| MEMBER NEWS |
Open Invitation to Co-op Members Join the Board for Discussion and Symposium Sat., Feb. 21 • 12:45pm • Please RSVP
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t the January Board meeting, the Board was in support of inviting members to join them for the afternoon portion of their retreat. Members can join the Board at 12:45pm on Feb. 21, 2015 to hear a summary of the morning’s retreat, observe and comment on the Board’s discussion on Competition and Readiness, plus participate in the Awakening the Dreamer symposium. Fellow Board Member, Kate Lancaster, is an Awakening the Dreamer facilitator who has conducted this workshop at HSU, locally, and at another academic
institution. Members are invited to join the Board in this transformative workshop that explores the challenges and possibilities of this moment in time and the role people can play in creating a new future. Kate says her students have been “awakened” to the human and social impact of economic activity that has been inflicted on different areas of the world and inspired by the individuals and groups who are changing the stories through their participation in the symposium. You can find more information about Awakening the Dreamer at www.pachamama.org/ engage/symposium
Symposium Led by Kate Lancaster of the Co-op Board of Directors
Member Action Committee Reconvened
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fter several years’ hiatus, the Member Action Committee (MAC) was reconvened at the November Board meeting. The committee acts as an advisory committee to the Board of Directors, taking on issues delegated by the Board, as well as providing an organized structure for members to come together, to communicate their ideas and concerns, and to influence North Coast Co-op policy and practice. Ten people attended the first meeting on December 18. While quite a few topics came up, much of the discussion concerned these two points: 1) The need to heal and encourage healthy communication between the Board, as well as management, membership
As of February 1, there are 43 days left before the fiscal year 2014 patronage refund vouchers expire. Of the 637 vouchers mailed out in mid-December, over 400 vouchers are yet to be redeemed, resulting in $4,588 yet to be claimed. If yours is one of these unused vouchers, don’t miss out on this great benefit of being a Fair Share member! Make sure you use your refund voucher by March 15, 2015. Patronage refund vouchers were mailed to all Fair Share members who qualified to receive their refund in cash. The vouchers can be used right at the register for credit on your purchase, or exchanged for cash at Customer Service. The vouchers can also be donated to the Cooperative Community Fund (CCF) (see page 6 for more on CCF ).
? Patronage Refund FAQs Why didn’t I get a refund letter? Your letter may have been lost in the mail, so stop by Customer Service to make sure we have your current address. Other reasons why you may not have received a refund letter: • You joined the Co-op after March of 2014 • You are no longer a resident of California • You spent less than $167.91 during the fiscal year, resulting in a refund that was less than $2 I can’t find my refund letter. How do I go about getting my refund? Just call or email our Membership Coordinator for a replacement letter at (707) 502-3555 ext. 135 or bellawaters@northcoast.coop.
“ Cheri Strong Employee Board Director
$ Have You Redeemed Yours?
Space is limited. Please RSVP and ask for event location by February 17 by calling Board Assistant Bella Waters at (707)502-3555 x 135 or bellawaters@northcoast.coop
and employees; and 2) The need for open and transparent communication between leadership (board and management) and the Co-op membership. It was discussed that a culture has grown at the Co-op whereby employees operate from a sense of fear and that there has been a trend to be dismissive of people and ideas that are outside of the desired paradigm. In order to address these issues, the MAC brought forward a request to the Board to form an ad hoc committee to explore mediation or other possible avenues of remediation to begin the process of healing and open dialog. Also discussed was the lack of member access to documents and information. In an attempt to bring about more transparency, the MAC brought forward a request that the Board make the entire contents of the Board packets available to members at the same time that Board members receive them. Both the request for mediation and the request for Board
Patronage Refund Vouchers
packets were included in the packet for the Board’s January meeting. All Co-op members are welcome to participate. I encourage you to come to the next MAC meeting. In addition to the above topics, additional possible topics for discussion brought forward at the MAC meeting include: opportunities for member participation; ways to serve membership and community; Board’s role and function vs. that of general manager; competition and marketing; bylaws; and Annual Membership Meeting structure. Unity in action makes for a much stronger community. Please join us! Thank you all for being members of our cooperative. Next meeting of the Member Action Committee will be Wednesday, February 11 from 6-8pm at the Co-op’s Ten Pin warehouse at 793 K Street in Arcata. Contact: board@northcoast.coop
Can I get cash instead of using my refund for store purchases? Yes! Just ask to redeem your voucher for cash at Customer Service before March 15, 2015. Can I donate my refund? Yes! Ask Customer Service to donate your refund to the North Coast Co-op’s Cooperative Community Fund (CCF), a fund whose appreciation/ earnings are gifted to local non-profit organizations annually (see p. 6). I’m not sure whether my family used my refund voucher. How can I check on this? Check with Customer Service or contact our Membership Coordinator to see if your voucher has been used (707) 502-3555 x135 or bellawaters@northcoast.coop How do I check whether I should have received a refund? Just ask at Customer Service. How can I find out how much my refund is? Ask at Customer Service. I want my refund in cash/voucher next year, so how do I become a Fair Share member? You can purchase “B” Shares in $10 increments at Customer Service. Once you reach $300 in “B” Shares, you are a Fair Share member. Future patronage refunds will be distributed to you in cash/voucher. www.northcoast.coop
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| COOK & SAVE |
COOK & SAVE
By Brenda Harper, Consumer Education Coordinator & Pamela Hawkins, Outreach Coordinator Photo by Jeremy Smith-Danford
Raspberry & Coconut Cream Layered Dessert
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he North Coast Co-op’s free, monthly Cook & Save class develops recipes that include items from our sales flyer. This month’s recipe uses dates from our Bulk Department. A product of the date palm and cultivated since approximately 6,000 B.C., the date fruit is one of the sweetest fruits around. Originating in the Middle East, date palms were introduced across south and southwest Asia, northern Africa, Spain and Italy. They spread around Mexico and California with the Spanish colonists. The most popular varieties of dates are Deglet and Medjool and both are on sale in February! Dates are a good source of energy and fiber as well as essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. They also contain vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin A and vitamin K. Try making this recipe using a trifle, a dish used to serve layered desserts.
Layer 4
Layer 3
Layer 2
Ingredients Layer 1 • 1 cup walnuts • 1 cup pitted Deglet dates • 3 Tablespoons cacao powder • 1-2 Tablespoons almond milk • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Layer 2 • 2 cups walnuts • ¼3 cup maple syrup • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 2-3 Tablespoons almond milk, if mixture is too dry
Directions
Layer 3 • 1 15 ounce can coconut milk (1 cup coconut cream*) • 1 cup organic confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
Layer 1
Layer 4 • 1-10 ounce package frozen raspberries, defrosted • ¼ cup chia seeds • ¼ cup maple syrup
(allow time for some items to set in refrigerator)
1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the Layer 4 ingredients and let sit in refrigerator for 1 hour until it thickens. 2. In a small bowl, mix Layer 3 ingredients just enough to get the lumps out and refrigerate. 3. Place Layer 1 ingredients in food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together; this should take about 1 minute. Mixture should be gooey. 4. Using the back side of a moist spoon, press about ¼ inch of this mixture evenly into the bottom of your dish (a clear dish allows the layers to be seen) and place it in the refrigerator while you prepare the next layer. 5. Place Layer 2 ingredients in your food processor and process until almost a paste. 6. Add Layer 2 to parfait dish, then add Layer 3. Finish by adding Layer 4. * To produce coconut cream, allow can of coconut milk to stand for at least 24 hours in a chilled environment. The solid section which rises to the top is the cream, and it can be skimmed off and placed in a new container, leaving light coconut milk behind. Coconut cream is essentially a highly concentrated form of coconut milk with very little water.
Sale Ingredients
Bulk Organic Pitted Deglet Dates
Bulk Organic Shelled Walnut Halves/Pieces
per lb
per lb
$12.99
$4.69
Valid Feb. 3 through Feb. 16, 2015 5
CO-OP NEWS | Feb. 2015
Next Cook & Save Class: Monday, March 9, 6pm in Eureka Please register online, just as you would a cooking class at www.northcoast.coop. Choose Cooking Classes from the dropdown menu and click on register. Or call (707) 443-6027 ext. 102.
| CO-OP COMMUNITY | Grant recipients attend the CCF check ceremony in the Eureka Community Kitchen. Photo by Jeremy Smith-Danford
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CCF Awards $18,068 in Grants
he Cooperative Community Fund (CCF) is a permanent endowment established and directed by members of the North Coast Co-op, which awards grants to support projects and the work of community organizations in Humboldt County. Through collaborative grant making the CCF seeks to strengthen the community by emphasizing projects and activities that promote democratic cooperative principles, community development and food security. Co-op employees, members, and shoppers have given donations to the Cooperative Community Fund for more than 20 years. Donations are made at the register through the Community Round Up program, as well as the ten cent charge for paper bags. In the last year, more than $7,200 has been donated! The fund’s appreciation/earnings are gifted to local non-profit organizations, which underwrites local projects annually. Over the years, CCF has awarded nearly $500,000 to local organizations. This year’s grant recipients are as follows: Community Alliance with Family Farmers Farm to School—$1,980 Grant will go to support the costs of sending three key players to the 2015 California Farm to School Conference. This will allow Farm to School leaders in the North Coast the chance to network with other Farm to School leaders in California, share ideas and get inspired.
Fuente Nueva Charter School School Garden—$2000 Grant will be used to expand current school garden and support student use of the garden in curriculum and in the after-care and summer camp program. Healy Senior Center Senior Congregate Meal Program—$2,000 Grant will be used to continue to provide meals and nutrition to older adults and those in need in the region of Southern Humboldt. Humboldt Senior Resource Center (HSRC) Local, Nutritious Senior Lunches—$3,130 Grant will be used to help offset the costs of purchasing raw food from local providers for 1,200 meals made entirely from sustainably produced, local products, organically grown if possible, during the 2015 summer. These meals will be served at the HSRC’s three congregate dining centers, participants in Redwood Coast PACE and Adult Day Health Service program, plus delivered to homebound seniors.
North Star Quest Camp Wellness Education—$1,400 Grant will help offset food and supply costs associated with the nutrition workshops during the all-girls camp. Note: Guidelines to apply for funds are available each September. The next opportunity to apply is fall of 2015. Please see www.northcoast.coop/donations.htm for more information.
What is your favorite way to get involved in the community?
Win a
$25 gift card!
Member Name:
Fortuna Adventists Community Services Fortuna Community Garden Project—$500 Grant will be used to establish a permanent demonstration garden plot specifically aimed at school-age children, which will introduce children to large scale gardening.
Lost Coast High Learning Center Community Garden Project—$1,841 Grant will be used to establish a community garden, designed and managed by Lost Coast High Learning Center students and two Head Start programs. Produce will be provided to families, and students will be provided with skills for the 21st century, as well as viable career options.
Member Survey
Discovery Museum Children’s Health and Active Living Initiative—$850 Grant will go to continue the work of the initiative, which promotes awareness and education of healthy active lifestyles in a fun and playful setting, by including a model kitchen and table (sized for children), in the museum. Food for People Increasing Food Security through Food Recovery—$2,457 Grant will go to offset fuel costs for their local Food Recovery Program, which represents 20-25% of the total food collected and distributed annually while also saving local business in garbage costs.
LatinoNet Festejando Nuestra Salud/Celebrating Our Health—$1,910 Grant will be used to fund, in part, the 9th annual LatinoNet Spanish-language health fair in October 2015.
Member #:
Phone #:
Detach this entry form and return it to the Member Survey box located near Customer Service at either store location. Be sure to include your name, contact information, and member number so that we can contact you if your entry is drawn. You can also send your ideas to co-opnews@northcoast.coop with “Member Survey” in the subject line. Must be a member to enter. Co-op employees and their families are not eligible to win. DEADLINE TO ENTER: MAR. 2
www.northcoast.coop
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| COMMUNITY PARTNERS |
HUMBOLDT ROLLER DERBY FEBRUARY 21st @ 6PM 12 in advance ∕ $15 at the door
$
redwood acres • franceschi hall
TICKETS @ PEOPLE’S RECORDS, THE WORKS, WILDBERRIES, STIL & WWW.HUMBOLDTROLLERDERBY.COM
Eureka Car Stereo
FEB.
Car Audio • iPod and Bluetooth Solutions • Auto Security
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Alpine • Focal • Pioneer JL Audio • Kicker
SAVE
Save 10%
Viper
Find us on facebook
off of our entire Wellness Department
bath & body cosmetics on skin our entire FEB. care wellness department
15th & Broadway ▼ 707-445-3283 ▼ Mon-Sat 8:30-6:00
811 I St. in Arcata | 25 4 St. in Eureka th
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Save 10% off our entire wellness department on the first W of every month.
LOVING HANDS INSTITUTE
State Licensed School for Holistic Massage Therapy
Stop by our bakery for a delightful array of Valentine’s Day cakes & treats.
Since 1989
Private Massage Practice, Open Daily
www.lovinghandsinstitute.com
LOVING HANDS INSTITUTE
Heart Shaped cakes are available in a variety of flavors, and many can be made with gluten-free flour and vegan ingredients!
State Licensed School for Holistic Massage Therapy Since 1989
Private Massage Practice, Open Daily
www.lovinghandsinstitute.com
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CO-OP NEWS | Feb. 2015
For custom cakes, call (707) 826-2706 or visit www.northcoast.coop. Please allow 48 hours for custom cakes.
| CO-OP COMMUNITY |
From the General Manager
Leading the Way with Employee Development
Kelli Reese General Manager
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hat I love most about working in a cooperative is how we support each other to learn, grow and improve. In addition, I believe leaders have the opportunity to serve those who work within the organization. In my leadership role, I am continually deepening my appreciation for and understanding of “Servant Leadership”. Servant Leadership is a phrase coined by Robert Greenleaf in the 1970s. The philosophies behind Servant Leadership have not changed much over the years; however there are others who have added to the conversation with characteristics and key points along the way. It didn’t start out this way for me; managing others in my 20s was akin to herding cats. I had no idea who I was or wanted
We
to be as a leader. It wasn’t until I became a certified yoga instructor that I began to explore the idea of loving and serving in the leadership role. Along the way I’ve learned that having clear expectations and challenging people to be their best contributes to the overall health of the team, and is an essential part of leading with love and service. For the past five years, the management team at our Co-op has been working to improve communication and examine how we can better meet the needs of our employees, as Servant Leaders. This has occurred over the years, in part, through a number of workshops and trainings for employees which have included: Healthy and Compassionate Communication This training for all employees discusses the four personality traits (passive, aggressive, passive/aggressive and assertive) and helps employees learn skills for how to communicate with each other in a compassionate and healthy way. The training includes small group discussion and problem solving, and helps build a deeper understanding of how we all function in the world. It focuses on the idea that we don’t all view the world through the same lens. We continue to offer this training regularly. A Good Night’s Sleep: Stress, Insomnia and Work Productivity This training was part of our newly implemented Wellness Program. It was planned
Our Members giveaway!
after we received employee feedback that the biggest challenges facing a number of them included stress and sleep deprivation. Retrain Your Brain, Reframe Your Life This training for all employees focused on the power of positive thinking and how transformational it can be in your life to choose positivity over negativity. Cultivating a Culture of Accountability and Positivity This training offered the department heads approachable tools and techniques they could use immediately with their teams. Much of it focused on the importance of a positive work culture. In addition, it offered input on how to motivate their teams and give meaningful, positive feedback. It also provided tools to help with performance improvement and difficult conversations. Communication Workshop We recently held this workshop for the Eureka and Arcata store deli teams to discuss how they could work together more cooperatively and compassionately. Every deli employee in both stores attended a half day team experience together while the store managers and employees covered the work in the delis. In addition to these workshops and trainings, we continue to expand our Wellness Program for all employees which includes an employee discount buying
club for the top 20 wellness products— giving employees access to affordable, quality items in order to stay healthy. In addition we also implemented a Gain Share Program as part of Open Book Management (OBM) so we could share our Co-op’s success with the employees. Of course, all of these trainings, workshops and programs are only part of the picture. The management team has been working hard on visioning, positivity and team building so we can walk our talk and ensure we have clear policies that build a healthy, positive foundation. We are also currently in the process of performing an employee survey in order to gain further insight and feedback. This tool helps us identify the Co-op’s strengths and weaknesses as an employer in the eyes of employees, and it helps us see where we are since the last survey in 2010. We will have feedback from the survey in February. Working with the employees, we plan to use the results to shape our approach going forward. It’s a very exciting time and I look forward to updating everyone in future editions of the Co-op News. Thank you all for being a part of making the North Coast Co-op a great place to work. We’ve only just begun.■
Contact: kellireese@northcoast.coop
Paint Jobs in Arcata & Eureka One down, one to go!
CLEAN UP
Prize valued at over $500!
Enter at customer service in either store by Saturday, Feb. 28.
Y
ou may have noticed that our Eureka location is looking refreshed and especially beautiful after it’s recent (and much needed) paint job! We budgeted to repair and paint our Arcata location this spring, but due to an opening in the painters schedule, we were able to get started sooner than expected. Please pardon our mess while we work. ■ www.northcoast.coop
8
| CO-OP COMMUNITY |
Letter to the Editor Co-op Friends, As a cooperative we are owned and managed by our members through democratic control. Every member/owner has an equal vote and voice, regardless of the quantity of shares owned. This Co-op was formed and has thrived through the vision and participation of an active democratic membership. In recent years, member participation declined, and without our awareness the leadership took away important member rights to open and transparent management. All non-confidential Board and Committee meetings are no longer open to member attendance, and member participation at open meetings is now more limited. Also, member access to all non-confidential Board and Committee agendas and agenda attachments are no longer available prior to meetings. After the employee contract negotiations and the attempted Bylaw revisions this last year, more members are recognizing that our active participation is needed to preserve our core values and principles, and to resist becoming a “corporate style cooperative.” However, we are facing resistance from the leadership in regaining our open access to meetings and the documents needed to participate fully. Also, those who express disagreement with policies or actions are accused of being “confrontational” and “attacking” the leadership. Thus,
Anne Holcomb Executive Director of Food for People
employees are fearful to express their concerns openly. These unhealthy dynamics are harming us. We must seek ways to heal these relationships and cooperate again for the best interests of our Co-op, and the entire community which we serve. The Co-op has always been more than just a grocery store; we are an organization that strives to sustain the environment, the economy and the community. Let’s strive for that the best we can, by democratically participating in whatever ways work for each of us. Attend the newly reconvened Member Action Committee (MAC) meetings. Write the Board. Attend a Board meeting. Stay informed by signing up for member education and action alerts at jodieellis@suddenlink.net or by calling (707) 840-9250. In Solidarity, Jodie Ellis, Member #21314 Letters must include your name, address, member #, and telephone #. Space is limited; please be concise (preferably 250 words or less). We regret that we may not be able to publish all letters due to limited space. Email your letters to co-opnews@ northcoast.coop or send them to: Co-op News, 811 I Street, Arcata, CA 95521 by the tenth of the month.
Kelli Reese
General Manager of the North Coast Co-op
Total Donation
$14, 452.87
Each year during the holidays, shoppers are encouraged to donate to our local food bank, Food for People. Cashiers collect the funds and the Co-op matches donations up to $5,000. This year we exceeded expectations! A total of $9,452.87 was donated at the register. Add that to the Co-op’s donation of $5,000, and together we raised $14,452.87 for our local Food Bank! Thank you for all of your generous donations.■ 9
CO-OP NEWS | Feb. 2015
co opbasics
basic goods at basic prices
Co-op Basics offers lower prices on a select list of staple items in order to save you money every day. These are low prices, all the time; not temporary price reductions. Cut this list out and hang it on your refrigerator or bring it with you on your next shopping trip as a reminder of all the great basics that you can find at exceptionally affordable prices at the Co-op.
ITEM
CO-OP BASICS PRICE
Baby Products
$8.95 $9.41
Toddler Formula, Dairy / Baby’s Only O Toddler Formula, Soy / Baby’s Only O
Bulk
$6.78/lb $1.61/lb $1.62/lb 98¢/lb $1.97/lb $2.92/lb 87¢/lb
Almonds Black Beans O Brown Rice, Short Grain O Cornmeal O Flax Seeds O Whole Wheat Elbow Pasta O Whole Wheat Pastry Flour O
Bulk, Coffee
Co-op 40th Anniversary Coffee O Co-op Humjoldt Coffee O Co-op Humjoldt Coffee O Co-op Mellow Buzz (Decaf) O
$7.99/lb $7.99/lb $35/5lb bag $8.99/lb
Bulk, Frozen Blueberries O Peas O
Bread/Tortillas PRICE CUT
Sliced Sourdough Bread / North Coast Co-op Bakery Corn Tortillas / Mi Rancho O
Canned Goods Albacore Tuna / Wild Planet Coconut Milk / Natural Value O Pasta Sauce, Tomato Basil / Field Day O Pinto Beans / Natural Value O
Cereals
Flax Plus Raisin Bran / Nature’s Path O Heritage Flakes Eco Pac / Nature’s Path O
Condiments
Ketchup / Organicville O
$7.46/lb $2.46/lb $4.37 $2.42 $3.45 $2.74 $3.34 $1.66 $4.31 $8.84 $4.37
Monterey Jack Cheese, Vegetarian Enzyme / Rumiano $2.76/lb Saltines / Suzie’s O
$3.86
Fresh Produce (Items may vary by season) Bananas O
Dairy
Butter (Salted or Unsalted) / Humboldt Creamery O Mi l k, ½ gallon (Fat Free, 1%, 2%, or Whole) / Humboldt Creamery O Mi l k, Gallon (Fat Free, 1%, 2%, or Whole) / Humboldt Creamery O
CO-OP BASICS PRICE
Home Products
$3.54 $16.92 $10.92 $1.12 $5.52
Kitchen Bags / Natural Value Laundry Powder / Biokleen Liquid Laundry Detergent / Biokleen Paper Towels / Natural Value Toilet Paper / Natural Value
Juice
$7.98
Apple Juice / North Coast Co-op O
Meat
$2.58/lb
Chicken, Free Range / Rocky Junior
Non-Dairy Beverages
Co conut Milk (Original, Vanilla or Unsweetened) / So Delicious O
Nut Butters
$2.52 $7.38
Crunchy Peanut Butter / Maranatha O
Oils
Cheese
Crackers
ITEM
$8.54
Coconut Oil / Dr. Bronner’s O
Pasta
$3.11 $2.71
Brown Rice Spaghetti (Gluten Free) / Tinkyada Spaghetti / Bionaturae O
Personal Hygiene
$5.84 $2.57 $5.01
Deodorant, Lavender / Tom’s of Maine Lip Balm, Selected Varieties / Dr. Bronner’s O Powersmile Toothpaste / JASON
Tea
$3.81
Earl Grey / Choice O
Tofu
To fu, Water Pack (Regular, Firm Traditional Nigari) / Tofu Shop O To fu, Vacuum Pack (Regular, Firm Traditional Nigari) / Tofu Shop O
Water Water, Bulk (H2O machine)
Supplements Country Life Men’s Daily Nutrition Country Life Women’s Daily Nutrition Country Life Prenatal Daily Nutrition
$2.58 $2.23
34¢/gal $22.94 $22.94 $22.94
98¢/lb
= NEW to the Co-op Basics Program
$5.34 $2.87
O
= ORGANIC
$5.68
www.northcoast.coop
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Our Eureka store location during the
More about the Eureka Crab Crawl: www.eurekamainstreet.org/node/1319
Co-op News Reference Guide Meetings
Board of Directors
Co-op members are invited to attend. Feb 5 | 6-8pm Co-op Community Kitchen, Eureka March 5 | 6-8pm Co-op Community Kitchen, Arcata (Plaza Point building across 8th Street from our Arcata store location) Apr 2 | 6-8pm Co-op Community Kitchen, Eureka Feb 21 | 12:45-4:30pm Member-invited portion of Board Retreat and Awakening the Dreamer Symposium. RSVP by Feb 17. See page 4
Member Action Committee
Members are encouraged to attend. Feb 11 | 6-8pm Co-op’s Ten Pin Warehouse, 793 K St, Arcata.
Finance Committee
Meets quarterly. Co-op members are invited to attend. Date, Time and location to be determined.
Co-op Sponsored Events
Feb 6-8 Eureka Crab Crawl Festival, organized
by Eureka Main Street, is intended to showcase our local crabbing and fishing industries. Festivities will take place in Downtown and Old Town Eureka. The full schedule of events is at www.eurekamainstreet.org/ node/1319. The Co-op’s Eureka location will be a stop on the Friday, February 6 Crab Crawl (see above). Mar 7-8 Bowl for Kids’ Sake, hosted by Big Brothers Big Sisters of the North Coast, takes place at Harbor Lanes in Eureka. The Co-op has a team of employees who will be bowling on March 7 at 4:30pm. Come show your support! For a full schedule of events, visit www.ncbbbs.org/events/bfks.php. Mar 8 Sheila Jordan with Cameron Brown at Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka at 8pm. Hosted by the Redwood Jazz Alliance Concert, more info at www.redwoodjazzalliance.org/2014-15.html. Mar 26 Taste of Main Street, organized by Eureka Main Street, takes place in Downtown and Old Town Eureka and kicks off the Jazz Festival. The Co-op’s Eureka location will be a stop on the tour. Tickets for the event can be purchased at the Co-op’s Customer Service counters. More info at www.eurekamainstreet.org/. Mar 26-29 Jazz Festival, coordinated by Redwood Coast Music Festival, features five performance venues all over Eureka. Tickets for the event can be purchased
at the Co-op’s Customer Service counters. For a full schedule of events, visit www.redwoodjazz.org/index.php.
Co-op at Events
Feb 10 Transportation Safety Committee, City of Eureka, meets at 3:30pm to consider Humboldt Transit Authority’s proposal to move the bus stop at 4th & D Streets to 4th & B Streets. The Co-op requested this move several years ago and just recently received notification that it will be on the agenda. Contact Melanie Bettenhausen at (707) 382-3128 or melanieb@northcoast.coop. Feb 25 Humboldt Food Policy Council meets from 3-4:30pm to continue work on policies that affect all aspects of our food system. If you would like to get involved, contact Melanie Bettenhausen at (707) 382-3128 or melanieb@northcoast.coop.
Deadlines
Feb 10 Letters to the Editor (see p. 9) Feb 17 Deadline to RSVP for Board Retreat and Awakening the Dreamer (see p. 4) Feb 28 We Love Our Members Giveaway due (see p. 8)