Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op / Spring 2014
Earth Day Roanoke Saturday, April 26 Grandin Village
Board Election BALLOTInside
Âť
optimist
Welcome
Advertising The Co-optimist is a publication of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op. For advertising information, please e-mail info@roanokenaturalfoods.coop or call (540) 904-5700. Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op Grandin Village 1319 Grandin Road, SW Roanoke, VA 24015 Open 8am - 9pm, Every Day Phone: (540) 343-5652 Fax: (540) 343-5711 Market Square 1 Market Square, SE Roanoke, VA 24011 Open 10am - 7pm, Sunday & Monday 9am - 7pm, Tuesday - Saturday Phone: (540) 904-2733 Fax: (540) 343-5711 Staff General Manager: Bruce Phlegar Human Resources Coordinator: Elizabeth Wilson Marketing Coordinator: John Bryant Center Store Coordinator: Lisa Balkom Fresh Foods Coordinator: Diana McGuire Wellness Coordinator: Elizabeth Good Market Square Store Coordinator: Jon Shup Farm Coordinator: Conor Rice Special Projects Coordinator: Jim Crawford Front End Team Coordinator: Heidi Garrabrant Accounting Team Leader: Carleen Greenman Produce Team Leader: Emily McDonald Deli Team Leader: Missy Martin Editor John Bryant john@roanokenaturalfoods.coop Design & Layout Joe Burge Photography Jon Shup & Jim Crawford Contributors John Bryant Gayle Cooley Jim Crawford Greg Johnston Board Of Directors President: Gayle Havens Cooley Vice President: Bob Capper Treasurer: Ron McCorkle Secretary: Sandy Taylor Sam Eakin Ian Fortier Bryan Hantman Kerstin Plunkett Krista Stevenson Content of this newsletter should not be used or construed as medical advice. On the Cover: Daphne Rose Beale, with an “Earth” face painting, at the Earth Day Roanoke Celebration on April 20, 2013. Photo by Jon Shup. www.roanokenaturalfoods.coop © 2014 Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op
2 Co-optimist
John Bryant Marketing Coordinator
It was great to welcome the first snow of spring. On March 25, five days after the spring equinox, the sun shone brilliantly through the falling snow that eventually totaled what I figured to be close to 3”; I could still see the full blooms of the daffodils in my yard. Spring, though it is the season for hope and renewal, can be downright perplexing. I get that anxious anticipation of finally getting the Boston ferns out of my dining room, the wonderment of seeing if the lawn mower will start without an hour of tune ups, and the inevitability of getting my first sunburn of the year at the Earth Day Roanoke Celebration on Grandin Road. Every year my wife says wear sunblock and every year I say, “I’m good.” Every. Year. However, one thing remains true about spring, it’ll happen. From even the coldest of winters, spring will always emerge, bringing with it new life, energy and inspiration. This issue of the Co-optimist is all about renewal. We have information on the newly renovated market square in Downtown Roanoke, which opens in early spring. Fresh stories from two of our owners in our continuing series called “Sharing your Stories”. Greg Johnston of Dancing Crane inspires us all to use spring as another chance to get things right, with our bodies, our minds and in our lives. Also inside this issue, you will also find the ballot for Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op’s Annual Board of Directors’ Election. Five candidates from our pool of over 3,500 owners have put their names in the hat with the hopes of being elected to the co-op’s board of directors. If you’re an owner, be sure to vote using the enclosed ballot. You know, there’s something else that is true about spring, the old saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” If the snow at the end of last month surprised you, keep in mind that in 2013, it snowed on March 24.
Contents 3 New City Market
7
2014 Board Elections 13 Apple Ridge Farm
4 Sharing Your Stories 11 Real Food
14 Health & Wellness
6
15 Classes & Events
A Year of Growing
12 Board Talk
New Downtown City Market The city of Roanoke has invested over $1M to create more public space downtown.
Photo Jon Shup
The arrival of Spring brings a new venture with old roots to Downtown Roanoke. The new market square opens in April with more farmstands, a lunchtime fun series and community space that’s sure to be a destination for Roanoke natives and new comers. Ten farmstands will move out to Campbell Avenue to give the market a design similar to its look back in the 1970s. Market staples like Woods Farm and Walters Greenhouse will continue to highlight the new and improved historic City Market. Downtown Roanoke, Inc will manage the market including a new series called “City Market Lunch Break”. Downtown organizations like the Taubman Museum of Art, the Transportation Museum, Center in the Square and others will offer unique programming in the newly renovated space Monday thru Friday starting at 11am. The lunch break series is sure to include music and cooking demos as well. Visit the new Downtown City Market, where farmers and vendors are setup from 8am-4pm every day; it’s just outside the doors of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op: Market Square.
Renderings Downtown Roanoke Inc.
Spring 2014 3
Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op is owned by a diverse group of more than 3,500 people in our community!
s to
Ros Mulinda Homemaker
Don’t ask Rosalyn Mulinda (Ros) what she’s proud of, ask what she’s happy and grateful for. “I’m grateful for appreciating life. If one of my kids gets a good grade, I say, ‘Oh I’m happy for you,’ versus ‘I’m proud of you,’ because they get pumped up enough by that word. I’ve had good times in my life, I’m definitely grateful for that,” she says. “I have three children and I help my husband, my kids and my dogs,” says this self-described homemaker. Ros was born in Philadelphia. She met her Ugandan husband, James, at a Christmas party seventeen years ago. They married and moved to Houston, Texas for nine years. But, she says, “My husband wanted a better life. He’s the type that researches, and so here we are in Roanoke.” A year after moving to Roanoke in 2005, she discovered Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op. Our co-op has a quality that she hasn’t found in other coops. “It is, most importantly, energizing,” she says. Her need for energy is no doubt amplified by her three daughters, ages 12, 14, and 15. “They love sports,” she says. “They are close in age and they are good friends, so that’s a plus. But when they were small,” she says, giving a look of harried exhaustion, “oh, try and do three toddlers. You know, I wish I had the co-op back then.” 4 Co-optimist
Ros is grateful for the co-op in many ways. “The people who work there are aware of the different human values, and to me, that is important. My kids also like the co-op and Grandin Village offers ballet, which they have practiced since age three. So it was just a perfect fit.” “Ever since I was able to care for myself as a young adult, I have always been interested in health and wellness,” she says, “I’m a person who cooks.” When speaking of her parent’s influence on her food awareness, she says, “The foods might have been more commercial than what I would select now, but we did have natural foods. My grandmom had a farm in her backyard, so did my dad—vineyards, watermelons.” Ros tries to instill in her daughters another value: giving. “I tell my kids all the time, ‘life isn’t all about you, it’s not every year that you have to have some birthday extravaganza.’ I actually have been asking them to do something for someone else on their birthday,” she says. Ros knows the origin of this trait. “It’s from my Mom, she was always helpful to people we didn’t know. We helped many people,” she says and quietly adds, “We have given up our lives for many people.” When Ros was young, a fire consumed a neighbor’s house, killing the mother and five children. “My mother actually helped parent the children that were left, and worked with the father of the children that were left and helped get another home to settle the children,” she says. “So we’ve given pretty much,” she says, as another family example of giving dear to her heart surfaces. Ros’ uncle, Ronald McNair, a physicist and astronaut was the second African American to orbit the earth, but his second launching into space ended in disaster aboard the Challenger Spacecraft. “I don’t have the courage to try to go to the moon,” she says, “but we all supported him for the thing that he wanted to do—for the country, for himself. I guess it does go back some generations of selflessness, not so much thinking of ourselves.” Ros describes her becoming an owner of the co-op as a natural progression. “Well, I liked what I was involved with, and then you just put yourself behind something that you want to see happen. So it just seemed like a natural progression to me,” she says. “I’m always wanting to improve and to see things flourish that are good. I think it’s an excellent place, I really do.”
A Continuing Series! HEAR THESE STORIES & MORE ON 101.5 FM THE MUSIC PLACE
ries
Stories and photos by Jim Crawford
Bryan Hantman Marketer & Co-op Board Member
Bryan Hantman’s journey from his childhood haunts in the suburbs of Philadelphia to his being an owner and board member of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op has a feeling of inevitability. He grew up in a close-knit family, with nearby woods and a creek to explore, “just to be away for hours.” Bryan’s nurturing childhood, college experiences, work and travel, laid the foundation from which his life “sort of just unfolded in itself.” His connections to cooperatives and cooperative principles began when he attended the University of Maryland and became involved in a worker-owned co-op on campus. This led to his involvement with a group that was organizing a reliable, organic food distribution system for eight different co-ops in a large region including College Park and Frederick, Maryland, into DC and Northern Virginia. This was in the 90’s, when co-ops were thriving, and the landscape was changing as grocery stores offering organic produce entered the region and competition increased. “I really saw the importance of ownership of food production as important—having access to good, organic food,” he says. This cooperative interest expanded when he graduated from college and moved to Madison, Wisconsin. There he and his girlfriend lived in a housing cooperative of 9 houses. Their house had 34 other residents, paying a reduced rent in exchange for 16 hours of work in the house each month. Chores included administrative work, cleaning, cooking, keeping the food shelves stocked and any other of the needs of running such a household. “I went from working in a co-op before I graduated from college to doing all sorts of crazy jobs out in Madison, before I decided to come back to Maryland to go to grad school. So it was just part of my piecing together how to live cooperatively with people,” he says. In grad school he studied comparative literature, and also took adjunct teaching positions where he used the web as a teaching tool and taught himself graphic design and web authoring. It is this skill along with the many lessons of cooperative living that landed him a job in 2011 at Ferrum College as Web Manager and Lead Designer. Bryan started shopping at the co-op when he and his wife, artist Doreen Starling, came to Roanoke for his Ferrum job. He was elected to the board of the co-op six months after he moved into the area. As he recalls, “I thought, ‘Oh sure, why not.
I need to meet people, I am new to the area, that will be a great way to get involved,’ and I submitted my application.” Bryan’s experience with various cooperatives has taught him some important lessons. “Be nice to people,” he says, “cooperation is vital; the more people can learn to cooperate with each other, the less stress we are going to have and the less wars we are going to have. I was figuring out how difference in opinion, difference in our visions, difference in background, how all of that can be put aside for the benefit of a community. “ Bryan views co-op ownership as key to a healthy cooperative. “You are empowered as an owner to have influence, not on the day-to-day activities of the co-op but the overall vision of the co-op, where the co-op is going,” he says. “There are a lot of benefits being on the board,” he says, “we have a small stipend, we get a certain percentage off of our grocery purchases. But I think most importantly, we are in the know of what is going on with the co-op and we are being responsible for the other thousands of owners out there to make sure that the co-op is making good decisions.” “Roanoke is starting to get its groove on,” he says. “When the opportunity came and we visited Roanoke to see if it would be a place that we could move to, we found the Taubman Museum of Art, we found the co-op. We really liked the vibe of Grandin, downtown in general, and just being really close to the Blue Ridge. We decided we’d move here and it’s been a great decision.” Spring 2014 5
HERITAGEPOINT
The co-op’s Heritage Point Urban Farm turns a year old
Meet the farm staff
You’ve heard of the “Freshman 15”, right? How about the “Freshman 500”? In just one year of growing at Heritage Point, the co-op’s own urban farm, co-op farmers harvested, triple washed, packaged and delivered more than 560 pounds of salad greens to the co-op’s stores on Grandin Road and Market Square. The first eggs from Heritage Point that were sold at the co-op arrived on April 26, 2013. Since that first sale, the co-op has sold 1,321 dozen more. This spring Heritage Point is planning to do even more. The farm now has the full use of two hoop houses, which kept the temperatures high enough to produce food throughout this blustery cold winter. The farm crew, Conor Rice & Nathan Kinsey, will be irrigating an additional 1.5 acres and growing spring and summer favorites like squash, radishes, cucumbers and more. Co-op shoppers contributed $2,411.30 to the farm through the Give Up! program, which will go toward the purchase of deer fencing around this additional acreage at Heritage Point. The co-op plans to spend its sophomore year at Heritage Point growing more delicious food and tending to its growing flock of 350+ chickens. This production will take place on the 17.5 acres around the barn. The farmers will also focus on
Conor Rice (left), Farm Manager Conor joined the Heritage Point team back in January 2013. He came to the Roanoke area after apprenticeships on farms in Maine, Massachusetts and Northern California.
Nathan Kinsey (right), Farm Hand Nathan worked in the grocery department at the co-op on Grandin Road before joining the Heritage Point team in Summer 2013. Nathan grew up working on his family farm, Kinsey Orchard, in Botetourt County.
soil improvements at the 7.4 acres of flat land leased from the city of Roanoke, by taking time to enrich the nutrients in the soil and build a larger, deeper bed of organic matter. This land has not been farmed in over 40 years, back when the whole industrial park was Blue Hills Farm, owned by Clem Johnston, a wholesale grocer and former president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, so it will take time to get the land back in shape. 2014 is going to be exciting. Check out Heritage Point on Facebook and visit www.farmroanoke.com for updates throughout the year.
LIRA PLUMBING, LLC Solving your family’s plumbing problems safely, correctly and economically, the first time!
JEFF LIRA 6 Co-optimist
540.204.8526
www.liraplumbingandheating.com
Photo Jim Crawford
A Year of Growing
YOU can make a
difference It is time for the owners of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op to vote in the Annual Board of Directors Election. The co-op’s board is a collection of nine community oriented, civic-minded owners. Starting this year, there will be one additional seat added each year for three years, as the board looks toward a robust group of twelve members in 2016. The board is a diverse group of individuals entrusted with providing the co-op with progressive strategic planning, strong fiscal management, and enthusiastic support for Virginia’s largest and oldest natural foods cooperative. Board members are financially compensated for their time and commitment. The business and affairs of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op are governed by the cooperative’s board of directors. The board meets formally once a month as a group and throughout the month in various committees.
2014 BOARD ELECTIONS
Each board member is elected to serve for a term of three years. In October, after the election of new members, the board of directors elects a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer, with no officer holding more than one office simultaneously. On the following pages you will find bios for each of the five candidates for the co-op’s board of directors as well as a mail-in ballot. Please take the time to read up on each candidate and cast your vote before the deadline on Sunday, May 4. You must be an owner in good standing for your vote to count. To learn more about the how the co-op’s board of directors operates, and to read the guiding documents of your food co-op, including the Bylaws & Policy Governance, please visit www.roanokenaturalfoods.coop.
Turnthe page MEET THE CANDIDATES & VOTE
Spring 2014 7
2 0 1 4
BOB capper Currently vice president of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op, Bob has served more than 15 years on the co-op board during three terms. In prior terms as board president, he initiated the use of the policy governance method of governance by the board of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op. He also facilitated the conversion of the organization’s membership structure to utilize patronage rebate, ensuring the future growth and stability of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op. In his current term on the board, Bob has been instrumental in directing the organization’s attention to the need for an urban farm, resulting in the purchase in 2012 of Heritage Point, the country’s largest contiguous urban farm. In his next term, Bob will be working to create a plan to increase owner engagement and triple the number of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op owners in the next three to five years. Bob has operated a successful engineering practice in the Roanoke Valley for 25 years and owns and operates Pae’s Academy of Tae Kwon Do, a martial arts school in Grandin Village. With over 15 years of study under 9th Dan Grand Master Sung Hoon Pae, he is proud to pass along skills that he has found especially helpful to children suffering from ADHD and other attention issues. In 2013 he founded Radio Free Roanoke, Inc. which will be Roanoke’s first non-profit, noncommercial, community FM radio station, located in the Grandin Village.
8 Co-optimist
B O A R D
Amanda Copeland Growing up in Radford, Virginia with all family within a thirty mile radius meant a lot of together time and many family dinners. Food equaled love and love equaled Amanda’s grandmother’s Sunday supper. Her granddaddy spent evenings after work in his garden and her talented aunt always kept the family entertained with her fabulous garden. The comfort of playing in the backyard while granddaddy picked his vegetables for supper is a memory Amanda treasurers. Amanda and her husband moved to Roanoke six years ago and for the last five years Amanda has been working as the Southwest Virginia Area Coordinator for a company that assists individuals with disabilities with finding and maintaining employment. The Copelands have a 10-month-old son, Graham. Graham frequents the co-op on Sundays to purchase his fruits and vegetables for the week. He enjoys riding in the buggy and eating at the Happy Belly Deli for lunch. Amanda and her family enjoy hiking, local music, cooking, and spending time together. They are grateful and fortunate to have family live close and typically go to Claytor Lake for the weekends in the summer. The mission and the energy of the co-op is consistent with Amanda’s values personally and professionally. She welcomes the opportunity to provide support and ideas as a board member. Amanda enjoys educating others about the benefits of supporting local businesses. Healthy, whole foods have the ability to enhance quality of life. She will always support the co-op and is thankful for this resource in our community.
O F
D I R
Ron mccorkle Currently treasurer of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op, Ron has been on the board of directors since 2010. He is the committee chair of the electronic communication committee. Ron is a teacher and practitioner of urban permaculture. He strives for social collaboration at the neighborhood level and is often a facilitator for repairing social systems. Working with city and neighborhood leaders, he attempts to reestablish lost connections of local economies. He has been collaborating toward developing our local food system for the last 8 years. Seeing pockets of food deserts in urban areas, he has identified and helped design systems of food security. Ron is the founder and director of The Urbiculture Foundation, an entity that supports and facilitates social, environmental and financial permaculture projects. He teaches participatory design at venues across the USA. While being a director of Neighborhoods USA, a national neighborhood advocacy group , Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op and Heritage Point Urban Farm, he regenerates at his urban homestead, caring for the land, his neighbors and setting up systems of free sharing. He is working toward total self-sufficiency in Southeast Roanoke. He enjoys going to the forest, working on forestry projects, often bringing them back to the city. Also a bicyclist, Ron would like to see appropriate technologies that will empower ourselves, while conserving our natural resources.
E
C T O R S
C A N D I D A T E S
2014 Annual
Owners' Social & Meeting Jim Sears Jim Sears is a consultant to Center in the Square, the organization he retired from in 2014 after serving as president for 21 years. Jim received his doctorate in education from the University of Virginia and did his post-doctoral studies at Duke University. Jim began his career in the Virginia Community College System where he served in positions from instructor to president. He is heavily involved in the Roanoke business community having extensive focus on economic development, workforce training, fundraising, education, public service, and human service. His background in human service led him to develop a special interest in environmental issues, food supply, and access to healthy foods by the general public, especially those in lower socio-economic neighborhoods. As president of Center in the Square, Jim successfully orchestrated a $30 million renovation, highlights of which include a one-of-a-kind butterfly habitat for the Science Museum of Western Virginia, as well as a green rooftop pavilion where many of the latest sustainable, green, and energy-harnessing technologies are incorporated into the design. During this renovation, Jim sought out Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op to provide a grocery store option in Downtown Roanoke, which led to the co-op opening Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op: Market Square in May 2013. Jim is supportive of community gardens and educational programs that discuss environmentally friendly activities.
Krista Stevenson Krista Stevenson currently serves on the board of directors at Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op. She is a member of the education and nomination committees and is responsible for the recording of the general manager monitoring reports. Krista is the owner and operator of a small, debt free business in Roanoke. She has created value for her company and position on the board by earning degrees in education and business administration as well as awards in leadership and customer service. Krista is well known for her exceptional networking and fast business start-up. Above all, Krista desires to accommodate her clients and continue to move her business in a sustainable, environmentally friendly direction. Her start-up business takes part in local community involvement by serving Mill Mountain Theatre, Mill Mountain Zoo and other small organizations in the community and offers environmentally friendly products. In addition to her small business, Krista has also started a program to give back to the community. In this new project she has overseen more than $1,000 to local families and individuals in need. While serving on the board of directors she has committed to bringing many new, local and sustainable ideas to the education committee. She has contributed a wide base of knowledge to the nomination committee in recruiting and attaining potential candidates. Krista enjoys spending her free time camping, hiking, and rollerblading the greenway with her son.
Sunday, May 4, 2014 Rooftop Pavillion at Center in the Square 1 Market St SE, Roanoke Social: 5:00pm $5 per owner, tickets available at both co-op locations. Owners may purchase 1 additional guest ticket. Meeting: 6:30pm The meeting portion of the evening is free to attend. Join other owners of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op at the Rooftop Pavilion at Center in the Square for a night of celebration and conversation. The multi-level green roof offers spectacular views of downtown Roanoke and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Your ticket includes one free drink (beer/wine cash bar all night) and light hors d’oeuvres from the Happy Belly Deli. During the meeting portion of the evening, general manager Bruce Phlegar will present the 2014 Annual Report and the board will open the floor for Q&A with co-op owners.
Vote now! Mail in your ballot or bring it to the co-op. Spring 2014 9
ANDIN VILLAG R E G
SATURDAY, APRIL 26
2014
FREE ADMISSION
10 am - 4 pm
re rennewabl ewab lee energy energy exh exhibits ibits Children’s Activities Activities Children’s Festive Festive Foods Foods Live Music Music LocalFarmers Farmers Crafters Live Local Crafters Eco Eco Demos Demos Recycled racers racers derby derby Recycled
Parking is free but limited. Walk or Bike if you can! www.earthdayroanoke.com, Follow us on facebook!
REALFOOD Mint Pesto Pea Soup
Prep Time: 30 Minutes, Serves 6
Soup
3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup yellow onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups vegetable broth 6 cups fresh or frozen peas 2 green onions, diced 2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced 1/4 cup sour cream
Pesto
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves 1/4 cup pine nuts 1 lemon, zest and juice 2 oz. Parmesan cheese, shredded 2 tablespoons olive oil Salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil with the butter in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sautĂŠ 5-10 minutes until onions are soft and translucent. Add half the minced garlic, and cook another minute, then add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add the peas, return to a boil, and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, then stir in the green onions, mint, sour cream, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Taste for salt and pepper. To make the pesto, put the parsley, mint, garlic, pine nuts and lemon zest and juice in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the Parmesan cheese and blend. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until blended well. Top each bowl of soup with a large spoonful of pesto, and serve warm or chilled.
Serving Suggestion Accompany this refreshing soup with a slice of quiche or a savory hand pie for a tasty lunch. If you’re lucky enough to have leftover pesto, spread it on toasted baguette slices or whole-wheat pita triangles, and top with a sprinkle of feta for a quick appetizer. This recipe and others available at www.strongertogether.coop
Spring 2014 11
BOARDTALK In other words, it is not simple a goal of our organization, it is the reason our organization exists. The co-op’s Global Ends Statement reads:
Gayle Havens Cooley Board President After a year of unprecedented growth and expansion for Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op, I’d like to spotlight a foundational document of our cooperative as a reminder for everyone about why we have worked so hard to grow the co-op. Our Ends Statement - which you see below - is, as Carver’s Policy Governanance puts it, “a very special type of goal, one that designates the results for which the organization exists, the recipients or beneficiaries of those results, and the worth of the results or the results for certain recipient groups.”
“Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op exists to create a vibrant, local and sustainable cooperative community where decisions are grounded in the balance of economic, social & environmental responsibilities.” We hope that each of you, as co-op owners, agree that our co-op’s decision to grow and expand with the additions of both Heritage Point Farm and Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op: Market Square supports our Ends. In cooperation,
Ends Statement Economy
Environment
a Members benefit from the well-being and profitability of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op.
a
Sustainable environmental practices are linked to Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op’s goods and services.
b Local producers, businesses and the community at large benefit from the presence and investment of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op.
b
The natural environment is protected by use of green technologies and energy alternatives.
Health The community has access to a selection of high quality, organic, and healthful foods and products which are reasonably priced.
Community a
Community members have a welcoming and vital marketplace.
b Owners have a sense of pride of ownership and belonging. c
Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op serves as a catalyst for community involvement in positive social change and social justice.
d Local and global communities are strengthened by a preference for fair trade products and services. e
Larger cooperative family bonds are strengthened.
12 Co-optimist
Education The cooperative community is informed about: a
Nutrition and health.
b
The Cooperative Business Model and cooperative principles.
c
Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op’s mission and ends.
d
Sustainable living.
Agriculture a
Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op consistently offers food products that are fresh, local, organic, sustainablyraised, non-GMO, humanely-raised, and cruelty-free.
b
Farmland conservation and sustainable farming methods are supported.
GIVEUP!
Apple Ridge Farm
by John Bryant
“Children can’t change where they came from, but they can change where they’re going.” Peter Lewis, President of Apple Ridge Farm As campers grow up Apple Ridge Farm remains a part of their lives. Between the ages of 14-16, campers travel to universities in our region like UVA, VT, and JMU, to name a few, to help them envision their own participation in higher learning. For many campers, this trip is the first time they’ve ever considered attending college.
Co-op shoppers raised $2,364.27 at the registers through Give Up! for Apple Ridge Farm. This money will send four youths from our area to a two week outdoor academic summer camp at Apple Ridge Farm in Floyd County.
Staff at Apple Ridge Farm, which includes just four full-time, year round employees and 12 camp counselors, pride themselves in turning their students’ lives around. They also take great pride in the sustainability of the organization, which has served the community for nearly 40 years. Apple Ridge Farm is funded in large part through grants, private donations, and businesses supporting the mission. Apple Ridge Farm also earns money year round as a corporate & group retreat. The group is also constructing three charming, rustic overnight cabins made from recycled Norfolk Southern rail cabooses. Apple Ridge Farms hopes Blue Ridge Parkway travelers will take in the beautiful fall foliage of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Apple Ridge Farm’s Caboose B&Bs. To learn more about Apple Ridge Farm, visit www.appleridge.org.
Photos Apple Ridge Farm
Apple Ridge Farm was the vision of one man, Peter Lewis, who founded the non-profit with a simple mission statement: helping kids grow. Inspired by the summers he spent on a family farm as a boy, Peter purchased 96 acres of farmland in Floyd County. Today the vision of the future of Apple Ridge Farm is carried on through the lives of the 10,000 plus youth the academic camp has served. Apple Ridge Farm spends the better part of the year fundraising through their “Send a Kid to Camp” program to make the outdoor, academic summer camp experience a reailty for under-privileged and at-risk youth in our area. Every child that attends the two week camp experience is awarded a scholarship, so families and children are not required to pay the $550 it costs to send a kid to camp. The camp program immerses kids in experiential learning by getting outdoors. Apple Ridge Farm has its own organic garden which was cultivated and planted by over 200 students. Every camper is taught life-long skills, including swimming and tennis. Some classes are taught inside, like Apple Ridge Farm’s collaboration with Virginia Tech on STEM education. STEM stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics”, the four disciplines in standard education. Campers are taught by graduate students from VT, and also travel to Tech’s campus in Blacksburg to visit the space lab and even build their own robots. In a 2012 report, Roanoke City School’s announced that Apple Ridge Farm students scored higher on their SOLs, proof that the academic support of Apple Ridge Farm is making a difference in students’ academic achievements.
Spring 2014 13
HEALTH&WELLNESS
Nineteen Springs Later A Chinese Medicine Practitioner’s View “Claim the promise of spring. Get outside! Clear your mind. Return to the earth.” Greg Johnston, Dancing Crane Center of Chinese Medicine
I have not always practiced Chinese Medicine. In my former life I was an exploration geologist. Some call it “pack mule”. I prefer “dirt sherpa”. I spent my days close to the elements digging rocks from creeks, stooped over gold pans and rinse tubs. When I was not bent over, I was packing seventy to one hundred pounds out of swamp, across prairie or up and down scree slopes where one misstep could lead to injury or death. Each day was spent outside. When it rains, it is wet. When it is cold, things are sluggish. Extreme heat makes the mind do funny things. One can not escape the consequences and order of the natural world. By the spring of ’95 I had one surgery and a year and a half of chronic pain. The job I loved was gone. As a last resort, and to end the nagging of a friend, I had my first introduction to Chinese Medicine. It was then I realized the soil of my life had been prepared for the seed of Chinese Medicine. My years spent outside observing the workings of nature was my primary training. I had embedded in my soul the core tenants underlying Chinese Medicine. All things
Now - May
14 Co-optimist
have particular natures, influences and tendencies. All things are connected. There are no exceptions. That is the soil from which the whole of Chinese Medicine springs. Now I see spring as an opportunity. The opportunity for change. The opportunity to move forward. The chance to leave the past and start anew. There are, of course, many ways this may be accomplished. This too can pose problems. Unfortunately, many times we become stuck in the mud of our minds, unsure what to do. Can anything be done? How do you come up with an answer or direction. Claim the promise of spring. Get outside! Clear your mind. Return to the earth. Plant a seed. Watch. Observe. Every day. If at the end of spring you don’t have the answer, don’t worry. Next year spring will return. Get outside! Clear your mind…you know the drill. It is hard to believe it was nineteen springs ago. Well I need to get outside. It’s sunny today. I think I’ll work in the dirt. And you, go plant something. Watch it grow.
at the Grandin Co-op
Events
April - July
Annual Owners' Social & Meeting Center in the Square’s Rooftop Pavilion One Market Square, SE Roanoke Sunday, May 4, 5:00pm - 8pm Tickets for the Owners’ Social are available at any co-op register, $5 each. Owners may purchase one additional guest ticket. See page 9 for more details.
Classes
Owners’ 10% Off Days On the second Saturday of each month, Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op owners save 10% off their purchases at both Co-op locations. Shop and save big on the following Owners’ Days:
Saturday, April 12 Saturday, May 10 Saturday, June 14 Saturday, July 12
Earth Day Roanoke 2014 Saturday, April 26, 2014 Grandin Village, Free to All This annual eco-festival will return to the Grandin Village on Saturday, April 26. The US has officially celebrated Earth Day on April 22 every year since 1970. Register and race your own homemade racecar in the new Recycled Racer Derby. www.earthdayroanoke.com
April - May
Carilion Moments Series: Eat Right, Be Fit, Reduce Risk Tuesday, April 15, 6pm - 7pm Community Room, Free to All Learn how to make mindful, active, and evidence-based diet and lifestyle choices to optimize health and wellness while reducing your risk of cancer. A review of the latest cancer prevention guidelines will be provided. With Carilion’s Angela Charlton, R.D.N
Refrigerator Pickles Made Easy Friday, April 18, 6:30pm - 8pm Community Room, $10/$5 Owners A little time in the kitchen and a few days in the fridge and you’ve got homemade pickled vegetables tailored specifically to your taste. Learn how to make them yourself with WVTF’s Veggie Chef and the co-op’s very own Andrea Mattioni-Willis.
Indian Cooking Class Tuesday, April 22, 6pm - 8pm Community Room, $10/$5 Owners
Make Your Own Kombucha Monday, April 28, 6:30pm - 8pm Community Room, $10/$5 Owners
If you love the warm spices of India then you’ll really love our Indian Cooking Class. Come partake in the rich delights of India with chef extraordinaire Lindee Katdare.
Who knew plain old tea could be this invigorating! Learn how to make your very own nutritious, delicious, refreshing kombucha with Four Corners Farm’s own Carolyn Reilly.
Carilion Moments Series: Food Sampling & Prizes Wednesday, April 23, 11am - 1pm Grandin Road Co-op, Free to All
Carilion Health Screening: Protect Your Skin Wednesday, May 7, 11am - 1pm Grandin Road Co-op, Free to All
This in-store event is hosted by Carilion’s Don Mankie, R.D. There will be Spring themed nutrition topics, food samples and recipes, along with prizes. Advanced registration not required.
Carilion’s Edie Naughton, R.N. will use a DERMASCAN skin analyzer for a free analysis of sun damage not seen by the naked eye. Sun safety tips included. No advance registration required.
Sign up today » Sign up for classes at the Co-op on Grandin Road. Class seating is limited, prepayment is required.
Spring 2014 15
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT #78 ROANOKE, VA
Grandin Village 1319 Grandin Road, SW Roanoke, VA 24015 (540) 343-5652 Market Square 1 Market Square, SE Roanoke, VA 24011 (540) 904-2733 www.roanokenaturalfoods.coop
Global Ends Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op exists to create a vibrant, local and sustainable cooperative community where decisions are grounded in the balance of economic, social and environmental responsibilities.
Join us April 26 for the
Earth Day Celebration on Grandin!
101.5 fm
the valley's music place www.1015tvmp.com stream us live on the internet
building community... naturally.