August 2013 Newsletter

THE GREENE HILL FOOD COOP - AUGUST 2013 NEWSLETTER

In this issue Ah, late summer. We’ll be brief this month. There’s no General Meeting in August, but mark your calendars for our fall screening event. Just in time for the dog days comes the new Summer Roast from Oslo; read on to learn how to make the perfect cold brew. Also great for summer? Our recipe for a mushroom salad that will only set you back $5.43. This month’s Q&A will give you the lowdown on the Co-op’s Board elections process. And finally, check out new ways to help our membership and work your hours.

Greene Hill News Next General Meeting There will be no General Meeting in August. September’s general meeting will be on Thursday, September 26th. Board Elections are Coming in September Have you been a member of the Greene Hill Food Co-op for over a year now? Are you looking to get more involved? The Board of Directors will be holding elections to fill the positions whose members are completing their terms. If you're interested in serving on the Board or wish to nominate someone else, contact governance@greenehillfood.coop as soon as possible, and tell us why your experience makes you a good nominee. This is a dynamic time for the board. New members will play a vital role in steering the board and the Co-op into a prosperous future. Get Shift Relief At the July General Meeting, the Co-op adopted new policies regarding bereavement leave (one shift excused, with notice to shifts@greenehillfood.coop), medical leave (up to 6 months, with a medical provider's note), and caregiver leave (available to a member sharing a household with a member going on medical leave, and who needs to care for that person full-time). Full details on these policies and procedures will be added to the Membership Handbook soon. For other special circumstances, the Membership Relief Council reviews requests for exceptions to the Co-op's usual policies on work shifts and member investments, and makes recommendations to our membership about how to address those requests. To make a request or ask a question, please contact membershipreliefcouncil@greenehillfood.coop.

Events Film Screening When: Friday, September 20, 2013 at 8:00 pm Where: The Outpost, 1014 Fulton Street (between Grand and Classon Avenues) Cost: Suggested donation at the door Save the date for a screening of My Brooklyn, an acclaimed documentary about gentrification in Brooklyn. The film's director Kelly Anderson will be present and participate in a Q&A after the movie. http://www.mybrooklynmovie.com The Co-op needs a screen for this event! If you own or know anyone who owns a projection screen please contact events@greenehillfood.coop. You can earn work hours for the use of the screen. Fall Celebration When: Saturday, September 21, 12pm-6pm (Rain date Saturday September 28th) Where: The Co-op's Backyard Cost: Free! The day after the film, join us for an afternoon filled with music, food-sampling and demos, mural painting, kids activities, and more! Members and non-members alike are welcome to hang out in the backyard and shop at the store so bring friends and spread the word!! There will be samples of products the Co-op carries as well as food and drink for sale. Please contact events@greenehillfood.coop if you would like to work during the day of the event for work credit or if you're a musician who would like to perform or DJ.

On the Shelf Oslo’s New Summer Roast from the Mzuzu Women’s Cooperative in Malawi The newest offering from Oslo, our local coffee supplier, is easy to love: it’s fair trade, organic, grown by smallholder farmers who are organized in a cooperative that strives to empower women, and perfect for iced or cold brew coffee. This cooperative is involved in a sustainable agricultural pilot program, which promotes the end of traditional mono-crop systems and the use of diversified, shade-grown farming methods. Oslo describes the coffee’s aroma as “complex, heavy body, pleasant acidity” with a hint of “cocoa, orange zest, and vanilla.” All for $11.34/lb. Even better than iced coffee is cold brew! Here’s how: Take 2 cups of coarse ground coffee and mix it with 7 cups of cold water in a half-gallon sized pitcher. Cover the pitcher with plastic wrap and let stand in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Pour the coffee concentrate through a fine-mesh strainer to catch the coffee grounds. Then mix equal parts of coffee concentrate and cold water or milk (more or less to taste), add ice cubes, and syrup to taste. Delicious! The coffee concentrate will keep in your fridge for up to a week, but you'll probably drink it sooner...

Try This at Home for Only $5.43! Lemony Mushroom Salad with ParsleyThis simple and fresh recipe comes courtesy of the Food Network show, Giadda at Home. The key to this recipe is slicing the mushrooms very thin. You can also add parmesan cheese. Recipe Prep time: 10 min Yield: 4 servings Ingredients: 1 lb large button mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice salt and pepper to taste Instructions Combine mushrooms and parsley in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and olive oil till smooth. Season dressing with salt and pepper to taste. Add dressing to salad and toss until well-coated. Ingredient Co-Op Price Total for Recipe Mushrooms (white) $3.33 per pound $3.33 Parsley $1.28 bunch $1.28 Lemon Juice $1.04 for 17 oz. $0.12 Olive Oil $11.58 for 34 oz. $0.68 TOTAL: $17.23 $5.43

The Co-op Q&AThis month, The Greene Hill Co-op interviews Co-op member and Governance Committee member Mindy Carner. Mindy and the Governance Committee work closely with the board, advising them on bylaws and how to regulate their Co-op activities. We interviewed her this month to find out more about the changing role of the board as we approach September elections.Q: What does being a board member entail? A: Being a board member entails having a strong commitment to and concern for the direction and successful growth of the Co-op. It requires a time commitment and comes with voting privileges regarding certain decisions for the Co-op. The board meets ten times a year for a General Meeting and once a month for a work meeting, both of which are open to all Co-op members. Q: How many people are on the board? A: There are seven members on the board, in addition to the Secretary and Treasurer who are present whenever the board meets. Q: Can you describe how the role of the board is changing? A: The board has really sort of taken on the work of what was the Steering Committee. The board is no longer just running the General Meetings, but is now also having monthly working sessions to discuss the development of, and successful direction of the Co-op. They are taking a much more active role in the business of the Co-op, and ensuring that the committees are working together and communicating, rather than just working independently. They will have committee liaisons, rather than just hearing committee reports at the meetings. Transparency is a very high priority for the new board. Q: What is the board working on right now? A: Currently they are developing their working agreement and mission statement, along with setting parameters for the expectations that they place upon the people in the board member positions. Q: Can you describe the nominations process? A: The first step in creating the ballot is soliciting nominees. The Governance Committee functions as the ad hoc “Nominations Committee,” which solicits and accepts nominations for the board. All nominees must be members “in good standing with a minimum of one year of membership,” and may not be employed by the Co-op. Nominations for the Board of Directors may be made by: (a) self-nomination, (b) member nominations, (c) Nominating Committee recommendations, or (d) the floor. Once nominated, members who are willing to stand for election must compose a statement providing relevant information about their background and why they are running for a position. When the nominations period has ended, the nominees can be entered into the ballot. Q: How do the elections work? A: The vote happens online or at the General Meeting. A ballot and nominee biographies will be e-mailed to the members, who have one week to cast their vote. The online election is closed prior to the General Meeting, where members can opt to vote in person. On the day of the election, paper ballots are counted, votes tallied, and the results announced.

Work & Shift Opportunities Financial Wizard Wanted The Finance Committee is upgrading the Co-op’s bookkeeping this summer so that members can receive financial statements on a regular basis. The committee needs help from members with experience in accounting and/or bookkeeping, or even from members interested in learning about these areas. We could use more assistance for the next few months. Our excellent bookkeeping team would also welcome more assistance on an ongoing basis. Please email finance@greenehill.coop if you’re able to help. Monthly Orientation for New Members The Co-op will be developing an "in-house" monthly orientation for new members at the beginning of their membership which will allow new members to see the store and learn what the Co-op is all about. This project needs a small group of volunteers to facilitate and prepare this orientation. If interested, email nick@greenehillfood.coop. Join the Membership Relief Council The Membership Relief Council needs new folks. Are fairness and equity important to you? Are you responsive to emails? By joining Membership Relief, you could help the Co-op make important policy decisions (without a big time commitment). Contact us at membershipreliefcouncil@greenehillfood.coop. Help Get Members Back to Work The Greene Hill Co-op is putting together a small working group to help get members back to work. We have an experienced facilitator, but need 3-4 people who would like to bring some fresh ideas and energy to this initiative and help support the Board with this ongoing challenge. The group will be meeting during the week of August 12. We need to make this happen. Interested? Email nick@greenehillfood.coop Plus, tabling opportunities: August 17, noon–4:00 p.m. NYCHA Tomkins Family Day - noon-4pm - Tompkins Ave. between Myrtle Ave. and Stockton Street Wednesdays, July-October, 8:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. Myrtle Ave Farm Stand, corner of Myrtle and North Portland Avenues. Contact tabling@greenehillfood.coop to sign up.

Et ceteraVoting sign by Jody Morris. My Brooklyn image by Laurie Sumiye. Mushrooms by Sally Crossthwaite. (Unless otherwise noted, photos courtesy of their subjects/producers.) The Greene Hill Food Co-op Newsletter is edited by Carola Burroughs, Debbie Grossman, Matthew Hayes, and Alexandra Miller. Contact us with any feedback, suggestions, or requests at newsletter@greenehillfood.coop.