August 2014 Newsletter

THE GREENE HILL FOOD COOP - AUGUST 2014 NEWSLETTER

In this issue Ah, late summer. Dare we comment that this one has been surprisingly mild? Come to the Co-op and shop for the fruits of the season. And try some of the amazing products from the Piggery, too. Read on to learn how we’ve been doing our best to reduce food waste. Try making a cool, delicious smoothie that we swear will make you feel like you’re on vacation (even if you’re not). Read an interview with Renee Fidz, and, of course, find new great ways to work your shift.

Greene Hill News Next General Meeting: September August is summer break: please note there was no General Meeting in August. But mark your calendar and come join us on Tuesday, September 23, 7 - 9 pm at 138 S. Oxford St. Elections will be held, among other things; details will be announced in the next newsletter.

Greene Hill News Store your stuff while you work! We now have lockers that members may use during their work shift; find them in the expansion space, and keep your stuff safe while you mind the store. Thanks to long-time member April Taylor, who wrangled them from a stage set she was working on! Bring your own lock. The Greene Hill Food Co-op fights food waste Food waste is a huge issue in the United States, with 36 million tons of food wasted – that’s roughly 40% of all food! (http://www.epa.gov/foodrecovery/ and http://www.nrdc.org/food/files/wasted-food-ip.pdf are sources for these numbers.) Here at the Co-op we encounter our share of food past its prime. Here are some examples of what we do to reduce our food spoilage: We have formed a relationship with the CDSC, a local non-profit organization which runs a food bank located on Classon Avenue. We have donated older bread, dairy products, and a variety of expired but shelf-stable items. We also have a relationship with Josh Treuhaft, who created the "Salvage Supperclub", which advocates for consumers to use all bits of their sad or slightly wilted food. We donate or sell at low prices to their fundraising dinners. We put wilted or spoiled produce in our own compost, which is managed by a couple of members who are certified master composters. When our compost is ready, it will be given away to community organizations or to members. As co-operative owners, think twice before you set aside the old or slightly yellow greens! We always have a half-off pile of produce, and frequently have expired foods to offer as well. Buy Greene Hill! Help us further reduce our food waste. Win Win Win is on: Get a discount at Alice's Arbor The Win-Win-Win Program supports local businesses that support the Co-op. This month, check out one of our very first partners, Alice's Arbor. Alice's Arbor is a farm-to-table American cuisine restaurant, bar and market featuring a diverse selection of menu items and sundries. Our philosophy is crafted to support our client's needs while serving the planet and our community to the best of our abilities. We use wholesome fresh ingredients to cook, craft spirits, wine and beer at the bar and environmentally friendly packaging to send goodies home! Visit Alice's Arbor at Classon and Fulton, and show your membership fob to receive 5% off at the restaurant or in the store. (Editor’s note: I had a really delicious salad and some lovely tea there!)

Events Save the Date for the Fall Celebration! The Fall Celebration is back! Join us at the Co-op on Saturday, September 27 for food and fun with your fellow Co-op members. Want to be a part of the plan? Have an awesome activity to share? Email outreach@greenehillfood.coop to pitch in!

Product Spotlight: The PiggeryYou may have noticed that we have a new supplier of pork and various porky products: the Piggery! We’ve been working with them for a few weeks, and it’s been going great – lots of members have commented on how delicious their meat is. The Piggery is a family-owned butcher shop featuring pork and house-made charcuterie from its Trumansburg, NY-based farm, as well as pork, beef, chicken, dairy and produce from other local farms. They are a pastured small-scale operation and work with other farms raising their animals the same way. They are “Food Justice Certified,” which means that they commit to treating workers fairly and allowing them to collectively bargain, as well as respecting the environment and raising animals humanely. Right now we stock ground pork, pork chops, ribs, and a variety of sausages.

Try this at home: Mango Green Dream Smoothie This smoothie recipe will make you feel like you are on vacation, even if you only wish you were. Ingredients 1 cup coconut milk 1/2 cup coconut water 1 cup baby spinach 1/8 avocado 1/2 cup mango chunks Ice (optional) Blend together and enjoy!

The Co-op Q&A: Renee Fidz This month, we interview Renee Fidz, a longtime Greene Hill member who joined before the store opened! She lives in the neighborhood and enjoys biking and being a part of the community. Say hello to her next time you see her on the cash register! When did you join Greene Hill Co-op and what were some of your reasons for joining? I joined the Co-op about a year before it opened its storefront to give it some seed money, mostly because I'm interested in the Co-op model and how worker-owned businesses function. I also wanted to meet more people in the surrounding community and like-minded folk interested in food justice issues and organic produce. What job(s) do you work at the Co-op? I'm a cashier! I absolutely love it because I get to see all the goodies folks are purchasing and have conversations about how to best prepare ramps, for example. I always have a fun time at my shifts because of the friendly, relaxed vibe at the store and the people I encounter. What do you do out there in the real world? I try to be a better human most of the time. A lot of the time, I serve as the Web and Design Director for Transportation Alternatives, NYC's advocate for better bicycling, walking and safe streets. I'm also an avid cyclist, an artist and an activist/yogi hybrid! What's your favorite part about living in your neighborhood? The Co-op is one of my favorite parts of the neighborhood! I live just a few blocks away on Lefferts Place and Franklin Ave. I also love that I have a Citibike station on my block, a community garden and a good coffee house just a short walk away. Brooklyn is a buzzing hive of creative folks and all of my friends happen to live here too. Where do you envision the Co-op in 5 years? Maybe we’d be using ipads instead of cash registers!

Help WantedAll members work a 2 hour shift every 4 weeks. It's part of being a member /owner. Here are some opportunities to earn work credit. New Shift - Opportunity to Work From Home The Finance Committee is seeking two liaisons to handle correspondence with former members about the status of their investment refund. The Former Member Liaisons will be responsible for responding to email and for tracking refund requests in an Excel spreadsheet. Initially, the Liaisons will also be responsible for a project to bring the spreadsheet up to date. Given that the this project can be done from home, we are asking for a time commitment of approximately three hours per month from the liaisons, and a commitment to respond to emails at least weekly. The liaison needs to be someone with basic familiarity with Excel, strong customer service skills, and good attention to detail. If you're interested, please email Kate Krauss at greenehill.kate@gmail.com with a quick note about your background. New Members Needed for the Governance Committee The Governance Committee needs at least three new members in order to continue to ensure that the Co-op complies with local, state and federal laws, as well as our own by-laws. Regular governance committee member tasks include: Conducting annual and interim board/officer elections as needed. Assisting with getting necessary permits and licenses. Maximizing our organizational capacity through occasional formal strategic planning meetings, ongoing informal project management efforts, and a variety of process suggestions. Getting answers to legal issue questions as they arise. Contact us at governance@greenehillfood.coop. Board of Directors Seeks a Secretary Have you been a member of the Co-op for over a year? Are you looking to get more involved in the leadership of the organization? The Co-op is looking for a new Secretary. The Secretary is responsible for ensuring that minutes are taken at the monthly general meetings and at board meetings, that they are kept in a safe, accessible repository, and are posted on the Co-op’s website. The Secretary is not required to attend every monthly meeting and board meeting, however, s/he is responsible for delegating the task of minute-taking to another individual if s/he cannot be present. To be the Secretary you must be a member in good standing with the Co-op. Interested? Send an email to governance@greenehillfood.coop for details! Help Wanted! Design Build is Looking for New Members with Building and Millwork Experience or an Architecture/Design Background to Fill Supporting Roles There is also an opening for a new co-chair. Please email DesignBuildout@GreeneHillFood.coop if you are interested in helping us with the Expansion Space Buildout! There are plenty of hands-on and design tasks at the moment and on the radar for coming months including: expansion space buildout planning compost turning shifts carpentry work millwork design and fabrication maintenance New Tabling and Canvassing Opportunities Summertime means tabling season is in full swing! Are you interested in a shift that’s outdoors in the sun? Do you like to talk to people and engage with your community? Then this is the job for you! Just sign up on ShiftPlanning (under the label, “community tabling”) for the location of your choice. Please make sure to review the tabling instructions and contact Juliana at tabling@greenehillfood.coop before embarking on your shift. We also need canvassers to help spread the word about the Co-op! This is a great job for those of you who want to work on a flexible schedule, take strolls around the neighborhood, and love to talk with people. Canvassers pick an area and drop off promotional material at restaurants, stores, churches, apartment buildings (with their approval) and to passers-by on the streets. A copy of the canvassing map is available here. E-mail outreach@greenehillfood.coop and tabling@greenehillfood.coop if you’re interested in joining the team! Special Events Tabling Coordinator Needed The Outreach Committee is looking for a Special Events Tabling Coordinator for one-time events where the Co-op can promote healthy eating and shopping, such as local health fairs, food festivals and other appropriate events. This person will coordinate with the event organizers about the logistics of the day, and then organize and schedule tablers to represent the Greene Hill Food Co-op at these events. This role sometimes includes working with the Education Committee to coordinate food demos at these events. We already have a list of special events to start with, but this is a great job for someone who enjoys finding new opportunities for Outreach within the community. This is a 5-month position only (June-Oct.) and can be done from the comfort of your own home and on your own time. But having clear communication skills is key. If you’re interested, please contact Tara at outreach@greenehillfood.coop to learn more! Outreach Committee Administrative Co-Chair The Outreach Committee is in need of a new co-chair! This is the perfect job for someone who wants to work from home – great for parents! Our committee consists of several sub-committees, headed by fabulous leaders, who keep things moving smoothly out in the field. We now need someone to take on a few administrative duties like Outreach email correspondence, drafting of meeting agendas/notes, and approval of hours. This co-chair would also attend our monthly meetings when possible. The position may require some time additional time (2-4 hours per month), so this is also ideal for people wanting to bank hours for future time off. One year commitment is requested. If you're interested please email: outreach@greenehillfood.coop. Operations Committee Co-Chair and New Members The role of the Operations Committee is to establish procedures to ensure smooth day-to-day operations of the store. These include: Developing and updating written maintenance procedures and schedules for our physical plant and equipment along with contact and operations lists with information on procedures to be followed in case of emergency. Maintaining necessary supplies (reordering if necessary) on hand for regular cleaning and maintenance (e.g. twine, trash bags, ink, price gun stamps, tape, etc.) Providing descriptions and a list of responsibilities for each work shift, including opening, store operations, closing and receiving. Creating and clearly labeling areas for storage of practical materials needed for store function. Coordinating preparations for government inspections. Coordinating preparations for utilities, repairs, exterminator visits. Liaising with various committees necessary to store operation (IT, Merchandising, Finance, Branding) on ongoing needs. Coordinating snow removal. Contact us at ops@greenehillfood.coop. Help Build Our Financial Infrastructure The Finance Committee needs more members with financial experience, and with interest in helping build our business. We need members interested in working more than the minimum two hours every four weeks. Our start-up business still requires a lot of work, as we build up our accounting, budgeting, financial control and forecasting systems. If you'd like to help us build Greene Hill's ‘financial infrastructure,’ please email finance@greenehillfood.coop. Office Work Available Interested in doing some office work at the store? One of our members is a professional bookkeeper who has stepped up to coordinate accounting at the Co-op. She's organized bookkeeping tasks at the store into easy, well-structured steps: handling invoices, entering data into our accounting software, and so on. You'd get all the training and guidance you need, while working at a dedicated Finance desk and computer. And you'd be helping the Co-op produce financial statements on a regular basis. You can set your own hours! Please email finance@greenehillfood.coop if you'd like to join us.

Et cetera Credits: Recipe and pancake photo by Jill Hoffman. Bio photos courtesy its subject. The Greene Hill Food Co-op Newsletter is edited and published by (in alphabetical order) Anna Avrekh, Carola Burroughs, Sonia Garbesputzel, Debbie Grossman, and Alexandra Miller. Contact us with any feedback, suggestions, or requests at newsletter@greenehillfood.coop. Join or follow the Greene Hill Food Co-op! Interested in joining the Greene Hill Food Co-op? Check out our website to learn about membership, like us on Facebook, or stop by our store at 18 Putnam Ave. (off Grand Ave.) with any questions!