October 2015 Newsletter

THE GREENE HILL FOOD COOP - OCTOBER 2015 NEWSLETTER

Catching You Up on Co-op News Wonder what was happening at the Co-op that day? Read on to find out! We’re getting into the swing of the season with a pumpkin and root vegetable curry and plenty of fun events planned for the fall – starting with our Halloween Open House on Saturday, October 24. Bring the kids and give your costumes a trial run! This is also a membership drive event, so invite your friends and neighbors to join us and give the store a try. Our annual elections for the Board of Directors are slated for December 16. The board plays a crucial role in keeping the Co-op running smoothly and making our vision become reality. Know someone who would make a great director? Want to nominate yourself? Find out how. And mark your calendar to make sure you’ll be at the December general meeting to vote on the candidates. If you’ve got questions about being a director, you can learn plenty more from our governance committee chair, Mira DeJong, in this month’s Co-op Q&A. Brooklyn wine-centric restaurants and bars will be helping support the Co-op by selling books of 2-for-1 discount coupons...and so can you, while saving money! See below for the full story and how to get them. And it’s TurkeyTime at Greene Hill again! .see below for how to place your orders. Want more updates from the Co-op? Follow us on Facebook for news on events, what's in the store, open shifts and more. You can also follow us on Instagram for a fun look at what other members are doing with Co-op products as well as what's going on in the store.

What’s Up Next at the Co-op? The next General Meeting will be held at the Co-op on Wednesday, October 28, from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. This month, we’ll be discussing how to incentivize people to join the Co-op, and hear updates from the committees. Meetings are open to all member-owners and they’re a wonderful opportunity to bring your concerns or ideas for making our co-op better. Check out the meeting agenda for details.

Mark Your Calendar! Annual Co-op Director Elections on Wednesday, December 16It’s time for the annual election of new members to the Board of Directors. Of the nine director positions on the Board, we have six openings to fill. Being on the Board means taking a very active role in the business of the Co-op, and of course you get work credit for your time! Directors play a key role in the monthly general meetings (GMs), ratifying the votes of the members and helping to see through to action any decisions made. A quorum (five directors) must be present at all GMs for voting purposes. While the Board does not meet in private, they do discuss and take action on important topics over email in between GMs. To be elected to the Board, a member-owner must have at least one year in good standing at the Co-op. The candidate must have the ability to commit to regular attendance at the monthly GMs, liaise with a committee, participate in long-term projects/planning for the Co-op, and, if necessary, participate in emergency matters. Terms are for one, two or three years. Director Nominations Due (at the latest) by Wednesday, November 18 You can nominate yourself or someone else to the Co-op Board of Directors by sending an email to governance@greenehillfood.coop with a short explanation as to why you (or your nominee) would make a good director. Ultimately, we’ll need a brief biography and a current photo of any nominees, as well as their contact information. It is strongly recommended that nominees attend the December 16 GM, where they will have an opportunity to introduce themselves and give a small pitch before a final, in-person vote takes place at the meeting. Please feel free to reach out to governance@greenehillfood.coop with any questions.

Halloween Open House, October 24We're having an Open House at the Greene Hill Food Co-op, and the harvest season is the reason! A whole lot of autumnal crops are moving onto our shelves, and we're inviting members, friends, and neighbors to come learn about our fresh, local, and low priced groceries! We'll be dishing out food samples, healthy recipe ideas, and even some cooking demonstrations to really get those culinary gears turning for the new season! This spooky Open House will be held Saturday, October 24 from 10AM–6PM at the Co-op (18 Putnam Avenue). Anyone and everyone is welcome to come explore the store--so invite your friends! The kids are invited, and costumes are encouraged! This event is being held in conjunction with international Food Day, and with the Park Slope Food Co-op to celebrate their support and recent collaborative efforts (we are the first PSFC loan recipient!). We're looking for friendly folks to help out with the event, and to give out candy and flyers on Halloween as well! See the Help Wanted section if this is something that you're interested in doing. If you're rather busy and can't make it -- don't worry! We have two other open houses that we're cooking up to celebrate Thanksgiving (November 21) and Winter/Our Birthday (December 12)!! And don’t forget to make us a stop on your Trick or Treat route with the little ones on Halloween Day!

Turkey Time at Greene Hill again! If you are thinking about a turkey for your Thanksgiving holidays, Greene Hill Food Co-op is again organizing acquiring turkeys from a local farm. Any member-owners interested in participating, please email rossediamond@gmail.com to get on the list! Pricing, delivery dates, and other details to follow soon!

Brooklyn Wine Books to support the Co-op!Our friends at Brokelyn are selling these beautifully designed, brand new Brooklyn Wine Books, a 2-for-1 passport to 20 great Brooklyn wine-centric restaurants and bars, six of them in Clinton Hill and Fort Greene. These highly giftable books are available for $20. Brokelyn has generously offered to donate 25 percent of proceeds this week—that’s $5 a book—to the Co-op. They will also be selling the books at this Saturday's open house. Buy a book for yourself or grab a few to give as holiday gifts to friends, teachers—and any other wine lovers you can think of. How else can you save on your bar tab while supporting local restaurants, the Co-op and an indie media company all at once? See the full list of participating venues and purchase a book here. (Feel free to circulate on social media and help us raise even more money for the Co-op.) Don’t wait, get one of these books NOW, get some deals and help the Co-op all at the same time!

Broad City Comes to the Co-opRemember how the Co-op was closed on October 5 and 6? It’s because we were hosting the cast and crew of Broad City, a Comedy Central sitcom set in NYC! The show, now filming its fourth season, is written and directed by Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobsen, who star in the show as best friends and who, as described in The New Yorker, “work crappy jobs, bump around town, get into mischief, and, with genial vulgarity and dirtbag charm, accidentally complicate their lives.” As far as we can tell from the photos we took during their shoot, this rambunctious duo also shops at their local food co-op! During their two-day shoot, the crew reportedly bought some snacks, and gifted us with a large and colorful new Co-op sign that now hangs on the back wall. The episode at the Co-op will air sometime in 2016, so keep an eye out!

Leasing Our Expansion Space At September's general meeting, it was voted that we would give part of our store back to our landlords for them to rent out. We have an amazing deal on rent, so rather than face a big rent hike when our lease is re-signed (yes, it’s been almost five years since we first signed our lease!), we are going to downsize our expansion space given that we are not using it to its full potential, and will not be in the near future. The landlord is currently seeking a commercial tenant to take the western half of the Co-op expansion space, and will handle the division of store and utilities. It’s a win-win solution for everyone. We keep our affordable rent, the landlord brings in more income, and the space gets used more efficiently.

Pumpkin and Root Vegetable CurryRecipe by Molly Neuman Pumpkins are so delicious and versatile. They’re easy to make into a delicious savory soup, a puree or a sweet dessert. This recipe is really satisfying and hearty. We served it with steamed rice but you could add a bit more water or stock and it would make a great stew on its own. I'm sure it's not hard to do a slow-cooker version if you're so inclined, but it really doesn't take long to make at all. I found this recipe at Martha Stewart and adjusted it slightly by using a bunch of assorted root vegetables (I blanched them for about five minutes to give them a headstart in softening), added a can of chickpeas for a bit of protein, and added a knob of butter and splash of tamari at the end to round out the flavors, but those are easily left out if you prefer. This version is fairly mild so if you like heat, add some fresh chili of your preference. This is definitely something that will be better the next day and will store well in the fridge or freezer. P.S. don't forget to roast those pumpkin seeds! Ingredients: 3 T olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped 2 T curry powder (or your own blend of turmeric, cumin, chili powder) ½ t cinnamon ½ t ground ginger 1 t salt ½ t freshly ground black pepper 2 tomatoes, chopped ⅔ cup water 1 pound pumpkin, peeled and chopped 1 carrot, chopped 1 potato, chopped 1 turnip or other root vegetables 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 T butter 1 T Tamari or shoyu This recipe makes four to eight servings. Total cost of ingredients is $10.20 -- or just $1.25 to $2.55 per serving. DIRECTIONS Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute until soft; add the garlic until cooked through (about 30 seconds.) Add the spices and blend well with the vegetables in the pan. Add the tomatoes and cook until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add the water, the pumpkin and root vegetables. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil while gently stirring the ingredients together. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring a couple of times, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add the chickpeas and let simmer for another five minutes until warmed through. Remove from the heat, add the butter and tamari and stir thoroughly.

The Co-op Q&A with Mira DeJong by Aly Miller Meet your Bed-Stuy neighbor and fellow member-owner, and our governance committee chair, Mira DeJong! Look for her on Saturday afternoons and be sure to let her know if you’d like to nominate a board member. Q: How did you hear about the Co-op and what were some of your reasons for joining? A: I learned about the Co-op through a friend, after she prepared us an amazing brunch with fresh eggs, gouda cheese, apples, and sourdough, all from Greene Hill Food Co-op. (Co-op trivia note: the sourdough at that time was from Amy's Bread, before we started our relationship with Bread Alone.) I joined in June or July 2013, mostly for the groceries, but what really hooked me is the feeling of camaraderie between member-owners. Greene Hill is one of those surprising places that manage to make New York City feel small and intimate. Q: What’s your current role at the Co-op? A: I work as a shift leader on Saturday afternoons, and I'm also chair of the governance committee. If anyone with a legal background is reading this and would be interested in joining the governance committee, give me a shout at governance@greenehillfood.coop! Our current project is preparing for the annual Board of Director elections taking place at December's general meeting. Right now we're looking for nominees! We have six board seats to fill. Q: Where would you like to see the Co-op in five years? Ten? A: In five years time, I'd like to see us grow our membership and our infrastructure. With increased membership comes better-staffed shifts, and I think that makes all the difference in terms of creating a pleasant environment to work and shop in. And the more people who become active member-owners, the more room we have to grow and expand our inventory. I'd also like to see us do more to engage the local community and to develop and encourage diversity. In 10 years, I want to see us growing and thriving, open for business seven days a week with fully-staffed shifts and an ever-expanding inventory. I'd like to see us take full advantage of the expansion space and for Greene Hill Food Co-op to become a household name. Q: What are you interested in outside of Co-op happenings? A: Outside of the Co-op, I work in immigration law, and I'm in school part-time at CUNY. I spend a lot of time thinking about what to add to my New York Public Library holds list, and about where I'm running to next. My ideal weeknight is spent roasting vegetables and eating a tasty dinner, followed up by too much ice cream and some mindless laughs. On weekends you'd probably find me out at a show in Brooklyn, or at home with my partner, his seven-year old daughter, our two guinea pigs, and our cat, Zippy. Q: What are some of your favorite foods at the Co-op right now? A: My favorite products from the Co-op mostly fall into the dessert category, which is no surprise, given my massive sweet tooth. I love the apple cider donuts and Talenti gelato, and even though I eat dairy, I really enjoy the Three Little Birds vegan ice cream. Seven Stars yogurt is also a staple for me, which I'll eat for breakfast with some Bear Naked granola and a cup of Oslo coffee. I'm also a big fan of our ricotta and mozzarella cheeses.

Help WantedAll members work a 2½ hour shift every 4 weeks. It's part of being a member/owner. Here are some opportunities to earn work credit. Urgently Seeking Newsletter Managing Editor We need a new managing editor starting with the November edition of the newsletter. This is a fun job and one that’s easy to do from home. You’ll coordinate the monthly newsletter submissions and work with a great team. Email marketing@greenehill.coop for more information. Open House Event(s) Help Needed We’ve got lots of events coming up in the next few months: three open house events and, of course, Halloween! We’re looking for folks to do outreach and to help on the day of each event. Earn work hours while partying at the Co-op (in a costume, if you’re lucky)! Event dates: Fall Open House (October 24), Halloween (October 31), Thanksgiving Open House (November 21), and Winter Holiday Open House (December 12). You can sign up for a slot here or contact outreach@greenehillfood.coop. Merchandising Committee Needs New Members Interested in how food ends up on the Co-op shelves each week? Join us and make the magic happen. This position requires a 2.5 hour monthly commitment (like any regular work shift), including attending one monthly meeting of 1.5 hours. You’ll take inventory and order one key product from a small, local vendor like Mu Mu Muesli, North Fork potato chips or Granola Lab. If interested, email merchandising@greenehillfood.coop. Seeking Shift Leader Co-Coordinator Help the Shift Leader Coordinator with email traffic, scheduling, social media contact, representation at General Meetings and Shift Leader Meetings. Not necessary to be a shift leader (yet!). Organizational skills a plus! Work load is 2.5 to 5 hours/month depending on your availability. For further information contact Matthew Talmage at shiftleaders@greenehillfood.coop. Local Outreach & Communications Support Needed! We need folks to help grow our membership, keep the Co-op looking snappy, and tell our story in new and compelling ways. The Marketing and Outreach Committees are looking for members to help with a variety of tasks, including: neighborhood outreach (canvassing, events, partnerships); design and branding (graphic design, copywriting, labels, signage), and communication strategy (messaging, social media). Email marketing@greenehillfood.coop to help out!

Et ceteraCredits: Credits: Broad City shoot pics by Ruth Sherman, new Co-op sign pic from Renée Renata Bergan, pumpkin curry pic by Molly Neuman. The Greene Hill Food Co-op Newsletter is edited and published by (in alphabetical order) Carola Burroughs, Sonia Garbes Putzel, DK Holland, Alexandra Miller, Amy Nazer, Molly Neuman, and Gitta Zomorodi. Contact us with any feedback, suggestions, or requests at newsletter@greenehillfood.coop. Join and/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 follow us on Twitter. Or simply stop by our store at 18 Putnam Avenue (off Grand Avenue) with any questions!