This month we’re welcoming 14 new members to Greene Hill. If you haven’t already done it, don’t forget to attend a new member orientation-—the next one is Sunday, May 2 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. You can also join our next board meeting on Wednesday, April 26 and learn about how the Co-op is run.
Better yet, you can join the Co-op’s board! (If you’ve been a member for a year.) We still have one seat vacant and are looking for someone passionate about our community.
We are also looking to hire more Store Coordinators to keep things running smoothly—and these are paid positions! As always, we encourage you to keep up with your shifts and to check out the Help Wanted section if you’re looking for something new. There are lots of options, especially flexible committee membership roles.
When you come to the Co-op on weekends, you’ll be greeted by a friendly face at the Membership Desk. Read on to learn more.
Our Co-op Q&A features the newsletter’s fantastic copy-editor, Carola Burroughs, whose path the to the Co-op might surprise you.
In need of some inspiration these days? See the Social Justice Spotlight for info on an upcoming panel discussion on community resistance and ideas for continuing to fight and build, hosted by the Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City.
Do you have a vision for the Co-op? Want to be part of its five-person board? Or know a member who is interested? A member who is inclined to think in terms of “dollars and sense” would be a great fit to fill this spot. The election will be held at our next board meeting on Wednesday, April 26, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Of course, work credit applies. See Article 4 in the bylaws for more information on eligibility and terms. If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else, please email governance@greenehillfood.coop for next steps.
What's Up Next at the Co-op?
As mentioned above, the Co-op’s next board meeting is on Wednesday, April 26, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m, at the store (18 Putnam Ave). Board meetings are open to all members and are a great way to get a better understanding of the Co-op's priorities and decision-making process. You can view past agendas and meeting notes online at http://www.greenehillfood.coop/category/meeting-notes/.
Weekend Membership Desk
A vintage pic of member-owner John Trotter at the Membership Desk.
We’re excited to announce that the Membership Committee will now be staffing the Membership Desk every Sunday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to a friendly greeting when you check in to shop, this is a great time to ask questions, check on your hours, or sign up for shifts. For prospective new members, this will also allow someone from the Membership Committee to introduce the different membership options, as well as the many benefits of joining the Co-op. We look forward to seeing you during your weekend shopping trips!
Shout Out to our Newest Co-op Members
Greg BTess D
Julia G
Michael G
Emi H
Jessica H
Evie M
Ryan PJennifer P
Rebecca S
Mickael T
Jacob W
Sean W
Casey Z
Done Your Work Shift Lately?
To keep our co-op open and humming smoothly seven days a week, it’s more important than ever that all member-owners work their shifts. And it’s vital for our long-term growth and success. We can’t order the goods, stock the shelves, track the finances or a million other things without you!
All member-owners are required to work a minimum of 2½ hours (one standard shift) every four weeks. If you’re behind on hours, please sign up now for a make-up shift or two. It’s easy and contributes to keeping the store running smoothly. We have plenty of shifts to choose from! Simply log into Humanity and find what works for you. Any excess hours you work are banked for you to apply later.
If you’re in good standing, consider banking extra hours by signing up to work red highlighted shifts on the Shift Coverage Sheet. Every shift helps!
Paid Positions! Store Coordinator Job Openings
The Co-op is looking for additional Store Coordinators to support store operations, member training, and education. These positions will involve a combination of retail grocery management and community organizing. During their first six months, new hires will be Store-Coordinators-in-Training. Depending on individual availability, this position ranges from 8-20 hours per week at $18/hour. You can see more details about the job on the Co-op website.
Product Spotlight: Millport Dairy Eggs
Millport Dairy eggs are a Co-op favorite. At $4.12 per dozen, they’re among the most affordable locally sourced and free-range eggs you can find in NYC. While our neighboring grocery stores sell organic eggs at $5.99 or even $6.50/dozen, the Co-op sources eggs that taste just as delicious and are raised on a smaller, more sustainable scale. While they’re not certified organic, Millport Dairy is a family-run Amish farm that goes above and beyond certification measures to ensure that their chickens are healthy and happy.
John Stoltzfoos, who raises hens at Millport Dairy, was born and raised on the farm in Lancaster, PA. The chickens are pastured (they roam freely), and are not fed hormones or antibiotics. Every day, they forage for bugs and worms, and nosh on grass, corn, wheat and oats. They run in four pastures, each with 400-500 hens.
The chickens they raise are called Red Sex Link hens, which are the result of crossing two heritage chicken breeds-—the pure Rhode Island Red and the Delaware hen. They produce eggs with light brown shells and vibrant yellow, almost orange yolks.
Wondering more about “free range” and “organic” eggs? Farmer John Stoltzfoos broke it down to us in an interview, “A lot of people raise their animals in barns and call them ‘free-range,’ but they’re only roaming inside a barn. We believe that animals need to get outside and get some fresh air.” We couldn’t agree more.
Social Justice Spotlight: Learn about Building a Solidarity Economy in NYC
Another world is not only possible—it’s already here. The Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City (CEANYC) aims to strengthen and expand community-led, democratically-controlled initiatives—from worker, financial and consumer co-ops to community land trusts and gardens, mutual housing, and low-income housing co-ops. Its goal is to build an economy based on values of social and racial justice, ecological sustainability, cooperation, mutualism, and democracy.
Join CEANYC for a panel discussion on community resistance. Learn about the long history of solidarity economy efforts in New York City and ideas for continuing to fight and build.
The Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City Panel: This is How We WinWhen: Saturday, April 22, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
I love this creamy tangy soup. The raisins, cilantro and toasted coconut make it feel fancy when it almost couldn't be easier! The chicken is totally optional and can easily be substituted with tofu or tempeh, though you'll need to prepare them differently. Neither will produce fond (those browned, caramelized crispy bits on the bottom of the pan), and I prefer tempeh that's been marinated and pan-fried. Give it a shot!
Serves 2-4.
Ingredients:
5 T grapeseed oil (or clarified butter/ghee if you have it)
2 T curry powder
¾ cup basmati rice
2 T salt
1 T pepper
2 ½ cups water
10 oz chopped boneless, skinless chicken thighs (optional)
1 13.5 oz can of light coconut milk
1 carrot, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
1 lime, zested and juiced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
3 T golden raisins
¼ cup coconut flakes, toasted
Directions:
In a medium pot, heat three teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the lime zest and one tablespoon curry powder. Cook, stirring frequently, one to two minutes, or until fragrant. Add the basmati rice, a tablespoon of salt and 1½ cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook 13-15 minutes, or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat. Fluff the finished rice with a fork and set aside.
If using chicken: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a medium pot, heat two teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken and cook, stirring occasionally to brown all sides, three to five minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer to a bowl, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pot.
Add two teaspoons of oil and the remaining curry powder to the pot of reserved fond. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to one minute, or until fragrant. Add the carrot and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, three to five minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the raisins, cooked chicken (along with any juices from the bowl), coconut milk and one cup of water. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 12-14 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
Off the heat, stir the lime juice into the soup. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the rice and soup between the bowls. Garnish with the cilantro and toasted coconut.
Approximate cost: $8 or $2-4 per serving.
The Co-op Q&A With Carola Burroughs
This month, we interviewed our newsletter copy editor, Carola Burroughs. Find out about why she loves the Co-op, and the factors that all inspired her to become a member of Greene Hill back before we first opened.
Q: What is your job/role at the Co-op? A: My current job is copy-editing the newsletter. I love it because I can do it from home and because it keeps me current with everything that's going on.
Q: When did you join the Co-op? How did you first hear about it? A: I joined the Co-op a few years before we opened; I also belong to Park Slope Food Coop—they probably had a notice about it in the Gazette. When I became a member at Greene Hill, I joined the Merchandising Committee, and then became its chair when the previous chair switched jobs.
Q: Where are you from?A: I was born and raised in NYC, then left to attend college in Chicago, and after graduating moved to Bellingham, Washington, north of Seattle, where I studied environmental studies and creative writing. After five years there, I moved to Seattle for another five years, where first I ran the bookstore in a private school, and then worked as a gardener at the Seattle Zoo, and continued to write poetry and prose. Then, in an attempt to combine my creative impulses with my interest in the environment, I went back to school to study art and landscape architecture. I took a wonderful summer class in England, which also gave me the chance to visit the Findhorn Community in Northern Scotland. I dropped out of the the L.Arch program after that, and wasn't sure what to do next, so I went home to NYC to figure it out and ended up staying!
Working through a health crisis and its cure then led me to became a holistic health educator, first working at the Brooklyn AIDS Task Force. After an assortment of other jobs in editing, office work, and non-profit management, I married a cab driver from Mauritania whom I met in his cab and we hit it off. We moved to Bed-Stuy/East Clinton Hill. This was just after 9/11, when one could collect unemployment insurance while starting a small business, and my spouse got the idea of opening a store that would serve his community, a sort of MailBoxes Etc. with shipping, photocopying, faxing, internet, etc. I called it "Only Connect;" it worked, and when my husband and I separated, I continued with a new business partner. He runs the store itself (not very many blocks from the Co-op) and I do the back-office bookkeeping, etc. from home. When I make the time, I'm working on a book about my multi-racial family history. I guess you could say that I’m a bit of a polymath.
Q: Why is being a member of the Co-op important to you? A: I really support the idea of co-ops, and I treasure the access to fresh, natural and organic local foods.
Help Wanted
All 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.
Relocation Group Needs a HandIf you have a knowledge of Brooklyn commercial real estate or simply an interest in where we might be relocating, contact Matthew at matthewtalmage@hotmail.com or Cecile at cecile.ghfc@gmail.com. Particularly needed is the work of an architect to help with designs and buildout!
PHP/LAMP Stack Developer Needed for IT CommitteeThe IT Committee is looking for help with the Co-op’s public-facing website (www.greenehillfood.coop) as well as our internal systems, including our CRM and Shift Planning. If you have skills with PHP, Drupal, MySQL and CRMs (we use CiviCRM), then we could use your expertise. This work can be done remotely and is critical to ongoing success of our co-op. For further information, email Chad Donnick at membership@greenehillfood.coop.
Finance Committee Members Needed!If you have an interest in being involved in the day-to-day financial operations or finance strategy for the Co-op, please email finance@greenehillfood.coop.
Finance Office Assistant Shifts AvailableInterested in doing some office work at the store? Your role would focus on handling invoices and entering data into our accounting software. You'll 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 officeassistant@greenehillfood.coop if you'd like to join us.
Inventory Committee Members Needed!Inventory links Merchandising and Finance, and has a foot in both worlds. This particular role involves becoming an expert in Revel systems.The data in Revel feeds into our financial reporting to help us keep the business sound and provides important information and analysis to the Merchandise Committee when they make decisions about what to buy for our store. It also supports cashiers so that everything scans correctly at the point of sale.
The key to all of this is excellent data integrity--and we need a few more experts! The weekly receiving and counting tasks require a shift in the store, but it’s not a set time, so it’s also great if you need something slightly more flexible! This role requires sitting at the computer and is very detail oriented.Please contact GHFC-Inventory-team@googlegroups.com if you are interested.
Et cetera
Credits: Spring flowers by Gitta Zomorodi; John Trotter pic and Millport Eggs by Kelsey Chauvin; welcome sign by Pixabay; soup photo by Molly Neuman; Carola Burroughs photo courtesy of herself; CEANYC image courtesy of the organization.
The Greene Hill Food Co-op Newsletter is edited and published by (in alphabetical order) Carola Burroughs, Sonia Garbes Putzel, DK Holland, Alexandra (Aly) Miller, Molly Neuman, Shannon Sodano Heffernan, Alejandro Varela, and Gitta Zomorodi. Contact us with any feedback, suggestions, or requests at newsletter@greenehillfood.coop.
Join and/or follow the Greene Hill Food-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!
