Come check out the latest summer produce in the store! The heat is on and we’ve got fresh berries and other fruit along with special treats like squash blossoms--all from Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative. And don’t forget about the Ample Hills ice cream in our freezers - yum!
In case you missed the update, we’ve made some changes to shopping hours for July and August. With member-owners pitching in to help the store relocate, we will be taking advantage of what is typically a slow shopping season to better distribute in-store work shifts. The Co-op is still open seven days a week, but our new hours for July and August are:
Monday through Friday from 5 pm to 9 pm
Saturday & Sunday remain the same as usual from 10 am to 6 pm
Wondering what this means for your in-store shift?
We have cut the 2:30 pm to 5 pm work shift for every weekday except Friday. On Fridays, that shift is now a Receiving shift, in order to better check in and stock Friday afternoon deliveries. This means that there are two sets of weekday shifts available: 4:45 pm to 7:15 pm and 7 pm to 9:30 pm. All roles (Floor, Cashier and Shift Leader) remain the same. We anticipate a return to regular shopping hours beginning in September.
Our Open Board Seats are Filling Up! - Christina Travers is Elected!
At the Board elections last month, Christina Travers was elected to fill the latest vacant seat. Christina Travers is a founding member of the Greene Hill Food Coop. After a a four-year hiatus, she is back and ready to serve as a Board member! Christina is the Vice President for Capital Strategies and Treasurer of Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a national non-profit that equips struggling communities with the capital, strategy and know-how to become places where people can thrive. Christina is also a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, having completed her service in Zambia, where she was charged with providing education on nutrition, food security, and aquaculture in a rural village. Christina lives in Bed- Stuy with her pug, Bobo, and is an avid gardener. She is joining the board with a focus on lease matters and negotiations.
One Board Seat Has Just Opened Up...
If you missed your chance to get on Board, never fear! One new seat has just opened up. Someone with a background in finance/management would be especially useful. On our wish list is someone who has had board or governance or facilitation or cooperative organization experience.
If you have knowledge of Brooklyn commercial real estate or simply an interest in where the Co-op might relocate, contact Matthew at matthewtalmage@hotmail.com or Cecile at cecile.ghfc@gmail.com. We are in need of an architect to help with designs and buildout and location scouts. The easiest way to help the relocation effort is to collect key facts about properties you spot. Any member can use the script in our relocation folder to collect information from landlord/realtor and pass them onto Matthew and Cecile.
Membership Committee Support Needed
There are new openings on the Membership Committee! This is a fun way to get to know new members and to help orient them to the Co-op! First and most important, we’re seeking a new Membership Committee Chair. This position requires an organized, dedicated person who is willing to play a project manager-type role: helping ensure that committee members are on top of recurring administrative tasks and starting new initiatives to improve or change the membership processes. An outgoing personality with some tech-savvy to learn the various systems we use to track membership data would thrive in this role.
We are also seeking reliable new committee members to help with administrative tasks and/or conducting monthly new member orientations. The administrative tasks include adding new member information to our systems, answering emails, sending new member welcome emails, special projects and more! It’s a great way to earn work shift credits from home.
Radicchio and Fennel Salad with Radish, Avocado, Chives and Tahini Dressing
Recipe by Molly Neuman
This salad is perfect for those of us who like things on the bitter side. The avocado adds the creamy richness that cuts the bite a little and the tahini in this combination is such a wonderful complement. It feels sophisticated and surprising and it takes less than 10 minutes to make!
Serves 3-6.
Ingredients:
1 head radicchio, thinly sliced
1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced (core removed), reserve some fronds for garnish
4 large radishes (one watermelon radish if in season, they are the best!)
½ avocado, diced
2 T chives, minced
Dressing:
⅓ cup well-stirred tahini (Middle Eastern sesame paste)
⅓ cup water
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
¾ t salt
Directions:
Toss radicchio, fennel and radishes and dress lightly (or to your preference). Add diced avocado. Garnish with chives and some of the fennel fronds.
Serves 3-6 people. Approximate cost of ingredients is $9 or $3-$1.50 per person.
The Co-op Q&A With Raina Kennedy, Store Coordinator
This month we got a moment to chat with Raina Kennedy, one of our new store coordinators!
Q: Where are you from and what brought you to the area?
A: I’m originally from Philadelphia and I moved to NYC five years ago for work.
Q: When did you join the Greene Hill Food Co-op and what were some of your reasons for joining?
A: I joined last January. I used to live in Flatbush, where I was a member of the Flatbush CSA. The trek to Flatbush was too far and I was searching for a new source of local produce. I walked past our Co-op one day and thought, that place looks cool! It was convenient and easy, so I joined!
Q: What do you do outside of the Co-op?
A: I’m in grad student in food studies at NYU, where I study food systems. I just started there last fall.
Q: What drew you to this position?
A: I had been working various food jobs before working here --at few other small grocery stores, and at a meal delivery startup doing customer service. I learned about this position and thought it would be perfect because I’m so interested in food systems and co-ops. I felt much better working for cooperatives than any other type of organization. Plus, like the people here, and it’s a fun and awesome place to be!
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.
Governance Committee Seeks New Members
Feel strongly about the sustainability of this community? Interested in the how and why of organizations? Have any experience developing resilient groups? The Governance Committee in looking for new members with interest and experience in any of the above. We run the Co-op's elections, advise the Board of Directors on the by-laws, and work in the interest of fairness and transparency for all Co-op members. Upcoming projects include the Fall elections for the Board and re-working our bylaws to better suit this growing cooperative of member-owners. Anyone interested is encouraged to get in touch: governance@greenehillfood.coop.
HR Committee seeking member(s)
The Coop is looking for a member or members to join HR. Duties include: Payroll process 1x/month, W-2 filing, Coordinator support (e.g. 1:1 availability to discuss workplace concerns, evaluations & work planning). Preferred qualifications: HR experience & a strong analysis of systems of oppression.
Please email store@greenehillfood.coop with a few sentences about why you’re interested in the role & what experience/skills you would bring to it!
PHP/LAMP Stack Developer Needed for IT Committee
The 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. Experience preparing cash flow statements and updating Quickbooks would be great.
Finance Office Assistant Shifts Available
Interested 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!
The Inventory Committee 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 Merchandising 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.
Photo credits alas mostly missing this month!: Ice cream photo, shopping baskets and Brooklyn view, photo of Raina Kennedy by ??? Thanks to whoever you are! Salad 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 (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!
