Don’t forget that our store hours have changed for the summer. You can load up on groceries during our usual weekend hours (10 am - 6 pm) and weekday evenings (5 pm - 9 pm). You can also pitch in and pick up an extra shift or change your shift by checking out the Shift Coverage Sheet!
We’re also seeking new Outreach and Membership committee members. These are great roles if you’re a people person, since you’ll get to conduct new member orientations and help create awareness of the co-op in our soon-to-be new neighborhood. As always, check out our Help Wanted section for more work shift opportunities.
In our Co-op Q&A, we’re continuing our series introducing our store coordinators. Meet Sapana Gandhi, who took on the role in May!
Last, but definitely not least, please check out our Social Justice Spotlight. In light of recent events in Charlottesville, we’re spotlighting an organization with a history of combating racism and other forms of hatred. Consider supporting the Southern Poverty Law Center. Also note that August 19 is National Day of Action Against White Supremacy.
In case you missed the update, we’ve made some changes to shopping hours for July and August. 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 2:30pm-to-5pm 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 will return to regular shopping hours beginning in September.
Call for Nominations: Board of Directors
We weren’t able to include a photo of our newest board member last month, so here’s Christina Travers, who was elected as an interim Board Member at our June Board meeting. Christina Travers is a founding member of the Greene Hill Food Coop.
If you missed your chance to get on Board, never fear! Our annual Board of Directors election is right around the corner at our Annual Meeting on September 27. 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.
You can go here for more info on the board and its responsibilities.
To nominate yourself or another member, please email governance@greenehillfood.coop. And remember to mark your calendar for the Annual Meeting on September 27, 7-9 pm.
Update on Relocation and Future Plans
In late July, members of the relocation group and the Board of Directors decided to pull out of negotiations for a lease in Crown Heights. Among other concerns, our team failed to reach a financially sustainable agreement with the owner of the prospective location. An update with further details was emailed to member-owners recently. If you did not receive this email, please email board@greenehillfood.coop for a copy.
For now, we will continue to focus on strengthening our core operations while keeping an eye out for retail spaces in our neighborhood. The Board and Store Coordinators recently met to discuss our roadmap for the future. We continue to seek ongoing member-owner participation as we shape our path ahead. Join us for our next Board Meeting as we revisit our plan for the Co-op’s next steps. The meeting will be held in the store on Wednesday, August 23, 7-9 p.m.
As always, 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.
Outreach Committee Seeking New Leadership
This is a great opportunity to get involved with the community by creating awareness of the co-op in our soon-to-be new neighborhood! The Outreach Committee is seeking a new chair(s) to lead outreach initiatives such as organizing quarterly open houses for non-members, organizing a team for tabling and canvassing throughout the neighborhoods and collaborating with local organizations and businesses. Click here to learn more about the goals of the Outreach Committee.
Ideal candidates would have some experience organizing events and a passion for connecting with the community and fostering relationships. Some administration/communications skills (email, Google docs, etc.) and ability to collaborate with other Committees on specific projects, are necessary. Interested members please contact Jill Hoffman at jillhoff@gmail.com for more information.
Product Spotlight: Pasture-Raised Chicken from Maple Wind Farm
Based in Vermont, Maple Wind Farm relies on environmentally sustainable practices and alternative energy inputs. They produce 100% grass-fed beef, heritage breed pork, organic turkeys—as well as a new Co-op favorite, certified organic chickens! Maple Wind Farm chickens are pasture-raised, making for a more delicious meat that is low in saturated fat and high in Omega-3s. The rest of their diet consists of specially formulated grains, natural trace minerals and probiotics. They do not receive any antibiotics, synthetic vitamins, artificial hormones, or appetite enhancers of any kind. So you can enjoy delicious, organic chicken knowing that you’re supporting farmers that are dedicated to working within the farm ecology, utilizing natural processes whenever possible. In addition, the chickens are processed at the farm’s own state-of-the-art USDA-inspected poultry processing facility. We are currently negotiating the cost of the chicken to get the best possible deal for our member owners.
The chicken is distributed via Pumpkin Village, the vendor that brings us the nice jarred honey and delicious maple syrup. Pumpkin Village only delivers once per month in the summer, and twice per month in the fall and winter.
Summer Squash Soup with Roasted Cremini Mushrooms
Recipe by Molly Neuman
The simplicity of this recipe is what makes it taste so fresh and good. For a fun twist, make a batch using yellow squash and one with zucchini. When serving, pour them into bowls at the same time to have a color contrast! The mushrooms give the dish a great extra texture and richness. You can also serve this chilled with a yogurt garnish.
Serves 3-6.
Ingredients:
3 zucchini or yellow squash, diced
1 medium shallot, sliced
1 T olive oil
¼ t cayenne
¼ t cumin
1 cup vegetable stock
1 cup water
1 T sherry vinegar
1 t salt or to taste
Directions:
In a saucepan, heat olive oil and saute shallot with cayenne and cumin until soft. Add zucchini or squash and cover with vegetable stock and water. Simmer until squash is soft. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Using an immersion blender or blender, puree soup until smooth. Add vinegar and salt, adjusting to your preference. Serve warm with roasted mushrooms as a garnish.
Roasted Crimini ( aka “Cremini”) Mushrooms:
1 pint crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 T olive oil
1 t salt or to taste
Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine mushrooms and oil. Spread evenly on a sheet pan and roast 15-20 minutes until golden brown, slightly crispy and chewy. Return to bowl, add salt and let cool.
The Co-op Q&A With Sapana Gandhi, Store Coordinator
Sapana Gandhi became a Greene Hill Co-op Store Coordinator earlier this year. Here she shares a little about her experience working at the store and her favorite product at the moment.
Q: When did you become a store coordinator?
A: I became a store coordinator in May of 2017.
Q: What do you like to do outside of the co-op?
A: I love reading and being outdoors, exploring the city and enjoying city life.
Q: What drew you to become involved as a Store Coordinator?
A: I am curious about urban food systems, and also organizational theory/practice, and they both come together very nicely in this position.
Q: What do you like about working here so far?
A: I like working with and getting to know the member-owners and, by proxy, getting to know a part of the community very well. I like hearing their thoughts/inputs, and working together to keep improving on our co-op.
Q: Do you have any favorite items in the co-op right now?
A: Right now, it's Hillary's veggie burgers (found in the freezer all the way in the back, against the wall). They're so easy to make and the precise cooking instructions almost guarantees that I don't under or over-cook it. They make for a hearty meal when I pair them up with bread, dijon mustard, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.
Social Justice Spotlight: Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is a civil rights organization based in Montgomery, Alabama, with offices in New Orleans, Atlanta, Miami, and Jackson, Mississippi. It employs litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy to fight for and defend equality. With a staff of 75, the SPLC tracks and exposes hate groups in the U.S.—as of 2016, there are 917 active ones. SPLC also designs and disseminates educational materials—everything from documentaries to lesson-plans that aim to “reduce prejudice and promote education equity,” all of it free of charge. They also litigate in the areas of children’s rights, economic justice, immigrant justice, LGBT rights, and criminal justice reform.
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.
picture of Christina Travers courtesy of Christina, chicken photo courtesy of Maple Wind Farm, soup pic by Molly Neuman, photo of Sapana Gandhi by Aly Miller.
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!
