Page 12
The ComPost
February/March 2013
Your
Challenge:
Eat 50% of your foods
from a local source.
Check out page 7 for
recipes and meal ideas!
Board of Directors 2013
March 9 - 16, 2013
board@justfood.coop
Join in!
Jay Johnson PRESIDENT
Diane Burry
Penny Hillemann
Doug Hiza
Jenny Howenstine
Ann Iijima
Clark Ohnesorge
David Pennock
Robbie Wigley
Board Administrator:
Mary Upham
Board meetings are held at 6 p.m. in the
Just Food Community Room, generally
during the third week of each month. The
schedule is subject to change. All members
are welcome. Call Pat Neily at 507.650.0106
if you wish to attend a meeting.
PRESORT
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
FARIBAULT, MN
PERMIT NO. 21
516 Water St. S · Northfield, MN 55057
507.650.0106
Management Team
Patrick Neily
GENERAL MANAGER
Stephanie Aman
MARKETING AND OWNER SERVICES MANAGER
Alex Beeby
OPERATIONS MANAGER
Jeremy Bishop
FRONT END MANAGER
Lindsay Byhre
HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
Amy Collette
FINANCIAL MANAGER
Matt Malecha
PRODUCE MANAGER
Kate Wall
GROCERY MANAGER
Meg Jensen Witt
WELLNESS MANAGER
Owner Benefits
•
•
Supporting a locally-owned, sustainable
and socially responsible business
Subscriptions to two Co-op newsletters:
The ComPost and The Mix
In the News
In this Edition
Minnesota Food Share........page 1
Vegan Vern’s Debut.............page 4
CSA Day at Just Food...........page 5
•
Profits returned to member-owners as
patronage rebates, at the discretion of
the Board.
Winter Eat Local...................page 7
•
Owner-only rates on Co-op classes
Northfield Kitchen Born.....page 10
•
Check writing for up to $20 over the
amount of purchase.
•
Owner-only specials on selected items
throughout the store
•
10% case discounts
The ComPost:
Fertilizer for the Mind
Editor: Stephanie Aman
The ComPost is a bimonthly publication of
Just Food Co-op and is published for the
benefit of our membership and the community. The opinions expressed herein are
those of the authors and not necessarily
those of Just Food Co-op or its members.
For information about submissions, contact
Stephanie Aman at 507.650.0106 or
outreach@justfood.coop. Letters to the
editor are welcome and may be sent to the
same email or 516 Water St. S., Northfield,
MN 55057.
Just Food Co-op is a proud member of the
Twin Cities chapter of the National Cooperative Grocers’ Association, ncga.coop.
Budding Farmers..................page 6
Compost in Color.................page 11
Fish - Twice per
week!
The Co-op will
now receive fish
on Tuesdays and
Thursdays.
Twice as nice!
Catering - Deli
Now Hiring
Desserts!
Looking for a great place to work? We are
looking for great employees!
The Just Food Co-op Deli is the place to go
for delicious desserts! Everyone will love our
cheesecake and gluten free bars! Plus, we will
have specialty cookie platters and desserts
available for an easy treat for the family or a
party host.
Trays!
Want to entertain without the fuss? We have
pre-packaged entertainment trays available
in the deli for easy entertaining. If you want
something specific, or are having a big party,
be sure to pick up one of our deli brochures
for some ideas on what we can do for you.
Whether you’d like salads, artisan cheeses,
soups, or finger foods, we’ve got just what you
need to feed the masses!
We are always accepting applications. If you
are interested in natural foods, able to work
evenings and weekends, and have a strong
attention to detail, please visit justfood.coop/
about/jobs to see our current job postings and
download an application.
Sampling Days:
All sampling days are from
11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m
Game Day Sampling
Saturday, Feb. 1
Custom platter? No problem! You are not
limited to what you see in the brochure. Call
and we’ll gladly create a custom platter for
you! With just a few days notice we’ll have
your delicious food ready for pick up.
Eat Local Sampling
Saturday, March 9
Ready to place your order? Give Gina a call at
507-650-0106.
Holiday Sampling
Saturday, March 23
Fertilizer for the mind.
A Bimonthly Publication of Just Food Co-op
February/March 2013
March is Minnesota Foodshare Month
Jim Blaha, Co-op Owner and Executive Director of the Community Action Center
For some the month
of March is the start
of spring; for the CAC
food shelf it’s Minnesota
FoodShare month. That’s
the month that more than
300 food shelves across
Minnesota turn to their
local communities and
talk about hunger and
food insecurity within
that community and seek
donations during the
campaign to augment
supplies and run the
programs. It’s only a month and we’ve got to work
assertively. The goal of the statewide campaign is to raise
enough money and food to provide for more than half the
food distributed annually by Minnesota food shelves.
Many already know that monetary contributions will
stretch further in purchasing food for the food shelf,
because the dollar’s got more purchasing power in the
Feeding America/Second Harvest Food Bank system. We
can stretch the value of any retail purchase almost four
times, but not on all products. Then again, some supplies
aren’t available to us through the food bank to be able
to offer the variety and balanced nutrition we seek to
provide our community, so we need to find them through
retail sources.
The campaign, to some people, is believed to be a
“matching” campaign. Assumptions are prevalent that the
dollar or pound of food that one contributes is matched by
another entity during the campaign. That’s not the case
unfortunately; there is no direct matching relationship
available to us. There is truth in the fact that the better
a locale does in garnering food and money for its local
food shelf, the better positioned the community food
shelf is for its proportionate share of statewide allocations
of money or food product administered during here is
incentive to do well in the month of March. Northfield
has always been generous in responding to the aid of
the CAC Food Shelf. Consequently, we enjoy a greater
share of allocations all year long based on the Northfield
community’s response in the FoodShare campaign.
I frequently say publicly that “no one needs to go hungry
in Northfield, because the community does not want
that to happen.” It’s the promise, articulated that way
or not, that I believe Northfield makes to its residents
and neighbors, so that’s how reverently CAC treats its
obligation of food stewardship and sharing. I still reflect,
“is there a better way of food sharing?” The biblical story
of the miracle of the loaves and fishes has been described
as more the miracle of inspiring the multitude of people
to share food rather than the miracle of food replication.
Either way or both ways, it’s still a miracle to me. Until
we can conceive of another solution to food access, the
food shelf is still the most effective model that we’ve got.
The need for food assistance continues to grow. In
2000, CAC’s monthly report on food shelf use was
165 households on average, while in 2012 the average
broached 500 households monthly. According to a recent
Gallup poll, one in eight Minnesotans indicated there
were times in the previous year that they did not have
enough money to buy food. No doubt some of them may
be food producers themselves. The number of eligible
people for food (stamp) support -now called SNAP
benefits – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programdoubled from December 2006 to December 2011; the
number of children eligible grew by 150% in that same
period. Fifteen percent of SNAP eligible adults were
aged 60+. Cited as reasons for the increased reliance on
food shelf use to feed themselves and their families were
high housing costs, prescription drug and fuel costs, and
unemployment.
In the Northfield Schools, 27% of students qualify for
free and reduced price meals, with household incomes
of 130% and 185% respectively of the federal poverty
guidelines generated annually by the U.S. Census Bureau.
One out of every 13 households relies on one or another
of Community Action Center’s programs
during the year, but we encourage all
client families to use the food shelf
regularly to augment their families’ household food
pantry. Of the approximately 1,000 households enrolled
for service, slightly more than half will use the food shelf
monthly, and those who don’t assure me that they will
take advantage of it when they absolutely need to. From
week to week, our dining program, Thursday’s Table,
serves about 200 diners. While the WIC (Women Infants
and Children) program is administered by Rice County
Public Health, CAC administers the MAC (Mothers and
Children) program and the NAPS program (Nutrition
Assistance Program for Seniors). CAC also promotes
registration for SNAP benefits and encourages use of
every program.
Even though I wish the need didn’t exist for each person
enrolled in benefit programs, I am glad that the programs
exist and I want to see people use all benefits for which
they qualify. There is an economic advantage that this
brings to the local community; people are not going to
Wisconsin to spend SNAP benefits, they will spend it
here in the local economy and acquire more food for their
families. As the local need escalates for people addressing
their food insecurity issues, every resource is important in
the overall solution.
I also hail and encourage groups and individuals who
want to donate money or food. Faith communities, local
employee groups, grocers, school groups, any and all,
can partake in this solution. Just Food Co-op instituted
the “Everyone Eats” campaign with the intent that its
products should be accessible by all. Throughout the
year donors are creative at providing foodstuffs grown
locally from Community Supported Agriculture farmers,
from backyard orchardists and gardeners to retail grocers
giving their surplus deli, bakery and produce to the food
shelf. Last year 191,912 pounds were donated in this
manner as part of the nearly 600,000 pounds distributed
to 905 (unduplicated)households who used the food shelf.
This year Community Action Center welcomes donations
of both money and food during the Minnesota FoodShare
campaign to achieve the goal of $130,000 dollars/pounds.
These will be gratefully received at the Community Action
Center offices, 1651 Jefferson Parkway #200, Northfield,
MN 55057.
Food Drive at Just Food!
Make a difference in your community.
In conjunction with the Eat Local
Challenge and Minnesota FoodShare
Month, Just Food will be hosting a
Food Drive on
Just Food’s Goal for helping the
Northfield Food Shelf
and Community Action Center
during the month of March
$500 and 500 pounds
Let’s make it a priority - TOGETHER - to get
healthy, sustainable, wholesome foods into ALL
households in our community.
Donate money or food - you choose - but join in!
Saturday, March 9
Purchase pre-bagged items that are
needed to restock the Food Shelf or make
selections of your own. You may also
bring unexpired, non-perishable foods
that you might be willing to donate.
The donated food does NOT need to
come from the Co-op.
Page 2
The International
Cooperative Principles
VOLUNTARY AND OPEN
MEMBERSHIP.
Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all persons able to use
their services and willing to accept
the responsibilities of membership,
without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
DEMOCRATIC MEMBER
CONTROL.
Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members,
who actively participate in setting
their policies and making decisions.
Men and women serving as elected
representatives are accountable to
the membership. In primary cooperatives, members have equal voting
rights (one member, one vote) and
cooperatives at other levels are organized in a democratic manner.
MEMBER ECONOMIC
PARTICIPATION.
Members contribute equitably to,
and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative. At least part
of that capital is usually the common
property of the cooperative. They
usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a
condition of membership. Members
allocate surpluses for any or all of the
following purposes: developing the
cooperative, possibly by setting up
reserves, part of which at least would
be indivisible; benefiting members
in proportion to their transactions
with the cooperative; and supporting other activities approved by the
membership.
AUTONOMY AND
INDEPENDENCE.
Cooperatives are autonomous, selfhelp organizations controlled by their
members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital
from external sources, they do so on
terms that ensure democratic control
by their members and maintain their
cooperative autonomy.
EDUCATION, TRAINING AND
INFORMATION.
Cooperatives provide education and
training for their members, elected
representatives, managers and
employees so they can contribute
effectively to the development of
their cooperatives. They inform the
general public — particularly young
people and opinion leaders — about
the nature and benefits of cooperation.
The ComPost
February/March 2013
WORKING AT JUST FOOD
Staff Spotlight:
Scott Soule
Deli Chef
Talk about your new position, and what you
do at the Co-op...
What are you excited about
implementing, initiating, or exploring in your
new position?
In August of 2012, I began working at Just
Food Co-op shortly after moving into the
area. I applied for and received a cooks
position in the deli making soups, salads,
entrees, dips/spreads, and deserts (this
includes pies).
I brought with me some recipes and
techniques I have acquired through my
years as kitchen staff, variously. I am
excited about the growth potential in our
little deli and I will also be expanding
into the catering area for which I have
experience.
Why are you excited to be working at Just
Food? What attracted you to the position?
Just Food has a similar value system to
Eastside Food Co-op where I had been
working for the past several years. The
Co-op is active in the community, plays
a proactive role in food politics, is
dedicated to providing good healthy food
at reasonable prices, is conscientious
of dietary restrictions, is committed to
providing ample selections of such, and
is very customer service oriented with
courteous knowledgeable staff.
Tell us about your family, and what you like
to do on your day off.....
What attracted me was that I needed a
place where I could be comfortable in my
I live on a vast wooded lot just
craft as a cook,
west of town.
as I embarked
There is an assorted cadre of
upon a new
offspring in my midst (two
journey, and
of them mine; one of which
a major life
I can’t say specifically what my
attends school in Northfield).
change.
fav’s. are, but I can say that my
I am acquiring an assortment of
favorite things will come from......
live stock, and have plans for a
In your opinion,
Why is the co-op
•Meat Cheese Department tremendous garden.
important to
On my days off, I am playing
the Northfield
•Bulk
music in a Jazz/Blues group in
community?
Minneapolis
I have been with
•Produce
since 1995, led by a pianist
I believe the Conamed James Samuel Harris Sr.
op is a positive
•Deli
a.k.a. “Cornbread Harris”. I also
resource for
play with other groups in the
the community.
•HBC
Minneapolis area.
Positive thought
is infectious.
I may be tending to my chores
The Co-op
or wildcrafting/cultivating plant
invites people
life for herbal medicines.
in, infuses them with excitement about
the benefits of being a Co-op with
I have a fondness for trees and their uses.
thoughtful and insightful knowledge
I am also a personal cook during
about the production of food, from seed
the summer for some distinguished,
to table, and beyond and lastly, affects
interesting groups of people with
the customer with their knowledge
whom I have developed a long standing
and experience in an attempt to
relationship.
spread positive thought throughout
the community, through an enjoyable
shopping experience.
Scott’s Top 5 Picks:
FROM THE DESK OF THE GM
We’re Planning for
Summer!
by Patrick Neily, Co-op Owner & General Manager
It was a very busy holiday season here at Just Food! We ended
2012 by setting a new weekly sales record, finished the first
member patronage redemption campaign successfully and saw
our longest tenured employee transition into a well-deserved
retirement. While we don’t have nearly enough room in the
Compost to list all of the things staff have been busy with these
past few months, here are a couple of the highlights:
with only two weeks left before the deadline, twenty five-percent
of patronage was still not redeemed. Thank you to all members
that came in with their vouchers! So what happens to the portion
not redeemed? Unfortunately, that portion becomes taxable
income. None-the-less, this was a respectable showing for The
Co-op’s initial patronage offering. Thank you to the members that
redeemed their patronage.
Bobbi Baker, Just Food’s Finance Manager from the beginning,
recently began her retirement. Bobbi has been an integral part
of the Co-op since opening day, helping to not only establish all
of the systems still being employed in the accounting department
but also helping to lead the store through its most challenging
times. Thank you Bobbi for all you’ve done! We are happy to
have Amy Collette on board as our new Finance Manager, and
look forward to everything that she will bring to Just Food now
and in the future.
The week leading up to Christmas is always a challenge to keep
up with increased demands, but in the end all of the staffs’ hard
work paid off to the tune of a new weekly sales record. This
was quite a feat given that the previous record was set this past
summer amongst the frenzy and push to get to the $5 million
mark and no special push was made to achieve these sales.
After issuing a patronage refund to members for the first time
this past year, we saw roughly eighty five-percent of patronage
redeemed by the deadline. This was very encouraging given that
Now that we’re through the holidays and have caught our breath a
bit, it’s time to start planning for summer!
February/March 2013
The ComPost
Page 3
Registration Policy
Please register for all classes on our
website (justfood.coop/events) or at the
customer service desk.
JUST FOOD CALENDAR
Just Food Co-op encourages exploration of a variety of approaches to healthy choices, responsible consumption, and sustainable living.
The viewpoints expressed in our classes do not necessarily represent endorsement by Just Food Co-op.
What’s for Breakfast?
FEBRUARY
Tuesday, March 5 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Member: $3/ Non-Member: $5
Instructor: Lynn DeBuhr Johnson, Certified Health Coach
Start your day with the energizing magic of fresh, whole, living foods. You will learn to make
breakfasts that will increase your energy levels, help you lose weight, detoxify and cleanse
your system, and build muscle and strength. All the recipes will be 100% dairy and gluten free,
and 100% fun. You’ll get answers to questions about what breakfast will work best for your
body type, how to prepare nuts and seeds for recipes, and more. You’ll also make cereals and
granolas with nut and seed milks, smoothies and shakes, and breakfast puddings, among other
things.
Coffee with the Board
Saturday, February 2, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. at the front of the store.
Co-op owners, chat with your Board members over a cup of coffee.
Green Cleanse
Thursday, February 7 at 6:30 p.m.
Instructor: Lynn DeBuhr Johnson, Certified Health Coach
Registration closes 48 hours before the class time, so be
sure to sign up early!
Member: $3/ Non-Member: $5
Co+op Deals Case Order Deadline
This involves a week of blending greens with either vegetables and herbs, to make soups, or
with fruits to make smoothies, and drinking these concoctions instead of eating meals. Greens
are a satisfying way to clean your system. Join us for a green cleanse. In this class, you will
receive materials to help get you started and learn to make some of the recipes. It’s more fun
when you know others are doing it at the same time as you as well.
March 14, 2013
Place your case order by today for Co+op Deals flyer A to receive the sale price + case discount.
Learn to Homebrew
Kids Club Cook: Smoothies with the Firebellies
Sunday, February 10 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE!
Vayu Maini Rekdal and some members of Firebellies (Carleton Student organization),
passionate foodies, will show elementary ages kids some fun ways to combine ingredients they
might think they don’t enjoy, into a delicious breakfast or afterschool snack. Parents - spinach
might be involved! We’ll get the kids to love greens and see them transformed into something
delicious and nutricious!
Saturday, March 9 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Member: $20/Non-Member $25
Gabe Meerts and the local homebew club will show you how to brew! They will incorporate
some local ingredients into the beer and show different stages of the brewing process. A
homebrew kit will be given away as a prize, so sign up to learn more about homebrewing and
a chance to win a kit to get started!
Eat Local Challenge Events
Saturday, March 9
Kick off the Winter Eat Local Challenge
Eat Local Challenge Demo Day from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Minnesota FoodShare Drive
HomeBrew Class
Co+op Deals Case Order Deadline
February 7. 2013
Place your case order by today for Co+op Deals flyer A to receive the sale price + case discount.
Saturday March 16
CSA Day
Valentine’s Day Sampling
Wednesday, February 13
We’ll have some passive samples out for you to try in store. Find something sweet for your
sweetie!
Watch for recipes and Menu Planning ideas throughout the week prior, as well as during the
Eat Local Challenge week. You might be surprised at how much local is in the store!
The healthy benefits of sprouting, fermenting, & soaking foods
Kids Club: Meet the Artist
Wednesday, March 13 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Instructors: Lois and Jeanine Taylor
Sunday, February 17 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Matthew Bunch, aka Dr. Jellyfish, won the Just Food Staff contest and has designed the characters
that will represent the Kid’s Club at the Co-op. Come and meet him! He’ll talk with you about
how and why he became an artist and show you some drawings and do a fun activity with you.
Creating a Delicious Soup Base
Tuesday, February 19 from 6:00 p.m to 7:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE!
This season is fantastic for creating many different types of soups. It’s also a great way to
use local ingredients! Come and learn how to create a delicious soup base, and how to then
incorporate ingredients into your hearty soups.
Kids Club: Drawing with Dr. Jellyfish
Sunday, February 24 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Member: $13/ Non-Member: $15
Matthew Bunch will show you different techniques for drawing and guide you through a one
hour drawing lesson. Make sure you come and meet him on the 17th too!
Co+op Deals Case Order Deadline
February 21, 2013
Place your case order by today for Co+op Deals flyer B to receive the sale price + case discount.
MARCH
Cost: FREE!
“This year I am going to lose the weight!” “This year I am going to eat right and be more
healthy!” This doesn’t have to be a yearly resolution. We would like to show you a diet for a
healthy way of life instead of the quick fixes we all get caught up in. Choosing foods wisely
and properly preparing them, result in a nutrient-dense diet, which is not only easier on your
digestive system, but is also healthy and energy producing. Additionally, you may actually lose
weight and prevent and/or treat tooth decay! Learn about this nutrient dense diet in a 3-part
series, taught by Lois and Jeanine Taylor. Part one: Preparations and the healthy benefits of
sprouting, fermenting, and soaking foods.
Homeopathy: Natural Alternative for Women’s Health
Thursday, March 21 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Instructor: Sujata Owens RSHom (NA), CCH, HMC, DHMS (India)
Cost: FREE!
Homeopathy, the alternative medicine for the 21st century, is a natural and effective scientific
system of mind-body-spirit integrative healing. This holistic approach to medicine takes a
wider view of illness, cause of disease, and the ways in which people express their illnesses
individually. In this class Sujata Owens, Homeopathic Master Clincian of Vital Force Consulting,
Inc. will explain how homeopathic medicines can be used beneficially for hormonal imbalances,
mental and emotional disorders, pregnancy and childbirthing issues. Please come and learn
more about how you could benefit from this 250 year old system in achieving and maintaining
vibrant health.
Co+op Deals Case Order Deadline
March 28, 2013
Place your case order by today for Co+op Deals flyer B to receive the sale price + case discount.
Coffee with the Board
Saturday, March 2, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. at the front of the store.
Co-op owners, chat with your Board members over a cup of coffee.
December and January’s donations
from Just
Change
helped to
.
provide
staples and
holiday items
to the Food
Shelf.
The funds
from Just
Change and
Planet Patch donations from February
and March will go toward stocking the
food pantry shelf with healthy foods!
every
one
lasagna noodles, sauce,
flour, baking mixes, etc.
The contributions you
are making, through
bringing in your own
bags and donating your
Planet Patches, putting
your change in the Just
Change box at the register,
or dropping a food item
into the donations basket
at the front, truly do
make a difference in the lives of people
in our community.
Thank you for your contributions
and helping support this amazing
program. Would you like more
information on Thursday’s Table?
http://communityactioncenter.org/
programs/feeding/thursdays-table/
Thank you for your continued
support of the Everyone Eats program!
eats
Just Change in Oct/Nov: $82.00
Planet Patch donations: $418.75
The donations collected during
February and March will be distributed
in April and used for foods requested
by the Food Shelf, typically staples like
ONGOING CLASSES
Zumba with Kathryn Schmidt
Sundays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Member: $8/class; Non-Member: $10/class
Registration is appreciated. Drop ins are welcome.
Dance yourself healthy this year!~ You don’t need to know how to dance, just follow Kathryn
and if you’re having fun and sweating – you’re doing it right!
Spring Forest Qigong Practice Group
Mondays, 5:30-6:45 p.m. Drop in fee: $10 Instructor: Mary Zelmer
Join us for continuing practice of the Spring Forest Qigong principles. Wear comfortable clothes.
Knitting Group
Mondays, 7-9 p.m. Cost: FREE.
Everyone welcome. Bring your project for conversation and knitting.
T’ai Chi Ch’uan
Saturdays, 9-11:30 a.m. Drop in fee: $12.
Instructor: Paul Magee
This class covers traditional Taoist meditation and the Yang style T’ai Chi system. Open to
people of all fitness and skill levels. Your first lesson is free.
Page 4
The ComPost
February/March 2013
KIDS CLUB!
What’s new at the Co-op? Kids Club! That’s right - we know you already come and shop with your parents, so we want
to make sure you feel welcome at your Co-op and that there are things here for you. In each newsletter, we’ll show you
what is going on for you, and also have a special activity for you to do and turn in when you shop.
Meet Vegan Vern! Vegan
Vern is the first of the Kids
Club characters that is being
revealed. Congrats to
Matthew Bunch, local artist
and Co-op employee, who
won the staffcontest to design
and draw the characters.
Matthew has designed an
entire cast of characters that
we will be unveiling soon, but
we wanted to make sure you
were able to see one of the
new mascots.
Do you like to draw? Are
you interested in knowing more, or how Matthew came up with the
characters, what inspires him?
Matthew will be at the Co-op for a ‘meet and greet’ on Sunday,
February 17 and to tell you a little bit about the characters he
designed and talk about being an artist to inspire you to think about
art. He’ll be doing a drawing mini-session that day too. Come and
meet him, and bring out the artist in YOU!
KIDS CLUB EVENTS
Kids Club Cook: Smoothies with the Firebellies
Sunday, February 10 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE!
Kids Club: Meet the Artist
Sunday, February 17 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE!
Matthew Bunch, aka Dr. Jellyfish, won the Just Food Staff contest and has designed the
characters that will represent the Kid’s Club at the Co-op. Come and meet him! He’ll
talk with you about how and why he became an artist and show you some drawings
and do a fun activity with you.
Kids Club: Drawing with Dr. Jellyfish
Sunday, February 24 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Member: $13/ Non-Member: $15
Matthew Bunch will show you different techniques for drawing and guide you
through a one hour drawing lesson. Make sure you come and meet him on the 17th
too!
Eat Local Challenge
March 9-16
Come and walk through the store on March 9 for some samples of local products
available in the winter. Discover the delicious ways that your family can eat local!
Kid’s Club Activity:
What is your favorite recipe? Do you love breads? Smoothies? Beef Roast?
Bring the recipe in to the Co-op and we might publish your favorite dish!
Drop it off with one of our friendly cashiers and receive a prize!
Parents: Check out more information about the Budding Farmers program on pg. 6
The Budding Farmers Beet
Brrrr…. it’s still pretty cold here in Minnesota and the growing season has not quite begun. So what’s a
Budding Farmer to do? Happily, there’s still plenty of Minnesota-grown food available and one that’s
deliciously nutritious are….. BEANS!
There are two main types of beans: Dry Beans and Fresh Beans. Which type do you think is available in
the winter?
Dry Beans! And that’s what we’re going to talk about today.
KIDS CLUB COOK
How to Cook Dry Beans:
Step 1) The night before you cook your beans
measure out 1 cup of dry beans and pour them
into a clear jar (a Quart mason jar is great).
Fill the rest of the jar up with water.
Now let your jar of beans and water sit on a table
overnight.
Step 2) The next day look at how much your dry
beans have expanded!
Drain your beans by pouring the water and beans
into a colander over the sink.
Rinse your soaked beans off with fresh water.
Step 3) Fill a pot with water and add the soaked
beans to the pot.
Bip, Bop, & Boo the Beans!
There are hundreds of varieties of dry beans, some common dry beans are Pinto Beans, Black Beans,
and Great Northern Beans. There are also Heirloom dry beans, these are beans that have been grown
on farms for a very long time, they are often very unique and have an interesting story about their
origin. A great example is the Mayflower Bean:
The Mayflower Bean is white with rose speckles. It is said to have been brought to America
from Europe on the ship the Mayflower in 1620. From 1620 to today (almost 400 years!) it has
been grown and passed down from generation to generation to ensure that it will continue to
survive.
Step 4) Have an adult put the pot of soaked beans
and water on high heat on the stovetop.
Once the water starts to boil, turn the heat down
to medium-low and simmer until the beans are
soft (up to 2+ hours depending on how big and
old the beans are).
Step 5) Have an adult remove the beans from the
stovetop and drain them in a colander.
Step 6) Dump the cooked beans into a bowl and
stir in a pat of butter and some salt and
pepper.
….. and now it’s time to eat your beans, delicious!
February/March 2013
The ComPost
Page 5
BOARD UPDATE
Why Food Co-ops are Important
By Clark Ohnesorge, Co-op Owner and Board Member
When the opportunity to run for a position on the
board of the Just Food Co-op presented itself I hesitated
because it is such a daunting responsibility. While
thinking about it I looked back at my own history with
natural foods and was surprised at how large a part they
had played in my life. That realization led to the decision
that I should buck up and see if I could contribute a bit
more than I had in the past. At a recent board meeting
(my first) I volunteered to write this short piece about
the co-ops I have frequented. The exercise has brought
back many fond memories as well as reminding me of
just how great Just Food Co-op is.
Unfortunately, increased rent and lack of customer support took its toll and
Mifflin St. exists only in memory.
After taking a job in Vermont In 1995 we patronized the Middlebury co-op. What I
recall best is their “Free the distressed produce” (I once brought home an elderly
25 pound Blue Hubbard squash) and their focus on local produce and products
like Green Mountain Gringo salsa. They were truly a part of the local economy.
We came to Northfield in 1997 and until Just Food opened I was a steady customer
at the St. Peter co-op where I was deeply impressed with the impact that great
employees make.
Margo O’Brien, their longtime general manager, rocks. If you talk to someone
involved in natural foods in Minnesota the chances are pretty good that they’ll
know Margo and consider her a friend. I’d sometimes stop and buy something
simply because I wanted to see the enterprise to which she was so dedicated
survive. The St. Peter co-op has recently expanded and seems to be continuing its
success.
My enculturation began early; my parents invested in a south Minneapolis organic
food store in the late 1950’s. The store hung on for a few years but eventually
closed in the early sixties. Perhaps it was just too far ahead of the time. My dad
recalls that it was pretty unusual to insist that no tobacco products be available.
My dad’s interest in organic foods had been piqued, however, and we grew up with
With the opening of Just Food in 2004, the culinary landscape of Northfield
a steady supply of Prevention Magazine and Mother Earth News as well as wheat
germ, locally produced honey cap, sorghum, and the occasional bee pollen capsule. opened up for me. Great cheeses, breads, produce, coffee, a steady supply of
interesting offerings from the Deli, and expansion of locally produced meats
When The Wedge opened in south Minneapolis in the mid-seventies we began to
shop there and my co-op experience began in earnest. I remember their first space and fresh seafood made a huge difference in our family’s ability to satisfy our
food needs locally. Our cheerful, upbeat, knowledgeable staff at Just Food make
on Franklin Ave. and their move to the abandoned 7-11 on Lyndale. When my
shopping there a pleasure and the steadily increasing member base suggests that
cousin Martha took a job there in I980 I realized that there might be a future for
our satisfaction is shared by many others.
healthier foods because The Wedge somehow managed to pay a living wage and
benefits to their employees. This lesson is one that has remained with me through
the intervening years. If you don’t take care of your own employees you don’t have Looking back over the co-ops I have known and loved makes me feel deeply
satisfied with our own store and optimistic for its future. Please remember drop
much of a future.
a note in the suggestion box, make use of the customer service stand, and drop
by to enjoy a snack with board members during Coffee with the Board to keep us
When I graduated from college in 1982 and returned to Minneapolis we
informed about how Just Food can best serve our members.
patronized the East Calhoun Coop on 34th & Bryant. It was a classic early co-op;
small storefront, bag-lined trashcans with bulk chips, grains, a modest supply of
produce, lots of incense, and a handful of mellow hippies doing their part to bring
healthy food to the neighborhood. I loved the store but also realized that their
Ends Statement
days were numbered. They occupied an overly specific niche, and just didn’t seem
Just Food Co-op nourishes a Just, Healthy and Sustainable Community
to have a broad enough customer base to make it.
• Justice – We strive for fairness in all our relationships in the community and throughout the
When we moved to Madison, Wisconsin in 1988 we immediately joined the
supply chain.
Willy St. co-op just down the street from our house on Jenifer St. It was my first
• Health – We provide healthy, sustainably produced products, and we work to strengthen our
exposure to a store with an extensive deli and coffee section and I quickly realized
local foodshed through ongoing support and partnerships.
how big a role these prepared foods played in maintaining a profitable profile. Our
• Sustainability – We work to build a resilient social, economic and ecological environment in our
membership allowed us to also use the Mifflin St. co-op, a stalwart providing Food
community and beyond.
• Education – We are a community resource for education and information about healthy,
for the Revolution as well as its annual block party. I loved its informal flavor and
sustainable food and lifestyle.
the “Take one, leave one” policy with containers as well as their fabulous t-shirts.
We do this in the context of being a financially viable, member-owned cooperative business.
COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE
Recognized for offering
you excellence.
According to J.D. Power and
Associates, our agency offers “An
Outstanding Customer Experience.”
Call me today to find out more.
Therese S Whitesong Agency
510 Washington Street South
Northfield, MN 55057
(507) 645-5010
www.theresewhitesong.com
CSA Day at Just Food
Matt Malecha, Owner and Just Food Produce Manager
It’s time again to check out our options for Community Supported
Agriculture! CSAs are a way to directly purchase goods directly from a
farmer: you pay up front for a share of the harvest and a share of the risk. A
number of our local CSA farms have items for sale at Just Food and some
sell at the local Farmer’s Markets. The produce you receive comes to you
as the fresh weekly harvest, unprocessed and ready to be incorporated into
your healthy eating habits.
By supporting a CSA you help to:
•
•
•
American Family Mutual Insurance Company and its Subsidiaries
Home Office – Madison, WI 53783
© 2006
002109 – 3/06
Provide the farmer with a guaranteed
revenue source.
Keep dollars in the local economy
Build our local foodshed
And you get:
Fresh produce, cheeses, eggs, meat, and maybe even a workout if you help
with the harvesting!
Not only will you end up with the freshest possible food, but now you
get a personal connection to how your food ends up on your plate. Please
take the time this March 16th to stop in at Just Food and speak with these
farmers about a share.
Welcome to:
Spring Wind Farm
Open Hands Farm
Simple Harvest Farm
Thorn Crest Farm
Shepherd’s Way
(Other CSAs are being added.
These farms are confirmed at the time of
press for the ComPost)
Come and see what they
have to offer!
Page 6
The ComPost
February/March 2013
NEWS & EVENTS
The Buzz about Budding Farmers
by Monica & Dan Irwin, Co-op Owners
projects, educational games, and more at
Hi there, we are excited to
their participating Farmers Market or with
unveil the Budding Farmers
their participating Community Supported
program, an innovative
Agriculture (CSA) Farm. Budding Farmers is
educational enrichment
perfect for kids approximately ages 3-8.
program that connects
Budding Farmers is a 10-week program. The
children with healthy food.
Budding Farmers is generously first week, Budding Farmers receive a Tote
Bag, a “Budding Farmers Fun Book”, and the
supported by the SEEDS
first packet of materials (the weekly Booster
Project, a farm in Northfield
Pack). Each following week, Budding Farmers
that supports entrepreneurs
in the field of agriculture. The will pick up a new Booster Pack full of new and
exciting materials!
Budding Farmers program
is a fun and interactive way
The weekly Booster Pack focuses on one
to educate youth about food and agriculture.
Participants of the program (Budding Farmers) seasonal fruit or vegetable that can be
will cook, grow, learn, taste, smell, feel, and get purchased at your Farmers Market or found in
creative with their food. Budding Farmers will your CSA Box. The Booster Pack contains four
cards with supporting materials that includes:
develop an appreciation and understanding
of agriculture and healthy food that will last a
1) Information about the seasonal item
lifetime!
2) A hands-on lesson about sprouting, planting,
How it works:
harvesting, or preserving
3) A kid-friendly recipe to prepare together
During the summer, Budding Farmers
4) A fun art project
receive weekly fun and engaging takehome lesson plans, kid-friendly recipes, art
The cards are easy-to-follow, colorful, and
clip right into the “Budding Farmers Fun
Book”.
Signing up and participating in the
Budding Farmers program is fun and easy!
More information plus great activities,
illustrations, and more can be found at:
www.buddingfarmers.com
Please “like” us on Facebook
& follow us on Twitter @BuddingFarmers
The Budding Farmers Program is also working
with Just Food Co-op’s new and fabulous “Kids
Club”! You will find Budding Farmers Activity
pages at the co-op and a Budding Farmers
Activity will be featured in each ComPost
alongside the “Kids Club” activities… let the
fun (& learning ) begin!
My Co-op Rocks Contest Winners
Congratulations to the following Co-ops for
having their members submit some amazing
videos. Think about what you could submit
for the next time - we’d love to have YOU
submit a video about Just Food!
First place
Cooperative Living Organization is a touching
display of how the Cooperative Living
Organization at the University of Florida
positively influences its residents.
Entrant: Cooperative Living Organization,
Gainesville, FL
Second place
My Co-op’s Rocks is an original acoustic ode
to the nutritious geology found within food
co-ops.
Entrant: Tidal Creek Cooperative Food Market,
Wilmington, NC
Third place
The Little
Merc-Maid is
a throwback to
a Walt Disney classic highlighting The Merc’s
utopian benefits.
Entrant: The Merc, Lawrence, KS
NCGA Announces B Corporation Certification
Press release from ncga.coop
IOWA CITY, IOWA (November 29, 2012)
– Today, National Cooperative Grocers
Association (NCGA) – a business services
cooperative representing 128 food co-ops
nationwide – announced its certification as a
B-Corporation.
NCGA joins more than 650 companies in
19 countries and across 60 industries which
have achieved B Corp status. Like Fair Trade
or USDA Organic certification, B Corp
certification requires companies to meet
and adopt rigorous standards of social and
environmental performance, accountability
and transparency.
“Co-ops like ours are rooted in values of
self-responsibility, democracy, community
and social responsibility, and are a powerful
economic force through which we can
shape and ensure a sustainable food system,
fair treatment of people, and a healthy
environment. Joining the B Corp family was
a natural step” said Robynn Shrader, chief
executive officer for NCGA.
Unlike conventional grocers, food co-ops are
owned and governed by member-shoppers.
Because of these principles and practices,
food co-ops inherently serve and benefit the
communities where they are located. For
example, a study released by NCGA earlier this
year found that for every dollar spent at a food
co-op, $0.38 is reinvested in the local economy
compared to $0.24 at conventional grocers.
About NCGA
National Cooperative Grocers Association
(NCGA), founded in 1999, is a business
services cooperative for retail food co-ops
located throughout the United States. NCGA
helps unify food co-ops in order to optimize
operational and marketing resources,
strengthen purchasing power, and ultimately
offer more value to natural food co-op
Currently, NCGA’s member and associate food owners and shoppers everywhere. Our 128
member and associate co-ops operate over 160
co-ops operate 165 stores, generate more than
storefronts in 35 states with combined annual
$1.4 billion in annual revenue and are owned
by 1.3 million consumer owners – all numbers sales over $1.4 billion. NCGA is a winner of
the dotCoop Global Awards for Cooperative
that are expected to continue rising in the
Excellence in recognition of the application
coming years.
of cooperative values and principles to drive
cooperative and business success. In 2012,
“The co-op is clearly a strong and viable
NCGA became a Certified B Corporation, a
business model – a model we believe to be a
rigorous certification that recognizes business
key component of a healthy economy, and a
standards of social and environmental
mechanism for consumer choice, a fair and
performance, accountability and transparency.
honest deal, and ethical business.” Shrader
For a map of NCGA member and associate
added. “B Corp certification was another
co-ops, visit www.ncga.coop. To learn more
opportunity to join leaders in the movement
about co-ops, visit www.strongertogether.coop
to push all businesses to establish and be held
accountable for values beyond the bottom line.” or www.go.coop.
February/March 2013
The ComPost
Page 7
WINTER EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE
The Journey to Eat Local
Beth Croteau-Kallestad, Co-op Owner and Executive Director of Cannon River Watershed Partnership
Growing up in
Massachusetts in a semirun down, mill town where
we played in the cemetery
because it had the most
open space, I wasn’t
really exposed to much
in the way of fresh, local
food. There were some
exceptions like picking
Macintosh apples in the
fall at the local orchard
and going to get sweet
corn and maybe some green beans from the
farm stand by the gas station for the few weeks
it was open. Mine was not a gardening family
and for the longest time I thought green beans
were the gray ones in the can. To support
myself in college I waitressed, which is where
I first saw kale not as a menu item but as a plate
garnish. I didn’t know you could actually EAT it
and never would have dreamed I’d actually like it.
Over the last fifteen years, living in Northfield,
I’ve had the opportunity to shop at the farmer’s
markets, join a CSA farm, be a member of and
shop at Just Food, all of which have shown me
how wonderful fresh, local food can be. For me
and my family eating local is a journey. It is much
easier in the summer but it is still something
we try and do as much as we can year round.
While I’ll never reach the level of eating local
that Barbara
Kingsolver
did in Animal,
Vegetable or
Miracle, each
season I resolve
to do a better job
of squirreling
away as much
of that fantastic
produce and fruit
for the winter to
help make eating
local year round
easier. I’ve been trying more squash and winter
vegetables and for the most part, really enjoy them.
My kids and spouse are little more skeptical, but
I keep encouraging them to try. For what I’m not
able to put away myself there’s always Just Food
Co-op to bail me out with the local offerings they
provide year round!
Eating local is not only important to me because it
is fresh and tastes great but because it is important
to the economic health of my community. It’s
a wonderful feeling when I am able to buy eggs
from a friend or a quarter beef from the farmer
across the road from where I work. These people
are real to me and it makes me feel good to know
that my purchases help them do the work they
love and help them support their families.
The last reason why I value local food is work
related. My job at the Cannon River Watershed
Partnership focuses on how we can help protect
and improve the water and the land. In my
opinion the current corn and soybean row crop
monopoly of our land is not sustainable. We need
a variety of vegetable crops, livestock and grasses
on give us healthy soil and cleaner water. The
more of us who eat local foods the more demand
there is for this variety of crops and that will help
protect our land and water for the long run.
My journey toward eating local is just that. I don’t
do it all the time or even as much as I should but
I’m working towards it. You can too!
Eat Local Challenge Menu Ideas
Breakfast
Lunch and Dinner Ideas
Potatoes O’Brien, made with local potatoes
HolyLand Hummus & Pita
Omelet with local eggs, local cheese, tomatoes
& onions.
Whole Grain Milling Company Pancakes
Baked Nachos: Thousand Hills Ground Beef,
black beans, Valley View Cheddar Cheese,
Salsa Lisa Salsa, Labore Lettuce, Whole Grain
Milling Chips
Smoothie : Rochdale Yogurt, Snopac Berries,
Local Honey
Roasted Callister Chicken, Native Harvest
Wild Rice (bulk), SnoPac veggies
Brick Oven Bakery Bread, toasted with nut
butter or local butter.
Pizza: Fahlstrom Farms Gluten Free Pizza
Crust Mix topped with Local Cheese and
meats. Add in some veggies!
Kalona Organics plain yogurt with local honey,
Whole Grain Milling Company Oatmeal
drizzled with Wild Country Maple Syrup
Nick’s Eggs, scrambled, served with Beeler’s
Bacon
Kalona Yogurt with SnoPac berries
Brick Oven Bread, toasted; Lorence’s
Raspberry Jam
Snacks and Desserts
Whole Grain Milling Popcorn
Thousand Hills Beef Sticks
Ellsworth Cheese Curds
Granola
Local String Cheese
Fahlstrom Farms Gluten Free Heavenly
Brownies made with Organic Valley Butter,
and Nick’s Eggs
Sandwich made Applegate lunchmeat, Brick
Oven Bakery Bread, Labore lettuce, and Sunny
Road Smoked Gouda
Pasta Bake: Dakota Grower’s Penne Pasta
with local jarred pasta sauce, topped with
shredded local parmesan cheese.
Singing Hills Pork Roast, Local Roasted
Potatoes, Local Squash
Thousand Hills Hot Dog with SnoPac French
Fries
Of Course: Hotbar or Local soup & sandwich
selection from the Just Food Deli!
Your Challenge:
March 9-16: Eat 50% of your food from the five-state area.
Look for the local signs and recipes around the store to help you in your quest.
Come to the local sampling day on Saturday, March 9 and to CSA Day on Saturday, March 16.
Sign up on the poster at the front of the store, or make a mental commitment if you’d like your challenge to be more private. Then try
to make sure that one out of every two ingredients or foods you eat is local. It’s that easy!
Page 8
The ComPost
February/March 2013
INSTRUCTOR SPOTLIGHT
Feeding Your Health
Lynn DeBuhr Johnson, Certified Health Coach
I grew up in the Twin
Cities area of Minnesota.
Minnesota is a great state
for learning about nature,
natural healing, and
environmental factors.
Growing up I was always
experimenting with
gardening and trying
different recipes. As I
babysat, I always preferred
taking the kids outside to
play, and feeding them the healthier things in the
house.
I attended Catholic schools for elementary and
high school. I went to college in Bristol, Virginia
majoring in Business and Communications. After
two years there, I moved back to Minnesota and
attended the University of Minnesota, graduating
with degrees in Business and Communications.
I worked for Target Corporation for two years,
assisting the buyer for Small Merchandise, such as
blenders, mixers, and toasters. While this might
seem trivial, I acquired many utensils that helped
me as I continued learning good health practices.
I was running 5-6 miles a day, and started leaning
more toward a vegetarian lifestyle. I was also heavily
into dancing (yes, I am a disco queen), and I felt
like my body was at its ideal.
My journey to better health continued with the
concern for the health of my oldest daughter in
the fall of 1984. I had always been interested in
taking care of myself, and doing things as naturally
as possible. I had used a midwife for the birth of
my daughter, and was always reading about natural
ways to bring up children. That fall, however, was
a turning point. Brianna was continually having
upper respiratory infections. After the third
bout when she was six months old, I asked the
pediatrician why this was happening. He replied
that it was natural for children to be ill. What?!
At this point I began to do more research and found
an holistic doctor. I lived in the Twin Cities area of
Minnesota, so this was not hard to do. Through this
doctor, I learned about natural healing and healthy
eating. I became a certified macrobiotic chef at this
point, and started teaching classes and going into
people’s homes and preparing meals that they could
store and have available when they got home.
I also worked in the late 1980’s for Sandoz
Nutrition, more specifically The OPTIFAST
Program. You may remember this as the weight
loss program that Oprah went on where she
had a dramatic weight loss. My position was as
an assistant in the research and development
department. Once again, I received an opportunity
to learn more about the body as it loses weight and
the need for maintenance.
In 1990, after the birth of two more girls, my
husband, Mark, and I moved to Fairmont
Minnesota. Fairmont was a much smaller
community, with fewer resources for food and other
learning opportunities. I found that continued
learning about natural health was a bit more
difficult, as was my access to organic and healthier
foods. But I also had obtained a large lot, and so
began to learn gardening techniques and recipes
that utilized these foods. I started homeschooling
and began to acquire a community of people that
were also interested in healthier living. I had four
more children – three boys and one more girl – that
were born at home, and continued my knowledge of
herbs and natural healing.
In 2003 we moved to an acreage in Iowa. My garden
has grown, while the children have left. I now have
two grandchildren. When there is any question of
how to take care of an illness, my children call me
before the doctor. In 2010, I attended the Institute
for Integrative Nutrition, and became a certified
health coach.
So, as you can see, I am a wife and mother, with
a full and fun life. Every day I continue to learn
as much as I can about this wonderful world my
Heavenly Father has given us. I want to help as
many people as I can to achieve maximum health,
to lead joyful and productive lives and to find their
passions. I do this through a variety of programs
and services that can be custom–made based on
individual needs and goals.
I believe that coming to your home allows you to
feel in control of what you will learn. You prepare
foods using your utensils and tools, while I am there
to guide you and help you gain confidence in your
abilities.
The next step for you is to sign up to receive my
Smoothie Recipe book. Then you can contact me to
schedule a complimentary 30 minute consultation
to see how we can be a good fit in working together.
Let’s get you back on track to organize your life and
health, and help you build the life of your dreams.
Right-size your life!
Linne Jensen
Realtor®
If you are thinking of buying or selling a home,
please call or text requesting a free consultation.
612-309-2174
linnejensen@edinarealty.com
612 1st St W, Northfield
2 bed/1 bath ❄ 877 sq ft ❄ 2 car garage ❄ $137,000
Jøtul Woodstove
Tankless Hot Water Heater & Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System
New Marvin Windows (2010)
W/D, Freezer, Oven, Fridge, Dishwasher Included
Wildlife-Friendly Landscaping
Near Way Park on Low-Traffic Street
612-210-3790 ❄ Carol@CarolHong.com ❄ http://carolhong.com/
coldwell banker South Metro
Your Ad Here for
$55!
Contact Stephanie at
outreach@justfood.coop for
information or for
other sizes and pricing.
February/March 2013
The ComPost
Page 9
HEALTH AND EDUCATION NEWS
Get Out There and Live Your Dreams!
By Meg Jensen-Witt, Co-op Owner and Wellness Manager
Have you ever had one of those moments when you
realize that you’re living your dreams? When I was
younger I wanted to be a doctor and help people be
well. I wanted to help change the world and make
my mark on my community. I even went to college
thinking this; it was my plan to be a doctor and
change the world with Western Medicine.
Then I took organic chemistry; turns out me and
chemistry don’t have chemistry; not to mention
that the more I learned about Western Medicine,
the less I liked the idea of being a doctor. I found
myself not reading my texts books and instead
spending my time learning about Ayurveda and
Traditional Chinese Medicine. It probably didn’t
help my ambitions that I was working part time
at the Co-op and everyday learned something new
that drew me further and further away from this
ideal of Western Medicine making the world a
better place. I felt lost, as my dreams seemed to
take a back seat to my life which felt like it was
running away from me. So many other amazing
things were happening that I just decided to go
with it, I got my degree in biology, got married,
bought a house, and continued to work at my Coop, never really thinking that it was a career move
or that it would be something I would be fulfilled
doing. You know how sometimes you just feel
like you’re going through the motions and life just
happens around you, well that’s what it felt like.
I was just floating along, letting life happen around
me and not really thinking twice about this dream
that I had had since I was little, I mean really, it
was just a childhood fantasy and it couldn’t really
still be something that I yearned to do. Right?
Well, I recently had a conversation where it hit me,
smack in the face, I am living my dreams! Even
though I’m not a doctor, and I’m not saving the
world, curing diseases and eradicating illness, I
make a difference in someone’s life every day. It
was during our Healthy Choices Demo on Saturday,
January 12, when this overwhelming feeling of
accomplishment struck me: I was doing my usual
Saturday morning routine; checking the aisle,
placing orders, helping customers and I happened
to stop and chit-chat with Betsy and Andrew from
Spring Wind Farms. They were demo-ing their
lovely beans and corn, and it hit me, I stopped mid
conversation and just smiled. I’m not sure what
Betsy or Andrew thought, but as we chatted about
their farm and laughed about life, I realized that
here I was chatting with a woman I’ve known since
high school. I have admired Betsy for years, she
has done some amazing things in her life and she
was living her own dreams of owning a farm and
producing healthy food for her community and
here I was working at the avenue for those items to
make it to my community. “Whoa, wait a second,”
I thought to myself. I had always put Betsy on this
level above myself, she was/is amazing (and Betsy
if you’re reading this, don’t blush, I just admire
you, a lot) and she could do things I just couldn’t
imagine. And here I was, little ol’ me, working at
my Co-op, helping people everyday work towards
Lo
ca
l!
Making
fresh bread
& sweets daily!
Your local source for delicious artisan bread!
Brick Oven Bakery
630 Professional Drive
Northfield MN 55057
(507) 645-9517
bread@brickovenbakery.com
www.brickovenbakery.com
Now offering breads and sweets made
with Gluten-free ingredients.
Be sure to order your
Valentine’s Day Cheesecake!
better health. Over these
years that I had imagined
to myself to be floating by,
I had helped to form and shape my co-op into the
great place it is. I make the decisions as to what
supplements we carry, I put them there, I help to
educate people everyday about how they can make
better choices that will in turn change their lives
and make the community a happier, healthier place.
Every time I step into the aisle, every time I create
a new producer relationship, I am helping people
and changing my community for the better.
I am changing the world, albeit my little section of
the world, for the better. I get to live my dreams
of helping people heal themselves, empowering
my community to live a more sustainable, healthy
life. And it’s not just that I get to live my dreams of
making the world a better place, you get to do that
too. The whole reason that I am here, that this Coop is here is because of you. You wanted a co-op
and you sustain us by shopping here, by choosing to
spend your money here, you are making the world
a better place by allowing us to do our jobs. You
have told us what you want in your Co-op and we
have answered. I get to live my dreams and help
you change the world around us. You should feel
just as empowered as I feel, our Co-op is making
positive change in our community and we put it
here, we make it possible. So long story short, live
your dreams, shop at your Co-op and empower our
community to do more every day.
Understanding Food
Labels
www.strongertogether.com
Choosing new foods and flavors for your family can be fun. But when
faced with a shelf full of look-alike cans and packages, do you know
how to identify the foods that best fit into your balanced diet? If not,
learning your way around a Nutrition Facts label can help. Here’s what
to look for:
Servings per package and serving size, which is important info for
comparison shopping (and might keep us from eating that entire pint
of ice cream in one sitting)
Calorie count per serving and the number of those calories that come
from fat (all the figures on the label are based on a 2,000-calorie adult
diet)
The “bad boys,” handily grouped together: saturated fat, trans fat,
cholesterol, and sodium (the lower the numbers for these, the better)
Total carbs and sugar counts, given in grams and percentages of your
daily value to help you stay in a healthy range
Nutrient listings for vitamins and minerals (vitamin A, calcium,
vitamin C, protein, and iron) and dietary fiber—daily values are given,
but in general, higher is better here. If a product has 5% or less of
these items, it’s considered low, and 20% or more is high.
It’s also a good idea to scan the label for artificial ingredients and
sneaky sweeteners (like high-fructose corn syrup), as well as food
allergens (depending on who’s coming to dinner). The USDA requires
that the eight most common allergens (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts,
fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat) be clearly listed.
Additional labels to seek out include the USDA Organic Seal, the Fair
Trade Certified label, the Certified Humane label, Country of Origin
Labels (COOL), and of course, any labels added by the Co-op to
highlight local products.
Do you read food labels, or do you rely on other methods (like
selecting specific brands) for healthful choices?
Page 10
The ComPost
February/March 2013
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Food Hub in Northfield?
Angel Dobrow, Co-op Owner
What is a Food Hub?
A group of us traveled to Viroqua, WI in November
to tour the Fifth Season Cooperative, a communitybased food hub. Then some in that group agreed to
research regional and national food hub models, and
met to throw ideas, observations and needs out on the
communal table. Founding members of Just Food will
recognize the process…seek, note, discuss, craft, do.
Community created enterprise.
In reaction to higher food prices, potentially
vulnerable supply chains, and lousy factory food,
these food hub models and groupings are springing
up all over the US. Several large non-profits are in fact
devoting a lot of attention to this idea as one way to
strengthen local food systems, maybe even the way
to (re)establish a local food system. See the Wallace
Center’s work at ttp://www.wallacecenter.org/ourwork/current-initiatives/food-hub-collaboration.)
Local food hubs come in many models; their main
objective is to gather and distribute locally grown
food. They can supplement the truckloads of food
delivered to our schools, hospitals, and nursing
homes. Some include commercial kitchens for food
processing, beginning to replace some of that trucked
food! (And therefore replace truck food miles.)
Why is this important?
Food hubs can:
Provide a market for area growers (jobs),
Incubate value-added food businesses (jobs),
Keep cooks in institutional kitchens (jobs.)
Many strong arguments for food hubs focus on
the local economic benefits. In a town like ours,
surrounded by fields and farmers, growing a local
food system could only help boost the local economy
by providing farmer jobs, food processing jobs, cold
storage facility jobs, distribution jobs. We have
approximately 20,000 people to feed, surely a portion
of that can be done with local labor.
What we saw
The Fifth Season Cooperative (http://fifthseason.
coop) is a great model for localized food distribution.
What we have been considering:
The coop has 6 membership classes: producers,
producer groups, processors, institutional customers
Our tour in November ended with enthusiasm and
(the end users), distributor (the trucks), and the
questions: do we have the means to be a Fifth Season
workers. In a nutshell farmers bring their to-be-sold
pick up point, should we combine forces and open a
product to a site, a truck returning from a drop off (i.e. processing facility, what institutional food services
empty) loads said product and delivers to a central
might we partner with? (And so on.) To harness some
warehouse for distribution to customers. The Fifth
of this energy a small group with representatives
Season organizes the sites and routes and billing
from Carleton—students and food service, area
on behalf of the growers. One of the drivers of this
farmers, Just Food, and community food activists
particular project was the distribution warehouse—
has met several times to consider our options, gauge
the company with the trucks (and truck routes.)
interest, quantify the need. At our last meeting we
Rinehart’s institutional kitchen customers wanted
‘discovered’ a loading dock and cooler space—may the
local food, and Fifth Season is able to organize a
rest fall into place as easily. As I write group members
supply for that demand.
are assessing who can/what to grow as well as who
can purchase what kinds of products in scaled up
More why it is important
quantities. Community scale food supplies will need
Food security means one has access to a reliable
organization from a hub.
supply of safe food. An individual experiences this
at the pantry-level, a family unit at the grocery store
A food hub in our town could start small, say as a pick
or while in a home garden, a community via their
up point for an established food hub so we can learn
surrounding environment. Consolidation of our
site coordination needs/skills. It could then evolve
nation’s food supply chain was begun decades ago, a
to include some processed foods like jams and jellies
process that has put many of us (most of us?) at the
that are sold onto that picked-up pallet. Meanwhile,
mercy of profit-driven multinational corporations.
area farmers begin dedicating one-half acre plots
An important component of a community’s food
specifically for crops suitable to school and hospital
security is met when area growers are financially
kitchen food prep. And then, we build a central
encouraged to grow real food and consumers have
kitchen to house 8, 9, 10 different food processors
access to that food.
all targeted to supply area stores with locally grown
A localized food system that includes a food hub for
ketchup, pasta, and soup mixes. Ambitious, but look
distribution, multiple farmers growing a variety of
around you! Our small scale farming population is
food crops, meat and dairy products available from
growing, two years ago we added a second farmers
pasture-based farms would be an important step for
market, Just Food is stabilized as a viable community
us to dream about and begin planning for. So many of institution. And now, the federal government is
us shop for our food without knowing or considering
(finally) viewing quality food as an integral part of
all the steps taken to get that carrot from a seed to
quality of life.
one’s plate. For the majority of the middle class in
the US, large scale agriculture shifted the discussion
A strong local food system is certainly within our
away from food procurement to food preparation;
reach. At a meeting of farmers in early January, we
do I dice or slice the carrots as opposed to are there
were discussing the needs of institutional kitchens, i.e.
any carrots in the garden? And of course, there are
they need the potatoes to be peeled before delivery.
millions in this country struggling to obtain any
One of the farmers said ‘who eats potatoes peeled?’
food, no matter the source or the prep requirements.
We all laughed, but that is an indication of the vast
Community-scaled agriculture has the potential to
gulf to be bridged, and the best reason to begin the
be more democratic, more transparent, and a quicker
work now. Potatoes skins can be eaten, and rural
way to figure out fair and just ways to assure all in the towns can reestablish control over food distribution.
community are fed.
The Northfield Kitchen is Born!
By Vayu Maini Redkal
Founded by
chef Vayu Maini
Rekdal in 2012,
the Northfield
Kitchen is a
unique addition
to the sprawling
local food
community.
The Northfield
Kitchen aims to
spread the love
of food and cooking through hands-on cooking
classes, food activities and cooking events,
teaching people how to fully use and experience
the local bounty, with a global touch. With a clear
focus on sustainability and of course deliciousness,
the Northfield Kitchen offers a great opportunity
for amateur cooks, college students and food
fanatics alike to explore the fabulous and joyful
world of food and cooking.
About Vayu
At an early age Vayu, now a Carleton College
biology major from Stockholm, Sweden, started
following his Indian mom in the kitchen,
observing and exploring her fragrant and exciting
culinary endeavors. Even though Vayu’s very first
has worked at world famous chef Ferran Adria’s
gastronomic research center Fundacion Alicia in
Spain, and done food science research at UCLA.
Currently at Carleton, Vayu is the founder and
president of Firebellies, the Carleton culinary
club. As the leader of one of Carleton’s largest
and most active clubs, Vayu holds free weekly
cooking events at Carleton and in the community.
Needless to say, Vayu prides himself as the
most passionate foodie on the Carleton
“Eating and cooking with Vayu campus.
is a transformational culinary
experience. His enthusiasm and Just Food is excited to be a partner with
passion for food, more specifi- Vayu in his quest to teach young chefs
cally, for blending various inter- how to cook. He was awarded a grant
national cuisines and
from the Healthy Community Initiative
flavors make for a fantastic
to launch the Young Northfield Chefs
eating experience. “
Project and Just Food will be providing
Kelly Scheuerman, Northfield resident, Passionate foodie,
some of the food that will be needed to
and Assistant director of the Carleton ACT center
show some of the healthy and local foods
available to them.
dish was a complete disaster, his passion grew
exponentially. Soon he started embarking on
his own food adventures. Starting with simple
pasta dishes and evolving into a set of complex
concoctions that feature a striking balance
between textures and flavors, Vayu’s personal style
of cooking is best described as local cuisine with a
global twist.
At 20 years
of age, Vayu
boasts an
impressive list
of experiences.
Before moving
to New York
upon graduation
from high
school, Vayu ran
the company
MatRatt in
Stockholm,
Sweden, empowering and inspiring youth
through cooking. In New York, Vayu not only
expanded his project to the cyber world, starting
the blog youngNYChefs, but also worked for chef
Marcus Samuelsson and reinvented the menu of
one of the city’s most famous sandwich venues,
Tiny’s Giant Sandwich Shop. In addition, he
Vayu will be teaching the next generation of Coop shoppers at the Kids Club Cooking class on
Sunday, February 10 at 1:00. This class is geared
toward elementary aged students. Sign up online
at www.justfood.coop/event
February/March 2013
The ComPost
Page 11
NEWS AND EVENTS
The ComPost - In Full Color!
Stephanie Aman, Co-op Owner and Marketing and Owner Services Manager
Did you know:
The Co-op currently mails approximately
2,200 issues of the Compost every other
month?
•
•
•
Each Compost is six (6) pages of
newsprint
129,000 pieces of newsprint paper =
paper used to print the Compost and
The Mix each year
Co-op Deals Flyers are inserted in
the Compost and The Mix = 105,600
pieces of ledger sized paper each year
That’s a LOT of paper!
So we’re making a change! Just Food
will be moving to an e-subscription to
the Compost. We will have the Compost
available online, and will email members
when the newsletter is available for
viewing. We will still have a limited
number of copies available in store; the
look will be different as we move to a full
color, magazine style newsletter that has a
glossy cover, with newsprint inside.
The Compost will still be printed and
completed by local companies. We will be
working with By All Means Graphics, who
also works with local businesses to pull the
entire project together.
Benefits:
•
•
•
•
•
Lower overall cost (monetarily and
environmentally)
Available online 24 hours per day
Households can receive more than one
e-copy
Full color, which provides a cleaner
look as well as a better advertising
venue for local businesses
Approximately $16,500 more per year
available for outreach and community
support.
Update your information for
your E-subscription
Name:
Owner Number:
Email Address:
(can be sent to more than one!)
The cost savings gained from this
transition to an e-subscription translates,
monetarily, into an ability for the Co-op
to spend more time and money investing
in outreach to our community. Afterall,
our ENDS statement and goal of your
Co-op is to Nourish a Just, Healthy, and
Sustainability Community.
A limited number of hard copies will be
available in the store for pick up. Co-op
Deals Flyers will be available online as well
as in store.
Look for the change to start with the June/
July issue of the Compost. I look forward
to seeing this in color and I hope you do
too!
Looking for something
special for that
special someone?
Please bring this form to the Co-op and drop into our
“Suggestion Box”, fill out a form at the suggestion box,
or email outreach@justfood.coop with “E-Subscription”
in the subject line, with all of the above information.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact
Stephanie at 507-650-0106 or outreach@justfood.coop
Thank you for updating your information so that we
can serve you better!
Co-op Gift Cards
Make Great Gifts!
Delicious Candy and Chocolates
Jewelry - made locally
Valentine’s Day Cards
Soothing Bath Salt Sets
Flowers
Look no further - we have you
covered!
Consider a
Co-op Gift Card!
Page 12
The ComPost
February/March 2013