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A monthly publication with your good health in mind
FOOD CO OP
Co-op Community
In This Issue
NEWS
Coal Trains on Whatcom Farmlands—Page 5
Support for Authentic Fair Trade—Page 12
March 2012
Recycling, Reducing & Reusing
at the Co-op
See you at the
Melissa Elkins, CCN Staff
You probably know that the Co-op is committed
to its recycling and environmental efforts, but you
may not know how far that commitment takes us. For
more than 40 years the Co-op has been a local leader when
it comes to recycling, reducing, and reusing. We have supported Sustainable Connections’ Toward Zero Waste program since its inception. We offer many recycling options
for shoppers in both of our stores and a lot of recycling goes
on behind-the-scenes that you may not notice or ever see.
Reusable Bags and Containers
The Co-op has never offered plastic
shopping bags at checkout (they will
be banned in Bellingham starting August 1, 2012), but our customers are
great about bringing in gently used
bags of all types to be reused by other
shoppers—we even have a plastic bag
recycling drop box at the Downtown
store and we’ll have one soon at the
Cordata store. We’ve offered reusable
shopping bags to our customers long
before they were in vogue.
In our bulk departments, customers
have always brought in clean, reusable
containers to leave for other shoppers
and we facilitate their use by making scales available so customers can
weigh the empty containers before filling them with bulk products.
Beth Wilhelm unpacks one of the many
products shipped to the Co-op wellness
departments in packing peanuts. After removing products, Beth will gather the styrofoam
peanuts for recycling.
Annual Meeting
and Party
Saturday, March 10, 5–10 pm
Bellingham Cruise Terminal
John Dillon breaks
down cardboard for
the baler (above); the
baled cardboard is
stacked for recycling
pickup.
Electronics and Batteries
We recently added collection
bins at the Co-op for customers
to recycle batteries (dry cell,
standard household-use batteries, as well as cell phone and
other rechargeable batteries), CFL
bulbs, and inkjet toners, at no cost to
shoppers. We also recycle our office
electronics such as computers and
monitors through re-use—we often
refurbish our old computers to sell at
a discounted rate to staff.
Cardboard
We recycle all of the cardboard
that enters our business either by
baling it for recycling or by leaving boxes out for customers to use;
and the number of boxes adds up.
The Co-op recycled almost 90 tons
of cardboard in 2011—that’s about
180,000 pounds.
Food Waste
We participate in Food Plus recycling through Sanitary Service Company. In 2011, the Co-op diverted
364 cubic yards of compostable
material from landfills—that’s more
than 10 full-size garbage truckloads
of waste – and most of that was
scraps from our kitchens!
In addition to the Food Plus recycling, we also generate about 45-50
apple boxes of culled produce per
week (both stores combined) that
are picked up by local gardeners and
farmers to be used as animal feed or
turned into high-quality compost.
Building a Resilient Co-op Future:
We’ve had owner forums, focus
groups, and an owner survey. Find
out what you’ve been telling us as
Pamela Jull of Applied Research
Northwest and Rosalinda Guillen,
Co-op Board Director and Strategic Planning Committee member,
present the development of an exciting vision and thoughtful strategic plan for the Co-op’s future.
Photos by Joanne Plucy
The produce departments also work
with local farmers to reuse the containers they deliver their produce in.
Some produce is delivered in waxed
boxes and about 90 percent of those
are reused by local farmers, and
many of them are used until they fall
apart.
The Co-op also donates a lot of
food to the Food Bank—staff from
the Food Bank pick up grocery
items, both perishable and dry goods,
and Deli/Bakery items five days a
week, which amounts to a few hundred pounds of food per week. They
also pick up an average of six boxes
of mostly organic produce each day
which translates into thousands of
pounds of healthy fruits and vegetables every year.
Plastic: Film, Bags, and Peanuts
We recycle an amazing amount of
plastic film and bags—almost 3,000
pounds were collected and recycled
from both Co-ops in 2011. If you
think about how much a single plastic bag weighs…that’s a lot of bags.
We also regularly recycle the packing “peanuts” that come in many of
our product shipments.
(continued on page 10)
Improv: Upfront Theatre players
will wrap up our meeting and entertain us with some improv-style
fun and bring to life a vision of the
Co-op’s future exploring our new
ideas.
The band: Haven’t heard of
SmokeWagon yet? They tore it
up at the 2011 Subdued Stringband Jamboree with their Spaghetti-Surf-Garage-a-Billy tunes.
Bring your dancing shoes. See
www.smokewagon.net.
Fun for kids: Peregrine Puppet Theater, featuring Bonzo the Clown, and
visual artist Christian Anne Smith
present the Mayan Folktale, “The
Mouse Bride.” There will also be
face painting and fun crafts.
Local food producers: Back by
popular demand, some of our favorite local food producers will sample
their goods in the lower level.
The food: It goes without saying
that it’ll be delicious. Choice of
salmon or vegetarian main dish, plus
plenty of hearty sides. Then, stick
around for dessert.
Visit the voting table to participate
in the Board of Directors election,
fill out our questionnaire so we can
learn more about you, and grab your
smartphone to take and upload party
pictures to our Facebook page.
1220 N. Forest St., Bellingham WA • 315 Westerly Rd., Bellingham WA • 360-734-8158 • www.communityfood.coop
Co-op Community News
is a monthly publication
produced by the
Community Food Co-op
1220 N. Forest St.
Bellingham WA 98226
315 Westerly Rd.
Bellingham WA 98225
360-734-8158
(both locations)
Co-op Community News
is published as a service
for members. Letters from
members are welcome
(see guidelines below).
The deadline for submissions of letters is 8 pm on
the 5th of the month
preceding publication.
Editor:
Diana Campbell
Design/Production:
Joanne Plucy
Opinions expressed in
the Co-op Community
News are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the
Co-op Board, management, staff or members.
Nutrition and health information is provided for
informational purposes
only and is not meant as a
substitute for a consultation with a licensed health
or dietary practitioner.
Acceptance of advertising
does not indicate endorsement by the Co-op of the
product or service offered.
Co-op Board Election
Vote online at
www.voting.coop
✓
Meetings are on the
second Wednesday of every month.
ote
Your Vote Counts—Vote in the Co-op Board Election
Voting is now available online, and runs through March 31.
The Co-op’s 2012 Board election is in
full swing, and owners can cast their vote
until 10 pm, Saturday, March 31. Unlike
conventional stores, co-ops are guided by
the Seven Cooperative Principles, the second of which is Democratic Control. Owners enjoy equal voting rights (one owner,
one vote) and participation in decisions
affecting them. Each year owners vote for
the Board candidates they want to authorize as decision makers on behalf of owners, charging them with keeping the Co-op
healthy and successful, listening to owner
concerns and advancing the Co-op’s mission, vision, and values.
Voting ensures that we continue to have a
full slate of Board directors working effectively to represent you—the owners. This
year we have a slate of three well-qualified
candidates running for three open positions
on the Board. These candidates are folks
who are willing to volunteer their time and
hard work for the benefit of the cooperative
and its owners. This year with three candidates for three seats, your Co-op needs your
vote—for a valid Board election we must
receive at least 200 ballots.
The Co-op Board of Directors
Voting is more convenient than ever.
Our cost-effective and paper-free election
is now online. Just go to www.voting.
coop, and browse the Board Candidates
page to read in-depth profiles about our
candidates—their qualifications, skills,
and motivations for the Board. Then click
“vote” and follow the instructions to login
and select up to three candidates. You can
also find the candidate information and a
link to the voting site at www.communityfood.coop. If you want to vote at either
store you can stop by our online voting kiosks located near each service desk, or if
you prefer, you can ask for a paper ballot
at the service desk.
Voting in the annual Board election is
one of your most immediate ways to have
a voice in the store that you own. Participation in the voting process is a tangible
reminder that the Community Food Co-op
is more than just a great place to shop—
it’s your great place to shop. Let’s make
another strong year for owner involvement at the Co-op—vote for your Board
representatives.
Next Meeting:
Wednesday, March 14, at 7 pm
Roots Room at the Cordata Co-op
315 Westerly Rd. at Cordata Pkwy.
Members are welcome to attend.
If there is something you want to discuss
at the meeting, contact Jim Ashby,
General Manager (360-734-8158) or
Deborah Craig, Chair (360-738-9015)
by the first Monday of the month so your item
can be included on the agenda.
Jim Ashby
General Manager:
360-734-8158
Board of Directors:
Deborah Craig, Chair
360-738-9015
Steven Harper, Vice-Chair
360-441-2728
Brent Harrison
360-398-7509
Brooks Dimmick
360-758-7610
Matt McBeath
360-510-6908
Megan Westgate
360-592-5325
Michael Elkins
360-305-4952
Rosalinda Guillen
360-381-0293
Beau Hilty-Jones
360-318-7517
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Store hours:
Open 7 days a week
Cordata—7 am to 9 pm
Downtown—7 am to 10 pm
Co-op Deli hours:
Cordata—7 am to 8 pm
Downtown—7 am to 9 pm
Visit us on the Web at
www.communityfood.coop
Cooperative
Principles
Letters to the Editor
Guidelines
Updates to Co-op Website
Letters must include your
name, address, and a
daytime phone number.
Please respect a maximum
of 150 words. Due to
space considerations, we
regret that we may not be
able to publish all letters.
After launching our new website last
fall, we’ve had fun tweaking and adding
a few new features. Now you’ll be able
to:
Please send your letters to:
Newsletter Editor
Co-op Community News
1220 N. Forest St.
Bellingham WA 98225
• View our chock-full calendar of upcoming classes
dianac@communityfood.coop
• View slides of some of our farm fund
grant/loan recipients
• Learn about interesting products from
our monthly staff picks
• See our weekly and bi-weekly sales flyers
• Read past articles on various topics
such as GMOs, fructose, BPA, calcium,
Farm Fund
Who benefits from the
Co-op Farm Fund?
We all do!
Donations accepted at all
registers, by mail, or phone.
For more information, contact
Farm Fund administrator Jean
Rogers at 360-734-8158 ext. 217
or jeanr@communityfood.coop.
2
Co-op Community News, March 2012
and International Year of the Cooperative articles on various aspects of
cooperatives
• Check out the owner discounts available with our local business partners
• Use the handy cooking instructions
posted on our bulk department page
• Use our customer input system to log
your comments and suggestions
• Read our publications on gluten-free
products and the organic industry
• Check out some of the popular recipes
from our bakery and deli.
• Voluntary and open
membership
• Democratic member control
• Member economic
participation
• Autonomy and independence
• Education, training, and
information
• Cooperation among
cooperatives
• Concern for the community
Third Thursday Local Music Series
Flip Breskin & Zeke Hoskin
Thursday, March 15, 6–8 pm
Downtown Co-op
Flip Breskin is a song-catcher extraordinaire, an extremely
clean and lyrical finger-style guitarist, and a musical mover
and shaker from way back. Zeke Hoskin sees the absurd side
of everything and puts it all into witty songs that have been
Photo courtesy of Flip Breskin & Zeke Hoskin
performed and recorded by Canadian bands from Vancouver
Island to Newfoundland. He also plays the mandolin and alto clarinet. Their concerts tend to
alternate humorous songs by Zeke with serious songs by Flip. When they aren’t playing vocal
ping pong with your state of mind, they sing together and play instrumental duets that range
from deeply beautiful slow airs through ragtime, circus marches, and swing numbers.
www.communityfood.coop
Volunteer Thanks
Welcome to the third installment of the yearlong look at co-ops during the 2012
United Nations International Year of the Cooperative. In the February newsletter
we looked at four basic kinds of co-ops. This month, we take a look at the cooperative movement in the U.S.
We want to express our gratitude to
our volunteers. These folks helped
out with various tasks in the stores,
newsletter distribution, three large
mailings, and participated in the
Member Affairs Committee.
We appreciate you.
The Cooperative Movement
in the U.S.
Adam Garman
Bill Young
Carolyn Miklavic, Co-op Member Affairs Committee
Last year the Community Food
Co-op celebrated 40 years of success
as a cooperative. Our Co-op, like so
many co-ops, abides by the Seven
Cooperative Principles established by
the first historically recorded co-op
in Rochdale, England, in 1844. These
principles are published on page two in
every issue of the Co-op Community
News (CCN). We’ll look more in-depth
at the Seven Cooperative Principles in
a future article.
Back in 1844 a collection of 28
weavers and other artisans joined together to cooperatively purchase food
they could otherwise not afford. Their
efforts set up a model for a cooperative business that is the precedent for
the 29,000 U.S. cooperatives operating
today and providing services to 350
million Americans who hold co-op
memberships.
In the U.S., business cooperatives
began to gain momentum during the
Great Depression. Following the depression of the 1930s, with the global
influence of fascism and communism,
the idea of “brotherhood economics”
was proposed by Toyohiko Kagawa.
This combination of brotherhood economics and Franklin Roosevelt’s New
Deal furthered the establishment of
many business cooperatives in the U.S.
The turbulent times of the 1960s and
1970s brought about a prolific surge of
food cooperatives, mostly as part of the
counterculture movement. The birth of
our Co-op in Fairhaven began in the
1970s as well. A vast number of these
cooperatives continue to thrive and
serve their owners today.
Housing cooperatives have been
functioning for more than 75 years,
providing affordable housing to the
public. The history of affordable housing co-ops started during the 1920s and
accelerated after World War II. Currently, more than 6,400 housing cooperatives exist in the U.S., providing 1.5
million homes. Cooperative housing
has proven to be economically efficient
and provides housing with mutual
respect among the residents based on
people, not profit.
Credit unions are financial cooperatives that trace their roots to mid-19th
century Europe, where farmers and
workers struggling through hard times
banded together to provide themselves
the credit so badly needed to survive.
In the U.S., there are 7,500 credit
unions that offer their nearly 92 million
members a way to take control of their
finances. Modern credit unions have
evolved into full-service institutions
offering everything from ATM service
to money market accounts.
Another sector of cooperatives is
worker-owned businesses. These cooperatives have emerged as models and
industry leaders. Out of economically
neglected neighborhoods, workerowned co-ops have successfully provided group benefits such as health insurance, sick leave, paid vacation, and
training, plus a dividend share of profits. Some businesses are reminiscent
of 17th century skilled labor guilds.
For example, worker-owned Alvarado
Street Bakery (based in California but
serving customers nationwide) utilizes one of the basic co-op principles
of autonomy for democratic control
and has become the largest organic
bread baker in the U.S. Begun in the
1980s, the governance of the bakery
brought about improved organization
and higher productivity. Alvarado
Street Bakery was a pacesetter of the
1980s and continues to function today
because the owners believe they can
make a difference.
Do you associate cooperative businesses with household names such as
Dairy Queen or Pizza Hut? To make
a long story short, you should. Some
purchasing cooperatives began to form
in 1955, around the time Dairy Queen
of the Pacific Northwest, the regional
distributor, was bought out by its local franchises and formed a non-profit
cooperative. Purchasing cooperatives
support the growth of fast-food franchises such as Dunkin’ Donuts, KFC,
Arby’s, and Pizza Hut. By allowing the
membership to take advantage of group
purchasing power, advertising, new
technology, and training, a new niche
for financial services evolved. Financial services and loan products became
available to the franchise cooperatives
through the formation of the National
Cooperative Bank, which enabled these
co-ops to expand in the competitive
marketplace and on the national level.
The more than 29,000 operating coops in the U.S. provide 850,000 jobs
and create more than $74 billion in
annual wages with revenue of nearly
$500 billion. With pride, I can say that
co-ops are fulfilling our drive for a resilient economy on both the local and
national level in accordance with the
basic Rochdale Principles established
in 1844.
Sources: www.go.coop; Dept. of
Economics of the Univ. of Connecticut,
A Brief History of Affordable Housing
Cooperatives in the U.S. by Gerald
Sazama; Cooperation Works! by E. G.
Nadeau.
Bob Hendricks
Carol Waugh
Carolyn Miklavic
Carrie Lewis
Carrie Rolfe
Colleen Wolfisberg
Cynthia Ripke-Kutsagoitz
Dan Hauer
Ellen Kramer
Ellen Murphy
Elsa Sigler
Erika Jett
Gabriella Andrews
Grant Renee
Jenny Maida-Young
John Lawler
Judy Prestella
Kate Birr
Kathleen Bander
Katie Chugg
Kevin Lee
Lisa Heisey
Lorene Hofstrand
Mike Straus
Nadene Gurule
Nancy Steele
Nathan Chapman
Patricia Herlevi
Peggy Thomas
Rich Daniels
Richard Stout
Robin Hammond
Shirley Jacobson
A Producer Cooperative: Organic Valley and Organic Prairie
Most folks think of Organic Valley
and Organic Prairie as sources of delicious and healthful organic foods.
What they don’t know is that the
key to our success is our cooperative business model known as Cooperative Region of Organic Producer
Pools (CROPP).
If a company is going to make a
difference in today’s world, it’s going to have to think differently. To
us, that means thinking, acting and
working cooperatively. It starts with
the farmers who share their wisdom
and the fruits of their labor with
their neighbors and the communities
where we farm and live. It benefits
the land that we care for as it cares
for us. Nature is our teacher because,
after all, the earth is the best model
of cooperation.
In the almost 25 years since we
joined together as a handful of organic farmers, our co-op, through the
Organic Valley™ brand, has become
the number one source of organic
milk in the nation. The owners of the
co-op now number 1,687 farm families, who are located from coast to
coast and most points in between.
Our co-op was born with a mission: to promote regional farm diversity and economic stability by
the means of organic agricultural
methods and the sale of certified
organic products. The integrity of
our mission is inherent in our commitment to consumer education and
delivering the highest quality, strictly organic products to consumers,
schools, and a variety of manufacturers looking for organic ingredients.
But we credit our success to the
partnership society—the cooperative—we’ve created between farmers,
employees, and citizens. Each plays a
vital role in the balance of our health
and stability. To enhance our sustainability, we have adopted a profit sharing model that we deploy in those
years we achieve our modest 1.5 percent profit goal. The model recognizes
the contributions of all:
• 45 percent of profits to farmers
• 45 percent of profits to
employees
• 10 percent of profits to
community
CROPP Cooperative CEO
George Siemon has summed up our
cooperative world as neatly as anyone
could. “We are a social experiment
disguised as a business,” he says. This
is true at many levels for individuals,
communities, and ecosystems as well
as the animals, both wild and domestic,
that inhabit them.
Our commitment to the cooperative
model has enabled us to keep farm
families on the land and pay them the
actual, unsubsidized cost of conscientious (organic) agriculture. There
are no shortcuts, but there are plenty
of challenges. We have learned that
though our challenges are many, when
we join our cooperative hearts and
minds, the solutions are endless.
It is hard work, indeed, but with
commitment, dedication and cooperation, CROPP Cooperative has created
a vibrant national voice in support of
thousands of farm families, thousands
of employees, and hundreds of communities. It is our hope that many more
citizens will benefit from continued
cooperation.
Information provided by CROPP.
For more information about their coop, see www.organicvalley.coop. There
are six Organic Valley farmer-owners
located in Whatcom and Skagit Counties, most of whom are profiled on our
Who’s Your Farmer webpage (www.organicvalley.coop/who-is-your-farmer/
northwest).
Co-op Community News, March 2012
3
Working together...
March 2012 Community Shopping Day Organization
Whatcom Family Community Network
Robin Elwood, CCN Staff
The weather in March is a bit unpredictable in Whatcom County. I mean,
we all know it will rain, of course. But
will there be days when it rains less?
Despite the uncertain weather, one
thing is certain: when the sun comes
out, outdoor recreation is widespread.
Whether on the bay or up at Baker,
everyone with the opportunity heads
outdoors to soak up the beauty and
adrenaline the region is famous for.
But not everyone can take access to
the great outdoors for granted. Many
activities require gear, transportation,
and leisure time. What about young
people who don’t have the advantage
to get out there easily? Whatcom Family Community Network’s (WFCN)
Community Shopping Day application
speaks to that question—“It is a basic
human right to experience the natural
environment, and many youth from
disadvantaged backgrounds have been
unable to share these experiences.”
WFCN is a community organizing
group, working to improve life for
families at both the neighborhood and
county-wide level. As their website
explains, “We bring together residents
and key leaders to solve problems and
build on existing community strengths,
using the principles of asset-based
community development and family
support. We believe healthy and wellconnected communities are necessary
to support healthy families and healthy
families are the foundation of a healthy
community.”
Geof Morgan, Executive Director of
WFCN, restated those goals for me in
more direct language. “Some of what
we do is so simple it’s not even a program. We listen to what people need,
and then work to help make
those things happen. We get
behind the ideas specific
communities actually want.
For instance, we can all
reach out to the kids in our
neighborhood. It’s not even
that expensive, and it makes a huge
difference.”
In 2010, WFCN began facilitating a
federal grant intended to help reduce
youth substance abuse in Whatcom
County. One of their strategies has
been to help at-risk youth learn about
the natural environment in our community. Last summer, project staff worked
with 40 Latino youth living at Sterling
Meadows migrant worker housing or
involved with Community to Community Development. The program
was two days per week and focused on
hiking, kayaking, and camping while
teaching youth about the environment and outdoor skills, encouraging
and recognizing them for healthy life
choices, and linking them to 25 caring
adults in the community to share these
experiences.
Funds from the Co-op’s Community
Shopping Day will allow this program
to continue through the school year.
Geof shared his excitement about the
experience, and what it offers teens.
“It’s all about connecting kids to the incredible place where we live. Peoples’
self-esteem is built through experiences. Getting to know one’s-self through
the environment, and getting to know
other people at the same time. What
I’m excited about is, once the youth in
these programs get out and experience
the area, it becomes their county! The
sense of excitement and investment is
pretty instant.”
Through linking Latino
youth and other youth with
outdoor and team building
opportunities that are often
unavailable to them, March’s
CSD donation helps provide
a foundation for healthy lifestyle choices, for understanding connection to the natural
environment, and for youth
to see themselves as stewards
of both the environment and
community.
Games and fun at a WFCN Family Activity Night.
Each year the Co-op invites organizations to apply for a Community
Shopping Day (CSD). This year
organizations were selected for
their service to our community in
the following areas: Community
Health and Social Justice, Ecological Issues, Education, Food &
Sustainable Agriculture, Health and
4
Well-Being, and Peace and Human
Rights. The Co-op’s Member Affairs Committee (MAC) reviews
and recommends 12 organizations,
and the Board of Directors gives final approval. For more information,
contact Laura Steiger at 360-7348158, lauras@communityfood.coop.
Co-op Community News, March 2012
Photos courtesy of WFCN
I asked Geof to clarify
some of the barriers to getting outside that some Latino youth experience. He
responded that, while there
are financial barriers, other issues exist
as well. Some residents are from far
away, and their parents are working all
the time or are just unfamiliar with the
outdoor opportunities here. There can
be a language barrier, too; trail maps,
guide books, and signs are mostly not
translated. And for some, there’s a
sense that they will be unsafe outside
their community, that the authorities
or other strangers will profile or harass
them. That fear sometimes keeps families inside.
“We try to help reduce those barriers.
This is a community that can be incredibly welcoming; the larger community
means well. But the welcome mat isn’t
always obvious if you’re from a different culture or if there’s a language
barrier.
“This program evolved from helping
Latino youth connect with their passions, and connecting them with adults
who have a passion for what they do.
Working together creates cross-cultural
connections…especially with children
who have been more at risk. Getting
out and achieving a new skill like
kayaking makes a big difference. They
express a feeling of competence… a
whole aspect of their life where those
activities become a positive aspect of
identity.
“It is good exercise,” Geof concluded, “And it is an important chance to
hear young people talk. It’s often easier
for them to talk when they’re walking,
or doing something physical. Quality
time, therapy, you name it! It doesn’t
have to be in a chair!”
Upcoming WFCN Event
Conversations That Matter:
Which Way Home?
Children of Migrant Families
Thursday, March 15, 5:30–7:30 pm
St. Luke’s Health Education Center
Light dinner will be provided.
To register go to:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/whichwayhome
Hosted by: Whatcom Family Community Network & Community
to Community Development
2012 Community Shopping Day Schedule
January 21
February 18
March 17
April 21
May 19
June 16
July 21
August 18
September 15
October 20
November 17
December 15
Bellingham Books to Prisoners
Ferndale Other Bank
Whatcom Family & Community Network
WSU Cooperative Extension Community First Garden
Grizzly Bear Outreach Project
Bellingham/Assumption Community Meal Program
Friends of the North Fork Community Library
Brigadoon Service Dogs
Assistance League of Bellingham
Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center
Friendly Visitors—a Visiting Nurse Home Care Program
Whatcom Food Network
Community Shopping Day
What are Community Shopping Days?
Three-legged race at the WFCN
Family Day at Roosevelt Park
(above). Kids enjoy crafts during
Family Activity Night at Shuksan
Middle School (right).
www.communityfood.coop
Coal Trains Planted on Whatcom Farmlands?
Nicole Brown Tate
Take a minute to imagine the placvitality when planning the most benefies you’d like to visit (and the places
cial course of action for the land.
you’d rather not). When you do this,
By contrast, SSA Marine is requestit’s likely that entire cities, countries,
ing that Whatcom County Council
and even bioregions are simplified
permit North America’s largest coal
into a single image that represents
export terminal on the shoreline of
the place.
Bellingham Bay—the Gateway Pacific
Bucolic agricultural communities
Terminal (GPT). If permitted, GPT
characterize Whatcom County, having
would export up to 54 million tons of
influence on our culture, commerce,
fossil fuel per year to China. The coal
and protection of natural resources. If
would be mined and transported from
we were to ascribe an economic value
the Powder River Basin of Wyoming
for farming contributions to Whatcom
and Montana along a 1,500-mile rail
County, the number would be close
transportation corridor. Communities
to $660 million annualong the rail corridor are
ally. As significant as
concerned about their comthis economic value is,
munity and environmental
If permitted,
it is limited in describhealth, local economies,
ing the contribution of
safety, and regional identiGPT would
agriculture to our qualties, in addition to the global
export up to
ity of life. Agriculture
implications of exporting
in Whatcom County
coal to be burned in China.
54 million
sustains a productionLocally, the additional 18
oriented local economy
roundtrip mile-and-a-half
tons of fossil
and continues Whatcom
coal trains going to and from
fuel per year
County’s cultural heriGPT daily would tax an altage of farmers being
ready overtaxed rail system
to China.
stewards of the land,
along the shoreline route in
air, and water. Organic
Whatcom County. An alterlocal food is important
native north-south rail route
to a healthy community population.
exists in eastern Whatcom County that
Furthermore, agriculture in Whatcom
slices through Whatcom County’s most
County sustains an image consistent
productive agricultural lands. While
with value-added economic developBNSF Railway has made public statement.
ments denying interest in developing
The food and farming movement in
this Farm Land Route—citing economWhatcom County involves acting loic and environmental costs—regional
cally to achieve food security, sustaintransportation planners have looked to
ing ecological integrity, and promoting
this farmland route as a rail developcommunity organizing to achieve
ment project. Furthermore, BNSF used
goals for the possibilities of place. It
a similar tactic of denial in the case of
is a movement of stewardship for the
a coal transportation project through
local environment, its heritage, and
agricultural valleys in Montana, potenfor community goals and health. And,
tially limiting the scope of the Environit reminds us that we do not only live
mental Impact Statement (EIS) in those
in cities and towns, but also in wateraffected agricultural communities.
sheds, ecosystems, and eco-regions.
If the Farm Land Route bears the
Therefore, the food and farming moveburden of these coal trains, agriculment calls upon residents to consider
tural communities along the rail corsocial, economic, and environmental
ridor would experience transformative
Cows graze as a freight train rolls through the green fields of Whatcom County.
Photo by Jeff Jacobs
impacts. Placing aside the effects of
overpasses and crossings on the small
towns, farms, and schools along this
route, there is research to support that
farming communities in Whatcom
County should also be concerned
about: vibration and noise on dairy
cattle; crop pollution; the effects of
diesel exhaust on seed germination; the
effects of coal runoff on water sources,
wetlands, streams, and rivers; the impact of diesel particulates on community and farm workers’ health; and the
loss of a sense of place.
My husband Billy and I moved to
Whatcom County 10 years ago with
his intention to change careers from
network engineering to organic farming and my chance to teach at a university that values sustainability. We
chose to grow Moondance Farm in the
South Fork Valley, in a community
with many other agricultural farms
and dairies. If GPT is permitted and
Whatcom County becomes a transportation corridor for coal export to China, the vitality and reputation of existing natural resource industries such
as aquaculture, agricultural crops, and
dairies would be negatively affected.
Simply stated, polluted air, water, and
soil are not healthy for living things.
SafeGuard the South Fork, a local
grassroots citizens group, is advocating
that the EIS assessing the impacts of
GPT consider the probability of a “coal
chain” looping through the South Fork
Valley and agricultural communities
in north and central Whatcom County.
The group is requesting that the collective impacts of air pollution, noise,
vibration, and safety on agricultural
communities be considered along the
Farm Land Route. As Whatcom Farm
Friends states, “Well managed farms
and farmlands mean preservation of
our rural vistas, our natural resources,
and the sense of place we call Whatcom County.”
Nicole Brown Tate learns and grows
at Moondance Farm, a family-run
diversified farm in Acme, WA. She
teaches writing for sustainable change
at WWU and is passionately involved
with SafeGuard the South Fork and
Protect Whatcom.
Volunteer Opportunities
Owners who volunteer for Co-op activities or events receive one $5
coupon each time they volunteer for 1/2 hour or longer. We have very
limited openings for ongoing volunteer jobs. Sign up for volunteer email
alerts, look for volunteer sign-up sheets for special events, stop by the
service desk to fill out a volunteer application.
Annual Meeting and Party:
The party is Saturday, March 10,
at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal.
Look for sign-up sheets in both
stores or contact Laura if you want
to help at the Co-op’s biggest event
of the year.
Healthy Connections
Cooking Class Assistant
Position varies from class to class, but
generally involves food prep, serving
food to class participants, and clean-up
during and after class. Cooking class
assistants attend class for free and
receive a coupon for store credit. Interested? Contact Kevin Murphy at 360734-8158, ext. 220 or email kevinm@
communityfood.coop.
Newsletter Routes Available
We have a few newsletter routes available. This is a once a month commitment with lots of schedule flexibility.
Contact Laura for details. Getting the
newsletter out in the community is a
vital job as it is our most effective communication and education tool. Help
spread the word…Co-op!
Get on Our Volunteer Email List
If you’re not already on the volunteer
email list, send your preferred email
address to lauras@communityfood.
coop. When you’re on the list, you’ll
get an occasional update on volunteer
activities with the Co-op. It’s a great
way to get involved with your Co-op
and meet other owners.
Farmland Action Alert:
on the last Wednesday from 5:15–
7:15 pm, to consider questions
raised by our owners and to work
on board and community-based
activities. If you are interested in
joining the MAC, call Jean Rogers
at 360-734-8158.
Mailing Party Email List
If visiting with other interesting Co-op
owners while stuffing envelopes sounds
like a fun way to spend a few hours,
contact Laura to add your name to the
mailing party email list. This group gets
together every two or three months at the
Cordata store, usually on a weekday.
Volunteer In the Community
Co-op owners who volunteer with
the Mount Baker Chapter of the
American Red Cross, Bellingham
Food Bank, Small Potatoes Gleaning Project, Nooksack Salmon
Enhancement Association, or The
Food Bank Farm are eligible for a
$5 Co-op coupon. These organizations determine how to distribute
the set amount of coupons they
receive each month. Check directly
with the organization you’re interested in before volunteering.
Join the MAC
The Member Affairs Committee
(MAC) meets every month, usually
Contact Laura Steiger at 360-7348158, ext. 129 or lauras@communityfood.coop.
Attend a Community
Conversation
Photo by Paul K. Anderson
You can gather more information
on how to formally comment on the
impacts that you would like to see
considered or “scoped” in the EIS at
protectwhatcom.org. SafeGuard the
South Fork will also host a “Community Conversation on Coal Trains
Running through Whatcom Farmlands” at several rural Whatcom
County granges, community halls,
and schools during March and April.
These forums will focus on various
risks to the communities along the
alternate Farm Land Route and will
provide information on how residents
can participate in the Environmental
Impact Statement scoping process
anticipated in June 2012.
For more information, see safeguardthesouthfork.org or protectwhatcom.org.
Co-op Community News, March 2012
5
10 Mood-boosting
Lisa Dixon and McKenzie Hall, Registered Dieticians
Super Foods
February teased us with sunshine, and now March has us itching for spring, dreaming of the first taste of rhubarb, asparagus,
and leeks. If the last weeks of winter have you a little down in the
dumps, skip the pharmacy and head to the Community Food Co-op
instead, with this grocery list in hand. The following 10 foods are
proven mood-boosters:
Clams, Oysters, and Mussels
These shellfish are rich sources of vitamin B12, zinc, iodine, and selenium,
all of which help balance your mood
and keep your thyroid—your body’s
thermostat and mood regulator—on the
right track. Steam shellfish with a little
olive oil, garlic, and white wine and
toss with whole wheat pasta for a super
mood-boosting dinner.
Spinach, Kale, and Swiss Chard
These leafy greens are packed with
magnesium and folate, both of which
help boost energy and reduce depression. Baked kale chips are one of our
favorite snacks. Try making your own.
Drizzle de-stemmed kale with olive oil
and sprinkle with salt. Bake until the
edges brown but are not burnt, about
10 to 15 minutes.
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is calcium-rich, and
calcium helps your body release those
feel-good neurotransmitters that reduce
anxiety and irritability. Even more,
Greek yogurt is rich in probiotics,
which keep your digestive system running properly. Smash an avocado with
Greek yogurt, hot sauce and fresh lime
juice for a nutrient-packed dip for veggies or topping for tacos.
Whole Grains
Whole grains—like oatmeal, whole
grain breads and pastas, brown rice,
and quinoa—are a great source of selenium, which prevents oxidative stress
in the body and helps reduce the risk of
depression. Substitute whole grains for
refined and processed grains in all of
your favorite recipes.
Chicken and Turkey
Poultry is rich in tryptophan—an essential amino acid that helps our brains
produce serotonin, a calming and relaxing neurotransmitter. Roast a whole
turkey breast on Sunday to add to your
sandwiches all week long.
Oranges and Other
Vitamin C-rich Fruits
Vitamin C helps reduce feelings of
stress. Make a delicious citrus salad by
tossing orange slices and toasted pistachios with fresh greens dressed with
balsamic vinegar, orange zest and a
little extra virgin olive oil.
Salmon
Eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty
acids—like salmon—acts as an antiinflammatory, improving mood and
reducing the risk of depression. Out
of salmon season, try making salmon
cakes. Toss canned or fresh cubed
salmon with a beaten egg, bread
crumbs, and fresh herbs. Pan fry the
cakes in extra virgin olive oil until
crispy. Great on a sandwich or with a
salad.
Nuts
Nuts are also rich in omega-3 fats
and vitamin E, both of which combat
stress. Toss a mix of nuts with dried
fruit and dark chocolate chips for a
quick energy-boosting trail mix.
Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
Carbohydrate-rich foods—like potatoes—also release serotonin. Make
baked sweet potato fries by tossing
wedges of sweet potatoes with extra
virgin olive oil and herbs or spices.
Roast in a 425F degree oven for about
20 minutes, or until wedges are caramelized and cooked through.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate releases endorphins—the “feel good” chemicals—in
our brain. Eating one ounce of good
quality chocolate containing at least 70
percent cocoa a day can lift any dark
mood.
Finally, research shows vitamin D
may help reduce symptoms of PMS,
seasonal affective disorder, and other
mood disorders. Try to get at least
1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D a day.
While vitamin D is found in fatty
fish—like salmon, tuna, and mackerel—and in liver, cheese, egg yolks,
fortified cereals and milk, most of us
living in the Pacific Northwest will
need to take a vitamin D supplement.
See your physician for questions about
your vitamin D intake.
In times of stress, or during these last
gray days of winter, follow this “prescription” for boosting your mood.
Lisa Dixon, MBA, RD and McKenzie Hall, RD, are co-owners of
NourishRDs. Lisa also teaches classes
for the Co-op’s Healthy Connection
program. For more information, see
www.nourishrds.com or www.facebook.
com/nourishrds.
New Health Beverage Trend—Beet Juice
Pomegranate juice move aside,
beet juice might be taking over. The
wild beet, the ancestor of the beet
many of us currently eat, is thought
to have originated in prehistoric
times in North Africa and grew wild
along Asian and European coasts;
their greens were used for food. It
was not until the ancient Romans
came along that beetroots were cultivated for food.
Today beets are known for their
sugar content (sugar beets) and the
real nutritional benefits of beets are
not necessarily a part of popular culture. But industry followers predict
the popularity of beet juice to rise.
Red beets and their juice are an excellent source of nutrition. Beets are
a very good source of fiber, potassium, manganese, and folate; they
are also a good source of vitamin C,
zinc, copper, and iron.
6
Beets are also a rich source of
polyphenols (the antioxidants in dark
purple vegetables) and betalains, a
relatively new potent antioxidant on
the health scene thought to quench
free radicals and reverse their damage.
What are antioxidants? Antioxidants are nothing more than vitamins
A, C, and E; the mineral selenium;
and bioactive compounds like carotenoids and polyphenols found in
foods. Our need for them is derived
from a paradox in metabolism. Our
bodies require oxygen to function,
but oxygen, by itself, is highly reactive and creates harmful byproducts
through oxidation. These byproducts,
called free radicals, are potentially
damaging to cells. Antioxidants, as
the name reveals, can stabilize free
radicals before they cause harm. A
study in the American Journal of
Co-op Community News, March 2012
Clinical Nutrition, found
that polyphenols can
help prevent
cardiovascular disease in
humans.
Beets are
also known to
support liver
function and
moreover,
recent clinical
research suggests beets and their juice
are useful in healing a variety of degenerative conditions. Because beets
are a potent liver food, keep in mind
that drinking beet juice on an empty
stomach may cause stomach upset for
some people. Serve fresh beet juice
mixed with a little orange or apple
juice to make it more palatable for
those trying it for the first time.
At the Co-op you’ll find raw beet
juices by Zukay in the chill case and
a carrot beet celery veggie juice in
the Columbia Gorge case.
Source: Phil Lempert’s Supermarket Guru, see www.supermarketguru.
com.
www.communityfood.coop
Wine Notes
Going Green at Cono Sur
Vic Hubbard, Downtown Co-op Wine Manager
The innovative environmental
practices of Chilean wine producer
Cono Sur have been overshadowed
by the many accolades and awards
they have received for their wines
since its founding in 1993. Recently,
Cono Sur has also received recognition as one of the world’s greenest
wine producers.
Although the carbon footprint of
the wine industry may be miniscule,
the wine industry is disproportionally impacted by the effects of climate change. Many wine regions
exist within a very narrow range of
climate variables. Seeing changes in
climate firsthand (for example bud
break in many northern wine regions
begins two weeks earlier on average
than 50 years ago) the wine industry
is among the leaders in alleviating
negative environmental practices that
may contribute to climate change.
At Cono Sur this means organic
and sustainable farming methods,
minimal use of oil-consuming farm
equipment and vehicles, water conservation, innovative packaging and
light weight bottles, and certified
carbon-neutral delivery status (carbon bonds are purchased to offset
CO2 emissions of shipping). The
entire company in Chile, including offices, wineries, and vineyards
is CEMARS-certified (Certified
Emissions Measurement and Reduction Scheme) by New Zealand
based CarboNZero—only the third
winery in the world to obtain that
level of certification.
Tim Johnson and I recently had
an opportunity to taste through
many of the wines of Cono Sur
with local wine educator (and instructor in the Co-op’s Healthy Connection series of classes), Laurent
Martel, who represents these wines
distributed by Noble Wines, one of
the Co-op’s most important suppliers. Laurent
visited the
vineyards and
winemaking
facilities of
Cono Sur and
has returned
with first-hand
information
on their operation. Laurent
was impressed
by the hard
work and
dedication to
quality environmentally
friendly wines made by this Chilean
producer. And, in terms of quality
and value, Tim and I were impressed
by these well-made, solid wines.
We selected a few of our favorites
for promotion during March. Watch
for these wines at special pricing
throughout the month.
Cono Sur Bicycle Viognier
2009. Colchagua Valley Chile,
$7.99
This wine is part of what is
called the “Bicycle Series,”
representing Cono Sur’s most
basic and least expensive tier
of wines. The bike on the
label represents the many
bicycles that are found
throughout Cono Sur’s vineyards and used for transport
by the vineyard workers. In
fact upon arrival, Laurent
was given a bicycle tour of Cono
Sur’s extensive estate vineyards located around the winery, being careful not to hit the many
sheep and geese that
roam the vineyards doing
cultivation, fertilizing,
and controlling pests.
Viognier is a focus for
Cono Sur; it is an underutilized varietal in Chile
but shows great potential in the Mediterranean
climate of the Colchagua
Valley, 60 miles south of
the capital city of Santiago
where Cono Sur’s wineOn this Noble Wines tour of the organic pinot noir
making facilities are locatvineyards on the Santa Elena Estate, bicycles are
the mode of transportation for visitors as well as
ed. Look for plenty of ripe
employees.
peach and papaya aromas
and flavors in this fairly
Wine tasting in the San Antonio vineyard, planted with chardonnay (which the winery guide is
pouring), pinot noir, and sauvignon blanc (right). Santa Elena Estate (adobe manor house built in
1850) in the Colchaqua Valley (left). Though the vineyards of Cono Sur are spread over 10 different growing regions, the head offices and all their wine is made at Santa Elena.
Photos by Laurent Martel
lean style viognier made without use
of oak. Nice underlying acidity gives
the wine lift. This wine is a ringer for
buttery chicken dishes, shellfish, sushi, or spicy Thai food.
Cono Sur Organic Series
Cabernet SauvignonCarmenere 2010, Colchagua
Valley, Chile, $10.95
Cabernet sauvignon is
considered Chile’s star varietal and historically most
important. It has been cultivated in Chile since the
early 1800s and proliferated
in the later part of the 19th
century when Chile became
the only major healthy wine
region in the world, as
European vineyards were
decimated by the phylloxera
root louse. Something about
its climate and soils made Chile immune to this pest.
Carmenere, originally grown in
the Bordeaux region of France, was
never reintroduced to Bordeaux after
winegrowers learned to cope with
phylloxera (European vineyards were
eventually saved by the introduction
of grafted roots of American native
grape vines onto European varietals;
American rootstocks were immune
to phylloxera). However, carmenere
(transported to Chile pre-phylloxera)
has found a home in Chile and continues to be one of its most important
wine grapes.
Celebrate 2012 International Year of Cooperatives
Enter “My Co-op Rocks” Contest
2012 has been declared the
International Year of Cooperatives and the My Co-op Rocks
Contest is celebrating by upping its game. More co-ops.
Bigger prizes. More people
sharing the love!
This March and April, the
Community Food Co-op invites
individuals over the age of 18
to submit short, up-to-2-minute
videos or photos in the My Coop Rocks Contest, a nationwide
competition in which co‑op
fans fire up their cameras and unleash their creativity to share all the
ways their co-op is making a difference in people’s lives.
Submissions will be accepted online
beginning March 1 at www.mycoop
rocks.coop and six big winners will
share $5,000 in prizes. All skill levels
are welcome. Whether shooting with a
cell phone or high-definition camera,
people are encouraged to submit an
entry that celebrates the 2012 International Year of Cooperatives or communicates how their co-op helps builds a
better world.
The contest is offered by National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) and co-sponsored
by National Cooperative Business
Association, National Association
of Housing Cooperatives, and U.S.
Federation of Worker Cooperatives.
“Our customers are passionate about the Community
Food Co-op,” said Community
Outreach Coordinator Laura
Steiger. “This contest provides
an opportunity for shoppers to
show and tell us all the things
they love about us.”
The marriage of cabernet and
carmenere in this medium-bodied
blend brings together the overt red
fruit qualities of the cabernet with
the more herbaceous, resiny notes
of the carmenere. In other words,
a good balance of fruit with more
earthy notes in a wine that’s not too
heavy to consume on a casual basis,
and a good match for a variety of
more hearty style foods. Try it with
red meats, soups, and cheeses.
Cono Sur Vision Series
Pinot Noir 2010, Colchagua
Valley, Chile, $12.95
Cono Sur’s Vision Series of
wines represents single vineyard reserve-style wines;
selected grapes, more aging and refinement in oak
barrels, and from the best
estate vineyards.
Pinot Noir is relatively
new to Chile and is just
coming into its own as
one of Chile’s most highly
rated varietals. This wine
comes from the original 1968 planting of Chile’s first pinot noir grapes
in a vineyard now owned and sustainably farmed by Cono Sur. For
pinot noir, this wine is fairly dark
colored and full bodied with plenty
of complexity. Aged for 11 months
in French oak barrels, this wine is
aromatic with cherry, cinnamon, and
spice notes, followed by mineral and
leafy components, soft tannins, and a
lingering finish. It’s a good alternative when the food calls for a white
wine, but the crowd calls for red—
think roast pork dishes or salmon.
But it’s also good with grilled meats
and vegetables, or try it with goat
cheeses.
Tasting of
Cono Sur Wines
Friday, March 9, 5–7 pm
Cordata Co-op
This tasting event will feature
the Cono Sur wines mentioned
above. Special guest Laurent
Martel of Noble Wines will join
Cordata Co-op Wine Manager
Tim Johnson for this in-store, free
tasting. Come in and say hello,
and sample these special wines.
Co-op Community News, March 2012
7
Healthy Connections
Cooking, health, and well-being classes
offered by the Community Food Co-op
All classes (unless noted) are held at either the Downtown Co-op’s Connection Building (on the south side of the parking lot on Forest Street) or the Local Roots Room, which is upstairs at the Cordata Co-op. Registration requires payment in full. Some classes are
co-sponsored with Whatcom Community College. To register for these classes, call 360-383-3200 or go online to www.
whatcomcommunityed.com For all other classes stop by the service desk at either store location, or call
360-734-8158 (credit card payment only). See each class listing for location and registration. For any other class
information, contact Kevin Murphy at 360-734-8158 or email kevinm@communityfood.coop.
Feng Shui
with Chikeola Karimou
Thursday, March 1, 6:30–8:30 pm
Feng Shui is the Chinese Art of creating balance and harmony in one’s living space. The arrangement of furniture
in your home and workspace, and the
objects and colors with which you surround yourself can have a major impact
on your health, finances, self-image,
and relationships. Chikeola Karimou
has a Feng Shui certification from
Holis Institute in New York, and also
teaches yoga, meditation, and pilates.
Chikeola believes that when we learn
to cultivate beauty within and around
us, we transform not only ourselves but
the world around us as well. Note: this
class will be repeated at the Cordata
Co-op on March 15.
$5 members, $6 non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at Co-op
Mexican Kitchen: Enchiladas
with Ana Jackson
Monday, March 5, 6–9 pm
Ana offers a class for serious enchilada lovers—enjoy them stacked,
folded, and rolled. The menu includes
Sonora-style stacked enchiladas with
red salsa, chicken, and cheese; Puebla
enchiladas plazeras (red masa turnovers stuffed with cheese and veggies);
Veracruz enchiladas crepe style, folded
and basted with rich mole; and Central
Mexican-style enchiladas in a velvety
bean sauce. Note: this class has been
re-scheduled from February 1.
$39 members and non-members/Cordata
Co-op/register at WCC (360-383-3200)
Allergies and Intolerances
with Mystique Grobe, ND
Monday, March 5, 6:30–8:30 pm
Do you ever wonder if your symptoms are a sign of allergies? Dr. Mystique will discuss adult allergies and
intolerances. She’ll talk about seasonal
and year-round symptoms, their causes,
testing, simple natural treatments, and
the hazards of standard over-the-counter or prescriptive treatments.
$5 members, $6 non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at Co-op
Growing Beans & Grains in
Your Backyard
with Krista Rome
Wednesday, March 7, 6:30–8:30 pm
Possibly the most important set of
knowledge one can learn in the quest to
eat more locally. Enhance your pantry
and your life by learning the basics
of growing your own storable staple
crops. We will discuss variety selection, planting, maintenance, harvest,
threshing, storage, and cooking methods. This class is intended for gardeners of all levels, with an emphasis on
low-tech methods and hand tools. An
optional instruction manual and seeds
will be available for purchase for those
who are ready to get rolling.
$10 members, $12 non-members/Cordata
Co-op/register at Co-op
Parisian Feast
with Karina Davidson
Thursday, March 8, 6–8:30 pm
Karina Davidson demonstrates cantal cheese tart with a wild greens and
endive salad with red wine vinaigrette,
pork medallions glazed with wild
mushroom calvados sauce, butternut
squash puree, and sautéed apples with
calvados and butter-braised black kale.
For dessert, a crème brulée tart served
with a chocolate truffle and a soupçon
of Grand Marnier. A wine option, payable at class, is $7.
$45 members and non-members/Cordata
Co-op/register at WCC (360-383-3200)
Attract Prosperity with
Kundalini Yoga
with Ruby C. Koa
Thursday, March 8, 6:30–8 pm
Experience an invigorating workout while increasing your spiritual
awareness and opening yourself up
to the flow of prosperity at the same
time. With the powerful combination
of breath, mantra, mudra, movement,
and meditation, you’ll definitely feel
renewed and uplifted. All levels are
welcome. A mat and blanket will be
provided if needed, but bring your own
if possible. For more information, see
www.kokoroyoga.com.
$12 members, $14 non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at Co-op
Daily Detox
with Jessica Van Dusen, ND
Monday, March 12, 6:30–8 pm
Daily detoxification is a safe and
gentle way to prevent toxic build-up in
your tissues and to provide relief from
any toxic burden that you may already
be carrying. Learn about the body’s
natural routes of elimination as well
as effective treatments that you can do
at home including hydrotherapy, skin
care, exercise, nutrition, and herbal
medicine. Jess Van Dusen practices
naturopathic medicine at Vital Source
Natural Medicine.
$5 members, $6 non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at Co-op
Feng Shui
Ana Jackson
with Chikeola Karimou
Thursday, March 15, 6:30–8:30 pm
See description under March 1 listing.
$5 members, $6 non-members/Cordata Coop/register at Co-op
Inquiry-based Stress Reduction
with Kathryn Lyons, LMHC
Monday, March 19, 6:30–8 pm
8
Mark Solomon
“The Work” developed by Byron
Katie, author of Loving What Is: Four
Questions That Can Change Your Life,
is a deceptively simple yet powerful
process of inquiry. It teaches you to
identify and question thoughts that
Co-op Community News, March 2012
cause suffering, and to address your
problems with clarity. People who do
The Work as an ongoing practice report
life-changing results. You will leave
with a tool you can put to use immediately. Professional counselor education
certificates available.
$5 members, $6 non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at Co-op
Night in Bologna
with Lisa Dixon
Tuesday, March 20, 6:30–9 pm
“When you hear mention of ‘Bologna cuisine,’” said the Italian writer
Artusi, “make a bow, for it deserves
such respect.” Lisa Dixon produces
a feast worthy of this culinary center
including prosciutto-wrapped melon,
shaved fennel salad with Parmesan and
balsamic vinaigrette, Pasta Bolognese,
and crumbly cake. A wine option, payable at class, is $7.
$35 members and non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at WCC (360-383-3200)
Allergies, Sensitivities, Irritations & Limitations
with Monique Arsenault
Wednesday, March 21, 6:30–8 pm
Homeopathic practitioner Monique Arsenault provides a holistic perspective
on allergies. We’ll explore alternative
insights into viewing allergies, their
role in helping us deal with stress, and
other possible meanings they might
signify to us. We will also learn fun
and easy techniques to help us stay balanced and focused through any stressful period.
$5 members, $6 non members/Downtown
Co-op/register at Co-op
Mexican Kitchen:
Chiles Rellenos
with Ana Jackson
Thursday, March 22, 6–9 pm
Ana Jackson provides regional
variations on the theme of stuffed peppers including Chiles en Nogada, with
fruity stuffing and luscious nut-cream;
the traditional Chiles Rellenos, fluffy
and served with a cinnamon-infused
tomato sauce; and Rellenos de Fiambre
stuffed with beef salad and veggies in
a vinaigrette.
$39 members and non-members/Cordata
Co-op/register at WCC (360-383-3200)
Nourishing Tones
With Annie Reynolds, Marilyn Rinn,
and Jeni Miller
Saturday, March 24, 1–2 pm
Sound is a powerful modality that
promotes health, beauty and wellbeing. Learn how the sound of the
alchemical crystal bowls can positively
impact your body, mind, and spirit.
Join Annie, Marilyn, and Jeni for an
experiential session that will nourish
your whole being. Suggested donation
of $7 or the equivalent in food will go
to Bellingham Food Bank.
Donations accepted at the door/Downtown
Co-op/no registration necessary
Teaching an Old Monkey New
Tricks
with Daniel Solomons and Mialee
Jose
Monday, March 26, 6:30–8:30 pm
Come tame your “monkeys”—those
difficult problems that won’t go away.
We’ll put your monkeys through their
paces in three “mini” problem-solving
sessions. We’ll choose from the topics
of Goals, Procrastination, Fear, Yielding, Options, Progress, and Monkey
Person (our version of “dealing with
difficult people”). The exercises help
you get to the heart of the problem
and develop the next steps you want
to take. Daniel and Mialee own Ease
Around Problems, a local business that
helps people relieve stress and find
freedom from their most challenging
problems. For ages 16 and older.
$5 members, $6 non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at Co-op
Reorganizational Healing
with Kim Haustedt, DC
Thursday, March 29, 6:30–8 pm
Find out why our current ways of
thinking about health and healing are
limited, at best. Dr. Kim Haustedt
presents a new map to navigate the territory of life. Develop resources and
strategies to meet life’s challenges and
evolve. Learn how to use symptoms,
problems, and life stressors as catalysts
to a more fulfilling, resilient life.
Free event, registration requested/Downtown Co-op/register at Co-op
www.communityfood.coop
Healthy Connections
Continued from page 8
La Dolce Vita—
Wine & Food Pairing
with Robert Fong
Tuesday, April 3, 6:30–9 pm
Enjoy five special dishes paired with
five wines from the Italian region of
Piedmont. Find out what happens when
you combine seasonal shellfish, minestrone parmesan, mushroom eggplant
lasagna, roast lamb, and Italian cheesecake with Gavi, Dolcetto, Barbera,
Nebbiolo, and Moscato. Downtown
Co-op wine manager Vic Hubbard will
join Robert to lend his expertise to
the occasion. Wine fee included in the
class fee. Must be 21 years old to register; photo ID required at class.
$59 members and non-members (wine included)/Downtown Co-op/register at WCC
(360-383-3200)
Hypothyroidism
with Kimberly Sandstrom, ND
Tuesday, April 10, 6:30–8 pm
Hypothyroidism, or low thyroid
function, is a very common, chronic
condition, especially among women.
The most common symptoms include
low energy, weight gain, constipation, dry skin, and depression. In this
class, Dr. Kimberly Sandstrom, a naturopathic physician, will discuss the
symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment
options for hypothyroidism. Nutrition,
exercise, stress management, herbal
medicine, nutrients, glandular thyroid
products, compounded thyroid medications, and conventional thyroid replacement will be covered.
$5 members, $6 non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at Co-op
Pranic Healing
Cuisine of Vietnam
Learn about pranic healing, a form
of energy healing that works with
the etheric body of the client, in this
lecture/demonstration class. In pranic
healing, the healer does not touch the
body, but works with sweeping motions
to clean the outer and inner aura of the
body. Elly Morrison has been practicing pranic healing since 1999. Please
bring a small bucket and a small spray
bottle with rubbing alcohol for cleaning hands during the healing sessions.
Mary Ellen Carter recreates an
award-winning dinner from Slanted
Door—the famous Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco. On the menu:
Vietnamese crepes with shrimp, pork,
bean sprouts and green onions; fivespice roasted chicken with a tamarind
dipping sauce; and a jicama grapefruit
salad with red cabbage, pickled carrots
and candied pecans. Optional $7 wine
fee is payable at class.
with Elly Morrison, PhD
Wednesday, April 4, 6:30–8:30 pm
$10 members, $12 non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at Co-op
Creating Vibrant Health
with Doug Walsh
Thursday, April 5, 6:30–8:30 pm
Doug Walsh of HealthForce Nutritionals talks about incorporating superfoods and internal cleansing into your
wellness program. Doug has been a
vegan raw foodist for 15 years, and has
been consuming superfoods for more
than 20 years. In 2005, Doug walked
across the country on the 3,000-mile
Continental Divide Trail to demonstrate the power of a raw food diet
abundant in superfoods.
Free event—registration requested/Cordata
Co-op/register at Co-op
Make Your Own Soft Cheese
with Mark Solomon
Saturday, April 7, 1–4 pm
Join Seattle cheese-maker Mark
Solomon for this hands-on class. We’ll
make yogurt cheese, ricotta, mozzarella, and burrata in class. We’ll also
talk about making chevre, quark, and
cream cheese. Learn about cheesemaking equipment and how to get the
best results in your kitchen. Samples of
all varieties will be served.
$55 members and non-members/Cordata
Co-op/register at WCC (360-383-3200)
with Mary Ellen Carter
Thursday, April 12, 6–8 pm
$39 members and non-members/Cordata
Co-op/register at WCC (360-383-3200)
Make Your Own Hard Cheese
with Mark Solomon
Saturday, April 14, 1–4 pm
Mark Solomon of Seattle teaches
how to make cheddar and gouda—two
great cheeses that exemplify different
hard cheese-making techniques and
provide a window into the production of many cheeses. We’ll talk about
cheese chemistry, equipment, starter
cultures, and more. We’ll also taste and
evaluate the featured cheeses.
$55 members and non-members/Cordata
Co-op/register at WCC (360-383-3200)
Nourishing Tones
with Annie Reynolds, Marilyn Rinn,
and Jeni Miller
Saturday, April 14, 2–3 pm
Sound is a powerful modality that
promotes health, beauty, and wellbeing. Learn how the sound of the
alchemical crystal bowls can positively
impact your body, mind, and spirit.
Join Annie, Marilyn, and Jeni for an
experiential session that will nourish
your whole being. Suggested donation
of $7 or the equivalent in food will go
to the Bellingham Food Bank.
Donations accepted at the door/Downtown
Co-op/no registration necessary
Running and Walking
Injury Free
with Chris Lockwood, DC
Monday, April 9, 6:30–8 pm
As the weather warms, the appeal
of exercise grows, but so does the
likelihood of injury. Chris Lockwood
examines the biomechanics of running (and walking) and shows how an
understanding of these principles can
help us move through the world more
efficiently and injury-free. Learn some
simple exercises and stretches that
help prime the body so appropriate
movement can happen more naturally.
Free event—registration requested/
Downtown Co-op/register at Co-op
Christos & Anna Adams
of Old World Deli
Pasta Italiana
with Gavin Rappé
Monday, April 16 and
Wednesday, April 18,
6–8:30 pm
Gavin Rappé
Italian-trained chef
Gavin Rappé teaches
a hands-on class on
how to make great
sauces and fresh pasta.
Monday’s class is
devoted to making
three different classic
sauces while enjoying
light appetizers in the
process. Wednesday’s
class is all about pasta
as we make linguini,
fettuccini, and maltagliati from scratch.
The evening concludes
with a feast and wine option ($7 wine
fee payable at class).
$59 members and non-members/Cordata
Co-op/register at WCC (360-383-3200)
Eating for Energy—
Overcoming Stress &
Exhaustion
sage, avocado crema with prawn salsa,
and a light and fresh version of Brazilian black bean soup.
$35 members and non-members/Cordata
Co-op/register at WCC (360-383-3200)
The Art of Sushi
with Karl Mincin, CN
Tuesday, April 17, 6:30–8:30 pm
This class will help you to understand the relationship between your
eating pattern and your daily energy
pattern. Are you tired or toxic? How
much does digestion drain your energy? Not only will you identify energy
drainers, but also learn which super
foods to include for sustainable energy
enhancement. Specific food and nutrition tips, self-test questionnaires, and
lifestyle factors included.
$5 members, $6 non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at Co-op
Essential Remedies for
Everyone
with Michelle Mahler
Thursday, April 19, 6:30–8:30 pm
Enjoy a hands-on class on the making and topical use of therapeutic essential oils. These remedies are effective for treating joint, nerve and muscle
pain, respiratory congestion, clearing
sinuses, headaches, stress relief and
insomnia/sleep disturbances. Each student will make a therapy blend to take
home. Michelle Mahler teaches and
sells aromatherapy products through
Circle of Healing Essential Oils.
$20 members, $24 non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at Co-op
Raw Food Essentials
with Bruce Horowitz
Monday, April 23, 6–8:30 pm
Learn inspiring raw-food recipes
to enjoy and improvise on. We’ll create fresh tasty nut milk, creamy salad
dressing, a vegan “tuna fish” pâté, and
a crispy dehydrated flax cracker.
We’ll discuss the equipment, core
ingredients, and basic techniques
of the raw food kitchen. All
recipes are free of gluten, wheat,
dairy, sugar, and soy. Generous
samples provided.
$39 members and non-members/
Cordata Co-op/register at WCC (360383-3200)
Spring Soups for the Body
and Soul
with Karina Davidson
Tuesday, April 24, 6–8:30 pm
Karina offers a quartet of soups
just right for spring—the season
of rebirth. Enjoy French leek and
spring potato soup, minestrone
with tortellini and chicken sau-
with Robert Fong
Thursday, April 26, 6:30–9 pm
Join Robert for a hands-on class featuring both uramaki (inside-out sushi)
and temaki hand rolls. We’ll use crab,
scallops, hamachi, tobiko, mangos,
avocados, sesame seeds, wasabi, soy,
chili-toasted nori, and more. Roll a
lot, eat a lot, and take some home. A
$9 premium sake option is payable at
class.
$45 members and non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at WCC (360-383-3200)
Perfect Pâté
with Christos and Anna Adams
Saturday, April 28, 1–3:30 pm
Let Christos and Anna Adams of
the Old World Deli show you the
professional secrets of making winning pâté—perfect for your spring
entertaining. We’ll create classic pâté
de champagne (French country pâté)
and a salmon and local spot prawn terrine. Optional $7 wine fee is payable
at class.
$35 members and non-members/Downtown
Co-op/register at WCC (360-383-3200)
Decadent Raw Food Desserts
with Bruce Horowitz
Monday, April 30, 6–8:30 pm
Learn to create delicious raw, vegan
treats guaranteed to satisfy even the
pickiest sweet tooth. We’ll make carob
fudge hemp truffles, chocolate chip
macaroons, chia parfait, and raspberry
cashew cheesecake. All recipes are
free from refined sugar, dairy, wheat,
gluten, and soy, and are full of lifeforce and vitality. Plentiful samples
included.
$39 members and non-members/Cordata
Co-op/register at WCC (360-383-3200)
Don’t pitch the
clock!
And don’t miss
your Healthy
Connections
class!
Spring forward!
Daylight Saving Time
begins on
Sunday, March 11
at 2 am
Set your clocks ahead one hour
Co-op Community News, March 2012
9
International Women’s Day:
Miss Representation
Thursday, March 8, 6:30-8:30 pm
Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship
1207 Ellsworth Street, Bellingham
$5-$10 suggested donation
Whatcom Conservation District’s
19th Annual Native Plant Sale & Expo
Saturday, March 24, 9 am–2 pm
Whatcom Community College at the Roe Studio
237 W. Kellogg Road
In celebration of International Women’s
Day, Community to Community is hosting
an evening to celebrate women and recognize and challenge the barriers women face
within society. They will sponsor a screening
of the timely documentary, “Miss Representation.” The film explores how the media’s misrepresentations of women have led to the underrepresentation of women in positions of power and
influence. The film will be followed by a dialogue
led by multiple women from the community.
For more information and to view a trailer of the film, see www.foodjustice.org.
Celebrate spring by purchasing low cost native plants, seedlings, and shrubs
at Whatcom Conservation District’s (WCD) Annual Plant Sale & Expo.
Pre-orders can be placed through Friday, March 12, and require a $100
minimum purchase plus a 50 percent deposit by cash or check. Pre-orders can
be picked up Friday, March 23, from 9 am–3 pm or at the open sale on March
24 from 9 am–2 pm. Order forms and information are available at www.whatcomcd.org/plant_sale, at 360-354-2035 ext. 3, or email wcd@whatcomcd.org.
Recycling at the Co-op
(continued from pg 1)
Paper, Cans, and Bottles
Co-op staff and our shoppers are
great about recycling more common items. For instance, we recycle
six 60-gallon toters of paper, three
60-gallon toters of newspaper, and
ten 60-gallon toters of cans and
bottles every week (a 60-gallon
toter is the standard size used by
home consumers for garbage and
Food Plus recycling). That’s about
310 toters of paper, over 150 toters of newspaper, and 520 toters of
cans and bottles during 2011.
Office Paper and Supplies
The Co-op uses only Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC)certified paper in our printers and
copy machines (most of which is
also 100 percent post-consumer recycled content), and our sale signs
are printed on FSC-certified paper
with 30 percent post-consumer recycled content. We also use other
earth-friendly office supplies—we
purchase as many items as possible
that are available with recycled
content, including some really cool
biodegradable 3-ring binders and
markers made with 100 percent recycled plastic. We recycle all of our
used toner cartridges as well—more
than 50 in 2011—and use remanufactured toner cartridges in most of
our printers.
Another way we recycle is by
re-using discarded paper that has
printing only on one side for use in
our log books (each department has
one at each store, so that’s almost
20 binders) and as scratch paper at
our service desks.
And More
There are a number of other ways
the Co-op works to decrease the
footprint we leave, including recycling cooking oil to be made into
10
bio-diesel; using environmentally
friendly cleaning supplies; supporting WTA’s Smart Trips program;
providing a “free box” where
customers and staff can find items
such as buckets, old display units,
and building supplies. We also reuse our plastic gift cards, so if you
receive one you can turn it in when
it is empty or “recharge” it to help
you stay on budget.
Our soon-to-be silver LEEDcertified Cordata Co-op has automatic lighting control systems
(which shut off the lights when
no one is in the room), as well as
low-flow toilets and faucets, environmental flooring, and efficient
heating and cooling systems. The
Downtown Co-op has solar panels installed on the roof (the same
are planned for the Cordata store
in the next few years), wood-free
and formaldehyde-free paneling
on the walls above the sales floor,
and tube skylights to offer natural
lighting in our upstairs offices. We
are planning to upgrade overall
store lighting in the next year. Both
stores use refurbished refrigeration
units, and we have recently set up a
video conferencing system so staff
can communicate “face-to-face,”
saving the expense of traveling between stores.
Since 1970 the Co-op has embodied the “reduce, reuse, recycle”
mantra. We are lucky to have been
established within a community
that is committed to environmental
responsibility, and that commitment is reflected in what we consider to be a normal part of our day
to day business.
Melissa Elkins works at the Coop and writes our Sassy Sampler
blog. See communityfoodcoop.
wordpress.com.
Co-op Community News, March 2012
Cesar Chavez Community Supported
Justice Potluck
Friday, March 30, 6–8:30 pm
St. Luke’s Community Health Education Center
Once again, Community to Community leaders invite community food sovereignty and human rights supporters to join them for an evening of fun, celebration and community building. This year includes Marc Grossman, Cesar
Chavez’s longtime press secretary, speechwriter and personal aide. Marc still
serves as a spokesman for the United Farm Workers of America and is communications director for the Cesar Chavez Foundation.
Attendees are invited to bring a healthy potluck dish (no desserts) and a $5
solidarity donation. A silent auction will be held throughout the evening.
For more information, call 360-738-0964 or see www.foodjustice.org.
Support Labeling of
GE Food
Unsuspecting U.S. consumers by
the tens of millions are being allowed
to purchase and consume unlabeled
genetically engineered (GE) foods,
despite the fact that FDA undertakes
no testing of its own, instead relying
only on a voluntary consultation with
industry and confidential industry data
to assure safety.
GE foods are required to be labeled
in nearly 50 countries around the
world including the United Kingdom,
Australia, South Korea, Japan, Brazil,
China, New Zealand and many others.
A recent poll released
by ABC News found
that 93 percent of the
American public wants
the federal government
to require mandatory
labeling of GE foods.
As ABC News stated,
“Such near-unanimity in public opinion
is rare.” Yet the United States is one
of the only countries in the world that
doesn’t require labeling of GE food.
In the U.S., we pride ourselves on having choices and making
informed decisions. Under current
FDA regulations, we don’t have that
choice when it comes to GE ingredients in the foods we purchase and
feed our families. This led the Center
for Food Safety (CFS) to submit a
legal petition to the FDA demanding
that the agency require the labeling of
GE foods. In response, Senator Barbara Boxer (CA) and Representative
Peter DeFazio (OR) have authored
a bicameral Congressional letter in
support of our legal petition
and will be urging their fellow
members on Capitol Hill to
sign onto their letter.
Write and call your U.S.
Senators and Representative
and urge them to join the Boxer-DeFazio letter in support
of labeling. See the CFS website at
gefoodlabels.org where you can enter
your zip code to identify your specific
representatives and then send their
form letter or your own.
www.communityfood.coop
Authentic Fair Trade
(This article begins on page 12, then continues here)
Alaffia Certified Fair Trade Shea Butter Cooperative members, Sokode Togo, August 2009
Cooperatives Help Empower People
Alaffia was created to help West
African communities become sustainable through the fair trade of
indigenous resources. One key to
sustainability is empowerment of
individuals within the communities. We encourage empowerment
through our community projects, our
women’s cooperatives, and education and involvement in our customer
communities. We firmly believe that
the cooperation of people across the
world is an essential part of building
sustainability in all our communities.
What Does Empowerment
Mean?
As individuals who have the good
fortune of education and experience,
it is our moral duty to be conscious
and aware of the situations of people
who are less fortunate. By empowerment, we mean identifying what
individuals and communities have
at their disposal—resources, skills,
knowledge, and traditions—and
supporting or creating initiatives in
which they can use these tools and
resources within their means. We feel
that this gives individuals and communities a sustainable way to improve their quality of life, in contrast
to relying on outside aid programs
and World Bank/IMO loans.
Empowerment through Fair
Trade
Women in West Africa have long
been excluded from the formal education sector, which means many
cannot read or write. This makes
them less valuable as employees, and
as such, they do not have many employment opportunities. One could
“empower” these women by teaching
them to read and write, and helping
them to find employment. However,
with our women’s cooperatives, we
look at what these women have to
offer that no one else does—their
unique skills, traditions and knowledge. Then, we compensate them at
fair value for these skills. As a result,
they gain income and livelihoods to
support their families, while maintaining traditions and managing a
sustainable resource.
Community Empowerment
Projects
While individual women are empowered through their participation
in our cooperatives, we also strongly
believe in spreading the empowerment to the community level.
Through the sales of our shea butter
products, we raise funds for community projects in central Togo aimed
at alleviating poverty and advancing
gender equality. These projects target
problems that we have identified as
holding back communities—such as
exclusion from education, maternal
death, and environmental degradation. Again, the support for these
projects comes from the fair trade of
traditional, sustainable knowledge
and resources. Our projects include:
• Bicycles for Education
Since 2005, we have collected and
sent over 3,000 used bicycles to
disadvantaged students in Togo so
they can get to and from school.
• Maternal Health
Each year, Alaffia provides preand post-natal care to 70 women
in central Togo to help reduce high
maternal death rates in West Africa.
• School Supplies & Repairs
Alaffia donates metal roofs, seats
and school supplies to schools in
rural Togo to help communities
educate their youth.
• Reforestation & Environment
To combat effects of climate
change and deforestation by planting trees and building home biogas
units.
Fair Trade Certification
The Alaffia Shea Butter Cooperative creates economic opportunity
for women who were denied access to education and whose skills
and knowledge are undervalued in
today’s societies. The cooperative
members receive fair wages and also
are able to maintain and pass on their
traditional knowledge of handcrafting
shea butter. In addition, cooperative
members are fully involved in community project planning and implementation. As a result, they gain
economic and social equality in their
families and communities.
American Community
Involvement
One of our primary goals is to
provide an avenue for people in the
United States to learn about other
cultures and to inform them how they
can work to better all our communities. There are several ways in which
we do this:
technology that large plantations generally do. Over the opposition of the ATOs,
farmer organizations, and a host of other
Fair Trade advocates, TransFair and its
umbrella organization FairTrade Labelling Organization (FLO) began certifying
plantation tea, bananas, cut flowers, and
other products with a set of different, less
rigorous standards than those elaborated
for small farmer organizations.
Soon, large corporations began to see
value in certification as well. They discovered that consumers would respect all
of their products, even if only one or two
were certified as Fair Trade. TransFair
rapidly began courting big businesses into
the Fair Trade “family,” such as Chiquita,
Dole, and Nestle. The Fair Trade advocates protested, to no avail. Big business profits grew and, as more volume
got certified, TransFair continued to
grow as well.
Current Happenings
These actions, and many others
throughout the years, have created largescale opposition against the certifiers and
bad feelings have mounted about the lack
of transparency, accountability, openness, and representation on the boards
and within the committees of FLO International and TransFair USA. Little has
changed. Until this year, when the growing rift finally reached a head.
In October, 2010, TransFair unilaterally changed its name to Fair Trade USA.
Ten thousand people signed an Organic
Consumers Association petition asking
them not to appropriate the name of an
entire movement. See www.organicconsumers.org/artman2/uploads/1/Press_Release_letters_to_Transfair_FINAL2.pdf.
No response.
During that same time, TransFair announced their Fair Trade Apparel standards. Fair Traders complained that the
standards are too low and don’t require
unionized factories. See ethixmerch.com/
blog/race-fair-trade. No response.
In September 2011, TransFair announced their new initiative, Fair Trade
for All, certifying plantations in all
remaining categories (coffee, cocoa,
sugar, and cotton). This strategy means
that small farmers will now be forced to
compete with large plantations for market
access—the very reason Fair Trade was
created in the first place. The Fair Trade
community opposes this action. Read the
Latin American and Caribbean Network
of Small Fair Trade Producers’ (CLAC)
statement at smallfarmersbigchange.
coop/2011/10/05/4153/ and Fair World
Project’s (FWP) statement: fairworldproject.org/news/single/477.
Part of TransFair’s Fair Trade For
All initiative includes lowering standards so as to make it even easier for
corporations to label their products
as Fair Trade. Many have opposed
this. Read FWP’s statement at smallfarmersbigchange.coop/2011/10/20/
fair-trade-usa-goes-rogue-new%E2%80%9Cstandards%E2%80%9Dundermine-fair-trade-commitment-tofarmers-and-consumers and the United
Students For Fair Trade statement at
smallfarmersbigchange.coop/2011/10/28/
united-students-for-fair-trade-call-for-aboycott-on-transfairfairtrade-usa-certified-products.
The day after TransFair announced
their strategy, knowing that they would
be opposed by FLO International, and the
movement in general, they left the FLO
system and now plan to go it alone. This
was the breaking point.
It is time to withdraw support from
TransFair USA/FairTrade USA products.
They do not represent Fair Trade.
What are we asking?
Sign our public statement and ask your
friends and work colleagues to do the
same. See www.equalexchange.coop/
fair-trade-campaign. You can sign as an
organization or an individual.
Continue to educate yourselves and
others about the issues brewing in the Fair
Trade world.
For more information on Equal Exchange’s perspective on the differences
between Authentic Fair Trade and what
TransFair USA is doing, read Rink Dickinson’s views at smallfarmersbigchange.
coop/2011/10/23/4269/.
For a producer point of view,
read this at smallfarmersbigchange.
coop/2011/12/15/mexican-small-farmerfair-trade-producers-speak-out-we-canonly-move-forward-with-authentic-fairtrade.
We remain engaged with small farmers
and with the international Fair Trade system. We will keep you posted on events
as they unfold. As always, thanks for your
loyal support, your commitment, and for
putting your values into action.
• Our Products: Each and every
product contains information on
our community empowerment and
gender equality efforts.
• Volunteer Opportunities: We welcome volunteers for our bicycles
for education donation drives and
other projects. We also have volunteer opportunities at our facility in
Lacey, WA.
• Training, Presentations and Tours:
We welcome visits and tours of our
facility in Lacey, WA. Here, we
also offer occasional soap making
classes and training. In addition,
we make several public presentations across the U.S. and Canada
each year. Visit our blog, Facebook
page, or your local natural food
store for updates.
For more information about Alaffia’s Fair Trade products, see www.
alaffia.com or find them on Facebook.
Co-op
Community News
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first-come, first-served basis during designated sign-up times only, and must be prepaid.
For ad forms and more complete info, stop by
the service desk or call 360-734-8158.
Information to place an ad is available online
at www.communityfood.coop/
resources/newsletter.htm.
Co-op Community News, March 2012
11
Envisioning a New Public Hearth for Public Health
Chef Kurt Michael Friese
“Sustainability doesn’t mean a thing if we can’t
get people to cook.” —Elissa Altman
“The more I work on these issues having to do with
our whole food system, the more I realize that our
problem is a cooking problem.” —Michael Pollan
The impressive growth of community
farmers’ markets in the U.S. over the last
fifteen years presents us with a great opportunity. While food deserts and other
inequities remain a serious problem, access to fresh, local food is on the increase.
However, for this trend to gain real traction and have a permanent impact on food
access and health in underserved communities, we need systems in place that teach
and encourage people to cook, to see the
healthful and economical advantages of
home cooking, and to share that knowledge with others in the community.
Many organizations do parts of what
is necessary, in piecemeal fashion, at a
handful of markets each. Now what is
needed is a networked clearinghouse of
ideas and best practices, recipes, demonstrations, and clear and concise methods
for getting people excited about preparing
and sharing fresh, wholesome, local food.
We can do this while respecting local
traditions and cultures, without condescension, using economically, culturally
and ethnically appropriate ingredients and
methods.
My vision for farmers’ markets is that
they aren’t just places to buy food you
can believe in, but community centers
that support change in the food systems
with resources and education. They are
already gathering places for people with
some common values, and they are, more
and more, playing a role in food assistance. With some key, specific interventions, they could become places that seed
deep structural and cultural change.
I envision a “Public Hearth” for public
health. It was once common for communities to have a large oven in the center of
town where everyone brought their dough
to be baked, and everyone shared in the
bounty. A modern-day version would
not be so much an actual oven per se,
but would bring people together to learn,
to share, and to cook. Imagine a young
mother finding not just a farmers’ market
within reach of her home, not just fresh,
local whole foods, but knowledgeable
local people she knows and trusts and
resources to help her make the most of
the ingredients available. Farmers market cooking demonstrations with trained
chefs and local home cooks, once solely
the province of high-end markets, are
now within reach of the people who need
it most.
These classes and demonstrations need
not be conducted solely in the community
markets, but could start there and spread.
To accomplish this, we need to teach
(and organize!) the teachers. We would
need to go to diverse markets to learn
and to teach, to listen and to speak. The
goal is to build a network of like-minded
people and organizations to rekindle the
spirit and emphasize the importance of
cooking, and to make it easier for each
community to organize and produce these
demonstrations on their own, with local
chefs and home cooks. This could lead to
an online platform for market masters and
other community organizers to help them
plan and execute regular cooking classes
and demonstrations, cheaply and easily,
with or without the help of local chefs, for
any age group or demographic.
The online portal would also help recruit professional chefs and experienced
home cooks, abide by local health codes,
and fund and publicize the events in a
way that is appropriate for their specific
community. It would contain recipes and
videos, a social networking aspect to encourage collaboration, and a mobile app
component for an increasingly wireless
world. At the same time, it must have
printable nodes and other ways to make it
possible to share important components
with people who do not have Internet access. Sections available in Spanish and
perhaps other languages would be vital
as well.
Collaboration with existing organizations is essential. Local friends of
farmers’ markets groups, community
organizations, food pantries and shelters,
religious groups, Boys & Girls Clubs,
school groups, youth groups, seniors and
There’s plenty of food, we just need
to get it into everyone’s hands and
then make sure those hands know
what to do with it. —Kurt Friese
more would all be valuable allies. In addition, it would be important to collaborate
with the many larger organizations doing
like-minded work.
Each of the following (and many more)
has been doing invaluable work with regard to food justice and sustainability and
their input would be key to this project’s
success, just as Public Hearth will be a
valuable asset to each of them. This type
of networking would be fundamental.
The work of the Public Hearth would
support what these organizations do and
vice-versa. It will offer valuable resources, lighting the way and empowering others to lead.
• Slow Food USA and its 225 localchapters nationwide (I serve on the national
board)
• Edible Communities (I publish one of
the magazines, Edible Iowa River Valley, and host one of the Edible Radio
podcasts, The Blue Plate Special)
• Chef’s Collaborative
• International Association of Culinary
Professionals
• LocalHarvest.org
• The Iowa Food Systems Council
• The Edible Schoolyard
• Local Foods Connection
• FoodCorps & Let’s Move
• Through the Kitchen Door
• MoveTheFood.org
• The Yale Sustainable Food Project
• Growing Power
• The Community Food Security Coalition
• EcoTrust
• Slow Money (I spoke at their last conference)
• The Coalition of Immokalee Workers
• The Northeast Iowa Food and Fitness
Initiative
• Cooking with Kids
• and many more…
Of course addressing food security
inequities has a critical public policy element as well. On the local level for the
Public Hearth Project, it is important to
make sure policies permit access to local
food, to know the health regulations and
state tax codes, etc., and to make sure all
activities are in compliance. Continuing
the spread of markets into underserved
areas is vital, as is a continued push to
get the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) accepted in those
markets. As an added benefit, the Public
Hearth would serve as a clearinghouse
for ideas and a source for information to
engage more people in influencing public
policy at both a local and a national level.
All this and more is necessary to address the issues of food justice and health
in our country, not just for the economically disadvantaged, but for everyone.
Renowned cookbook author Marcella
Hazan once said, “Saying you have no
time to cook is like saying you have no
time to bathe.” Yet while statistics show
Americans spending an average of 34
hours a week watching television (some
of it watching other people cook!), people
spend less and less time actually cooking
real food for their families. It need not remain so. We need a priority and paradigm
shift, and the Public Hearth program is
designed to encourage exactly that: to revitalize the kitchen and table as centers of
our everyday lives with real food for all.
Reprinted with permission. Chef, author, and advocate Kurt Friese is based in
Iowa City. For 14 years Kurt and his wife
have operated an Iowa City restaurant,
Devotay—a community leader in sustainable cuisine and supporting local farmers
and food artisans. For more information,
see www.kurtfriese.com. For the full article, see www.kurtfriese.com/?p=455.
Also, for an interview with Kurt, see grist.
org/food/2011-12-20-now-were-cookinghow-to-get-americans-back-in-thekitchen.
The Need to Reaffirm Support for Authentic Fair Trade
Equal Exchange
Deep controversies in
the Fair Trade movement
have been simmering for
more than a decade. The situation has
reached a boiling point and concrete actions must be taken or we will risk losing
everything we have collectively built.
For those of you who are long-time allies of Equal Exchange, we appreciate
your ongoing commitment to us, small
farmer co-operatives, and Fair Trade. It is
because of your commitment that small
farmer organizations across the world
have achieved the level of success they
currently enjoy. For those of you who are
newer to Fair Trade, we deeply appreciate
the time and interest you are showing for
small farmers across the world.
Unfortunately, all our advances are
now in jeopardy. Fair Trade USA (formerly TransFair USA) has slowly but
steadily chipped away at our principles
and values, only recently taking the final
steps in building their strategy. They
have taken the name Fair Trade USA,
then proceeded to leave the international
Fair Trade System (FLO International/
profits throughout
FairTrade International),
This strategy means that
the world with likelower standards, elimiminded principles
nate farmers from their
small farmers will now be
and objectives. The
governance model, and
forced to compete with
U.S. consumer coinvite large-scale plantalarge plantations for maroperative movement
tions into coffee and all
has been an integral
other commodities.
ket access—the very reapart of this moveThis is not Fair Trade
son Fair Trade was created ment.
and we are asking you to
Underlying our
join with us in differentiin the first place.
work is the belief
ating TransFair’s model
that only through
from the authentic small
organization, can small farmers survive
farmer Fair Trade that we are collectively
and thrive; and the cooperative model has
building.
been essential for building this model of
change.
Our Model: Authentic Fair Trade
In the 1990s, Equal Exchange joined
In 1986, Equal Exchange was founded
with a number of other organizations to
to challenge the existing trade model,
create the certifying agency, TransFair
which favors large plantations, agriUSA. The goal was to create a mechabusiness, and multi-national corporanism, in a complex marketplace, to ensure
tions; support small farmers; and conthat a company’s products were providnect consumers and producers through
ing social, economic, and environmental
information, education, and the exchange
impact for the small farmer organizations
of products in the marketplace. With our
that grew them. With a third party certifounding, we joined a growing movefier, we hoped that consumers would
ment of small farmers, alternative traders
have more confidence in their purchases
(ATOs), religious organizations, and non-
without needing to background check
every brand and product. This turned out
to be good business and TransFair grew
as a result.
The certifiers have their own ideas…
and interests.
As time passed, TransFair began to
take on a life of its own. Rather than
confine itself to its purpose as a certifying
agency, collecting fees from industries
that used its seal and monitoring them
to ensure that Fair Trade practices were
being met, TransFair soon developed
its own vision. “Quantity over Quality,”
“Breadth over Depth,” and other qualifiers came to be used to describe TransFair’s vision of a world in which vast
numbers of products throughout the grocery store could be certified Fair Trade, in
as fast a manner as possible.
Their problem was supply. Working
with small farmer organizations can be
challenging and time-consuming. These
organizations don’t have the same access to market, credit, infrastructure, and
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