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CO-OP NEWS CO-OP NEWS CO-OP NEWSA Publication of the North Coast Co-op • Feb. 2015

CO-OP NEWS

| FOR THE FOODIES |

CO-OP NEWSIssue 74 |Feb. 2015

www.northcoast.coop co-opnews@northcoast.coop

EDITOR Melanie Bettenhausen

Marketing & Membership Director(707) 502-3555 ext. 132

melanieb@northcoast.coop

GRAPHICS & COORDINATIONAmy Waldrip

Graphic Design Coordinator(707) 502-3555 ext. 120

amywaldrip@northcoast.coop

Jeremy Smith-DanfordMarketing & Graphics Assistant

(707) 502-3555 ext. 129jeremy@northcoast.coop

ARCATA LOCATION 811 I St., Arcata • (707) 822-5947

Open daily: 6 am to 9 pm Kevin Waters, Store Manager

kevinwaters@nor thcoast.coop

EUREKA LOCATION25 4th St., Eureka • (707) 443-6027

Open Daily: 6 am to 9 pmToby Massey, Store Manager

tobymassey@nor thcoast.coop

COOPERATIVE OFFICES 811 I St., Arcata

GENERAL MANAGERKelli Reese (707) 502-3555 ext. 124

kellireese@nor thcoast.coop

MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Bella Waters (707) 502-3555 ext. 135

bellawaters@nor thcoast.coop

HUMAN RESOURCESLisa Landry (707) 826-8670 ext. 127

lisalandry@nor thcoast.coop

ACCOUNTING Kelli Costa (707) 502-3555 ext. 138

kcosta@nor thcoast.coop

BOARD OF DIRECTORSKelly Boehms, Dave Feral,

Kate Lancaster, Fred Moore, Cheri Strong, Steve Suttell, Jessica Unmack

board@northcoast.coop

THE COOPERATIVE PRINCIPLES:Voluntary & Open Membership Democratic Member Control

Member Economic Participation Autonomy & Independence

Education, Training & Information Cooperation Among Cooperatives

Concern for Community

The Co-op does not officially endorse the services or products of any paid advertiser. All articles,

columns and letters are the expressed opinion of the author and not the Co-op News.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORLetters must include your name, address, mem-ber #, and telephone #. Letters should be kept to a maximum of 250 words and may be edited. We regret that we may not be able to publish all letters due to limited space. Email your letters to co-opnews@northcoast.coop or send them to: Co-op News, 811 I Street, Arcata, CA 95521. Deadline for letters is the tenth of each month.

February has long been celebrated as a month of romance. While the roots

of Valentine’s Day go back to Roman times, candy giving is a much more recent development. Chocolate had been considered a luxury, but when average citizens in Europe were able to purchase chocolate and the heart-shaped box was created in 1861, chocolates for Valen-tine’s Day became a new tradition.

You’ll be happy to know that choc-

olate, especially dark or unprocessed chocolate contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C, E and Pantothenic acid along with several antioxidants and other com-pounds that help promote a positive state of mind and mood.

Chocolate comes from the fruits—or pods—of the Theobroma cacao plant, which grows in hot, rainy regions of the world, primarily near the equator. Cacao pods contain cacao seeds. Once their husks are removed, cacao seeds are roasted and ground to produce cocoa. Further processing creates different kinds of chocolate, such as milk, dark, bittersweet and semisweet.

Raw cacao nibs, or broken pieces of unroasted seeds, have become popular

as people are searching more for unpro-cessed foods. Cacao nibs have a choco-laty taste, but they’re not sweet. Their flavor can vary depending on if they are roasted or not. You can snack on raw cacao nibs right out of the bag, add to trail mixes or smoothies, or use them whole or powdered in your cooking and baking. They are available in our Bulk Department, our Raw Foods section, and our Wellness Department.

We think you might like our recipe for Cypress Grove Chevre with Cacao Nibs (see below), but if raw chocolate isn’t for you, you can find a variety of chocolates at the Co-op. In addition to the many varieties of chocolate bars you’ll find on our shelves—including

organic and Fair Trade—our Bakery produces amazing choc-olate covered caramels (salted or not) as well as truffles, choco-late almond bark, and chocolate dipped biscotti and granola bars.

Raw Chocolate for Valentine’s Day

Brenda HarperConsumer Education

Coordinator

Recipe adapted from Salted: A Manifesto on the World’s Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes, by Mark Bitterman.

2. Sprinkle the cheese with salt, allowing the crystals to tumble across the plate.

3. Cut the baguette into thin slices and arrange on the plate with the cheese or place them in a basket to serve alongside.

Ingredients• ½ cup unsweetened cacao nibs (from our

Bulk Department)• 1 (4-ounce) disc Ms. Natural plain Cypress

Grove Chevre (on sale this month for $4.59!)• 2 three-finger pinches coarse-ground pink

Himalayan salt• 1 plain North Coast Co-op Bakery baguette

Directions1. Spread the cacao nibs on a sheet of foil. Roll

the edge of the goat cheese disk carefully in the nibs, pressing gently so the nibs stick. Then place each flat side in the nibs and press. Once the cheese is well coated, use more pres-sure to embed the nibs into the cheese. Place the nib covered chèvre disk on a serving plate.

Cypress Grove Chèvre with Cacao Nibs

INSIDE FEBRUARY 2015

Find Ms. Natural Plain Cypress Grove Chevre on

sale this month!

Try our bakery’s dark chocolate salted caramels,

sure to be an instant Valetine’s Day classic.

2 Eating My Way through Italy

3 Beet Salad

4 Member News

5 Layered Berry Dessert

6 Co-op Community Fund

7 Community Partners

8 Pardon Our Painting

8 GM Report

9 Letters to the Editor

9 Share the Spirit Total

9 Shopper Survey Update

10 Save with Co-op Basics

11 Reference Guide

11 We’ll be at the Crab Crawl!

www.northcoast.coop 2

| CO-OP ADVENTURES |

Cypress Grove Chèvre with Cacao Nibs

INSIDE FEBRUARY 2015

By Larry Crabb, Arcata Senior Clerk

In October of last year, I had the opportu-nity to take an amazing trip to Italy. The

highlight of this journey was a seven-day cooking class called The Flavors of Tus-cany. My traveling companions were my wife and my mom. Now I probably could have found a cooking class closer to home, but a trip to Italy sounded like a real culi-nary adventure. We flew to Milan, and then traveled by train to Venice and Florence before going to Lucca for the class.

Our lodging for the week was a stone villa built in the 1500s, although upgraded with modern amenities. A driver met us at the train station in Lucca, along with three classmates he had picked up at the Pisa air-port, and drove us to our home for the next week in the Tuscan countryside. There were ten of us taking the class, all from the United States. Our chef was Angelo Pros-peri-Porta, who lives and works in Canada, although his parents are Italian. He also had an excellent sense of humor, which really made the class fun. His assistant was Karoline, an excellent chef from Poland.

Day One: We began our first evening with Prosecco while we peeled lemons to make limoncello — a lemon liqueur — which would be ready for our final dinner of the week. We then made individual pizzas cooked in a wood fired oven. We ended the evening with a toast of limoncello that the previous class made.

Day Two: We cooked a whole lamb in the wood fired oven. We made a wet rub for the lamb with basil, mint, garlic, rosemary, sage and olive oil. Along with the lamb we had potatoes, green bean salad with red onions, and cipollini onions braised in balsamic vinegar. We also cooked some pigeons and guinea hens to use in a pate later in the week.

Day Three: We drove into Lucca, which still has walls around the city from the Renaissance. We explored on our own and returned to go out for dinner. Angelo teamed up with chef Maurizo at a local restaurant to serve us a very gourmet meal with many courses. They included cuttle-fish with apple, risotto with porcinis, sea bass in a bean sauce, guinea hen with a wine reduction that was heavenly, and pan-cetto for dessert.

Day Four: We drove to the coast to buy fish from the fish market. We walked on the beach and bought our lunch from a little floating restaurant on a canal. We had grilled swordfish and tuna, fried shrimp, calamari and octopus, French fries and deep fried vegetables along with Prosecco.

On our way home we stopped at a bio-

dynamic winery for a tasting. Guiseppe, the owner and winemaker, was very pas-sionate about making wine and olive oil organically and bio-dynamically. He also believed it was important to grow the varieties of grapes that had typically been grown there. The winery has produced wine since the 1700s, and he and his wife live in the house that was built in the 1700s.

We returned home to prepare the fish we purchased. We had grilled swordfish

with a fresh tomato salsa, sautéed fish with garlic, onions and tomatoes, two kinds of crostini with parmesan and tomatoes, green salad with olive oil and balsamic dressing, and the pâté that we had started a few days earlier with the pigeon and guinea hen. Cantaloupe and watermelon were for dessert.

Day Five: For lunch we had wild boar ribs sautéed in wine, garlic, onions, sage

and parsley accompanied by an octopus salad. After lunch we traveled to Lucca for a wine tasting in this little wine shop with tunnels underground to store the wine. After the wine we went to a church for a concert of arias by Puccinni, who is from Lucca. Following the concert we had yet another gourmet dinner at a little outdoor restaurant. The chef, Pasquale, was from Sicily. The highlight was custard for des-sert, served in a miniature mason jar made with a quail egg.

Day Six: We were off to the castle village of Bolgheri, home of the Super Tuscan wines. We enjoyed a six course lunch in a little combination wine shop and res-taurant. The highlight was probably the zucchini flowers stuffed with shrimp, or the gnocchi with cuttlefish, although the bruschettas with sun-dried tomatoes and sausage weren’t bad. The spinach and ricotta raviolis were quite good also. After lunch, we went to a winery for yet another wine tasting, then headed back to our villa for an excellent dinner of baked chicken, mashed potatoes, risotto, and green salad. We ended dinner with a nightcap of our homemade limoncello because two of our classmates were leaving the next day.

Day Seven: On our final day we were off on yet another excursion to the beauti-ful hillside town of Montescudaio, where the whole town was having a wine festival. It was a very picturesque town with a view of the Ligurian Sea. For lunch we had the zuppa, a local soup made with beans and day old bread. We also had some ravioli stuffed with calamari, then home for our last night’s dinner, grilled steak Florentine. They looked like T-bones and were about four inches thick! The traditional method of cooking them is just with olive oil and salt and pepper, nothing else. We also had mushrooms stuffed with ricotta and grilled veggies, which yours truly grilled. We also had a simple yet awesome salad made with thinly sliced fennel bulb, red onion and sliced oranges. Of course we finished the evening with our limoncello. Sadly, the next day we were all going our separate ways, but I think it was a week that we will never forget.

Editor’s note: Larry’s tour was hosted by Abbondanza Toscana.

Photos courtesy of Larry Crabb 1. Larry standing in front of the train station in Venice / 2. Larry’s first meal in Italy, Spaghetti with Seafood Medley / 3. Appetizer Plate with Brie / 4. Larry grills veggies in his Italian cooking class / 5. Stone villa circa the 1500s, where Larry and his traveling crew stayed.

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3 CO-OP NEWS | Feb. 2015

| LOCAL PRODUCE RECIPE |

Salad Ingredients (serves 2)4-5 small beets, or 2-3 large ones ½ cup walnuts (optional) Pea shoots, for bedding

Dressing Ingredients3 teaspoons olive oil3 cloves garlic, roasted and mashed 1 teaspoon vinegar 1 small shallot, minced Dash of salt

Beet Salad with Roasted Garlic VinaigretteFeaturing locally grown beets from Wild Rose Farm

Beets are colorful root vegetables often described as having an earthy flavor. These roots are most commonly deep

red-purple in color, but also come in a variety of other shades, including golden yellow and red-

and-white striped. Rich in folate and potassium, beets are also a good source of fiber. Plus those vivid colors aren’t just for show. The pigments are actually full of potent antioxidants. When stored, beets become sweeter as their starches

convert to sugar. They can be eaten raw or they can be boiled, steamed, roasted or sautéed. Beets are one of those overlooked vegetables that once you realize all it beholds, you will cultivate a new appreciation, & maybe even love, for them!

Directions1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.2. Wash the beets (Fig. A). Peel the garlic. Wrap the beets and the garlic in foil and place in the oven.3. Roast for about 1 hour or until a knife goes through easily. It is okay if the beets are still firm

after roasting.4. Peel the beets (they should be really easy to peel) (Fig. B) and chop the beets into bite-size

pieces and place in a large bowl. Wash the garlic and set aside for dressing.5. Meanwhile, toast the walnuts, if using, in a skillet over medium heat.6. Mix with the mashed garlic the rest of the dressing ingredients (Fig. C), then pour over

chopped beets and toss.7. Sprinkle with the toasted walnuts, if using them. Serve hot or cold on pea shoots or other

greens.

By Brenda Harper, Consumer Education Coordinator & Pamela Hawkins, Outreach Coordinator

A B C

Photos by Jeremy Smith-Danford

www.northcoast.coop 4

| MEMBER NEWS |

As of February 1, there are 43 days left before the fiscal year 2014 patronage refund vouchers expire. Of the 637 vouchers mailed out in mid-December, over 400 vouchers are yet to be redeemed, resulting in $4,588 yet to be claimed. If yours is one of these unused vouchers, don’t miss out on this great benefit of being a Fair Share member! Make sure you use your refund voucher by March 15, 2015. Patronage refund vouchers were mailed to all Fair Share members who qualified to receive their refund in cash. The vouchers can be used right at the register for credit on your purchase, or exchanged for cash at Customer Service. The vouchers can also be donated to the Cooperative Community Fund (CCF) (see page 6 for more on CCF ).

Patronage Refund FAQs

Why didn’t I get a refund letter? Your letter may have been lost in the mail, so stop by Customer Service to make sure we have your current address. Other reasons why you may not have received a refund letter: • You joined the Co-op after March of 2014 • You are no longer a resident of California • You spent less than $167.91 during the fiscal year, resulting in a refund that was less than $2

I can’t find my refund letter. How do I go about getting my refund? Just call or email our Membership Coordinator for a replacement letter at (707) 502-3555 ext. 135 or bellawaters@northcoast.coop.

Can I get cash instead of using my refund for store purchases? Yes! Just ask to redeem your voucher for cash at Customer Service before March 15, 2015.

Can I donate my refund? Yes! Ask Customer Service to donate your refund to the North Coast Co-op’s Cooperative Com-munity Fund (CCF), a fund whose appreciation/earnings are gifted to local non-profit organiza-tions annually (see p. 6).

I’m not sure whether my family used my refund voucher. How can I check on this? Check with Customer Service or contact our Membership Coordinator to see if your voucher has been used (707) 502-3555 x135 or bellawaters@northcoast.coop

How do I check whether I should have received a refund? Just ask at Customer Service.

How can I find out how much my refund is? Ask at Customer Service.

I want my refund in cash/voucher next year, so how do I become a Fair Share member?You can purchase “B” Shares in $10 increments at Customer Service. Once you reach $300 in “B” Shares, you are a Fair Share member. Future patronage refunds will be distributed to you in cash/voucher.

?

$

Patronage Refund Vouchers

Have You Redeemed Yours?

Open Invitation to Co-op MembersJoin the Board for Discussion and Symposium

Sat., Feb. 21 • 12:45pm • Please RSVP

At the January Board meet-ing, the Board was in sup-

port of inviting members to join them for the afternoon portion of their retreat. Members can join the Board at 12:45pm on Feb. 21, 2015 to hear a summary of the morning’s retreat, observe and comment on the Board’s discussion on Competition and Readiness, plus participate in the Awakening the Dreamer sympo-sium.

Fellow Board Member, Kate Lancaster, is an Awakening the Dreamer facilitator who has con-ducted this workshop at HSU, locally, and at another academic

institution. Members are invited to join the Board in this transfor-mative workshop that explores the challenges and possibilities of this moment in time and the role people can play in creating a new future. Kate says her students have been “awakened” to the human and social impact of economic activity that has been inflicted on different areas of the world and inspired by the individuals and groups who are changing the sto-ries through their participation in the symposium. You can find more information about Awakening the Dreamer at www.pachamama.org/engage/symposium

Symposium Led by Kate Lancaster of the

Co-op Board of Directors

After several years’ hiatus, the Member Action Committee

(MAC) was reconvened at the Novem-ber Board meeting. The committee acts as an advisory committee to the Board of Directors, taking on issues delegated by the Board, as well as providing an organized structure for members to come together, to com-municate their ideas and concerns, and to influence North Coast Co-op policy and practice.

Ten people attended the first meet-ing on December 18. While quite a few topics came up, much of the discussion concerned these two points: 1) The need to heal and encourage healthy communication between the Board, as well as management, membership

and employees; and 2) The need for open and transparent communication between leadership (board and man-agement) and the Co-op membership.

It was discussed that a culture has grown at the Co-op whereby employ-ees operate from a sense of fear and that there has been a trend to be dis-missive of people and ideas that are outside of the desired paradigm. In order to address these issues, the MAC brought forward a request to the Board to form an ad hoc committee to explore mediation or other possible avenues of remediation to begin the process of healing and open dialog.

Also discussed was the lack of member access to documents and information. In an attempt to bring about more transparency, the MAC brought forward a request that the Board make the entire contents of the Board packets available to members at the same time that Board members receive them. Both the request for mediation and the request for Board

packets were included in the packet for the Board’s January meeting.

All Co-op members are welcome to participate. I encourage you to come to the next MAC meeting. In addition to the above topics, additional possible topics for discussion brought forward at the MAC meeting include: opportu-nities for member participation; ways to serve membership and community; Board’s role and function vs. that of general manager; competition and marketing; bylaws; and Annual Mem-bership Meeting structure.

Unity in action makes for a much stronger community. Please join us! Thank you all for being members of our cooperative.

Next meeting of the Member Action Committee will be Wednesday, Feb-ruary 11 from 6-8pm at the Co-op’s Ten Pin warehouse at 793 K Street in Arcata. Contact: board@northcoast.coop

Member Action Committee Reconvened

Cheri StrongEmployee Board Director

Space is limited. Please RSVP and ask for event location by February 17 by calling Board Assistant Bella Waters at (707)502-3555 x 135 or

bellawaters@northcoast.coop

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5 CO-OP NEWS | Feb. 2015

Valid Feb. 3 through Feb. 16, 2015

| COOK & SAVE |

The North Coast Co-op’s free, monthly Cook & Save class develops recipes that include items from our sales flyer. This month’s recipe uses dates from our Bulk Department. A product of the date palm and cultivated since

approximately 6,000 B.C., the date fruit is one of the sweetest fruits around. Originating in the Middle East, date palms were introduced across south and southwest Asia, northern Africa, Spain and Italy. They spread around Mexico and California with the Spanish colonists. The most popular varieties of dates are Deglet and Medjool and both are on sale in February! Dates are a good source of energy and fiber as well as essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phospho-rus, sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc. They also contain vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin A and vitamin K. Try making this recipe using a trifle, a dish used to serve layered desserts.

Directions (allow time for some items to set in refrigerator)

1. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the Layer 4 ingredients and let sit in refrigerator for 1 hour until it thickens.

2. In a small bowl, mix Layer 3 ingredients just enough to get the lumps out and refrigerate.

3. Place Layer 1 ingredients in food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together; this should take about 1 minute. Mixture should be gooey.

4. Using the back side of a moist spoon, press about ¼ inch of this mixture evenly into the bottom of your dish (a clear dish allows the layers to be seen) and place it in the refrigerator while you prepare the next layer.

5. Place Layer 2 ingredients in your food processor and process until almost a paste.

6. Add Layer 2 to parfait dish, then add Layer 3. Finish by adding Layer 4.

Layer 1• 1 cup walnuts• 1 cup pitted Deglet dates• 3 Tablespoons cacao powder• 1-2 Tablespoons almond milk• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Layer 2• 2 cups walnuts• cup maple syrup• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract• 2-3 Tablespoons almond milk,

if mixture is too dry

Layer 3• 1 15 ounce can coconut milk

(1 cup coconut cream*)• 1 cup organic confectioners’

(powdered) sugar

Layer 4• 1-10 ounce package frozen

raspberries, defrosted• ¼ cup chia seeds• ¼ cup maple syrup

Layer 4

Layer 3

Layer 2

Layer 1

Raspberry & Coconut Cream Layered Dessert

COOK & SAVE

Ingredients

* To produce coconut cream, allow can of coconut milk to stand for at least 24 hours in a chilled environment. The solid section which rises to the top is the cream, and it can be skimmed off and placed in a new container, leaving light coconut milk behind. Coconut cream is essentially a highly concentrated form of coconut milk with very little water.

Bulk

Organic Pitted Deglet Dates

$4.69per lb

Bulk

Organic Shelled Walnut Halves/Pieces$12.99per lb

Sale Ingredients

Next Cook & Save Class: Monday, March 9, 6pm in EurekaPlease register online, just as you would a cooking class at www.northcoast.coop. Choose Cooking Classes from the

dropdown menu and click on register. Or call (707) 443-6027 ext. 102.

Valid Feb. 3 through Feb. 16, 2015

By Brenda Harper, Consumer Education Coordinator & Pamela Hawkins, Outreach Coordinator

Photo by Jeremy Smith-Danford

¼3

www.northcoast.coop 6

| CO-OP COMMUNITY |

The Cooperative Community Fund (CCF) is a per-manent endowment established and directed by members of the North Coast Co-op, which awards

grants to support projects and the work of community organizations in Humboldt County. Through collaborative grant making the CCF seeks to strengthen the community by emphasizing projects and activities that promote demo-cratic cooperative principles, community development and food security.

Co-op employees, members, and shoppers have given donations to the Cooperative Community Fund for more than 20 years. Donations are made at the register through the Community Round Up program, as well as the ten cent charge for paper bags. In the last year, more than $7,200 has been donated! The fund’s appreciation/earnings are gifted to local non-profit organizations, which underwrites local projects annually. Over the years, CCF has awarded nearly $500,000 to local organizations.

This year’s grant recipients are as follows:

Community Alliance with Family Farmers Farm to School—$1,980Grant will go to support the costs of sending three key players to the 2015 California Farm to School Conference. This will allow Farm to School leaders in the North Coast the chance to network with other Farm to School leaders in California, share ideas and get inspired.

Discovery MuseumChildren’s Health and Active Living Initiative—$850Grant will go to continue the work of the initiative, which promotes awareness and education of healthy active life-styles in a fun and playful setting, by including a model kitchen and table (sized for children), in the museum.

Food for PeopleIncreasing Food Security through Food Recovery—$2,457Grant will go to offset fuel costs for their local Food Recovery Program, which represents 20-25% of the total food collected and distributed annually while also saving local business in garbage costs.

Fortuna Adventists Community Services Fortuna Community Garden Project—$500Grant will be used to establish a permanent demonstra-tion garden plot specifically aimed at school-age children, which will introduce children to large scale gardening.

Fuente Nueva Charter School School Garden—$2000Grant will be used to expand current school garden and support student use of the garden in curriculum and in the after-care and summer camp program.

Healy Senior Center Senior Congregate Meal Program—$2,000Grant will be used to continue to provide meals and nutri-tion to older adults and those in need in the region of Southern Humboldt.

Humboldt Senior Resource Center (HSRC)Local, Nutritious Senior Lunches—$3,130Grant will be used to help offset the costs of purchas-ing raw food from local providers for 1,200 meals made entirely from sustainably produced, local products, organi-cally grown if possible, during the 2015 summer. These meals will be served at the HSRC’s three congregate din-ing centers, participants in Redwood Coast PACE and Adult Day Health Service program, plus delivered to homebound seniors.

LatinoNetFestejando Nuestra Salud/Celebrating Our Health—$1,910Grant will be used to fund, in part, the 9th annual Lati-noNet Spanish-language health fair in October 2015.

Lost Coast High Learning CenterCommunity Garden Project—$1,841Grant will be used to establish a community garden, designed and managed by Lost Coast High Learning Cen-ter students and two Head Start programs. Produce will be provided to families, and students will be provided with skills for the 21st century, as well as viable career options.

North Star Quest CampWellness Education—$1,400Grant will help offset food and supply costs associated with the nutrition workshops during the all-girls camp.

Note: Guidelines to apply for funds are available each September. The next opportunity to apply is fall of 2015. Please see www.northcoast.coop/donations.htm for more information.

CCF Awards $18,068 in Grants

Phone #: Member #:

Member Name:

Detach this entry form and return it to the Member Survey box located near Customer Service at either store location. Be sure to include your name, contact information, and member number so that we can contact you if your entry is drawn. You can also send your ideas to co-opnews@northcoast.coop with “Member Survey” in the subject line. Must be a member to enter. Co-op employ-ees and their families are not eligible to win. DEADLINE TO ENTER: MAR. 2

What is your favorite way to get involved in the community?

Win a

$25 gift card!

Member Survey

Grant recipients attend the CCF check ceremony in the Eureka Community Kitchen. Photo by Jeremy Smith-Danford

7 CO-OP NEWS | Feb. 2015

| COMMUNITY PARTNERS |

bath & bodycosmeticsskin careFEB.

4

SAVE

on our entire wellness department

811 I St. in Arcata | 25 4th St. in Eureka

FEB. 4

Save 10% off of our entire

Wellness Department

Save 10% off our entire wellness department on the first Wednesday of every month.

FEBRUARY 21st @ 6PM

TICKETS @ PEOPLE’S RECORDS, THE WORKS, WILDBERRIES, STIL& WWW.HUMBOLDTROLLERDERBY.COM

HUMBOLDT ROLLER DERBY

redwood acres • franceschi hall

$12 in advance ∕ $15 at the door

LOVING HANDS INSTITUTE

State Licensed School for Holistic Massage Therapy

Since 1989

Private Massage Practice, Open Daily

www.lovinghandsinstitute.com

LOVING HANDS INSTITUTE

State Licensed School for Holistic Massage Therapy

Since 1989

Private Massage Practice, Open Daily

www.lovinghandsinstitute.com

Eureka Car StereoCar Audio • iPod and Bluetooth Solutions • Auto Security

Alpine • Focal • Pioneer

JL Audio • Kicker

Viper

15th & Broadway ▼ 707-445-3283 ▼ Mon-Sat 8:30-6:00

Find us on facebook

Stop by our bakery for a delightful array of Valentine’s Day

cakes & treats.

Heart Shaped cakes are available in a variety of flavors, and many can be made with

gluten-free flour and vegan ingredients!

For custom cakes, call (707) 826-2706 or visit www.northcoast.coop.

Please allow 48 hours for custom cakes.

www.northcoast.coop 8

| CO-OP COMMUNITY |

What I love most about working in a cooperative is how we support each

other to learn, grow and improve. In addi-tion, I believe leaders have the opportunity to serve those who work within the orga-nization. In my leadership role, I am con-tinually deepening my appreciation for and understanding of “Servant Leadership”. Servant Leadership is a phrase coined by Robert Greenleaf in the 1970s. The phi-losophies behind Servant Leadership have not changed much over the years; however there are others who have added to the conversation with characteristics and key points along the way.

It didn’t start out this way for me; man-aging others in my 20s was akin to herding cats. I had no idea who I was or wanted

to be as a leader. It wasn’t until I became a certified yoga instructor that I began to explore the idea of loving and serving in the leadership role. Along the way I’ve learned that having clear expectations and challenging people to be their best con-tributes to the overall health of the team, and is an essential part of leading with love and service.

For the past five years, the manage-ment team at our Co-op has been working to improve communication and examine how we can better meet the needs of our employees, as Servant Leaders. This has occurred over the years, in part, through a number of workshops and trainings for employees which have included:

Healthy and Compassionate Communication

This training for all employees discusses the four personality traits (passive, aggres-sive, passive/aggressive and assertive) and helps employees learn skills for how to communicate with each other in a com-passionate and healthy way. The train-ing includes small group discussion and problem solving, and helps build a deeper understanding of how we all function in the world. It focuses on the idea that we don’t all view the world through the same lens. We continue to offer this training regularly.

A Good Night’s Sleep: Stress, Insomnia and Work Productivity

This training was part of our newly imple-mented Wellness Program. It was planned

after we received employee feedback that the biggest challenges facing a number of them included stress and sleep deprivation.

Retrain Your Brain, Reframe Your Life This training for all employees focused on the power of positive thinking and how transformational it can be in your life to choose positivity over negativity.

Cultivating a Culture of Accountability and Positivity

This training offered the department heads approachable tools and techniques they could use immediately with their teams. Much of it focused on the impor-tance of a positive work culture. In addi-tion, it offered input on how to motivate their teams and give meaningful, positive feedback. It also provided tools to help with performance improvement and diffi-cult conversations.

Communication Workshop We recently held this workshop for the Eureka and Arcata store deli teams to dis-cuss how they could work together more cooperatively and compassionately. Every deli employee in both stores attended a half day team experience together while the store managers and employees covered the work in the delis.

In addition to these workshops and trainings, we continue to expand our Well-ness Program for all employees which includes an employee discount buying

club for the top 20 wellness products—giving employees access to affordable, quality items in order to stay healthy. In addition we also implemented a Gain Share Program as part of Open Book Management (OBM) so we could share our Co-op’s success with the employees.

Of course, all of these trainings, workshops and programs are only part of the picture. The management team has been working hard on visioning, positivity and team building so we can walk our talk and ensure we have clear policies that build a healthy, posi-tive foundation. We are also currently in the process of performing an employee survey in order to gain further insight and feedback. This tool helps us identify the Co-op’s strengths and weaknesses as an employer in the eyes of employees, and it helps us see where we are since the last survey in 2010.

We will have feedback from the survey in February. Working with the employ-ees, we plan to use the results to shape our approach going forward. It’s a very exciting time and I look forward to updating everyone in future editions of the Co-op News. Thank you all for being a part of making the North Coast Co-op a great place to work. We’ve only just begun.■

Contact: kellireese@northcoast.coop

From the General Manager

Kelli ReeseGeneral Manager

Leading the Way with Employee Development

Paint Jobs in Arcata & EurekaOne down, one to go!

Prize valued at over $500!

CLEAN UP

We Our Members giveaway!

Enter at customer service in either store by Saturday, Feb. 28.

You may have noticed that our Eureka location is looking refreshed and espe-cially beautiful after it’s recent (and much needed) paint job! We budgeted to

repair and paint our Arcata location this spring, but due to an opening in the paint-ers schedule, we were able to get started sooner than expected. Please pardon our mess while we work. ■

9 CO-OP NEWS | Feb. 2015

| CO-OP COMMUNITY |

Responses to last month’s member survey

PRICE CUT

Co-op Friends,As a cooperative we are owned and man-

aged by our members through democratic con-trol. Every member/owner has an equal vote and voice, regardless of the quantity of shares owned. This Co-op was formed and has thrived through the vision and participation of an active democratic membership. In recent years, mem-ber participation declined, and without our awareness the leadership took away important member rights to open and transparent man-agement. All non-confidential Board and Com-mittee meetings are no longer open to member attendance, and member participation at open meetings is now more limited. Also, member access to all non-confidential Board and Com-mittee agendas and agenda attachments are no longer available prior to meetings.

After the employee contract negotiations and the attempted Bylaw revisions this last year, more members are recognizing that our active participation is needed to preserve our core values and principles, and to resist becom-ing a “corporate style cooperative.” However, we are facing resistance from the leadership in regaining our open access to meetings and the documents needed to participate fully. Also, those who express disagreement with policies or actions are accused of being “confronta-tional” and “attacking” the leadership. Thus,

employees are fearful to express their concerns openly. These unhealthy dynamics are harming us. We must seek ways to heal these relation-ships and cooperate again for the best interests of our Co-op, and the entire community which we serve. The Co-op has always been more than just a grocery store; we are an organiza-tion that strives to sustain the environment, the economy and the community.

Let’s strive for that the best we can, by democratically participating in whatever ways work for each of us. Attend the newly reconvened Member Action Committee (MAC) meetings. Write the Board. Attend a Board meeting. Stay informed by signing up for member education and action alerts at jodieellis@suddenlink.net or by calling (707) 840-9250.

In Solidarity,Jodie Ellis, Member #21314

Letters must include your name, address, member #, and telephone #. Space is limited; please be concise (preferably 250 words or less). We regret that we may not be able to publish all letters due to limited space. Email your letters to co-opnews@northcoast.coop or send them to: Co-op News, 811 I Street, Arcata, CA 95521 by the tenth of the month.

Letter to the Editor

Anne Holcomb Executive Director of Food for People

Kelli ReeseGeneral Manager of the

North Coast Co-op

Each year during the holidays, shoppers are encouraged to donate to our local food bank, Food for People. Cashiers collect the funds and the Co-op matches donations up to $5,000. This year we exceeded expectations! A total of $9,452.87 was donated at the register. Add that to the Co-op’s donation of $5,000, and together we raised $14,452.87 for our local Food Bank! Thank you for all of your generous donations.■

Total Donation$14, 452.87

www.northcoast.coop 10

PRICE CUT

ITEM CO-OP BASICS PRICE

Baby ProductsToddler Formula, Dairy / Baby’s Only O $8.95Toddler Formula, Soy / Baby’s Only O $9.41 BulkAlmonds $6.78/lbBlack Beans O $1.61/lbBrown Rice, Short Grain O $1.62/lbCornmeal O 98¢/lbFlax Seeds O $1.97/lb Whole Wheat Elbow Pasta O $2.92/lbWhole Wheat Pastry Flour O 87¢/lb

Bulk, CoffeeCo-op 40th Anniversary Coffee O $7.99/lbCo-op Humjoldt Coffee O $7.99/lbCo-op Humjoldt Coffee O $35/5lb bagCo-op Mellow Buzz (Decaf) O $8.99/lb

Bulk, FrozenBlueberries O $7.46/lbPeas O $2.46/lb

Bread/TortillasSliced Sourdough Bread / North Coast Co-op Bakery $4.37 Corn Tortillas / Mi Rancho O $2.42

Canned Goods Albacore Tuna / Wild Planet $3.45Coconut Milk / Natural Value O $2.74Pasta Sauce, Tomato Basil / Field Day O $3.34Pinto Beans / Natural Value O $1.66

CerealsFlax Plus Raisin Bran / Nature’s Path O $4.31Heritage Flakes Eco Pac / Nature’s Path O $8.84

Condiments Ketchup / Organicville O $4.37

CheeseMonterey Jack Cheese, Vegetarian Enzyme / Rumiano $2.76/lb

CrackersSaltines / Suzie’s O $3.86

Fresh Produce (Items may vary by season)Bananas O 98¢/lb DairyButter (Salted or Unsalted) / Humboldt Creamery O $5.34Mi l k, ½ gallon (Fat Free, 1%, 2%, or Whole) /

Humboldt Creamery O $2.87Mi l k, Gallon (Fat Free, 1%, 2%, or Whole) /

Humboldt Creamery O $5.68

ITEM CO-OP BASICS PRICE

Home ProductsKitchen Bags / Natural Value $3.54Laundry Powder / Biokleen $16.92Liquid Laundry Detergent / Biokleen $10.92Paper Towels / Natural Value $1.12Toilet Paper / Natural Value $5.52

JuiceApple Juice / North Coast Co-op O $7.98

MeatChicken, Free Range / Rocky Junior $2.58/lb

Non-Dairy BeveragesCo conut Milk (Original, Vanilla or Unsweetened) /

So Delicious O $2.52

Nut ButtersCrunchy Peanut Butter / Maranatha O $7.38

OilsCoconut Oil / Dr. Bronner’s O $8.54

PastaBrown Rice Spaghetti (Gluten Free) / Tinkyada $3.11Spaghetti / Bionaturae O $2.71

Personal HygieneDeodorant, Lavender / Tom’s of Maine $5.84Lip Balm, Selected Varieties / Dr. Bronner’s O $2.57Powersmile Toothpaste / JASON $5.01

TeaEarl Grey / Choice O $3.81

Tofu To fu, Water Pack (Regular, Firm Traditional Nigari) /

Tofu Shop O $2.58To fu, Vacuum Pack (Regular, Firm Traditional Nigari) /

Tofu Shop O $2.23

WaterWater, Bulk (H2O machine) 34¢/gal

SupplementsCountry Life Men’s Daily Nutrition $22.94Country Life Women’s Daily Nutrition $22.94Country Life Prenatal Daily Nutrition $22.94

O = ORGANIC

= NEW to the Co-op Basics Program

basic goods at basic pricesbasicsco opco op

Co-op Basics offers lower prices on a select list of staple items in order to save you money every day. These are low prices, all the time; not temporary price reductions. Cut this list out and hang it on your refrigerator or bring it with you on your next shopping trip as a reminder of all the great basics that you can find at exceptionally affordable prices at the Co-op.

Co-op News Reference GuideMeetingsBoard of Directors Co-op members are invited to attend.Feb 5 | 6-8pm Co-op Community Kitchen, EurekaMarch 5 | 6-8pm Co-op Community Kitchen, Arcata (Plaza Point building across 8th Street from our Arcata store location)Apr 2 | 6-8pm Co-op Community Kitchen, EurekaFeb 21 | 12:45-4:30pm Member-invited portion of Board Retreat and Awakening the Dreamer Symposium. RSVP by Feb 17. See page 4

Member Action CommitteeMembers are encouraged to attend. Feb 11 | 6-8pm Co-op’s Ten Pin Warehouse, 793 K St, Arcata.

Finance CommitteeMeets quarterly. Co-op members are invited to attend.Date, Time and location to be determined.

Co-op Sponsored Events Feb 6-8 Eureka Crab Crawl Festival, organized

by Eureka Main Street, is intended to showcase our local crabbing and fishing industries. Festivities will take place in Downtown and Old Town Eureka. The full schedule of events is at www.eurekamainstreet.org/node/1319. The Co-op’s Eureka location will be a stop on the Friday, February 6 Crab Crawl (see above).Mar 7-8 Bowl for Kids’ Sake, hosted by Big Brothers Big Sisters of the North Coast, takes place at Harbor Lanes in Eureka. The Co-op has a team of employees who will be bowling on March 7 at 4:30pm. Come show your support! For a full schedule of events, visit www.ncbbbs.org/events/bfks.php.Mar 8 Sheila Jordan with Cameron Brown at Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka at 8pm. Hosted by the Redwood Jazz Alliance Concert, more info at www.redwoodjazzalliance.org/2014-15.html.Mar 26 Taste of Main Street, organized by Eureka Main Street, takes place in Downtown and Old Town Eureka and kicks off the Jazz Festival. The Co-op’s Eureka location will be a stop on the tour. Tickets for the event can be purchased at the Co-op’s Customer Service counters. More info at www.eurekamainstreet.org/. Mar 26-29 Jazz Festival, coordinated by Redwood Coast Music Festival, features five performance venues all over Eureka. Tickets for the event can be purchased

at the Co-op’s Customer Service counters. For a full schedule of events, visit www.redwoodjazz.org/index.php.

Co-op at Events Feb 10 Transportation Safety Committee, City of Eureka, meets at 3:30pm to consider Humboldt Transit Authority’s proposal to move the bus stop at 4th & D Streets to 4th & B Streets. The Co-op requested this move several years ago and just recently received notification that it will be on the agenda. Contact Melanie Bettenhausen at (707) 382-3128 or melanieb@northcoast.coop.

Feb 25 Humboldt Food Policy Council meets from 3-4:30pm to continue work on policies that affect all aspects of our food system. If you would like to get involved, contact Melanie Bettenhausen at (707) 382-3128 or melanieb@northcoast.coop.

DeadlinesFeb 10 Letters to the Editor (see p. 9) Feb 17 Deadline to RSVP for Board Retreat and Awakening the Dreamer (see p. 4)Feb 28 We Love Our Members Giveaway due (see p. 8)

Our Eureka store location during the

More about the Eureka Crab Crawl: www.eurekamainstreet.org/node/1319