Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op / Winter 2014

MARKET SQUARE CO-OPWelcome

Contents3 Giving Back

4 Sharing Your Stories

15 CSA Buyers Guide

21 Real Food

22 Board Talk

23 Events & Classes

Welcome

When you grab a grocery cart at our store on Grandin Road you’ll notice this simple phrase, People Powered. I love this statement, so much so that it still makes me smile each time I return a wayward cart from the parking lot to the cart corral and every Sunday when my family and I venture out for our weekly shopping trip. But to be completely honest, we made the decision to write People Powered on the carts because our Co-op's name wouldn’t fit, it was too long. People Powered gets to the heart of what our Co-op is all about, in fact it works for all cooperatives. The International Cooperative Alliance defines a cooperative as “an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.” The end goal is to meet common aspirations, but people come first. In October, Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op was named Small Business of the Year by the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce. As I accepted the award with great honor, I did so on behalf of our ownership. It’s important to be reminded that 3,500 plus people in our community own Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op and every one of those people have their own story. But back to the grocery carts. We had to identify our carts somehow, so we chose to celebrate one piece of our company, perhaps the most important piece, people. It’s simple; People Powered is who we are. In this e-issue of the Co-optimist we are continuing to celebrate people by sharing our owners' stories and how the Co-op is impor-tant in each of their lives. Like our grocery carts, these stories from our owners define who we are. Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op is a community of individuals, of pieces, and here we celebrate the pieces. Please enjoy getting to know a few of our owners better in the pages ahead.

AdvertisingThe Co-optimist is a publication of Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op. For advertising information, please e-mail info@roanokenaturalfoods.coop or call (540) 904-5700.

Roanoke Natural Foods Co-opGrandin Village 1319 Grandin Road, SWRoanoke, VA 24015Open 8am - 9pm, Every DayPhone: (540) 343-5652 Fax: (540) 343-5711

Market Square 1 Market Square, SERoanoke, VA 24011Open 8am - 8pm, Every DayPhone: (540) 904-2733 Fax: (540) 343-5711

StaffGeneral Manager: Bruce PhlegarHuman Resources Coordinator: Elizabeth WilsonMarketing Coordinator: John BryantCenter Store Coordinator: Lisa BalkomFresh Foods Coordinator: Diana McGuireWellness Coordinator: Elizabeth GoodMarket Square Store Coordinator: Jon ShupFarm Coordinator: Conor RiceSpecial Projects Coordinator: Jim CrawfordAccounting Team Leader: Carleen GreenmanFront End Team Leader: Heidi GarrabrantProduce Team Leader: Emily McDonaldDeli Team Leader: Missy Martin

Editor John Bryantjohn@roanokenaturalfoods.coop

Design & Layout Joe Burge

Photography Jon Shup & Jim Crawford

Contributors John Bryant Gayle Cooley Jim CrawfordJon Shup

Board Of DirectorsPresident: Gayle Havens CooleyVice President: Bob CapperTreasurer: Ron McCorkleSecretary: Sandy TaylorSam Eakin Ian FortierBryan HantmanKerstin PlunkettKrista Stevenson

Content of this newsletter should not be used or construed as medical advice.

On the Cover: Market Square Co-op Staff (Left to right) John Nicholson, Jon Shup, Mark O'Neill, Nick Minyard.

www.roanokenaturalfoods.coop

© 2014 Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op

optimist

2 Co-optimist

In October, Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op started a new program, Give Up!, which allows shoppers to “round up” their purchases to the nearest whole dollar. Give Up! donations go to local charitable organizations, which rotate each month. Organizations are chosen based upon their community focus and alignment with Co-op Ends. In just a few months the program has already raised $8,500 for four local charities. The beauty of Give Up! is that the crowd-sourced contribu-tions make a huge difference to the charitable organizations – the $2,782 contributed to Happy Healthy Cooks in October

represents over 5% of their annual cash budget - yet are only pennies on the dollar to the individual donors. Since October 1st, over 17,000 separate contributions have been made to Give Up! at our two Co-op locations. Here’s to you, Co-op shoppers! Thanks for making Give Up! a success, and thanks for your continued support. If you areinvolved in an organization, or know of an organization that would benefit from being a Give Up! recipient, please visit www.roanokenaturalfoods.com/give-up to apply!

Giving Back

Give Up! has raised $8,500 for local charities!

Counterclockwise from bottom left, Roanoke Community Garden Association, Give Up! recipients in November, raised $2,263.79 to help sustain and expand their neighborhood-transforming garden programs; Happy Healthy Cooks received $2,782.58 (including a 10% match by the Co-op) to help expand the program into more schools, and spread the joy of whole foods; In December, Give Up! raised $1,830.03 to support LEAP for Local Food's community markets and SNAP-EBT Doubling Program.

Winter 2014 3

4 Co-optimist

Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op will be celebrating our 40th anniversary in the spring of 2015. We have begun a project that will document the early history of the Co-op, from its beginning in the basement of Eva Jo and Frank Wu's home up to the present. Of course, we will include the recent major additions to the Co-op, Heritage Point Urban Farm and Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op: Market Square. Various media will be referenced to tell our Co-op history, but our main source will be through interviews with owners. These owners, both new and long-standing, form a compelling narrative of the Co-op. This record is a human story, a personal journey, with potentially thousands of intimate and bold stories of who we are, who we have been and what we as the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op

want to become. We are always working to attain the Co-op’s goals and vision, and this evolution requires a dedication to new owners and new ideas even as we honor and learn from our past. As these owner stories demonstrate, we are well along the path, and faithfully so. I will be conducting the interviews, recording audio stories, many occurring in owners' homes or places of business. I have been an owner since the days of bulk food pick-up on Shenandoah Avenue, before the move to Fifth Street in Old Southwest. This does afford me a knowledge of our past, but as you will read, the essence of our Co-op and its Cooperative Principles rests in each and every person who makes the commitment of becoming an owner. Literally, the Co-op is its owners.

youryouryourstories

sharing

Stories & photos by Jim Crawford

Winter 2014 5

youryouryour

Photo by Jon Shup.

6 Co-optimist

When you meet Michelle Bennett, the owner of Cups Coffee and Tea in Grandin Village, you quickly understand you are in the presence of a character. Born in Johnson City, TN, she grew up “a little bit of everywhere.” Her family was living in New Bern, NC when her path crossed with Roanoke in 1988; she got a job with WVTF Public Radio. Prior to opening Cups three years ago, Michelle was a graphic designer and marketing director for Mill Mountain Theatre. Since arriving in Roanoke she has always been a customer of the Co-op. When she opened her iconic coffee house/cafe she became an owner at the Co-op because she thought it was important for businesses in Grandin Village to support each other. Support and community are key words in Michelle’s personal vocabulary and her high regard for the Co-op is immediately evident. “To have this keystone (the Co-op) in the same neigh-borhood for all these years, has made this neighborhood what it is, and I just needed to be a part of that,” she says. Her customers are benefiting from the Co-op as well. She serves gluten free or vegan baked goods, and raw foods, and if her customers need help with their dietary needs, they can get knowledgeable help at the Co-op, which is just a stone’s throw away, across the street. “It’s virtually the only source in town,” she says. As for who influenced her the most, it’s hands down her Dad. “I look just like him, if I had a beard,” she deadpans. When she was two years old, her Dad, a sophomore in college, taught her to read the funnies. “I think it was to get me to shut up, but

it didn’t work. It just gave me more to talk about,” she says, adding, “yeah, the person who teaches you to read influences you more than anyone.” When out on the town, Michelle gets a kick out of being recognized as the “Cups Lady”, the incomparable personality behind Cups. And she is easily recognized, once you hear her distinct laughter, you’ll never forget it. “I am a person who is here for the laughs. Everybody has a hard life and everybody has a hard day, but there’s always a laugh in there somewhere, and I’m often the one who’s laughing,” she says. She thinks of Cups as her living room. “I have more company here than I have at home, that’s for sure,” she says, “I just want to be a good friend that tells the truth.” As we are wrapping up the interview, she tells me a joke involving a woman with a bear on her roof, a guy with a big ladder, a baseball bat, a shotgun and a pit bull. There is a gleam in the Cups Lady’s eye.

Michelle BennettCoffee Shop Proprietor

You can hear these stories and more in the Co-op's new commercial series on 101.5 FM The Valley's Music Place. Starting in February.

TUNE IN

Photo by Allison Money

Winter 2014 7

If you are a frequent visitor to the Co-op during the day, you no doubt have seen Ron Marsh at one of the tables looking out onto Grandin Road. He’s the fellow working at his laptop, sipping a cup of coffee or eating something good from the Happy Belly Deli. He would meet you with a friendly smile. “It's just a haven,” he says, “a place where I can go and just sit down and relax, pull up the internet, look at my emails, and have a cup of coffee.” Conversation is easy with Ron, encompassing many subjects. He is involved with young people and is a chaplain for William Fleming High School's sports teams. Another subject close to him is his work and relationship with the Co-op. “I have my own marketing agency and the real thing that I do now is I teach health classes,” he says in his friendly manner. “We teach people how to eat, what to eat, and help them understand why they should eat certain foods. We are Healthy Living ministers, so to speak.” Ron recently got a degree from Bluefield College and is now working on a Masters degree and teaching Special-Ed students. “I’m proud of myself to be able to go back at my age, over 60 years old,” he says, “and accomplish a college degree.” Ron has been a Co-op customer for five years and an owner for over two years, but his accord with the mission of the Co-op is very relevant. "I think that we need to have more activity in help-ing this concept of healthy living, the mission of the Co-op, get to

the communities and churches and people," Ron says. "Because a lot of people in our communities, they are going to the differ-ent stores and buying the processed foods, they are buying the foods that are not conducive for them. In turn, there is obesity and sickness,” he says. “So as a community activist and a health minister, I just found a group of people and a company (the Co-op) that I can partner with to get my message throughto the community.” Part of the force behind Ron’s community passion is that he grew up in Roanoke. “I grew up just off of 10th Street, SW,” he says. “I remember when I was a kid, I used to go in the Grandin Court community, and rake leaves. There was a car wash there that I, as a kid, would go work for $6 a day,” he says, adding, “now I find myself, and it makes me feel good, to go into the same community as an adult and still do business.” Ron’s pride and partnership are made even more remarkable considering the fact that when he was working at the car wash and raking leaves were the days before integration in Roanoke. “You know, when they had the parade, the theater there, and of course back in the day, you know it was hard to go to the theater, but now,” he says, “I am excited because I can go into that community and I feel at home.”

“I found a group of people

and a company that I can

partner with to get my

message through to the

community.”

Ron MarshEntrepreneur

8 Co-optimist

Brent CochranEntrepreneur

If you live in Roanoke, shop at one of the community markets or you are a local farmer, you most likely have met Brent Cochran, director of LEAP for Local Food, which operates the Grandin Road and West End community markets. As one of Roanoke’s young entrepreneurs, Brent is a rare person; he sees the big picture, yet he likes to work at the details. “I like to try and make positive things happen in my community and make a living at the same time, which is always an interest-ing balance,” he says. “I just recently opened the River Rock Climbing Gym here in Roanoke,” he says, listing his projects. “I have a non-profit (LEAP) that has been running for a few years that’s focused on local food, and I have a startup based in Seattle that’s a community-based micro lending company supporting small local business. So I have a bunch of irons in the fire." Brent has worked and studied much of his college years out west. He returned to Roanoke five years ago and became an owner at the Co-op four years ago. “I grew up in Roanoke and I have been going to the Co-op since I can remember. My mom was one of the founding members of the Co-op when it was literally just a buying club,” he says thinking back to his early childhood. “I remember thinking it was like no other store that I had gone into. There were barrels and boxes of things. It kind of felt like going into a warehouse,” he recalls. Brent likes being an owner of the Co-op because it embod-ies a key principle underlying his entrepreneurial spirit. He calls it the Local Multiplier Effect. Simply put, spending money on locally produced products and services sets up an economic feedback system whereby that money stays within the locality, strengthening communities by supporting its entrepreneurs. “Being an owner of the Co-op is great because I like to know where my money goes,” he says. “We live in a capitalistic society, so I trade my time and energy in for money and I use

that money for goods and services,” he says. “Food is a very simple way to start there. Instead of buying food that has been shipped all over the world, you can raise food in your own yard or garden or you can purchase food that is local and what that does is it supports that local farmer. You spend that dollar here, it stays here,” he explains. “I like the fact that the Co-op is a community focused, conscious, responsible company. I know they make a profit off the stuff that I am buying, but I know that they use that profit to then start programs in the community, like a farm and investing in LEAP. You know, LEAP all started from the Co-op," he says.

As you talk with Brent, you see and feel his energy and commitment to his vision and naturally want to know what inspires him. “I’ve spent a lot of time in nature in my life and that has had the biggest impact on teaching me the core fundamentals of life and processes, and the essence and beauty of life,” he says. “It’s a simple thing, and we as humans tend to make it complicated,” he says. Pausing for a moment, he adds, “As I am sitting here watching the sun fading, you know, I think the natural world and the rhythms of the natural world have taught me the most about life.”

“Being an owner of the Co-op

is great because I like to know

where my money goes.”

Winter 2014 9

When talking with Diane Elliot - owner of Local Roots, A Farm to Table Restaurant in Grandin Village about what ownership in the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op means to her, she doesn’t need notes to respond. She and husband Bill became owners at the Co-op in 1975, when the store was on 5th street, SW (now the Water Heater). “I have totally grown up with the Co-op,” she says as we sip tea and talk in her wonderfully accoutered dining room, “it’s been a bit of my alter-ego, it’s been who I really want to be. The Co-op was always the place I could go to feel in harmony.” As if her words revealed new insights, she says, “I learned to be a rebel too, not really a rebel, but it was OK to want to bring change.” These past 39 years of Co-op ownership have taught her the value of being part of an organization she be-lieves in, where her voice counts and she is treated with respect. “It’s the circular model,” she says, “you are in the circle together.” The rewards of Co-op ownership can be basic, like learning how to read labels, or learning what "organic" means. Other lessons are more complex and nuanced

understandings like how, as the Co-op modernized over time, she learned not to be nostalgic about keeping things the way they are. She remembers her father saying, “You have to keep up, or get out.” Back in 2009, her son Reeves called her asking if she knew anyone interested in investing in a restaurant. Her heart sank. Reeves had just spent four years of hard work getting the first incarnation of Local Roots up and running at the Grandin Gar-dens, and she just couldn’t stand seeing it die. So, on the spring equinox of 2009, without any experience running a restaurant, she signed on the dotted line. Though these last four years have had their share of ups and downs, what has kept her going is the mission of her farm to table restaurant—“to provide locally, organic, sustainably produced food that connects us to Mother Earth.” “It has been quite a journey,” she says, referring to, among other trials, the summer of 2011 when she thought they’d have to close, “but we are going to make a profit this year.” The pride, as she voiced this milestone for the restaurant, was real, as is her belief that the Co-op set the stage, back in 1975, for her owning Local Roots. “Thank you,” she says to no one in particular.

“I have totally grown up with

the Co-op, it’s been a bit of my

alter-ego, it’s been who I really

want to be.”

Diane ElliotRestaurateur

10 Co-optimist

The thing that strikes you about Patrick Beale’s livelihood is that it is “hands on” at the most basic level. That’s because he has been doing massage therapy for 18 years. “I love that I can help people be more comfortable in their bodies,” he says. The appearance of the departing client with her calm smile and relaxed manner, seems a telling testament to his care and skill. His livelihood had its beginnings in a seemingly unlikely place. He had a job opening and managing record stores in East Texas and he happened to befriend a couple that were massage therapists. The rest is history, and very much to Roanoke’s benefit. “I can remember after my first massage was over, lying on my back on the massage table, looking at the ceiling fan going around and thinking, ‘I can do this for a living,’” he recalls. Patrick’s association with the Co-op goes back over forty years. “I kind of grew up with the Co-op,” he says. “My mom went over to the basement of Eva Jo and Frank Wu, who were founding members of the Co-op, and everybody would meet in their basement and divide bags of brown rice. And I can remember being seven years old and watching people dividing brown rice and wondering what this is all about,” he recalls. His memories of the early days of the Co-op meshed with his worldly experiences to form a basic yet seminal understand-ing. “I quickly understood that democracy only matters if it

is economic democracy, if people have choices. And that it is important to vote with your dollar,” he says. This understanding naturally led to his becoming an owner 20 years ago. “What I like about being an owner,” he says, “is that where I shop just isn’t about me getting food, it is about me contributing to a community.” Other reasons to become an owner at the Co-op come easily to this insightful Co-op owner. “You will benefit economically by being a member of a cooperative. But economics isn’t all of who we are,” he says. “There are also important social relation-ships in being part of the Co-op. I go into the Co-op and I see many people that I know and have known for years and that enriches my life more than money ever could,” he says. Patrick’s dedication to cooperative principles also comes from a decidedly old fashioned route; he worked at the Co-op for eight years beginning in 2004. During that time he served two years as the Co-op's produce manager. His favorite job and one of the most important to his way of thinking was working at the checkout. “I really enjoyed being the face of the Co-op and being a welcoming presence to members and customers,” he says. The Co-op will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2015, a fact dear to Patrick. “I have worked hard for the Co-op, for the idea of the Co-op, because I think it’s such a resource for healthy families and healthy individuals and I have worked hard to ensure that the Co-op is sustainable." “I’ve always thought of the Roanoke Co-op as the little engine that could or the mouse that roared,” he says. “I’ve always thought of it as a place that could have an impact on where we live and how we live, and its impact may be dispro-portionate to its size.” He adds, “You know, 40 years is a long time and I would love to see the Co-op be around in 40 more years.”

Patrick BealeMassage Therapist

“I go into the Co-op and I see many

people that I know and have known

for years and that enriches my life

more than money ever could.”

Winter 2014 11

Mauricio TicasPainter & Community Activist

The life of Mauricio Ticas has taken some decidedly social and geopolitical turns in his journey to being an owner at the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op. Born in Central America’s smallest country, El Salvador, he has lived much of his life in big American cities. He left Washington, D.C. to move to Roanoke eight years ago. “It was a big shock for me,” he said of his move to Roanoke. “I guess I wanted Roanoke to be something that it is not. And now that I see what it is, I just love it here. I feel in community here, I feel very welcome, and I think that the Co-op has helped me expand my understanding of Roanoke and the people that live here,” he says. Mauricio’s childhood in El Salvador greatly shaped his life. He refers to his country’s decade and a half civil war as the “Russian-American" war. With all seriousness and heart, he continues, “Home is so fundamental. Growing up in a country such as El Salvador during the war, by the age of 13, I was already a veteran of war,” he says.

“It profoundly changed my life and the entire country— the entire continent really,” he says. “I am sitting in front of you, and back in those years, I didn’t even know you, but I hated you. That has changed, of course, because I see that you cannot make blanket statements like that,” he continues. “It took me perhaps seventeen to eighteen years to not have anymore nightmares. I’m hurt by that still, but of course I’ve come a long way.” Mauricio has lived in Roanoke 8 years but only became an owner two years ago, in large part due to his childhood-induced caution. “I didn’t understand what a Co-op was, because I have a resistance to any institution,” he says. “At first, I thought I didn’t want to join the Co-op. But I started going to the Co-op and I just felt the vibrations, just people there, and as I started understanding the benefits and the value of good food and fair trade and community, I just decided to become a member,” he says. Now this friendly, engaging man refers to his association with the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op as a homecoming. “So home is very important, to feel the comfort, to feel nourished, to feel encouraged. And there (at the Co-op) I feel that is true in so many ways, and specifically in the classes and how receptive people are to doing things in different ways and sharing what works for them,” he says. “I think I bring my truth the way I see it,” he says, describing himself. “I’m proud that I have learned to respect and honor

people’s differences and their backgrounds. I’m proud of Roanoke really. I’m proud that I am part of so many things that take place here, primarily diversity. As one of the people that work every year with the Latin Festival and make that bridge between so many cultures, when I am on top of that stage and I see so many different faces and skin tones and food and music, I’m proud that I am here. I’m proud that I am speaking to you. Gratitude, I am so grateful,” he says. Mauricio gave up his car three months ago, "so I am always on my bike now,” he says. “It is interesting because when I come to the Co-op for many reasons, the people that I come across there, I see them at classes, I see them at the acupuncture center or the yoga classes at the YMCA, when I am hiking,” he says, “so the Co-op has helped me in so many ways, truly. I just feel that way now.”

“I’m proud that I am part

of so many things that take

place here, primarily diversity.”

12 Co-optimist

“I’m proudest of my two-year-old daughter, I’m

proud of my family, and I’m also proud of the

work that I am doing in this place where I live.”

Initially, Mark Powell wanted to do some gardening. “I was hoping to do it with some other people,” he says, “and we decided to start a community garden and somehow it evolved into a non-profit, and a very successful one.” Mark credits some of the Roanoke Community Garden’s success to timing. It was 2008, there was a food crisis, high prices for food, along with a glut of news stories about unhealthy food, food-born illnesses, a growing awareness of obesity in America and other food/health related problems. “It seems like there was a perfect storm going on that allowed us to succeed in working with local food,” he says. This success included Mark becoming the Director of the Roanoke Community Garden Association. This winter, the RCGA has a garden basket full of community gardens operating in Roanoke’s neighborhoods. One community garden under construction in the Mountain View Neighborhood, was funded by a generous grant from the Women’s Foundation of the Roanoke

Valley and will be fully functioning the spring of 2014. Of course, there is a mile-long list of future projects they are pursuing. Mark’s relationship to the Co-op probably mirrors many shoppers and owners at the Co-op. He knew about the Co-op “for a long time,” shopping occasionally. “But it was only about five years ago that I started to pick up on the work the Co-op was doing, and understanding more about what a co-operatively run business is,” he recalls. Mark became an owner at the Co-op about three years ago. “Ownership in the Co-op means good relationships. I feel like when I visit the Co-op I’m going to run into people I know,” Mark says. Speaking more to the mission of the cooperatively run business, he continues, “Ownership in the Co-op to me means being part of a larger community. I feel like the Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op has done a lot to help build community and they have been a big mover in the local food effort.” Mark’s influences come from a great many people. “I’ve tried to come away with the best that people could offer me. At the moment I’m proudest of my two-year-old daughter, I’m proud of my family, and I’m also proud of the work that I am doing in this place where I live,” he says. Mark, his wife Silvija Butkera-ityte (they met in Lithuania) and daughter Emilija, live in Southeast Roanoke and are deeply involved in their neighborhood. Family and community blend easily with Mark Powell. As an owner, he is “thrilled at what the Co-op has done this year with Heritage Point Farm and the new Co-op store downtown on Market Square.” Mark’s vision of Roanoke’s on-going renaissance includes the Co-op’s growing community presence, “I hope that they are able to continue to expand and I hope that they able to continue to provide a model for new cooperatively owned businesses that could take root here in Roanoke. I think we can learn from the model they have put forth and hopefully we will see growth in cooperatively owned businesses.” Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op and the Roanoke Community Garden Association have had a relationship since RCGA’s inception, partnering with fundraising events, outreach events, volunteer events and community building events as well as providing meeting space for RCGA board meetings. “The Co-op has been a big part of our success,” Mark says. Reflecting on the Co-op’s upcoming 40th anniversary in 2015, Mark says, “That’s a long time to be in business. That’s certainly a long time for a group of people to work coopera-tively together.”

Mark PowellCommunity Gardener & Activist

Olivia WolfCo-op Cashier

If you’ve met Olivia Wolf working at the Co-op—she started working there this past November—you quite possibly left the store with a smile. She has a way of reminding you of why you came to the Co-op in the first place. “Working at the Co-op is the most unique work that I have done,” says the 24 year old. “We are working for something greater. I’m not there for a paycheck really, I mean, that helps you know, but we are there because people need us, the community needs us, the planet needs us,” she says. This encompassing understanding she attributes to her childhood. Born on Catawba Mountain, she was raised on her family farm by her father. "A very simple life,” she says, “but I was outside almost every day. I was an only child so it kind of taught me to be very introverted. But that is where my love of nature came from, being submerged out in the country, inventing these little games in the woods, picking beans on the porch with my grandmother, and playing with the little pigs.” Wisdom knows no age boundaries and her to-do list is mea-sured and ambitious. She is a college student, double-majoring in environmental and social sciences. “I want to work with farm-ers and people who are less fortunate, connect the dots, and get farming back into more urban neighborhoods,” she says. As if this wouldn’t fulfill her life dream, she continues, “And I want to teach yoga and just help people who don’t have the opportunity to heal themselves, just bring back opportunity to people who wouldn’t be able to seek that out on their own. “I see such a beauty in this natural world,” she says, then adds, “and the same with people. I really enjoy all kinds of people, and I just want people to be happy and to realize true happiness within themselves.”

Some may belittle such “idealism”, but they would be doing so foolishly. This is a woman who learns by doing. She works on a farm owned by Jack Ferguson, along with farm manager Chris Peckman. (Some of you may remember a story in the Co-optimist about Ferguson Farm.) “I feel so fortunate to be able to work with Chris and Jack. They’ve taught me so much about myself,” she says. “Jack has a saying, ‘We are here to work and help others’, something along those lines, and that’s the story of his life.” Olivia became an owner at the Co-op three years ago. “I first heard about the Co-op when I was going vegetarian. I was like a kid in a candy store as soon as I went in there,” she says. “I fell in love with the products, the people, the atmosphere. I just felt like I was home.” Her observations find focus on another central Co-op mission. “Food is probably the biggest issue right now in our world. What you put in your body is what you get out,” she says. “Everything we eat is a gift from our planet, from our earth, so everything that we produce we need to do in a respectful way to the planet and that’s one of the biggest reasons that I love the Co-op so much, because that’s a goal that we share.” Olivia’s Co-op ownership along with working at the Grandin Road store has galvanized her sense of purpose. “Being an owner, you are a pillar of the Co-op. You are the Co-op, you know.”

“Everything we eat is a gift from our planet, from our earth.”

Winter 2014 13

14 Co-optimist

Meredith LevyPlaywright & Organizer

If you ever find yourself worried about our future, try getting in touch with Meredith Levy. You may find her during normal working hours at her “primary” job as Project Assistant at Alumni Relations at Hollins University. “I do a lot of event plan-ning,” she says from her office in the Cromer Bergman Alumnae building, which used to be the campus infirmary. As she puts it, “I have a lot of pots burning.” She is a working playwright, whose play Decision Heights showed at Mill Moun-tain Theatre this January. She and her artistic partner, Patricia Cope, put together a works-in-progress event, The Tinker, sponsored by the Roanoke Ballet Theater in Grandin Village. “So once a month, three shows in the fall, three shows in the spring, we bring together emerging artists from Roanoke but also from other parts of the country and they have an oppor-tunity to show a work that is not as finished with our Roanoke audiences," she says. "And it’s completely free, so it’s a great opportunity for artists to get to really talk with their audiences. And the whole point is that we want to help artists further their work by receiving audience feedback," she explains. “That doesn’t pay anything of course but its something that Patricia and I really love to do, and we are really happy to be helping artists in Roanoke and all over,” she says. You will hear this sentiment many times when talking with Co-op owners about their lives; there is a commitment beyond themselves. Meredith was a senior at Hollins when she became an owner at the Co-op in 2011. “I’m very happy with my ownership. As long as I remain in Roanoke I plan to remain an

owner, “ she says. For Meredith, one of the biggest benefits of being an owner is being part of the local economy. “I really enjoy buying local food, I really enjoy supporting local farmers, and the Co-op allows me to do that,” she says. “I also have some pretty severe food restrictions and the Co-op is really great about having alternative flours and alternative butter substitutes. They have everything, and so I find that I can usually pick up anything that I need at the Co-op. I don’t have to go to three different stores,” she says. She also likes being part of a strong local business that brings together so many people. “I love running into people there,” she says. “I really enjoy that I am not just supporting a business but I am also supporting a movement.” Her list of ownership benefits include practical reasons too; the Owners' 10% Off Days. “That’s when I do a lot of my heavy shopping, because I know I’ll get a little something back,” she says. There is much we can learn from this creative, vivacious Hollins graduate and Co-op owner. “I don’t know if there is a single thing that I am most proud of in my life, but I am grate-ful for so much," she says. "I am grateful for my education, I am grateful for my job, and for the time I have to pursue interests outside of my job. I’m incredibly grateful for how well The Tinker has been accepted into the community.”

“I really enjoy that I am not just supporting a business but I am also supporting a movement.”

HOW DOES

YOUR GROCERYSTORE

LOCAL FARMERS AND PRODUCT

PRODUCERS WORKING WITH EACH STORE

LOCALLY SOURCED PRODUCTS SOLD

PERCENTAGE OFINCOME DEVOTED TO

CHARITABLE DONATIONS

REVENUE SPENTLOCALLY

AVERAGE EMPLOYEEEARNINGS, INCLUDING

BONUSES ANDPROFIT SHARING

EMPLOYEES ELIGIBLEFOR HEALTHINSURANCE

REVENUE SPENTON LOCAL WAGES

AND BENEFITS

AVERAGE ENERGYSTAR SCOREOUT OF 100

ORGANICS AS APERCENTAGE OFPRODUCE SALES

ORGANICS AS A PERCENTAGE OF ALL

GROCERY SALES

RECYCLING RATES

FOOD WASTE

PLASTICS

CARDBOARD

www.STRONGERTOGETHER.coop

(PRIVATELY OR INVESTOR-OWNED)(CONSUMER-OWNED)

Winter 2014 15

16 Co-optimist

CSABUYERS GUIDE

When you shop at the Co-op, from time to time you might notice tables full of produce lined up in large paper grocery bags. Those are Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares waiting for their lucky owners to stop by and pick them up. The Co-op often gets questions from customers about these CSAs. Since January is the best time of year for registering for Spring/Summer CSAs, we‘ve compiled information from the CSAs that deliver to our store on Grandin Road. One of the most common questions we get from curious shoppers is, “How can I get in on that?” It’s important to know that the Co-op doesn’t grow this food, nor are we selling it; CSA customers transact directly with local farms by purchasing a share of that farm's harvest, which is delivered weekly to a convenient “drop point”, like the Co-op. Each CSA has a number of drop points in Roanoke and the surrounding area, so one of them will be close to your work or home. When you purchase a CSA, you’re providing the seed money for the food that your family will be enjoying later that year. You’re also supporting local farmers directly, which is a win-win for everyone.

Growing food for others is the most profound,

sacred work I have ever done, and I am eternally

grateful for the opportunity to do it. ”

“

Polly Heiser, Seven Springs Farm

Winter 2014 17

Seven Springs CSA

Polly Heiser and her musician husband Nii Anang operate Seven Springs Farm CSA in Floyd, Va. The farm was founded in and 1991 and now serves 120 families and individuals in Roanoke and the surrounding areas. Their mission is to grow fresh, nutritious food to the best of their abilities using prac-tices that improve the soil and the land, to offer the food to the community, and to foster connections between the consumer, the land, and the farmer. “Growing food for others is the most profound, sacred work I have ever done, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to do it” says Polly of her work with the CSA.

426 Jerry Lane NE Check, VA 24072540-651-3226, pollyhieser@gmail.com.www.7springscsa.com

Photos courtesy of Seven Springs Farm.

Share Options

» 3 sizes of vegetable shares (weekly from mid-May to early December)

» Beef shares by the whole, half and quarter cow (yearly pick-up in December)

» Egg shares from neighboring Weathertop Farm and the Mammi family (provided weekly with the vegetable shares)

Pricing

Contact

Drop Points

Vegetable CSA pricing is on a sliding scale. The members get to choose the price they pay within a given range.

» $14/wk - $56/wk depending on size

» Beef $6/lb (Approx)

Tuesdays 2:30pm - 8:00pm

Saturdays 2:30pm - 8:00pm

» Seven Springs Farm » Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op

» Seven Springs Farm » Eats Natural Foods - Blacksburg

» Avenham Ave Residence - Roanoke » Plenty! - Floyd

» W. Main Coffee Depot - Christiansburg

18 Co-optimist

Waterbear Mountain Organic Farm CSA

Waterbear Mountain Organic Farm, established in 1993, is unique in that they are certified organic and use biodynamic methods. Everything they do must comply with strict standards to insure that the food they sell is clean and free of synthetic chemicals and toxic elements. They also maintain and increase

the health of their soil by using cover crops, crop rotation, con-tour plowing and compost. Their goal is to provide affordable certified organic food to their community and to demonstrate that mixed vegetable farming is a sustainable business model for rural communities.

477 Rain Dance Rd, Floyd, VA 24091540-577-9178, waterbearorganicfarm@yahoo.com www.waterbearfarm.com

Contact

Share Options

»

»

»

Waterbear offers 28 weeks of weekly shares starting in mid-May and ending in mid-November. Their CSA is offered in a buffet style, free choice share that allows members to pick and choose what they want at the drop point.

Chicken, eggs, beef and pork are also available for purchase at Roanoke and Blacksburg drop sites, but you can receive discounts on Beef and Pork by signing up for a meat share.

Their wide variety of seasonally available produce includes Asparagus, Spinach, Salad Mix, Carrots, Lettuce, Kale, Spring Onions, Cabbage, Beets, Broccoli, Summer Squash, Egg Plant, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Basil, Celery, Swiss Chard, Melon, and much more.

Pricing

Drop Points

» Full Share - $25/week for 28 weeks

» Mini Share - $17.50/week for 28 weeks

» Beef Share - 20 lbs, mixed cuts at $7.50 per lb one share - $150.00

» Pork share - 10 lbs, mixed cuts at $7.00 per lb one share - $70.00

Wednesdays

Thursdays

» Harvest Moon, Floyd, 2:30pm - 4:30pm

» Dr. Castleberry's office, Radford, 3:10pm - 5:10pm

» West Main Coffee Depot, Christiansburg, 3:30pm - 5:30pm

» Annie Kay's, Blacksburg, 4:15pm - 6:15pm

» Smith's Store, Copper Hill 3:00pm - 5:00pm

» Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op, 4:00pm - 6:00pm

Photos courtesy of Waterbear Mountain Organic Farm.

Good Food - Good People CSA

Founded in 1996, Good Food – Good People (GFGP) provides locally grown and produced food to retail and wholesale buyers in Southwest Virginia. GFGP represents over 50 producers of fresh fruits and vegeta-bles, herbs, pasture-raised frozen meats, free-range eggs, farm cheeses, breads and baked delicacies, value-added foods and lots more. Through Good Food – Good People you can have access to local food throughout the year, all sourced within a 100-mile radius of Floyd, VA. When you purchase local farm-fresh foods from GFGP, you participate in the local farmer-consumer network that encourages positive alternatives for nourishing ourselves and our community.

320 Fork Dr NE, Floyd, VA 24091540-745-4347 ext. 0, gfgpfarmshares@swva.net www.goodfoodgoodpeople.net

Contact

Share Options

»

»

»»

»

Fruit Fan - Fresh fruits, jams, fruit butters, and preserved fruits in the fall.

Veggie Visionary - A wide variety of wholesome local veggies.

Veggie Advocate - Smaller version of the Visionary.

Fresh Egg Share - One Dozen Weathertop Farm free-range, grass-pastured XL brown eggs a week.

Winter Farm Share - A mix of fresh produce, meats, cheeses, and a plethora of handcrafted foods.

Pricing

Drop Points

» Fruit Fan - $325, May - October, 22 weeks

» Veggie Visionary - $625, May - October, 24 weeks

» Veggie Advocate - $450, May - October, 24 weeks

» Fresh Egg Share - $120, May - October, 24 weeks

» Winter Farm Share - $310, November - December, 8 Weeks

Blacksburg

Floyd

YMCA Thrift Store

Greens Garage

Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op - Grandin Community Farmers Market, Oasis World Market Parking Lot

Floyd Community Farmers’ Market

Roanoke Memorial Hospital

Grandin Village Community Market

Ikenberry Orchards, Daleville

Roanoke

West End Community Market

» Tuesdays, 3:00pm - 6pm, main/winter share, full service » Tuesdays, 3:00pm - 6:00pm, main/winter shares, full service

» Tuesdays & Saturdays, 8:00am - 9:00pm, main/winter share, full service

» Tuesdays, 1:00pm - 8:00pm, main shares » Saturdays, 8:00am - 12:00pm, main shares, full service

» Saturdays, 9:00am - 12:30pm, main Shares, full service

» Thursdays, 2:00pm - 6:00pm, main shares, full service

» Saturdays, 8:00am - 11:30am, main shares, full service

» Tuesdays, 2:00pm - 5:00pm (2:00pm - 6:00pm July - Oct.), main/winter shares, full service

Winter 2014 19

Photos courtesy of Good Food - G

ood People.

20 Co-optimist

Four Corners Buying Club

Four Corners Farm is a multi-generational, family-friendly farm that practices sustainable, chemical-free agriculture, supplying nutrient dense food for our local area. They special-ize in pastured eggs and meat available through their “Buying Clubs”. They believe their plants and animals should be provided a habitat that allows them to express their unique-ness. All of their animals are drug and hormone free, they are fed Virginia-grown, chemical free, non-GMO feed and real food kitchen scraps, and they are moved frequently to a fresh pasture “salad bar” which renews the land and grows nutritionally dense meats and delicious pastured eggs.

404 Old Mill Creek Lane, Rocky Mount, VA 24151540-334-1044, carolyn@fourcornersfarm.com www.fourcornersfarm.com

Contact

Buying Club

»

»

Four Corners, while not officially a CSA, uses the Co-op as a drop point for its Buying Club members. The Buying Club is simple and no commitment is needed. Just contact the farm with what items you would like delivered, then show up at the drop point between the appointed times for pick up and payment.

Every second and fourth Monday of every month from 4:00pm - 6:00pm

During the Winter months, the Roanoke Buying Club drop will only be the second Monday of every month. Beginning in April 2014, the drop dates will resume to every 2nd and 4th Monday.

Pricing

Drop Points

» See www.fourcornersfarm.com/farm-store/ for prices and availability.

» Products - Pastured Eggs, Poultry, and Pork

Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op - Grandin

LIRA PLUMBING, LLCSolving your family’s plumbing problems safely,correctly and economically, the first time!

www.liraplumbingandheating.comJEFF LIRA 540.204.8526

JEFF LIRA 540-204-8526

Photos courtesy of Four Corners Farm.

Cajun cooking is the style of cooking named for the French-speaking Acadian or "Cajun" immigrants deported by the British from Acadia in Canada to the Acadiana region of Louisiana, USA. It is what could be called a rustic cuisine - locally available ingredients predominate, and preparation is simple. An authentic Cajun meal is usually a three-pot affair, with one pot dedicated to the main dish, one dedicated to steamed rice, special made sausages, or some seafood dish, and the third containing whatever vegetable is plentiful or available. Ordinary soups, grains, beans, and meats become extraordinary southern delicacies with a liberal sprinkling of Cajun Seasoning. This blend can be used while cooking or after serving at the table.

- Wikipedia

Cajun SeasoningWho dat spice!

Zach Forsyth is one of our Dairy/Frozen Team Members at the Co-op on Grandin Road. A native of Pheonix, AZ, Zach is passionate about cooking and always enjoys exploring new flavors.

Cajun Candied Bacon

Ingredients12 slices of bacon A dash of finely ground black pepper1 tsp Cajun Seasoning1/3 cup light brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine Cajun seasoning and brown sugar, mixing well. Put bacon slices in the bowl, season them with just a dash of ground pepper and toss with the brown sugar and Cajun mix.

Cover a baking sheet with foil and arrange the bacon in a single layer on top. Sprinkle any of the seasoning mix leftover on top of the bacon. Top with another layer of foil. Bake for 20 minutes, or until done. Enjoy!

Recipe by Zach Forsyth.

Add a little southern sugar and spice to your favorite breakfast treat!

Directions

Serves 4 - three slices per serving

A S U S TA I N A B L EF A M I L Y F A R M

PASTURED POULTRY,EGGS, PORK AND MORE.

( 5 4 0 ) 3 3 4 - 1 0 4 4

FOURCORNERSFARM.COM

REALFOOD

Winter 2014 21

BOARDTALK

22 Co-optimist

A belated Happy New Years to our owners and supportive community members. I hope the holiday season brought cheer and goodwill to each of you and your loved ones. Those of you who have followed the development of governance theory and practice at Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op are acquainted with the concepts of Policy Governance (PG) and Cooperative Strategic Leadership (CSL). PG is a governance paradigm that provides a framework for boards to both fulfill their obligations of accountability on behalf of owners and to envision and plan for their co-op’s future. CSL is a governance tool that brings together governance and management for strategic thinking to provide the direction and facilitate changes necessary for a vibrant future. Even with these powerful governance tools, leaders within the cooperative family have recognized essential differences between cooperative boardrooms and investor-owned corporate boardrooms.

CDS Consulting Co-op, who introduced PG and CSL to retail food cooperatives throughout the country, have just introduced the Four Pillars of Cooperative Governance model (4PCG). This cooperative governance model provides cooperative directors an approach to their work grounded in cooperative values and principles.

The Four Pillars of Cooperative Governance are: » Teaming» Accountable Empowerment» Strategic Leadership» Democracy As many of us will immediately recognize, these principles are already alive and respected at our food co-ops. 4PCG provides a framework to connect these values to governance activities at all levels – board, management, staff and owners. I look forward to sharing more about 4PCG in future letters.

Gayle Havens CooleyBoard President

You can make a difference! Attention Owners: The Co-op is looking for community-oriented, civic-minded owners to run for the board of directors. The board is a diverse group of individuals intrusted with providing our co-op with progressive strategic planning, strong fiscal management, and enthusiastic support for Virginia's largest and oldest natural foods cooperative. If you have an interest in running for one of our new or soon to be vacant board positions, ask for an application at the register at either Co-op location or go online to www.roanokenaturalfoods.com/2014-elections.

Board members are financially compensated for their time and commitment. 

In cooperation,

Board members, Bryan Hantman and Sandy Taylor,Earth Day 2012.

Winter 2014 23

Integrative Health Coach, Jeanie Redick will offer strategies to identify the barriers that keep you from achieving success and offer solutions to break unhealthy habits.

Lindee Katdare will teach you how to cook love-infused dishes that will make your special someone fall head over heels for you.

Join the Co-op’s own Elizabeth Wilson as she discusses not only the eccentricities of Roanoke Natural Foods but the historical, social and community impacts of Co-ops everywhere.

Spend an evening learning how to prepare delicious vegan desserts with the Co-op's very own Taylor Willis.

Co-op owner, Mary Harshfield teaches you how to make several delicious no-knead breads.  In this class, you will learn how to make an easy loaf bread, bread in a pot, and a no-knead pizza dough.

Sugar is not the friend we think it is. We may love it, but it does not love us back. Join Holistic Nutritionist Jeanie Redick for a look at ways to Lick the Sugar Habit.

Staying Focused with Your New Years Goals Tuesday, January 28, 6pm - 7pmCommunity Room, $10/$5 Owners

Vegetarian Cooking for Your SweetheartWednesday February 12th, 6:30 - 8pmCommunity Room, $10/$5 Owners

Stronger Together: How Co-ops Work for YouSaturday, February 15th, 2pm - 3pmCommunity Room, $10/$5 Owners

Vegan Desserts for Singles Tuesday, February 11th, 5:30pm - 7pmCommunity Room, $10/$5 Owners

Better Bread the No-Knead WayWednesday, February 19th, 6pm - 7:30pmCommunity Room, $8 Everyone

Lick the Sugar HabitTuesday, February 25th, 6:00 - 7:30pmCommunity Room, $10/$5 Owners

Events January - April

Sign up today » Sign up for classes at the Co-op on Grandin Road. Class seating is limited, prepayment is required.

Classes January - February

This annual eco-festival will return to the Grandin Village on Saturday, April 26. The US has officially celebrated Earth Day on April 22 every year since 1970.

On the second Saturday of each month, Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op owners save 10% off their purchases at both Co-op locations. Shop and save big on the following Owners’ Days:

Save the Date Earth Day Roanoke 2014Saturday, April 26, 2014Grandin Village, Free to All

Owners’ 10% Off Days

Saturday, February 8Saturday, March 8Saturday, April 12

This

of the Co-optimist is a clickable, easy-to-share, starting place to learn more online about Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op and the

issue estories that

inspireus.

the valley's music place

building community...naturally.

101.5fm

www.1015tvmp.comstream us live on the internet

The next Owners' 10% Off Day is Saturday, February 8!

Ends Statement

ROANOKE NATURAL FOODS CO-OP

Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op exists to create a vibrant, local and sustainable cooperative

community where decisions are grounded in the balance of economic, social and

environmental responsibilities.

Grandin Village1319 Grandin Road, SW

Roanoke, VA 24015 (540) 343-5652

Market Square1 Market Square, SERoanoke, VA 24011

(540) 904-2733

www.roanokenaturalfoods.coop