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928 Raymond Avenue

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SPRING 2019March * April * May

Hampden Park Co-op – We’re Glad You’re Readin’ & Eatin’ Here!

By Sarah McRoberts, Board Treasurer

Last summer I wrote to you about sustaining the beautiful community spirit of Hampden Park Co-op. Like so many of us, I look forward to my grocery trips as a chance to enjoy my connections to my food and my fellow shoppers. There’s just something about 928 Raymond that always makes me feel welcome. So in this article, I’m excited to share about how the HPC Board of Directors is learning to grow that feeling of welcome.

In January I attended a governance workshop titled, “Everyone Welcome?: Personal Narratives about Race and Food Co-ops.” This workshop was part of HPC’s regular training through the CDS Consulting Co-op (which is, quite literally, a cooperative created to support other co-ops). Board member Rachel Fang and I joined general managers and board members from co-ops around Minnesota and Wisconsin to talk about race and challenge our own assumptions in the common co-op signage – “Everyone Welcome.”

This workshop was built by Jade Barker and Patricia Cumbie as a part of their project for CDS. While many food co-ops happen to have predominantly white patrons, member-owners, and employees, until this project, CDS and the co-ops they served had little data to understand and challenge this trend. Healthy, community-oriented food should be naturally enticing to all. So where did this association between white people and co-ops come from? More specifically, they asked, “Could a better understanding of our racial history help us create co-ops that everyone could feel welcome in, regardless of their race?” With that in mind, they went on to collect stories from people across the country about their history with race and food co-ops. They thoughtfully packaged these stories into a book, Everyone Welcome?, which they use as the sourcetext for presentations and workshops like the one I attended.

At this workshop we heard stories about the way that race has impacted the co-op experience for many people. We also considered the ways that race can intersect with things like culture, gender, orientation, class, ability, etc. We started the day thinking about our own stories, then sharing them among the workshop participants. We also talked about some of the stories that Jade and Patricia had chosen for us to read, and ended the day reflecting on how we could bring what we learned back to our own co-ops.

In the noble pursuit of healthy and ethical food, it can be tempting for any co-op to hope that the products and good intentions speak for themselves. However, even without intending to, it’s all too easy for food co-ops to make people feel uncomfortable, insignificant, and unwelcome. For example, we talked about the impact of simple things like eye contact, genuine greetings, and clear signage, and how disorienting and discouraging it can feel when those things are missing. If you can remember your first time visiting a new co-op, then I’m sure you remember trying to mask your panic as you scanned across the bulk section looking for the directions. In our habitual shopping, like refilling the bulk oatmeal, we all can forget the perspectives and questions that people have when they first start shopping at a co-op.

Inclusivity is not something we take for granted at HPC. We consider it our responsibility to provide an inviting space for all. While there is no fast or simple solution for this challenge, we are learning and growing each step of the way. One of those steps was attending this workshop, and another is continuing the open dialogue about race and

inclusivity issues at our board meetings. HPC will send some of our board members to a continued training in March. We are also grateful for Chuck’s leadership and thoughtfulness. Hopefully by now you’ve heard about, and seen (or will soon) some of General Manager Chuck Parsons’ work to refresh the store, which helps make the layout more open, the aisles more navigable, and the checkout process more streamlined. We’re excited for what’s to come with each lesson, each update, each conversation on the way towards an even more welcoming Hampden Park Co-op.

But let’s not forget the step happening right now. After all, right now I’m sharing some of my experience with you – and there’s more to learn! Whether this conversation feels totally new to you, or you’ve seen it all, the narratives from Everyone Welcome? are potent and surprising. CDS generously made this book available on their website, where you can not only read the narratives but find recommended resources for more learning.

As we continue the conversation aboutrace and inclusivity, we will learn to challenge our assumptions and to question what leaves people feeling excluded, and we will continue to find new ways to include others and recognize the connections to be found in our core beliefs: small is beautiful, good food is important, and everyone’s welcome. Working towards inclusivity is

about growing our cooperative community and making sure everyone really is welcome.

Read more in the CDS pdf book addressing the issue of race in food co-ops: library.CDSconsulting.coop/everyone-welcome-personal-narratives/

Thoughts on Growing OurCooperativeCommunity

In the noble pursuit of healthy and ethical food, it can be tempting for any co-op to hope that the products and good intentions speak for themselves. However, even without intending to, it’s all too easy for food co-ops to make people feel uncomfortable, insignificant, and unwelcome.

EveryoneWelcome?

Personal narratives about race and food co-ops

By Jade Barker and Patricia Cumbie A Project of CDS Consulting Co-op

Turn the page for more good readin’

By Chuck Parsons, General Manager

I decided to focus on sustainability for this issue. There are so many things that we could discuss under this subject, but I will be focusing on Visually Imperfect Produce, also known as Imperfectly Delicious Produce.

I worked for a company that spearheaded this practice in 2014. The thought was to eliminate waste in kitchen operations. Produce that fails to meet commercial standards for appearance is often left unharvested, rejected at the packing shed, or discarded on the farm. ReFED, a multi-stakeholder nonprofit focused on reducing U.S. food waste, estimates that more than 20 billion pounds of fresh produce are left in the fields. This is largely because the produce fails to meet stringent cosmetic standards for color, shape, weight, or size. In addition, some edible vegetables parts that can be incorporated into recipes are considered unsellable and trimmed off or left in the fields.

This results in significant losses of water, agricultural chemicals, labor, and other inputs used to grow this produce. Strict cosmetic standards can also prevent farmers from selling a significant portion of their crops,

particularly when difficult growing conditions increase rates of imperfection.

As a chef myself, the solution seems simple. When we use produce for cooking, we usually slice, chop, or dice the produce for recipes. So it becomes perfectly clear that the produce does not have to be visually perfect. It also means that the appearance has nothing to do with how the produce tastes.

There can also be savings in the price. Visually Imperfect Produce can cost anywhere from 16% to 67% lower than Perfect Produce. With that in mind, it seems that co-ops would totally be a vehicle for growth in this category. We could save money in our deli operations. We could help our farmers and partners earn more money for produce that, in some cases, is just thrown out or sold for pet food.

If we could change our perception on this, we couldalso feature this produce as an alternative in ourstores. It only makes sense, because we know that nothing is Perfect.

Read more about rethinking food waste: ReFED.com

Want to waste less food? We talked about food waste in the Spring 2018 issue of the 928 News – and here are more tips and tricks for reducing food waste at home!

It’s estimated that U.S. households throw away 14–25% of the food they buy. Imagine saving up to a quarter of your food budget – instead of tossing it out! Reducing food waste is also one of the things you can do to help combat climate change.

Food waste is ultimately a global problem because food rotting in landfills accounts for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing food waste ranks 3rd on the top 100 potential solutions to climate change identified by researchers at Project Drawdown (Drawdown.org). And if your garbage goes to an incinerator, or even ifyou are a dedicated composter, there is still the financial waste!

Food gets discarded at every point from farm to fork – but our single largest personal opportunity to improve is at the household level.

THE MOST WANTED LIST!Start here to reduce waste on the most common food culprits being discarded.

Leftovers: Buy storage containers that fit one meal at a time and immediately package leftovers for other meals (like lunches) when cleaning up. Freeze one or two portions so you don’t get tired of

eating a dish; you’ll love it next month! If it’s not in a clear container, label the contents because what you can’t see is something you’ll forget.

Bread:* Buy a loaf, keep out what you can use in the next 3–5 days and freeze the rest. Don’t refrigerate; the fridge actually makes bread go stale faster. Bread from the freezer makes great toast, grilled cheese, French

toast, bread pudding, or stratas.

Milk:* Pay attention to how much you use before it expires – then instead of a half-gallon, maybe buy two quarts; the unopened one will keep longer. Use up extra milk in smoothies, milkshakes, or pudding.

Remember: milk can still be good 3–5 days or even more after Sell By date. Give it sniff to be sure.

Potatoes: If stored right (in the dark), potatoes are out of sight, making them easy to forget until they’re shrunken, sprouting or worse. Try prepping your favorite potato dish when you buy the potatoes, then

freeze it – boiled and roasted potatoes freeze and reheat very well. Got a potato on the verge? Make soup.

Apples: If your apple is wrinkly but otherwise intact, applesauce is super easy to make! No recipe needed: just chop up, throw into a saucepan with a bit of sweetener and spices if you like, and cook for a bit. You can make

it a bit juicier with a splash of water or juice. A diced or grated apple is also a welcome addition to salads and great in soup, hot cereal or a smoothie.

Cheese:* Buy cheese in chunks, rather than shreds; it lasts longer and surface mold is easy to remove. Opinions about freezing vary, but if you find yourself with excess cheese, shred and freeze a pile for future

cooking: pizza, mac & cheese, casseroles, etc. Thaw in fridge before using. Read up on cheese storage – we have an informative handout in the store!

KEEP FOOD FRESHER, LONGERVisit Save the Food (SaveTheFood.com) for very useful digital and interactive tools including a guide with tips on keeping different foods at optimal freshness, and much more!

A quarterly publication from:

Hampden Park Co-op928 Raymond AvenueSaint Paul, MN 55114651.646.6686

Mon – Fri: 7:00 am – 9:00 pmSat – Sun: 9:00 am – 7:00 pm

HPC Board of Directors:Kate Gray, PresidentCollin Russell, Vice PresidentYaya James-Lu’Becke, SecretarySarah McRoberts, TreasurerCina Kozel, Staff RepMark Chapin • Rachel FangAblavi Handziak • Amanda Peterson

The board usually meets at 6:00 pm on the last Monday of every month. Please email if you’d like to attend so we can set you up with a seat, or notify you of scheduling changes, but we’re also glad to see walk-ins: board@HampdenPark.coop

Spring 2019 board meetings:Mon. Mar. 25 • Mon. Apr. 29 • Tue. May 28

Ends Statement: Hampden ParkFood Cooperative is a thriving, for-profit, neighborhood enterprise that:• builds mutually beneficial relationships and shared equity between its stakeholders, consisting of employees, owners, and community members;• provides convenient, accessible, and desirable healthy foods and products at fair prices; and• connects people to cooperative values and practices for a sustainable future.

Membership: Everyone is welcometo shop at HPC, and we invite anyone to join! Membership involves a one-time purchase of one share of stock per household. The cost is $30. Stockholders currently receive special pricing on member sale items, as well as discount coupons in their quarterly newsletter. We also provide reciprocal membership with select other local Twin Cities co-ops. Feel free to ask our friendly staff for more information.

Let us know if you’re moving or tell us your thoughts: info@HampdenPark.coop

For advertising information email:marketing@HampdenPark.coop

Printer: Seven Corners PrintingMail House: Do-Good Mailing Services

Shop & drop at the co-op – an easy way to give to Keystone!We’ve been partnering with their Midway Food Shelf for 15 years! Unfortunately, our donations are way down – just 537 pounds in 2018 (versus over 1,000 pounds in many past years). We did collect $418 at the register last March, so please consider donating a product once in a while, and give a financial bump during the March MN FoodShare Roundup!

www.HampdenPark.coop

The season of holidaygenerosity is over

so food shelf donations often slow

Visually Imperfect

Adapted by Christine DeMars from StrongerTogether.coop/article/want-waste-less-food-start-hereWASTE NOT

Find this recipe on page 6 to use up bread, milk,cheese plus veggies for less food waste!

* bread & veg casseroleAbove excerpts adapted from National Co+op Grocers’ website:StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food andwhere it comes from, recipes, and a whole lot more.

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Bees: An Identification & Native Plant Forage Guide captures the beauty, diversity, and engaging world of bees and the native plants that support them with over 1,500 stunning photographs, detailed descriptions, and accessible science. Author Heather Holm is a horticulturist and biologist from Minnesota, and she brings to light captivating information about

bees’ life cycles, habitats, diet, foraging behaviors, crops pollinated, nesting lifestyles, seasonality, and preferred native forage plants. This great guide was used as a reference for the article on page 5. PollinatorsNativePlants.com

We get our plants from Glacial Ridge Growers – family-owned greenhouses in Glenwood, MN. Using environmentally sustainable production methods, their plants are grown without neonicotinoids, GMOs, or other harmful chemicals. New

this year at our sale: Pollinator Paks – four collections each with a variety of plants specific to attracting bees, hummingbirds, monarchs, or other butterflies. Created in collaboration with the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, Glacial Ridge donates some of the proceeds back to them. GlacialRidgeGrowers.com • NorthernGardener.org

By Naomi Jackson, Special to the 928 NewsUpdated from the article in the April/May 2016 issue of the Hampden Park Co-op News

I used to love sitting in bed reading seed catalogs, but they stopped coming a few years back. Everything is online now, and what fun is that? Fortunately I was recently able to snag a Seed Savers Exchange catalog.

I love the Seed Savers Exchange catalog: the photos, the variety, the descriptions – even the peppers look good, and I hate peppers! We only have a couple of tiny garden plots, and they are given over to herbs and green beans, but I like to imagine. What if I had half an acre? What would I plant? Amish Pie squash? Stone Mountain watermelon? Calypso dried beans? We could feed ourselves year-round on half an acre.

What’s so special about Seed Savers Exchange? With its location in Decorah, Iowa, SSE offers seed that is well-adapted to our climate. And their mission aligns with my own values: “...to conserve and promote America’s culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage for future generations by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants.”

SSE has a multi-pronged approach to achieving this goal. Since their inception in 1975, they have actively sought out farmers and gardeners who are growing heirloom plants that have been passed down from one generation to the next. It’s fun reading the stories about Samarkand garlic collected in Uzbekistan and Auntie Wilder pole beans, introduced by a Swedish immigrant in the 1890s. SSE now grows and protects over 20,000 varieties of these collected and donated seeds and plants.

What this means for enthusiastic gardeners is that you can order their free catalog or go to their website and choose from 8 varieties of beets, 16 of watermelon, 34 of squash, 22 of cucumbers, and several hundred more vegetables and fruits. SSE also offers flowers, heirloom apple trees, prairie plants, herbs, books, and yes, even T-shirts. You will find a nice selection of their seeds at Hampden Park Co-op.

SSE has its own seed bank where they preserve the seed varieties that they’ve collected. However, seeds can't be stored indefinitely. Every few years they need to be planted and grown, and new seed collected from the plants. Some of this work is done at the SSE headquarters, and the rest is done by a network of SSE members who grow specific varieties for the seed bank and for sale. If you become a member of Seed Savers Exchange, you have access to over 13,000 plant varieties offered by other members.

In recent years, SSE has been focusing on a critical link in preserving crop diversity: you, the back-yard gardener. In addition to buying and growing their heirloom seeds, SSE would like you to consider learning how to save your own seeds. On their website, SSE offers expert advice, books and resources on saving your own seed. They are also offering a three-day class at their Heritage Farm in August.

I’ve been saving seed by the seat of my pants for the past few years. I saw interesting seed pods develop on my radishes, and saved them for the next year, just for fun. That was a bust, but I’ve had good luck with parsley, lettuce, and the delicious Bumble Bee dried bean. I also learned that endive seed lasts a long time. Last fall I threw some five-year-old seed onto one of our gardens because it needed some green ground cover. The seed grew like gangbusters. I wish I’d saved some for spring.

One of the interesting things that happens when you save your own seed is that you end up creating a plant variety that is specifically adapted to your local climate and soil...your very own heirloom. Plus you’ll have interesting seeds to share with your neighbors. So stop over at the co-op, buy some seeds, and get started!

For lots more information about SSE and saving seeds, go to SeedSavers.org.

worth rereading » article From the old File Cabinet

saving diversity

win a bee book!

bee there!

A N N UA LS * P E R E N N I A LS * BAS K E TSH E R B S * V EG G I ES * S T R AW B E R RI ES * S E E D S

11:00 - 3:00

C E L E B R AT E S P RI N G

C O M M U N I T Y PA RT N E RS * SA M P L ES * KI D F U N

May 11

plant party

MayfestMayfestgarden plants start arriving may 4th

right now

Enter when you purchase plants during May

At the co-op find a variety of Seed Saversseeds just waiting for your pots & plots!

W I T H K FA I DJ s A N D M U S I C I A N F RI E N D S

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More about each month @ www.HampdenPark.coop

A New Regular Feature by Mindy Keskinen, Special to the 928 NewsIs there a “missing middle” when it comes to taking climate action? We can shrink our personal carbon footprint. And we can support the political and economic initiatives getting underway in cities, states, and nations – including indigenous nations. That’s all essential. But something’s missing from that picture.

“Community-level solutions are key,” neighbor Sherman Eagles said recently. And he knows something about that idea. Forty years ago, Sherm helped found the nonprofit grocery that evolved into Hampden Park Co-op, and he’s continued to support it over the decades. Today, he’s active in Transition Town - ASAP, a neighborhood group working for a positive local response to climate change: a community-wide transition from fossil-fueled habits to more sustainable ways of life.

“Shopping local is a good example,” Sherm said. “If we rely more on local goods, and less on goods shipped here at huge carbon expense, we support the producers on the ‘supply side’ of a healthier new economy.” And if we use less fossil fuel and less plastic – which is a petroleum product – we subtract from the demand side of the old economy, the one that’s got us in our current fix. It’s a big, complex system. But collectively, we at the grassroots have great power to shift it a lot quicker than we have so far. To explore how we might do that, Sherm co-leads the “Transition Your Money” group that meets monthly on third Thursdays at 6:30 pm at Lori’s Coffee, 1441 Cleveland Avenue North in St. Paul, a mile north of the co-op. All are welcome to drop in and share ideas. Learn more at TransitionASAP.org/transitionyourmoney.

In this new column for 928 News, we’ll share climate-friendly tips that also have a cooperative angle. Let’s start with your next trip to the co-op!❶ Skip the car. Take the 87 bus – thereby supporting the MetroTransitsystem – or walk, or hop on your bike. (Buy a $5 “Bicycle Benefits” sticker that will save you 5% on co-op purchases when you bring in your bike helmet.) ❷ Buy in bulk when you can. You’ll bypass the wasteful packaging and save money. But you also make best use of co-op efficiencies. The more of us buying cornmeal in bulk, the more worthwhile it is for the co-op to stock it – and the lower the unit price can potentially drop. ❸ Ask a neighbor if they need anything from the co-op, or if they’d like to come along. You might save them a trip and make a friend. ❹ Round up at the register for climate-minded nonprofit partners!Find more ideas about responding to climate change at TransitionASAP.org.

it’s a

Spring

March Roundup

April Roundup

May Roundup

Neighborhood Forest • This nonprofit group gives trees to school children. For free. Every Earth Day. They do this in cooperation with parents, school administrators and teachers through the generosity of businesses – plus individuals like you. Since 2010 they have helped plant over 28,000 trees, giving kids a way to connect with the Earth, beautifying neighborhoods, and making a small dent in families’ carbon footprints. Beneficiaries include local St. Anthony Park Elementary, and we’ve partnered with them since 2015! NeighborhoodForest.org

MN Food Share • Keystone Food Shelf • Every March we join organizations acting to end food insecurity by helping stock statefood shelves. More than 500,000 Minnesotans experience food insecurity, and1 in 8 children struggle with hunger. We are one of 16 “Cooperating Minnesota Food Co-ops” who motivate each other, and HPC’s designated recipient is Keystone on University. Last year the number of households turning to them for assistance increased by 23% over 2017 so please also consider making a donation of a nonperishable item! MNFoodShare.org • KeystoneServices.org

KFAI Fresh Air Radio • The volunteer-based, community FM radio station that broadcasts information, arts and entertainment programming for an audience of diverse racial, cultural, social and economic backgrounds. For 40+ years KFAI had provided a voice for people ignored or misrepresented by mainstream media to increase understanding between peoples and communities, and to foster values of democracy and social justice. KFAI is truly inclusive, eclectic, lively radio without boundaries – and they have something for everyone! To their next 40 years… KFAI.org

We’re collecting Box Tops for Education and Holy Land coupons for the Barack & Michelle Obama Elementary School in St. Paul. Last year, on its own, this school gathered $32 worth. Our awesome customers left $107 in value since September – that’s a lot of little clips! We’ll keep collecting for them until fall. Box Top brands we carry include selected Annie’s, Cascadian Farm, and Food Should Taste Good. Holy Land coupons are on tubs of hummus and dips.

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ORANGEJAR UPFRONT

Buy Stuff ... Clip off ... drop off

Keep the Coupons Comin’

By Naomi Jackson, Special to the 928 News

(Note: Honey bees are not native to the Americas. They were brought by European settlers and will not be referenced in this article.)

Are you bored with purple coneflowers? So are some pollinators in your yard. In fact, many of them have no use for this plant: it’s too big, too prickly, blooms at the wrong season, or isn’t suitable for egg laying or nest building.

There are at least 4,200 species of native bees in the United States and Canada, and there are – or should be – dozens of species in your back yard. Native bees come in all sizes, colors, and degrees of fuzziness, and their feeding and nesting habits are as varied as their bodies. If you’d like to encourage native bees in

your yard, it’s essential that you provide a diversity of nesting habitat and grow as many kinds of native plants as you have room for.

Before you begin planning your bee-friendly garden, you need to know that, except for bumble bees, native bees won’t sting you. They are totally not interested in you. Bumble bees rarely sting unless you are too close to a nest. The majority of urban stings are from yellowjackets and other wasp species. They are not bees. They are carnivores, perhaps hoping to take you back to the nest. Or more likely, prevent you from coming near their nest.

About 30% of native bees are specialists (oligolectic), relying on one species of plant the way a monarch butterfly relies on milkweed. It’s a hazardous position to be in, given the threats native bees face, including habitat destruction and a rapidly changing climate. Generalists such as bumble bees are more adaptable, but even they need lots of habitat support to survive.

Native bees need food from early spring to late fall, and nesting sites year-round. Many species are active only a couple months of the year, during which time they mate, build and provision their nests, lay eggs and die. Others, such as bumble bees and the sweat bee family, appear with the first spring blossoms and forage well into fall.

Creating a bee-friendly yard doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor. Look around and see what you already have. Is your yard overrun with violets? Andrena violae, the violet miner bee, is a specialist: no violets, no violet miner bees. Averaging 8 to 10 mm long, this bee only eats violet pollen and nectar. No information is available about its nesting habits because, ironically, entomologists have traditionally been more interested in what an insect looks like than how it

reproduces. Perhaps you can be the first to find out where it lays its eggs.

As a bonus for maintaining a violet patch, all species of fritillary butterflies lay their eggs on violet plants. So save those violets and rustle up your recipe for candied violet flowers.

There are about 568 speciesof mining bees in the U.S. and Canada, and, like Andrena violae, most of them specialize on one plant species. So you want a variety of plant species to attract a variety of mining bees, including: bloodwort, Jacob’s ladder, pussytoes, wild geranium, sunflowers, verbena, black-eyed Susan, goldenrod, butterfly milkweed, red elderberry, dogwood and prickly ash.

As the name suggests, mining bees nest in underground tunnels, sometimes in aggregations. If you’ve ever seen small, dark bees popping out of holes in the ground, you have mining bees. They need a patch of undisturbed bare ground, perhaps under plant foliage or behind the garage. An abandoned sand box would be welcomed by some species. Or try leaving the mulch off of a few spots in your yard that aren’t subject to erosion or your neighbor’s eyes.

One family of generalists is the leafcutter bee (144 species in U.S. and Canada). If you have Solomon’s seal or roses in your yard, you might see semi-circles cut out of the edge of the leaves. A leafcutter bee did that. She uses the little pieces of leaf to create her nest, which might be in a pithy plant stem, a crack in a rock, tunnels in the ground, rotting logs or lumber, or holes in a standing dead tree. You can help by leaving plant stems standing in the fall, importing a log or two, leaving a small wood pile in an out-of-the-way corner, and not panicking if you see something flying out of a rotting board behind the garage. Leafcutter bees don’t look anything like

yellowjackets, and, being solitary, don’t swarm out in a pack to chase you off.

You can attract leafcutter bees with: tick trefoil, blazing star, golden Alexanders, anise hyssop, milkweed, leadplant, Canada anemone, harebell, Joe-pye-weed, asters and eastern redbud.

A sweat bee is a sweat bee, right? Not so. There are six genera of sweat bees, with 313 species in the U.S. and Canada. The most spectacular, and the ones you are most likely to notice, are the metallic green sweat bees. All species of sweat bee are active May through October so you’ll need to have something blooming at all times to keep them fed. Most are ground dwellers, but some are fond of rotting wood. In addition to plants already mentioned, sweat bees like: fleabane, beardtongue, boneset, prairie clover, sumac, New Jersey tea, yarrow, serviceberry, obedient plant and, yes, violets.

There is so much that is not known about native bees, as they only recently began to attract attention. What we do know is that the more species of native plants you have in your yard, the more speciesof bee you will attract. You don’t have to stop planting coneflowers. There are plenty

of pollinators who rely on them. But have some fun expanding your native plant repertoire and learning new things about native bees.

To learn more: Bees: An Identification and Native Plant Forage Guide by Heather Holm, PollinatorsNativePlants.com • The Xerces Society Guide to Attracting Native Pollinators from The Xerces Society, www.Xerces.org

❶ Classic purple coneflowers – By Naomi Jackson ❷ Bumble bee on yellow coneflower going to seed – By Sue Jackson ❸ Leafcutter bee on milkweed flower – © Heather Holm ❹ Violet miner bee on violet – © AMoorehouse, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist.org ❺ Miner bee nesting in ground – © Heather Holm ❻ Solomon’s seal leaves cut out by leafcutter bee – By Naomi Jackson ❼ Metallic green sweat bee – © Heather Holm ❽ Bumble bee on prairie clover – © Heather Holm. All photos modified from color to black & white. (Heather’s photos used by permission of artist.)

beyond coneflowers:supporting native bees

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Many of the plants mentioned in this articlewill be available in May at our

While selection lasts…

Rebel GreenBare Honey

Grace Borell

As a person with manydietary restrictions and a

food-conscious family, honey is a staple replacement and favorite

snack of mine. Bare Honey is a Minneapolis-based company that sells many flavors of honey

right here at the co-op. The company’s mission is to make

delicious honey and contribute to a healthier environment. While most beekeepers use Italian bees, Bare Honey breeds Russian bees, which

have resistance to honey bees’ number one enemy, parasitic mites.

They also raise awareness about irresponsible pesticide use. Overall, they’re a wholesome company with a great mission and yummy honey

that anyone would love!

Salad Girl

P.J. Wehrwein

Creative combinations ranging from bright and punchy, to rich yet subtle, to delightfully novel,

are the gardennovations of Salad Girl, Minnesota’s first purveyor of certified-organic fresh salad dressing. Sourcing the freshest

ingredients to craft an assortment of vinaigrettes inspired by a bounty of

seasonal flavors has been the fruit of Pam and Jim Powell’s labor for well

over a decade. My favorite, Citrus Splash, provides a perfect finish to a fresh spring salad (start with

massaged kale, add fennel and some imagination), or works wonders as a marinade for warm weather

cookouts. Full of radiant orange and key lime zing, Salad Girl describes it

as “Sunshine in a bottle.”

Matt Haas

A decade ago, advocacy groups were demanding the removal of sodium

lauryl sulfate from products. Sodium lauryl sulfate is a plant-derived

compound desirable for its foaming ability. It is also a skin irritant, and I’ve

often wondered why most natural laundry detergents continue to use it.

Then I found Rebel Green. It is certified organic, rare in the world of cleaning products, and its washing properties

are derived from baking soda and saponins (foaming agents) extracted

from coconut oil and soap nuts, a sustainably grown berry from India.

Fragrances come from certified-organic essential oils for a fresh smell without

a fragrance smell. The best thing about Rebel Green is how well it cleans my

family’s clothing!

Good for 10% off oneshopping trip up to $50

$5 off max

Excludes certain non-discountable itemsCannot be combined with other discounts

Expires May 31, 2019

Date:

Member #:

Purchase Amt $:

Discount Amt $:

Member-OwnersGood for 10% off one

shopping trip up to $50$5 off max

Excludes certain non-discountable itemsCannot be combined with other discounts

Expires May 31, 2019

Date:

Member #:

Purchase Amt $:

Discount Amt $:

Member-OwnersGood for 10% off one

shopping trip up to $50$5 off max

Excludes certain non-discountable itemsCannot be combined with other discounts

Expires May 31, 2019

Date:

Member #:

Purchase Amt $:

Discount Amt $:

Member-Owners

Ethical Bean

Mickey Quinn

I take exception to the phrase, “not my problem.” One acknowledges

there’s an issue but refuses to take action. Problems always find someone; what’s not yours may become somebody else’s. I like my coffee quick and hot, so my

Keurig brewer is a handy tool in the morning. But the coffee pods create long-term problems. Ethical Bean Coffee solves the problem by using

compostable mesh and paper. And it has a taste rich enough to

wake you up without the caffeine jitters. The warm, oaky-cocoa taste is perfect for gulping down before work or sipping on a lazy Sunday morning. Ethical Bean Coffee will have your mornings be… well…

“not your problem.”

Here Are A Few Things Our Staff s

Start your journey into Japan’s most intriguing martial art – right upstairs! Aikido is based

on harmony rather than conflict, and we enthusiastically welcome

spectators to our beautiful practice space. Special for

co-op shoppers: train for three months at ½ price! Visit our website for events or classes.

www.tcaikido.com

A flexible template for using up bread, milk, cheese & veggies • Yield: 6 servings

bread & veg casserole

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil 2-qt baking dish. In large sauté pan heat olive oil; add onion, veggies & carrot; bring to sizzle over high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Stir often until carrot is soft, about 5 minutes. (If veggies are already cooked, wait to add until now.) Add herbs & cubed bread. If using meat, shred, chop or cube it; add to above; turn all to mix. Transfer to baking dish.

2. In medium bowl whisk 4 (or optional 5) eggs with milk, salt & pepper; pour over bread mixture in dish. Use spatula to move bread cubes to allow egg mix to seep through it all, then press down to level top. Cover with cheese; sprinkle with parsley.

3. Bake for 30 minutes, until cheese is well-browned & paring knife inserted in center comes out with no raw egg. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Adapted from recipe by RobinAsbell, StrongerTogether.coop

Ingredients

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil3 C chopped onion3–4 C chopped cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauli�ower, etc.1 large carrot, quartered, sliced2 tsp dried herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary, etc.)4 C cubed bread4 large eggs1 C milk, cream or buttermilk½ tsp each salt & pepper2 C shredded cheese of your choice¼ C fresh parsley1–2 C leftover meats + 1 more egg (optional)

STORE STUFF

U-Konserve: Reusable containers can take leftovers straight from the fridge to on-the-go. The line includes long-lasting stainless steel items with a neo-industrial look, and “lids for life.”Stasher: Storage bags made of silicone in fresh colors are plastic-free. Cook, bake, boil, freeze. If your bag gets damaged, they’ll take it back to repurpose for soft playground pebbles.

Some innovative ideas for

foodstorage

availableat HPC!