volume gg, number 7 april 5, 2012 ... - park slope food coop · ordinary neighborhood buy n’...

By Thomas Matthews

Linewaiters! Look in themedia mirror. The debate

over the BDS proposal toban products from Israelresulted in dozens of stories,from The New York Times andThe Wall Street Journal to thetabloids to The Daily Show toblogs around the world. Col-lectively, they are drawing aportrait of the PSFC and itsmembers. Do you recognizeyourself?

Do you belong to “theiconic Park Slope Food Co-op, where elite lefties meetto share organic recipes[and] gossip about socialjustice and the best privateschools”? That’s the wayAndrea Peyser describes the“co-op” [sic] in her Aug. 25,2011, column in The New YorkPost about the BDS issue.

Or perhaps you are part of“the wonderland run by andfor the people the hilariousblog F—-ed in Park Slopecalls ‘militant sanctimo-nious fascist hippies’.” That’sthe way the Post’s Kyle Smithsummed us up in his Febru-

ary 26, 2012, analysis of thecontroversy.

Smith tells his readersthat the “Co-op” [sic—can’tthese writers get the namestraight?] “is not like yourordinary neighborhood BuyN’ Large. Few grocery storeson earth are as sustainablyeco-adoring, social con-sciousness-raising, people-powered and nuclear-free asthis communitarian improve-ment on utopia.”

Perhaps it isn’t surprisingthat a conservative-leaningnewspaper like the Postwould have a skeptical per-spective on a liberal-leaningorganization like the PSFC.You might expect a moresympathetic point of viewfrom the liberal-leaning NewYork Times. But then, you’d bewrong.

People In OverallsBehaving Unpleasantly

“Food Coop Politics Leavea Bad Taste,” wrote GiniaBellafante under the Big Cityrubric in the Times on March2, 2012. Living in Park Slope

in the late 1980s, sherecounts, she wanted to join,“but a brief flirtation con-firmed my suspicions thatthe co-op was a place wherepeople in overalls behavedunpleasantly toward you andwhere arriving at consensusover the price of a plum tooklonger than the first and sec-ond phases of the StrategicArms Limitations Talks.”

Bellafante’s conclusion:“The co-op [sic—again withthe hyphen!], despite thewonderful job it does provid-ing organic foods at afford-able prices, suffers from itsown adolescent myopia: Itbelieves that what it doeshas broad implications. Sup-pressing hummus on UnionStreet won’t change theworld.”

The piece drew 95 com-ments in its online version,including one from “Skippy”in NYC, who wrote: “Onceupon a time, I thought itwould be worthwhile to jointhe PSFC. I went to the orien-tation session and met some

By Gayle Forman

On a recent Wednesday morning, about a dozen peopleattended an orientation for the Park Slope Food Coop.

Some people, like Michael Lovaglio, had been trying to get infor two years! Now, orientation complete, they likely figured thehard part was over.

They were wrong.Upstairs, after the orientation and tour, the prospective

members were met by members of the office committee, whowere there to help them sign up for a shift. Membership Coordi-nator Charlene Swift laid it out: “I must tell you, in terms ofshifts, there’s not a lot,” she said. There were several crack-of-dawn receiving shifts but not much else. Swift advised theprospective members to think about when they could work, ona long-term basis, and to think in terms of third or fourth or fifthchoices.

Wendy Goldberg and her partner Makela Spielman were thefirst to hit the books, and neither one seemed too thrilled withthe prospect of working receiving. But then Spielman happenedupon an open cashier shift and Goldberg grabbed an officeshift.

For Rose Costello, trying to find a shift that would work withher own schedule (she works nights until about 1 a.m.) proved

IN THIS ISSUETime Heals Wounds in Bygone Coop Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Plow-to-Plate Movie Series Presents: Farmageddon. . . . . . . . . . . 6Coop Hours, Coffeehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Coop Calendar, Workslot Needs

Governance Information, Mission Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Calendar of Events, with GM Agenda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Classified Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

So many members,too few shifts

Through the Looking Glass: The Media Stereotypes the Coop

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 4

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 2

CoopEventHighlights

Thu, Apr 5 • Food Class: Food for BrainPOWER 7:30 p.m.

Apr 5, 17, • Training Sessions for 201221, 22 Brooklyn Food Conference – various times

Tue, Apr 10 • Safe Food Committee Film Night:Farmageddon 7:00 p.m.

Fri, Apr 13 • Film Night: Stages 7:00 p.m.

Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue.

Volume GG, Number 7 April 5, 2012

O F F I C I A L N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E P A R K S L O P E F O O D C O O P

Established1973

Next General Meeting on April 24The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on thelast Tuesday of each month. The next General Meeting will be onTuesday, April 24, at 7:00 p.m. at the Congregation Beth ElohimTemple House (Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Place.

The agenda is in this Gazette, on the Coop website atwww.foodcoop.com, and available as a flier in the entryway ofthe Coop.

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Coop Nixes ReferendumBy Willow Lawson

At the March 27th General Meeting, the largest in Coop history,members voted against holding a referendum to join the

Boycott Divestment & Sanctions Movement—an internationalboycott of Israeli-made goods. The vote was 1005 against and 653 forthe referendum. ■

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of the people. What words todescribe them? Insular? Creepy?Rigid? Ideologues? Silly? Smother-ing?… I got my card, but decidedthat the entire enterprise, whichincluded tiny carts, long lines, limita-tions on certain household staples,was not for me. Now, after readingthis, I’m sure I made the right deci-sion. Note to PSFC boycott leaders:GET OVER YOURSELVES. YOU’RE AGROCERY STORE!”

A Google search for “Park SlopeFood Coop” and “BDS” in early Marchyielded 5,350 results. General Coor-dinator Ann Herpel, who often takeson the role of Coop spokespersondealing with the press, reports thatthe BDS debate has resulted in sev-eral “spikes” of media coverage.

“One when it was brought up in anopen forum at the GM about twoyears ago,” she recalls. “Then a sec-ond one last summer in July, thatlasted through September. And themost recent spike in February, whenthe item actually got put on theagenda for the GM in March.” (Edi-tor’s note: there was another, biggerspike immediately leading up to andfollowing the vote against holdingthe referendum.) She sounded wearyjust thinking about it.

“I’ve probably dealt with 15–20outlets personally in this spike,” Her-pel recounts. “In comparison, in anormal month, when you ask aboutlocal outlets, there might be, well,maybe none.”

While press interest in the PSFChas been supercharged by the BDSdebate, the stories build on existingimages and information about theCoop. A general Google search forthe PSFC itself turned up 194,000results. The portrait they draw of theCoop is not always flattering. Whocan forget the 2011 New York Timesexpose of wealthy members forcingtheir nannies to cover their Coopshifts? Or the Times reporter who con-fessed her shame at “flunking out atthe food co-op [sic]” in 2009?

Commies,Hippies, Weirdos

“All these storiestend to peddle insome really oldstereotypes,” Herpelsays. “There’s a cer-tain cast of charac-ters that play out inthese articles thatget recycled overand over. Commies,hippies, weirdos—there’s a list ofwords and peoplejust grab them androll them out again.It ’s not just theCoop, it ’s ParkSlope. And we’reperceived as one ofthe Park Slope char-acters, even thoughour members comefrom far beyondPark Slope. I mean,when was the lasttime you saw any-one in the Coop inoveralls?”

Whether or notthe stories them-selves perpetuatestereotypes, thepeople who com-ment on them seemeager to jump totheir own conclu-sions. In one Times thread, LizDelaney from Washington, DCopined, “Gah! Sounds like an awfulplace full of judgmental, holier-than-thou, rule-obsessed jerks. I’d gladlypay a little more at Whole Foods or afarmer’s market just to not have tohassle with that type of person.”

Whatever the reason, the Cooptriggers strong emotions. Amplifiedby the political and religious forcesbattling over BDS in particular andIsrael in general, these emotionsexpress themselves in portraits ofthe Coop that often seem like grosscaricatures.

One of the flashpoints in the BDScontroversy came when former Fox

News commentator Glenn Beckweighed in with remarks that werereported in stories ranging from TheBrooklyn Paper to The Huffington Post.

“What is happening with the foodco-op where they are seriously con-sidering a boycott of Israel?” Beckthundered, “When you use words like‘I’m just anti-Israel’ or ‘I’m just anti-Zionist’—that’s anti-Semitic.”

His remarks drew other politiciansinto the fray. Assemblyman DovHikind seemed to agree with Beck,saying “You have some idiots inBrooklyn.”

However, the comment threads onthese articles give supporters of theCoop a forum to respond to its crit-

ics. Responding tothe Brooklyn Paperarticle, “KalahariDessert from Brook-lyn” weighed in. “I’ma co-op member,”wrote “Kalahari,”who went on to criti-cize many of Israel’spolicies, while argu-ing that a boycott ofits products wouldbe inconsistent andimpractical.

“By the way, I wasa skeptic when Ijoined,” the com-ment concluded,“but I can say withno reservations theco-op is the bestthing Brooklyn hasgoing for food,friendship, coopera-tion and community

advancement—whatever country youcome from.”

Herpel points out that commentsfrom members are the best way forthe media—or anyone—to under-stand the Coop. “I encourage jour-nalists to come here and talk tomembers for themselves.”

When it comes to the storiesabout BDS, she says, “The biggestchallenge is to help reporters under-stand the process. They tend toassume that there’s some authority,like a board of directors, behind theprocess, and that’s not true. Weneed to get the media to understandthat there is no ‘Coop’ point of view.No one can speak for 16,000 mem-bers. I can’t even speak for all thecoordinators.”

But there is a brighter side to thepicture. “It’s interesting that the localmedia has focused again on us forthe BDS debate,” she says. “But atthe same time, international mediaare still contacting us about theCoop and its principles and activitiesin general—all positive, positive,positive. It’s not fluff—they are justin awe of what we are able to achieve.I was just with a photographer todayworking on a story for the Frenchmagazine that appears on the TGV. Itfeels like a bifurcated world at sometimes. It’s not always negative.” ■

2 � April 5, 2012 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY

Looking for a programmer tohelp a start-up food coop in

Paris get its websitelaunched.

Earn FTOP credit for work done

remotely.

Interested? E-mail Ann Herpel at [email protected].

Media StereotypesC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

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Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com

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By Danielle Uchitelle

The bellicose strife betweenSpartans and Athenians is

the stuff of legend, fodder forevery global history textbook.But how many rememberwhat, exactly, it was they werefighting about? The Guelphsand the Ghibellines, famousfactions of Renaissance Flo-rence, skulked and stabbed inthe back streets of the city,but who among their descen-dants today remembers thepolitics that drove familiesinto one camp or the other?

The sharp edges of disputehave a way of becomingsmoothed with the passage oftime. At its worst, we end upwith a Hatfield-McCoy sort offeud that outlives its originsand continues, zombie-like,long after the original dis-agreement is forgotten. At itsbest, yesterday’s disagree-ments become part of theevolution and growth of agroup. So it has been at PSFC,where 40 years of participa-tive democracy have broughtmany such conflicts, eacheventually transformed intochange and woven into thefiber of the Coop’s being.

Playing ChickenIn order to recall some of

the more contentious issuesof Coop history, it helps tohave been on the scene for along time. Davella May hasbeen a member for more than35 years, and she can recallwhen member was pittedagainst member in the dis-agreement over whether ornot to stock chicken. “It wasthe hot button topic of theday,” recalled Davella. “Wewere a vegetable-orientedCoop, and when some of themembers wanted to carryorganic poultry it was a bigissue, because the plant-based members wantednothing to do with it.” Even-tually, after heated debateand numerous Gazette lettersin support of one or the otherside of the argument, a votewas taken and poultry was in.A vegetarian, Davella admitsthat “looking back, it seemslike such a minor issue,” butshe acknowledges that thedebate, and the vote itself,ultimately helped strengthenthe Coop. “In the long run itdid make the Coop a betterplace,” she said.

An equally contentiousdebate took place a few yearslater over whether or not tocontinue providing white

plastic “tee-shirt” shoppingbags at checkout. “After wefinally decided to stop pro-viding those bags, you had tochange the way you tookhome your goodies,” recalledDavella. Today, we don’t thinktwice about rummagingthrough the pile of emptycardboard boxes to pack ourgroceries. Back then, it was aradical proposition thatbrought out all manner ofarguments for and against. Inthe end, the debate and thevote helped evolve the envi-ronmental consciousness ofthe burgeoning Coop mem-bership without the dire con-sequences that some at thetime had predicted. “It was amind shift,” said Davella.“Not carrying those whiteplastic bags made us all thinkdifferently about what role weplay in the environment.”

What Didn’t Kill UsMade Us Stronger

This being Brooklyn, realestate issues always seem togenerate plenty of opposingpositions. “In 1978 we hadour first big argument aboutwhether the Coop shouldexpand into a larger space,”remembers General Coordi-nator Joe Holtz. “People werevery concerned about becom-ing an institution that wouldhave so many members.Some people thought thatthe Coop would get out ofhand, that the size would killus.” Subsequent proposals toapprove additional expan-sion met with an equalamount of argument pro andcon. Now that we’ve been atour current physical size for anumber of years, it comes asa shock to see pictures of thelimited shelf space availableto Coop shoppers in decadespast. “You might still findmembers who regret theexpansion,” muses Holtz,“but mostly I think it hasworked out.”

Some of the biggest con-troversies in the Coop’s pastturned upon parliamentaryissues that served to amplifymember disagreements,notably a series of Board ofDirectors actions in the 1990slinked to expansion propos-als. “That was one of our big-ger controversies,” opinesHoltz, though the debatesand votes ultimately led tothe purchase of the old Clinesbuilding to provide addition-al growth space for the Coop.

Another controversy that

later grew into part of oureveryday shopping experi-ence was the decision toallow debit cards. While 85percent of today’s Coop rev-enue comes from debit cardsales, the original proposal tostudy the implementation ofboth credit and debit cardsgenerated months of debate.Some saw the cards as apathway to personal financialruin, or an unholy alliancebetween the Coop and thebanking industry. Holtz con-siders the decision, and thesubsequent compromise toaccept debit cards but notcredit cards, to be part of thegrowth and learning experi-ence of the Coop as a wholeand particularly the Coordi-nators. “We really learned alot from this,” recalls Holtz.

The list of debates goes onand on, from votes to grantdefined-benefit pensions tothe Coordinators to impas-sioned pleas to boycott—orrefrain from boycotting—afood, a company, an entirecountry. Once the heat andsparks and letters to the edi-tor have died away, each newcontroversy leaves its imprinton the Coop membership.Then we get back to our gro-cery shopping. ■

Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY April 5, 2012 � 3


What’s aName in

Below is a list of popular girls’names, embedded within common

English words. The remainingletters have been removed, and

need to be filled in.

For example, if the clue was “_ _ _ D O R A _ _,”

the blanks could be filled in tomake the word “DEODORANT.”

Can you find all the words?Alternative solutions are possible

for some clues.

_ K I M __ I D A __ A D A __ E V E __ K A T E __ _ T I N A __ R U T H _ _ __ L O I S _ _ __ _ N O R M A __ _ R I T A _ __ _ _ _ M A R I A __ _ _ E T H E L _ _ _

Puzzle author: Stuart Marquis. For answers, see page 13.

Time Heals Wounds In Bygone Coop Conf licts

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Food CoopBand NiteThe Fun Committee islooking for bands

(various genres including rock, folkrock, funk, indie, etc. )

to perform at a free eventon June 2, 2012,

at Bar 4. At least one

member of your band must be a Coop member.Maximum of five members per band

(stage is very small)

Please contact Sarah Safford at [email protected] or drop off demo CD with

Jason Weiner at the Coop. Deadline for submission is May 30.

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difficult, a sort of game ofscheduling Tetris. Earlymorning receiving shifts wereout of the question becauseshe gets home so late. “Idon’t want to take a shift Iknow I won’t be able to makeand then go delinquent,” shesaid. Office squad memberPhilipp Goedicke helped hernavigate the books, lookingat each day of the week fordaytime availability thatwould have her out of theCoop by 4 p.m. Again, thepickings were slim, the booksshowing packed shifts. Salva-tion came in the form of aTuesday noon cashier shift,which not only worked for theschedule, but appealed toCostello. “I’d love to cashier,”she said.

Once upon a time—asrecently as seven years agowhen this reporter joined theCoop—office workers signingup new members would asktwo questions: What do youwant to do? And when canyou work? People with week-day flexibility had a buffet ofCoop shifts available tothem. No more.

At or Beyond CapacityWith the Coop hitting yet

another record membershiphigh—more than 16,300members as of mid-March—things are tight all over. It’scrowded on the shoppingfloor. Makeup shifts are more

heavily attended than ever.And now, we are at capacitywhen it comes to availableshifts, so much so that someprospective members, aftergoing through the onlineordeal to get an orientationslot and attending orienta-tion, are forced to leave with-out joining because there isno work slot available thatfits their schedule.

“We are at capacity, orbeyond capacity,” said GeneralCoordinator Joe Holtz. Theshift shortage is just onemanifestation of the fact theCoop is once again having

serious growing pains.Everyone has an opinion

about how to solve a shiftshortage, from getting rid ofthe 13th shifts—which wouldput the entire Coop calendar,which operates on a four-week schedule, into disar-ray—to creating all kinds ofnew shifts to absorb newmembers. The problem with

that latter idea, as GeneralCoordinator Ann Herpelpointed out, is that it createsa problem while fixing one.“Add another shift? That’sgreat,” she said. “But for everyperson you accept to join theCoop, you accept them as ashopper, too. We’re alreadypushing Receiving staff andmembers to the max.”

In recent years, the Coophas added new work slots,from outside workers to linemanagers. But those were tofill a need. “We never createshifts just to create them, toallow ourselves to accommo-date more members,” saidGeneral Coordinator JessRobinson. “We change thesize of existing squads, wecreate new tasks in existingsquads. We create a newmember service—but onlywhen there’s a need for that.”

Sunday Night Shopping?Still, the Coop is looking

for ways to expand, to takeour current space and mem-ber force and rejigger it, so tospeak, to create more room,for workers and for shoppers.“One option being discussedis trying to figure out how tostay open late on Sundaynights,” said Robinson. Thiswould add work slots, whichof course could conceivablyincrease crowding by allow-ing for new members to fillthem. But the new slotsmight turn out to be onesthat are convenient to a largenumber of existing members,so the current membershipmight absorb most of theslots. And perhaps mostimportantly, staying openuntil 10 p.m. on Sundays(currently, we close at 7:30)would be a major conve-nience for existing members.Another idea being bandiedabout is to add a new squadthat comes in after closing todo stocking, cleaning andother projects that are diffi-cult to do during shoppinghours.

But with a ship as large asthe Coop, each of thosepotential changes will createseveral changes in their wake:staff members to oversee the



Here’s the deal: you go to a training session (see dates and times here) and then you show up at the agreed-upon time and date for the Conference (TBD at the training meeting). When you do your work at the Conference, you’ll get FTOP credit for that work as well as for the training meeting.

Examples of work: registration, set-up, breakdown, childcare, youth activities, expo and workshop support, building guide, literature distribution, staffing info tables, music performance (we need musicians all day), logistics, and more!

Sunday, April 1, 7 p.m.

Monday, April 2, 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday, April 3, 7 p.m.

Thursday, April 5, 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday, April 17, 9:30 a.m.

Saturday, April 21, 1:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 22, 7 p.m.

Here’s your chance to be part of the May 12 Brooklyn Food Conference and

get FTOP credit as well. All training sessions will take place in the Coop’s second-floor meeting room:

Sign-up sheet for training sessions in Membership Office.

New member Winsome Green looking for work slot opening after her orientation.

few shiftsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1

C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 5

Looking for

something new?Check out the Coop’s

products blog.

The place to go for the latest information on our current

product inventory.

You can connect to the blog via the Coop’s websitewww.foodcoop.com

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The claim by BDS andother anti-peace rejec-

tionist players that settle-ment building in the WestBank by Israel is consumingor expropriating substantialand increasingly larger pro-portions of land is unsustain-able. Israel has had in placesince 2003 arrangements(negotiated agreement exe-cuted by Elliot Abrams &National Security Councilwith Israel, Bush administra-tion) that no new West Banksettlements can be built andthat existing settlements can-not expand territorially, withconstruction in them allowedonly in built-up areas, assur-ing (1) no constructionbeyond existing constructionline, (2) no expropriation ofland for such construction,(3) no special inducements /economic incentives, (4) nonew settlement construction.

Although some settlergroups have constructed “out-posts” in violation of Israelilaw, the Israeli governmenthas not constructed any newWest Bank settlements since1998, as demonstrated by thecomprehensive list of settle-ments and construction datescompiled by Foundation forMiddle East Peace (FMEP), aleading critic of settlementpolicy. FMEP publishes thebimonthly authoritativeReport on Israeli Settlementsin the Occupied Territoriescontaining detailed analysis,data and maps on settle-ments. Their chart of settle-ments in the West Bank( h t t p : / / w w w . f m e p . o r g /settlement_info/settlement-info-and-tables/stats-data/set-tlements-in-the-west-bank-1])confirms the absence of newgovernment-sanctioned settle-ments after 1998, numberscross-confirmed by otherauthoritative research from non-partisan sources (see below).

But a second, relatedcharge needs to be addressed,that even without materialexpansion, the proportion ofIsraeli settlement land maynonetheless be seen to disal-low the “viability” of a Palestin-ian State. The legitimacy ofthis claim in turn hinges onhow much of the West Bank isdedicated to settlements.

There is robust data tostrongly support the fact thatat most this stands at twopercent, likely even less. TheIsraeli NGO B’tselem, itself

extremely critical of Israelisettlement policy in the WestBank, commissioned adetailed survey of the WestBank to determine thedegree of settlement activityand control, publishing theirhighly critical findings in thereport “By Hook and ByCrook: Israeli SettlementPolicy in the West Bank”(2010). The report concededthat the commissioned sur-vey found the “built-up area”of settlements to constituteroughly one percent (0.99percent, precisely) of theWest Bank land. Andalthough B’tselem mislead-ingly chose to focus publicityon the claim that municipaland regional councils associ-ated with the settlementshad theoretical legal juris-diction over 42 percent ofthe West Bank (which illegit-imately includes roads andadjacent areas, land betweensettlements and betweensettlements and roads,essentially unpopulated), anoft-quoted misrepresenta-tion, the 42 percent figure infact representing municipaljurisdiction, to wit, zoning,planning, and responsibilityfor local road maintenance,not actual land occupied by

Israeli settlements, andmunicipal jurisdiction isover mostly empty land thatcan become part of a futurePalestinian state at any timeas part of just settlementand negotiation.

This was cross-confirmedby Peace Now, as well as bythe self-admittedly critical-of-Israel BBC. The BBC pub-lished a detailed “Israelis and Palestinians in Depth”investigative report with an accompanying map series,concluding that “Since1967…settlements on theWest Bank…cover about twopercent of the area of the WestBank”. The one to two percentmaximum figure has in turnbeen confirmed explicitly byseveral Palestinians authori-ties. In an interview last year,chief Palestinian negotiatorSaeb Erekat confirmed [Radioal-Shams, interview with S.Erekat. 3 Nov 2011; in Arabic]that the settlements consti-tuted approximately 1.1 per-cent of the West Bank, withdata to the same effect fromEU-supplied aerial pho-tographs provided to Erekat,further acknowledging that“the exact percentage of thebuilt-up area is insignificant”.And PA President Mahmoud

Abbas added additional con-firmation in interview, stating“The built-up area of all thesettlements was 1.1 percent”[Interview with Prof. BernardAvishai. NY Times, 7 Feb 2011].Yet again, despite propagandato the contrary, even the PLOhas long acknowledged thesefacts [PLO NegotiationsPrimer. Negotiations AffairsDepartment. PDF at:www.nad-plo.org], as have theArabic editions of Palestiniannewspapers Al-Quds, theHamas newspaper Falasteenand a dozen others (the factsare in the Arabic editions; the

English editions are willfulpropaganda machines,reserved for the gullible“tourists”).

This should put into newand critical perspective theoft-cited misrepresentationthat the settlements areintrinsic and indisputableproof of Israeli ill-will and itsculpability in the perpetua-tion of the conflict.

Peace will not come to theIsraeli/Palestinian conflictwhile mythic national narra-tives like these surroundingthe settlements continueunchallenged. ■

If you are interested in the history of the Coop or in when and how particular subjects have been

discussed in the Gazette...

Send an e-mail to Len Neufeld, Gazette indexer, [email protected], to request PDF files of

either or both of the following indexes:

◆ An alphabetized list of the titles of all articles published in theGazette from 1995 to the present, with issue dates.

◆ An alphabetized list of all subjects (including people’s names) discussed in Gazette articles from 1995–98 and 2001 to the present,

with article titles, issue dates, and page numbers (subjects for the years 1999 and 2000 are being added).

Many of the Gazette issues referenced in these indexes are available as PDFs on the Coop’s website.

(The currently available issues cover the years 2006 to the present,plus selected issues from 1999, 2000, and 2005.)



M E M B E R C O N T R I B U T I O N

Settlement Myths: By the NumbersBy Constantine Kaniklidis, Director, Progressive Voices for Peace in the Middle East (PVPME)Scholars for Peace in the Middle East (SPME)

ecokvetch

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By Adam Rabiner

There is more than onescene in Farmageddon of

SWAT teams and sheriffs, pis-tols drawn, searching, seiz-ing, and confiscating goods.But Farmageddon is not anaction film, crime drama, ordocumentary about drug car-tels or suburbs ravaged bymeth labs. The victims ofthese raids are small-scalefarmers and processors sell-ing locally produced fruits,vegetables, meat, and dairyproducts that have run afoulof state and federal food safe-ty regulations. Farmageddon:the Unseen War on AmericanFamily Farms is an impas-sioned and personal indict-ment of American regulationrun amuck and a plea for asaner and more rational foodsafety system.

The real problem is that the

United States has two sepa-rate and distinct food sys-tems. The first, a behemoth, isthe industrial food system,comprised of factory farms[also known as Concentrated(or Confined) Animal FeedingOperations (CAFOs)], proces-sors, and multinational cor-porations. The other system,about two percent of the total,is comprised of small, local,sustainable, farms. However,both systems operate under asingle regulatory structureand set of laws that supportlarge-scale industrial foodproduction but threaten thevery existence of family farms.

This one- size- fits- allapproach is not working andresults in burdensome over-regulation for many of thesmaller producers that lackthe money, manpower, time,and other resources of their

larger competitors. Forexample, to receive a permitto sell lettuce and othergoods at the weekend UnionSquare Farmers’ Market,merchants must fil l outthree inches of paperwork.But inflicting unnecessary,bureaucratic, obstacles onsmall producers is the leastof the U.S. Department ofAgriculture’s (USDA) mis-deeds chronicled in this film.

Far more harrowing is themistreatment of many farmersby federal regulators. A pio-neering couple in Warren, Ver-mont was on the verge ofrevolutionizing sheep farmingin this country when the gov-ernment stepped in, fearingthe spread of Mad Cow Dis-ease. Despite the fact that sci-entific research had shownthat only cows, and not sheep,could have this disease, the

family was spied on, harassed.Eventually their animals wererounded up, carted away andslaughtered, and their equip-ment was tossed in a locallandfill. The couple sued theUSDA for damages and theagency was eventually forcedto admit that all of the testsfor disease came up negative.The USDA finally paid thefamily $1,500 per animalrather than the standard$5,000 because they wereangry that the family had cho-sen to fight.

The USDA’s overreactiontraumatized the couple’s chil-dren, who had become deeplyattached to the animals, andcost the couple their pioneer-ing entrepreneurial dreams,as well as their livelihood.They now make and sell cow’smilk cheese. Yet, what theyexperienced is not unique.Farmageddon profiles numer-ous individuals who sufferedat the hands of the regulators.In the mildest of cases wewatch as gallons upon gal-lons of raw milk are uncere-moniously dumped onto thegrass because the sellercrossed state lines, which isillegal. In a more egregiouscase, a woman recounts a raidon her home in which she andher family were rounded upby armed enforcers, confinedto their living room for hourswhile they confiscated herinventory, and were even toldnot to pick up the phonewhen her son, stationedabroad in the Army, calledhome at his normal time.

There’s a lot in this film todigest: the pros and possiblecons of raw milk, the historicaldevelopment of the pasteur-ization process and theunderlying scientific, social,and political forces behindthe actions of the state. Not

least of these themes, onevoiced by libertarian presi-dential candidate Ron Paulwho is featured in the film, aswell as members of the TeaParty, is when does govern-ment overstep its proper role?

We do not want to returnto the age of the RobberBarons when cows were fednothing but waste from beerdistilleries and produced vileand sometimes lethal milkthat had to be adulteratedwith chalk and flour to bemade drinkable. We knowfrom all too frequent out-breaks of e-coli from contam-inated peanuts, ground beefand spinach, that we needsensible and effective foodsafety regulations. But wealso have to ponder thewords of Joel Salatin, ownerof Polyface Farm in Swoope,Virginia and a star of the sus-tainable farm movement(and several documentarieslike this one). When asked ifhe had a single message forthe USDA, he answered, “Whydo you hate freedom somuch?” Why indeed? ■

Watch Farmageddon on Tuesday,April 10, 7 p.m. Park Slope FoodCoop, 782 Union St., 2nd Floor.Refreshments will be served.



S A F E F O O D C O M M I T T E E R E P O R T

Coop Job Openings:

Receiving/Stocking Coordinators— Two Positions AvailablePosition #1: Early Morning including WeekendsWe are hiring a Receiving/Stocking Coordinator to work morning shifts, as early as 5:30 a.m. The schedule willalso include at least one weekend day.

The ideal candidate will be knowledgeable and passionate about produce and food. Previous experience andtraining in the food industry is a plus. Good math skills are required, and you must be comfortable usingMacIntosh computers. This is a high-energy job for a fit candidate as you must be able to lift and to be onyour feet for hours. The job will include work in the walk-in coolers and freezers.

You must be a reliable, responsible self-starter who enjoys working with our diverse member-workers, plus bean excellent team player with your co-workers. Excellent communication and organizational skills, patience,the ability to prioritize work and to remain calm under pressure are required.

Position #2: Evenings and WeekendsThe Coop is hiring a Receiving/Stocking Coordinator to work evenings and weekends.

The evening and weekend Receiving/Stocking Coordinators have a lot of responsibility overseeing thesmooth functioning of the store and supporting the squads. They work with the Receiving squads, keepingthe store well stocked and orderly while maintaining the produce quality. At the end of the evening, they setup the receiving areas to prepare for the following day’s early morning deliveries.

The ideal candidate will be a reliable, responsible self-starter who enjoys working with our diverse member-workers. You must be an excellent team player, as you will be sharing the work with several other ReceivingCoordinators. You must have excellent communication and organizational skills, patience, the ability to prioritize the work and remain calm under pressure.

We are looking for a candidate who wants a permanent evening/weekend schedule. This is a high energy jobfor a fit candidate. You must be able to lift and work for hours on your feet including in the walk-in coolersand freezer. Grocery store experience is a plus.

Hours: 38-40 hours per week, schedule to be determined

Wages: $25.29/hour

Benefits: —Vacation–three weeks/year increasing in the 4th, 7th & 10th years —health insurance —Health and Personal time —pension plan

Application & Hiring Process:Please provide a cover letter and your résumé as soon as you can. E-mail your letter and résumé to: [email protected]. All applicants will receive a response. Please do not call the office to check on the status of your application. If you applied previously to another Coop job offering and remain interested, please reapply.

Probation Period:There will be a six-month probation period.

Prerequisite: Must be a current member of the Park Slope Food Coop for at least the past 6 months.

Applicants must have worked a minimum of three shifts in Receiving within the past year.

We are seeking an applicant pool that reflects the diversity of the Coop's membership.

Have you moved? Changed your phone number?

Got a new email address?Drop by or call the

Membership Office to updateyour contact information.

718-622-0560Thanks for helping us keep our

records up to date!

Plow-to-Plate Movie Series Presents: Farmageddon

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By Jen X

Igrab my unwieldy, red and yellow sign that tries toscream “Next!” but with my petite stature is

sheepish, “Next? Anyone? Can you see my sign fromway over there?” We make eye contact as heapproaches and without talking,

“Was that your ‘Next’ sign?”“Yes, it’s me.”He could’ve used express checkout, I think, men-

tally counting his items. He seems to have heardand clarifies.

Him: “I want to divide these into two purchases.These,” he pushes a handful of items towards thescanner with his forearm, “are for me. And the rest isfor my art opening!” Ah. That explains the ponytail.And the cheese. He has such a sweet demeanor. Asan artist, I imagine, people will miss his friendshipmore than his art after he’s gone. Still...

Me: “I’m sorry, but Coop food is only for workingCoop members. Now that you told me these itemsare for non-members, I can’t let you buy them. Infact, I have to report you to my squad leader and theoffice. Leslie! Can you come here, please?”

Of course, I didn’t really say any of that. (Also, mysquad leader’s name isn’t Leslie.) But the admoni-tion was pretty loud in my head. At my checkout,there are so many similar comments that getthought very loudly between my ears that I’ve givenmyself a tag, “Pushover Checkout Girl.” Okay, the girlpart is pushing it, but the pushover is real. Since I

can’t change my nature, I’ve decided to confessinstead.

First confession: I adore doing checkout, espe-cially after working in the office. It’s hard to gaugehow many checkout workers are furtive, supermarketcashier wannabes like me, but I’m guessing notmany. Interactions with members have gone from,“I’m suspended? What?” to “Am I happy to see you!The line is really long.” Members up in the officearen’t sharing cooking tips, or suppressing guiltysmiles when a chocolate bar rings up for $5.Upstairs, no one forgives you for mistaking shiitakefor portobellos. So the tone on Checkout Girl’s linedefaults to a peppy, “Hi! How are ya’ today?” UntilGen Xer and her visiting mother-in-law with the“NON-SHOPPING VISITOR” sticker approach.

Her: “I’m great, thanks! I’m showing my mother-in-law the Coop. She’s from [foreign country/U.S.state], and they don’t have this kind of thing there.She’s renting an apartment for a few weeks, justuntil the baby sleeps a little more.”

Helping out with new grandbaby. Sweet.Her: “So Mom, [aw, she calls her mother-in-law

‘Mom’] put your groceries up first, ‘cause you’ll haveto pay cash over there. I’m gonna do debit for ours.”

Not sweet.What’s Pushover Checkout Girl to do? YOU’RE

the one wearing the sticker. We were so cool withthe new baby talk and all, until you downrightflouted Coop rules in front of me. In front of the

sticker! I keep quiet, but the smile on my facefades. My poor husband will take the brunt of mysuppressed rage later, though I might embellishthe story to keep him listening.

Rarer is the ‘Clearly these are the more expensivehoneycrisp apples’ episode:

Me: “These are the honeycrisp apples?”Selfishly Confounding Apples Member: “No,

those are minimally treated. I forget the name.”Me: “Are you sure? They look like honeycrisp…”SCAM’er: “Yep. Minimally treated.” Glare.I know those are honeycrisp; I buy them myself.

Why, oh why did I ask about the apples? I supposeI could call over my squad leader, though she mayrelegate me to Walker if she figures me out fromthis article. I suppose I could confront the shop-ping member, or “just check” with the worker nextbelt over. But I move on, whatevs, and hope thescale jiggles a bit to charge a few cents more forthe apples. Grr.

One more confession. It’s a busy, I mean Coop-trademark-busy weeknight, and a member sidles upto my belt. I assume she’s going to ask if I need to berelieved. Look closer: apologetic eyebrows, grittedteeth… something’s up.

Member: “Listen, I’m really sorry to bother you,and I know I should wait on line, but the express lineis so long, and I only have three items, but mybananas have to be weighed, and if you could justring me up when you’re finished with her, I’d reallyappreciate it, I’m so sorry.”

With a half-smile, I scan her things. “Next!” ■


Is the item already bagged?

Yes No

Is this item leaking a cross-contaminating liquid?

Yes No

BAG IT in a reusableplastic bag

No need for a bag!Do the items already have their

own packaging (includes bananasand avocados)?

Yes No

No need for a bag!

Am I buying more than one ofthe same item?

Yes No

No need for a bag!

A Park Slope Food Coop Checkout Worker’s Guide to Deciding When to Use Plastic Bags

Cynthia Lawson Jaramillo@cynthialawson

Are the items so small I worryI will lose one?

Yes No

BAG IT in a reusablepaper or cloth bag

Is it a bulk item (checkout workerneeds to see the PLU?)

Yes No

BAG IT in a reusableplastic bag

To conclude, ONLY BAG IF: 1. You have a leaky farm chicken 2. Your item comes from bulk 3. Your produce is so small (e.g. mushrooms), you worry you will lose one

By Cynthia Lawson

Iwas recently at a Whole Foods in Boulder, Col-orado and noticed a sign in their bulk aisle that

read, “Bulk Going Green: we have switched to com-postable paper bags.” My immediate thought wasthat if WF could ban plastic bags, then our Coopshould certainly be able to. Then I read the article inthe February 23 issue of the Gazette by Ann Herpel onbehalf of the General Coordinators. In this article,Ann raises a slew of downsides to banning plasticbags that I had not really considered. So I decided togo to my most recent shift as a checkout worker andobserve plastic bag usage (and my interactions withthe bags) to form my own opinion.

Here, then, is my guide to plastic bag usage at theCoop, as seen by a checkout worker and person whoabhors the sight of non-cloth bags. I write this deci-sion tree in support of Ann and the GCs (and of thealready-extremely-long lines at the Coop) as well asof those members who agree with me that weshould minimize plastic in landfills as much as pos-sible. Each point in the decision tree is based on anactual observations. ■


Cynthia Lawson Jaramillo@cynthialawson

Confessions of a Pushover Checkout Girl

Follow the Food Coop on

@foodcoop


A Food Coop Worker’s Guide to DecidingWhen to Use Plastic Bags


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FridayApr 208:00 p.m.

A monthly musical fundraising partnership of

the Park Slope Food Coop and

the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture

53 Prospect Park West [at 2nd Street] • $10 • 8:00 p.m. [doors open at 7:45]Performers are Park Slope Food Coop members and receive Coop workslot credit.

Booking: Bev Grant, 718-788-3741

Annie KeatingThe Village Voice raves, “Keating is a wise mix of Lucinda Williams songwriting, Gillian Welch guitar and a vocal all her own…a crossbetween Willie Nelson and John Prine and you don‘t get any better than that.” Keating appeared live on the BBC Radio (UK) Bob Harris show and has gone on to perform at leading festivals, playing on the bill with the likes of John Hiatt, Dan Bern, Boris McCutcheon, ShannonMcNally. On her fourth (new) album release, Water Tower View, Keating is at her best, delivering beautifully crafted songs.

John Mettam & Flying HomeThe joint will be jumpin’ with Flying Home, a killer-diller band led bydrummer John Mettam, performing the music of the Benny GoodmanSextet and other classics from the Swing Era. Cut a rug or sit back andenjoy this finger poppin’ jive session with Michael McGinnis (clarinet),

Tom Beckham (vibes), Sean Moran (guitar), Brian Drye (trombone), andJim Whitney (bass), plus special guest singer Toby Williams.

COOP HOURS

Office Hours:Monday through Thursday

8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.Friday & Saturday

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Shopping Hours:

Monday–Friday8:00 a.m. to 10:00* p.m.

Saturday6:00 a.m. to 10:00* p.m.

Sunday6:00 a.m. to 7:30* p.m.

*Shoppers must be on a checkout line 15 minutes after closing time.

Childcare Hours:Monday through Sunday

8:00 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.Telephone:

718-622-0560Web address:

www.foodcoop.com

This Issue Prepared By:Coordinating Editors: Stephanie Golden

Erik Lewis

Editors (development): Dan JacobsonCarey Meyers

Reporters: Gayle FormanTom MatthewsDanielle Uchitelle

Art Director (development): Michelle Ishay

Illustrators: Paul BuckleyMichelle Ishay

Photographers: Ingsu LiuAnn Rosen

Traffic Manager: Barbara Knight

Thumbnails: Saeri Yoo Park

Preproduction: Yan Kong

Photoshop: Bill Kontzias

Art Director (production): Lynn Cole-Walker

Desktop Publishing: Leonard HendersonMatthew LandfieldMidori Nakamura

Editor (production): Lynn Goodman

Puzzle Master: Stuart Marquis

Final Proofreader: Nancy Rosenberg

Index: Len Neufeld

Advertising: Peter Benton

The Linewaiters’ Gazette is published biweekly by the Park SlopeFood Coop, Inc., 782 Union Street, Brooklyn, New York 11215.

Opinions expressed here may be solely the views of the writer. TheGazette will not knowingly publish articles that are racist, sexist, or oth-erwise discriminatory.

The Gazette welcomes Coop-related articles, and letters from members.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINESAll submissions must include author’s name and phone number andconform to the following guidelines. Editors will reject letters andarticles that are illegible or too long. Submission deadlines appearin the Coop Calendar opposite.

Letters: Maximum 500 words. All letters will be printed if theyconform to the guidelines above. The Anonymity and Fairnesspolicies appear on the letters page in most issues.

Voluntary Articles: Maximum 750 words. Editors will reject articlesthat are essentially just advertisements for member businesses andservices.

Committee Reports: Maximum 1,000 words.

Editor-Writer Guidelines: Except for letters to the editor, whichare published without editing but are subject to the Gazette letterspolicy regarding length, anonymity, respect, and fairness, allsubmissions to the Linewaiters' Gazette will be reviewed and ifnecessary edited by the editor. In their review, editors are guidedby the Gazette's Fairness and Anonymity policies as well as stan-dard editorial practices of grammatical review, separation of factfrom opinion, attribution of factual statements, and rudimentaryfact checking. Writers are responsible for the factual content oftheir stories. Editors must make a reasonable effort to contactand communicate with writers regarding any proposed editorialchanges. Writers must make a reasonable effort to respond toand be available to editors to confer about their articles. If thereis no response after a reasonable effort to contact the writer, aneditor, at her or his discretion, may make editorial changes to asubmission without conferring with the writer.

Submissions on Paper: Typed or very legibly handwritten andplaced in the wallpocket labeled "Editor" on the second floor at thebase of the ramp.

Digital Submissions: We welcome digital submissions. Dropdisks in the wallpocket described above. The email address forsubmissions is [email protected]. Receipt of yoursubmissions will be acknowledged on the deadline day.

Classified & Display Ads: Ads may only be placed by and on behalfof Coop members. Classified ads are prepaid at $15 per insertion,business card ads at $30. (Ads in the “Merchandise–Non-commercial”category are free.) All ads must be written on a submission form(available in a wallpocket on the first floor near the elevator). Classi-fied ads may be up to 315 characters and spaces. Display ads mustbe camera-ready and business card size (2"x3.5").

Printed by: Tri-Star Offset, Maspeth, NY.

P L A S T I C S

RECY

LING

Monthly on the...Second Saturday

April 1410:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Third ThursdayApril 19

7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.Last Sunday

April 2910:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

On the sidewalk in front of the receivingarea at the Coop.

What plastics do we accept?Until further notice:

• #1 and #6 type non-bottle shaped contain-ers, transparent only, labels ok

• Plastic film and bubble wrap, transparentonly, no colored or opaque, no labels

• #5 plastic cups, tubs, and specificallymarked caps and lids, very clean and dry(discard any with paper labels, or cut off)

•NOTE: We are no longer accepting #2 or #4 type plastics.

PLASTIC MUST BE COMPLETELY CLEAN & DRY

We close up promptly. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the

collection end time to allow for inspection andsorting of your plastic.

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Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY April 5, 2012 � 9W

OR

KS

LO

T N

EE

DS Store Equipment Cleaning

Monday, 6 to 8 a.m.The Coop is looking for members to clean thecheckout area of the store. It entails cleaningthe scales at each checkout and vacuumingaround the base of the checkout station, as wellas sweeping and occasionally mopping. You willwork under the supervision of a staff person.

Office Set-upThursday, 6 to 8:30 a.m.Need an early riser with lots of energy to do avariety of physical tasks including: setting uptables and chairs, buying food and supplies,labeling and putting away food and supplies,recycling, washing dishes and making coffee.Sound like your dream come true? This jobmight be for you. Please speak to Adriana orCynthia in the Membership Office for moreinformation.

Check Office SuppliesMonday, 6 to 8:45 a.m.Thursday, 8:30 to 11 p.m.This work slot is responsible for restocking sup-plies at desks in all offices on the Coop’s sec-ond floor, at checkout lanes, entrance desksand the cashier stations. Some light mainte-nance, such as light cleaning of desktops andphones, is another task. This is a task- anddetail-oriented job, ideal for someone wholikes working independently and is pro-active.Please speak to Alex in the Membership Officeor contact him at [email protected] ifyou are interested.

Attend a GMand Receive Work Credit

Since the Coop’s inception in 1973, the GeneralMeeting has been our decision-making body. At theGeneral Meeting (GM) members gather to makedecisions and set Coop policy. The General-Meeting-for-workslot-credit program was created to increaseparticipation in the Coop’s decision-making process.

Following is an outline of the program. For full details, seethe instruction sheets by the sign-up board.

• Advance Sign-up required:To be eligible for workslot credit, you must add your

name to the sign-up sheet in the elevator lobby. The sign-ups sheet is available all month long, except for the day ofthe meeting when you have until 5 p.m. to sign up. On theday of the meeting, the sign-up sheet is kept in theMembership Office.

Some restrictions to this program do apply. Please seebelow for details.

• Two GM attendance credits per year:Each member may take advantage of the GM-for-

workslot-credit program two times per calendar year.

• Certain Squads not eligible:Eligible: Shopping, Receiving/ Stocking, Food

Processing, Office, Maintenance, Inventory, Construction,and FTOP committees. (Some Committees are omittedbecause covering absent members is too difficult.)

• Attend the entire GM:In order to earn workslot credit you must be present

for the entire meeting.

• Signing in at the Meeting: 1. After the meeting the Chair will provide the

Workslot Credit Attendance Sheet.2.Please also sign in the attendance book that is

passed around during the meeting.

• Being Absent from the GM:It is possible to cancel without penalty. We do ask that

you remove your name if you know cannot attend. Pleasedo not call the Membership Office with GM cancellations.

Park Slope Food CoopMission Statement

The Park Slope Food Coop is a mem-ber-owned and operated food store—analternative to commercial profit-orientedbusiness. As members, we contribute ourlabor: working together builds trustthrough cooperation and teamwork andenables us to keep prices as low as possi-ble within the context of our values andprinciples. Only members may shop, andwe share responsibilities and benefitsequally. We strive to be a responsible andethical employer and neighbor. We are abuying agent for our members and not aselling agent for any industry. We are a partof and support the cooperative movement.We offer a diversity of products with anemphasis on organic, minimally pro-cessed and healthful foods. We seek toavoid products that depend on theexploitation of others. We support non-toxic, sustainable agriculture. We respectthe environment. We strive to reduce theimpact of our lifestyles on the world weshare with other species and future genera-tions. We prefer to buy from local, earth-friendly producers. We recycle. We try tolead by example, educating ourselves andothers about health and nutrition, coopera-tion and the environment. We are com-mitted to diversity and equality. Weoppose discrimination in any form. Westrive to make the Coop welcoming andaccessible to all and to respect the opin-ions, needs and concerns of every member.

Our Governing Structure From our inception in 1973 to the present, the openmonthly General Meetings, to which all members areinvited, have been at the center of the Coop’s decision-making process. Since the Coop incorporated in 1977, wehave been legally required to have a Board of Directors.The Coop continued the tradition of General Meetings byrequiring the Board to have open meetings and to receivethe advice of the members at General Meetings. TheBoard of Directors, which is required to act legally andresponsibly, has approved almost every General Meetingdecision at the end of every General Meeting. Boardmembers are elected at the Annual Meeting in June.Copies of the Coop’s bylaws are available on the CoopWeb site, foodcoop.com, at the Coop Community Cornerand at every General Meeting.

Next Meeting: Tuesday, April 24, 7:00 p.m.The General Meeting is held on the last Tuesday of eachmonth.

Location The Temple House of Congregation Beth Elohim(Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Place.

How to Place an Item on the AgendaIf you have something you’d like discussed at a GeneralMeeting, please complete a submission form for theAgenda Committee. Forms are available on the Coop Website, foodcoop.com, in the rack near the Coop CommunityCorner bulletin board and at General Meetings. Instructionsand helpful information on how to submit an item appearon the submission form. The Agenda Committee meets onthe first Tuesday of each month to plan the agenda for theGM held on the last Tuesday of the month. If you have aquestion, please call Ann Herpel at the Coop.

Meeting FormatWarm Up (7:00 p.m.) • Meet the Coordinators • Enjoy some Coop snacks • Submit Open Forum items • Explore meeting literatureOpen Forum (7:15 p.m.) Open Forum is a time formembers to bring brief items to the General Meeting. Ifan item is more than brief, it can be submitted to theAgenda Committee as an item for a future GM.Reports (7:30 p.m.) • Financial Report • Coordinators’Report • Committee ReportsAgenda (8:00 p.m.) The agenda is posted on theCoop Web site, foodcoop.com, the Coop CommunityCorner and may also appear elsewhere in this issue.Wrap Up (9:30-9:45) (unless there is a vote to extendthe meeting) • Board of Directors’ vote • Meeting evalua-tion • Announcements, etc.

A l l A b o u t t h eG e n e r a l M e e t i n gC O O P CA L E N D A R

New Member OrientationsAttending an Orientation is the first step toward

Coop membership. Pre-registration is required for

all of the three weekly New Member Orientations.

To pre-register, visit foodcoop.com or contact the

Membership Office. Visit in person or call 718-622-

0560 during office hours.

Have questions about Orientation? Please visit

www.foodcoop.com and look at the “Join the Coop”

page for answers to frequently asked questions.

The Coop on the Internetwww.foodcoop.com

The Coop on Cable TVInside the Park Slope Food CoopFRIDAYS 2:30 p.m. with a replay at 10:30 p.m.

Channels: 56 (TimeWarner), 69 (CableVision).

General Meeting InfoTUE, APR 24GENERAL MEETING: 7:00 p.m.

TUE, MAY 1AGENDA SUBMISSIONS: 8:00 p.m.

Submissions will be considered for the May 29

General Meeting.

Gazette Deadlines

LETTERS & VOLUNTARY ARTICLES:Apr 19 issue: 12:00 p.m., Mon, Apr 9

May 3 issue: 12:00 p.m., Mon, Apr 23

CLASSIFIED ADS DEADLINE:Apr 19 issue: 7:00 p.m., Wed, Apr 11

May 3 issue: 7:00 p.m., Wed, Apr 25

12-04-05 p1-16_Layout 1 4/4/12 3:54 PM



Training Session for 2012 Brooklyn Food Conference

Here's your chance to be part of the May 12 Brooklyn Food Conference and getFTOP credit as well. Go to one of these training sessions (see times below), thenshow up at the agreed-upon time and date for the Conference (TBD at the trainingmeeting). When you do your work at the Conference, you'll get FTOP credit forthat work as well as for the training meeting. Examples of work: registration, set-up, breakdown, childcare, youth activities, expo and workshop support, buildingguide, literature distribution, staffing info tables, music performance (we needmusicians all day), logistics, and more! Sign-up sheet for this training session isin the Membership Office. The May 12 Conference itself will be at Brooklyn TechHS in Ft. Greene.All training sessions will take place in the Coop's second-floor meeting room: Thursday,April 5, 9:30 a.m .; Tuesday, April 17, 9:30 a.m.; Saturday, April 21, 1:30 p.m.;Sunday, April 22, 7 p.m.

Food Class:Food for BrainPOWER

Discover how much food controls the speed and precisionin which you think. You’ll learn how nutrients forge yourbrainpower. We’ll debunk common diet myths that under-mine your smarts. And while Chef Andréa Hammond

explains this food-brain science, she’ll show you how to whip up your own mouth-watering brain fuel. Impassioned by her findings, Andréa founded A.H. NutritionTherapy to teach others the power of food to advance their minds. She completedher chef’s training at the Natural Gourmet Institute, then went on to become aCertified Nutrition Counselor through the Academy for Healing Nutrition, whichteaches nutrition according to Eastern sciences. Menu includes easy eggs floren-tine; omega-3 salad; coconut parfait.Materials fee: $4. Food classes are coordinated by Coop member Susan Baldassano.

EFT Workshop for YouMaybe you know the eight tapping points, or it will only take a minute to show themto you. Come to this workshop with your pain, your anger, your disappointment, andeven your trauma memories, or hatred, worries or lack of self-esteem. EFT practi-tioner(s) at this workshop will guarantee to reduce or eliminate that pain and suffer-ing by doing and teaching you these powerful tapping techniques. Come early to geta seat. Presented by Carolyn Meiselbach, EFT counselor, teacher and Coop memberfor more than 10 years.

Safe Food Committee Film Night:FarmageddonAmericans’ right to access fresh, healthy foods of their choiceis under attack. Filmmaker Kristin Canty’s quest to findhealthy food for her four children turned into a journey to dis-cover why access to these foods was being threatened.Farmageddon tells the story of small, family farms that were

providing safe, healthy foods to their communities and were forced to stop, sometimesthrough violent action, by agents of misguided government. Farmageddon highlights theurgency of food freedom, encouraging consumers and farmers to take action to preserveaccess to food free from burdensome regulations. The film serves to put policymakersand regulators on notice.

Film Night: StagesIn New York City’s changing Lower East Side, a group of olderPuerto Rican women and inner-city youth come together over20 weeks to create an original play out of the stories of theirlives. Amid the isolating bustle of nine million people, partici-pants diverse in age, race and nationality confront stereotypesand examine their own histories, exploring themes of immigra-

tion, relationships, aging and coming of age. Woven together, their stories take on newmeaning, first as they are spoken across generations and later when they are performedfor a sold-out show. In response to a political climate that assigns little value to com-munity-arts initiatives, Stages offers an intimate portrait of an unlikely ensemble, trans-formed by the liberating power of their own stories. Special screening date due to Passover this month.To book a Film Night, contact Faye Lederman, [email protected].

Knit & Sip SeriesCalling all knitters and crocheters. Please bring yarns and needles and be prepared toknit and crochet. Naeemah Senghor is a knitter, crocheter and raw-foodist and loves toorganize swaps and community events. She has been organizing “Knit & Sips” all overBrooklyn. She has been a Coop member for several years.

Here’s Why You’re Not Pregnant

This workshop will show how to: resolve mystery infertility; eliminate toxins that impairfertility; make IVF and IUI work the first time; cook meals that help you get pregnant;identify the foods and supplements that boost your fertility; clear blocked tubes; nor-malize your cycle; dissolve fibroids and cysts; do fertility acupressure at home; preventmiscarriage; and boost men’s sperm count and quality. Pre-registration suggested: toregister call (646) 483-4571 or e-mail [email protected]. Rebecca CurtisM.A., M.F.A., HHC, AADP, is a certified holistic nutritionist and the founder of GreenGem Holistic Health. Mary Hart, M.S., L.Ac., is a board-certified acupuncturist and thefounder of Healing Hart Acupuncture.

Training Session for 2012 Brooklyn Food Conference

Here's your chance to be part of the May 12 Brooklyn Food Conference and get FTOPcredit as well. Go to one of these training sessions (see times below), then show up atthe agreed-upon time and date for the Conference (TBD at the training meeting). Whenyou do your work at the Conference, you'll get FTOP credit for that work as well as forthe training meeting. Examples of work: registration, set-up, breakdown, childcare,youth activities, expo and workshop support, building guide, literature distribution,staffing info tables, music performance (we need musicians all day), logistics, andmore! Sign-up sheet for this training session is in the Membership Office. The May 12Conference itself will be at Brooklyn Tech HS in Ft. Greene.All training sessions will take place in the Coop's second-floor meeting room: Tuesday,April 17, 9:30 a.m.; Saturday, April 21, 1:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 22, 7 p.m.

How to Lighten Your Final Carbon Footprint

Now is the time to educate yourself on green burial and cremation options for your elder-ly parents, and ultimately—inevitably—yourself and others you love. Get the low-downon your final carbon footprint now! We will discuss burial vaults, caskets on the market,green cemetery spaces in areas just outside the city and more. Coop member and formermagazine writer Amy Cunningham felt so moved by the memorial service she helpedplan for her elderly father, that she decided to pursue a second career in funeral service.

apr 5thu 9:30 am

apr 5thu 7:30 pm

Susan Baldassano, Coordinator

apr 7sat 2 pm

apr 10tue 7 pm

apr 13fri 7 pm

apr 14sat 10 am

apr 14sat 3–6 pm

apr 17tue 9:30 am

apr 20fri 7:30 pm

For more information on these and other events, visit the Coop’s website: foodcoop.comAll events take place at the Park Slope Food Coop unless otherwise noted. Nonmembers are welcome to attend workshops.

Views expressed by the presenter do not necessarily represent the Park Slope Food Coop.

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Annie Keating andJohn Mettam & Flying HomeThe Village Voice raves about AnnieKeating, “Keating is a wise mix ofLucinda Williams songwriting, GillianWelch guitar and a vocal all her

own…a cross between Willie Nelson and John Prine and youdon‘t get any better than that.” Keating appeared live on theBBC Radio (UK) Bob Harris show and has gone on to performat leading festivals, playing on the bill with the likes of JohnHiatt, Dan Bern, Boris McCutcheon, Shannon McNally. On herfourth (new) album release, Water Tower View, Keating is at herbest, delivering beautifully crafted songs. The joint will bejumpin’ with Flying Home, a killer-diller band led by drummerJohn Mettam, performing the music of the Benny GoodmanSextet and other classics from the Swing Era. Cut a rug or sitback and enjoy this finger poppin’ jive session with Michael McGinnis (clarinet), TomBeckham (vibes), Sean Moran (guitar), Brian Drye (trombone), and Jim Whitney(bass), plus special guest singer Toby Williams.Concert takes place at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West(at 2nd St.), $10, doors open at 7:45. The Very Good Coffeehouse is a monthly musicalfundraising partnership of the Coop and the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture. To book a Coffeehouse event, contact Bev Grant, 718-788-3741.

Training Sessions for 2012 Brooklyn Food Conference

Here's your chance to be part of the May 12 Brooklyn Food Conference and get FTOPcredit as well. Go to one of these training sessions (see times below), then show up atthe agreed-upon time and date for the Conference (TBD at the training meeting). Whenyou do your work at the Conference, you'll get FTOP credit for that work as well as forthe training meeting. Examples of work: registration, set-up, breakdown, childcare,youth activities, expo and workshop support, building guide, literature distribution,staffing info tables, music performance (we need musicians all day), logistics, andmore! Sign-up sheet for these training sessions are in the Membership Office. The May12 Conference itself will be at Brooklyn Tech HS in Ft. Greene.All training sessions will take place in the Coop's second-floor meeting room: Saturday,April 21, 1:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 22, 7 p.m.

Healthy ThyroidLearn how to heal your own thyroid and free yourself of weight gains, depression, indi-gestion, hair loss and possibly medication. Some topics of the talk: food that sabotagesand food that heals the thyroid; how water impacts the thyroid; vitamins and mineralsthat matter; emotions, stress and the thyroid; how to pick a good endocrinologist andwhat to ask him/her; how to interpret thyroid blood test results. Magdalena cured her-self from years of Hashimoto’s Disease, which is an auto-immune disease causinghypothyroid. She was told it was incurable. Today she teaches how to self-heal withfood, supplements, water and stress management.

PSFC APR General MeetingItems will be taken up in the order given. Times in parenthesesare suggestions. More information on each item may be avail-able on the entrance table at the meeting. We ask members toplease read the materials available between 7 and 7:15 p.m.

Meeting location: Congregation Beth Elohim Social Hall (Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Place at Eighth Avenue.

Item #1: Annual Disciplinary Committee Election (30 minutes)Election: The Disciplinary Committee will present candidates to fill openings. TheDisciplinary Committee goes through an extensive interviewing process. There are nonominations from the floor. —submitted by the Disciplinary Committee

Item #2: Board of Directors Candidate Presentations (60 minutes)Discussion: Presentation by the six candidates for the Board of Directors followed byquestions for the candidates from the meeting. —mandated by the General Meeting

For information on how to place an item on the Agenda, please see the center pages ofthe Linewaiters’ Gazette. The Agenda Committee minutes and the status of pendingagenda items are available in the Coop office.

Intro to Bicycle Repair— Flat Fix 101Many things that go wrong with a bicycle can be handled athome or on the road with a few simple tools. Learn the basicsof how to adjust, repair, and maintain your bicycle. At the endof the class, we will hold a hands-on session on patchingtubes. Participants will take home a newly patched “spare”

tube for their own use. Please RSVP to [email protected], so we can bring enoughmaterials. Presented by the PSFC Shop & Cycle Committee with the Five BoroughBicycle Club. Coop member Ed Ravin has been volunteering for bicycling organizationsfor the past 25 years. He is a current board member of the Five Borough Bicycle Cluband a past board member of Transportation Alternatives.

Wordsprouts:The Raw Extreme Manifesto

Co-authored with Fred Ho, Raw Extreme Manifesto is oneman’s journey into raw food extremism. Much more than 25original recipes and tips about going raw and staying raw, thisis an indispensible handbook for everyone who ever wondered if

they have what it takes to change their lives and ultimately their society for the better.Enjoy raw food samples from RawLivity. So come join the Raw Food Revolution! PeterLew has been a raw-live vegan for eight years. His catering and lifestyle coaching com-pany, RawLivity, co-founded with Tagenyahu Swao, was recently launched. He is cur-rently working on developing a Farmers Market on the campus of Medgar Evers Collegeand is a community activist supporting health and wellness.To book a Wordsprouts, contact P.J. Corso, [email protected].

apr 20fri 8 pm

apr 21, 22sat, sun

apr 24tue 7 pm

apr 24tue 7 pm

apr 26thu 6:30 pm

apr 27fri 7 pm

Learn How to Volunteer & Make a Difference

Experience Healing

Do Your Children Ever ‘Push Your Buttons’?

How to Ride a Bicycle in NYC Traffic

Agenda Committee Meeting

Food Class: Culinary Tour Guide

Film Night: RFK in the Land of Apartheid

Integrative Bodywork

apr 28

apr 28

apr 28

may 1

may 1

may 3

may 4

may 5

12-04-05 p1-16_Layout 1 4/4/12 3:54 PM

Classified advertising in the Linewaiters’ Gazette is available only to Coop members. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Coop.


BED & BREAKFASTTHE HOUSE ON 3rd ST. B&B -

serving the Slope for over 20 yrs.

Parlor floor-thru apt. sleeps 5 in

comfort & privacy, queen bed,

bath, double living room, kitch-

enette, outdoor deck. Visit our

web site at houseon3st.com.

Click our FB link or call Jane at

718-788- 7171. Ask about bar-

gains for last minute bookings.

Let us host you!

COMMERCIALSPACE

PROFESSIONAL OFFICES avail-

able for Health Practitioners; e.g.

Nutritionist, Medical Doctor,

Psychotherapist, Massage

Therapist, Podiatrist, Dentist,

Reiki, Shiatsu, etc. Be part of an

Holistic center in SOHO. Doctor

will introduce all patients. Non-

medical spaces also available.

For information, please call 212-

505- 5055.

PEOPLE MEETINGNEW GRANDPARENTS - We have

a 3-months-old grandson. Would

like to meet other grandparents of

infants for socializing w/ baby.

718- 499- 4154.

PETSPET NANNY. Retired social work-

er, 35yrs. exp. with all breeds,

esp. rescues and traumatized

dogs. One dog at a time gets the

run of my lrg. apt. Your dog will

rarely be alone. Arrange a meet

& greet. Unbeatable loving care

at unbeatable low rates! Call

Jane at 347- 860-2142 or email

[email protected].

SERVICESAVAILABLE

TOP HAT MOVERS, INC., 145 Park

Place, Bklyn. Licensed and

Insured Moving Co. moves you

stress-free. Full line of boxes &

packing materials avail. Free esti-

mates 718- 965-0214. D.O.T. #T-

12302. Reliable, courteous, excel-

lent references & always on time.

Credit cards accepted. Member

Better Business Bureau.

CLASSIFIEDS


COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Community calendar listings are free. Please submit your event listing in 50 words or less [email protected]. Submission deadlines are the same as for classified ads.

Please refer to the Coop Calendar in the center of this issue. An asterisk (*) denotes a Coop member.

THU, APR 12 6:30-9 p.m. Solar Electric

Rooftop Clinic at Rhe Commons

Brooklyn, 388 Atlantic Avenue

(bet. Hoyt and Bond) $35 general

Admission and $15 1.5 CEs for

USGBC/LEED, AIA PE credit.

Installer will be present. Register

online at www.citysolar.us/work-

shop.php. Contact 347-254-0019,

[email protected] for more infor-

mation.

SAT, APR 14 10:30 a.m. Opening day of the

Warren Street Community Gar-

den, come join the discussion and

lunch. Located on the block bor-

dered by St. Mark’s Place, Warren

Street, 4th Avenue and 5th

Avenue. Membership fees are $10-

$25 per year. For more information

about becoming a member,

please email [email protected]

or find the garden online at

www.wsgarden.org.

8-10:30 p.m. Peoples’ Voice Cafe.

Ray Korona Band, At The Com-

munity Church of New York Uni-

tarian Universalist,40 East 35th

St. (betw. Madison & Park) For

info call 212-787-3903 www.peo-

plesvoicecafe.org.Suggested

donation: $15-18 general/$10

members.

1:30 p.m. What is the Path from

Here to a Progressive Country? A

forum sponsored by the Brooklyn

Friends of the People’s World,

www.peoplesworld.org. For infor-

mation please call: 718-783-4277

Brooklyn Society for Ethical Cul-

ture at 53 Prospect Park West

Park Slope, Brooklyn.

EscapeMaker.com Local Food &

Travel Expo at Skylight One Han-

son. Tickets: Adults $13.00, Kids

10 and Under Free. Expo features

a Made in Brooklyn Marketplace

in the bank vault as well as 75+

weekend getaways, B&B’s farms

and wineries all within a day’s

drive or train ride of NYC. Use

code EMCOOP12 for $3.00 OFF

ONLINE ONLY at www.escape-

maker.com/travelexpo.

SUN, APR 15 11 a.m. Earth Day Celebration -

Transitioning to a Low Carbon

Future with S.Brooklyn Transi-

tion Initiating Group and at 1-4

PM Awakening the Dreamer,

Changing the Dream Sympo-

sium: Create an environmentally

sustainable, socially just, spiri-

tually fulfilling human presence

on earth. Brooklyn Society for

Ethical Culture. 53 PPW.

Free/donation.

TUE, APR 17 7-9 p.m. Book launch party for

Eat With Your Hands; By

Zakarary Pelaccio Founder of

Fatty Crab and Fatty ‘Cue featur-

ing l ive music by Woods.

Refreshments will be served.

The powerHouse Arena at 37

Main Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201

For more information, please

call 718.666.3049 RSVP:

[email protected].

11 a.m.-3 p.m. 6th annual seed

celebration. The Old Stone

House, 5th Ave. & 4th St, Park

Slope.This free event explores

our seed heritage with art,

games, displays, hands-on

learning, seed trading and

gardening information. A talk by

Jude Hobbs of Cascadia Perma-

culture precedes the event

at 9:30 a.m. For info:www.per-

maculture-exchange.org or

[email protected].

SUN, MAY 6 4 p.m. at the Central Library Dr.

S. Stevan Dweck Center for Con-

temporary Culture; BPL Chamber

Players:The Claremont Trio Emily

Bruskin, violin; Julia Bruskin, vio-

loncello; Andrea Lam, piano Free

Admission.

Park Slope Food Coop Video Squad

Workslots Available For FTOP credit

There are current workslot openings for: 1. Show Host (preferably a

talented chef or cook)2. Researcher/Storyboarder

3. Post Production: Editing andCompression

For more information, [email protected] and include

“PSFC Video Squad” in the subject line.

The Coop has a regular show on Brooklyn Cable Access Television and will soon be expanding topodcasting via the Internet. The shows featuresmembers and issues related to the Coop and thelarger Brooklyn community. Past shows includehealth, improv performance, live music, cooking

classes and ideas for living ecologically.

VALET BIKE PARKING IS HERE ON SUNDAYS!

Every Sunday, April 1–November 18, from 3:30–8 p.m.,

Coop members can leave their bikes with our valet parking service, which is like

a coat check for bikes. Working members willcheck in and watch your bike for you.

Just drop off your bike, stroller, scooter orpersonal cart, do your shopping or your shift,

and hop back on. No locks, no worries, no theft. Service operates rain or shine.

Look for us in front of the yellow wall. (Note: no bike check-in after 7:30 p.m.)

Valet bicycle parking at the Coopis brought to you by the PSFC

Shop & Cycle Committee.

12-04-05 p1-16_Layout 1 4/4/12 3:54 PM

Classified advertising in the Linewaiters’ Gazette is available only to Coop members. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Coop.


To Submit Classified or Display Ads:

Ads may be placed on behalf of Coop members only. Clas-sified ads are prepaid at $15 per insertion, display ads at $30.(Classified ads in the “Merchandise–Non-commercial” cate-gory are free.) All ads must be written on a submission form.Classified ads may be up to 315 characters and spaces. Dis-play ads must be camera-ready and business card size (2" x3.5" horizontal).

Submission forms are available in a wallpocket near theelevator in the entrance lobby.

EXPRESS MOVES. One flat price

for the entire move! No deceptive

hourly estimates! Careful, experi-

enced mover. Everything quilt

padded. No extra charge for

wardrobes and packing tape.

Specialist in walkups. Thousands

of satisfied customers. Great

Coop references. 718- 670- 7071.

ATTORNEY—Personal Injury

Emphasis—33 years experience in

all aspects of injury law. Individual

attention provided for entire case.

Free phone or office consultations.

Prompt, courteous communica-

tions. 22-year Park Slope Food

Coop member; Park Slope resident;

downtown Brooklyn office. Tom

Guccione, 718- 596- 4184, also at

www.tguccionelaw.com.

MADISON AVENUE HAIR STYLIST

is right around the corner from

the food coop — so if you would

like a really good haircut at a

decent price, call Maggie at 718-

783- 2154. I charge $60.00.

PAINTING & WALLPAPERING- 25

yrs exp. doing the finest prep +

finish work. One room or an entire

house. Free estimates + full insur-

ance coverage. Call Fred Becker @

718- 853- 0750.

HAIRCUTS HAIRCUTS haircuts.

Color, high lights, low lights, oil

treatments in the convenience of

your home or mine. By appt., call

Leonora 718- 857- 2215. Adult

cuts $35.00. Kids cuts $15.00.

HOLISTIC DOCTOR in Naturopathy

stimulates body’s natural ability to

heal chronic conditions, allergy,

skin, muscle, cancer support with

homeopathy, physical & chelation

therapies, bioenergetic acupunc-

ture, lab tests, hair analysis &

more. Research Director. 20 years

exp. As Featured in Allure Maga-

zine. Dr. Gilman 212- 505-1010.

HOLISTIC DENTISTRY in

Manhattan (SOHO). Dr. Stephen

R. Goldberg provides comprehen-

sive family dental care using non-

mercury fillings, crowns, dentures,

thorough cleanings, non-surgical

gum treatments with minimal X-

rays. For a free initial exam in a

nutrition-oriented practice and for

insurance information, please call

212- 505- 5055.

DOES YOUR BODY HURT? Get

lasting relief! The Miller System of

Integrative Bodywork is a gentle,

holistic approach—incorporates

breathing techniques, massage,

stretches, exercises and more.

Customized sessions promote

rapid recovery from injuries and

reduce mental and physical

stress. Call Harriet LMT at 718-

788-1864.

MD-SUPERVISED WGT LOSS pro-

gram to burn fat, save muscle,

prevent diabetes. Low dose aller-

gen therapy for inhalent, food &

chemical allergy. Bio-identical

thyroid & hormone replacement.

Non-drug treatment for depres-

sion, anxiety, insomnia. Call Dr.

Ordene @718-258-7882. Insurance

reimbursable, Medicare accepted.

VACATION RENTALSCATSKILL RENTAL. Secluded.

Plan your spring getaway now at

oasishill.com. Coop members dis-

count. Dave 212- 289- 6282.

WHAT’S FOR FREEBROOKLYN AUTHORS Jezra Kaye

and Ellen Greenfield launch their

new novels with a reading at

Community Bookstore. Sunday,

April 15th, 5-7 PM, 143 Seventh

Ave., Brooklyn. Join us for snacks,

drinks and some great literature

(and celebrate getting your taxes

done!).


ADVERTISE ON THE WEBIf your ad would benefit from broader exposure, try theCoop's web page, www.foodcoop.com. The ads are FREE.

What Is That? How Do I Use It?

Ask Me QuestionsAbout Coop Foods

Friday, April 6, 8 to 10:45 a.m.Monday, April 9, 12 to 12:45 p.m.Monday, April 16, 12 to 12:45 p.m.

You can join in any time during a question-and-answer session

on the shopping floor.

Look for tour leaders in produce aisle.

sKIMptIDAlrADArnEVErsKATErreTINAltRUTHfulcLOISterabNORMAlheRITAgegramMARIAnnonETHELess

PuzzleAnswers

CLASSIFIEDS

12-04-05 p1-16_Layout 1 4/4/12 3:54 PM



SOMETIMESPLASTIC BAGS ARENEEDED

DEAR MEMBERS,I am writing in support of

Ann Herpel’s “Banning Plas-tic-Roll Bags = Environment.Time. Money.” I’ve been aCoop member for close to 20years. I supported getting ridof the t-shirt bags, and I don’tfind it burdensome to bringbags with me. If I forget bagsat home, there are alwaysboxes, or really inexpensivereusable bags available nearthe checkout.

While I thoroughly appre-ciate the concerns behindwanting to eliminate producebags, I’d like to add to Her-pel’s points another one,which I experience when I domy work assignment at thecheckout. Even with the bagsstill available, many shoppersnow choose not to use themfor their produce, insteadplacing their produce directlyonto the counter. The counterbecomes wet and sometimessandy, as well as littered withproduce debris. In betweenshoppers, then, I need towipe down the counter anddry my hands. Shoppers don’trealize that what they’re sav-ing by not using plastic bagsmay be balanced by the papertowels checkout workers needto use to clean up after theirproduce.

Some shoppers now reuseand re-re-use bags, which isfine except when those bagshave bar codes that theyhaven’t covered, so that thecheckout worker may charge

them incorrectly, or need togo back into the system tocorrect errors.

Muslin bags, beingopaque, do slow us down aswell, especially when shop-pers tie them shut to preventproduce from spilling out.

For all these reasons, inaddition to the ones Herpeldetails, I must reluctantlyoppose the banning of plas-tic bags for produce and bulkitems.

Martha Livingston

NEED BETTERDEPLOYMENT OFLABOR

DEAR MEMBERS,With the increased number

of Coop members, one regu-larly hears the “observation”that there is a surplus of mem-ber labor, and that shiftsshould therefore be shorter or,more frequently suggested,less frequent. I overheard sucha conversation among several“working members” just now,while checking out at the Coopearly on Sunday morning.

During my “shop,” therewere several unstocked orunderstocked produce bins,even though the items were inthe Coop, because the Receiv-ing squad hadn’t had theopportunity to re-stock them.Two popular items which Ineeded from the “dairy cooler”were retrieved at my requestfrom boxes in the coolerbecause they were not yet onthe shelf (there was a workerin there—on many occasions Ihave had to resort to “selfhelp” in this circumstance).

There were calls over the PAfor workers to assume variousReceiving tasks.

There appeared to be acheckout worker at every reg-ister, some occupied, somenot, yet a Squad Leaderobserved that they wereunderstaffed, in that therewas no one working Express.

While the prospect of work-ing at the Coop less frequentlyduring the year does have itsappeal, it would seem thatwhat we really need is betterdeployment of working mem-bers, because with moremembers there is more of aneed to restock. We did thisbetter before the Coop dividedthe workers who staff the storeduring its open-for-businesshours into Shopping andReceiving squads. This is, ofcourse, to the Coop’s benefit,because the Coop loses a saleevery time someone shrugsand moves on without pur-chasing what they want.

Janet Gottlieb

TYING DOGS TOTHE BENCH

DEAR EDITOR,What is the Coop’s policy

about tying dogs to thebench outside the Coop? Andwhat are the rights of peoplewho are uncomfortablearound unknown dogs, butwho would like to sit on thebench in quiet? Whatever theanswers might be, it might behelpful to have the policiesposted prominently, perhapsaffixed to the bench.

Thank you, Robert Matson

A TURN FOR THEVERSE

Julliard in the 90s,Majored in Page-Turning,A subject that has alwaysKept my interest burning.Met a pianist

Turned all musicians’ heads,They listened incredulously,Dreamed of her in their beds.Wrote her of my love,Page after page, went to town,Then a note in return—My turn-on turned me down.

Leon Freilich

We welcome letters from members. Submission deadlinesappear in the Coop Calendar. All letters will be printed ifthey conform to the published guidelines. We will notknowingly publish articles which are racist, sexist or other-wise discriminatory

The maximum length for letters is 500 words. Lettersmust include your name and phone number and be typedor very legibly handwritten. Editors will reject letters thatare illegible or too long.

You may submit on paper, typed or very legibly hand-written, or via email to [email protected] oron disk.

AnonymityUnattributed letters will not be published unless the

Gazette knows the identity of the writer, and therefore mustbe signed when submitted (giving phone number). Suchletters will be published only where a reason is given to theeditor as to why public identification of the writer wouldimpose an unfair burden of embarrassment or difficulty.Such letters must relate to Coop issues and avoid any non-constructive, non-cooperative language.

FairnessIn order to provide fair, comprehensive, factual cover-

age:1. The Gazette will not publish hearsay—that is, allega-

tions not based on the author's first-hand observation.2. Nor will we publish accusations that are not specific

or are not substantiated by factual assertions.3. Copies of submissions that make substantive accu-

sations against specific individuals will be given to thosepersons to enable them to write a response, and both sub-missions and response will be published simultaneously.This means that the original submission may not appearuntil the issue after the one for which it was submitted.

The above applies to both articles and letters. The onlyexceptions will be articles by Gazette reporters which willbe required to include the response within the article itself.

RespectLetters must not be personally derogatory or insulting,

even when strongly criticizing an individual member'sactions. Letter writers must refer to other people withrespect, refrain from calling someone by a nickname that theperson never uses himself or herself, and refrain from com-paring other people to odious figures like Hitler or Idi Amin.

LETTERS POLICY

LEFFERTS FARMFOOD COOPERATIVEWe are a newly-formed group made up of residents from Flatbush, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens and Crown Heights, working to develop a new medium-sized food cooperative in the area.

JOIN US: www.meetup.com/plgfoodcoop

WE NEED YOUR HELP!There’s no question Brooklyn needs more food cooperatives, but it’s not simple. Food co-ops are businesses and development projects created for and by the community.

JOIN OUR PLANNING GROUPIn order to make this happen, we need YOU! Why? Because as a member, you have experience with food co-ops. And as a worker/community member, you have experience we need—from organizational development, branding/messaging, finance/accounting, fundraising, to real estate development and community outreach. Even people you know or the groups you belong to are a valuable asset to the process!

GET INVOLVEDPSFC members will receive FTOP credit in exchange for their participation. Join our MeetUp group at www.meetup.com/plgfoodcoop or contact [email protected] for more information.

DO YOU LIKE DESIGNING FLYERS? HOW ARE YOU AT

MARKETING? DO YOU LIKE SOCIAL NETWORKING?

ARE YOU A WEB DEVELOPER? CAN YOU WRITE PHP?

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO USE WORDPRESS? DO YOU LIKE

TABLING AT EVENTS? DO YOU LIKE RESEARCHING FOOD? DO YOU NEED FTOP CREDIT? DO YOU LIKE

COMMUNITY, EATING GOOD FOOD, AND FUN? COME

HANG OUT WITH THE BUSHWICK FOOD COOP

AND GET WORK CREDIT! A BUYING CLUB AND CSA ARE SATIATING US WHILE WE WORK TOWARDS MAKING THE DREAM OF HAVING OUR OWN STOREFRONT A REALITY. WE ARE REALLY INVESTED IN OUR COLLECTIVE GOAL OF BRINGING AFFORDABLE, LOCAL AND ORGANIC FOOD TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF BUSHWICK. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP, PLEASE EMAIL US AT [email protected].

12-04-05 p1-16_Layout 1 4/4/12 3:54 PM



extended hours for the newshifts, for instance. And,while some of these openingswould likely be filled withexisting members looking formore convenient work slots,others might have to beopened up to new members.

Zero Population GrowthAnd large numbers of new

members is what we don’twant right now. Currently, theCoop is aiming for zero pop-ulation growth: to have theinflux of new members matchthe attrition of departingones. For the past severalyears, the Coop has under-taken several measures toslow our growth: first requir-ing pre-registration for orien-tation and limiting thenumber of seats

in orientation. But even withthese measures in place, theCoop has grown two percentover the same period lastyear. So in March, GeneralCoordinators took it a stepfurther and cut the Wednes-day night orientation alto-

gether. At this point, saidHoltz, the number of peopleallowed per orientation hasbecome so small it didn’tmake sense to cut that num-ber any more.

At this point, all the Coor-dinators acknowledge thattinkering with shifts, addinga squad here or there, won’tdo much to relieve the strainon the Coop. And the largerwe get, bigger issues comeinto play: making surethere’s enough room in thebasement to store all thefood we consume, handlingall the trucks that mustmake deliveries to keep upwith our demand, dealingwith the congestion we cre-ate on the block, particularlywhen it comes to the FireDepartment. The only thing

that will really solvethese problems, saidHoltz, is having otherfood coops open upand take the strain

off of us. Orthe PSFC could open a newbranch, which would be botha huge financial undertakingand potential risk but is nowsomething that the Coordi-nators may begin to discuss.

For now, new members

and existing members haveto rely on that same combi-nation of patience and perse-verance that has become arequirement for being a PSFCmember. Member Coordina-tor Swift advises both newand existing members to geton a wait-list for a favoredshift; the wait-lists movequickly, especially cominginto the summer seasonwhen many members go onleave. And for the time being,she advises new members tobe willing to accept theirthird or fourth or fifth choicefor a work slot.

Though that isn’t alwaysnecessary. Michael Lovaglio,the member who waited twoyears to nab an orientationslot, chose a 5:30 a.m. Thurs-day receiving slot. “It worksfor me,” he said. He’ll get upearly, work, then shop beforethe Coop gets crowded—already thinking like a sea-soned PSFCer. ■

few shiftsC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 4

Attendees at a recent orientation face the challenge of choosing work slots.

PHO

TOS

BY A

NN

RO

SEN

Winsome Green poses for her Coop I.D.

Full openings bookstell the story of the

dearth of work slots.

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THANK YOU!

Thank you to the following members for referring friends who joined the Coop in the last two weeks

Claire AdamsRobin AustinElizabeth AyerAlisha B.Julie BaezTracy BalzanoNancy BeckKim BeckerKorby BenoitEsther BernsteinShalmon BernsteinMark BiermanRiva BlumenfeldBob BlumenthalGloria BlumenthalScott Bodenner

Sonja Boet-WhitakerBarbie BrillantesBrombergNaomi BrusselJohanna BuckWilliam CampbellYandra CanoAoka CarrCathy CarverYvette ChoySam ColemanAmanda CooperShama DavisJohn DeckerChana DelfinerTressa Eaton

Hannah EdmundsEleanorBeverly EmmonsErikaLaura EvansAmanda F.Sammi F.Tara FinneranJeremy FrindelSara FrohlichSharon GambleDina GarfinkelBen GeballeRachel GeballeShana N. GittensValerie Goffin

Claudia GonsonJeff GrayCharlie HarrisElisa HarrisAnnie HartMichaela HayesAdrienne HealdClaire HenniganLloyd HicksSuzanne HillingerGraeme HunterSimone ImbertPeter KelmanTanya KesslerBenjamin KliglerVan Lancaster

Zoe LarkinsCynthia LawsonSusan LeoneMelody LitwinLydaDeborah MarlandDarragh MartinElsa MarvelCarly MonardoJohanna MuszbekAnita NagerJo OngNataliya OstrovskayaMara P.Barry PamerDavid Phillips

Daniella PolyakKyle RatnerGabriel RogersMirele RosenbergerJames RuschakSonia RuschakGregg SchaufeldDana SchneiderJeremy SchwartzLida ShaoJohn ShapiroTara SherStephanie ShermanPeter SimonAlea Skwara Alyson Spurgas

Jack StromanLana ThelenMarc ThompsonChristine TsaiSophia TuJames VasileTiffany WangAdam WatsonJoey WeisenbergKimberly WhiteEsther WilenkinBeverly WindRay WofsyVanessa WoogTheresa XavierYoshiko

WELCOME!

A warm welcome to these new Coop members who have joined us in the last two weeks. We’re glad you’ve decided to be a part of our community.

Kevin AdamsMelissa AdamsOmar Antonio BaMarland BackusJuliana BartonBenjamin BeckleyMax BerryAlexis BerthelotHannah BerthelotHannah BlaisdellMelani BolyaiCathy BorckSylvia BrewsterRobyn BrownMichael Cantone

James CarrJessica ChayesChialin ChouJane ChuangElizabeth ClaymanHeidi ClevenAlexander CohenRose CostelloRose Ann CreightonSandra DavilaRobert DeacyValerie DeacyBrice DeReynierChristian deVietriPatrick Eager

Udi FalksonDavid FieldMiriam FriedmanAna GalloWendy C. GoldbergBlanca GomezMeredith GranWinsome GreenRita GutkovichKaty HanszErin HartiganBrianne HayesWilliam HayesAndrew HughesChris Jo

Aili JordanChaya KatzoffJoanne KimDaniel KruziewiczAnna Lise KvanAndrew LandBatya LernerNechama LernerKurt LindseyMichael LovaglioNechama MarcusManuel( Manolo)

MartinezSarah MatariEmi Matsuyama

Brendan MatzChristopher McCavittCarl MokRosalyn MokGrace MooreNi MuEric NeunerErica NofiGregory NofiSiobhan O’LoughlinKatherine PenceMarcel PezetTatiana PilipovitchPieter-Paul PothovenAndrea Powell

Hamid RahmanianKelsey RauberAaron ReissLaura RobitzekRegina RockeYehuda RosenbergerMohit SantramAndrea SchroderVilma SerraRebecca Short WeissRaymond SicamNaila SiddiquiJessica SilverPeter SilverKelley Simons

Makela SpielmanAlanna StangLuke SternAlena SvyatovaAndras SzantoMartina SzarekGrace TanJoseph Tartaglia-MalterTracy ThuesdayRobert TrentacosteEve TurowThomas VartanianIrene VenturaAnthony WagenseilAgnieszka Zabawa



BRING QUALITY AFFORDABLE FOOD TO OUR COMMUNITY!Our loan program is a great way to make a socially conscious investment in the future of our 625 (and rising!) member co-op serving Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy and Prospect Heights.

If you are a resident of New York State and would like more information, please visit our website: www.greenehillfood.coop/loans, or contact Doug Warren at [email protected].

LEND TO US

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volume gg, number 7 april 5, 2012 ... - park slope food coop · ordinary neighborhood buy n’...

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