Newsletter - March 4th, 2019
|
|
Dear Members & Friends,
We made it through February's winter blast, and while there's still a chill in the air, spring is on its way. Come to the store this month as we welcome March and the turning season!
|
|
Annual Meeting and Board Elections Potluck
Wednesday, March 27th
6:00 pm
at the San Juan Island Grange Hall
To Our Dedicated Co-op Members,
The San Juan Island Food Co-op will be holding its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, March 27th at 6:00 pm at the San Juan Island Grange Hall. The meeting will commence with a voluntary potluck for those who wish to bring a dish to share. In advance of that gathering, we are looking for nominations of exceptional candidates wanting to join our Board of Directors
We are looking for nominees from across career spectrums, and particularly invite nominations of those with legal prowess, non-profit or business backgrounds, and previous board experience.
There are currently two open Board positions, each carrying a term of two years. Starting today, we will be accepting nominations and will continue to do so leading up to the Annual Meeting. Please send all nominations to the San Juan Co-op email address, with "Board Nomination" in the subject line. Please include contact information for your nomination, so that we may notify them of the honor.
All nominations shall close prior to the commencement of the meeting and will be voted on therein. Nominations may be made by any voting member, and a candidate may nominate her/himself, if they so choose.
Nominees must accept the nomination before their name shall be placed on the ballot. The election period shall extend from the Annual Meeting for a minimum of one week and requires at least 10% of the Membership to vote before elections will be ratified.
Thank you for your participation and continued support.
We look forward to seeing you there!
|
|
Monthly Beach Clean Up
Calling All Volunteers!
Beginning in April, the co-op will be sponsoring a monthly beach clean up on the 2nd Saturday of each month.
|
|
Our first clean up will take place at South Beach on
Saturday, April 13th from 1-3 pm.
We will provide trash bags, coffee, tea, and snacks.
In addition to the rewards of of caring for our island home, participants will earn co-op cash for each hour they volunteer - dollars that can be used in the store.
Grab your gloves, grab a friend, and join this community effort to keep our public spaces pristine and enjoyable for all.
|
|
Farm Profile
Aurora Farms, San Juan Island
|
|
Aurora Farms is part of the original Guard homestead, which then became Kulu Farms, owned by the Pope family, and has been in agriculture since the late 1880’s. Nestled on a hilltop overlooking picturesque San Juan Valley as it slopes down to False Bay, Aurora is polyculture farming at its finest. Lori Ann runs herds of Katahdin sheep and Boer goats, which graze rotationally on the lush pasture of her 31 acres, and produce meat of exceptionally high quality. Berkshire pigs are part of the rotational mix, as well as ducks, turkeys, and meat poultry. She keeps around 150 laying hens who happily consume all the pesky weeds from her two greenhouses and production areas, in which she organically grows a variety of Asian greens, salad mixes, spinach, radishes, arugula, cucumbers, tomatoes, and more. Lori Ann also tends a large perennial herb and flower garden, with a special focus on her show-stopping peonies, and an onsite “compost production zone” turns all the raw farm material into black gold for growing.
|
|
Above the main barn she’s built a custom yoga studio, and in the office complex you’ll find an art studio, complete with a kiln and an antique Singer sewing machine. Lori Ann believes in “The Art of AgRiculTure” and bringing beauty to whatever she’s working on, whether it’s welding in the shop or arranging flowers for an event. Her philosophy is to let nature dictate the pace, waiting for cues that are often hard to catch. But she is equally skilled at coaxing nature to work on her behalf, and here at the co-op, we are very lucky to feature her delicious greens and salad mixes, which are a welcome sight at the end of February after a snowstorm!
|
|
Lori Ann encourages visitors at the farm and is always happy to meet people for a quick tour around the property. She loves letting kiddos into the goat pen to play with the babies, and there’s always something tasty waiting for guests in the farm store, which is open everyday!
|
|
Member Spotlight
Eleanor Hartman - In her own words
I became a frequent visitor to San Juan Island in the 1990’s when one by one my three younger marine scientist sons all spent time at the FH Labs. I bought a field of tall grasses and sticker bushes in 2003, retired in 2005 and spent most of my time on the island, got my Seattle house sold in 2007, moved here for good and built my little rammed earth house.
Even before I settled in here I asked people why there was no food co-op on the island. Finally someone passed along my interest and I got an email from our founder, Cloud Oakes, that a food co-op would be opening in Surina Business Park on November 7, 2007, and I was welcome to come and help unload the first UNFI delivery. We filled one single door fridge, one single door freezer, and a couple of wire racks. It was a fine start.
I looked at the offerings and mused to myself, “Hm, there’s not much here that Eleanors eat!” So I got Cloud’s permission to gather up local farm foods, starting with Sundstrom’s burger. It was deep winter, but in January there was a Farmers Market at the Fairgrounds, and I talked Joel and Margaret Thorson of Thousand Flower Farm into selling me what produce they hadn’t sold that day to put in the fridge at the co-op — eight bundles of kale and such.
Back at the store I helped unload UNFI and Azure deliveries, packaged bulk foods, filled dispensers, and did some housekeeping. I put in time as a Board member, helped update the bylaws, and filled in where I could.
At some point I ended up being the person to write the newsletter, because I had plenty of adventures to report, news of products I was bringing in, and stories of farms and people in the local food movement. Altogether I spent about 20 hours a week doing what was needed and whatever I could think of that would help our co-op grow.
Before coming to the island, I raised a large brood and patched together a living for us by teaching English at various community colleges in the Seattle area, working as a makeup artist for Seattle Opera and other theater and dance businesses, teaching stage makeup at Cornish College, and working summers in a bakery. I volunteered at the opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet and other performing groups until they offered me paid employment, and I served on the founding Board of Trustees of Seattle Children’s Theater.
These days,
I have a garden, I walk with friends and explore the island with the Friday Walkers, I undertake sewing projects when I’m inspired, I regularly read science and scholarly things, and I occasionally make craft things for my many grandkids who range from 0 to 33 years old.
|
|
Gardening with Master Gardener Alice Deane
WHAT’S UP WITH THE WEATHER?
AND SOME HOPE!
I’m so cold, aren’t you? What is going on here? We were seduced by the warm January and then slammed by this February freeze that looks like it’s going to extend into March. I do not know what to expect with weather any more. Our friends who head south to escape winter got a shock too, since it snowed in Las Vegas and Los Angeles and San Diego got the most rain it’s had in 20 years. Our demonstration garden in town looks totally dead; check out the artichoke plants facing the street by the Marketplace. I haven’t even been in there for the last two weeks, I was sick of course, like everyone else.
|
|
But Linda Gilkeson’s article for February came yesterday and she is, as always, hopeful and practical. Check her out at
http://lindagilkeson.ca
She says you can start seeds indoors as long as it’s light enough, and daylight savings time does start on March 10th. We’re starting seeds for the master gardener spring plant sale now too, albeit under grow lights and on heat mats.
|
|
This is another hint that a greenhouse might be a very good purchase if you want to garden in this area. My greenhouse is making it through the freeze, with the help of my heat mats and a little space heater I ran during the days and nights that were down in the 20s. My overwintered pots are alive and the kale starts are huge. The lettuce doesn’t look so good, but I will just replant that. I’m going to try to be optimistic and begin to harden off those kale plants, they are desperate to get into the ground, but they’ll have to wait a few weeks longer. And I’m going to start some Asian greens. !"
|
|
If you don’t know about Eliot Coleman now might be the time to check out one of his books. A couple of good ones are Four Season Harvest and Winter Harvest Handbook. He gardens year round in Maine and is a master at coping mechanisms. I have them and they are very useful. But it shouldn’t have to be like this in Western Washington, right? I am trying hard to remain cheerful but it’s kind of dragging me down; hot soup and the wood stove are my saviors. Yes, the snow was pretty but I’m from Southern California after all and a gal can only take so much. Sorry to be griping but I suspect you are too. Next month I’ll be perkier. Stay warm.
-Alice
|
|
Lopez Island Creamery
Rotating Flavors:
Cherry Amaretto
&
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk
Hain Pure Foods - Iodized Sea Salt
BioKleen Automatic Dish Soap
In Bulk!
|
|
25% off
Samish Bay Whole Milk Yogurt in Glass Jars (32 oz)
Food for Life Genesis 1:29 Sprouted Grain and Seed Bread
Price Reduction
Solana Gold Gravenstein Juice (32 oz)
Was $6.40, Now $4.65
|
|
|
HABA
MUSHROOMS AND HEALTH
The medicinal use of mushrooms has a very long tradition in the Asian countries, but dates as far back as Neolithic man, with the oldest known human mummy carrying a stash of Birch Bracket in his medicine pouch. Over the past several decades, the use of medicinal mushrooms has skyrocketed in the West, leading to numerous scientific studies that confirm what Neolithic man knew - mushrooms are vital, biologically active compounds with notable protective, supportive and healing effects. Mushrooms may be considered the 'original' superfood.
When consumed as a food, mushrooms are an excellent source of B-vitamins, fiber, trace minerals and even protein! However, some of the magic in medicinal mushrooms is found in the nature of their polysaccharide compound known as beta glucan. Beta glucan is extraordinarily complex and plays a large role in the immune enhancing benefits of mushrooms. The combination of this unique polysccharide and a powerful antioxidant compound known as ergothioneine help give mushrooms powerful anti inflammatory effects.
Whether choosing functional foods to enhance ones diet or looking to nature to support the body through specific dis-ease states and/or conditions, kingdom Fungi is a great place to look.
The co-op has chosen Host Defense as the main supplier of medicinal mushroom compounds, with a variety of different capsules and tinctures of both individual mushroom species, as well as supportive blends. These species and/or blends support a number of different bodily systems, support stress and fatigue reduction, contain prebiotics to support intestinal microflora, and provide building blocks on a cellular level.
|
|
Perhaps the next time you are feeling the effects of modern society, the pollutants in the environment or the dreariness of a long cold winter, a mushroom or two will be just what you need for a boost!
And for another type of boost - check out this Ted Talk by Paul Stamets, founder of Host Defense, on "6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World."
Be Well!
-Adrienne
|
|
Beer of the Month:
Propolis Brewing
Around four months ago a co-op member approached me about Propolis brewing out of Port Townsend. After checking them out I got in touch with the owners to see about bringing their amazing wild foraged beers to the co-op. We've been working since then to get their beers up here, which they finally are, as of last week, thanks to a friend of theirs who commutes to Lopez from Port Townsend.
Propolis was established in June of 2012 with the sole intent to produce high-quality handcrafted herbal ales inspired by Old World tradition, local resources and the rhythms of nature. Their ales are brewed with various wild-crafted herbs and are seasonally based. Many of their ales blend several styles and are hard to classify by those that subscribe to the standards. They are primarily inspired by the farmhouse tradition of France and Belgium, as well as Old World Ales that no longer exist.
The Ales are fermented with a blend of yeasts and bacteria. They are blends of French & Belgian yeast cultures, as well as local indigenous yeast and bacteria cultures. The brewers isolate and cultivate many wild brettanomyces strains specific to the Olympic Peninsula. These cultures take residence in the barrels residing for many years while they slowly do their work during the long brewing process.
Propolis Ales are brewed using 100% certified organic pacific northwest malted barley and wheat, as well as organically sourced unmalted wheat, spelt, oats and rye. They utilize locally grown organic herbs, wild-crafted herbs, fruits, and flowers from the forest that surrounds Port Townsend. The sustainable approach to these ales extends beyond the walls of their brewery as the company partners with local farms and wild-crafters for the collection of fruits and flowers to the composting and reclaiming of spent grain. They craft every ale in small batches, bottling, corking, capping, labeling, and waxing by hand. Many of the ales are brewed in batches under 50 cases with each vintage unique to the “Flavors of the Season”.
-Jeremy
|
|
Produce
Local
Aurora Farm: Asian greens, spinach, salad mix (
Friday delivery
)
Horse Drawn Farm (Lopez Island): Yellow onions, Amarosa & French fingerling potatoes
Sweet Earth Farm: Delicata squash
Dog Island Farm (Guemes Island): Shiitake mushrooms
Zach's Fresh Sheet: Shokichi Shiro mini squash
|
|
Regional
Boldly Grown Farm (Skagit Valley, WA): spaghetti & acorn squash, radicchio
Ralph's Greenhouse (Skagit Valley, WA): Leeks, parsnips, radicchio, red beets
Top Hat Mushrooms (OR): Shitake mushrooms
Winter Greens Farm (OR): Burdock
Willowood Farm (Whidbey Island): Japanese turnips, skoroskopelko sunchokes, red kuri squash, mixed colored carrots, parsnips, celeriac
|
|
OrganicGirl Salad Mixes (CA): Arugula, Spring Mix, & Baby Spinach
Celery (CA)
Broccoli (CA)
Cucumber (CA)
Friday
Bell Peppers (MX)
Tuesday PM
Cauliflower (CA)
Brussels Sprouts (CA)
Green onions (CA)
Tuesday PM
Kale (CA)
Chard (CA)
|
|
Carrots (CA)
Tuesday PM
Fennel (CA)
Parsley/Cilantro (CA)
Oranges (CA)
Blood Oranges (CA)
Lemons (CA)
Limes (MX)
Grapefruit (CA)
Bananas (MX, Ecuador)
Mangoes (MX)
Avocados (MX
|
|
Volunteer With The Co-op!
We are currently looking for volunteer help in the following areas -
- Dairy - checking dates on milk and cheese, stocking, and facing dairy shelves
- Alcohol - stocking, pricing, assisting with signage, and event and tastings help
- Produce - Assistance with receiving deliveries, afternoon stocking
In addition to the rewards of donating their time, volunteers earn co-op cash to spend in the store. Any hours worked within the quarter will count towards co-op cash. All cash earned during the quarter is to be used during the following quarter, with transactions recorded at the check stand.
|
|
Contact Information
If you would like to volunteer, please email Sarah at the co-op with "VOLUNTEER" in the subject line:
sanjuancoop@gmail.com
.
Or phone the co-op at 360-370-5170. You can also leave a message with the cashier.
Thank you!
- Sarah
|
|
SPECIAL ORDERS
Special Ordering is a
Member Benefit
. Save on items you use often--bathroom tissue, pet food, canned goods, pasta, bulk beans, and even chill or frozen items. The markup on member special orders is 20% over wholesale for taxable and non-taxable items. You can request a special order information sheet at the store or via email:
sanjuancoop@gmail.com
|
|
UNFI orders are every week.
Order deadline is Saturday at Midnight
for following week's pick up
Pickup: after
3pm
on Tuesday
Please be prompt for chill and frozen items.
|
|
Azure Standard orders are every other week
This month's
orders due Saturday March 9th
by midnight
Pickup Friday March 15th after 10 am
|
|
Store Hours
Monday - Friday: 10 - 7 // Saturday & Sunday: 10 - 5
Upcoming Board Meetings
6:30 pm in the Heritage Bank Conference Room
Monday, March 18th
|
|
Thank you for supporting the San Juan Island Food Co-op
|
|
Mission Statement
The San Juan Island Food Co-op strives to provide access to local and regional food and goods that are organic, sustainable, and fairly produced, with the smallest carbon footprint.
The Co-op encourages conscientious consumption
and nurtures community connections.
|
|
San Juan Island Food Co-op - Friday Harbor - 360-370-5170
|
|
To unsubscribe from all correspondence,
please click the
SafeUnsubscribe
link below the newsletter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
