In this month's newsletter:
- A word from the General Manager
- A word from the Board of Directors
- Local Producers Spotlight: Janie's Flour Mill
- Election Results
- C-U Folk & Roots Festival
- Homemade Pasta Cooking Class & Meal Kit
- Common Ground History Corner
- Local Produce Spotlight: Squash
- New Items
- Fair Trade & Non-GMO Month
- Round Up For Good
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Hello Cooperators!
As we enter the holiday season I would like to let you all know about what is happening at the Co-op!
First, please check out our new website! We hope that you find it to be cleaner, more informative and easier to navigate than our previous version. My deepest gratitude goes out our Marketing team who has worked so hard on it for the past few months.
Turkey preorders have begun! Please come into the store to submit your order over the weekend, or if you prefer, you can order online!
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October 1st brings with it the kick-off of a new Board of Director year. But before we start the new one, we close out the previous one that wraps up with our MOO or Meeting of Owners.
On Wednesday night Sarah presented that 11% of active owners voted in 2020 which was a record. We are pleased to announce this year that record was broken with 13% of active owners participating in the election!
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Local Producers Spotlight
Janie's Flour Mill
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When you think local food, visions of vegetable farms, cows grazing in pastures and cheese creameries often come to mind. Less common is a local flour mill, but here at Common Ground we've got you covered!
During the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, flour was one of the many products that experienced worldwide shortages. Our Grocery manager stumbled upon a small organic flour mill an hour north of Urbana called Janie’s Mill. Our story is not unique, as Janie’s Mill experienced tremendous growth over the past 2 years. Their extreme dedication to fulfill all of their orders combined with their high quality product has gained them national recognition. A group of Common Ground employees was fortunate enough to get a first-class tour of the mill and farmland.
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New Website is Finally Here!
After nearly a decade, Common Ground's website was due for an upgrade. Explore the new site and keep an eye out for special coupons for dollars off in the store! There will be coupon codes hidden throughout the website but act fast! They will disappear after a few days.
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October is Fair Trade Month & Non-GMO Month!
We'll be celebrating in the store all month. We'll have free Non-GMO buttons and stickers at the registers as well as information posted throughout the store. We will also be featuring a favorite Fair Trade brand, Equal Exchange. We'll have great deals on their coffee, chocolate bars, tea, hot cocoa, baking cocoa, and chocolate chips!
Stop in the weekend of October 16th for our canvas bag giveaway! Purchase 3 Fair Trade products and get this bag for free. Make sure you act fast - we only have 60 bags to give away!
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What is Fair Trade?
Fairtrade is an ethical certification system that promotes equality and sustainability on farms and in supply chains. Fairtrade stands for changing the way that trade works. It is an alternative approach to trade based on partnership instead of exploitation. Through Fairtrade, consumers can support farming communities and push for fairer trading conditions.
Fairtrade puts more money into the hands of farmers and workers through a unique pricing model, sets and monitors rigorous standards at every step of the supply chain, supports producers through local and regional expert networks, and creates demand for ethical goods in countries like the US.
Additional Resources:
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The Co-op Wars Virtual Screening |
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The Co-op Wars is a powerful one-hour documentary about the tumultuous years faced by the food Co-ops of the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and St. Paul). The film was directed by Deacon Warner, produced by Erik Esse and narrated by renowned actor Peter Coyote, known for his work on Ken Burns documentaries such as The Vietnam War. Any donations and proceeds for the film go to supporting Fair Trade filmmaking as well as the emerging Co-ops of Chicago: Wild Onion, Southside, and Chicago Market.
You can watch the film anytime between September 29th and October 5th via the virtual screening platform Show and Tell. When you are ready to watch the film during that timeframe, click here to access the platform.
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Homemade Pasta Cooking Class & Meal Kit
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Common Ground's Cooking Classes are back with an online class and Meal Kit! Learn to make a simple homemade pasta using local freshly-milled organic flour. Cecilia Gunther of Janie's Mill will guide you through making handmade linguini with a roasted tomato sauce and autumn mixed greens salad with with local Janie’s Mill Einkorn wheat berries, local sweet potatoes, local beets, and an avocado Greek yogurt dressing. The $30 Meal Kit is portioned for two and includes all ingredients needed to cook these dishes. Add on a bottle of Côtes-du-Rhône red wine or Tintero Arneis white wine to pair with your meal and sip while you cook! |
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C-U Folk & Roots Festival
Join us on the porch on Saturday, October 23rd from 10:00 am - 3:30 pm for live music! Brought to you by the 2021 C-U Folk & Roots Festival, the schedule is as follows:
10:00 am - 12:00 pm: Old Time Jam
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm: Bluegrass Jam
2:30 pm - 3:30 pm: Old and In the Way Singalong
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Local Food For All Mural Ribbon Cutting
Join us on the front porch to celebrate our new Local Food For All mural! This project was funded by a 2021 grant from the Urbana Arts and Culture Program and the mural was designed and painted by local artist, Madelyn Witruk. The mural encapsulates images of the local food movement, food access, diversity of Urbana residents, cultural cuisines, and highlights imagery from our local farms, like Blue Moon Farm, Sola Gratia Farm, and Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery. This artwork aims to serve as a celebration of Urbana's uniqueness, including its strong local food system, its vibrant art community, and its warm, inclusive culture.
A ribbon cutting will take place during the celebration and will include a short presentation. The event will be followed by music from the CU Folk and Roots Festival.
October 23, 2021
12:00pm - 12:30pm
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Help Us Fill the Radish!
We've had over 200 new owners sign up since July! We are so close to reaching our goal of 300 new owners by the end of October. Thanks for all your help spreading the word about Common Ground.
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Common Ground History Corner |
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As you know, Common Ground has been around for almost 50 years! Our local Co-op has decades of history, and we dug up some artifacts that showcase our story. Here's another wonderful gem from Common Ground's past. |
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Do you have old pictures, newsletters, or ads from Common Ground? Send them in to marketing@commonground.coop to have them featured in our next newsletter!
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It's squash season! We have such a variety of squash for you this fall, and almost all of them are local! We've got:
Acorn
Delicata
Shokinchi Kabocha
Red Kuri
Baby Blue Hubbard
Patty Pan
Buttercup
Baby Butternut
Pie Pumpkin
Check out this informative article from Co-op owner and squash enthusiast Mel Weinstein all about summer squash.
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Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Bowl |
This bowl has it all! All-natural chicken, quinoa, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta & a dill tahini sauce.
$9.50 per bowl
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- Cheese Pizza Snacks $4.79
- Cheese Enchiladas $5.49
- Vietnamese Banh Mi Wrap $3.69
- Macaroni & Cheese $3.99
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This mild nacho cashew queso is engineered for indulgent, dropped jaw, soul warming, "are you sure this doesn't have cheese?" reactions that you can share, as queso is meant to be.
$6.69 each
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This chocolate oat drink is full of oats instead of milk! The cocoa that is sourced for this chocolate delight is certified by the Cocoa Horizon Foundation. This ensures that it is 100% sustainably sourced and helping to create a brighter future for cocoa farmers.
$4.99 each
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Mike's Mighty Good Ramen Noodles |
- Fried Garlic Chicken
- Pork Tonkotsu
- Savory Miso
- Vegetarian Kimchi
$2.39 each
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Full Circle Reusable Bottles |
12 oz Soap Dispenser $14.99
16 oz Spray Bottle $13.79
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Thousand Hills Blueberry Wild Rice Hickory Smoked Sausage |
Cattle raised with no added hormones, no antibiotics, no grain, no grain byproducts – Ever.
Hot Dogs contain no preservatives, no nitrates, no nitrites, no soy, no MSG.
$8.25 each
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Hailed as one of the best beers of its kind, it's the reason why fall is your favorite season. This Pumpkin Ale is well-balanced from start to finish, with notes of caramel and ginger throughout. Fermented in pounds of fresh pumpkin squash and a brewer's wort and sugar mix before being filtered through a spiced infusion of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg, it turns out exactly as intended: like a slice of pie in a bottle. 8.0% ABV
$11.99 per 6-pack
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Donis is one of the Capcanes estates high up in the Llaberia hills south-west of Barcelona where old vines grow in small plots. After a careful vinification macerating it shortly on the skins this Rose results fresh, rich and full bodied with ripe seductive fruit flavors.
Fresh and aromatic, vibrant red fruit flavors of strawberry and raspberry with a hint of herby and spiciness. Medium to full-bodied and complex, elegant glycerin sweetness, ripe and fresh with a long fruity finish.
Pairs well with seafood, fish, chicken, paella, risotto or alone as an apertif.
$9.99
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Last month we raised over $5,300 for Immigrant Services of C-U! This local organization supports the integration of immigrants, refugees and asylees into our community
as independent, secure and knowledgeable members. They
use a holistic approach, helping with medical, educational, legal, housing, job-related and transportation issues.
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October Round Up For Good: Courage Connection |
Mission: "Our mission is to ensure everyone in our community has the education, support, and resources to live in safe, healthy relationships."
Project Proposal: We are in the process of strengthening or bilingual and rural outreach programs in efforts to meet people where they are. This grant will help us provide resources to or clients that may not have the means to travel or the income to cover these needs. Gas cards, bus token, and the purchase of household items or gift cards will go a long way in helping survivors of Domestic Violence rebuild their lives.
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