In this month's newsletter:

• A Word from the General Manager
• A Word from the Board of Directors
• Native Plant Sale with The Well Fed Caterpillar
• Cheesemaking Virtual Class & Meal Kit
• Preserving Herbs Harvest Class
• Champaign Vegan Chef Challenge
• Link Match at the Co-op
• Round Up For Good Update
• Recipe Feature
• New Products

By Gary Taylor

Hello Cooperators,

I hope you are all doing well and staying as cool as possible as the weather has really been warming up over the past week!

I have not yet highlighted in our newsletter our exciting Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) promotions. All co-ops that are part of National Cooperative Grocers (NCG) are eligible for some fantastic deals to offer our owners. We get this opportunity a few times a year to offer incredible savings on some of our most popular items and they are almost always seasonal! We just began one this week that will last until June 20th and features such items as Beyond Meat Burger Patties, Bizzy Cold Brews and Luna and Larry Ice Cream Bars! You can see all of the BOGO items online on our website. 

By Morgan Montgomery

On May 27th I, and lots of other herb enthusiasts, joined Kelly Allsup from The Land Connection for a virtual class tailored exclusively to our shared interest – Growing Kitchen Herbs. This class was the first in a series of virtual herb-focused presentations that will take place in 2023.

Native Plant Sale with

The Well Fed Caterpillar

Stop by the porch for a plant sale with The Well Fed Caterpillar: Native Plant Nursery! They'll be outside with lots of favorite native plants and pollinator-friendly perennials for your yard. 

Cheesemaking Virtual Class & Kit

Preserving Herb Harvest Class

Learn how to preserve fresh herbs and make your own herbal products for around your home! This virtual class will cover skills including drying and preserving herbs for maximum flavor retention, infusing herbs into culinary oil or vinegar and creating herbal oils (for use in home products like lip balms, lotions, and salves - all skills featured in classes later this year!). This class will be taught by Amy Wertheim of Wertheim's Gardens, a longtime herbal expert and farmer of educational, culinary, and medicinal gardens in Logan County. Class registration is free with an option to purchase a class kit to use during the live virtual class. This class will feature fresh rosemary and Thai basil and dried calendula and rosemary. The $15 base class kit includes six plastic containers for infusing, 18 oz of grapeseed oil, balsamic vinegar, cheesecloth, twine, rubber bands, and kitchen gloves and require participants to source their own herbs from their garden or local farmer. There is also an option to select a $30 class kit that includes everything in the base class kit plus bundles of fresh and dried herbs that are featured in the class.

Champaign Vegan Chef Challenge

Mock Duck Curry

Homemade mock duck vegan seitan with organic sauteed broccoli, organic carrots, organic green beans and garbanzo beans with flavorful coconut curry sauce served on a bed of steamed white rice.

$9.99/lb

Strawberry Lemonade Cake

Homemade lemon cake with a sweet strawberry lemonade frosting made with real strawberries.

$4.00

Link Match at the Co-op

Bi-color Sweet Corn Elote Soup

It's sweet corn season! We have tons of beautiful bi-colored sweet corn in our produce section, so we put it into a smooth, comforting, and mildly spicy elote soup! It is beautifully garnished with jalapeno, sour cream, cilantro and cheese and is a quick and easy dinner option.