April 2015 Sustainability Springs Forth By Pat Burns, General Manager Every year, we’re working on a variety of initiatives at the Co-op, many related to sustainability. And once a year, we try to tell a compelling story of our collective Cooperative value and strength in our Annual Report. Since we’re celebrating Earth Week this month, I wanted to take some time and highlight the “Sustainability & Environment” section of our Annual Report. Read on for more information about our waste diversion, alternative transportation, FishWise, and more. Read more Update: General Manager Search By Rachel Jolly, Board Member and Search Committee Chair As January’s edition of the Onion Skin reported, the Board is conducting a search for a new General Manager after Pat Burns notified us of his plans to step down in June. We want to let you know of our progress. Board members feel that we have been blessed with excellent leadership in our past two General Managers. When Clem Nilan stepped down in 2013 the then Director of Operations, Pat Burns, was a natural fit and seamlessly took on the role of General Manager. Over the last two years, he has helped lead City Market to be the top grossing single-store co-op in the National Co-op Grocers network. Pat’s announcement of his decision to step down was graciously given six months before his end date, giving us plenty of notice to reach one of the most important decisions we will make as representatives of our members. Read more Patronage Refund Results We are excited to announce the results of Patronage Refund donations! Over $968,000 was sent to Members in November as Patronage Refunds.  As part of this process, Members have the option to donate their checks to Hunger Free Vermont or to not cash their checks in support of our Co-op Patronage Seedling Grantprogram. We set a minimum of $20,000 for Co-op Patronage Seedling Grants, but the uncashed Patronage Refund amount was almost three times that amount, meaning the 5 organizations receiving these grants will get a much larger infusion of cash. Learn more Earth Week April 20-26, 2015 Join us to celebrate environmental sustainability, not just for Earth Day, but for Earth Week!  We’ll be giving away free reusable bags (in 2 different sizes) to customers who would normally need a plastic or paper bag startingMonday, April 20 through Sunday, April 26 or while supplies last. We’ll also be offering an in-store pallet sale on products from Seventh Generation, Ben & Jerry’s, Cabot Creamery, and Vita Coco, as well as in-store demos and a special Earth Week Facebook giveaway. Stay tuned to our website and social media for details! Read more April Cheese & Wine This month our Cave to Co-op cheese special is Mad River Blue from Von Trapp Farmstead in Waitsfield, VT.  Made with raw cows’ milk, this cheese has a natural rind and is aged 3 months.  It is a mild blue with a complex flavor and creamy texture.  It pairs well with sweet white wines with bright acidity like Kung Fu Girl Riesling and light and fruity red wines like Domaine duPeuble Beaujolais. Read more Please Note: Store CLOSED April 15, 2015 Due to a need to replace a faulty refrigeration valve (and thus turn off many of the coolers in the store), we will beclosing early at 9pm on Tuesday, April 14 and the Co-op will be CLOSED Wednesday, April 15.  We plan to be open regular hours on Thursday, April 16, 7am-11pm.  We apologize for the inconvenience!   Upcoming Co-op & Local Events The Dish: Git Yer Goat Wednesday, April 29, 2015 5:30-7:00pm ArtsRiot, 400 Pine St. As part of Vermont Restaurant Week(April 24 – May 3), we’re presenting a special edition of The Dish! Goats are the world’s most common meat source, valued for their relatively inexpensive upkeep, resilience and adaptability. But most Vermonters have never eaten chevon, or goat meat, and it rarely appears on restaurant menus. How come? Join a panel of local experts for a lively discussion on the potential goats represent for Vermont’s food system and evolving agricultural landscape. Learn more Members Needed: Join a Co-op Team There are a couple of community events we are participating in, and we’re recruiting Members to be a part of Member Teams for each event: Vermont Restaurant Week Culinary Pub Quiz: Sun, April 26 email Callie Megargle byWednesday, April 22 to sign up COTS Walk: Sun, May 3 email Liz Dykes by Wednesday, April 29 to sign up Hope to see you out at these upcoming events! Tierralismo Film Showing Saturday, May 2, 7-9pm Main Street Landing Join us, Americas Media Initiative, and Vermont Caribbean Institute for a showing of Tierralismo: Stories from a Cooperative Farm.  Tierralismo is a documentary about the history and practices of one of Cuba’s most successful and important urban farms, the Organoponico Vivero Alamar. What began as a necessity – farming without pesticides and chemical fertilizers – has become a source of pride to co-op members. Learn more More upcoming classes • In-store product demos Note: These articles are not meant as a substitute for proper medical advice. Please consult with your medical practitioner before using any type of remedy, herbal or otherwise. Farm Visit to Boyden Farm By Sarah Bhimani, Media Coordinator Earlier this week, a few of us from the Co-op had the opportunity to visit our friends out at Boyden Farm in Cambridge, VT to get a tour of their beef operation.  It was a gray, late winter day, but we stayed warm as we walked around visiting the cows and learning all about what the Boydens and their staff do. Boyden Farm raises grass-fed, grain-finished beef on about 900 acres, using non-GMO feed.  This means that the corn and soybeans that are fed to the cattle are GMO-free varieties. Read more Advice from the Aisles: DIY Room Sprays By Wendy Neville, Wellness Buyer Have you started your spring cleaning yet? The sun is out and the snow is melting – let’s put the winter behind us!Spring inspires us to shed our layers, change things up, move out the various winter supplies from our homes, and do some cleaning. But maybe you’re not inspired quite yet? This can be a daunting and messy task, kicking up dust, mold, and more. And it’s usually just not that fun. You’d rather be playing in the mud, right?So why would you want to make your own room sprays? Read more From the Archives: Dyeing Eggs Without the Mysterious Fizzy Tablet By Meg Klepack If you’re looking to color eggs this spring without using those mysterious fizzy dye tablets made in China, look no further than your refrigerator. Surprisingly, natural dyes using the colorful spices and vegetables we’ve all got in our kitchens already can be just as vibrant and fun as the chemical dyes. Here’s how. Read more Take Action: DARK Act The Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act (H.R. 1559), also dubbed as the DARK Act (Denying Americans the Right-to-Know Act), has once again been introduced to Congress and referred to committee.  This bill wouldcodify, or make official, the current system of only voluntary GMO labeling and make null any state-passed GMO labeling requirements, including Vermont’s GMO Labeling Law.  Please help us protect Americans’ right to know what’s in our food by contacting Congress and letting them know your opinion. Learn more Check out some of our upcoming classes, including Nutrition Kitchen: Phytonutrients on April 10, Delicious Spring Detox on April 22, and Strudels on April 26.   Recipes Raw Avocado and Cucumber Soup Syrian Tabbouleh Lentil Walnut Burgers View our full recipe archive • Wine picks for under $10 Featured Community Connection: Shen Willow Holistic Massage Jamie McKenzie of Shen Willow Holistic Massage is a certified massage therapist, bringing Asian Bodywork and Traditional Chinese Medicine to Burlington. She is trained in Amma and Shiatsu massage therapy along with Abdominal Diagnosis, Chinese Cupping, Moxibustion and the fundamentals of Traditional Chinese Medicine. During the month of April, City Market Members can enter to win a $70 gift certificate to Shen Willow Holistic Massage.  To enter, fill out a drawing slip at the Customer Service Desk and place it in the Community Connections giveaway box! Read more Featured Member Artist: Fidget Artwork Fidget Artwork was born the day Cassi Stilianessis no longer cared about finding the “perfect” medium.  Finger-painting, collage, acrylic, photography—she loves it all!  Heavily inspired by a wide variety of music and an adoration of nature, Fidget Artwork is an ever growing collection of eclectic pieces as unique and unpredictable as the Vermont weather. Check out the Fidget Artwork: Eclectic Art by Cassi Facebook page for more artwork and information. Read more Rally for Change: April Our Rally for Change program started in October! Customers now have the option to round up at the register, and at the end of the month, we donate 40% of those funds to the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf, 50% to an organization that aligns with our Global Ends, and 10% to a local non-profit. 50% Recipient: Vermont Foodbank The mission of the Vermont Foodbank is to gather and share quality food and nurture partnerships so that no one in Vermont goes hungry. As the state’s largest hunger-relief organization, serving Vermont through a network of food shelves and meal sites, the Vermont Foodbank provided nearly 9 million pounds of food to 153,100 Vermonters last year alone. Beyond food distribution, Vermont Foodbank programs focus on nutrition education, addressing senior health and nutrition, job training and food preparation, along with a host of youth programs that provide healthy food for kids during out-of-school time. The Vermont Foodbank, a member of Feeding America, is nationally recognized as one of the most effective and efficient nonprofits and food banks in the nation. For every dollar donation, the Vermont Foodbank can provide 3 meals for our neighbors in need. 10% Recipient: Pine Forest Children’s Center Pine Forest Children’s Center (PFCC) is a non-profit early learning center and was founded in November 1988 by the Baird Center.  They became an independent, non-profit organization in 2010. PFCC’s mission is to provide high quality enhanced child care services to children six weeks to six years old in an integrated setting. PFCC serves 75 children daily and has six classrooms and additional space for large motor activities. They have three outdoor locations, a garden, outdoor classroom and access to Oakledge Park. PFCC is also a Certified Eco-Healthy Program through the use of green cleaning products and eco-healthy practices.  PFCC practices a play-based philosophy with an emergent curriculum. Classrooms and the natural world are symbiotic and environments are created based on children’s interests with a focus on the natural world. Our curriculum represents practices from Reggio Emilia, Piaget and Waldorf and current research based on best practices. Last month, customers rounded up a total of $10,390.51! The Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf will receive $4,156.20, the Chittenden Emergency Food Shelf Mural Project will receive $5,195.26, and Prevent Child Abuse Vermont will receive $1,039.05. Read more Connect with us! Have you visited the Co-op on Facebook, Google, or Yelp?  Please do – we want to hear from you! Stay up to date with news, information, giveaways, and fun content from your Co-op by following us on Facebook,Instagram, and our other social networks.   Board Meetings and New Members Next Board Meeting The next monthly Board meeting will be held on April 27, 2015 at 6:00pm in the City Market Community Conference Room. Members are welcome to attend! More information about our Board of Directors can be found on our website. We welcomed 152 new Members in March!