February GM Report
by Kenna S. Eaton
Each month, I report to the board on how we are progressing on our long-term goals, which we call our Ends. These Ends reflect our aspirations—what we want to accomplish—and they are what makes us different from a regular grocery store. We publish these reports as a blog to keep our member-owners up to date on what we are doing.
The reports are organized by our five Ends, although not all are discussed in every report. Our Ends say that, as a result of all we do—
- Our community is well-served by a strong cooperative grocery store, integral to the lives of our customers, our farmers, and our producers.
- Our community has a resilient local and regional food economy, supported by our Co-op and our community partners.
- Our staff and board have the knowledge, skills, and passion to make our cooperative thrive.
- Our members and customers are proud to shop at a local cooperative grocery that is working to reduce its impact on the environment.
- Our community is informed, engaged, and empowered to join us in making a difference.
February General Manager’s Report
Working Together to Nourish our Community
Market Relevance
In 2022 we joined a new program offered through the NCG (National Cooperative Grocers) that gives us access to new products as well as financial support from the vendors, meaning we can sell their products at a lower price. Now we are re-setting some sections of our grocery department to accommodate these new items. Late last year we reset the soups, and this month it was two doors in the drinks cooler (sodas, teas, and juices). These mini resets will run throughout the year and should make it easier to find similar items, new items, and great deals.
Food System Development
Three years ago we began purchasing from Puget Sound Food Hub, a small co-operative distributor that offers western Washington products. Food Hub partners with Key City Fish to get deliveries to us. We began in March 2020, when supplies were first affected by the pandemic, purchasing $12,000 from them that year. This gave us an alternate source for flour, honey, and bulk grains that were often in short supply from other distributors such as UNFI. In 2021, we grew our purchases to $20,000 and just under that in 2022. We continue to explore products they offer and have some new items coming in from them this month:
Local WA Sauk Farms dried honey crisp apples from the Skagit Valley gives us a regional supply of dried apples this season.
Local 5 Seaccharones Kelp Puffs from Blue Dot Kitchen on Bainbridge Island. Grocery staff sampled all three flavors and gave a thumbs up to all.
Also new on shelves this month, Local 5 SpringRain Farm fruit syrups—blueberry, strawberry, and apple cider—perfect over ice cream, pancakes, or waffles.
This month the Product Research Committee (PRC) dug into the topic of heavy metals in dark chocolate. A copy of their report is posted on our website and we sent a link sent out to members in the weekly e-flyer. At the shelf shoppers will see a QR code that takes then to that blog. PRC is also busy reviewing our TAUFIL (The Approved and Unapproved Food Ingredients List) to ensure it is up to date.
Thriving Workplace
Late in January, the managers of the Food Co-op joined our board for an afternoon of contemplating our future. Using the 2022 Ends Report (our Ends are the aspirations for the impact we, the Co-op, hope to have in our community) as a starting place, we had a fun, generative discussion about our current direction as well as possible future directions. We reviewed our current five Ends; identified what, if anything was missing, adding what we thought might be helpful; and discussed challenges for our community and the Co-op in the next 5-10 years.
All this ties into the work our board is doing to revise the Food Co-op’s Strategic Plan as well as our Ends to ensure we’re all heading in the same direction. Look for a survey from the board on our Ends in your email inbox early in February. Complete it to let us know what Ends you think are most important. We’re giving the Food Bank a dollar for every survey completed and you’ll have a chance to win a $100 Co-op gift card.
Environment
Being located only nine feet above sea level, water in all its forms is an ongoing topic for the store.
This winter we noticed a new puddle in the Co-op parking lot. Thanks to an observant cooperator, it was brought to our attention that it wasn’t normal “ponding,” but actually a leak springing from near our water meter. After checking with the City of PT, it was determined that the leak was located on our side of the meter and so was our problem to resolve. Repairs took place at the end of January, requiring the water be turned off, which meant we had close the store until we had hot running water again and usable bathrooms, per Health Department regulations. It’s possible that this leak accounts for that extra water we’ve been paying for the past year.
Outreach
For a few years now, we have offered our members free access to Rouxbe, an online cooking school. This is not just a cooking video but a school with assignments, quizzes, and homework (but you get to eat it!). Rouxbe offers access to a variety of classes, from knife skills to plant-based cooking. Now we are offering this class to local organizations, such as the Port Townsend School District, to provide food safety training as well as other kitchen skills. If you know of a local non-profit that could benefit from this training, please let us know.
