By Kenna S. Eaton, General Manager of The Food Co-op

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.

March General Manager’s Report

Working Together to Nourish our Community

Market

Between January and March each year, when the Farmers Market is closed, the Co-op serves as an alternate source for Veg Rx, a joint program of Jefferson Health Care and JCFM to provide fresh vegetables to people who need them. In January we had over 29 customers and $700 of Veg Rx redeemed. Also, when the Food Bank Gardens are resting, the Food Bank orders through us a few hundred dollars of fresh produce per week for their customers. 

Beginning in mid-March, we saw more Field Day items coming in. The first shipment included two vinegars (red wine and white wine), tahini, avocado cooking oil spray, hemp hearts, chia seeds, and three varieties of frozen potatoes.   

Food System

Local 5: We added a fourth variety of CB’s peanut butter to our shelves, Creamunchy (yes, that’s a real thing!) Dark Roast. We were also excited to discover that Chi’s Farm in Clallam County has great overwintered carrots. Dan said they were “flawless & sweet”! Look for 2-pound and 5-pound bags of Chi’s carrots in the same cooler as salad dressings, mushrooms, and ginger.

Farmer Fund: Recently, we added a donation button at the register to raise funds for grants for our local farmers to help grow their businesses. Thanks to the generous contributions from shoppers, we raised $10,000 in January alone! We were so excited that we added it to the $2500 raised in 2023, which enabled us to give six grants to local food producers. We look forward to these grant funds continuing to grow in the coming years, helping the Co-op in its mission to promote sustainable agriculture, strengthen community ties, and increase access to fresh, nutritious food for all. Look for more news and updates about this program this spring in local papers, our in-house newsletter, and online.

Thriving Workplace

Managers met off site for a retreat in mid-February. On the agenda was team building, looking at our internal systems, and policy review. Work from that meeting was further developed at the regular managers meeting later in February, creating a strong foundation for implementing and achieving our workplace goals.

February 22 was Supermarket Employee Appreciation Day, and staff enjoyed cheesecake and gluten-free cookies as a small token of our gratitude. Truly, we couldn’t do it without our amazing staff!

Environment

Recycling news: Bananas are now being packed in 40-pound boxes again, instead of 38-pound. For our average weekly purchases of close to a ton, this equates to 3-4 fewer boxes a week to recycle, etc. Also, earlier this year we raised the cup re-use refund to 25 cents.

Lunch & Learn: On March 12th eco-dietitian Mary Purdy presented “Plant-Forward Eating on a Budget: Good for You and Good for the Planet.” This workshop outlined culturally relevant and creative strategies for getting nutritional and sustainable meals onto your plate without breaking the bank.  

We are also featuring the book Home Detox, by local author Daniella Chace, on an endcap, along with products that are mentioned in the book, as well as promoting her next class in April. 

Outreach

One morning each month Andrea (Marketing) and Eva (HR) spend time mentoring PT High School 9th graders in a year-long project that culminates with the students bringing to market a product made with locally sourced materials that they have conceived, designed, and produced. At the end of the year, they sell them at “Market Day.” This month they began to go all-in on preparations, with students thinking about what materials, tools, and skills they will need to bring their product to market. This gets tied in with their 21st Century Skills program, where they work on collaboration, critical thinking, citizenship, creativity, and communication.

Andrea also presented two culinary classes on how to start a Food Truck business, because the high school has procured a food truck for students to run as an entrepreneurial venture. The presentations included creating a unique menu using local ingredients, how to think about sustainability in packaging and reducing food waste, and how to build community relations in your business model and a way to give back.