September GM Report
by Kenna S. Eaton
Each month, I report to the board on what is happening in the store as well as our progress on our long-term goals, which we call our Ends. These Ends reflect our aspirations—what we want to accomplish—and they are part of 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.
Our Ends
The general manager strives to provide these benefits to our member-owners and community while operating a strong grocery store:
• Strengthen and advocate for our local food system, with a vibrant culture of appreciation and support for local farms and producers.
• Treat people well, increasing equity and access by providing a safe, welcoming, and educational environment.
• Treat the planet well, by modeling environmental stewardship and regularly sharing our accomplishments and challenges with member-owners.
September Update on Store and Progress on Ends
Working Together to Nourish our Community
Store Update
This time of year, our equipment is busy working overtime to keep us and our food cool! Sadly, one of those all-important compressors died in the middle of August. This one ran the walk-ins for Produce and Dairy. Staff worked hard to rescue what they could and find alternate homes for our top sellers, like milk, while we waited for a replacement compressor. I know I was sad not to be able to buy my favorite salad mixes and yogurt, but equally glad we had some other options. The new compressor was installed with a minimum of fuss, and we were back up and operational by the end of the weekend. Many thanks for your grace and understanding as we navigate the challenges of operating a mighty fine grocery store.
The painters returned and were able to finish the job they were hired for: repainting the Co-op’s exterior to a uniform color and staining the mis-matched wood columns and trellis to look more unified as well. I love the new color and am glad to see it all come together. And we are totally stoked to announce that the Virginia Creeper and Wisteria are regrowing! Stop by and check out the new red tendrils of the vines beginning their creep across the walls—it’s what we hoped would happen…phew!
August had another store wide “Buy One, Get One Free” sales event. Our focus with these sales is to be a great buying agent for our shoppers, ensuring folks have an opportunity to save money while stocking up.
Our focus for new items in September is on soup/broth and ramen noodles, with over 40 items being stocked on our shelves. Be sure to stop by and check out the reset later in the month to see what is new and exciting.
Ends Update
Local
Applications for the GROW FUND grant opened August 1st. We have $1483 this year to award to one lucky Jefferson County non-profit or cooperative, to help us nourish our community. It’s always a delight to read the submissions and see what our passionate community is up to. Our Community Engagement Committee met to review and choose the grant recipient in early September.
We have some new seasonal flavors of Soul Cedar shrubs: strawberry Tulsi and blueberry basil. And we just received Olympic Wilderness Apiary new crop blackberry honey, in pint jars. Lastly, we added espresso chip to the array of Elevated Ice Cream flavors that we stock.
Organically Grown Company shared some melon magic with our members/customers in August by sampling out all the amazing organic melons we have this year. It’s always fun to have one of our favorite distributors visit the store with their knowledge and enthusiasm.
People
Community Cook released an Africa recipe book that has includes some favorites from Ethiopia and other parts of Africa including Tofu Yassa and some great sauces and spreads to go with your favorite pita or injera. Follow Sidonie, our culianary educator, on The Food Co-op’s Facebook group, Cooking with the Co-op, to share and learn from your co-op community cooking group.
The Workforce Engagement and Enrichment (WEE) team geared up for an end-of-summer employee appreciation barbecue on September 3rd. Department Managers cooked and served the hard-working staff a delicious lunch out on the store patio, with some fun vendor swag raffled off. As school starts again, we got a chance to relax and enjoy our beautiful courtyard with its fresh coat of paint.
This month we welcomed back Elisabeth H. to the Float Team, added Claire T. to our HR Team, and welcomed Lisa W. to Food Services. We extend appreciation and best wishes to our departing Facilities Manager, Travis W. We will also soon be seeing off the summer seasonal employees who head back to college soon: Liz S. and John L., who have been helping our Float & Food Services teams navigate another busy summer.