Big Bike Issue May/June 2008
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Big Bike Issue • May - June 2008 The Wheatsville staff had an early morning meeting at 7:30 April 10th. Although the day started out rainy, sunny attitudes prevailed. Photo by Aldia Bluewillow May is EXPANSION-ASANA, A YOGIC APPROACH TO WHEATSVILLE’SRENOVATIONPROJECT! Bike Austin! by Dan Gillotte, General Manager Month! Bike Stories on Pages 7-13 As I write this in mid-April, we are on the precipice of beginning our big and long awaited expansion project! But, for you, dear reader, you have probably already seen some construction work on our site. I’m so excited to be getting started, that I just have to let out a big Woo-hoo! Your patience and enthusiasm have been appreciated through our planning process. The project is expected to take approximately 14 months in total, which puts completion sometime in May of 2009. We’ll be working with the talented folks at TF Harper and Associates to help us realize our vision for the new store. One great thing about this firm is their experience with grocery store remodels over the past 20 years or so. We expect that they will do a very good job for us on this project. We’re going to be taking a yogi-like approach to the expansion: remembering to breathe, staying flexible, etc. Look for Expansion-asana signs in the store to tell you what’s happening that week. We’ll communicate with you in a variety of ways throughout the process to let you know what to expect in any given week or month. The best way to stay apprised of what’s happening at the co-op is to sign up for my weekly emails. Just go to In This Issue: www.wheatsville.coop to get signed up. How Local Can You Go 2 We’re also communicating on the website in a special expansion section. Views From the Board / Future Headlines 3 Through May and June, the main focus Maintain Your Cool/ Deli & Kitchen News 4 for the construction will be on the retain- Tecolote Farm Tour Bear Beers/ Cheese Bites/ Bulk News 5 ing wall and parking to the east of the store and on converting the InStep build- Know Your Staff — Conti 5 ing to our new office, break room and Sunday, May 25th 11am - 2pm Is $10 Milk Too Hard to Swallow? 6 meeting room. Details of how future Wheatsville owners and organic farmers, Katie Kraemer and Yellow Bike’s 11th Birthday Party 7 stages will affect you are still being David Pitre invite Wheatsville owners to visit their farm. worked out, but in the earliest stages you Staff Anniversaries / Community Action 7 Tecolote Farm is a certified organic vegetable farm in oper- will notice less parking along the fence. If ation since 1994. Sundays are harvest days. They harvest for City Bike Projects Update 8 you can’t find spots, you should be able Monday basket deliveries in the morning, then clean, sort, and Bike Safety Checklist / Near Death Story 8 to find some in the back. Staff are going pack vegetables in the shady wash area after lunch. to be parking off site, to help free up as Human Power - Elected Officials 9 Coop members are welcome to join the Wheatsville tour many spots as we can for you. It would and should bring wide-brimmed hats, closed shoes, and water. Bike Austin Month Calendar 10-11 be a great time for more folks to bus, How to Not to Get Hit By Cars walk, or ride their bikes to Wheatsville. Please leave your pups at home. http://bicyclesafe.com/ The main store won’t be affected for a RSVP at www.wheatsville.coop. Directions and ride sharing Wheatsville Mid-Year Financial Report 12-13 while, probably until June or July. At that information will be available on our website. Toward A Perfect Wheatsville 12-13 point, it should get pretty interesting, so be sure to stay in touch so you’re not sur- Tecolote Farm’s CSA (community supported agriculture) deliv- Membership Report / New Invested Owners 14 prised by the changes taking place. It’s ery service started in 1995, and is Austin’s oldest CSA! Most Paul Holman Blood Drive Thanks 14 our plan to stay open during the entire of the farm’s harvest is delivered straight to the homes of project and to keep disruption as mini- their members, but some of the delicious heirloom and rare Coffee Economics 15 varieties also make their way to Wheatsville, Greenling, and mal as possible, but some disruption will Better Eating For Life —Fat 16-17 local restaurants. Since the farm has a typical 1-2 year wait be inevitable. We’ll be very appreciative for CSA delivery, folks are encouraged to come find the Member Owned Business Directory of demonstrations of flexibility from our Tecolote booth at either of the two big Saturday markets: http://wheatsville.coop/memberbusinessdirectory/mbdir.html owners and customers at times during Sunset Valley and Austin Farmers’ Market downtown. Just the project for sure! look for the tecolote- “owl” in Spanish (Aztec origin)! How Local Can You Go? Wheatsville Conducts Community-Wide Challenge to Eat Local June 15th-July 15th by Aldia Bluewillow, Breeze Editor Want to eat more local foods, but curious just how local you can go? National Challenge Underway Wheatsville is hosting an “Eat Local America” challenge through- Wheatsville is joining nearly 70 other natural food co-ops out this summer, inviting area individuals to try to consume 80 per- coast-to-coast in Eat Local America. All are members of cent of their diets (or four out of every five meals) from food grown or National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) – a busi- produced locally. ness services cooperative representing nearly 110 retail food The challenge will begin June 15th and continue through July co-ops nationwide. 15th. It’s honor system-based; those wishing to participate will simply Since peak harvest time varies throughout sign a large poster at Wheatsville the nation, the challenge duration may vary and try their best. from a one-week to one-month period, At Wheatsville, we define depending where people and stores reside. local food as food grown or Most participating co-ops will conduct the processed in Texas. During the Eat challenge based on their region as follows: Local America Challenge and June 15 – July 15 South, Southwest and throughout the year, we call atten- California tion to local food on our shelves by July 15 – Aug 15 Plains, Midwest and the bright green Locally Made Northwest signs. We also have a handy list on August 15 – Sept 15 Northeast, Mid- our website Atlantic, Ohio Valley (www.wheatsville.coop/local.html) and Upper Midwest with links to local producers and Beginning June 1, food lovers can learn about the distance they are from all participating Eat Local America initiatives Wheatsville. at www.eatlocalamerica.coopncga.coop/ eatlocalamerica. Why Eat Local? Eat Local America is not your typical chal- There are many benefits to eating lenge. Because it is framed around each local food. It’s good for the econo- region’s peak harvest times, length and timing my, because money from each varies for each co-op, as does the definition of transaction stays in the region. It “local.” The Eat Local America challenge cele- connects community members to brates the uniqueness of our regional food the people who produce their supplies, as well as a collective and emerging food, while helping to support passion for eating more local, organic foods. endangered family farms. Plus, since food doesn’t travel More About Eating Local far from where it’s produced, eat- Although we’re holding this challenge during ing local also helps protect the peak season for fresh produce, we hope to environment by reducing carbon educate our shoppers that it’s possible – and dioxide emissions. Local food is not too difficult – to eat local food year-round. more nutritious and simply tastes Fruit and vegetables can be preserved until the better, because it’s often harvested next harvest season, via canning, freezing and or processed the same day it dehydrating. But don’t think local is limited to arrives at the co-op. produce. Wheatsville is the go-to source for Although “local” is a buzz- local dairy products, including milk and arti- word used by many retailers, san cheese, as well as eggs, meat, poultry, Wheatsville has for years cultivat- salsa, granola, and baked goods. ed truly reciprocal, long-term rela- tionships with local growers and producers, offering its shoppers a convenient connection to fresh and delicious food of the highest quality. Eat Local America celebrates our dedication and commitment to local food for consumers and our sup- pliers. Sign up for the Wheatsville E-mail List! A few times a month, you’ll get an e-mail from us informing you of upcoming events, new products or changes in the store. So far most folks on the list have been happy with its frequency and informative nature.We will also begin offering e-mail only deals and other special opportunities. Go to http://wheatsville.coop/list to sign up! The Wheatsville Breeze The Wheatsville Board of Directors usually We will not sell, lease, lend or otherwise disclose your email address to any other entity. is a publication of meets at 6pm the fourth Thursday of every month at 3105 Guadalupe (building North of store). WHEATSVILLE Check http://wheatsville.coop/pop_bodagenda.html for details Members are encouraged to attend. Something Use a Wheatsville FOOD CO-OP that you would like discussed at the meeting? Contact 3101 Guadalupe General Manager Dan Gillotte at 478-2667 or Credit Card! Austin, Texas 78705 gm(at)wheatsville.com Many of you already use credit 512-478-2667 _______________________________________ cards at Wheatsville.