General Meeting
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OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume JJ, Number 8 April 16, 2015 General Meeting: A History of The Latest on Finances & Shaping the Coop Zimmerman Says Goodbye PHOTO BY LISA COHEN Receiving Coordinators (left to right): John Horsman, Ross Gibson, Janet Schumacher (General Coordinator, Supervisor of Receiving Coordinators), Peter Wohlsen, Elizabeth Christ, Miriam Eusebio, Rachelle Faroul, Yuri Weber and Kevin O’Sullivan. By Hayley Gorenberg to institute the work require- he started at the top. ment,” said Schumacher. SGeneral Coordinator General Coordinator Joe Janet Schumacher, retiring Holtz credits Schumacher this month, remembers sit- with critical insight, fol- ting at the top of the Coop lowing on the heels of her PHOTO BY KEVIN RYAN stairs with a work chart in stairway-top sessions, that Allen Zimmerman reading his last produce report. 1973 “when we were still kept the Coop alive—and truly a volunteer organiza- happens to have landed By Taigi Smith ship that during his reign as by people who get paid far tion” and asking—“actually him the job he holds now. he PSFC held its month- produce buyer, he chose not less than us.” begging”—members to sign Holtz related that in its ear- Tly membership meeting to purchase produce from up for a work slot. “We soon liest days, the Coop closed with Allen Zimmerman tak- China not because of poten- “Zimmerman is more than recognized that it was not twice for soul-searching and ing the opportunity to for- tial of human rights abuses, effective to rely on volunteer restructuring. First, after mally pass the baton to a new but because he didn’t trust just a produce buyer, he’s labor, and one of the Coop’s opening in February 1973, team of produce buyers, at the safety of the produce. been a key part of the first important decisions was CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 the March GM. Zimmerman He also reminded the mem- management team.” had held the position for bership that no matter how —Joe Holtz Next General Meeting on April 28 about 20 years before finally hard the PSFC may try to The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on the retiring. But before stepping purchase from growers who last Tuesday of each month. The April General Meeting will be on down for good, Allen took a treat workers fairly, “Farm As he turned the reins of Tuesday, April 28, at 7:00 p.m. at MS 51, 350 Fifth Ave., between few moments to disperse a workers all around the world produce buying over to new Fourth and Fifth Sts. Enter on Fourth St. cul-de-sac. The Fourth few gems of vegetable buying are exploited. All we can do leadership, he reminded St. entrance is handicap-accessible.. wisdom. “No GMOs or irradi- is try to support the farms everyone in attendance The agenda is in this Gazette, on the Coop website at www. ated produce are allowed,” at that treat their workers fair. about the importance of foodcoop.com and available as a flier in the entryway of the the Coop, said Allen. Frankly, everything we can eating fresh fruits and veg- Coop. For more information about the GM and about Coop gov- He also told the member- afford to eat is being picked CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 ernance, please see the center of this issue. Thu, Apr 23 • NY GMO Labeling Workshop 7:00 p.m. IN THIS ISSUE Sat, Apr 25 • Public Forum on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Puzzle .............................................. 2 2:00-4:00 p.m. Non-GMO Shelf-Labeling Committee Report ..............4 Coop International Trade Education Squad.....................5 Fri, May 1 • Film Night: Fighter 7:00 p.m. Welcome ............................................9 Event Coop Calendar, Governance Information, Mission Statement .. 9 Thu, May 7 • Food Class: Calendar of Events ...................................10 Highlights Feeding Our Deeper Selves 7:30 p.m. Letters to the Editor .................................12 Exciting Workslot Opportunities........................13 Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. Community Calendar, Classifieds.......................14 Candidates for Board of Directors.....................15-16 2 April 16, 2015 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY General Meeting CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 etables. “It’s better to eat conventional produce than skip produce altogether. The PSFC will try to offer choices,” said Zimmer- man. “The most important thing that the buyers do is serve you.” To the new lead- ership, Allen offered these sage words. “Listen to the members. Members aren’t an interruption of your work. They are your work. “ “Talk to them, write to them, call them.” He also urged the membership to PHOTOS BY KEVIN RYAN communicate with the pro- Monique Bowen, Board of Directors candidate. Eunju Lee, Board of Directors candidate. duce team, saying, “They are very accessible. Reach out first time in eight years.’’ ing an update on a proposed about the challenges we tenor and tone of what the to them. We’re just a bunch Eakin added that the partnership between the face as a society. The chal- membership is saying. of members. You are the Coop’s sales increased the PSFC and TerraCycle, a recy- lenges, said Metz, include a Christopher McQuale pulse.” Allen ended his com- least, rising to $49.6 million, cling program that collects chaotic political economy, works in Food Processing ments to a rousing standing and Coop sales per member items not accepted by the contract work instead of jobs and has only been a member ovation and a stirring round declined slightly to $3045 New York City recycling pro- for immigrants and women, of the PSFC for about four of applause. per member for the first time gram. Greg Todd, the GMO and people of color being months. However, he is run- Joe Holtz expressed his in 20 years. He said those Shelf-Labeling committee exploited and oppressed. ning for the Board with years thoughts on Zimmerman’s numbers probably show that chairperson also made a “We are looking for a way to of experience behind him. retirement, saying, “We will other markets are now sell- short presentation as did the organize ourselves and that’s He has several years of cor- miss him dearly. He has ing more and more of the committee that deals with why the Coop is so import- porate experience, money been so dedicated to the foods that the Coop sells, Coop and doing good for “It is now available at other the Coop. More than just a markets,” according to Eakin. produce buyer, he’s been a He concluded, “We are key part of the management undertaking actions to team.” reduce our expenses and to The meeting included increase our sales.’’ the latest look at the Coop’s General Coordinator Jess finances. Mike Eakin, Gen- Robinson talked about changes eral Coordinator said, “While at checkout. Members will be our gross margin increased limited to “4’ish” items at the to almost 17 cents on the cashier, while new express line dollar, the best in the last limits will be “one green bas- five years, our expenses ket’s worth of product.” increased even more, result- Reports were presented by ing in a modest loss for the several committees, includ- Sudoku Sudoku is a puzzle. You are presented with a 9x9 grid of Christopher McQuale, Board of Directors squares, and that grid is divided into 3x3 zones. Susan Metz, Board of Directors candidate. candidate. You solve the puzzle by filling the empty squares with single-digit numbers so that every zone, column and row international trade. ant. We support lower prices management skills, people uses each of the numbers from 1 to 9. There were four agenda with our work-slot labor, said coordinating skills and a items on the March roster. Ms. Metz. great sense of humor. 2 8 7 6 Four candidates running Eunju Lee, a current One member, so moved for the Board of Directors Board member and former by Ms. Metz self introduc- 4 spoke to the membership Membership Coordinator at tion, took to the micro- and responded to ques- the PSFC, has been a mem- phone and asked, “What will tions from those in the ber for 20 years. ”It’s been a you, as Board members do, 5 4 2 audience. The vote for the real growth and privilege for to make the world a better new Board of Directors me,” said Eunju, who prides place and to shake us out of 3 5 1 8 will take place at the June herself on listening to the CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 Annual Meeting. 3 Monique Bowen, who cur- rently serves on the Board of Directors, has held just 1 2 9 about every job at the Coop except Receiving. She talked 6 3 1 about the inconveniences of shopping at the PSFC, but 1 3 6 2 ended by saying that she finds being a part of the Coop fulfilling. 8 9 In her crafted speech, Puzzle author:author: JamesJames Vasile.Vasile. For For answers, answers, see see page page 14. 14. Susan Metz, also running for a seat on the Board, talked ILLUSTRATION BY ROD MORRISON Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY April 16, 2015 3 Schumacher ability had been polished palm and coconut trees. during work abroad and at “It’s very hard not to look CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 home. She earned a Bache- at food as being global,” the Coop made it through lor’s Degree in Zoology and she concluded. “Our Coop the summer and then worked on data collection members are well meaning closed for a month that and medical research at but they really want organic fall, weakened by fall-off in New York University before strawberries 365 days per member labor over vacation her decades-long stint at year.