33rd Birthday Issue — March/April 2009

’ It s My Park! Day 2009 ’ It s My Park! Day, presented by LANTED Wheatsville Food Co-op, is an ANSP 9 annual citywide park volunteer R 200 T ch 14, event. Individuals and community Mar groups lead projects ranging from simple cleaning and repair to trail building Downtown Farmers Market and playground installation. at 4th St & Guadalupe

This year's It's My Park! Day, Saturday coming up March 7, features 9am-1pm more than 50 different projects at parks in every area of town. Tree planting will be a major focus. Come meet your neighbors and lend a hand at a park near you! www.austinfarmersmarket.org See the full list of projects and register online at www.austinparks.org. Registered volunteers receive a free tee shirt. Snacks will be provided by Wheatsville.

In This Issue: Earth Day Every Day / Community Action Wednesdays 2 Board News / Board Self Evaluation 3 A Brief Introduction to the 2009 Board of Directors 3 Deli Renovation Anticipation 4 Staff Top 10 Pick—Mindy Dolnick / Gesundheit! 5 Birthday Greetings from Some of our Neighbors 5 Beers Reviewed by Bearded Man 6 Reggiano-Parmigiano / My Co-op Rocks! Video Contest 6 Staff Top 10 Gluten-Free Picks—Gabriel Gallegos 7 Green Grocer—Organic Mexican Produce 7 Dan’s Shopping Guide for the next Few Months 8-9 Planned Phases of Renovation 8-11 New Local Chicken from Dewberry Hills Farm 12 Celebrate 33 Years of the Cooperative Difference 13 Wheatsville Owner Party Like a Co-oper! / Staff Anniversaries 14 New Cards Coming Soon / New Invested Owners 15 Appreciation Coupon Cafe Brasil—Coffee Done Right / Happiness in Bulk 16 Human Power- Happiness Without Cars 17 Owners receive 10% off Dye Your Easter Eggs Naturally 18 Funky Chicken Coop Tour 18 of any ONE shopping trip ! Spring Tea Harvest in the Year of the Ox 19 Time to Think Farming 19 COUPON GOOD March 7th through 15th, 2009 Member Owned Business Directory http://www.wheatsville.coop/memberbusinessdirectory/mbdir.html Owner # ______ONE COUPON PER OWNER ONLY. Earth Day is Every Day by Randy Jewart, Director, Austin Green Art

Wheatsville is working with the Austin Farmers Republic Square Park on April 18—the Saturday New to this year’s event will be participation by Market again this year to bring you the fourth annual before Earth Day on April 22. The event is presented REI and Keep Austin Beautiful with hands-on activi- Austin Earth Day Celebration, April 18, 9am-3pm at by Wheatsville and organized by Austin Green Art. ties for kids, in addition to last year’s junk-art activi- Republic Square Park at 4th and Guadalupe. Join In addition to the “earthday-everyday” spirit of the ties. There will also be a speaker series with topics on thousands of your neighbors, regular market, a range of community issues, which is a new pro- local green businesses and the FREE festival gram, also. environmental groups and features an inter- We hope you’ll join us for a tangible sense of the cultural community in a active kids area, what sustainability feels like—the tastes, sounds, sites manifestation of the solar-powered and community-vibe that nourishes body, spirit and Sustainability Revolution! music, green art economic well-being of Austin! Registration for Preparations are well displays and exhibitors stays open for all who want to share the . r

e fun until we run out of space. underway for Austin’s Earth l dozens of envi- s i Day festival. Despite our cur- e ronmental groups G

n rent economic challenges (or o and green busi- r a A because of them!), those with nesses. y b a bent for a greener future are o t o focusing on gathering to cele- h Support your P brate the “gateway to the local farmers in green economy.” the Farmers There’s a lot of discussion about renewable ener- Market, check out local green products, discover, cre- gy as a component of economic stimulus, but those in ate and have the opportunity to purchase art that the know are following Michael Pollan’s lead and fol- explores nature and the environment. Plus, fun green lowing our stomach! Local, organic food production art activities for the youngest festival-goers and their provides a powerful spearhead to economic, cultural families. Cool 3-D art projects, drivable art cars, recy- and environmental well-being. cled craft projects, and family yoga. Don’t forget to Earth Day in Austin takes place thanks to the check out the Solar Jam with an eclectic blend of local Wheatsville hopes to see you there! For more hospitality of the Downtown Farmers’ Market at musicians rockin out on a solar-powered stage! information and to volunteer go to http://www.austin- earthday.com

Community Action Wednesdays 2009 Community Action Schedule January People’s Community Clinic February Safeplace The group selected for March Sustainable Food Center April Ecology Action March is the May Yellow Bike Project Sustainable Food Center June Hospice Austin July Save Our Springs Alliance and the group for April August UT Orange Bike Project is Ecology Action September Meals on Wheels and More October Capital Area Food Bank The Sustainable Food November and December of each year are reserved for the Center is dedicated to improv- ing access to local, healthy and Ecology Action operates a recycling drop-off and pro- Wheatsville Community Cooperative Fund. affordable food for children and cessing center in downtown Austin, a rural recycling drop- adults in Central Texas.Their off and provides recycling for special events and music ven- community and youth gardens, ues in downtown Austin.They conduct tours and provide Austin Farmers' Market, neigh- hands-on volunteer opportunities, staff booths at various Wear your WV Pride! borhood farm stands and cook- events, conduct classroom Got a picture of your l'il ing and nutrition education class- visits to educate children Wheatsvillager in a WV tee? es benefit an estimated 10,000 about recycling, and Central Texans annually. serve as a clearing- Email your photos to Cultivating Communities from house for informa- Christine Stout at tion about recycling the Ground Up! cstout(at)wheatsville.coop and waste prevention. for display in the store.

The Wheatsville Breeze The Wheatsville Board of Directors usually is a publication of meets at 6pm the fourth Tuesday of every month at 3105 Guadalupe (building North of store). WHEATSVILLE Check http://wheatsville.coop/pop_bodagenda.html for Sunshine Community Gardens FOOD CO-OP details Members are encouraged to attend. Something 3101 Guadalupe that you would like discussed at the meeting? Contact th Annual Plant Sale Austin, Texas 78705 General Manager Dan Gillotte at 478-2667 or 30 512-478-2667 gm(at)wheatsville.com ______9 am - 2 pm March 7, 2009 email aldia(at)wheatsville.coop Wheatsville 2009 Board of Directors 4814 Sunshine Drive Admission: Free! website http://wheatsville.coop Rose Marie Klee, president Editor & Production- Aldia Bluewillow Jane Kurzawa Cravey Stephanie Johnson Sunshine Community Gardens will celebrate it’s 30th annual plant sale and benefit on Contributors - Bob Kinney Aditya Rustgi Therese Adams, Amy Babich, Ingrid Devilliers Steven Tomlinson Saturday, March 7. Austin’s oldest and largest community garden will offer one stop shop- Mariah Barrett, Nancy Bender, Mike Crissey Theron Beaudreau ping to you with thousands of heirloom vegetables, herbs and passalong plants - just in time for Bryan Butler, Prof. Conti, Jane Kurzawa ______Cravey, Mike Crissey, Mindy Dolnick, The purpose of Wheatsville is to create a self- your own springtime organic garden. Greg Flores, Gabriel Gallegos, reliant, self-empowering community of people that will Dan Gillotte, Randy Jewart, grow and promote a transformation of society toward View the plant list on the sunshine website, Rose Marie Klee, Merilee Kuchon, cooperation, justice, and nonexploitation. www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org. Johnny Livesay, Allen Schroeder, The mission of Wheatsville is to serve a broad Joel Shuler, Christine Stout, Dana Tomlin, range of people by providing them goods and services, Sam Vaughan, Rosie Weaver and by using efficient methods which avoid exploitation Local musicians will entertain while you also shop with local vendors and artists, offer bids on of the producer and the environment.The focus of this Photos: by Aldia Bluewillow and Christine Stout silent auction items, enjoy a taco, or bag your own Natural Gardener compost. Help us sup- except where otherwise noted or not known mission is to supply high-quality food and nondoctri- naire information about food to people in Austin,Texas. port community gardening, celebrate this big date, and pick up some great plants.

Page 2 The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Happy Birthday Wheatsville! by Rose Marie Klee, President of the Board of Directors

Spring comes fast upon us and on March 16th, At the core of all of it is a genuine values-driven With the renovation of Wheatsville celebrates its 33rd birthday! This will be an business; an economic enterprise that does not exist our Bylaws and our store exciting year for us as we continue to leap along with to enrich a select few but rather to provide benefit come revisions to our our renovation project. The Board is also embark- to all of our owners and to transform Membership Administration ing on exciting work exploring the signifi- society through cooperation, jus- Guidelines (MAG). Read cance of the cooperative economy. As tice, and non-exploitation. more in this issue about you know there is a tangible and How might the times be updates to the MAG and other exciting changes. Just tractable difference in the experi- different today if more as the Board crafted Bylaws that could better serve us ence of shopping at our store— economic enterprises today and carry us 30 years into the future, we are this is why it’s so much fun to were organized this updating outmoded policies and envisioning changes share our thoughts on why we way? These troubling that will benefit our owners and our organization. Stay love Wheatsville! (I recom- times present a unique tuned for regular updates on this front. mend you find an opportunity opportunity to The Board is also looking forward to hosting own- to try this if you haven’t become introspective ers for a gathering later on in the year. We won’t be already.) And in our individual about our society and holding a Spring Owner Gathering, but we certainly impressions, while each unique, everything about ‘busi- look forward to coming together to celebrate our com- we tend to find a common theme: ness as usual’. We cannot pleted store! the feeling of trust and community. undo the past, but perhaps The Board hopes to have the opportunity to inter- There are so many things that contribute we can find refuge within our act with each of you this year. Please join us for our to this fabulous organization especially all of community and the larger move- monthly Coffee with the Board (join Dan’s email list you, our owners, and our employees whose express ment toward people over profits. We invite for regular updates), and come to our meetings held mission is to make somebody’s day. (How cool is that?! you to join the conversation and share your on the fourth Tuesday of each month. You can also Imagine a world where everyone nurtured that goal?) thoughts on what it means to be a co-op! contact us at boardemail(at)wheatsville.coop.

Board Self Evaluation A Brief Introduction to the by Jane Kurzawa Cravey, Board Member 2009 Wheatsville Board of Directors

How are we doing? Each year the Board of On a Sunday in January, the newly elected board of directors met as a group for the first time. We spent the day getting Directors reflects back on our actions and eval- to know one another and learning about our responsibilities as board members. It was a very productive day! uates how well we think we’ve done. We ask Over the course of this next year, you’ll hear and read about the expansion project, our financials situation, and ourselves 44 questions and rank ourselves on a other board activity. However, at the beginning of this new year, it seems best to talk about the board members as indi- scale of 1-5, in an evaluation grid. viduals. What does Wheatsville mean to each of us? Looking back over the last year, what accomplishments were most The general topics over which we evaluate satisfying? ourselves are Members, Management, Internal A sense of community and sharing common values were our themes. We want to identify with Wheatsville, to be a Board Operations, and Business Overview. A part of an Austin institution. Below is a table of our answers. sample standard from each area includes: Members—The board understands its respon- Who What does Wheatsville mean to you? Accomplishment most satisfying sibility to the organization’s member/owners (we gave ourselves a 4.14); Management—The Steven “Food expresses how you live in the world. Finishing his PhD dissertation! And Wheatsville is an institution that conducts board regularly monitors General Manager Tomlinson forming Fuse Box, a confluence of business in a way that is more thoughtful than contemporary theater, dance, film, performance against written policy criteria standard grocery stores. “ music, writing and visual art from (4.43); Internal Board Operations—I am thor- around the world. oughly familiar with the background material sent to me prior to board meetings (3.86); “I want to be involved with our community. Business Overview—All board members are Ingrid Wheatsville is a progressive place, a place of Getting elected to the Wheatsville able to read financial statements and under- DeVilliers connection.” board! And being able to eat from her garden. stand basic trends (3.57). “Wheatsville: all the fun of an Overall we believe that we are fulfilling Apple® Store at a lower price Bob Kinney our fiduciary duty to the owners of the co-op point!” — Steven and to the Wheatsville organization. We take His greatest accomplishment is being our responsibilities as board members seriously. a father; but he also is an award-win- ning photographer! We rank ourselves highest in the Members “Wheatsville means family...I love Wheatsville.” category, giving ourselves an overall score of 4.43. We know we’re doing our job because we Mike “When I think of how we could marshal our own- Starting a fledgling non-city, alterna- ensure that an annual report is presented to the Crissey ers, all 10,000 strong, we could conquer all of tive softball league. Getting owners (which happens every fall) and we Texas! Wheatsville is a demonstration of the Remember When Dairy products in the solicit owner input of decisions that affect the power of individuals working together.” store. long-term direction of the co-op. We’ve gath- ered owner input via surveys, the Member- Stephanie “When I moved to Austin with my partner, the Owner Gatherings, Coffee with the Board and Johnson Keeping her sanity, maintaining her first thing we did was find the co-op! I knew it relationship despite being a PhD can- other activities. was the one thing I wanted to do outside of didate! There is always room for improvement, school.” and the area where we ranked ourselves the lowest (still, at an overall rate of 4.06) was in Theron the Business Overview category, specifically in Beaudreau “People find Wheatsville to be the center of the Planning section. We ranked lowest on— Austin. We fuel our customers’ dreams and Starting in a new job and being a new board member at the same time. Each director has an understanding of the mar- ambitions.” ket forces affecting the co-op (3.43). We use these results to plan the strategic learning segments of our board meetings—this Rose Receiving an engineering award for a is the part of our monthly meeting where we Marie “Being part of this community, I feel hope that trip to New Orleans she organized for Klee we can really make a difference in this world.” students to help with the Hurricane talk about the ‘big picture,’ how to benefit com- Katrina victims. munity or transform society. Already, Dan, our general manager, has given us an overview of the competitive forces in the grocery business Aditya Teaching himself how to cook and here in Austin. And we plan on having further Rustgi “Wheatsville is where I shop, where I eat break- receiving the Scholar of the Year discussions on what it means to be a co-op, fast. People who shop here want the same award from the Acton School of things.” Business. why that is important, and how do we use that difference as a competitive advantage. “Wheatsville has sustained me for over 30 years: it If you are interested in the full Self- Spending the past year learning about Jane used to be the only place where I could buy organic how the accounting side of the world Evaluation results, please feel free to email me Kurzawa food and Honey Nut Cheerios. I have a deep-seated of finance operates. or our Board president, Rose Marie Klee, and Cravey loyalty to both the idea of a cooperative and the Finally, having a garden again! we’ll be happy to send it to you. Contact us at actual manifestation of it via Wheatsville.” boardemail(at)wheatsville.coop.

The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Page 3 Deli-cious Birthday by Dana Tomlin, Deli Manager Counter Greetings! by Mariah Barrett, Deli Counter Manager

This edition of the Breeze marks the 33rd birthday cele- tle loopy from the high energy bration of Wheatsville Food Co-op. I have worked for of the previous day. I kept So much is happening so fast! As I write Wheatsville a little over 6 years and I have to say that this laughing, saying that I felt like this article, it’s looking like the deli and has been one of the most satisfying jobs that I have ever we all needed shirts that said kitchen will be moving to our new digs in had. For me to say this is a big deal because I have been “30th Birthday Survivor.” I still just a few short weeks! That is the best blessed enough to work at places that I have loved, where laugh at this. 33rd birthday present I can think of. Thank people have treated me great, bosses that were amazing, This year, we are celebrating with an expansion proj- you, again, to all of our and that had a real family atmosphere. Wheatsville is, and ect. Wow, it is amazing. I have walked through the new amazing owners for always will be, at the top of that list. space, seen the vent hood (wow, again), the Deli walk-in making this all possi- One of my best memories was our 30th birthday cooler and freezer, and the large meat prep area. I am excit- ble. We will be party. I had been working at Wheatsville for just a few ed for our staff to work in larger spaces with equipment rolling out all of our years when the 30th anniversary celebration happened. big enough to match our production. I can’t wait to offer new and exciting We planned it offsite, with new deli foods created in these new programs slowly vendors donating food, live Me spaces. The office has come together so over the next few music, games for the kid- well, giving us a real breakroom, meeting months, but one of the dos, and such. I wasn’t rooms, and our own desk spaces. This first ones is definitely the involved in the planning, really keeps me excited about what the nearest and dearest to my heart—the gour- but I volunteered to work finished project will look like. met organic espresso bar!!! for a few hours in the Thanks to everyone who has made this My excitement is more than a little kitchen and assist with serv- possible, I am once again honored to be a selfish, of course. I can’t wait to stroll into ing. I showed up, bandana part of Wheatsville. Thanks to our staff for work, grab an Americano, and start my on, hair pulled back, ready being so patient and keeping their eye on day. Don’t worry, we will still have our to help. And help I did. I the price. I really do feel like Wheatsville fresh-brewed, self-serve coffee available, as stayed all day and night, is a motivating place to work, always well as all of our other teas, maté, chai, etc. serving with a smile, direct- improving training, education, work We are putting together the espresso menu ing the hordes of people try- spaces, and communication. Working right now; my personal favorite is “the ing to get food, preparing food, running (literally) to the here has changed the way that I think about things in my Wheatsvillian.” It’s a shot of espresso in a refrigerator truck out back, and ordering pizza at the end personal life. It has improved my communication, raised cup of black coffee—strong enough to get of the night for everyone that worked. We hustled, my expectations for service, let me see how much work even the sleepiest shopper feeling frisky! worked hard and had a great time. I loved it! Seeing all and dedication it takes to make things happen (even the Whatever your coffee pleasure—hot, iced, the people come out to celebrate Wheatsville’s birthday small things), and just made me a better person. Okay, I decaf, half-caf, just let our friendly and really inspired me and let me see the love that our owners might be feeling a little emotional now. It’s just that I so awesome counter staff know. We look for- have for us. The next day at work, I think we were all a lit- much appreciate the love that makes Wheatsville go. ward to rocking your coffee world!

New Classics and Anticipation of More! by Merilee Kuchon, Kitchen Manager

The Wheatsville Deli is brimming with anticipa- Indian-Spiced Chickpeas, a savory, spicy, saucy vegan Ultimate Lemon tion over the expansion project, as we get ready to dish, is a staff favorite, and a meal unto itself when spooned Squares feature a deli- move into our new space in March! We’re excited over brown rice. ciously sweet-tart lemon to have more counter space, bigger, better ovens, In our Spicy Mango Quinoa, the ancient grain of the curd filling spread over a short- a char-grill and a jumbo fryer to help us keep our Incas is tossed with fiery jalapenos, sweet mangoes and fresh bread base and dusted with powdered sugar! signature Popcorn Tofu in stock all the time! herbs, and simply dressed with fresh lime juice and olive oil. The fairy-tale-inspired Hansel & Gretel’s A food- Tender Crispy Ginger Bars are deliciously dark and chewy obsessed cooking Fish Cakes are spice bars, combining cinnamon, ginger, and nerd who – on a always made with cloves with molasses and honey, studded with regular basis – actu- sustainable fresh plump, sweet raisins, and finished with a delec- ally falls asleep fish, breaded with table vanilla-sugar glaze. reading cookbooks, whole wheat panko Tangy, cake-like Glazed Buttermilk Cookies I have been dream- breadcrumbs and sing a song of the south that your mouth is ing of all the new crisp-fried! gonna love! delicious items our Oven-baked The Bakery’s adorably delicious wheat-free kitchen can make in Honey & Ginger- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Whoopie Pies consist an increased and Glazed Chicken of two chocolate-studded soft pumpkin cookies improved space, Wings, made with surrounding a vegan cream cheese frosting cen- and my head swirls Buddy’s Natural ter to make one unique gluten-free treat! with delectable Chicken, are coated Both the vegan Oatmeal Cream Pies and ideas! with an addictive, Co-op Chocolate Cream Pies are similar in But then I Asian-inspired scope, and oh-so-tasty: chewy, oversized sand- reflect back on my orange teriyaki wich cookies reveal a sweet and creamy butter- last year at sauce. cream center. Wheatsville – and The simply- Salted Oat Crisps, a new but old-fashioned despite the current- Merilee and Dana inspect the area where their new stoves will go. Just named Kale Salad recipe from Wheatsville’s Bakery, are wonderful- ly tiny kitchen look at the size of that venthood! is not as simple as it ly crispy, chewy, sweet and salty cookies, made space and ever- sounds: shredded with real butter and eggs. changing construc- raw kale is tossed Playground Bars are homemade chewy gra- tion conditions, we have already introduced tons with sautéed mushrooms, feta cheese and slivers of sweet nola bars, full of plump raisins and tasty but of new and wonderful items to the deli case, sun-dried tomatoes in a balsamic-herb vinaigrette. good-for-you ingredients like flaxmeal and many of which were instant favorites for both The brightly colored Crimson Bulgur Pilaf adds nutty, wheat germ; they’re the perfect addition to a staff and owners alike! Some of these were recipes chewy bulgur wheat to the powerhouse combination of bagged lunch or after-school snack whether shared with us by other food co-ops from around fresh kale and tender beets. you’re in kindergarten or college! the country; others were introduced by individual A lovely new vegan and wheat-free Italian Potato Salad And it came for the holidays but never left: a deli staff members, much to our taste buds’ was recently introduced as well. Yukon Golds are tossed bold, dark Spicy Gingerbread Cake made with delight! with fresh-sliced red onion, flat-leaf parsley and capers, and Guinness Stout! Among the many New Classics you can find finished simply with olive oil – it’s extra-delicious warm, So, as excited as I am about all the new, deli- in the Wheatsville Deli are the crispy on the out- too! cious items we will be creating in our new Deli side and creamy in the middle, parmesan and Turkish Garbanzo Bean Salad, an absolutely delectable digs, I must give thanks back to our fabulous spinach-laced Risotto Cakes, made even better sweet and sour mix of beans, kalamata olives, dried apricots, cooks and bakers who have worked so hard over with a smear of organic pesto on top. red onions tossed in a gorgeous red-orange vinaigrette has the past year to keep our cases fresh and abun- Zucchini Falafel, a mélange of shredded zuc- been a hit since its first day. dant with New Classics that have easily nestled chini mixed with lightly spiced, mashed garbanzo But don’t let the cooks take all the glory; a huge hand of in among the old favorites. With more space and beans, has a bright green flavor nicely comple- appreciation goes out to our two bakers, who work every better equipment, things can only get better from mented by the crunch of its quick-fried exterior. night to fill the bakery case with sweet treats for us! here!

Page 4 The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Staff Top Ten Picks by Mindy Dolnick, Baker

#1. Coconut O.N.E. Easily the most refreshing #5. EmergenC drink on the planet! #9. Naked Juice Peach Pink Lemonade Mangosteen Bliss Packets Peaches + Mangosteen = Tasty hydration, #2. Dried Mango a perfect pair This chewy all-natural snack on-the-go quickly satisfies the sweet tooth #6. Wheatsville Deli’s Vegan Colcannon #3. Smart Puffs #10. Stonyfield Farm Healthy comfort WARNING: It’s incredibly Caramel Underground Yogurt food? easy to eat this entire bag It’s good for you, but tastes like it yes, please! in one sitting...by yourself should be bad for #7. Wateroak you. Love #4. South Farm Goat Milk it! Austin People Ice Cream Sandalwood Rich, creamy, Vanilla Spray flavorful, and A fresh, sooth- locally made! ing scent from South Austin People #8. Yogi Tea Kava Stress Relief Sweet dreams in a mug

Happy Birthday from Some of Our Neighbors! by Sam Vaughan, Grocery, Deli & Board of Directors Administrative Assistant

Everybody wants to feel the love on their Brian at Texas Texas Salsa birthday, right? recommends their Chipotle Well, Wheatsville’s ongoing commit- Steak Sauce and I recommend ment to supporting local producers is that you listen to Brian. Texas paying off handsomely in that depart- Texas has been shipping direct ment. We spoke to some of our local sup- to Wheatsville for just over 14 pliers recently and received some very months and Brian wishes that, warm remarks on the occasion of our “there were 50 more stores 33rd birthday. like us”. He loves that David Levy at Jake’s Natural Fine we’re very easy to work Foods said that he’s, “proud with and that we to be a part of remind him of what such a won- the grocery industry derful, commu- was like 10 years ago. Texas nity-based busi- Texas…no reason to type it ness”. Jake’s has again…I just thought it Gesundheit! been providing looked good. by Nancy Bender, delicious granolas Elizabeth at El Lago Health Team Coordinator to Wheatsville Tortilla has been working since 2005. When with us since 2003. She asked what he likes appreciates that we’re I am an Austin transplant, originally about us (aww… not difficult to deal from Minneapolis, MN. I have been shucks), David with and that we get allergy free here for 3 years. replied, “Everything!” our orders in on time. Everything changed about 6 weeks From the friendliness of (OK, I’ve spotted a ago when Cedar Fever exploded and our buyers to the prime trend: our staff is changed my world. I woke up one real estate their products pretty good at what they morning with my eyes all puffed up, occupy in the store, Jake’s do.) El Lago sells a lot of unbleached nearly swollen shut, and my face and lungs all afire. Not sure is happy to be here and whole wheat tortillas at what had hit me, I thought about what I had done different in my working with our excellent Wheatsville…many of them to me. Her daily routines, nothing came to mind. I finally had to accept that staff! birthday wish is that we “continue to cedar was now my enemy. I was desperate. sell a lot of tortillas”. I’ve got my debit My co-worker, Elke, suggested I try Wheatsville’s card ready, Elizabeth! Progena’s Allergena Zone 5. She has trouble been working with cedar and other allergies and really with Awad talked up this product. Abdelgadir Over twenty years of technical expert- and his Nile ise in nutritional medicine has been integrat- Valley Herbs ed in the formulations of Progena’s therapeu- Company for tic products resulting in a high quality prod- over 10 years uct. This is a homeopathic combination for- and he’s proud mulated to desensitize the body’s response to that we are the antigenic substances. Desensitization is first of his local accomplished by sublingual administration customers. His So, there it is: THE LOVE! Short, of homeopathic antigens. Not only is desensi- favorite thing sweet and to the point. Thanks to all of tization achieved, but in addition, there is the about our suppliers who took time out of homeopathic principle of “Like Cures Like,” Wheatsville is our people, who he consid- their busy schedules to chat with me. I resulting in better control of symptoms. ers to be “real” and committed to our think the few specks of gray in our co- I am always open to trying new prod- community. He offered up the nicest op’s head make us look distinguished, ucts in my department, especially one birthday wish we could receive, which is, too. Now, writing this has made me favored by a co-worker. Within a day the swelling around my “more, more and MORE success”. That’s hungry. Please excuse me while I figure eyes went down and the fire subsided; I was impressed. right. Three MORES. That’s big time. out how to combine salsa with granola.

The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Page 5 Beers Reviewed by Bearded Man by Professor Conti, Grocery Stocker

Having an employee discount which applies Lagunitas Ruben & the Jets: Great Divide Yeti to the sweet, sweet nectar can be a mixed The latest in Lagunitas’ Zappa trib- Imperial Stout: What’s in blessing. Perhaps in the monotone days before ute line, this one was… strange. I a name? Every once in a Jimmy Carter let brewers bloom like wild- love me some Lagunitas IPA, and while, everything you flowers, it would have been more of a straight- had really high need to know. As you may forward asset. As it stands, though, our store is hopes after the have guessed, I’m big on still in the contraction stage of its expansion, thoroughly satis- the stouts, and this one’s and the beer cooler’s gotten hit pretty hard. Long minutes are often spent just fying “We’re Only definitely a keeper, though standing and staring, trying to figure out which old standby I’m in the mood In It for the not something I’d advise for while daydreaming of something more exotic. Money” tripel. wrestling with too many Lately, though, there’s been an impressive amount of rotation going on Part of me wants nights in a row. Filling a within the extremely tight parameters of our beer stock, and just when I think to try Ruben very particular niche—not it’s time to head up the street and spend exorbitant sums gambling on flavor, again, while part quite the complex master- Shane wheels out something fresh and new. A couple of these fall into that of me thinks I’m piece that is North Coast’s category, while the other’s an old face in a new place. better off just for- Old Rasputin, not quite Oskar Blues Gordon: This one went getting about the the dangerously drinkable away for a while, then came back as sin- sensory confu- blackness that is Oskar gles instead of four-packs, a stocking sion that came Blues’ Ten Fidy—it seems decision that has been roundly reward- out of the bottle. to fall right in its own gap. ed. I had really forgotten how delicious Dark brown, real- Roasty to almost burnt fla- this beer is, but it’s been creeping back ly sweet, no evi- vors are coupled with a into my regular rotation. Hugely hopped dence of the high hint of the Yeti’s alcohol in the stickiest way imaginable, yet alcohol content, strength, but the real star with this one is the somehow the other ingredients manage no evidence of what style this is aim- hops. I like hoppy beers, but I don’t always to hold up to the thick, oily onslaught. ing for, exactly. If you’re feeling like what happens when stouts attempt to be Pour it and be amazed to see such a adventurous, you could certainly do hoppy beers; this is a definite exception. seductive strawberry-blond syrup com- worse with four bucks, but if you’re Rather than overwhelming the Yeti’s other ing out of a can. Like the rest of Oskar looking for something specific, you aspects, the hops provide a nice bitterness Blues offerings, it’s awful easy to drink might not want to reach for the underneath everything else before drying out for its alcohol content (8.7% ABV), so do “BoppaDooAyDoo Style Ale.” It’s a the finish considerably. It makes for a slow- take care. Those hop oils can also over- limited release, so I really oughta sippin’ experience, but can also leave you a whelm whatever wanders across your tongue after them, so you might want give it another shot, but... strange, bit more beaten down at the end than other to avoid putting this one down if you’re planning on tasting anything more strange indeed. stouts with comparable ABV. Yeti, indeed. subtle afterward.

Reggiano- Wheatsville has made an entry Parmigiano in the NCGA’s My Co-op Rocks! by Greg Flores, Cheese Buyer video contest. Reggiano-Parmigiano is often described as “The King of Cheeses.” Its name is a protected designation of origin in Europe. Reggiano- Parmigiano is made in the areas of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena (also known for its fabulous balsamic vinegar), Bologna, and Emilia Romagna. Only cheeses made in these areas and made with specific ingredients and aging times can carry the name Reggiano- Parmigiano. Parmesan is the French adjective for the Parmigiano and is used in the USA as the name for various hard cheeses. Parmigiano is said to contain more protein than most meats and contains other essential vitamins minerals such as potassium, mag- nesium, zinc iron, and copper. Parmigiano is made from raw local cow’s milk. These cows must graze on the grass of the outlying area and are fed hay as part of their diet. It is said that local grass gives the cheese its distinctive flavor. The whole milk from the morning’s milking and the skimmed milk from the previous evening’s milking are mixed. The cream from the skimmed milk is used to make Mascarpone. Starter whey is added to the whole milk–skimmed milk mixture and then heated. After the milk reaches a certain temperature, usually around 33° Celsius, calf rennet is added to the mixture and it is left to cur- Go To dle for 10-15 minutes. Once it has curdled, the large curds are bro- ken into smaller rice sized curds. These curds are separated and www.mycooprocks.coop poured into two separate moulds and the leftover whey is fed to the local pigs. After a day or two, the spring-loaded moulds are loos- to check it out ened and a plastic belt is inserted and then the moulds are tightened again. The plastic belt imprints the name Parmigiano-Reggiano on the cheese. A second belt is inserted and imprints the cheese with the name of the manufacturer and date of production. After imprinting, the cheese is left to sit in a salt brine for 20- 25 days. After brining, the cheese is set in an aging room for 12 We Wanna Adopt Your Mac months. The cheese wheels and shelves are turned and cleaned Got an old G4, G5, iMac or iBook sitting around since every 7 days. When the 12-month aging period is over, an inspector you got your Intel Mac? We would appreciate the dona- from the Consorzio Parmigiano-Reggiano inspects each cheese, tion of G5s, G4s, or peripherals like DVD Burners, LCD using a small hammer. He hits the cheese in various spots and uses monitors, laser printers, or external firewire hard drives, his ear to tell if there are fissures inside the cheese. All cheeses that etc. We can’t offer you a tax-deduction but you will defi- pass the inspection are branded with the Consorzios seal and then nitely amass some good karma. Call Aldia at 478-2667 or left to age for another year. All cheeses that fail are stripped of all email aldia(at)wheatsville.coop to place your Mac in a loving home. markings. Parmigiano is traditionally used as a topping to pasta and We Wanna Adopt Your PCs, too! Our PC guy says we could use a few speedy PC laptops. Email soups. But in the areas of Modena and Parma, chunks are eaten him at it(at)wheatsville.coop. with splashes of balsamic vinegar, nuts, and wine. Parmigiano is also eaten with honey .

Page 6 The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Staff Gluten-Free Top Ten Picks by Gabriel Gallegos, Member Services Coordinator

Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Tinkyada Rice Pastas Biscuit and Baking Mix By far, the best The best gluten free gluten free pastas. We mix I’ve tried so far. It’s also carry it in bulk. a staple in my kitchen. Rice Dream Horchata Nothing hits the spot quite like a glass of ice- Amy’s Black Bean cold horchata. Enchiladas I never knew frozen enchiladas could taste Nature’s Path Mesa so good! Sunrise Flakes Van de Walle I love to eat these for Farms Salsa breakfast with vanilla Enjoy Life Gluten Free Great on almond milk. Snickerdoodles tofu scram- Hands down the best bler for soft-baked gluten free breakfast. cookie out there. El Milagro Corn Tortillas L&A Coconut You can’t find Pineapple Juice a better bar- It’s like dessert in a gain for corn bottle! tortillas than this and they taste great Ener-G too! Tapioca Loaf It’s packaged like a science project, but it makes great sand- wiches when toasted.

Green Grocer—Organic Mexican Produce by Johnny Livesay, Produce Manager

In our produce department acceptable for organic agricultural production. Under Oregon Tilth, one of the most well regarded there’s one question that we the Organic Food Production Act of 1990, the USDA third-party certifiers in the United States, is the get asked more frequently was required to develop national standards for organ- largest third-party certifier of organic produce in than any other: “This is from Mexico, how do you ic products, which went into effect when the National Mexico, certifying over sixty agricultural know it’s really organic?” This question is an interest- Organic Program (NOP) was made law in 2002. operations. Every month, OTCO ing one, carrying many dubious implications. When I The NOP covers, in rigorous detail (554 pages sends inspectors to Mexico for first started in produce, and was asked this for the worth) all aspects of food production, process- routine or random inspections, first time, I thought little of it. After a few dozen ing, delivery, and retail sale. Under the NOP, as well as to train Mexican inquiries it began to sink in that there was a culture of farmers and food processors who inspectors to be compliant mistrust and fear built around our southern neigh- wish to use the word “organic” in with USDA NOP regula- bor’s agricultural practices. reference to their businesses and tions. The answer to the question is simple, products, must be certified According to Garth Kahl, whether or not people actually organic by the USDA or a third- Oregon Tilth’s Latin believe it is a whole other party certifier. Small-scale pro- American Specialist, products issue. Any agricultural prod- ducers, with annual sales below coming into the United States uct sold as organic in the $5,000, are exempt from requiring from Mexico are far more heavily United States is grown in certification, yet must comply with tested than those found at local accordance to the USDA NOP standards, including exten- farmer’s markets. Due to last year’s salmonella National Organic Program’s stan- sive record keeping and submis- scare with conventionally grown Mexican toma- dards. Produce is inspected annu- sion to product audits; they cannot, toes, and jalapeños, Mexican produce is being more ally and randomly, and certified in however, use the term certified organic. heavily scrutinized than that which is being pro- order to prove compliance by an Agricultural producers wishing to sell their prod- duced within the borders of the United States. As a American agent, third-party certifier ucts in the States, regardless of the country of origin, by-product of this scrutiny, suppliers are doing or domestic agent trained by an must comply with the NOP standards if they wish to more random product testing at the border, ensur- American agency. market their products as certified organic, and carry ing that only safe products are coming in. Even though I try to allay people’s fears about the USDA Certified Organic seal. Mexico’s organic industry is growing strongly, these products, I suspect that some people have “We review the Organic System Plans of Mexican yet their domestic consumption of organics walked away feeling just as skeptical as they did growers to the same regulations as we do U.S. grow- accounts for very little of their crop yield. Ninety- before. Is it because I am not very convincing? Was ers and producers, and similarly, our inspectors eight percent of Mexico’s organic vegetables are my unkempt beard a deterrent to their belief of my inspect as rigorously to those standards.” Jane Baker, exported, mostly to the United States. For those of response? Maybe. To back up my my assurance that Director of Sales and Marketing for CCOF, said. us in Texas, this seems far more practical and envi- Mexico’s certified organic produce is bona fide, I con- “There are no separate standards in Mexico and others ronmentally friendly than getting produce from tacted a few folks in the organic certification field, as in the U.S. For a product to be sold as certified organic California, which is much farther away than many well as the USDA. The quest for answers began with in the U.S. it has to meet the USDA NOP standards of the areas of production in Mexico. looking at the basic regulations that were being used and accredited third-party certification agencies like “Tomatoes coming from Mexico are much safer as a metric for certifying and regulating organic pro- CCOF review Organic System Plans, inspect and certi- than that bought at the farmer’s market,” says duction here in the states. fy to those standards.” Kahl, who has over thirteen years of experience cer- Prior to October 2002, regulatory standards for CCOF certifies a total of twenty-six operations in tifying and training certifying agents in other coun- the term organic, or organic production, had yet to be Mexico and each operation is inspected every year. tries. “I feed my daughter products from Mexico. codified. Third-party certifiers such as, Oregon Tilth Founded in 1973, at the nascent stages of the natural There is definitely some misplaced fear about (OTCO), California Certified Organic Farmers foods movement, CCOF was one of the first organiza- Mexican organics. We treat growers in Mexico the (CCOF), and Quality Assurance International (QAI), tions to carry out organic certification in North same as in the U.S. They are good, conscientious had their own definitions and standards for what was America. people who really care about organics.”

The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Page 7 Dan’s Shopping Survival Guide

for the Next Few Months! by Dan Gillotte, General Manager

The next few months will be quite an adventure at your co-op as we enter into the final phases of the reno- vation project. There will be lots of cool and fun parts, but also some challeng- ing or even down- right frustrating parts. I’ve prepared this guide to help make the next few months as easy on you as possible! So far, you have been very flexible and understanding. We’ll need even more of that great attitude as we head into the spring. Expansion-asana is the key, be flexible and remember to breathe (oh yeah, and have fun, too)! As with all projects like this, I have to warn you that this is the plan for RIGHT NOW, but circumstances could change that will require us to make adjustments or change phasing order, etc. at very short notice. Anyone who has done a project of this scale knows what I mean! Existing Store

So, what the heck is going to happen anyway?

Broadly speaking, we’re going to be using the new addition as a tem- porary store as we completely renovate the original part of the store. Because we are doing all we can to stay open during the entire proj- ect, we have to do some fairly tricky maneuvering to make this possi- ble. So, we’re breaking the next few months into about 5 phases where certain parts of the current store will be relocated temporarily. Temporary Restroom

In general, we hope that this will cause as little real discomfort as possible, but there are some big changes coming up and we wanted you to be aware of what was coming. Here are a few tips that should make your life easier when shopping here in March, April and May:

Ask for help! We’ll have plenty of staff around to help you find that pesky Bulk Department when it moves. Or to show you where the par- ticular produce item you are looking for when produce is spread out through a few spots in the store.

Shop early or late. This will make parking easi- er, for sure, but also means less congestion for you in the aisles and a less hectic pace as you “learn” how to shop the temporary Wheatsville!

Phase 1 (begins around March 15th) The Deli, Meat and Cheese Departments “close” and “reopen” in their new digs. The new Frozen Department “opens”. The North wall is opened up and customers will begin shopping in the new part. (This should be pretty dang exciting, so hooting and holler- ing is encouraged.)

Page 8 The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Phase 2 (immediately following the Phase 1 transition) The parts of the store that face Guadalupe are next. Old freezers go away and the Bulk Department is temporarily relocated inside the new addition.

Subscribe to my weekly e-mail list (http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/wheatsville) or read my blog (http://wheatsville.blogspot.com). I’ll be updating interested folks regularly with breaking news.

Cultivate a sense of fun and adventure. It’s very interesting to watch the unfolding of the plans. The process is fascinating and you’ll have a much deeper appreciation for the completed store having watched it progress.

Ask for help! Oh, did I already say this? Well, it bears repeating. All staff want to help you find what you are looking for and they are ready to do just that.

Remember to breathe! (This is good advice for all of us on staff, too!)

We are so close to having the new store completed; we just have to get through a couple of complicated, but interesting months. I hope that you will continue to stick with us as we finish building our new Wheatsville Food Co-op!

Phase 3 (begins around April 15th)

The new Front End opens up with windows facing Guadalupe, two additional cash registers, a new hos- pitality desk, and our new indoor seating bar. As the new Front End opens, we will begin renovation on the old Front End area; Produce, Bodycare and Vitamins will be temporar- ily relocated and Refrigerated (or Dairy it is often called) will “open” in its new expanded location.

The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Page 9 t a mess, It’s not jus nture. it’s an adve

Phase 4 (begins around May 15th) The new Produce and Bulk departments open. Grocery and the rest of the main origi- nal store get tem- porarily relocated as the aisles are realigned and new shelving is installed.

Use a Wheatsville Credit Card! Many of you already use credit cards at Wheatsville. Now, there’s a really cool card, just for Wheatsville owners which will benefit Wheatsville, in turn benefit- ing you. Every time you use your UFCU Wheatsville VISA® card, whether it’s at Wheatsville or any other store, a portion of the fees normally charged to the retailer will go back to your friendly neighborhood grocery co-op. In other words, the more often you use your VISA® card, the more often you will be contributing back to the growth of Wheatsville. It’s also pretty cool that this VISA® card is brought to you as a joint effort of two local cooperatives, Wheatsville and University Federal Credit Union. Please check the Wheatsville website (www.wheatsville.coop) for a link to the application or visit UFCU’s website (ufcu.org) for more info.

Page 10 The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Phase 5 (early to mid-June) Grocery and all other departments move to their permanent locations. Salad Bar is installed and operational. Cheese relocates to new Cheese Island. Our project is complete! (Cue the celebration!)

Sign up for the Wheatsville E-mail List! Are you our MySpace friend? A few times a month, you’ll get an e-mail from us informing you of upcoming events, new products or http://myspace.com/wheatsville.coop changes in the store. So far most folks on the list have been happy with its frequency and informative (Check out our videos! We've uploaded two of nature.We will also begin offering e-mail only deals and other special opportunities. Go to our television commercials including http://wheatsville.coop/list to sign up! one from a few years ago featuring our friend Toni Price!)

We will not sell, lease, lend or otherwise disclose your email address to any other entity.

The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Page 11 New— Local Chicken from Dewberry Hills Farm by Bryan Butler, Meat Buyer

Wheatsville and that a chicken may be designated as natural if it does not If you are what you eat, it stands to reason that Dewberry Hills Farm is a contain artificial flavoring, coloring ingredients, chemical you are what your food eats. match made in heaven. preservatives or any other synthetic Terry and Jane Leven of ingredients. The USDA certifi- How are your chickens processed? Dewberry Hills Farm in cation is minimal at best Lexington, Texas and offers no guaran- As part of our total commitment approached Wheatsville a few months ago with an tee that the chicken to the chicken and to you, we offer to raise local, tasty, perfectly sized, pasture hasn’t been fed process all our birds right raised chickens for our customers and us. After I did antibiotics or here on the farm in an some reading about the farm and operations, plus growth inspected processing did some hands-on research with my favorite BBQ enhancers and building. Massive sauce, I was impressed. The care taken raising theses raised in a amounts of chicken and birds though the entire process shows— from daily confinement beef have been recalled pen moves to new areas of pasture to processing house. All it from major processing done right on the farm in an inspected facility. The addresses is the factories over the past five care taken is evident, even in the last step when the finished product years because of salmonella legs are tucked neatly together. This little extra step and any conven- and E. coli contamination saves time for the consumer in the kitchen when tionally raised chick- because of unsanitary condi- making recipes that call for the legs to be tied back or en may be designated as tions. Poultry may be abused—left “trussed”. natural. in cages for days without food or water or badly mishandled. I’ll spare you all After selling Dewberry Hills Farm chicken for Organic chickens differ in that their feed must be certi- the details my research has revealed but it is three months, the results speak for themselves— they fied as organic and may not contain growth enhancers or truly horrific. rank #6 in sales in the meat case—due in part to it antibiotics. However, there is absolutely no guarantee being locally raised and partly cause it’s the freshest that an organic chicken will ever be allowed in a pasture. We want to make sure that the birds receive the bird you can buy in Many certified organic chick- most compassionate care possible, from the time any grocery store in ens live in confinement hous- they hatch to the day of their departure. town. es and while technically they may have access to the out- Meyer Lemon and Lets be crystal doors, all that means is that a clear here, these small door with an opening Herb Roasted Chicken birds aren’t some to the outside is available to surplus animals the chickens should they (Recipe serves 3-4 people) needing to be sold, choose to use it. In many no these fine fowl cases, the yard is hard Thanks Chris Wilson for this great recipe are raised specifical- packed dirt and nothing 1 whole chicken (3lb), innards removed, trussed ly for Wheatsville more. Whenever you say and Wheatsville 1 Meyer lemon, split eggs or chickens labeled as 1 yellow onion, sliced only— something vegetarian, you can be sure that is nearly impos- 5 cloves, garlic, smashed that the chicken has never 3 springs, rosemary sible for large gro- ventured outside, as bugs are 3 bunches, thyme cery chain stores like a natural source of a chick- 1 bunch, Italian parsley HEB or Whole en’s diet. 2 tsp butter Foods to duplicate. salt, pepper and canola oil as needed If your eyes haven’t Pastured chickens are raised yet spied these great outside in moveable field little birds, they are located in the back part of the pens with constant access to fresh air and grass. Many Place onion, half the herbs, and 3 cloves of the case behind the Buddy’s chicken pieces. people are not aware that grasses are an integral part of a garlic in a roasting pan. Toss with canola oil. A healthy chickens diet and help generate essential Omega rack is not necessary, but use one if you have it. Want more? How about some staff testimonials…. three fatty acids. Grass also plays a big role in the deli- Set aside half the lemon, 2 cloves garlic, and half cious flavor of our birds. “The quality and freshness of the Dewberry birds can- the herbs. This is your stuffing material. Season the outside AND not be beat, ensuring moist, succulent, and delicious Conventionally raised inside of the chicken chicken time after time.” — Johnny Livesay chickens are allowed less with salt and pepper. than half of the space that “These are one of the best buys in the meat case. I eat at Sear chicken on all Dewberry Hills Farm least one each week. Dewberry Hills’ local, pastured sides to brown in a chickens have and are in chickens are finger-licking good out of the oven or off hot skillet with an intensely stressful envi- the grill with minimal seasoning. I’ve converted vege- enough canola oil to ronment. tarians to omnivores with these chickens and a little coat. Remove chick- barbeque sauce.”—Mike Crissey As our chickens have en and stuff cavity ample space and a clean with reserved stuff- “These birds are so fresh and clean! They are oven- living environment, we do ing materials (lemon, ready, with the wings tucked under and legs bound for not need to pump them garlic, herbs.) even browning. Dewberry Hills chickens are a pleasure full of antibiotics to keep Squeeze half the to roast, a breeze to carve, and a delight to eat! They are them alive. We do provide lemon over the bird. tender and juicy, with skin that crisps up beautifully a supplemental feed and unbeatable flavor.” — Merilee Kuchon Rub the out- ration of locally raised side of the bird with grain and trace minerals. “Those are d**n good chickens.”—Ralf Hernandez the butter. Roast at 400°F for about an “Because this is food I feed my family, I really appreci- Why do your chickens cost more? hour and a half. ate knowing the person who raised my chicken.” (Roughly 30 minutes —Mark Maddy Actually when you compare the cost of our chickens to per pound) Do not rely on the time, it is just a guideline. The best way to tell when a bird is “MMM chicken….”*drool* —Bryan N. Butler those available at the industrial organic supermarkets, we are more economical. However, pastured poultry is done is a thermometer. The desired doneness I’ve pulled the FAQ page from Dewberry Hills web- much more labor intensive. Our pens are moved daily. for poultry is 165°F, but pull out the bird when it site so Jane & Terry can explain in her own words Our chickens are constantly monitored to ensure the best measures about 158-160°. It will continue to what makes their birds better. Want to know more? possible living conditions and fed the highest quality cook as it rests. The best place to take a bird’s Visit the website www.dhfarms.com grains. This all takes work. temperature is the joint where the leg meets the body. It is important to consider the hidden costs of cheap con- Which chicken is best: finement house chicken which are many: the cost in fos- As the bird rests, remove the lemons from Natural, Organic, or Pastured? sil fuels to raise, process and transport the meat, the cost the cavity and squeeze over the bird. Carve up for the laborers who work in confinement houses, the your bird and enjoy with your desired sides. Be Buying the best healthiest and best tasting chicken cost to the environment and, perhaps most importantly, sure to drain off the pan drippings and use as a shouldn’t be this confusing. USDA guidelines specify the cost to you in terms of your health. complementary sauce. Enjoy!

Page 12 The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Celebrate 33 Years of the Cooperative Difference by Mike Crissey, Chill Buyer

The other day out on the patio, one of our owners approached me and began Remember When whole milk in gallons talking about how much she was looking forward to our renovated store and half-gallons are among the top ten and reflected on how much the store had changed over the past 33 years. best sellers. Other local products She told me she didn’t know how it kept happening, but Wheatsville rounding out the Top 25 best sellers seemed to get better and better. I told her it was all her fault. include: the white carton eggs from Without our owners shopping at and participating in the co-op, little H&J Ranch, White Mountain of what we do would be possible, especially right now. Consumer confi- yogurt quarts and Mother’s Café dence has hit all time lows; manufacturing and industrial production con- Cashew and Tamari dressing. tinue to shrink; and retail sales and job growth are also slumping. But you To celebrate our 33 years of not only defying the odds, but flourishing wouldn’t know it here at Wheatsville. with the help of our cooperative business, owners can enjoy 33 cents off It seems like almost every farmer who brings us products selected products produced by our fellow cooperatives—Manitoba Harvest, for the dairy cooler has told me they are expanding —buying Organic Valley and Tillamook—during the month of March with owners’ more livestock and equipment, hiring more employees, and in only coupons. some cases selling more products at more stores. And shoppers Celebrate our 33 years of making real change and owners continue to support these great farmers. in our community and world and save some The pink carton eggs from Alexander Family Farm became change while you’re at it! the top-selling product in the dairy cooler in January and You can find out more information about these cooperatives at: ------Chilling Briefly ------Manitoba Harvest: www.manitobaharvest.com Organic Valley: www.organicvalley.coop Tillamook Cheese: www.tillamookcheese.com Remember When We Just Had Whole New In The Freezer! Milk? Sustainable Fruit Our local, farmstead dairy farmer From Stahlbush Tips To Get The Best Out of Mark Ganske of Remember Island Farms! When Dairy has decided to add Remember When Dairy Milk reduced-fat (2%) milk in gallons We have a great new line of and half-gallons to his line of frozen fruit in the freezer Shoppers have embraced Remember When Dairy’s dairy products and we’re going from Stahlbush Island Farms, a second-genera- milk, which is grass-fed, non-homogenized, low-tem- to carry them here at the co-op. tion family farm in Oregon’s Willamette Valley perature pasteurized milk. This is milk like none Those of you who were grabbing that has been certified 100% sustainable by the other you have likely had, and with a little care on whole milk and fat-free milk, you Food Alliance, which was started by Oregon your part, it can be the best you’ve ever had. don’t have to mix it yourself anymore. Mark Ganske State University, Washington State University, had been using milk fat from his skim milk produc- and the Washington State Department of Keep It Cold tion to make butter, buttermilk and heavy cream so Agriculture. Some shoppers may be familiar supplies of those items may be short until he can fine with the Stahlbush Island Farms’ line of Because this milk is low-temperature pasteurized and tune his production. Mark Ganske says Wheatsville Farmer’s Market Organic canned fruits and veg- non-homogenized, it should be kept as cold as possi- will be one of the few places selling the buttermilk, etables. ble. This milk is as close to raw as you can buy in any butter and heavy cream from here on out. Stahlbush Island Farm’s frozen fruit is not all store. Remember When pasteurizes it’s milk at the certified organic but many of its sustainable prac- lowest temperature allowed by the state but is Where’s The Wateroak? tices meet or exceed organic standards. enough heat to kill harmful bacteria without chang- Stahlbush Island Farms uses: ing the make-up of the milk. Supplies of our local goat milk from Wateroak Farm It should be one of the last items (along with • Crop rotation to prevent disease, control should rebound this month (March) with the end of other dairy products) that you grab from shelves weeds, improve soil health and reduce pesti- kidding season. We typically have short supplies of before going to the register. Keep your refrigerator as cide use. goat milk, goat yogurt and cheese during December cold as possible (between 32 degrees and 42 degrees) and January, which are usually • Cover crops like wheat, ryegrass and common and try not to store this milk in your refrigerator door. the last months the goats are preg- vetch after harvests to help build their soil, nant. Breeding begins in control weeds and generate nitrogen in the Shake It Up September and the kids are usual- soil, which reduces the need for synthetic fer- ly born within five months. Mark tilizers. The layer of milk fat you may see at the top of the and Pam Burow don’t milk their container is normal and natural for non-homogenized • Independent soil residue testing to check for 20 milk. Milk is basically a combination of water and fat. goats during the last two months chemical residues, including DDT. of kidding and wait about two weeks after kids are Homogenization mechanically changes the fat mole- • Product residue testing by the National Food born to begin bottling goat milk again because natu- cules so they are all the same size and float equally Laboratory to check for 200 compounds, ral hormones and antibodies in the goat milk make it throughout the milk. Mark Ganske, owner of including organophosphates and organochlo- taste bitter. You can find out more about Wateroak Remember When Dairy, suggests that you pour out rines which are found in pesticides. Farm at www.dairygoathaven.com about a cup of the milk or cream to give yourself Learn more about Stahlbush Island Farms at room in the jug and then shake it up. Or you could New Coconut Milk Yogurt! www.stahlbush.com use the cream in your coffee. Vegan! Gluten-Free! Soy-Free! Learn more about the Food Alliance at www.foodalliance.com. How Long Should This Milk Last? Soymilk Shake-Up Remember When gets their milk and milk products to Wheatsville about three days after the cows are WhiteWave Foods, the makers of milked each week. Remember When is using low- Silk, has decided to start using nat- temperature pasteurization which gives the milk a ural, non-GMO soybeans instead roughly two-week sell-by date. After you open a con- of organic soybeans for many of its tainer of milk, it should be good for about one week, refrigerated soymilks. WhiteWave We have another dairy-free yogurt choice in the according to the National Dairy Council. says the move was prompted by climbing soy- refrigerated section, Turtle Mountain’s So Delicious, bean and fuel prices as well as a desire to expose My Milk Is Frozen, Is It Ok? which is made with coconut milk. Turtle Mountain is more people to natural soy foods. In January, probably best known for their So Delicious and Owner Mark Ganske is keeping his milk as cold as quarts and half-gallons of Silk Soymilk switched Purely Decadent lines of non-dairy frozen treats, possible for his 270-mile drive to bring Wheatsville from “made with organic” to “natural.” Silk using soy, and recently started using coconut milk. his milk and we keep our refrigerated cooler between plans to reintroduce the organic half-gallons of This should be a good option for people with aller- 32 and 41 degrees. The milk should be fine to drink plain, vanilla and unsweetened soymilk. gies to dairy or soy. Like all of our yogurt offerings, after allowing the ice to thaw. Some people prefer to WhiteWave does not plan to make any the So Delicious yogurts will have live cultures. freeze their milk to make it last longer. The milk may changes to its shelf-stable soymilk in aseptic Check out the new yogurts at www.sodelicious- be slightly grainy when thawed but should be all packages. They’ll remain organic. dairyfree.com. right after shaking. WhiteWave sources its non-genetically mod- To clear space for the So Delicious Coconut Milk This milk may not be for everyone. If you are not ified soybeans from sustainable North American Yogurt, we discontinued Stoneyfield Farms’ O’Soy satisfied with Remember When milk, we’ll gladly farms. You can find out more about WhiteWave’s Yogurt cups, which had been lagging our other dairy- allow you to exchange it for one of our other milk soybean sourcing guidelines at free yogurt cups from WholeSoy & Co. Any O’Soy brands, regardless of the price. www.silksoymilk.com/AboutSilkOurCauses/Sourcing yogurts fans will still be able to special order a case of Guidelines.aspx 12 6-oz cups.

The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Page 13 Party Like a Co-oper! Captions by Therese Adams, photos by Aldia Bluewillow and Christine Stout

The holidays came and went, and Wheatsvillians worked their tails off to make sure each and every shopper got what they needed to make their Thanksgiving and Christmas meals the best ever. So come January, we were ready to take a step back and appreciate the fruits of our labor! Wheatsville’s staff-elected Communications Team planned a stellar Staff Appreciation Party for us. It was an evening at the Clay Pit, complete with a delicious Indian buffet, staff appreciation awards, and of course, karaoke!

We voted to recognize our fellow staff for their talents and quirks. Each of the winners received a $20 gift card to a local business perfect for their award-winning personality:

Awards were presented by MC Mike Crissey Most Behind the Scenes Employee—John Perkins Best Personal Style— to the winner of each category Boomerang’s Gift Card Ladda Phommavong Buffalo Exchange Gift Card

Most Likely to Clean the Breakroom— Double Winner! Best Kept Beard and Aldia Bluewillow Most Likely to Start a Revolution—Mike Conti Bark n’ Purr Gift Card Most Wheatsville Pride—Niki Nash Monkey Wrench Books and The Peddler Gift Cards Scooter Revolution Gift Card

Busiest Bee— Lee Jellison Mother’s Café Gift Card

Natural Foods Nerd—Elke Stoekelmann Massage from Ellen Feldman Wheatsville Sweetheart— Willow Holdorf Guess What!! We have Dennis Hodges– Best Popcorn Tofu Artist Jade Leaves Tea House staff anniversaries Veggie Heaven Gift Card Gift Card to celebrate! Dana Tomlin (Deli) 6 years on 3/4 Gabriel Gallegos (Membership) 2 years on 3/5 Chad Peters (Deli Kitchen) 2 years on 3/14 Professor Conti (Grocery) 2 years on 3/19 J Martinez (Front End) 2 years on 3/22 Nancy Bender (Health Team) 2 years on 3/27 Erin Gordy (Front End) 2 years on 3/29 Cassie Mulder (Front End) 1 year on 3/4 Willow Holdorf (Front End) 1 year on 3/13 Bruce Cloud (Grocery) 1 year on 3/19 Gray Parsons (Deli) 1 year on 3/24 Beth Beutel (Front End) 1 year on 3/27 Philip Greene (Deli) 1 year on 3/31

------April ------Thor Armbruster (Front End) 3 years on 4/10 Laurie Power (Deli Kitchen) 3 years on 4/18 Trae Branham (Grocery) 1 year on 4/2 If you’ve never heard Dan Gillotte Therese Adams (HR) 1 year on 4/7 Wheatsville Comedian—Johnny Livesay belt out an old country song, you Mariah Barrett (Deli) 1 year on 4/14 I Luv Video Gift Card really haven’t lived! Lucio Gamboa (Front End) 1 year on 4/24

Page 14 The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Card Changes by Gabriel Gallegos Membership Coordinator

As you can tell, the times are changing at Wheatsville. We For those who do not only have a couple more months of renovation left, but wish to retrieve a mem- before we see the project completed, our membership bership card, you may database and cards are getting a makeover. In the coming continue using your mem- will agree that we months, our new front desk will be installed, the registers bership number as you love the new will be relocated to what is currently the bulk department have in the past. Card dis- facilities that our and we will begin distributing the new scannable mem- tribution will begin shortly owners have bership cards. They will speed up your checkout time and after the cash registers are made possible. I ensure that your patronage is accurately tallied for patron- relocated, so look out for would like ensure that Wheatsville’s owners age rebates. They will also be able to identify you as a co- signs in the store detailing are as comfortable as possible with the changes we op owner and automatically ring up Owner Specials exact distribution procedures. You may also ask will be making to the membership procedures, so if when you purchase qualifying products. This will elimi- our cashiers for more info on card distribution. there are any questions or comments, please direct nate the need for us to print Owner Special coupons, them to me at membership(at)wheatsville.coop. which will result in less resources being used. The cards I would like to thank our owners for the patience themselves will be made of 100% recycled material and and understanding as we undergo our renova- Thanks again and congratulations to Wheatsville’s sport a brand new look designed by Wheatsville owner tion/expansion. As a staff member, it has been a newest Invested Owners! Debra Cammareri. Thanks Debra! great adventure and I know that many others Our Newest Invested Owners Dec/10/08 – Feb/14/09 (146) Ellen Evans Pascale Bos Kate Vickery Buffy Cram Cristina Paz Terry Nowell Chris Roy Wayne Doktau Chiao-Hsuan Lai Audrey Smith Sze-To Jane Bick Rachel Mills Amanda Clay Chad Allen Kyle Girten Gloria Uridel Anna Litt John Houston Monica Torres Jonathan Julius Viksne Kelly Hill Susan Boren Sarah Moody Tilly Cairo Kim Barker Harold Kelch Sylvia Grove Garrett Wilner Nan Bernstein Benjamin Richard Zink John Webb Ben Sirko Laura Luthy Kris Eifler Virat Kapur Heather Cole Nicole Smith Casey Martinez Natalia Ivanova Stacey Shackelford Judy Watts Chris Danz Angie Carter Will Taylor Karen Rezny Marc Phillips Cara Carney Judith Lazarus Robert S Witt Stephanie Demopulos Emily Potts Kat Pratt Mary D’angelo Damon Stone Deborah Stone Jenifer Arntson Andrea Mastromatteo Mary Thomas David Adlock Karen Pittman Savanna Adams Linda Daniels-Hernandez DOGGONE IT! WHERE DID YOU GO? Mat Brinkman David Murray Kirsten Hollis Jonathan Thelen Robert D Whittenberg II Members- if you’ve moved and you’re not getting the Breeze in Alice Gerhart Doug Marshall Audrey Carmical Kendra L Kreider Patricia Greschner-Nedry the mail, please take a minute to update your address. Andrea Junker Eliot Tretter Laura Matthews Sukant Khurana Michelle Grieshaber Elizabeth Vela Laura Peterson Elilzabeth Grous Katherine Curtis Angelo Mitchell UPDATE ME! Arjang Hassibi Emily Erickson Lauren Madry Sun Yong Chung Kumaridevi Sivam YES! Eric Katerman Leah Manners Jamie Alexander Jocelyn Mellberg Ashley Williams Member Number Ingrid Powell Tyler Arnold Leann Anderson Jane M Sheaffer Sara Beeman Michael Klug Foster Harrell George Barczak Tammie Grayson Jeremy Wahlberg Name Patrick Newell George Mcqueen Mary Carla Criner Kimberley Chase Michelle Wade Address Julie Holden Rex Nunnally Leroy Barriga Megan Van Meter Jennifer Greenfield Charles Hines Hunter Cross Lindsay Kellner Jennifer Prichard Deborah Robertson City State Zip Brent Nutting Cristina Carolan Mia Rothgeb-Pem Brigette Hutchison John Stoney Phone Joshel Brown James Zachary Matthew Young Abby Williamson Renee Studebaker Joshua Shain Jason Enright Maureen Siegel Alberto Guevara Chris Mustain-Wood Email Clay Schultz Jason Potterf Meiling Guentzel Tracy Springer Robert Henderson Mail to Wheatsville Address Update, Attn. Gabriel, 3101Guadalupe, Austin TX 78705 or drop in the box at the Member Center or email changes to mem- Megan Poore Jayne Farrell Melissa Mosley Madison M Baker Thomas Friedland bership(at)wheatsville.coop Cyrus Cousins Jeremy Simon Merry Bateman Tommy Rainbolt Thomas Richardson

The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Page 15 Coffee Done Right: Happiness in Bulk By the People and For the People by Allen Schroeder, Bulk Buyer by Joel Shuler, owner of Casa Brasil So our little Wheatsville is thir- ty-three years old. We’re no longer giddy adolescents. Casa Brasil and Wheatsville have joined together for a great cause. For every pound of COOPFAM Co-op cof- We’re taking on more responsi- fee you purchase, 20¢ will go directly to the tuition of Estela Mayra Severiano at the Centro Education bility (a bank loan), and we’re Cooperfam private school in Poço Fundo, Brazil. Estela was chosen because of her exceptional academic even old enough to need a achievement and her inspiring dedication to furthering her education. She is the daughter of Celio Luiz and facelift. Maybe in a couple Irene Maria, coffee producers in the COOPFAM Coop. years we’ll have a baby! A large impediment to social mobility in Brazil is Ahh yes, I remember being 33 years old. I was the cruelly ironic dichotomy between private and pub- two years into marriage, one year into fatherhood lic educational institutions. Public universities are of and three years into a six-year stint at Whole Foods high quality and are free. However, entrance to public Market’s 4th store on Lower Greenville Ave in Dallas. universities is very competitive and admission is based Back then, our Store Team Leader had to take an on a comprehensive test called the Vestibular. The pub- extended twelve-month leave, and the associate STL lic primary and secondary counterparts of these uni- sadly and suddenly passed away from leukemia. We versities are wanting and students are ill-prepared to were left with a management team comprised of the take this Vestibular test. The dichotomy thus, in effect, AP clerk, H.R. and a brave group of shift leaders. I serves as a financial sieve, filtering out access to higher was the vitamin buyer and a shift leader. That was education for those who cannot afford private primary some fun. We barely had time to breathe, same as and secondary education. In Brazil, much more so here. than in the U.S., the question “did you go to a private Wheatsville reminds me a lot of that store—a or public high school?” is an unfortunate barometer of medium size neighborhood grocery store providing social class. This unfair mentality perpetuates a socioe- excellent customer service, selling the healthiest foods conomic caste system that leaves coffee farmers like in town and breaking all growth expectations. Both the Severianos with few options when it comes to the have outgrown their original space. education of their talented daughter. Another similarity I notice, and am especially COOPFAM is the Cooperative of Family grateful for, is that there is the right mix of top down Producers of Poço Fundo, a small town in the hills of control melded with opportunities for self-actualiza- southern Minas Gerais, Brazil. COOPFAM was found- tion—the ability to express your individuality at ed in the early 1990’s as a means for local producers to work and apply your unique solutions to problems unite to overcome financial difficulties in the coffee that arise. industry. The collective objective of these united pro- I’m grateful to be with Wheatsville (two years ducers quickly turned towards environmentally safe now) because it has been a landing place for me; the practices and fair pricing for a differentiated product. The Poço Fundo micro-region is naturally blessed with an final lessons I needed to learn about managing came exceptional terroir that renders extremely fruity, sweet and full-bodied coffees with pleasant rounded acidity. to me here. I’ve realized that managing people is not Today COOPFAM is both Fair-Trade and Organic certified, with membership of over 200 families. Their coffees the best fit for me. My introspective personality and have been recognized worldwide for both quality and social responsibility. Co-op president Luis Adauto de my desire to concentrate on doing my job well, rather Oliveira was named Brazil’s Coffee Producer of the Year in 2007. than supervising other people’s work, led to me step Our mission at Casa Brasil is to reward producers dedicated to away from a management position. But that’s OK. excellence by providing them a direct line to your cup. We foster per- Being a buyer in a natural foods grocery store is a sonal relationships with producers and directly reward them for their great gig. Hard but satisfying work, decent pay, and product. Our ability to go direct to source not only gives you access to no more thorny personnel issues to deal with, and no Brazil’s best coffees, but also allows you to have an immediate and schedules to be juggled. direct impact on the lives of those who produce it. So, a very happy birthday to Wheatsville from So buy COOPFAM Poço Fundo coffee first and foremost for the flavor and quality. But also know that you your older brother! Stay sober, but have fun, make and other Wheatsville owners are returning a portion directly to the hard-working, responsible farmers who good choices and you’ll grow into well-balanced produce it. Estela, Celio and Irene are proud to bring you this exceptional cup. Why not join us in giving back to maturity. Good luck with that good-looking renova- help Estela make it to uni- tion. It’s bound to be less troublesome than that high versity where she will surely maintenance old building you used to live with. shine. Stay positive and true to yourself during the eco- nomic downturn. With the love and support of our Ellen Feldman co-op family, I can only see us continuing to grow in sales and in importance to many people in the com- Massage Therapy munity. I’m proud to be a part of that. * Swedish FREE MAMMOGRAMS for Low- * Reiki Income Women * Polarity The Community Women’s Wellness Center offers free breast Shiatsu exams and mammograms to low-income women 50 and * older, residents of Travis County, with limited or no health Aromatherapy insurance. Women receive comprehensive breast examina- * tions, learn how to do breast self-exam, and get blood pres- sure & weight checks. Call 232-4707 for eligibility and by appointment 451-5045 appointments. Project of the University of Texas School of Nursing.

Page 16 The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Human Power-Happiness Without Cars by Amy Babich

When I went to hear Enrique Peñalosa speak downtown last month, at a meeting city works well for the most vulnerable people—for hosted by Bike Austin (also known as the Texas Bicycle Coalition), I expected to be children, old people, disabled people, poor people— somewhat disappointed. I’ve admired Peñalosa for years. He’s the former mayor then it works well for everyone. of Bogotá, Colombia, who in one three-year term started congestion pricing for * * * cars downtown, popularized a rapid bus system called TransMilenio, expanded Austin has 3500 linear miles of missing sidewalk. In the the Sunday ciclovia, built miles of sidewalk and bicycle paths, kicked the parked last three years, fifty linear miles were built. At this rate, cars off the sidewalks, and persuaded people to vote for an annual car-free day to it will take 210 years to finish Austin’s sidewalk system. be held on the first Thursday of each February. I already knew all this, so what By all measures mentioned by Peñalosa, Austin is a very backward city. On could I learn by hearing Peñalosa talk for an hour? As it turned out, I was com- most streets in Austin, the width of the pedestrian space is zero, yet cars are parked pletely amazed. Every time I remember the speech, I get happy. on the street. In Austin, the question of pedestrian space versus car space is always Here is what I remember of Peñalosa’s remarkable speech. This is an approxi- viewed as a technical question, to be decided by a traffic study. Then a study is done mation from memory, not a direct quotation. to show that the cars need all our public space. The real questions never get asked. * * * Austin has an entire city government department devoted to parking private cars. Happiness is impossible to define, but happiness is the goal of life. Therefore, we The pedestrian program is tiny and underfunded. Our leaders are trying to reduce need to design our cities to maximize happiness. traffic jams, not cut car use. We live in a very backward city. What makes people happy? Walking around and seeing people, being in But let’s not get depressed—happiness, after all, is the goal of life. One does not touch with nature, and not feeling excluded. become happy by hiding from the city in a car, but by walking (or bicycling) around The pedestrian space of a city is where we live, where we meet people, look and experiencing the city, in all its toxic, trashy present and its exciting, civilized around, transact business, kiss . . . Sidewalks are not relatives of streets. Sidewalks possibility. We need to change the way our leaders look at the city. No elected offi- are relatives of parks. cials chose to attend Peñalosa’s speech, although they were invited. One candidate Advanced cities are trying to cut car use. Backward cities are trying to get rid for city council—Chris Riley—was present. of traffic jams. Traffic jams are useful—they tell you where to put your public tran- There will be an Austin city council sit routes. election this May. In March and April, there will be several forums hosted by There is only so much space in the street. People want more space for cars Wheatsville Member Directory and more space for pedestrians. It’s not a question of whether I like cars or not. citizen’s groups, where people can meet Community Service Organizations More space for pedestrians means less space for cars. The hardest thing I had to the candidates for office and ask them do as mayor was stop cars from parking on the sidewalks. questions. One of the best forums is sure Action For Animals Animal rights is alive in Austin! T_imothy______879-7437 www.actionforanimalsaustin.org An advanced city is not a city with highways—African cities without run- to be the one hosted jointly by the Austin Crossings Care Circle Information for families about in-home after- ning water in most homes have highways—but a city where an eight-year-old can Cycling Association, the Bicycle _death______care & alternatives to the funeral industry. www.crossingscircle.org. go anywhere on a bicycle. Advisory Council, and the League of Dress for Success Austin Provides free interview suits to referred l______ow income job-seeking women 916-4322. www.dressforsuccess.org You can tell how advanced a city is by the comparative width of the sidewalk Bicycling Voters. The date for this forum ______EarthSave, Promoting food choices that benefit health for all life. Stormi27(at)aol.com and the street. There are advanced cities where the sidewalk is wider than the is not yet set, but it will be posted on the Front Lion Organization Frontline action projects for cultural & communi- website of the League of Bicycling Voters, t_y ______awareness. Dianah Birdsong 803-5873 myspace.com/frontlionorg street. GreenGirls.net women who care deeply about our environment. . Be part of our Parking is not a constitutional right in any country. It is not the business of lobv.org. Even if you don’t ride a bicycle, netw______ork and have fun being powerful together. www.greengirls.net government to provide parking spaces for private cars. This is a job for private this forum will probably be of interest to The Inside Books Project All-volunteer non-profit which sends free literature & you. There is no established pedestrian e______ducational materials to Texas prisoners. 647-4803. [email protected] companies. SAY NO TO GMOs Grassroots education, activities & resources for con- People always oppose car-free streets, but once they have them they love advocacy group in Austin, and some of _sumer______choice & genetically viable future 303-1400 www.saynotogmos.org them. Business owners always want cars to park right in front of their business. the copious slack is taken up by bicycle Rainforest Partnership an Austin-based nonprofit focused on pre- advocacy organizations. We are all _ser______ving tropical rainforests www.rainforestpartnership.org But people go to shopping malls and park a long way from the store. What do TexPIRG, Texas Public Interest Research Group Austin-based people see in shopping malls? They’re places where people can walk and be social pedestrians, even (or especially) those of consumer______and environmental advocacy www.texpirg.org without being run over by cars. But it’s sad when malls function as your city’s us who must use wheelchairs. Vegans Rock Austin! Austin vegan community organization/site. Ross Abel 477-4912 Here to rock. www.veganaustin.org public space, because these malls are all the same. When I visit a new city, I want We need to move our city out of the ______UT Conflict Resolution Center Free professional mediation, facilitation, consul- to walk around and see the city, not go to a shopping mall. dark age of the car culture. Let’s have a t_ation,______coaching, conflict resolution 471-1950 [email protected] www.utpcr.org When people say that a street has room for on-street parking, but not for ten- city of sidewalks, pedestrians, fresh air, Vegetarian Network of Austin Resources, info, contacts, fun. 896-5018 www.vegnetaustin.org foot sidewalks, this is a political judgment, a value judgment. You can’t find out and clean water, not a toxic and danger- ______YELLOW BIKE PROJECT Urban free bike program. how much space you need for cars and how much for pedestrians by getting traf- ous city devoted to cars. We do have a Bikes recycled. Donations accepted.457-9880 www.austinyellowbike.org fic engineers to do a study. It’s not a technical question, and there is no technical choice about how we want to live. Let’s answer. It’s a value question. It’s a question of what sort of city you want. not throw it away. Wolves are considered dangerous to children, because wolves ate a couple of children in Europe in the Middle Ages. But cars kill at least 200,000 children a year, worldwide. And we don’t protect our children from cars. We think it’s nor- mal for children to get run over if they go out of the house. Bicycle paths should not be designed for twenty-year-old risk takers. An eight-year-old child should be able to use them. When there’s a flat route and a hilly route, the bicycles should get the flat route and the cars the hilly route. At an intersection, the sidewalk should continue at grade, while the cars have to go up and down. This slows down the cars at intersections, and reduces accidents and injuries to pedestrians. I think that the twentieth century will be remembered as a dark, backward time when, for the first time in history, people couldn’t walk to buy bread and milk. We have a tradition in Bogotá, that every Sunday we close over a hundred kilometers of streets to cars. This is not for sport. It’s to remind us that people are more important than cars. People who don’t own cars have a right to mobility and respect. When a

The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Page 17 Dye Your Easter Eggs Naturally by Christine Stout

With all the recent Colors: Another fun thing to try while you are dying press regarding Orange: 2 Tbs paprika your eggs is to take some of the onion skins, or unsafe paint, color- Blue: 4 cups chopped red cabbage spinach leaves and wrap them around the eggs. ing, and dyes, and Red: 4 cups red onion skins Use a string to secure them, and then put them the fact that this will Pink: 4 cups chopped beets inside an old nylon stocking and tie a knot. Drop be my daughter’s Green: 4 cups spinach them in the dye like above. Leave them in the first year to go on Yellow: 4 cups orange or lemon peels wrap for 30 min after taking out of the dye, when an Easter egg hunt, or 2 Tbs cumin you unwrap them they will all have unique I started looking for Light Brown: 1 quart of strongly brewed coffee designs on them. some alternatives to the standard egg dying kit. instead of water You can also draw designs After doing a little research I was surprised to find on the eggs before dip- that almost all egg dying kits contain color addi- 1. Boil eggs for approximately ping them in dye, tives such as Red No.3 and Yellow No.5, which 10 minutes and set aside with crayons or according to a 1983 FDA study were found to to cool wax. cause tumors (Red No. 3) and hives (Yellow No. 5)! 2. Boil 1 quart of water Wherever My determination now much greater, I was in saucepan. You the wax pleased to find several website that offer natural will need a separate goes, no alternatives to the traditional egg kit. This method pan of water for dye will takes a bit longer, but the colors are all made from each color. soak in, fruit, vegetables, and spices! leaving a 3. Add dye ingredients pale design. Materials: to pan of boiling water glass, ceramic or stainless steel pans Naturally 4. Reduce heat and simmer (iron or tin will alter the color) dying your Easter until water changes color, usual- 6 white eggs eggs is a great learning ly 15-30 min 4 cups of veggies or 2 Tbs spices activity for you 1 quart of water 5. Strain colored water into a bowl and your kids. Not 2 Tbs vinegar 6. Add 2 Tbs of Vinegar to help eggs absorb only can you use empty egg carton for drying color these fruits and veggies to dye 7 Place boiled eggs in colored water. Leave your eggs, you can them to soak until you achieve the use the same meth- desired color. Turn occasionally for a ods to do other more even coating dying experiments 8. Remove from dye and place in egg with clothing and carton to air dry. fabric! Have fun. Happy Spring Remember, if you are going to eat Solstice & Happy these eggs, you must return them to Easter the refrigerator. They shouldn’t be out for more than 2 hours.

The Funky Chicken Coop Tour Saturday, April 11 10:00 am to 4:30 pm

Seattle has one. Raleigh has one. But Austinites like to be at the leading edge of all trends. So, when a group of local backyard poultry enthusiasts realized that Austin lacked an annual backyard Chicken Coop celebration, they took action. The result? Austin’s first free Funky Chicken Coop Tour. Urban chicken-keeping is on the rise in cities across the USA, and for good reasons. Chickens can be easy-to-care-for pets, provide insect control, supply delicious fresh eggs, and help create better yards and gardens. Most chicken owners report that it’s just plain fun to have them around. On Saturday, April 11, Austin-area chicken coop owners will open their backyards to the public. The free, self-guided tour will run from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and showcase a vari- ety of poultry projects in a variety of settings, from urban to rural. Visitors to the tour sites will see how scavenged materials can be transformed into a low-cost coop; or how a fashionable coop can enhance your landscape. Visitors will have the chance to see how chicken coops integrate into larger projects, such as organic gardens, sus- tainability and permaculture efforts, and school projects. The tour hosts will be able to answer questions on chicken care, compliance with city ordinances, coop design, and more. If you are thinking about keeping chickens in your own backyard, you’ll get some great ideas for your own successful project. The Funky Chicken Coop Tour will include coops all over the Austin area. A map of participating coops will be available for download prior to the tour from http://fccoop- tour.blogspot.com

Page 18 The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Spring Tea Harvest in the Year of the Ox at Jade Leaves Teahouse by Allen Cline

According to the traditional Chinese calendar January 26, 29 was the first day of the Earth Ox year, 4,77. Astrologically, this year is seen as a stable year where hard work will benefit those who endeavor to find solutions they need. The Ox is represented by the element of “Earth” and it is said that “Earth” businesses such as the food industry and farming will fare well. This, of course, also predicts that tea will perhaps continue to flourish this year. In China, the traditional calendar determines the times of many things including tea harvest times. Spring is considered to be one the best times for harvesting many teas although there are picking times in summer, fall and winter as well. In spring there are three traditional calendar dates to consider for the harvesting of teas. They are “Chunfen” which is the Spring Equinox, “Qingming” meaning “Light Bright or Pure Brightness”, which is a festival date and “Guyu” which means “Grain Rain.” Chinese tea culture places special importance on these days as they determine the times and energies of the different tea harvests. This tradition has a history of well over two thousand years. The Qingming festival, which occurs usually 15 days after the Spring Equinox, is perhaps the most famous. Teas that are picked before the Qingming festival are considered to be superior in flavor, aroma and effect. The festival itself is a time traditionally to go outside and enjoy the greenery and weather of spring. It is also a time where the Chinese attend the graves of departed family and friends. Teas picked before this date include many different types of white and green teas in particular but also oolongs as well. They are known as “Mingqian” or Pre-Qingming teas and command higher prices at market for the farmers. The next best picking date is before the time of “Guyu” or the day of “Grain Rain”. These teas are slightly dif- ferent than the Mingqian teas in flavor and aroma even though they are the same plants being picked. Known as “Yuqian” or Pre-Guyu teas the harvest again sees many different white, green and oolong teas being picked. These teas tend to be slightly less expensive at market. Some tea plants respond better year to year in different seasons depend- ing on many factors including rain, temperatures, and environment. Here at Jade Leaves Teahouse, we offer a variety of tea from all over the world. We trade with many small organ- ic farms in China and are excited to be a part of these traditional harvest purchases. We have many teas that are extremely rare and are only picked at the Mingqian harvest. Our white teas are perhaps the most rare. Our White Jade Rabbit and Spirit Spirals are both high mountain teas grown by the Li family in Fujian province in southern China, which is famous for white tea. They both have very different but excellent aromas and flavors in the cup. White teas are considered to be the healthiest of teas because they have the highest amounts of Vitamin C and anti-oxidants. They also taste lovely with subtle flavors of fruit and grassy vegetal aromas. We will also be receiving many different green teas from the Mingqian pick included our Westlake Dragonwell tea, famous for its nutty flavor. Our High Mountain Cloudy Tip from an organic farm in the Zhejiang province is another quite popular tea especially when prepared in the traditional Gongfu style. Purple Bamboo hails from a well-known organic farm in Sichuan province and has a light spicy vegetal flavor. There are many others that will be available fresh just after the harvest. We expect to have all the spring teas to be in by mid to late April. We have started tea tastings every Monday and Thursday from 3-5 p.m. They are being hosted by Sohan Fan and are free. So feel free to stop by, try some tea and have some of our awesome spring pick.

Allen Cline is a practitioner of Traditional Oriental Medicine and is an owner and the resident Tea Fanatic of the Jade Leaves Teahouse in Austin, Texas.

Time to Think Farming by Benjamin Gisin, for more information visit Touch the Soil magazine: www.touchthesoil.com

While the financial industry will start cash flows moving again between today as a new food crisis is forming in the wings. In 2008, tries to figure out how to save businesses and consumers to restore jobs and the world’s farmers achieved the largest agricultural pro- itself and the economy, perhaps prosperity. To be even more effective, agricul- duction in history. The crops produced were also the most it should take its own advice — ture is the place to target stimulus payments for expensive. The fall in commodity prices, particularly grains it’s in the cash flows. spending. and dairy products, has farmers retreating from maximum Every farmer that has ever applied for production. As the world enjoys living off l i o

credit was approved primarily on one condi- S the agricultural bounty of 2008, no one is

e h tion - the farm’s cash flows. The farm had to t paying attention that prices are not giving

h have cash flowing through the farm on one c u farmers an incentive to do a repeat per- o T end as income and going out the other end to formance. And global food stocks are still y b

pay expenses. The economy is no exception. o at historical lows. In fact, many farmers t o The economy’s failure is due to insuffi- h are still trying to figure out how to finish P cient cash flowing between businesses and paying for the 2008 crop, let alone start consumers and the financial industry’s fail- making investments into the 2009 crop. ure to provide a means of exchange capable U.S. winter wheat plantings are down 9 of doing such. The financial industry should percent, while unprecedented droughts in be the first to understand that bailing out California (the nation’s produce basket) banks is one of the least effective solutions to and South America are impacting yields. creating cash flows. It is money, robustly Fixing the economy, the financial sys- moving through the economy, that sustains tem and food security is totally about cash jobs and people’s ability to pay their loans. flows. To solve all three, stimulus pay- So how does money move robustly ments at the farm and food sector pro- through the economy? One of the secrets lies vides the quickest and greatest economic in finding the most efficient place where good. income (money) is inserted in the economy In addition, the U.S. Government, the to percolate throughout. For some it is no WTO and the United Nations must man- surprise that place is agriculture. The most Round bales of straw from the 2008 wheat crop are a reminder that prosperity date a sane level of grain and other food prosperous years in American economic his- starts at the farm level. Assuring adequate farm income is the most critical ele- stocks. Using stimulus payments to build tory were eras when farmers were not ment in saving the economy, the financial system and arresting global hunger all in strategic food reserves for 90 to 120 days deprived of crop prices sufficient to cover one sweep. and getting money to the food insecure is expenses. the most effective way to re-invigorate the If income at the farm level is sufficient, studies Agriculture is the world’s largest physical national and global economy while still eating. have proven that cash flows through the economy, to activity, consuming 38 percent of the world’s It is also the humanitarian thing to do. The number of sustain everything else, were the most optimum. And land and 70 percent of it’s fresh water use. The starving people in the world climbed from 850 million peo- more optimum cash flows also means less reliance on production and consumption of food turns rap- ple in early 2007 to 963 million today. Talk about covering debt to keep things moving. idly every day. Sufficient income to cover farm- losses from toxic loans does not address what the economy This body of knowledge, its ongoing research ing costs means cash flows through the econo- needs — robust cash flows that begin at our most basic and application is maintained by an organization my to facilitate food’s consumption creating need — food. It’s time to tell Washington it’s about cash called the National Organization for Raw Materials. waves of cash flows through the entire econo- flows and agriculture. (NORM: www.normeconomics.com) my. Even the Federal Reserve Bank understands Of the actions directed at solving the economic this as it still has mechanisms in place to insert Benjamin Gisin has visited hundreds of farms in his banking, and financial crisis to date, the one with the most money directly into the agricultural economy farm consulting and publishing careers. He writes and lectures potential has yet to be effected: stimulus payments to using its “discount window” operations. extensively on the global and domestic food situation, the promise facilitate spending. It is spending in that manner that Spending at the farm level is the key issue of local food first and grass-roots economic issues.

The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Page 19