Annah Darling Frank Salati and Hard-To-Find Items for Special Dietary Needs
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Vol. 24: Issue 9 / September 2013 The Co-operator The monthly newsletter of the East End Food Co-op / Pittsburgh, PA Celebrate Local Foods in September - and Every Day! by Leah Smith and Alissa Matthews of Pennsylvania Association For Sustainable Agriculture This is the season for cookouts, family gather- Hungry series of events at Pittsburgh-area and the environment - not to mention how deli- chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or ings, and finding creative ways to beat the heat. farmers markets. You can also meet up with cious fresh, local food tastes! Following are just genetically modified seed in their operations. Did you realize that all the ingredients you need PASA at the 2013 Mother Earth News Fair in a few of the many benefits of buying locally Buy food from local farmers you trust. for your next get-together are produced right here Seven Springs September 20-22. The Mother grown food. in Western Pennsylvania? Now that’s something Earth News Fair is a fun-filled, family-oriented Protect the environment. Local food doesn’t to celebrate! Join Pennsylvania Association for event featuring practical, hands-on demos Exceptional taste and freshness. Local food is have to travel far. This reduces carbon dioxide Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) and the Buy and workshops on organic gardening, renew- fresher and tastes better than food shipped long emissions and packing materials. Buying local Fresh Buy Local® program for our eighth annual able energy, modern homesteading, and more. distances from other states or countries. Local food also helps to make farming more profit- celebration of Local Food Month in Western PASA will be hosting a stage all weekend, with farmers can offer produce varieties bred for taste able and selling farmland for development Pennsylvania this September! workshops presented by our members on topics and freshness rather than for shipping and long less attractive. ranging from raising pastured poultry to using shelf life. Local Food Month will include events for the plants for healing. When you buy local food, you ensure that whole family to explore and connect with the Strengthen your local economy. Buying local family farms in your community will continue region’s vast agrarian offerings and help you get Your Co-op will be joining us at Mother Earth food keeps your dollars circulating in your to thrive, and that healthy, flavorful, plentiful to know the farmers who grow your food. There News Fair on Saturday, September 21st. They community. Getting to know the farmers who food will be available for future generations. is something for everyone, with programs and also have a number of other activities planned in grow your food builds relationships based on The time is ripe to taste the season’s best right events to explore backyard gardening, home- celebration of Local Food Month. The event pro- understanding and trust, which contributes to here at home! For more information about Local steading, and cooking with sustainable ingredi- gramming for in-store events this September will strong communities. Food Month, please visit www.buylocalpa.org. ents, along with connecting to local farms in the focus on local foods and suppliers; best of all, the region. Local Food Month will help you and events are free and open to the public. Check out Support endangered family farms. There’s never your family to appreciate and understand what it page 8 to learn more about your Co-op’s calendar been a more critical time to support your farm- takes to bring your meals from the farmers’ fields of events and join both of our organizations in ing neighbors. With each local food purchase, to your fork, with plenty of opportunities to eat supporting local food all month long! you ensure that more of your money spent on delicious food and have fun along the way! food goes to the farmer. Buy Fresh Buy Local Every Day for Our Upcoming Events Sustainable Future Safeguard your family’s health. Knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown or PASA and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Buying your food locally is good for your local raised enables you to choose safe food from Food Bank are organizing a Harvest for the economy, family farmers, your family’s health, farmers who avoid or reduce their use of IN THIS ISSUE: CO-OP DEALS FLYERS: September 4 – September 17 CO-OP NEWS 2-3 September 18 – October 1 THE FOOD YOU EAT 4 MEMBERS ONLY: Be sure to use your 10% quarterly discount by September 30th! IN YOUR COMMUNITY, ON YOUR PLANET 5 The next quarter goes from October 1 – December 31. FOR YOUR INFORMATION 6 BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Please use the ballot inserted in this issue to vote in the Board Elections. STAFF NEWS 7 The next meeting will take place on Monday, September 30th at 7 PM. CAFÉ MENU 8 NEW MEMBER ORIENTATIONS: UPCOMING EVENTS 8 To register, call 412.242.3598 x 103 or email [email protected] East End Food Co-op • 7516 Meade St. Pittsburgh, PA 15208 • www.eastendfood.coop • 412.242.3598 • Open to Everyone, Every Day 8 AM – 9 PM DO NO DELAY NO DO DATED MATERIAL: DATED PERMIT NO. 1800 NO. PERMIT PITTSBURGH, PA PITTSBURGH, PAID Pittsburgh, PA 15208 PA Pittsburgh, U.S. POSTAGE U.S. 7516 Meade St. Meade 7516 NONPROFIT ORG. ORG. NONPROFIT East End Food Co-op Food End East CO-OP NEWS GM Report Board Corner by Justin Pizzella, General Manager by EEFC Board of Directors In last month’s article I started to explore our new • In 2012, Michigan Department of Natural Re- Beginning September 1st, East End Food questions. The date will be announced soon Ends Statement; this month I’d like to discuss sources adopted a new definition for invasive Co-op (EEFC) members will have the in the store and on social media, or you can our directive to create “An ethical swine species that redefined “feral.” opportunity to cast their votes for Board of email the Board for more information in the and resilient food infrastruc- As a result, thousands of herit- Director candidates. Every year, three seats coming weeks. ture.” Since this is Local age breeds being raised on go up for election. As a member, you have Food Month, I’d like farms were destroyed by the right and responsibility to vote for the The last chance to interact with candidates to talk specifically farmers who had to Board of Directors for your Co-op. will be at the Annual Meeting where each nominee will give a brief presentation. The about government choose between kill- One voting ballot is allotted for each 2013 EEFC Annual Meeting will be held on regulations and the ing their animals membership number. In the case of a Saturday, October 19th, at the Environmental potential threat or going to jail. household with multiple people on the Charter School, located at 829 Milton Street to local and same membership, only one vote will in Regent Square. All household members national sustain- What’s espe- be permitted from that household. In the are invited to join us for free food and bever- able agriculture cially troubling event that multiple ballots are received ages, entertainment for adults and children, production. in these exam- from one membership number, all will be stimulating conversation, and a guest Many feel that ples is that the disqualified. All voting ballots must be speaker. Following these festivities, the An- accessibility to government is received or post-marked by October 19th, nual Report will be presented by the Co-op’s clean, healthy actively support- in order to be counted. Ballots will be Board of Directors and the General Manager. food is at risk. ing corporate agri- available at the EEFC Customer Service There are numer- culture and big food desk, and are also provided as an insert in Your vote is more important this year than ous examples to at the expense of this month’s issue of The Co-operator. ever before, as the Co-op evaluates impor- support this assertion, the small farmer. The tant issues related to growth and expansion. here are but a few: regulatory environment is You can read the candidate statements Exercise your right as a member-owner by enclosed in this issue of The Co-operator, electing Directors who are committed to becoming more cumbersome which feature candidates’ responses to ques- ethically and efficiently representing the • Raw milk producers are be- and restrictive, making it harder tions that are related to their interest in and interests of the membership at-large. Your ing persecuted throughout the country. and harder to be a small farmer. The qualifications for a Board position. If you’re support is needed and very much appreci- In Pennsylvania, we have seen the USDA target upcoming November deadline for the FDA’s Food interested in getting to know the candidates ated. If you have any questions, please do Amish farmer Daniel Allgyer and Your Family Safety Modernization Act policies to be released better, a table will be set up in the foyer not hesitate to email the Board at boarddir@ Farmer (Family Cow milk). In the case of Your is likely to continue this trend. Brian Snyder, at the Co-op in late September to allow eastendfood.coop. We hope to see you at Family Farmer, they had a surprise inspection Executive Director of Pennsylvania Association for members to meet the candidates and ask the Annual Meeting! from the PA Department of Agriculture this sum- Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), offered his insight mer and the State lab produced a positive test about this Act in a recent blog post: result for Campylobacter; however a third-party state-certified lab and their on-site lab both pro- [T]here is tremendous worry out there in duced a negative result on the same batch.