2013-01-10 p1-16_Layout 1 1/9/13 4:32 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume HH, Number 1 January 10, 2013 Yogurt Beats Ice Cream December General Meeting Report: As America’s Dairy Favorite Coop Provides Lots of Choices for the Yogurt Aficionado By Danielle Uchitelle here’s a horse race in the dairy Tcase, and it’s being driven by changing consumer habits that look to make yogurt the final winner. This past year, the once-unthinkable hap- pened: for the first time, Americans consumed more yogurt per capita than ice cream. Globally, nationally, and right here in our own Food Coop, variations on the theme of yogurt, that COHEN BY MICHAEL JAY ILLUSTRATION formerly humble niche product, have been steadily encroaching on the other denizens of the dairy world. Protecting the Old Have you had your yogurt today? Case study: my own love affair with the creamy comestible. I first became And the Vulnerable aware of this thing called yogurt in my By Tom Matthews Tim Platt of the Chair Com- childhood. As a youngster, I often he December General mittee gaveled the meeting heard advertisements on the radio for TMeeting was held at Mid- to order promptly at 7:00 something called “Doctor Gaymont’s dle School 51, on Fifth Ave. at p.m., with more than 100 Yogourt.” Pitched as a health food, the Fourth St., the second time at people in attendance. The good doctor’s Mitteleuropa accent and BY INGSU LIU PHOTOGRAPH this venue. Perhaps pre- first order of business was the bouncy enthusiasm for this weirdly dictably, it opened with a Open Forum, and the first named concoction was enough to keep me far added jam and a snazzy advertising campaign complaint. Reassuringly, it speaker was Bruce, who away from his product. I had to wait patiently before I commenced my life-long relationship continued with an affirmative objected to the new venue. for 40 years in order for with cultured milk. And since no discussion of vote and positive discussion, He said he found the wooden Wikipedia to be yogurt can take place without mentioning Dan- and ended in cooperation. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 invented so I could non (or Danone, as the parent company is look up Dr. Gaymont called), it is worth noting that this market behe- Next General Meeting on January 29 and discover that he moth is currently projecting double-digit The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on the was a real person who growth for its products, which already account last Tuesday of each month. The January General Meeting will helped introduce yogurt for over $1 billion in annual revenue in the U.S. be on Tuesday, January 29, at 7:00 p.m. at MS 51, 350 Fifth Ave., to America. Alas, as with alone. between Fourth and Fifth Sts. Enter on Fourth St. cul-de-sac. so much else, his wise While the young me shied away from Dr. Gay- The Fourth St. entrance is handicap-accessible. message was wasted on mont’s healthy living ethos, as a teenager I The agenda is in this Gazette, on the Coop website at me. Like most of my gen- became intrigued with the idea of making www.foodcoop.com and available as a flier in the entryway of eration, I had to wait until yogurt, and eventually began producing my own the Coop. For more information about the GM and about Coop Dannon came along and CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 governance, please see the center of this issue. Fri, Jan 11 • Wordsprouts: IN THIS ISSUE Poetry and Prose: A Group Reading 7:00 p.m. Feeling the Fermentation Love at the Coop . 4 Sat, Jan 12• Auditions for Our Puzzle . 5 Coop Kids’ Variety Show 2:00-5:00 p.m. Coop Environmental Committee Report . 6 Sun, Jan 20• Auditions for Our Safe Food Committee Report . 7 Event Coop Kids’ Variety Show 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Coop Calendar, Governance Information, Mission Statement . 9 Calendar of Events . 10 Highlights Fri, Feb 1 • Film Night: George Harrison: Living in the Material World (Part II) 7:00 p.m. Letters to the Editor . 12 Classifieds . 14 Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. Exciting Workslot Opportunities . 16 From the Archives . 16 Coop will close at 5 p.m. on Sunday, February 3. See page 5 for details. 2013-01-10 p1-16_Layout 1 1/9/13 4:32 PM Page 2 2 January 10, 2013 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY Yogurt brewing, an easy decision to CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 make once I was introduced to Dannon coffee yogurt, a from a recipe I found in the secret addiction I carry with A Yogurt for Every Taste Whole Earth Catalog. That was me to this day. I guess I’m not ne way that yogurt was has been able back when stovetops had pilot alone in this, since coffee is Oto dominate its consumer category is lights and I could easily incu- about the only flavor of Dan- through product differentiation: there’s a bate my scalded milk for the non yogurt you can regularly style and flavor for every taste. It would proper length of time. For find in the Coop dairy sec- be hard to count all the flavor, size and those who wish to replicate tion. But Dannon could only specialty variants of yogurt on offer in my pioneer experience, you take me so far, and soon I, the Coop’s dairy case, and I’ve tried. can pick up a package of along with the other Ameri- Instead, here’s a brief rundown of some of Yogourmet freeze-dried yogurt can consumers, began the tempting takes on yogurt you can find on starter in the Coop dairy case branching out. And when I most shopping days. Unless otherwise noted, and follow the instructions was ready to expand my taste sizes are 6 oz. included in the package. horizons, the Coop dairy case Eventually I gave up home was there to help. ■ Maple Hill Creamery Flavor: Lemon Claim to fame: 100% grass fed cows The fine print: 16 grams sugar, 7 grams fat Health-conscious shoppers should definitely check the sugar and fat content of yogurt before wolfing down a bowl full. Maple Hill has quite modest sugar numbers but is rather high in fat; some of the others below pack an even more sugary punch. Ronnybrook Farm Flavor: Coconut Claim to fame: Local favorite produced “in the bucolic fields of the Hudson Valley” The fine print: With 24 grams per serving, this yogurt has almost as much sugar as a pack- age of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I guess it’s better for you, though. Old Chatham Sheepherding Company Sheep’s Milk Yogurt Flavor: Ginger Claim to fame: Another local producer; for those who prefer sheep’s milk rather than the standard cow’s milk The fine print: At 12 grams of sugar and 9 grams of fat, one of the smallest caloric foot- prints of any brand we carry. Liberté Yogurt Mediterranée Flavor: French Vanilla Claim to fame: If this brand tastes improbably creamy and rich, it’s because it’s made with not just milk, but cream. At 29 grams per serving, it has about the same amount of sugar as a 2%452.0/,)#9 Snickers bar, plus 12 grams of fat, about the same as a small order of McDonald’s fries. But as with all food, fat equals flavor. Enjoy! I]Z 8dde hig^kZh id 2%15)2%$&/2!.92%452. `ZZeeg^XZhadl[dgdjg &#I]ZEV^Y">c";jaagZXZ^eiBJHI Stonyfield Farms O’Soy Organic Soy Yogurt bZbWZgh]^e# B^c^" WZegZhZciZY# Claim to fame: One of a number of soy-based yogurts carried by the Coop. b^o^c\ i]Z Vbdjci d[ '#GZijgchbjhiWZ]VcYaZY gZijgcZY bZgX]VcY^hZ The fine print: While the popular O’Soy line is soy-based, it is not dairy-free; lactose- l^i]^c(%YVnhd[ejgX]VhZ# ^h dcZ lVn lZ Yd i]^h# aware shoppers should take note. >[ ndj cZZY id bV`Z V gZijgc! eaZVhZ \d id i]Z #!.)%8#(!.'%-9)4%- Whole Soy & Company Yogurt 'cY;addgHZgk^XZ9Zh`# Cd!lZYdcdiÆZmX]Vc\ZÇ^iZbh# Flavor: Cherry NdjbjhigZijgci]ZbZgX]VcY^hZ The fine print: This brand of soy yogurt truly is dairy-free; in addition, its 19 grams of sugar VcYgZ"ejgX]VhZl]VindjcZZY# and 3.5 grams of fat make it a sensible option for the calorie-conscious. Stonyfield Farms Yo Baby Organic 4-pack #!.)2%452.-9)4%- Claim to fame: I always wondered about this brand, since I felt that “Yo Baby” was objecti- EgdYjXZ 7ja`^cXa#8dde"WV\\ZYWja` fying. But I guess they mean it to be for real babies. After you’ve hooked your infant on this 8]ZZhZ HZVhdcVa=da^YVn>iZbh widely available brand, you can graduate to “Yo Tod- 7dd`h HeZX^VaDgYZgh .%6%2 dler” and “Yo Kids,” both of which the Coop carries. 8VaZcYVgh GZ[g^\ZgViZYHjeeaZbZcih 2%452.!",% In addition, a planned product extension will soon ?j^XZgh D^ah add “Yo Dude,” specifically targeting young men in the Hjh]^ 6WjnZg^hVkV^aVWaZYjg^c\i]ZlZZ`" YVnhidY^hXjhhndjgXdcXZgch# 21-29–year age group, as well as a version designed for mothers, “Yo Mama.” OK, I made the last two up myself, 2%452.!",% but it’s a good idea, right? GZ[g^\ZgViZY<ddYhcdia^hiZYVWdkZ /.,9)&30/),%$ ;gdoZc<ddYh "%&/2% Berle Farm Cow Milk Yogurt BZVi;^h] %80)2!4)/.$!4% Claim to fame: It wasn’t the beautiful if impractical glass jar, 7gZVY EVX`V\^c\$aVWZa bjhiWZegZhZci" nor the “Made with Solar Power” label that attracted me to this ZY[dggZ[jcY# brand of locally produced yogurt; it was the list of contributing cows stenciled on the side.