09-11-05 p1-16 11/4/09 4:33 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume DD, Number 23 November 5, 2009 Fall Harvest Round-up By Eva Kaplan o me, spring and sum- wine, I offer up this article as mer have always been an homage to fall foods. T the clear winners when My tour of fall foods con- it comes to getting excited sisted primarily of asking about produce—first straw- Coop members—with whom berries, then raspberries, I interacted on a first-name melons and an explosion of basis—what their favorite fall vegetables from zucchini to foods were. Some gave whole corn to good old lettuce, end- lists—leeks, carrots, beets, ing with nectarines and sweet potatoes, broccoli, blackberries. These foods cauliflower…. To others, fall bring with them all that is meant specific ingredients glorious about summer: sit- and specific foods. ting in a park eating a whole Overall the squash family ILLUSTRATION BY DIANE MILLER ILLUSTRATION bag of cherries or in a back- was the clear favorite. Winter yard enjoying corn on the cob squashes are of course clas- and watermelon. As summer sic North American fare. fades away and I walk around According to Jared Diamond Under the Radar the Coop considering the in Guns, Germs and Steel, soci- new food landscape, I’ve eties were able to move from In Unusual Workslots, You May Find Your Coop Niche begun to suspect that my per- being nomadic to sedentary By Willow Lawson sonal preference has as much only if there existed the right to do with the end of winter combination of domesticat- hen it comes to ful- job that’s a little different, the just sign up, but must first as the actual offerings. Fall able plants where they set- filling one’s monthly Gazette presents this round- “prove their strength and for- offers as much variety (a cor- tled. The plants had to WCoop duties, some up of alternative workslots. It’s titude.” Usually appeals to nucopia!) and evokes as provide overall nutritional members cringe at the not an exhaustive list, howev- people who don’t work a 9-to- much feeling in terms of com- balance for human beings to thought of data entry in the er, and many of these squads 5 job or who would enjoy tak- fort as summer in terms of survive without continuing to office, or doling out bagels in don’t currently have openings. ing the egg case apart and the joy of sunshine. So as I move in search of supple- a chaotic childcare room. Many have waiting lists; check cleaning every surface. put away my gin and tonics ments. In North America, the Others have no patience for with the Office. Keep an eye SPECIAL BECAUSE: Mem- and vinho verdes in favor of winning combination was waiting at the end of a belt for on the “Workslot Needs” sec- bers work a 6-hour shift every pumpkin ales and mulled CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 a delivery that’s supposed to tion in the Gazette for current 12 weeks, from 8 p.m. until 2 start any minute, only to offerings. Perhaps you’ll find a.m. Valdez says members leave them standing empty- your dream Coop job. “don’t mind being tired on Next General Meeting on November 17 handed for an hour. Monday morning four times a The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is usually Receiving, Shopping or the Commando Cleaning year.” Members may soon held on the last Tuesday of each month, with the exception of Office not your cup of tea? WHAT: Extreme cleaning have their own T-shirts, fea- November and December. The next General Meeting will be on Rather clean the bathrooms that can’t be done when the turing a black skull and Tuesday, November 17, at 7:00 p.m. at the Congregation Beth (and work a shorter shift) Coop is open. crossed brooms. Elohim Temple House (Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Place. than face the onslaught of WHO: 10–15 “hardcore” peo- **RELATED SQUADS: Other The agenda is in this Gazette and available as a flyer in the hurried shoppers as a check- ple per Sunday shift. Receiv- maintenance shifts are short- entryway of the Coop. For more information about the GM and out worker? ing Coordinator Chase Valdez about Coop governance, please see the center of this issue. For members who seek a says squad members can’t CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 IN THIS ISSUE Thu, Nov 5 •Food Class: Fall Harvest 7:30 p.m. How the Coop Helps the Hungry . 3 Fri, Nov 6 •Film Night: Working Title 7:00 p.m. The Marcellus Shale & NY City Drinking Water . 5 Coop Sun, Nov 15 •Book, CD, DVD and Video Swap for From Plow to Plate, Puzzle . 6 Adults and Children 10:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Safe Food Labeling . 7 Coop Hours, Coffeehouse . 8 Event Fri, Nov 20 •The Good Coffeehouse: Jen Chapin and Coop Calendar, Workslot Needs, Governance Information, Stephan Crump’s Rosetta Trio 8:00 p.m. Mission Statement . 9 Highlights Sat, Nov 21 •Game Night 7:30 p.m. ZenSational Appetite . 12 Letters to the Editor . 13 Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. Compost Check, Community Calendar . 15 Classified Ads . 16 09-11-05 p1-16 11/4/09 4:33 PM Page 2 2 November 5, 2009 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY Unusual SPECIAL BECAUSE: You dule is very irregular. It’s not eventually make it to the standing Coop members who coordinate with your partner unusual for many months to General Meeting. know how the place runs can Workslots and decide what time to go by without a hearing. To WHO: Six members who help General Meetings run CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 arrive at the Coop. Doesn’t remain “active” with the meet the first Tuesday of more smoothly by crafting a usually take 2.75 hours. Coop, members will likely every month. Members serve useful agenda. Says Brill, ened because of the physical Keeps solid waste out of need to pick up FTOP shifts in two-year terms and must run “Given our knowledge of the labor involved. landfills. other squads. for election. Each member hot-button issues at the **DRAWBACKS: Compost also attends five GMs per Coop, we’ll try not to put two Sunday Inventory happens rain or shine. Few The Linewaiters’ Gazette year. controversial issues on the WHAT: Alongside the openings on the squad. WHAT: The Coop’s official SPECIAL BECAUSE: Long- same agenda.” ■ Cleaning Commandos, every newspaper, published 26 Sunday a large group of Web Committee times per year. members canvass the entire WHAT: Redesigning and re- WHO: Four teams of store—shopping aisles and envisioning the Coop’s pres- reporters, editors, photogra- basement—and count about ence online. Internet pro- phers, illustrators and other one-fourth of the items. fessionals serve as a sort of media professionals who put Another group records data. advisory board. Jessica together the paper, almost WHO: Two squads every Robinson, a general coordi- completely via email. Sunday. Check with Office for nator, serves as liaison. SPECIAL BECAUSE: Flexi- openings. WHO: About 10 members ble scheduling. A chance to SPECIAL BECAUSE: Coop who work in the technology use special skills. is closed for shopping during field. **DRAWBACKS: Deadlines part of the counting process, SPECIAL BECAUSE: The are deadlines. Park Slope so work environment is rela- Coop needs members with Food Coop tively calm. very specific skills. Vitamin Assistants **DRAWBACKS: Commit- WHAT: Checking in and T-shirt Kosher Committee tee just added several new organizing vitamins in the Design Contest WHAT: Making sure that members and is fully staffed. basement and on the shop- bulk food is labeled correctly Pace of technological change ping floor. for kosher shoppers. at the Coop is slow. Some WHO: FTOP-ers and assis- WHO: Usually one extra would say glacial. tants to Edite, the vitamin Vote for your person added to a food pro- buyer, and Elinoar, a receiv- favorite design cessing team of six. “We need Plastics ing coordinator. on people who are knowledge- WHAT: Squad collects SPECIAL BECAUSE: Mem- able about kosher food,” says some plastics not accepted bers can work independently. www.foodcoop.com squad leader Susan Tauber. by City of New York. **DRAWBACKS: Have you “You have to sort of live it.” WHO: Two overlapping seen the vitamin aisle? Kosher Committee members shifts of workers collect and know the 10 or so packaging sort spotless containers to be Bike Valet Squad certifications that are accept- picked up by an outside recy- WHAT: The “Shop N Cycle” able to the kosher communi- cler. Some plastics are baled squad ran a bike and stroller ty. The “K” that appears on the same way the Coop bales valet service this summer on many packaged foods doesn’t cardboard for recycling. weekends. It worked like a cut it, says Tauber. SPECIAL BECAUSE: Col- coat check. The bike racks lection takes place rain or were set up in front of the shine. mural next to the Coop. They PHOTOS BY WILLIAM FARRINGTON For members who seek a job **DRAWBACKS: The Coop have adjourned for the win- 2%452. 0/,)#9 that’s a little different, doesn’t accept all plastics. ter, but are gearing up for Some recyclers get upset spring. the Gazette presents this I]Z 8dde hig^kZh id 2%15)2%$ &/2 !.9 2%452. when their containers are WHO: FTOP shifts for `ZZe eg^XZh adl [dg djg &#I]ZEV^Y">c";jaagZXZ^eiBJHI round-up of alternative bZbWZgh]^e# B^c^" rejected.