A PUBLICATION OF WILLY STREET CO-OP, MADISON, WI VOLUME 48 • ISSUE 7 • JULY 2021 IN THIS ISSUE Wellness Wednesday Returns; Peaches; Ice Cream Floats; Grilling Seafood; and More! STORES CLOSING AT 4:30PM JULY 4 PAID PRSRT STD PRSRT U.S. POSTAGE POSTAGE U.S. MADISON, WI MADISON, PERMIT NO. 1723 NO. PERMIT 1457 E. Washington Ave • Madison, WI 53703 Ave 1457 E. Washington POSTMASTER: DATED MATERIAL POSTMASTER: DATED CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED CHANGE SERVICE WILLY STREET CO-OP MISSION STATEMENT The Williamson Street Grocery Co-op is an economically and READER environmentally sustainable, PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY WILLY STREET CO-OP East: 1221 Williamson Street, Madison, WI 53703, 608-251-6776 cooperatively owned grocery business that serves the needs West: 6825 University Ave, Middleton, WI 53562, 608-284-7800 of its Owners and employ- North: 2817 N. Sherman Ave, Madison, WI 53704, 608-471-4422 ees. We are a cornerstone Central Office: 1457 E. Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53703, 608-251-0884 of a vibrant community in EDITOR & LAYOUT: Liz Wermcrantz south-central Wisconsin that ADVERTISING: Liz Wermcrantz provides fairly priced goods COVER DESIGN: Hallie Zillman and services while supporting local and organic suppliers. SALE FLYER DESIGN: Hallie Zillman GRAPHICS: Hallie Zillman SALE FLYER LAYOUT: Liz Wermcrantz PRINTING: Wingra Printing Group The Willy Street Co-op Reader is the monthly communications link among the WILLY STREET CO-OP Co-op Board, staff and Owners. It provides information about the Co-op’s services and BOARD OF DIRECTORS business as well as about cooking, nutrition, health, sustainable agriculture and more. Jeannine Bindl, President Views and opinions expressed in the Reader do not necessarily represent those of the Ann Hoyt, Vice President Co-op’s Directors, staff or Ownership. Willy Street Co-op has not evaluated the claims made by advertisers. Acceptance of advertising does not indicate endorsement of the Brian Anderson product or service offered. Articles are presented for information purposes only. Before Stephanie Ricketts taking action, you should always consult a professional for advice. Articles may be Michael Chronister reprinted with permission from the editor. Gigi Godwin SUBMISSIONS Sarah Larson All advertising submissions must be reserved and arranged with the editor by the Caryn Murphy 10th of the month previous to publication. All advertisement copy must be submitted by Ashwini Rao the 15th of the month. Submissions should be emailed to [email protected] BOARD CONTACT INFO: or mailed to Willy Street Co-op’s Central Office according to submission requirements. [email protected] CUSTOMER SERVICE: EAST: 608-251-6776 WEST: 608-284-7800 NORTH: [email protected] 608-471-4422 (includes the GM, Executive BUSINESS OFFICE: 608-251-0884 Assistant and Board Admin- istrator) FAX: 608-251-3121 GENERAL EMAIL: [email protected] BOARD MEETING GENERAL MANAGER: [email protected] SCHEDULE EDITOR: [email protected] July 21 (and Special Owner PREORDERS: EAST: [email protected]; WEST: ws.preorders@ Meeting) willystreet.coop; NORTH: [email protected] Board meetings are typically held at WEBSITE: www.willystreet.coop our business office at 6:30pm (1457 BOARD EMAIL: [email protected] E. Washington Ave. in Madison), but may be held virtually. Please see www. STORE HOURS: Willy East: 7:30am-9:00pm; Willy West: 7:30am-9:00pm; willystreet.coop/events and select the Willy North: 7:30am-9:00pm every day (starting July 5) “Board” category for details. All Juice & Coffee Bars: 7:30am-7:00pm; Deli: 7:30am-9:00pm Meat & Seafood: 7:30am- 9:00pm IN THIS ISSUE 3 Customer Comments 8-9 Community Room 16 Ice Cream Floats Calendar 5 Wellness Wednesday; 16 Grilling Seafood Our New Fiscal Year; and 10 Local Produce 17 COVID-19: Progressing Availability More! Towards Recovery 5 Annual Meeting; Board 10 New Products 18-19 Camp Life & Cooking Election; and More! 11-13 SPECIALS PAGES 20-21 Recipes 6-7 Board Candidate 14 Outdoor Adventures Information and Ballot 21-23 Staff Picks 15 Peaches! Tips & Tricks ADVERTISE IN THE READER Affordable rates, wide reach, discounts for non-profits and Owners. Find info here: willystreet.coop/advertising. 2 Willy Street Co-op Reader, JULY 2021 CUSTOMER COMMENTS Write Us! sponse that I wrote that was published ber one or two tripled-yolked ones. believe they come in 10-packs. We welcome your comments and in the Reader. (I'm guessing this occurrence would I hear you on using less plas- give each one attention and seri- I should have been more clear be almost non-existent in mass- tic and seeing it everywhere. It is a ous consideration. Send them to in my answer. When I referred to produced eggs from factory-style constant struggle, and I hope we can customer.comments@willystreet. packaged items being more popular, henhouses.) Just think of this as a find a better way to package things coop or fill out a Customer Com- I was referring to the items that we bonus dose of Vitamins A, D, E, and moving forward. Our shared planet is ment form in the Owner Re- continued to offer in the Produce K; choline; and iron! depending on us to do better. I appre- sources area. Each month a small department as both bulk and packaged By the way, this has nothing to ciate you taking the time to reach out selection is printed in the Reader. through the pandemic—things like do with fertilization; most of the and voice your concerns! It is a tough Many more can be found in the bags of lemons, bagged apples, pack- eggs sold in grocery stores are, in topic, but a very important one for commons or in the binder near aged green beans and peas, and other fact, unfertilized. us to openly discuss. -Dean Kallas, Customer Service. Thank you! fruits and veggies that have been A: Thank you for sharing your Grocery Category Manager available both in packaging and bulk. egg knowledge and experience with For these types of items, we have seen us! It is really nice of you to explain CERTIFIED FIREWOOD a marked increase in our sales of the it a bit more. I have seen double egg Q: Is the fire wood that you sell PLASTICS packaged version, and a decrease in yolks frequently as a consumer, but DATCP certified? I'm going camp- Q: I was disappointed to see the bulk versions. We've even had it is helpful to have some confirma- ing and need firewood that has been the response to a customer concern customers request packaged versions tion from someone who has raised purchased from a DATCP certified about plastic use in the co-op in the of items that have historically only chickens in the past. Your point about vendor. May 2021 Reader. I especially took been available in bulk. their fertilization or lack thereof is an Thank you. issue with the statement "To com- Here's an update on the items you interesting one; I think most people A: Why yes! Our firewood is plicate things we've noticed a real specifically asked for: assume they are fertilized, when that DATCP certified. Please let us know shift in what customers are pur- Regarding bringing your own con- is not really the case. if you have any other questions, and chasing at our stores: pre-pandem- tainers for bulk, I'm happy to report I appreciate you taking the time happy camping to you! -Kirsten ic, the move toward less plastic was that we have just made the decision to to share your insights with us! I do Moore, Cooperative Services Director really gaining momentum, but in allow this practice again—we do ask not always feel like I have all of the the last year plastic packaged items that containers be clean and food safe, information to answer all of the ques- COMMONS AND HOT BAR have become much more popular but you are welcome to bring them. tions I receive, so I am thankful you REOPENING amongst people who shop in our We have been wrapping bakery decided to drop us a note. -Dean Kal- Q: When do you plan to open stores. It's a balancing act for us..." items since well before the pandemic. las, Grocery Category Manager the common area and hot bar I take issue with this statement as it This was a tough call to make when again? is hard not to see a higher demand we started doing it, but ultimately, GLASS JAR BABY FOOD A: Great questions. Not knowing in plastic packaged items when we found that by wrapping the baked Q: I’m wondering if you will which locations you are interested in there are no other options. Plastic is goods, we were able to reduce our carry baby food in glass jars again. specifically, I can give you an over- not "popular", there literally have food waste by a considerable amount. I admit I love the plastic “squirts” view of where we are at for all three been no other options as those were This is a recurring conundrum that in a pinch, but I’ve been trying so stores. removed early in the pandemic. I comes up regarding packaging— hard to use less plastic. Several of The outdoor Commons are open understood the need to shut down packaging certain items reduces food my close friends are cancer survi- at all stores. The indoor Commons the bulk aisle and other plastic free waste by a considerable amount, and vors (we are in our thirties). I know during the public health emergency options at the beginning of the pan- weighing those two factors from a we can only do so much, but I want period took on some other roles: demic and per PHMDC mandates sustainability perspective can be very to protect my loved ones as best currently they have been serving as before we knew that fomite trans- difficult—sometimes there are simply I can from potential carcinogens.