13-11-14-pp1-16_Layout 1 11/13/13 2:34 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume HH, Number 23 November 14, 2013 October GM Continues Coke COORDINATOR’S CORNER Boycott And Members Vote ‘No’ Member Arrested for On Gazette Policy Changes Shoplifting as We Head Toward a Second Consecutive Year of Record-Breaking Theft By Joe Holtz, was to encourage members General Coordinator to report anything that ost of us were not mem- appeared to possibly be Mbers back in the day of stealing and make the prac- bold anti-theft campaigns tice of stealing look more and the much ridiculed and obvious to anyone around. barely ever used high chair The larger longer-term pur- that was built to get a better pose was to protect the low view of possible checkout prices that are created by area theft (members just said both the work requirement no). Most of us were not and the level of self-manage- members when every regular ment that we gain from the checkout lane had a zone squad system. If stealing painted on the floor where no goes unchecked and flourish- box of food should touch. The es, then prices will have to be idea of the “no food zone” raised again and again in was to force the contents of order to pay for our collective all boxes of shopped-for food expense of operating our col- ILLUSTRATION BY DEBORHA TINT to be emptied onto the lectively owned cooperative. checkout rather than stolen. If we keep raising prices to By Frank Haberle rent finances, staff hiring and asking whether the Coop What’s this talk about boxes? pay for food stolen by mem- n a well-attended Park Slope work slot labor shortages. The should be selling food from Back in the day, there were no bers, then we undermine one Food Coop General Meeting Coop’s Revolving Loan Com- Japan that may be contami- shopping carts provided, so of the pillars that support the on October 29, members mittee and the GMO Labeling nated after the tsunami and members filled boxes and Coop in remaining viable into voted for the continuation of Committee also reported on Fukushima plant meltdown. slid them along the floor, the future. the Coop’s longstanding boy- their recent activities. Zoey, a public health profes- everywhere. The immediate Our gross margin is erod- cott of Coca-Cola products sional, pointed out that purpose of all these efforts CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 and re-elected an Agenda Open Forum: without scientific proof to Committee member. Follow- A Discussion About back this claim up, it would The November 19 ing a lively debate, they voted Food Safety not make sense to boycott “no” on a proposal to make The Open Forum began Japanese products. She sug- General Meeting Is Canceled changes to the Gazette’s word- with Zoey Laskaris, member gested that the Japanese The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is typically count policy and to require of the Coop Board of Direc- government, like the U.S. held on the last Tuesday of each month. The November General General Meeting approval tors, responding to a food government, is very con- Meeting, however, has been canceled. prior to editorial policy safety concern raised in a cerned with making sure The next General Meeting will be held one week earlier than changes in the Gazette. Mem- previous GM. In the prior people don’t eat contami- usual, on Tuesday, December 17, due to the Christmas holiday, bers also explored concerns meeting, a member had nated fish. Japan has set a at a location to be determined. For more information about about food safety. General raised concerns about the wide section of ocean the GM and about Coop governance, please see the center of Coordinators reported on cur- safety of food from Japan, CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 this issue. IN THIS ISSUE Thu, Dec 5 • Food Class: Eastern Mediterranean Tapas 7:30 p.m. Puzzle . 3 Coop Fri, Dec 6 • Film Night: Local Produce Season Ending . 4 Bordering On Treason 7:00 p.m. Scenic Hudson: Supporting New York’s Sustainable Food Shed. 5 Tree Care Squad’s Fall Planting . 6 Event Tue, Dec 10 • Safe Food Committee Film Night: Exciting Workslot Opportunities . 9 Highlights Food Beware 7:00 p.m. Coop Calendar, Governance Information, Mission Statement . 9 Thu, Jan 2 • Food Class 7:30 p.m. Calendar of Events . 10 Letters to the Editor . 12 Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. Classifieds, Community Calendar . 14 Welcome, Thank You. 16 13-11-14-pp1-16_Layout 1 11/13/13 2:34 PM Page 2 2 November 14, 2013 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY equipment that will save October GM money further down the line, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 as well as new flooring in the around the plant as off-lim- meeting room. its to fishing. “If you don’t General Coordinator Jess trust this information you Robinson reported on the should make your own deci- increased number of job sions,” Zoey said, “but I openings, notifying the don’t think we should boy- members that the Coop is cott Japanese products.” still seeking applications for A member asked what a Bookkeeping Coordinator products, specifically, we sell and a Receiving Coordinator that are from Japan. General (the job listings are in this Coordinator Joe Holtz listed Gazette). Updating the GM on some Eden products, San-J member work slots, she Soy Sauce, plus a few types of added that there is a labor pasta, umeboshi paste and shortage for receiving some seaweed products. One squads, especially in the member added, “…and a early mornings and Saturday couple of really good beers.” evenings. She asked mem- In reference to a follow-up bers doing make-up or FTOP question concerning high lev- shifts to consider working els of arsenic in rice, Joe these shifts. responded that, while the gov- ernment is determining how Committee Reports to regulate the issue, we as Rachel Porter, Revolving Coop members need to make Loan Committee, explained personal decisions about pur- that her committee was set-up chasing rice. Joe recommend- to help new coop start-ups ed that members who are that are committed to operat- concerned should visit the ing on a full member-labor website of Lundberg Farms system like ours. The Coop (www.lundberg.com), one of contributed the first $20,000 our major rice providers, to start building a nonprofit where there might be more fund. The fund will be making up-to-date information on its first loans this year; the this issue. committee is anticipating making several loans of $5,000 There is a labor shortage or more to help new coops get for receiving squads, started. The Revolving Loan especially in the early Committee is responsible for developing and reviewing mornings and Saturday applications and managing evenings. [General the funds. The Revolving Loan ILLUSTRATION BY DEBORHA TINT Coordinator Jess Robinson] Committee is seeking to build asked members doing the amount of funding avail- sought re-election to the meeting, David removed a Gazette’s editorial staff and make-up or FTOP shifts able and is seeking contribu- Agenda Committee. Mem- third proposal point—that writers. The statement rec- to consider working tions. Coop members can bers voted and approved her “irreconcilable disputes ommended a “no” vote on make tax-deductible contribu- re-election overwhelmingly. between writers and editors the proposal, expressing an these shifts. tions to this loan fund through Coop member Lewis will be arbitrated by seven understanding of the con- the Revolving Loan Commit- Friedman then rose to speak members randomly select- cerns raised in the proposal, tee’s page on the Coop web- for the continuation of the ed by the Disciplinary Hear- and offering alternative General Coordinator site, or by check. Coca-Cola boycott, provid- ing Committee to read, solutions. The 45 minutes of Reports Margaret Maugenest, ing a long list of the Coca- discuss, and vote on the meeting devoted to the General Coordinator Mike GMO Labeling Committee, Cola company’s policies on alleged violations of Gazette’s editorial policies Eakin provided a thorough reported on its activities. labor, economy and the approved policies.” featured a lengthy discus- update on the state of the Founded in 2000, the GMO environment in the United sion in which members, and Coop’s finances, presenting a Labeling Committee was States and internationally. The 45 minutes of the Gazette editors and writers, financial report for the first formed to help Coop mem- Members also solidly meeting devoted to the offered a wide range of opin- 36 weeks of this fiscal year, bers make informed deci- approved the continuation Gazette’s editorial policies ions and insights about the with numbers that were very sions by placing green labels of the boycott. Gazette: how content is man- comparative to the same on foods on the Coop shelves The next proposal, put featured a lengthy discussion aged, concerns about when period last year. Mike pointed containing no genetically forward by member David in which members, changes are made and how out that the numbers would modified organisms (GMOs). Barouh, concerned the and Gazette editors and they are communicated back be better if not for theft, a The Committee has identi- Gazette editorial policies. writers, offered a to member contributors, serious problem for the fied and labeled 450 prod- The proposal called for wide range of opinions and and why changes and word Coop, as illustrated by a ucts.