33rd Birthday Issue — March/April 2009 ’ It s My Park! Day 2009 ’ It s My Park! Day, presented by LANTED Wheatsville Food Co-op, is an ANSP 9 annual citywide park volunteer R 200 T ch 14, event. Individuals and community Mar groups lead projects ranging from simple cleaning and repair to trail building Downtown Farmers Market and playground installation. at 4th St & Guadalupe This year's It's My Park! Day, Saturday coming up March 7, features 9am-1pm more than 50 different projects at parks in every area of town. Tree planting will be a major focus. Come meet your neighbors and lend a hand at a park near you! www.austinfarmersmarket.org See the full list of projects and register online at www.austinparks.org. Registered volunteers receive a free tee shirt. Snacks will be provided by Wheatsville. In This Issue: Earth Day Every Day / Community Action Wednesdays 2 Board News / Board Self Evaluation 3 A Brief Introduction to the 2009 Board of Directors 3 Deli Renovation Anticipation 4 Staff Top 10 Pick—Mindy Dolnick / Gesundheit! 5 Birthday Greetings from Some of our Neighbors 5 Beers Reviewed by Bearded Man 6 Reggiano-Parmigiano / My Co-op Rocks! Video Contest 6 Staff Top 10 Gluten-Free Picks—Gabriel Gallegos 7 Green Grocer—Organic Mexican Produce 7 Dan’s Shopping Guide for the next Few Months 8-9 Planned Phases of Renovation 8-11 New Local Chicken from Dewberry Hills Farm 12 Celebrate 33 Years of the Cooperative Difference 13 Wheatsville Owner Party Like a Co-oper! / Staff Anniversaries 14 New Cards Coming Soon / New Invested Owners 15 Appreciation Coupon Cafe Brasil—Coffee Done Right / Happiness in Bulk 16 Human Power- Happiness Without Cars 17 Owners receive 10% off Dye Your Easter Eggs Naturally 18 Funky Chicken Coop Tour 18 of any ONE shopping trip ! Spring Tea Harvest in the Year of the Ox 19 Time to Think Farming 19 COUPON GOOD March 7th through 15th, 2009 Member Owned Business Directory http://www.wheatsville.coop/memberbusinessdirectory/mbdir.html Owner # _____________ ONE COUPON PER OWNER ONLY. Earth Day is Every Day by Randy Jewart, Director, Austin Green Art Wheatsville is working with the Austin Farmers Republic Square Park on April 18—the Saturday New to this year’s event will be participation by Market again this year to bring you the fourth annual before Earth Day on April 22. The event is presented REI and Keep Austin Beautiful with hands-on activi- Austin Earth Day Celebration, April 18, 9am-3pm at by Wheatsville and organized by Austin Green Art. ties for kids, in addition to last year’s junk-art activi- Republic Square Park at 4th and Guadalupe. Join In addition to the “earthday-everyday” spirit of the ties. There will also be a speaker series with topics on thousands of your neighbors, regular market, a range of community issues, which is a new pro- local green businesses and the FREE festival gram, also. environmental groups and features an inter- We hope you’ll join us for a tangible sense of the cultural community in a active kids area, what sustainability feels like—the tastes, sounds, sites manifestation of the solar-powered and community-vibe that nourishes body, spirit and Sustainability Revolution! music, green art economic well-being of Austin! Registration for Preparations are well displays and exhibitors stays open for all who want to share the . r e fun until we run out of space. underway for Austin’s Earth l dozens of envi- s i Day festival. Despite our cur- e ronmental groups G n rent economic challenges (or o and green busi- r a A because of them!), those with nesses. y b a bent for a greener future are o t o focusing on gathering to cele- h Support your P brate the “gateway to the local farmers in green economy.” the Farmers There’s a lot of discussion about renewable ener- Market, check out local green products, discover, cre- gy as a component of economic stimulus, but those in ate and have the opportunity to purchase art that the know are following Michael Pollan’s lead and fol- explores nature and the environment. Plus, fun green lowing our stomach! Local, organic food production art activities for the youngest festival-goers and their provides a powerful spearhead to economic, cultural families. Cool 3-D art projects, drivable art cars, recy- and environmental well-being. cled craft projects, and family yoga. Don’t forget to Earth Day in Austin takes place thanks to the check out the Solar Jam with an eclectic blend of local Wheatsville hopes to see you there! For more hospitality of the Downtown Farmers’ Market at musicians rockin out on a solar-powered stage! information and to volunteer go to http://www.austin- earthday.com Community Action Wednesdays 2009 Community Action Schedule January People’s Community Clinic February Safeplace The group selected for March Sustainable Food Center April Ecology Action March is the May Yellow Bike Project Sustainable Food Center June Hospice Austin July Save Our Springs Alliance and the group for April August UT Orange Bike Project is Ecology Action September Meals on Wheels and More October Capital Area Food Bank The Sustainable Food November and December of each year are reserved for the Center is dedicated to improv- ing access to local, healthy and Ecology Action operates a recycling drop-off and pro- Wheatsville Community Cooperative Fund. affordable food for children and cessing center in downtown Austin, a rural recycling drop- adults in Central Texas.Their off and provides recycling for special events and music ven- community and youth gardens, ues in downtown Austin.They conduct tours and provide Austin Farmers' Market, neigh- hands-on volunteer opportunities, staff booths at various Wear your WV Pride! borhood farm stands and cook- events, conduct classroom Got a picture of your l'il ing and nutrition education class- visits to educate children Wheatsvillager in a WV tee? es benefit an estimated 10,000 about recycling, and Central Texans annually. serve as a clearing- Email your photos to Cultivating Communities from house for informa- Christine Stout at tion about recycling the Ground Up! cstout(at)wheatsville.coop and waste prevention. for display in the store. The Wheatsville Breeze The Wheatsville Board of Directors usually is a publication of meets at 6pm the fourth Tuesday of every month at 3105 Guadalupe (building North of store). WHEATSVILLE Check http://wheatsville.coop/pop_bodagenda.html for Sunshine Community Gardens FOOD CO-OP details Members are encouraged to attend. Something 3101 Guadalupe that you would like discussed at the meeting? Contact th Annual Plant Sale Austin, Texas 78705 General Manager Dan Gillotte at 478-2667 or 30 512-478-2667 gm(at)wheatsville.com _______________________________________ 9 am - 2 pm March 7, 2009 email aldia(at)wheatsville.coop Wheatsville 2009 Board of Directors 4814 Sunshine Drive Admission: Free! website http://wheatsville.coop Rose Marie Klee, president Editor & Production- Aldia Bluewillow Jane Kurzawa Cravey Stephanie Johnson Sunshine Community Gardens will celebrate it’s 30th annual plant sale and benefit on Contributors - Bob Kinney Aditya Rustgi Therese Adams, Amy Babich, Ingrid Devilliers Steven Tomlinson Saturday, March 7. Austin’s oldest and largest community garden will offer one stop shop- Mariah Barrett, Nancy Bender, Mike Crissey Theron Beaudreau ping to you with thousands of heirloom vegetables, herbs and passalong plants - just in time for Bryan Butler, Prof. Conti, Jane Kurzawa ____________________________________ Cravey, Mike Crissey, Mindy Dolnick, The purpose of Wheatsville is to create a self- your own springtime organic garden. Greg Flores, Gabriel Gallegos, reliant, self-empowering community of people that will Dan Gillotte, Randy Jewart, grow and promote a transformation of society toward View the plant list on the sunshine website, Rose Marie Klee, Merilee Kuchon, cooperation, justice, and nonexploitation. www.sunshinecommunitygardens.org. Johnny Livesay, Allen Schroeder, The mission of Wheatsville is to serve a broad Joel Shuler, Christine Stout, Dana Tomlin, range of people by providing them goods and services, Sam Vaughan, Rosie Weaver and by using efficient methods which avoid exploitation Local musicians will entertain while you also shop with local vendors and artists, offer bids on of the producer and the environment.The focus of this Photos: by Aldia Bluewillow and Christine Stout silent auction items, enjoy a taco, or bag your own Natural Gardener compost. Help us sup- except where otherwise noted or not known mission is to supply high-quality food and nondoctri- naire information about food to people in Austin,Texas. port community gardening, celebrate this big date, and pick up some great plants. Page 2 The Wheatsville Breeze, March-April, 2009 Happy Birthday Wheatsville! by Rose Marie Klee, President of the Board of Directors Spring comes fast upon us and on March 16th, At the core of all of it is a genuine values-driven With the renovation of Wheatsville celebrates its 33rd birthday! This will be an business; an economic enterprise that does not exist our Bylaws and our store exciting year for us as we continue to leap along with to enrich a select few but rather to provide benefit come revisions to our our renovation project. The Board is also embark- to all of our owners and to transform Membership Administration ing on exciting work exploring the signifi- society through cooperation, jus- Guidelines (MAG). Read cance of the cooperative economy. As tice, and non-exploitation. more in this issue about you know there is a tangible and How might the times be updates to the MAG and other exciting changes. Just tractable difference in the experi- different today if more as the Board crafted Bylaws that could better serve us ence of shopping at our store— economic enterprises today and carry us 30 years into the future, we are this is why it’s so much fun to were organized this updating outmoded policies and envisioning changes share our thoughts on why we way? These troubling that will benefit our owners and our organization.