08-02/14 p01-07 2/13/08 6:47 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume CC, Number 4 February 14, 2008 PHOTOGRAPH BY ANN ROSEN PHOTOGRAPH Legs for sale... Get to Know Your PHOTOGRAPHS BY HAZEL HANKIN PHOTOGRAPHS Chicken Maintenance Committee member on task. By Gayle Forman ecently, when I bought 14 siblings who help run the leaning Up a Murray’s chicken Martin Farm in Millmont, PA, C R from the Coop, I and the family does not eat noticed a little sticker anything raised with anti- Zen and the Art of Coop Maintenance attached to the packaging. biotics and grows its own It read Farm Verification, vegetables. I also learned By Johannah Rodgers and listed a four-digit code that no matter which farm my which, if I logged on to chicken comes from, it never murrayschicken.com, would travels more than 300 miles crubbing toilets, sweeping floors, taking out the garbage— give me information about to get to New York City. and loving every minute of it. Such is life on the Maintenance my chicken and the family Committee at the Coop. Some think they choose it because the that raised it. Sign of the Times S I didn’t learn too much Perhaps this is a sign of shifts can be shorter than others, but committee members say working about the chicken, but I did the times. As the organic maintenance allows them the freedom to work in the ways they like find out it came from one of movement is consumed by two farms in or around Lan- agribusiness, consumers are best—either independently or in close-knit groups—and the ability to caster County, Pennsylvania. I becoming ever more aware of realize a sense of satisfaction and pride in the work they accomplish. could even see pictures of the the dangers of factory-farmed farms and learn a few details livestock and of the carbon Robbie Butler, who lives in headset or else you can just Enthusiasm and Pride about the people who owned Queens and has been work- do your job at your own pace Sandra Fried, who is them. For example, there are CONTINUED ON PAGE 5 ing on a weeknight mainte- and there’s something very assigned to a Wednesday nance shift for about two relaxing about cleaning toi- evening shift, expresses a years, says simply, “I love it. It lets. It’s a real sweet shift. I similar sense of enthusiasm Next General Meeting on February 26 is my favorite shift and I’ve take pride in it. I love the and pride in the work she gets done quite a few other types Coop and I love cleaning it.” to do, which mainly takes The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on the of workslots, including Out- Like Butler, Ann, another place on the second floor and last Tuesday of each month.* The next General Meeting will be side, Receiving and Soup member who works Thursday involves cleaning the staff Tuesday, February 26, at 7:00 p.m. at the Congregation Beth Kitchen Prep.” evenings, says she likes “the offices, the second floor bath- Elohim Temple House (Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Place. In terms of what appeals to ability to work at [her] own rooms and the childcare The agenda is in this Gazette and available as a flyer in the her about the shift, Butler pace,” as well as the fact that room. entryway of the Coop. For more information about the GM and says it’s not only how she “there’s always something to In addition to cleaning about Coop governance, please see the center of this issue. works, but the work itself that do.” floors, bathrooms and *Exceptions for November and December will be posted. she likes. “You can wear a CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Thur, Mar 6 •Food Class: Energizing Spring Cleanse IN THIS ISSUE 7:30 p.m. GM Report . 3 Coop Sat, Mar 8 •Kids’ Variety Shop at Old First Church, 7:00 p.m. GM Agenda . 3 Fri, Mar 21 •The Good Coffeehouse: An Evening of Jazz, Tap and Coop Hours, Coffeehouse . 6 Song at the Society for Ethical Culture, 8:00 p.m. Coop Calendar, Workslot Needs Event Governance Information, Mission Statement. 7 Sun, Mar 30 •Pub Night: Sing in the Spring at Freddy’s Back Room, Community Calendar . 8 Highlights 7:00 p.m. Puzzle Corner. 8 Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. USDA Pressured to Address Almond Pasteurization Issue . 9 Letters to the Editor . 10 Classified Ads . 11 08-02/14 p01-07 2/13/08 6:47 PM Page 2 2 February 14, 2008 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY tion that Maintenance work- ers don’t like their shifts or Cleaning Up that doing maintenance is a less desirable shift than some others. Commenting offices, the Maintenance reports enjoying most about on this issue, Fried explains Committee attends to parts her shift is not so much the that there have been occa- of the Coop that many of us independence it gives her, sions when she has been on may never see, or never think but the chance to work col- the main shopping floor tak- about cleaning. For instance, laboratively with other mem- ing out the garbage, and encountered “members who seem embarrassed that you “You don’t think that cleaning toilets will allow you to are there and like to pretend develop a friendship, but it does.” that you are invisible.” Fried has also noticed that “when you put on those gloves and Maintenance supply cart, fully stocked. travel around, people look at Fried’s shift is responsible for bers. “I took the shift because you like they are happy cleaning all of the phones at it was at a good time for me, very interactive group. You ple like it. The Sunday night they’re not doing what you’re the Coop, as well as the floor but I’ve found there are many get to know these people crew is actually thinking doing. People really are area under the conveyor belt, reasons why I like it. It is fairly over one two-hour shift a about having T-shirts made embarrassed that other peo- a place, she says, “where all short, which is nice, and very month at a time. You don’t since people are so into the ple take out their waste. But kinds of things end up!” active, but most of all, we think that cleaning toilets workslot. There is a really the truth is that it is a very A big part of what Fried work together. Our squad is a will allow you to develop a strong sense of community enjoyable job. And, of course, friendship, but it does.” because everyone feels they not all members ignore you. In terms of a sense of are contributing to a product Some are actually very appre- camaraderie, Chase Valdez, with fairly immediate and ciative, particularly if you’ve How to Contact the Disciplinary Committee the Coop staff member who very tangible results. When just cleaned the bathroom.” oversees many of the Mainte- you clean the produce case, Another common misper- e nance squads, points partic- you know you are going to ception about Maintenance ularly to the Sunday evening buy and eat the food from at the Coop is that the The Disciplinary Committee is responsible for the review, squads, which he describes there.” squads are there at all hours investigation, and disposition of all submitted complaints of member misconduct. as “very close-knit,” a result Though members of the of the day. In fact, they are not only of the collaborative Maintenance Committee are not, which means that if If you would like to submit a complaint, please contact us. way in which those squads generally very positive about something breaks or spills, work, but the kind of work the work they do, they point members who are shopping they do, which extends well to two issues—both related or are working on non-Main- o beyond sweeping floors and to what they consider mem- tenance shifts are responsi- Email: [email protected] cleaning bath- ble for cleaning up rooms. whatever has created the “It’s during the mess. C Sunday night shifts Valdez notes that, Letter Drop Off: Written reports may be left in the DC mailbox that we do the paradoxically, “every located to the left as you enter the Membership Office. more in-depth member has a sense of cleaning,” explains ownership at the Coop, N Chase, referring to and yet when it comes to activities such as cleaning up after yourself By US Post: Park Slope Food Coop cleaning the cool- there’s a sense that some- Attn: The Disciplinary Committee 782 Union St Brooklyn NY 11215 ers on the main one else should do it.” shopping floor and So what do we all need in the basement, to do if we break or spill R as well as the pro- something? Though our Voicemail: 888.922.2667, ext 86 duce shelves. first instinct may be to page a Maintenance Thank you The Elite worker, Valdez suggests ( Cleaning Shift instead retrieving the Having recently cleaning supplies you established a new, need from the back room “elite” cleaning and picking up the mess. shift that meets And, if you need help, The Diversity & Equality Committee (DEC) is dedicated once every 12 you can page either a to improving human relations and communications weeks on Sundays staff member or a work- through impeccable interpersonal interactions, poli- from 8 p.m.