06-08/31 p 01-03 8/30/06 9:13 PM Page 1 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Volume AA, Number 15 August 31, 2006 HEAT WAVE Solar Pioneer By Ed Levy By Alison Levy “I can’t explain it, stating, “Unfortunately the California dairy farmer said. don’t understand it. heat has finally done in the “The cows make the most I ain’t never felt like this before!” melons at Sierra; the remain- milk when they’re the most —Linda Ronstadt* ing melons will not ship East happy, so we spend a lot of Coast, and we will see if any- money trying to make them he unprecedent- thing is useable for the West happy all the time,” said Dino ed midsummer Coast.” Agricultural experts Giacomazzi, a farmer whose Theat wave that speculated that “California family has operated a dairy in seared the country killed farm losses could drive up central California since 1893. hundreds of human beings national food prices in com- He doesn’t expect his cows to and a million or more live- ing return to normal until stock. The soaring tempera- December. tures also devastated many As the furnace-like farm products. But while the atmosphere drifted east- weather drove up some ward, Ohio farmers reported prices across the country, it cows producing about 10 has so far had little effect pounds less milk per day on items sold at the because of the heat, down Coop. from the usual 90 pounds. BY INC. MCNAMARA, BRIGHT POWER PHOTO ANDY In California, the The Coop, however, was Etta Dixon with her solar panels. thermometer insulated from the effects remained above 110 of dairy shortages and oop member Etta block. Today, her house pur- degrees for a price rises because of Dixon is not one to chase, once regarded as fool- record-breaking its policy of buying C shrink from any chal- hardy, is considered prescient five consecutive locally. According lenge that life delivers to her in a bustling neighborhood days at the end of to Eddie doorstep. In 1963, she was where prices have risen over July. Crops withered Rosenthal, the first woman on her block time. in the fields, livestock dairy manag- in Brownsville to buy her own died and farm workers er, the Coop house as the sole owner. “Why should I burn could not work safely gets virtually “Women couldn’t get mort- fuel when we have energy except in the very early all its milk from gages in those days, because from the sun?” morning. According to a New York and by definition, a single woman newsletter put out during Pennsylvania, was considered transient,” —Etta Dixon that period by one of the and he reported Etta recalls. “When the bank country’s major growers, no current shortages manager informed me that I But for a pioneer like Etta, ILLUSTRATION BYILLUSTRATION DEBORAH TINT some shippers reported 50% or price rises from our was not considered a good the way always points for- reductions in their harvests. months.” By the time that major suppliers, Natural by candidate for a loan, I said, ward. Since July, Etta’s house Spinach, a crop that is espe- email was written, the deadly, Nature and Farmland. The ‘You make me miss a day of has been the first on her cially sensitive to heat, blis- unrelenting heat was already Coop also purchases goat work to tell me that?’ ” block with roof solar panels tered and shriveled. traveling our way, like a milk within the tri-state area. Transient, Etta Dixon most for hot water heating. Tomatoes split open, making macabre parody of all those While the Northeast also certainly is not. Though “We all know how much them less desirable for use in fads that begin in California sweltered through three-digit retired, today at age 72, she money we pay out in fuel products like salsa and and spread east. temperatures, the heat wave still works for her longtime costs. Those bills doubled ketchup. Walnuts literally was shorter and less severe in employer, the New York City last year, and there’s no end cooked in their shells, and Milk Production Down this part of the country. municipal workers’ union. in sight,” Etta points out. “I many of the peach, plum The high temperatures Rosenthal did not rule out She still lives in the very know people losing their and nectarine crops were killed 25,000 cows in Califor- residual effects from the same four-family house she homes because they can’t destroyed. nia alone—and an estimated weather later, but said it bought back in 1963, despite pay their fuel bills. When are On August 1, the Coop million or more chickens and seemed more likely that that shortsighted loan officer. people going to figure it received a broadcast email turkeys. Those cows who sur- national brands, like Organic Etta is still the only female out?” from one California shipper vived the heat ate less and Valley and Horizon, would be sole homeowner on her CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 produced less milk, even most affected. *The song “Heat Wave” was origi- though farmers sprayed them nally written by the songwriting with misters and fanned Effect on Fruit and Next General Meeting on September 26 team Holland-Dozier-Holland for them down. Some of the milk Vegetable Prices The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on the Martha and the Vandellas. H-D-H they did produce was so low A Department of Agricul- last Tuesday of each month.* The next General Meeting will be wrote many of the hit singles for in fat and protein levels, it ture spokesman said that the Tuesday, September 26, 7:00 p.m. at the Congregation Beth Motown artists. was “just white water,” one CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Elohim Temple House (Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Pl. The agenda will appear in the next Gazette and will be Fri, Sep 1 •Film Night: The Naked Proof, 7:00 p.m. available on September 7 as a flyer in the entryway of the Coop. Tue, Sep 5 •Wordsprouts: Children's book reading: Selavi–A For more information about the GM and about Coop gover- Haitian Story of Hope, 6:30 p.m. nance, please see the center of this issue. * Exceptions for November and December will be posted. Coop Thu, Sep 7 •Food Class: Full Moon Feast, 7:30 p.m. Fri, Sep 15 •GM Food, Why Are We Fighting It?: video and IN THIS ISSUE Event discussion with the Safe Food Committee, 7:30 p.m. Highlights Sat, Sep 16 •Clothing Exchange: adults, 10-2:00 p.m. Coop Hours, Puzzle . 4 Thu, Sep 28 •Wordsprouts: Richard Roundy and Marie Carter Community Calendar . 5 7:30 p.m. Letters to the Editor . 5 Classified Ads . 7 Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. Mission Statement . 2 06-08/31 p 01-03 8/30/06 9:13 PM Page 2 2 August 31, 2006 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY THANK YOU! Thursday, classes Sept. 7 Thank you to the 7:30 p.m. following members at the Coop for referring friends who joined the Coop in the Susan Baldassano, coordinator PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP last two weeks. Barbara Abramson Johnny B. Full Moon Feast Marcus Beck a Trio of Corn Dishes Leslie Brill Claire Peter Colavito Guest Chef: Alison Cooney Jessica Prentice Cordia is a graduate of the Nicole Cusack Natural Gourmet Elba D. Institute for Health Caitlin Daneil-McCarter and Culinary Arts. Jennifer David-Lang She is a co-founder Timothy David-Lang Locavores, a group Tree Delfin —TASTINGS TOO! RECIPES in San Francisco Stephanie E. all featuring corn, all from dedicated to eating Ed foods grown within a Michael Evans 100-mile radius of • Budin de Maiz (dairy) Jean F. home. • Potato Corn Chowder (dairy) Michael Fernbacher • Sourdough Corn Fritters (dairy) Mrs. Freeman MEMBERS & Ken Garson NON-MEMBERS WELCOME. Natalia Giannella $4 materials fee Todd Graham Views expressed by the presenter do not Come early Jennifer Greeve to ensure a seat. necessarily represent the Park Slope Food Coop. Kathleen Griffith Jessica Hamlin Anna Hieronymus Sasha Hinkley Christine Holt Kiyana Horton Sichel Ilana Natalia Ivanova Jocelyn Patricia Joyce Kalalea Max Kalehoff Peter Kanning Elisa Kaplan Philip Kloehn Leah Koenig Terri Kohler John Leeper Liz Lessner Allison Lorentzen Claudius M. Gillian Macleod Kristin Mays Molly McFadden Kristi McKim Elisa Mehl Lizanne Merrill Eric Metzgar Michael Naidre Miller Brigid Milligan Bethany Mills Stefanie Nanes Carol O’Donnell Jessica Oldham Sarah Pedlow Jordan Pender Mindy Phillips Park Slope Food Coop Mission Statement Kaari Pitkin Elizabeth Press The Park Slope Food Coop is a member-owned and operated food store—an alternative to commercial profit-orient- Daniel R. Didi Rissman ed business. As members, we contribute our labor: working together builds trust through cooperation and teamwork and Susan Ritz enables us to keep prices as low as possible within the context of our values and principles. Only members may shop, Dara Rose and we share responsibilities and benefits equally. We strive to be a responsible and ethical employer and neighbor. We Kevin Shultis Katie Sigelman are a buying agent for our members and not a selling agent for any industry. We are a part of and support the cooperative Bill Spirer movement. We offer a diversity of products with an emphasis on organic, minimally processed and healthful foods. Isabelle Sulek Terence Sumner We seek to avoid products that depend on the exploitation of others. We support non-toxic, sus- tainable agriculture.