A PUBLICATION OF WILLY STREET CO-OP, MADISON, WI VOLUME 46 • ISSUE 9 •SEPTEMBER 2019 STORES CLOSING EARLY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 AT 7:30PM FOR LABOR DAY 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, cooperatively owned grocery PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY WILLY STREET CO-OP business that serves the needs of its Owners and employ- East: 1221 Williamson Street, Madison, WI 53703, 608-251-6776 ees. We are a cornerstone West: 6825 University Ave, Middleton, WI 53562, 608-284-7800 of a vibrant community in south-central Wisconsin that North: 2817 N. Sherman Ave, Madison, WI 53704, 608-471-4422 provides fairly priced goods Central Office: 1457 E. Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53703, 608-251-0884 and services while supporting EDITOR & LAYOUT: Liz Wermcrantz local and organic suppliers. ADVERTISING: Liz Wermcrantz COVER DESIGN: Hallie Zillman SALE FLYER DESIGN: Hallie Zillman GRAPHICS: Hallie Zillman WILLY STREET CO-OP SALE FLYER LAYOUT: Liz Wermcrantz BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRINTING: Wingra Printing Group The Willy Street Co-op Reader is the monthly communications link among the Jeannine Bindl, President Co-op Board, staff and Owners. It provides information about the Co-op’s services Ann Hoyt, Vice President and business as well as about cooking, nutrition, health, sustainable agriculture and Brian Anderson more. Views and opinions expressed in the Reader do not necessarily represent those Stephanie Ricketts of the Co-op’s Directors, staff or Ownership. Willy Street Co-op has not evaluated the Trevor Bynoe claims made by advertisers. Acceptance of advertising does not indicate endorsement Michael Chronister of the product or service offered. Articles are presented for information purposes only. Gigi Godwin Before taking action, you should always consult a professional for advice. Articles may be reprinted with permission from the editor. Sarah Larson SUBMISSIONS BOARD CONTACT INFO: All advertising submissions must be reserved and arranged with the editor by the [email protected] 10th of the month previous to publication. All advertisement copy must be submit- [email protected] ted by the 15th of the month. Submissions should be emailed to l.wermcrantz@ (includes the GM, Executive willystreet.coop or mailed to Willy Street Co-op’s Central Office according to sub- Assistant and Board Adminis- mission requirements. trator) CUSTOMER SERVICE: EAST: 608-251-6776 WEST: 608-284-7800 NORTH: 608-471-4422 BOARD MEETING BUSINESS OFFICE: 608-251-0884 SCHEDULE Tuesday, September 17 FAX: 608-251-3121 Tuesday, October 15 SEAFOOD CENTER: EAST: 608-294-0116 WEST: 608-836-1450 Tuesday, November 19 GENERAL EMAIL: [email protected] Tuesday, December 17 GENERAL MANAGER: [email protected] Tuesday, January 21 EDITOR: [email protected] As always, Board meetings are held PREORDERS: EAST: [email protected]; WEST: ws.preorders@ at the Central Office beginning at willystreet.coop; NORTH: [email protected] 6:30pm (unless otherwise noted). WEBSITE: www.willystreet.coop Dates are subject to change. Please BOARD EMAIL: [email protected] see www.willystreet.coop/events/ board-of-directors to confirm. STORE HOURS: 7:30am-9:30pm, every day East Juice Bar: 7:30am-6:00pm; West Juice Bar: M-F: 7:30am-7:00pm & Sat-Sun: 7:30am-6:00pm; North Juice Bar: 7:30am-7:00pm Deli: 7:30am to 9:00pm Seafood Center–East and West: Monday–Saturday, 8:00am-8:00pm; Sunday, 8:00am- 6:00pm. IN THIS ISSUE 3 Customer Comments 9 Seeded vs. Seedless 18 Food Pantries and Food 4 Union Organizing; Watermelon Banks: Part of the Local Food System Online Shopping; and 10 Recipes Featuring Local More! Products 19 Community Shares 5 August Board Meeting 11 Local Produce of Wisconsin’s 2019 Change-Makers Advance Notes; Meet New Board Availability the Local Social Justice Member Gigi Godwin 13-15 SPECIALS PAGES Movement 6-8 Community Room 16 Eat Local Month Promos 20-21 The Science and Art of Calendar Local Organic Apples 8-9 Local Food Access 17 New Products 22-23 Recipes STORES CLOSING EARLY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 AT 7:30PM FOR LABOR DAY 2 Willy Street Co-op Reader, SEPTEMBER 2019 CUSTOMER COMMENTS Thanks for your suggestion and I and informing people how their from Wisconsin or from within 150 Write Us! apologize for not responding sooner! daily lives impact CO2 emissions. miles of our state capitol. These tags at We welcome your comments and -Brendon Smith, Communications Through my research I have found least give you an idea of how far prod- give each one attention and seri- Director out how a person’s diet can indi- ucts may have traveled. Some other ous consideration. Send them to vidually impact carbon emissions. labels that are available to suppliers to customer.comments@willystreet. PLASTICS I think people are very open to include on their products include the coop or fill out a Customer Com- Q: Plastic pollution is a world- change to help the earth. But when Non-GMO Project, various Fair Trade ment form in the Owner Re- wide crisis and I would love to see it comes to changing their diet, they certifications, the USDA Organic sources area. Each month a small more of an effort to reduce plastic at don’t know how. I am wonder- certification, and others. Looking for selection is printed in the Reader. the coop. You are already far above ing why there are not labels in the products with third-party certifications Many more can be found in the other grocery stores and I love the grocery store showing the carbon on their packaging can also give you commons or in the binder near addition of paper bulk bags, but big footprint of food products. A recent clues regarding the carbon footprint. Customer Service. Thank you! steps have to be taken to stop this study in the journal Science found I hope your project was a success! global disaster. A lot of plastic "al- that similar products in the grocery I have forwarded your comment and ternatives" aren't sustainable and it store can have very different carbon my reply to our General Manager would be great to see bigger changes, footprints. For example a bar of Anya Firszt. Thanks again for shar- CORRECTION such as not providing plastic pro- chocolate can have the same climate ing your idea, and for your interest in In my May feature article, "Fats duce bags or deli containers at all, impacts as driving 30 miles in your where food comes from and how it and Fiction,"I referred to canola oil forcing shoppers to think ahead and car. Compared to another bar of is produced. You're absolutely right, as a bad choice for cooking, due to its bring their own reusable bags or use chocolate that has little to no limit there's lots of people in the area who "unhealthy fat composition," as well the paper options. Cheese wrapped impact. Without labeling a shop- are very interested in this issue. Enjoy as its high likelihood of being rancid in waxed papers, eliminating the per will have no idea which item is your summer! -Kirsten Moore, Coop- by the time it gets to the shelves at the plastic sleeves on your vitamin jars, better for the earth. My idea is to erative Services Director grocery store. It's true that most cano- not offering produce pre-wrapped in start labeling food items with their la oil ends up with some trans fats plastic, putting the discount produce carbon footprint. You can start PAPER BAG USAGE (which should be avoided entirely, if in paper bags, etc. What is conve- with your local organic farmers and Q: I have seen several letters possible), produced in the course of nient for us is often harmful to the retailers. I think this would also help over the past few months criticiz- industrial processing methods (and, to environment and a push against these local places because people in ing people who use paper bags for a lesser extent, by expeller-pressing). plastic will help make consumers Madison would definitely be inter- their groceries. I am not sure why It's also true that conventional cano- more aware and proactive! Thank ested in buying a product with a there seems to be a group of people la is very often processed with the you for being conscious leaders in smaller carbon footprint. intent on demonizing paper bag highly toxic chemical hexane, and that good food and healthy living! A: Thanks for writing to us and for usage. I for one live in an apartment vegetable and seed oils generally lack A: Thanks for the ideas and for your interest in the carbon footprint of complex where I have to walk quite the stability to keep them fresh for your interest in the challenges of the foods we eat and the foods the Co- a distance to deposit my recyclables very long. plastic reduction at the Co-op. I was op sells. We definitely believe in your into a large metal container that What I didn't know was that, at reviewing my list of comments to re- interest in providing more information serves the entire complex. I am the time I was working on the article, spond to from last fiscal year, and I’m and transparency for customers, but 4’11” and use a cane for stability.