In this month's newsletter:
- A Word from the General Manager
- A Word from the Board of Directors
- Native Plant Sale with The Well Fed Caterpillar
- Cheesemaking Virtual Class & Meal Kit
- Preserving Herbs Harvest Class
- Champaign Vegan Chef Challenge
- Link Match at the Co-op
- Round Up For Good Update
- Recipe Feature
- New Products
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By Gary Taylor
Hello Cooperators,
I hope you are all doing well and staying as cool as possible as the weather has really been warming up over the past week!
I have not yet highlighted in our newsletter our exciting Buy One Get One Free (BOGO) promotions. All co-ops that are part of National Cooperative Grocers (NCG) are eligible for some fantastic deals to offer our owners. We get this opportunity a few times a year to offer incredible savings on some of our most popular items and they are almost always seasonal! We just began one this week that will last until June 20th and features such items as Beyond Meat Burger Patties, Bizzy Cold Brews and Luna and Larry Ice Cream Bars! You can see all of the BOGO items online on our website.
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By Morgan Montgomery
On May 27th I, and lots of other herb enthusiasts, joined Kelly Allsup from The Land Connection for a virtual class tailored exclusively to our shared interest – Growing Kitchen Herbs. This class was the first in a series of virtual herb-focused presentations that will take place in 2023.
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Upcoming Classes & Events | |
Native Plant Sale with
The Well Fed Caterpillar
| Stop by the porch for a plant sale with The Well Fed Caterpillar: Native Plant Nursery! They'll be outside with lots of favorite native plants and pollinator-friendly perennials for your yard. | |
Cheesemaking Virtual Class & Kit | |
Preserving Herb Harvest Class | |
Learn how to preserve fresh herbs and make your own herbal products for around your home! This virtual class will cover skills including drying and preserving herbs for maximum flavor retention, infusing herbs into culinary oil or vinegar and creating herbal oils (for use in home products like lip balms, lotions, and salves - all skills featured in classes later this year!). This class will be taught by Amy Wertheim of Wertheim's Gardens, a longtime herbal expert and farmer of educational, culinary, and medicinal gardens in Logan County. Class registration is free with an option to purchase a class kit to use during the live virtual class. This class will feature fresh rosemary and Thai basil and dried calendula and rosemary. The $15 base class kit includes six plastic containers for infusing, 18 oz of grapeseed oil, balsamic vinegar, cheesecloth, twine, rubber bands, and kitchen gloves and require participants to source their own herbs from their garden or local farmer. There is also an option to select a $30 class kit that includes everything in the base class kit plus bundles of fresh and dried herbs that are featured in the class. | |
Champaign Vegan Chef Challenge | |
Mock Duck Curry
Homemade mock duck vegan seitan with organic sauteed broccoli, organic carrots, organic green beans and garbanzo beans with flavorful coconut curry sauce served on a bed of steamed white rice.
$9.99/lb
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Strawberry Lemonade Cake
Homemade lemon cake with a sweet strawberry lemonade frosting made with real strawberries.
$4.00
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Last month we raised over $4,413.86 for Common Ground's Food For All Program!
Mission: Common Ground's mission is broken up into 4 Ends that guide our organization.
- End #1: The Co-op is the center of an inclusive, vibrant community.
- End #2: The cooperative movement is strengthened.
- End #3: The Co-op serves as an educational resource on food issues.
- End #4: The local food movement is equitable, robust, and environmentally sound.
Project Proposal: "Food For All is our food accessibility program. One aspect of our fourth end is to ensure that healthy and affordable food is accessible to all people. Food For All was created to do just this, and through grant donations and fundraising, we have been able to keep this program going. A Food For All grant will cover full owner equity, giving members all of the same benefits that owners receive. They also get a 10% discount on our entire produce section as well as on all Co+op Basics products. All of the funds raised through Round Up For Good will go directly towards providing our customers with that 10% discount."
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June's Round Up For Good organization is Eastern Illinois Foodbank.
Mission: Eastern Illinois Foodbank exists to alleviate hunger in eastern Illinois.
Project Proposal: "EIF recently launched our Produce Pop-Up program, enabling us to distribute fresh, regionally-sourced produce to rural and under-served areas whose pantries have little or no cold storage and limited hours. We’ve seen a 60% reduction of food waste since the program’s inception. Expanding this program is essential to fulfilling our mission and provide nutritious food as costs continue to rise. These funds would allow us to purchase produce to meet the increased demand in our communities."
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Bi-color Sweet Corn Elote Soup | |
It's sweet corn season! We have tons of beautiful bi-colored sweet corn in our produce section, so we put it into a smooth, comforting, and mildly spicy elote soup! It is beautifully garnished with jalapeno, sour cream, cilantro and cheese and is a quick and easy dinner option. | |
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Dark Matter comes to us from Chicago, IL and their ever-expanding universe of coffee includes experimental fermentations, barrel-aged and cask-conditioned coffees, and collaborations with your favorite artists and musicians.
- Sin Cafeina Decaf
- Nectar Gadget
- A Love Supreme
- Unicorn Blood
- Starry Eyes
$14.99
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These plant-based chicken nuggets from Impossible have a golden brown crispy breading and tender bite, and have 10 grams of protein per serving.
$10.99
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Sweet Nothings
Spoonable Smoothie
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This ready-to-eat mango smoothie cup has a delicious blend of simple ingredients like organic mango, bananas, cashews, dates and seeds.
$2.99
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Prairie Fruits Farm Raclette |
Made right here in Champaign, this is Prairie Fruits Farm's debut cow's milk alpine-style Raclette. Perfect for melting over potatoes (the way the Swiss like to eat it) or making a fancy grilled cheese.
$27.49/lb
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Save time with this convenient and delicious blend of pre-cut honeydew, watermelon and cantaloupe.
$9.99
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Veggie Confetti
Pickled Vegetables
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Veggie Confetti is all about bold color + big flavor. These pickled vegetables were created to top your meals with a pop of color and zing of flavor.
$6.99
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Ready-to-eat overnight oats made with clean ingredients to give you natural energy. Plus, they're dairy-free and gluten-free! Find them in our prepared foods island.
- Blueberry
- Dark Chocolate
- Strawberry
- Apple Cinnamon
$2.49
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Stop by our new frozen cooler near the cafe and check out these frozen flatbreads! They're available in Pepperoni & Mozzarella, Barbeque Chicken, and Supreme.
$10.29
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Wildly Organic
Australian Brut Cuvee
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Aromas of pink grapefruit and lemon sherbet. On the palate there are notes of lemon zest and crunchy red apples. Light refreshing natural acidity. Wildly is crafted using organic winemaking techniques and very little intervention.
$21.99
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Check out our newest local brewery! Door 4 Brewing Co. was founded in 2017 just 55 miles away in Decatur, IL.
Midwest PTO IPA is brewed with Citra, Amarillo and El Dorado hops. Low on the bitterness scale and high on flavor and aroma.
$12.99 4-pack
Tahiti is Magic IPA is a hazy IPA brewed with oats, wheat and Mosaic, Galaxy and Citra hops. Notes of ripe pineapple, papaya, and lemon heads.
$13.99 4-pack
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Gluntz
De La Costa Sangria
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De La Costa Red Sangria is a traditional Spanish drink perfect for summer. It is a blend of Glunz's red wine and citrus fruits with a touch of spice. It is more intensely flavored with cherry and berry flavors, finishing with a dash of citrus and sweetness.
$12.99
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