May 2021
In this month's newsletter:
  • General Manager May article
  • Plant Sale Fundraiser
  • Owner Appreciation Days
  • Refer an Owner: Get Rewarded
  • Little Red Hut
  • Sweat Practice
  • Crowdfunding with Prairie Food Co-op
  • Curbside Pickup
  • Favorites from our Kitchen
  • Recent Blog Posts
  • New Items
  • Coming soon from Meat & Cheese!
  • Round Up for Good Update
  • Thanks for Reading $2 Off Coupon
by Gary Taylor

"May is here and at Common Ground, we are so thrilled for the new outdoor farmers market season to begin with Urbana Market at the Square! Looking forward to better weather and more local food choices!" 

PLANT SALE FUNDRAISER
Join us for our 13th Annual Common Ground Plant Sale and Food For All Fundraiser!

This year's Plant Sale will sync up with our Owner Appreciation Days and will be an entire week long. We will have many seedlings available in the vestibule including varieties of tomatoes, peppers, herbs, greens, and flowers! A huge thank you to our local farmers and owners who grew seedlings to donate including Blue Moon Farm, PrairiErth Farm, Sola Gratia Farm, Meyer Produce, and Delight Flower Farm.

Owner Appreciation Days are an entire week starting Tuesday, May 4th thru Tuesday, May 11th!

Because our Food Co-op is community-owned by over 13,000 neighbors and counting, Owner Appreciation Days are our special sales celebration where all of our Co-op owners can get great store-wide deals! Due to COVID-19, we are extending Owner Appreciation Days to 8 days (May 4-11) to encourage safe shopping, reduce crowds, and allow customers to maintain their regular shopping schedule. Like all Owner Days, owners will receive 10% discount off their entire purchase of one shopping trip of their choice (excluding Co+op Basics, alcohol, and items already on sale) and earn more Radish Rewards.

All owners who use their Owner Days 10% discount will receive a special coupon book with exclusive deals for June-August.

Curbside Shopping?
All Owner Appreciation Days deals will be available for you through our Curbside service. In order to get your 10% discount deducted from your shopping trip, please make a note requesting your discount in 'Order Instructions' in the online shopping cart. Shop Online with Curbside Pick Up

Not yet an Owner?
Lifetime Common Ground ownership is only a one-time $60 equity payment! Get amazing deals while owning this community grocery store with your neighborhood. Become an owner 
REFER AN OWNER: GET REWARDED
Help us broaden our amazing Co-op community to include more of your friends, family, and neighbors! Encourage them to become Co-op owners with our new Owner Referral & Rewards Program. Refer a new owner and you both receive $10 in Radish Rewards to be redeemed on in-store purchases. In order to receive the reward incentive, the new owner must pay their $60 equity payment in full and we will contact you when your rewards have been placed on your owner account.

Anyone can sign up to be an owner online or at the registers. For more information about Co-op, ownership visit our Ownership page.
LITTLE RED HUT
NORDEN recently announced that the Little Red Hut is coming back to our community. The unique outdoor shopping experience brought warm winter vibes to Champaign-Urbana last year and is now back in time for Mother’s Day. The Little Red Hut is unique in that it is the only pop-up where local artists are selling their creations in a way that is safe for both the consumer and seller. “We’ve learned, due to the pandemic and the associated safety protocols, it is impossible to hold or attend craft markets like we’ve done in the past,” says Anna Gutsch, co-owner of Norden, LLC, “Our goal is to provide small, local makers with an opportunity to sell their goods easily and safely. It’s a great way for our community to shop, celebrate, and support local artists while enjoying the beautiful spring weather.” 

The Little Red Hut is a wooden, outdoor booth featuring a range of goods from 10-15 different makers for sale in front of the Common Ground Food Coop near the intersection of Vine and Illinois in Urbana. The good news for window shoppers, the items in the hut will be rotating, ensuring a diverse variety of gifts. “We’ll have spring treats for everyone, home and garden gifts, and, of course, something special just in time for Mother’s Day.”

The Little Red Hut will be open Thursday through Sunday from May 6th to May 30th. For more information about the location, vendors, and gifts, visit www.littleredhut.com

About NORDEN at home: Creators of well-made home goods, timeless custom furniture, and spaces that you love calling home. This business is the passion of Anna and Johann, two experienced designers and fabricators from Germany who have been working in the Midwest since 2011. Attention to detail and craftsmanship paired with a focus on the essentials has allowed them to transform the lives of their clients, many of whom they call friends now. Connect with NORDEN and The Little Red Hut on social media, @nordenathome.
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN
VIRTUAL FITNESS CLASS
Join Sweat Practice for a virtual fitness class; all donations given to the Co-op's Round Up program!
Start a fitness routine that not only benefits you,
but your local community too!

Sweat Practice, owned and operated by Co-op owners and previous Co-op staff, Maria Ludeke and Nightrain Epton, is teaming up with Common Ground Food Co-op to bring you monthly Pay-What-You-Can Community Fitness Classes! All proceeds raised in this monthly fitness series will benefit the current recipient of Common Ground's Round Up For Good program. This May fitness class will benefit Food For All, our food accessibility program.

Each of these Sweat Practice classes is taught with all levels in mind - all you need is your mat! The upcoming virtual live streaming class is Sunday, May 23 12-1pm.

Crowdfunding with Prairie Food Co-op
FUNDRAISER FOR PRAIRIE FOOD CO-OP AND SUPPORT FOR
END #2
"Prairie Food Co-op of Lombard, IL has accrued over 1,200 owners, secured a space for their storefront, and are on the mission to raise more capital to make their dream come to fruition. As a fellow Illinois food co-op, they reminded us of the importance of End #2, strengthening the cooperative movement."

SHOP ONLINE!
Skip the line and shop at the Co-op Shop! Order your groceries from home and pick them up curbside. You can find more than 3,000+ Co-op products on the Co-op Shop!

FAVORITES FROM OUR KITCHEN
It's back! A crowd pleasing favorite, the Cilantro Lime Hummus.
Smaller sized soups are available for lunchtime!
RECENT BLOG POSTS
Take a look at our latest blog posts!
Darya Ghormeh Sabzi and Tahdig E Nan Recipes
"Ghormeh Sabzi is a very popular dish in Iran, and is something I grew up eating with my family. It is traditionally made with lamb or beef, but given that I am vegan, I made this with seitan! It is one of my favorite meals, and I am so excited to share it with you!"

LINK MATCH AT COMMON GROUND
In partnership with The Land Connection & Winter Farmers Market, CGFC is part of a Link Match grant!
Common Ground is excited to be accepting Link Match vouchers for the summer! In partnership with The Land Connection & Winter Farmers Market, any shopper who uses SNAP at the winter market will receive an equal dollar amount in Link Match vouchers. These vouchers can be redeemed at the Co-op on local produce!

How does it work?
Thanks to the Link Up Illinois grant, The Land Connection's winter farmers market in Lincoln Square Mall is offering Link Match vouchers for every dollar of SNAP spent at the market. For example, a shopper swipes their Link card for $10 in market tokens, they will receive an additional ten $1 vouchers to be spent at the winter market or at Common Ground. To promote and support the local food system, these vouchers are valid only on local fruits and vegetables. There is a $20 match limit for these vouchers.
SILK Original Soy Creamer: $3.00
FREAK FLAG ORGANICS

Organic Tomato Pesto

Organic Kale Pesto

Organic Carrot Pesto

$4.74
DELIGHT FLOWER FARM seasonal bouquets are back!
Our Own Strawberry lemonade cake is made from scratch in our bakery.
COMING SOON FROM MEAT & CHEESE
Lieb Farms
Ground Bison- Their bison will be available in 1lbs packages!

Triple S Farms
Pork riblets- Perfect for rib tips.
Cubed Steak- Ideal for chicken fried steak with 4 steaks per pack.
Smoked ribs- Fully cooked and perfect for those that do not have the means to cook their own!

Organic Valley
Provolone cheese- Highly recommend this one on sandwiches.

Mt. Vickos
Organic Feta- Great for Greek Salads and baked feta dishes!
May Round Up for Good: Food For All
Food For All is our food accessibility program that is community funded by our Co-op owners and shoppers. The program is founded on the belief that good food and food education should be accessible to all people. Anyone can apply for Food For All membership which provides an automatic $60 Co-op Owner Equity Grant to become a Co-op Owner, a 10% discount on produce and Co+op Basics staple foods, healthy recipes, and access to free Co-op cooking classes!

Food For All funds also help us provide free educational programming for kids and adults, including cooking classes, after-school programming, and other community food access initiatives.

Become a Food For All member by sign up at the registers, today!
ENJOY
$2 OFF
with a purchase of $15 or more

Show this coupon at the registers. Cannot be reused or used for sale items, Co+op Basics, or alcohol.
Valid during the month of May.