In this month's newsletter:



Read Gary's February piece on activities and events to look forward to this month, including the opportunity to volunteer and grow seedlings for this year's Plant Sale.

The next meeting of the Board of Directors is Monday, Febuary 11 from 6:15 to 8:15 pm at First United Methodist Church of Urbana. Owners are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Join us for a ValenWines Day Tasting on Friday, February 8 from 6 to 8pm in our mall hallway.

We've invited local wine experts to pour some of our favorite wines and talk about wine production and regional flavors as they pour!

We're pairing the wines with cheeses, chocolates, and charcuterie which will all be on sale. You can also buy one bottle of wine and get the second half off!

Tickets: $15 per person. Purchase online here , at checkout next time you shop, or at the event. Must be 21 or older to attend. Please bring your photo ID to ease entry.

This month's Friday Feast event is Friday, February 22 from 5 to 7 pm near the Café! We're serving Shepherd's Pie dinner.

Friday Feast is a monthly Co-op event, which features a meal that is healthy, delicious, and affordable. Each meal will incorporate local and seasonal food and always include a meat and vegan option. Recipes from each meal are made available as the Meal Kit of the following month, to be made at home.

It's that time again. You can start planning your garden, trading seeds with your neighbors, and learn tips and tricks to successful seed starting and transplanting, during our annual Co-op Seed Swap. Join us on Saturday, February 16th, from noon to 2pm in our Co-op Mall Hallway and can share seeds with others or collect some new ones for yourself. Have a friend that also loves gardening? Bring them, too!

Calling all volunteers and plant lovers!

We need your help to grow seedlings for our 11th Annual Plant Sale Fundraiser, which takes place on Saturday, May 4th. We provide the seeds and cells and you provide the soil, lights, and care!

The success of the plant sale is very important to us and the community, as our Food for All program is made possible through most of its proceeds. Food for All funds equity grants, food discounts, and class discounts for those in need of financial assistance.

Keep an eye out for more information and save the date: Saturday, May 4th.

Want to volunteer to grow seedlings? Email us!

As we move into winter, our local vendors start experiencing some seasonal out-of-stocks with popular items.



February Café feature: Raspberry Mocha >>>

New local cheese from Green Meadow:

New eggs from Whistling Hen Farms beginning 2/14:

New Co-op Bakery items:

Our Co-op Bakery is located in the Co-op Kitchen, where all of our delicious Co-op foods are made from scratch, with love, with local and organic ingredients whenever possible.

The Café now offers biscuits & gravy, Co-op Made from scratch every day and available from 9-11am. We have local Moore Family Farm sausage gravy, as well as our Co-op Made vegan gravy.

New Certified Organic, Fair Trade, Certified B Corporation, Certified Bird-friendly coffee from Birds & Beans Coffee

New CBD items from Tribe to Table located in Wellness

"In keeping with our ongoing commitment to provide our consumers with the highest quality possible, we have taken the initiative to remove caramel color from all Frontier Co-op and Simply Organic brand products.

Products affected include Frontier Co-op Bac'Uns, Seafood Season and Simply Organic Gravy Mixes."

" Our mission [at Daily Bread Soup Kitchen] is to feed the hungry of our community regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity. We provide a friendly, respectful, and inviting environment in an atmosphere of hope and dignity. In addition to physically feeding people we strive to give people a place where they can have positive human contact every day. We are entirely volunteer run and depend on donations from individuals, businesses and local grants.

Over the years, the CU community has supported us in various ways. Also, we have hundreds of incredible volunteers that make it possible for us to operate 7 days a week. We rely on many retired and older volunteers who are critical to our success. In the long-run we will need new volunteers to step up and help us continue our mission.

We also need to keep spreading the word about us. The funding that comes from the Round Up For Good program goes toward our day-to-day expenses: purchasing food (most of food is donated but we need to pay for certain items), utilities, building maintenance, expenses for vehicles used for food pick-ups, etc. We do a lot of our grocery shopping at the co-op. We like being able to support a local organization which shares many of our values. "

Visit the Humans of the Co-op website to see all our Humans.

Amidst the worry and uncertainty of food security in January, one thing was certain: we were reminded of how food brings people together. From California to Texas and everywhere in between, many different communities were reviving the idea of how food has the power to bring people together from all walks of life, different political backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, and other identities that would otherwise separate them.

This past January, during the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, the future of food assistance programs such as SNAP, school lunches, and the WIC food and nutrition service was uncertain, and still is. However, it was also during this time that different communities of people took it upon themselves to feed those affected by the lack of food security during the partial government shutdown.

We were also reminded that food brings people together during times of rehabilitation and recovery as well.

Overall, January showed how, especially in times of crisis, uncertainty and recovery, food is an important factor in building, uniting, and rehabilitating communities.

If you're interested in reading more on the subject, here are a few different articles:

Round Up for Good Update

We finished out the year strong

2018 Round Up for Good Total

Thanks for helping foster a vibrant, inclusive community





While we round up for the Champaign County Humane Society, we're also trying to find forever homes for long-term shelter cats.

February: Champaign County Humane Society

Champaign County Humane Society is located on Main St & Art Bartell Rd in Urbana, providing open-admission shelter for dogs, cats, and other animals.

Champaign County Humane Society’s mission is “to instill respect, kindness, and compassion for animals as community values."

Its purpose is:

You can also volunteer or donate; visit www.cuhumane.org.

Kitties of the Co-op: Samantha

Could you or someone you know be her forever home?

Samantha is 8 years old. She's a little shy and independent. She is sweet and would be a great companion for someone who would respect her decision to give them affection on her own terms. Samantha would be a great girl to keep your lap warm during the winter months.

February Classes & Events

See what's new for the month of February in our classes email.

You can always sign up online or in-store and classes are listed on the class calendar.

Just bring in this slip or show it on your device. Valid through the end of February. May not be reused or used for sale items, Co-op Basics, or alcohol.