AUGUST 2018
Upcoming Board Elections, Owner Participation, Updates, Events, & Food for Thought
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From the GM: On the high cost of food
Gary Taylor, General Manager
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Gary reflects on how little we spend on food, why food is more expensive at the co-op than other stores, and thinking about the value of our food rather than just the retail price.
Read Gary's article
here.
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August Dispatch: Elections fast approaching
Keith McKenney, Board member
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Read the Board's latest update from Keith McKenney
here.
For the upcoming Board elections, you can find the information packet
here and apply to run for the Board
here. Applications are due August 15th.
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You're Invited: Board visioning sessions for owners
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Visioning is the process of engaging Common Ground owners, staff, producers, and other members of our community in investigating how the Co-op can continue to meet
our Ends
, not just for now, but for years to come. The Board is helping to lead this effort, with the help and participation of dedicated owners like you. Please consider attending one of these sessions to help us with this process.
Use
this link to sign up for the Sunday, August 12 from 3 to 4:30 pm session and
this link for the session on Wednesday, August 15 from 7 to 8:30 pm.
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First Friday Grill & Chill
Friday, August 3rd, 5 to 7 pm on the porch
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Join us for another $5 grill night, August 3rd from 5 to 7 pm on the porch to celebrate
Urbana First Fridays
! We'll have something for everyone. Headliners: Co-op Chili Dogs, Vegan Tofurky Chili Dogs, & Beef Burgers.
Enjoy the local flavors of:
-Co-op Made potato salad & Co-op Made macaroni and black bean salad.
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Also Friday Night: Art Gallery
5:30 to 7:30 pm in the classroom
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Friday night we'll also be hosting our Art Gallery Reception in the classroom from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, featuring local painter
Mary Williams Ciaccio
and photographer Tom Layman.
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Come See Us at Urbana Sweetcorn Festival
August 25-26
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We'll have a booth serving local ice cream sandwiches, burrito bowls, tofu veggie bowls, lemonade, & iced tea! Click the image below for more info on the festival.
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Deli Continues to Deli-ver
New items in Meat, Cheese, and Prepared Foods
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- We now carry Bane Family Meats in our Meat Freezer. Locally pasture-raised in Sidney. It's our only Black Angus Breed Beef. Currently carrying Ground Beef, Sirloin Steaks, and Round Steaks.
- Sitka Salmon has discontinued a major portion of their operation for sustainability purposes and we'll be replacing their line with more offerings from Wild Alaska.
- We now carry vegan pub cheeses from Miyoko's! They're on sale this week.
- We're soon moving the cheese and adding more cheese and charcuterie options.
- Did you know that our Grab 'n' Go Case in the Deli features a Weekly Meat Special made by one of our chefs Matt Miske? Every week he uses various offerings of local, organic, or all-natural meats in his from-scratch creations.
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- New & irresistible in Prep Foods: Lemon Lavender Cake. It's lavender shortbread cake topped with lemon buttercream. Just might be the best gluten free cake you'll ever have.
- Check out the rest of our bakery creations in front of the Deli counter. Something new almost every week!
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August Deli Features
Featured Sandwich:
BLT
on local Great Harvest White Bread, with fresh local tomatoes and mixed greens from Blue Moon Farm
Featured Drink:
Peach Lemonade
with juicy local peaches from Mileur Orchard
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I Scream, You Scream, We All Raised $6,000!
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Thanks to all who attended the annual Ice Cream Social on July 1st! Between Round Up For Good and the Ice Cream Social, together we raised over $6,000 for Eastern Illinois Foodbank, who works every day to feed our hungry neighbors.
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New Meals From Old Food: Food waste solutions
Mia Hanneken, Education Coordinator
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Mia's got 5 great ideas for easy meals you can create with the food you might be tempted to throw out.
Did you know an astounding forty percent of food in the U.S. goes uneaten? Luckily, there are plenty of ways to reduce food waste--most of which are pretty easy and quick.
Read on
to prevent unnecessary waste and stretch your food dollars!
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We Got Funky at Funk's Grove
Farm Visit Recap
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Thanks to all who came out to the Local Pancake Breakfast on July 22, hosted by the terrific trio at
Funks Grove Heritage Fruits & Grains
in McLean, IL. We visited their farm a few weeks ago.
Together, Johnny Funk, Katie Funk, & Jeff Hake showed us around their operation which includes fields of barley, summer wheat, corn, fruit groves, grapes, and extensive maple groves. The Funk family is known for their
Funks Grove Pure Maple Sirup
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- Katie uses the maple sirup harvested from maple groves to create the maple sugar found in the pancake mix.
- Jeff, a constant supporter of the local food system, is also a farmer for PrairiErth Farm one of our favorite organic farms here in IL.
- Johnny is a large part of the family's sirup production which includes over 5,000 tapped maple trees.
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These three farmers grow their grains and fruit without using any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. They've also convinced their extended family to convert 100 acres of conventional agriculture to organic grain production. The future of local food is brighter with these three in the business!
You can find their Warthog Flour and Pancake Mix in the store. Read more about the Funk family farming operation in a great local news piece by Ryan Denham and Maddie Bounds of WGLT
here
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Marissa, Board member, Owner #7527
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“Before I moved here I never really thought about what I put in my body. I didn’t eat bad, but I never really thought about it. I would just go to the store and buy whatever there was. But since I have become more involved in the co-op, I’ve realized how much it does matter, and not only how much it matters for what I’m putting in my body, but how it matters on the environment as well. Buying something from Mexico puts strain on the environment where buying something from Blue Moon doesn’t. I had never thought about those types of things before and so now that I have I really try to, whenever I can, buy things here. Because it does kind of tie all those pieces together. It ties the community, environment, and health all together just by shopping in your backyard.”
See more Humans of the Co-op by searching for #humansofthecoop on Facebook, or go to www.
commonground.coop/cooperate/humans
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August Recipient: Planned Parenthood Champaign Health Center
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Our democratically voted August Round Up recipient is Planned Parenthood. Donations will benefit their
Champaign Health Center
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Planned Parenthood of Illinois is here to provide women, men, and teens with compassionate and confidential reproductive healthcare. Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of people worldwide.
Planned Parenthood is one of the nation’s leading providers of high-quality, affordable health care, and the nation’s largest provider of sex education. They offer compassionate care, backed by medical experts and more than 100 years of research in reproductive health.
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Forbes: How To Support A Local Food Movement Year-Round
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Read the article featuring ideas from our friends at Illinois Stewardship Alliance.
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See what's new for the month of August in our
classes email. You can always sign up online or in-store and classes are listed on the
class calendar.
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Enjoy $2 off your next purchase of $15 or more
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Just bring in this slip, show it on your device, or mention the word "purple".
Valid through end of August. May not be reused or used for sale items, Basics, or alcohol.
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