Starting in September, you'll notice some changes to our sales flyer, coupon books, and other materials. These were developed by the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA), the national association of food co-ops to which we belong.

There are apparently some rules that it’s recommended you follow when writing a farewell note: be friendly, good natured, personal, appreciative, and offer your best wishes to the person leaving. Writing such a note about Steve Kobs, our store manager, is easy.

Everyone who gets hired to work at the Co-op eventually leaves. Now is my time to leave and move on with other important things in my life. Nearly two years ago, I moved here to be closer to my girlfriend. Now I am actually going to move to Nelson, British Columbia, to seal the deal. My last day at the Co-op will be right after Labor Day.

Traveling to Bloomington, Indiana, in early June for the CCMA (Consumer Co-operative Managers Association) conference was educational and fun. I was invited to present a workshop on outreach, on the strength of the Moscow Food Co-op’s outreach programs. What an honor, and a nail-biter, to be a first-time attendee as well as a presenter at this conference, amongst dozens and dozens of long-time co-op managers who have been going to CCMA for decades. How could I possibly say anything that they didn’t already know?

Judging from brisk sales at the Co-op, Moscow definitely knows how delicious Amy E’s Bakery treats are. So it was no surprise when this was affirmed in New York City on June 28. Moscow’s own Amy Edward’s won a SOFI Award (Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation) for Outstanding Confection of 2010 for her awesome Almond Toffee.

The SOFI Awards honor the best of the best in NAFSFT, the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. The SOFI has been given out since 1972 and is this industry’s most coveted award. The judges are top professionals within the specialty foods industry. This year over 2000 products were entered in 33 categories. Amy was one of the 140 Silver Finalists, an honor in itself. She accepted the adventure to travel to New York City to attend both the 56th Summer Fancy Food Show and the 38th SOFI awards banquet at which she was awarded the gold statue as the winner in the Confections category.

We’re open for business! It’s time for you to reveal your family’s secret recipes: your uncle’s Christmas Eve crab sauce, the punch that made your little sister sleep till noon, or Grandma’s stuffed cabbage with the unspellable Ukrainian name. (Holupchi? Holubsti?)

Each week, shoppers at the Tuesday Market can enter a drawing to win a $25 gift card from the Moscow Food Co-op. A container to drop entries is located at each vendor booth. Drawings will be held each week at the market through the end of October.

One winner is chosen weekly. The winners selected since the Market’s opening 7 weeks ago are Bev Bafus, Molly Boers, Holly Bambolo, Serena McPherson, and Ben Tschida, Amy Ross-Davis, and Jolie Kaytes.

The Growers’ Market is held every Tuesday from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. in the Co-op parking lot along with the Co-op’s outdoor BBQ and music series.

Carol Spurling was hired in August of 2008 as the Co-op outreach co-ordinator. This was the first time we had ever had anyone on staff dedicated to building our Co-op community by improving communication paths, organizing events, and offering classes.