Dear Local Farmers,

Thank you for your commitment to growing the local food economy through your work as farmers. Thank you, as well, for helping to make 2011 another successful year for the Moscow Food Co-op. Having a variety of local products available throughout the store is very important to us, and to our customers, and your efforts make that possible.

The Moscow Food Co-op is proud to offer a new set of films for our Good Food Film Series this winter and spring. Please save the dates for these new documentaries:

Feb. 15th: Back to the Garden
Mar. 21st: Harvest/LaCosecha
Apr. 18: The Economics of Happiness

Produce Sales

The produce department continued with another year of strong sales.  Overall sales were up each month of the year over 2010.  We came very close to having our first ever 100K sales month in May, and I am hopeful that we can continue these trends and that the produce department will contribute  close to 1 Million dollars in sales to the store by the end of 2011.

The beginning of a New Year is a time for reflection, a time to make some changes.  One for the Co-op newsletter and us is a change in our Price Shopper article.  Instead of making a list, shopping at two different stores and comparing prices, we will be focusing on a "staple" item.  We will look at availability, prices, and find out why the Moscow Food Co-op decides to carry certain brands.  Our first task is to find out about organic milk.

We found that there are seven different brands of organic milk available in Moscow, at the Co-op and the three supermarkets in our community.  The brands are Organic Valley, Horizon, Strauss, Safeway Organic, Stremicksi Heritage, and Natural Direction. All of these brands are certified organic; however there are significant differences between them.  We found that how the cows are treated, what they are fed, and farm practices are all areas of consideration.   We thank Peg Kingery, the Co-op chilled foods manager for the following information about organic milk brands.

It’s been just over two months since I officially began working at the Co-op. As I expected, I have been overwhelmed by all of the great things happening in our store and the level of dedication and professionalism of the staff. Coming from the east coast, I’ve had a bit of culture shock, but I think that for the most part it’s been a smooth transition.

That being said, there are two things you should know about me. First, as general manager, part of my job is to look at every aspect of the Co-op’s operations (sales goals, product selection, staffing, strategic plans, programs, etc.) and make changes if and where needed. Second, I like to talk. I talk with staff members, board members, owners, non-owners, fellow GM’s and anyone else who will listen to me. I ask for their opinions, thoughts, ideas, desires, and objections. But alas, my mouth sometimes gets me in trouble.

The Co-op newsletter editorial staff recently met with our new general manager, Seth Marcantonio. One thing we discussed was a policy for letters to the editor published in the newsletter.

With the Co-op board elections (as well as all the other city, state, and federal elections) on the horizon, we decided to be proactive and clearly state that we will not publish letters supporting candidates for the Co-op board or any other political election.

The Co-op board election will be held the first week of March, and we look forward to having a lively line-up of candidates to choose from. If you love your Co-op and have 12-20 hours per month you can volunteer, then we hope to see an application with your name on it in December.

The candidacy packet will be published and available at the Co-op on December 1. The deadline for submitting applications is December 31. The elections committee will conduct candidate orientations during the first two weeks of January. Anyone who has been employed or sought employment at the Co-op within the last two years is not eligible. See this article for explanation.

I can’t tell you how great it is to finally be in Moscow!  

By the time you read this,  I will have been at the Co-op for several days and will have already met a few of you at Annual Meeting.   I have been very excited about the prospect of being the General Manager of the Moscow Food Co-op since I first heard about this opportunity over seven months ago.    Since accepting the position in mid-August, I finished up my last few weeks as the Store Manager of the Berkshire Co-op in time to attend the NCGA (National Cooperative Grocers Association) General Assembly meetings in Cambridge, Massachusetts a few weeks ago.  It was a great way to begin my new role by having the opportunity to meet and interact with General Managers from over 100 Co-op’s from across the nation to discuss issues that affect all of us, share best practices  and develop strategies to  keep the co-op  movement thriving  and growing.

Thanksgiving is easily my favorite holiday.  Getting together with family to share a meal and enjoy the company of relatives you only see once or twice a year is a joy.  That’s why I’m excited about what the deli and bakery will have for you this month to take the work and worry out of what should be a happy and relaxing holiday.

We’ve have been concocting some great food for the holiday season.  We have a guide by our soups so you can see when your favorite is likely coming up.  Also keep an eye out for our Thanksgiving fare, with delightful items like Stuffing Bread, Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Roots, and Pumpkin Pie.  There will also be a variety of take and bake Thanksgiving essentials to take the stress out of cooking the meal.

Seth Marcantonio has a plan. In order to arrive in Moscow in time for the Co-op’s annual membership meeting on September 25, he hopes to wind up all his packing and all his work stuff and leave Massachusetts in mid-September and then drive for 4 or 5 days across the country to his new home (he has already rented a house in Moscow).  At least, that was Seth’s plan at the time of our interview on September 1.  He’ll be driving to Idaho alone in his Honda CR-V.   Seth, 43, is single and has no pets.  He does have 2 children, a daughter aged 7 and a son, almost 6, who live with his former wife in Salt Lake City.