Now Accepting WIC
www.rivermarket.coop
Currents
October–November 2012
River Market Turns Social, Economic Profits
National Cooperative Grocers Association releases study quantifying the social and economic impacts
of food co-ops compared to conventional grocery stores
R
tional grocery stores in recent years, retail
food co-ops are leaps and bounds ahead
of the pack. Where conventional grocers
work with an average of 65 local farmers
and other local producers, food co-ops
work with an average of 157. Likewise, locally sourced products make up an average
of 20 percent of co-op sales compared to 6
percent at conventional stores.
iver Market in partnership with
National Cooperative Grocers
Association (NCGA) released
Healthy Foods Healthy Communities:
The Social and Economic Impacts of
Food Co-ops, a quantitative study on food
co-ops compared to conventional grocery
stores. The study’s compelling results demonstrate the many ways that cooperative
businesses like River Market do well while
doing good.
Unlike their conventional counterparts, co-ops are owned and governed by
member-shoppers and rooted in principles
like community, voluntary and open
membership, economic participation and
cooperation. Because of these principles
and practices, food co-ops inherently
serve and benefit the communities where
they are located. For example, the study
finds that for every dollar spent at a food
co-op, $0.38 is reinvested in the local
economy compared to $0.24 at conventional grocers.
Years after creating the market for organic
foods, co-ops are still the place to find
them. Of produce sales at food co-ops,
82 percent are organic, compared to 12
percent for conventional grocers. Organics make up 48 percent of grocery sales in
food co-ops, compared to just 2 percent in
conventional grocers.
Local Economic Impact
ber and associate co-ops that in aggregate
operate 165 stores, generate more than
$1.4 billion in annual revenue, and are
owned by 1.3 million consumers. Individually, co-ops serve the distinct needs
of communities like Stillwater. Together,
co-ops have the purchasing power to rival
conventional grocery chains, and the
good business practices to truly make the
world a better place.
“A quantitative assessment like this that
shows the impacts of food co-ops has
never been done,” said Robynn Shrader,
chief executive officer for NCGA. “We
wanted to put numbers to what we’ve
known for decades,” Shrader continued,
“that food co-ops generate tangible social
and economic benefits for the communities they serve in ways that conventional
grocers just can’t.”
Supporting Local Food Systems
and Sustainable Foods
River Market is one of NCGA’s 128 mem-
Though “local” has popped up in conven-
The economic impact that a grocery
store has on its local economy is greater
than just the sum of its local spending,
Study, to page 2
Important Dates
October
All Month....... Bulk foods sale
6................... Book signing, Robin Asbell
31................. Halloween
November
15–21........... Thanksgiving Sales
22................. Closed, Happy Thanksgiving
October–November 2012
2
Study, from page 1
www.rivermarket.coop
Currents
Mead Stone
General Manager
[email protected]
Andre Bessette
Marketing and Membership
[email protected]
For change of address or to inquire about
membership call 651-439-0366.
River Market Community Co-op
221 N. Main St.
Stillwater, MN 55082
For employment information visit our
website or check postings on our entry
doors.
All River Market Members are welcome
to attend monthly board meetings.
Meetings are generally held the second
Tuesday of each month from 6:30–8:30
p.m. in the River Market Loft space
across Main Street. The Board of Directors welcome members at the meetings.
River Market
Board of Directors
Matthew E. Ludt, President
612-964-2259
[email protected]
Dave Browne, Vice President
651-430-1979 • [email protected]
Chris Kohtz, Vice President
651-770-6792 • [email protected]
Karl Diekman, Treasurer
651-430-8182
[email protected]
Silvia Conger
651-275-1474
[email protected]
Tara Kadow
612-890-6361 • [email protected]
EvaLee Miller
651-439-0241 • 651-491-2289 cell
[email protected]
because a portion of money spent locally
recirculates. Food co-ops purchase from
local farmers who, in turn, buy supplies
from local sources, hire local technicians
to repair equipment and purchase goods
and services from local retailers. To some
extent, conventional grocers do too, but
the gap is still significant. For every $1,000
a shopper spends at their local food co-op,
$1,604 in economic activity is generated
in their local economy – $239 more than
if they had spent that same $1,000 at a
conventional grocer.
Employee Benefits
The average co-op earning $10 million
per year in revenue provides jobs for over
90 workers. In total, 68 percent of those
workers are eligible for health insurance,
compared to 56 percent of employees at
conventional grocers. Co-op employees
also earn an average of nearly $1.00 more
per hour than conventional grocery workers when bonuses and profit sharing are
taken into account.
Environmental Stewardship
Grocery stores—co-ops and conventional
alike—generate a significant amount of
waste. What sets retail food co-ops apart is
what they do with that waste. Co-ops recycle 96 percent of cardboard, 74 percent
of food waste and 81 percent of plastics
compared to 91 percent, 36 percent and
29 percent, respectively, recycled by conventional grocers.
River Market
At a co-op grocer, fresh, delicious food is
just the beginning. To view results from
the complete report, visit www.strongertogether.coop/food-coops/food-co-opimpact-study.
About the Study: NCGA partnered with the
ICA Group—a national not-for-profit research
organization—to compile the data used to develop
Healthy Foods Healthy Communities: The Social and Economic Impacts of Food Co-ops. The
ICA Group compiled data from industry and
government resources, food cooperative financial
data collected by CoopMetrics for NCGA,
and previous NCGA surveys. The ICA Group
developed two additional surveys, one targeted to
retail food co-ops and the other to the conventional grocery industry.
About NCGA: National Cooperative Grocers
Association (NCGA), founded in 1999, is a
business services cooperative for retail food co-ops
located throughout the United States. NCGA
helps unify food co-ops in order to optimize
operational and marketing resources, strengthen
purchasing power, and ultimately offer more
value to natural food co-op owners and shoppers
everywhere. Our 128 member and associate
co-ops operate over 160 storefronts in 35 states
with combined annual sales over $1.4 billion.
NCGA is a winner of the dotCoop Global
Awards for Cooperative Excellence in recognition of the application of cooperative values
and principles to drive cooperative and business
success. For a map of NCGA member and associate co-ops, visit www.ncga.coop. To learn more
about co-ops, visit www.strongertogether.coop or
www.go.coop.
3
River Market
October–November 2012
More Random Thoughts
By Mead Stone, General Manager
and River Market Owner
T
he rush of a new
fiscal year is
upon us and last
year’s financials are
complete. Karl will be
giving his treasurer’s
report in the next
issue of Currents; but
for now let me touch on a few things.
First, sales were over $5,000,000 for the
year (up over 9%) and we made about
$20,000 in net income. That’s a lot of
good food! Our donations, mostly to our
St. Croix Valley community, amounted
to $7,762. River Market purchased over
$900,000 from local vendors, representing
52% of all of our cost of goods vendors.
Finally, in direct wages, not including
benefits, discounts, training, etc.; but
money paid directly to staff amounted to
over $850,000. My point in recounting
these numbers is simply to emphasize
the impact River Market has on this
community, because of your support.
In August we were audited by several of
my peers—five other General Managers
and three National Cooperative Grocers
Association (NCGA) staff. I originally
asked them to help us with our lackluster sales growth. Naturally, as soon as I
asked for help, River Market’s sales went
through the roof. We changed the focus
of the audit to branding and customer
service. As it turns out, we need to focus
on both. From a branding standpoint, it’s
hard to deliver a consistent message to
you when we have so many, many different signs. In an afternoon walk through
the co-op I wound up with three pages of
single-spaced sign-types—from hand-written works of “art” to computer generated
templates. While some might call this
“creative” I tend to think of it as chaotic
and quite random.
Customer service concerns me even more.
One secret shopper (another GM on the
audit team) was greeted only twice going
through our co-op. One greeting was from
me. We need to and can do better. You
can help! This issue’s survey question
will ask you for ways we could improve
customer service at River Market. Please
participate!
I want to take a moment to thank all
owners for your patience with the downtown parking situation this past summer.
At times it’s been hard to find a parking
spot. Summer Tuesdays and the Wednesday car shows brought hundreds of people
downtown—ultimately filling up our lot.
The construction of the public restroom
and the great walkway to the river further
made just getting to River Market a challenge. Some days Main Street was one
way south and Water Street was one way
north. We all noticed that those Water
Street drivers were not particularly “observant” when it came to our crosswalk. Still,
as of this writing, no one has been injured.
Despite all this, I think what the city is
doing to the downtown is exciting. I was
thrilled to not have Lumberjack Days this
summer. I am excited for the bikeway to
make its way through to Stillwater. I think
the walkway and the restrooms are nice.
But I was happy to see additional tables
and expect to see bike racks popping up
all around us. Our great little independent bookstore was especially hit by the
construction and the loss of their lot, so, if
you get the chance, go buy a book or two!
Candyland should be a good draw for the
North end of Main Street.
When the dust settles, our parking lot
should have an additional center row of
parking—the lot will be extended toward
the river. There will be changes coming to downtown parking in the years to
come, but I think Stillwater is moving in
a good direction. I’ve been to the Downtown Parking Commission meetings and
appreciate what these folks are trying to
balance between visitors on the one hand
and residents on the other.
I think these steps are important as we
move closer to the new bridge—a great
unknown for many of us. I’m going to
keep my personal opinions out of this and
just say that the steps the City is taking
today may help to ensure downtown Stillwater stays vibrant after the Lift Bridge
closes to traffic.
October is co-op month in the International Year of Cooperatives. Come
celebrate with us. In October our bulk
foods are 10% off, every item, every day.
What could be more appropriate—our
last owner survey told us very clearly that
of all of our departments, our bulk foods
met the needs of 81% of you (followed by
our Local selection meeting the needs of
80%). So, umm-m, bulk up—winter is just
around the corner!
October–November 2012
4
River Market
River Market News
Bulk Sale
During October, all bulk products are
10%. Stock up on grains, spices and teas
during Co-op Month.
Welcome New Members
(July & August)
Deb & Kip
Clayton
Zoe & Lanny
Kuester
Suzann & Rick
Wondra
Kathleen &
Edwin Johnson
Jessica &
Michelle Olson
Amanda Preisler
Michael &
Madelone
Arbisi/Pruther
Joseph &
Nanette Snyder/
Del Monaco
Terry & Cathie
O’Brien
Gina & Brian
Doe
Paul Parins
Laura Super
Gloria & Karl
Benz
Holly & Glenn
Zillmer
Kathleen & Jim
Anglo
Teri & Phil
Walen
Teal & Eric
Bassett
Shelly & Lisa
Losee
Shay & Andrew
Schroetter
Debbie Dengler
Lori & Jim Kelly
Karen & Kevin
Armstrong
Karen Kaskinen
Jenny & Steve
Goulette
Jeanne &
Andy Cochran/
Wallace
Kari Jeske
Rachel &
Joshua Wykle
Wendy & Bill
Wall/Dickman
Paul & Louisa
McEnroe/
D’Altilia
Steven & Susan
Jasinski
Fred & Tammy
Arsenault
Bill Treiber
Book Signing with Robin Asbell
Saturday, October 6 from 2:00–4:00 p.m.
Come meet Robin and buy a copy of her
newest cookbook Sweet and Easy Vegan
Treats Made with Whole Grains and Natural
Sweeteners which she’ll be happy to sign for
you.
ter known as the WIC Program—serves
to safeguard the health of low-income
pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding
women, infants, and children up to age 5
who are at nutritional risk by providing
nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating including
breastfeeding promotion and support, and
referrals to health care.”
Board Meeting Change
The River Market Board of Directors will
be meeting on the second Tuesday of each
month, beginning in October. The meeting will still be help in the Loft, across the
street from River Market. All owners are
welcome and encouraged to attend.
Now Accepting WIC
We are proud to be offering WIC to qualifying shoppers. From their website: “The
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program
for Women, Infants, and Children—bet-
Halloween
Stop in wearing a costume on Wednesday,
October 31 and we’ll have a treat for you!
Wendy & Mike
McMahon
Megan &
Matthew
Diediker
Specials
Jennifer & Rick
Krueger
October specials
Jean Dexheimer
Julie & Mary
Marcus/
McLaurin
Constance
Nelson
Jill & John
Reedy
Kelly &
Wayne Curtis/
Whitwam
Susan Nelson
Carol & Doug
Allen
Maggie’s Organic Socks
Wool knee-hi: $13.99 ea.,
Patterned knee-hi: $6.99 ea.
Every Day Is a Sale Day
November 15–21, one item will be on
sale each day, at a special low price.
Watch our website in November for
more details!
Thousand Hills
Panini melt $5.99
Pasture’s A Plenty
Brats (plain, cheddar and wild rice)
save 30¢/lb.
November Specials
Beautiful locally handcrafted
wood cutting board
$9.99 ea.
Every Thursday
Thousand Hills hot dogs, $3 each
Pasture’s A Plenty
Pork shoulder roasts, save 30¢/lb.
Turkeys
We will be taking pre-books for two types
of turkeys: Schultz Organic and Kadejan
Free Range. The turkeys are ready to cook
(not frozen) when they are picked up. We
will also have free-range Ferndale turkeys
available on the sales floor only, not available for pre-booking.
River Market
Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes
and Peppers (Gluten-Free)
1 1/2 cups cubed sweet potato, about 9 ounces
1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 large yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 large scallion, minced
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cut the sweet potato in
3/4-inch cubes, so they
cook evenly. In a onequart pan, combine the
sweet potato, quinoa,
water and salt and bring
to a boil over high heat.
Cover and reduce the
heat to low, and cook for
15 minutes. The water
should be absorbed, and
the sweet potato should
be tender when pierced
with a knife. If the sweet
potato is not soft, add a
few tablespoons water
and leave on low heat, covered, for 5 more minutes, then test
again. Keep covered and allow the quinoa and sweet potato
cool.
Chop the pepper and scallions. In a cup or small bowl, whisk
the honey, lemon and olive oil. Once the quinoa and sweet
potato mixture is cooled, add the bell pepper, scallions,
dressing, and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to mix. Serve
at room temperature or chill and serve. Keeps up to a week in
the refrigerator.
5
October–November 2012
Advertise today in Currents!
Email [email protected]
Krueger’s Christmas Trees
renewable • sustainable • recyclable
4452 Lake Elmo Ave. N. • Lake Elmo, MN 55402
(between Co Rd. 5 and Hwy 36)
Neil and Deb Krueger
651-439-9186
kruegerschristmastrees.com
[email protected]
Members of Minnesota and National Christmas Tree Growers Associations
October–November 2012
6
River Market
Upcoming Classes at River Market
Anyone registering for a class in October or November will automatically be entered in a drawing to win a free class admission!
Class
INFORMATION
The classes are held at the Loft,
unless otherwise specified. The
Loft is located at 218 North
Main Street, on the second
floor above Images of the Past
and Present, directly across
Main St. from River Market.
Entrance is located on the
south side of the building.
The Loft has a room capacity
of 21 people. Parking is not
allowed in the space next to
the building; please use street
parking or the River Market
parking lot.
Please pre-register in-store
at River Market, phone
(651) 439-0366 or email
Ola Schmelig at education@
rivermarket.coop. The class fee
is $10 for River Market Co-op
owners, $15 for non-owners,
unless otherwise specified.
Payment due at registration. We
accept all major credit cards.
If you need to cancel, please
notify us at least three days in
advance for a full refund.
Building My iUse
Personal Solar System
Saturday, October 6
10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
A one-day introductory course
for people interested in learning
about solar power and building a
solar system that can be used for
a number of applications. The
class consists of three parts: in
the first part, you will learn basics
of solar electricity along with
the components, workings, and
applications of personal solar. In the
second part, you’ll build a battery
to store the charge from your solar
panel and learn how to maintain
and manage it. In the last part,
you’ll build your own personal solar
system to power kitchen appliances
for cooking, lights for the shed or
garden, or just about anything that
could use reliable, green energy.
This class is solar made simple and
is meant for individuals of all ages.
It is taught by green energy gurus
Joaquin Thomas and Tyler Tracy
of GoSolar! The class fee of $299
includes all the kits and instruction
necessary to complete the course. Board of Directors Meeting
Tuesday, October 9 and
November 13, 6:00–9:00 p.m.
Board of Directors meetings are
held the second Tuesday of each
month and member-owners are
welcome to attend. Call 651439-0366 ext.113, or email info@
rivermarket.coop if you are planning
to attend.
Dr. Hauschka Holistic
Skin Care 101
Saturday, October 13
1:00–2:30 p.m.
Dr.Hauschka 100% natural face
and body care products respect the
body’s natural rhythms, working
with these processes to restore
balance and bring about lasting
beauty. Mary Wynne, Certified Dr.
Hauschka Esthetician, will present
the holistic approach of Dr.
Hauschka skin care products and
discuss the biodynamically grown
and harvested herbs extracts. The
participants should bring a wash
cloth, a hand towel, and a small
bowl for face washing. The class fee,
which includes a Daily Face Care
Kit (retail value $24.95), is $25 for
members-owners and $30 for nonmembers. Seating is limited so sign
up early.
Homeopathy for
Coughs and Colds
Tuesday, October 16
6:30–7:30 p.m.
Sneezing, sore throat, coughing –
the most common symptoms of a
common cold. If you want to stay
healthy this winter and not turn to
conventional decongestants that
only suppress the symptoms, why
not try homeopathy? Learn how
homeopathy can help with coughs
and colds this winter. Presented by
Kathryn Z. Berg, MA, a nationally
certified Classical Homeopath and
owner of Lotus Homeopathy.
Growing Garlic
Thursday, October 18
6:30-8:30 p.m.
It’s not too late to plant garlic!
Come to this class to learn about
soil preparation, garlic growing
season, harvesting, curing and
storing garlic. You will also learn
the difference between hardneck
and softneck varieties. Presented by
Don Slinger who has been growing
garlic for many years and presently
grows about 40 varieties.
7
River Market
Movie Night Monday
Monday, October 8
7:00–8:30 p.m.
Monday, November 5
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Join us to watch Hungry for
Change, a documentary that
exposes shocking secrets the
diet, weight loss and food
industry don’t want you to
know about. It also features
interviews with best selling
health authors and leading
medical experts plus shows real
life transformational stories from
those who know what it’s like
to be sick and overweight. For
more information about the film,
go to http://foodmatters.tv
89 min. Free, registration
required.
Join us to watch One Man, One
Cow, One Planet, a documentary
about one man’s efforts to
help educate Indian farmers
on the benefits of returning to
traditional agricultural methods
and save them from the horrors
of multi-national agri-chemical
companies. This film will
show you a new and positive
reason why to choose organic
and biodynamic foods. For
more information, go to http://
foodmatters.tv, 56 min. Free,
registration required.
How to Lose Weight and
Fat and Keep Them Off
Permanently
Saturday, October 20
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Being overweight causes more
health problems to develop such as
cardiovascular disease and diabetes,
decreased mobility, arthritis,
breathing problems, premature
aging, and many other. This class
is presented by Dr. Daryl L. Cooper
D.C., F.A.S.B.E. who will tell you
how to lose weight, teach your body
to burn fat, keep lean body mass,
and correct hormone imbalances
that stop you from losing weight.
He will also talk about foods that
you think are healthy but will
prevent you from losing weight.
The class fee is $5 for memberowners and $10 for non-members.
Avoiding the Diabetes
Epidemic with Real Food
Monday, October 22
6:00–8:00 p.m.
Are you diabetic, pre-diabetic, or
concerned about your blood sugar?
If so, you know high glucose levels
can damage your health. If you
haven’t been successful in managing
your blood sugar, are you ready for
a new approach? Learn nutritional
strategies that are based on cuttingedge research and clinically
proven. This course qualifies for
2.4 continuing education credits
for registered nurses. RNs are
responsible for determining whether
this course meets their needs.
Presented by Nutritional Weight
and Wellness. The class fee is $25
for River Market owners and $30
for non-owners.
Everything You Need to Know
About Car Loans
Tuesday, October 23
5:30–7:00 p.m.
Even though buying a car can seem
like a daunting task, it’s pretty
straightforward. In this class you
October–November 2012
will learn how car financing works,
APRs, and what a down payment
is. Presented by a representative
from Spire Federal Credit Union.
The class fee is $5 which will go the
current River Market fund.
She will also talk about therapies
for constipation and chronic
diarrhea as well as provide some
samples of healthy foods that can
help maintain colon health.
Free class, registration required.
Herbal Wisdom:
Fall Roots Preparation
The Osteoporosis Alternative:
How to Begin Reversing Bone
Loss in 60 Days
Saturday, October 27
10:00 a.m.–Noon
This class explores several different
common wild roots, like dandelion,
thistle, evening primrose and yellow
dock, growing in our area that can
be used for both food and medicine.
There will be a presentation on
scientific research and historical
application and a demonstration
of how to prepare the roots. The
main focus will be on burdock that
can be found growing wild in the
St. Croix Valley area. Presented by
Kelley A. Hagenbuch, D.C., Master
Herbalist.
Natural Colon Health
Tuesday, October 30
6:00–7:30 p.m.
As of 2008 colon cancer is the
second most common cause of
cancer in women and the third
most common in men but it is
highly treatable when discovered
early. This class is presented by
Elizabeth Raskin, MD, who will
discuss colon cancer screening,
diverticular disease, irritable bowel
syndrome, and hemorrhoid disease.
Saturday, November 3
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Osteoporosis is an epidemic that
now causes more deaths in women
annually than breast cancer. This
informative and practical workshop
will discuss: diet, nutritional
supplements, exercise, and hormone
replacement therapy and you
will discover how osteoporosis is
primarily an inflammatory disorder
associated with immune system
dysfunction and is not caused by
calcium deficiency. Presented by Dr.
Daryl L. Cooper D.C., F.A.S.B.E.
Testing will be offered for $35,
10-10:30am, 1:30-2p.m..
The class fee is $5 for memberowners and $10 for non-members.
Kimchi Primer
Saturday, November 10
10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
Health Magazine included kimchi
in its list of top five “World’s
Healthiest Foods” for abundant
Classes, to page 8
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. Postage PAID
Permit #623
Stillwater, MN
221 North Main Street,
Stillwater, MN 55082
e-mail: [email protected]
651-439-0366 • Mon.-Fri 8–9;
Sat. 8–8; Sun. 9–7
Classes, from page 7
vitamins, aiding digestion, and
even possibly retarding cancer
growth. Making your own kimchi
is very simple and fun and one of
the most splendid treats in winter
is to up a jar of kimchi and dollop
it on everything! In this class,
Melanie Timpanoa will review the
process and share some recipes.
The participants help chop, mix
and salt, then go home with a jar
of kimchi to ferment at home.
At Valley Outreach Teaching
Kitchen, 1901 Curve Crest Blvd.
W, Stillwater. Seating is limited so
sign up early. The class fee is $20
for members-owners and $25 for
non-members.
Sugar Blues
Monday, November 12
6:30–7:45 p.m.
Are you constantly craving sweets
and want to understand why? Do
you want to gain control without
deprivation? The intention behind
this workshop is to change your
relationship with sugar. It will help
you understand why you have sugar
cravings and give you tips to better
control them. Cravings are not the
problem, they are the solution!
Presented by Annalicia Niemela,
Certified Health Coach.
Essential Nutrients
and Why We Need Them
Wednesday, November 28
6:30–8:30 p.m.
Some of the essential nutrients
like vitamins, minerals, essential
fatty acids, and essential amino
acids must come from outside
sources because your body can’t
make these. Yet they are vital for
our bodies and their deficiencies
may play a part in many diseases,
e.g. cancer, diabetes, heart disease,
etc. Presented by Don Slinger,
based on his experience with
fighting and getting rid of prostate
cancer. Free class, registration
required.
Member Survey #24 Recap
The overwhelming response to our question about a River
Market credit card was no, you are not interested in one!
Several Twin Cities’ co-ops have a relationship with their
local credit unions, resulting in credit cards that benefit the
co-op.
This Issue’s Survey Topic #25
As Mead’s article mentioned, we recently received poor
marks on a customer service audit. What do you think we
can do better? Be honest! We’ll print as many responses as
possible in the next newsletter.
Please return this survey to any River Market cashier with your member
number and receive $1 off your order. Expires 10/31/2012 limit one survey
for each member number.
PLU: 222
Member Number:_______________