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2001 » Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Special Edition
2002 » Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter | Special Edition
2003 » Winter
Inside this issue:As I was sitting at my computer trying to think about what to write for the summer edition of the Cornucopia and I began to think of how I felt the on last day of school. The excitement of having the whole summer to play and be free. It has been along time since I have felt that kind of excitement. Being a grown-up, paying bills and having to work all year round, I have slowly lost the anticipation of what summer can bring. How can I bring this back? My first thought is to be a kid again. When I was a kid, having fun was the first priority. I would like to bring that way of thinking to my free time. Setting time aside to go hiking, swimming, bird watching, all the things that brought me so much joy when I was younger. I want to hold onto that feeling of excitement and anticipation and keep it close to me so when I become too involved, I came take it out and be a kid again!
I hope you enjoy this edition of the Cornucopia! Have a fun, happy and safe summer!
My chosen profession is Meteorology, an earth science, so I have always had an affinity, both personal and professional, with our earth, its atmosphere and environment. Since I could not find energy efficient housing when I wanted to buy, my best alternative was to build myself. In 1981 I designed and built a house that was a part of the world without using much of the resources of the world. The design is a double shell or a house inside a house. The double wall construction on the south and north sides not only provides an extra insulating buffer from the outside but the space also doubles as a greenhouse on the south side of the house. The winter sun heats the air in the south facing greenhouse. That air expands and rises into the attic space and drops down the north wall space into the basement where it rises back into the greenhouse for reheating by the sun. The air circulation is maintained by the energy of the winter sun, no fans or electrically driven circulation help is required. I estimate I get 70% of my winter heating needs from the sun, keeping the house at 70 to 75 degrees. On cloudy days, I burn wood to supplement the heat. My wood usage is about 1 ½ cords per year.
This double shell design is efficient and effective. In twenty years, the temperature in the shell area has never fallen below 40 degrees even under the worst conditions outside with no heat source other than the sun.
Keeping the house cool in the summer works well as long as the morning low temperature is 70 or under. There are days when the high is 95 or more that I do run air conditioning. I originally considered wind power to generate electricity, but investigation showed there is not enough consistent sustained wind to generate adequate electricity throughout the year. I also considered solar cells but in 1981 the technology was still inefficient and the cost prohibitive. So, I designed the house for easy addition of solar generation technology when it became feasible. The main consideration was to have a south facing roof with a slope close to our latitude (40 degrees N), the ideal slope for solar cell installation.
There are many marketing techniques to get you to spend your money for that impulse purchase. These include sales, rebates, free samples, coupons, etc. Awareness of marketing manipulation can save you from making unnecessary purchases. But, a marketing incentive influenced me to make a major purchase and do something good for our environment. This year, the State of Delaware has put aside four million dollars as an "Environmental Incentive Fund". Part of that fund comes from Conectiv. This fund is designed to provide homeowners with rebates of up to 35% of the cost of installing an alternate energy system. The systems included are solar hot water, geothermal heat pumps, wind turbine systems, and photovoltaic systems for generating electricity. This rebate incentive was all I needed to finally add a photovoltaic system to my passive solar house. The State of Delaware's alternate energy rebate program is a marketing incentive with the additional value of encouraging homeowners to become producers of clean electricity with the sun. The cost is still high but we are stewards of our earth and must make some sacrifices for future generations.
Any excess electricity I generate goes back through my power meter to Conectiv Power Company My meter actually runs backwards during a sunny day! Conectiv will pay me for power in excess of my needs. I have not had the system long enough to know how much, if any excess power I generate. This is an ongoing experiment for me, and is the finishing touch to make an already energy efficient house a generator of clean electricity from the sun. My house lives up to its name "SunRun".
Nature Love, one of three on the co-op's staff who also serves on the board, first began shopping at the co-op in 1988. "I lived in Newark all my life and never knew the co-op was here," he said, "until a friend and coworker who knew I was a vegetarian mentioned the store". By 1992 Nature was doing the bulk of his shopping at the co-op and beginning to think about working in the natural foods industry. Through his experience as a shopper in our store, he had learned about the importance of buying organic, but he also valued the interaction with open minded and free spirited people that the environment of the co-op seems to facilitate.
Two and a half years ago Nature joined our staff and now manages the bulk foods department. When asked what he liked about working at the co-op, Nature answered: working at a store that sold good food, working with his co-workers, and the contact with people who are conscious of their lifestyles. He stresses how much he enjoys his job at the co-op over previous jobs by stating, "I want to come to work every day."
When Nature refined his already strict vegetarian diet to completely raw foods over a year and a half ago, some of us were skeptical, Yet we've seen him maintain radiant health ever since, and Nature himself proclaims a better overall feeling of well being, and a heightened spiritual awareness. He also mentioned that he is getting stronger, a statement no one can argue with who has seen him do sets of 30 pull-ups in the store every day. Nature has helped several people switch to a raw foods diet by talking to customers in the store and doing demos outside the co-op. "It makes me feel really great to help people and feel appreciated," he said, and also mentioned how he is reminded of himself when he works with people who are trying to change their diet.
In March of 2001, when a couple of longstanding members convinced Nature to run for a seat on the store's board of stewards Nature was hesitant. Unsure of what he had to offer, he ran anyway and has gained from the experience ever since. By participating in the monthly board meetings, Nature says that he has learned not to be nervous expressing himself among intelligent people, and has thusly become more comfortable with himself. He also feels that the board is often falsely judged by those who don't participate in the meetings. "I have a great deal of respect for every one of the board members. I appreciate what they do for the co-op," he added. Nature feels that one of the most important functions of the board is to make decisions about the store's budget and to monitor its financial status. Yet he feels that the longer a person is on the board, the better they are able to participate in the procedure. This is partly due to a lack of orientation for new board members. A possible solution Nature mentioned might be pairing up new board members with more experienced members until they get their bearings.
Through all his roles in the co-op (shopper, staff, and board member) Nature seems to value highly the contact with people. "We are all growing by learning from one another," he states, and those of us who work with Nature every day have certainly learned a great deal from him.
After almost a decade of stagnant sales growth, Newark Community Cooperative has been increasing sales over previous years for the last four years. While maintaining moderate expense growth, the Staff, Board of Stewards, and more importantly YOU, the shoppers, have been chipping away at the large accumulated deficit incurred from operating losses in previous years. The height of our deficit occurred in June of 1999, totaling around negative two-hundred-thirteen thousand dollars (- $213,000). That year and the years since then, we have had surpluses from operations, not losses. We expect our Retained Earnings to move in to the black by the end of Fiscal Year 2003.
Because of our improved cash flow from sales growth, our high-level of working capital, our current ratio strength, and our freedom from long term debt, the Co-op is now in a comfortable position to invest in improvements in the store. Five special letters,
R-E-S-E-T, spells out the plan to improve overall store flow, increase customer satisfaction, and to ensure the future growth of our organization.
Enough with the accounting stuff, read on, it gets better!
Have you ever gotten caught in a gridlock in the store? Got bumped, and/or rushed? The 'new aisles', while we are not increasing floor space, will be as wide as possible. Three obvious bottle-neck areas in which we will focus are the bulk bin area, the check - out area, and the back corner juice/tea area.
The principal job will be to replace most of the old, un-adjustable shelving for new shelving. This will allow us many benefits. First, we will increase linear shelf space (we can carry more products).
Secondly, we will be able to efficiently and properly merchandise the products we sell. Lastly, the new shelving will enable us to bar-code the shelving for more efficient product ordering and stocking. Also, we plan on getting check - out lanes with a conveyor belt and more ergonomically correct bagging spaces. These new lanes will also be able to adapt to a point - of - sale system (scanner) when it comes time for our Co-op to take that step (yes, your products will still be priced). Your check out time will be less crowded and more enjoyable.
Moreover, we aim to create more space by the bulk to you may be free to scoop without fear of 'getting your butt - bumped'. Other plans include a customer service center, a new prepared foods refrigerator, more bulk bins, and a 'bar' with stools facing out the front widow. We are also working with the landlord in hopes to make your trip from the store to your car less awkward by improving our cart accessibility. Yes, we are changing again! Yes, we are improving your shopping experience! Yes, we are preparing ourselves for future growth!
While no official date has been set, look for the transformation to happen this summer. If you would like to help with the reset, please look for sign - up sheets at the registers, or just contact Janey or Jennifer in the office. We will need many volunteers to help us take down the old shelves and put up the new, improved units. Although we discussed this project at our General Membership Meeting in March, your help and input in days prior to the reset would be much appreciated! Let your voice be heard; it is your store!
The greatest thing about summertime is the cookouts that are always going on somewhere. The basic cookout includes whatever main course strikes everyone's fancy - burgers, hot dogs, etc., and in vegetarian circles you can find meatless substitutes for these mainstays of the carnivorous: tempeh burgers, tofu hot dogs, and veggie burgers of all kinds. There may actually be more vegetarian choices for the grill than there are non-vegetarian. But whatever the centerpiece, my favorite part of the cookout is all the extra stuff that gets brought along: salads, vegetables, casseroles, snacks, chips, dips, and hors d'oeuvres.
All these things are what really make a cookout for me. Of course there are standard items that make their way into almost every cookout at my house. Potato salad is one, as is the current version of my pasta salad. But being an avid experimenter when it comes to food (my family has accused me of being a culinary Doctor Frankenstein) I like to try a few new things every now and then.
Another winning adjunct to a basic barbecue or picnic is fruit salad. For this item just about anything goes. Whatever fruit is in season works - in summer I use watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, strawberries, peaches, kiwi, grapes, pineapple - whatever is available. The great thing about fruit salad is that it doesn't need salad dressing, and everything works. In cooler months citrus fruits and apples are at their peak, and then these dominate my fruit salads. Nuts - pecans, walnuts, filberts, cashews, pistachios, or whatever you like - are always at home in a fruit salad. Likewise slices of celery or chunks of carrot can add crunchy texture to a salad made from soft fruits such as peaches and plums.
At a recent family reunion, one of my cousins brought a stunning but simple side dish of marinated corn on the cob. The marinade had a combination of sweet and sour tastes that was marvelous.
The organic and natural foods industry constitutes roughly 2% of the U.S. food industry. While businesses in our industry are growing more slowly in the past few years, our store has not followed this trend. The overall growth rate for the natural foods industry was 6.5% in 2001, while our growth rate was 8.5 % from FY 2000 to 2001. In fact, the overall market for what we sell is forecasted to keep growing.
Part of that growth stems from the changing American consumer. For example, 2.5% of all Americans are vegetarians. This figure has more than doubled in the last 5 yrs. Also, 2002 is being deemed the year of the consumer, where consumers expect to be visibly acknowledged and will demand top of the line customer service while purchasing products that meet with busy lifestyles and needs.
Another change in the American consumer has been an increase in consumer idealism. There is more passion and integrity involved in purchasing decisions. Green consumers are growing in numbers, showing some environmental responsibility in purchasing.
While convenience is still the ruling king, more people are interested in preparing food from scratch than in recent years. Also, over half of American consumers believe you can reduce the risk of disease through diet. In addition, the consumer attitude change after September 11 seems to also fall in line with the values we embody as a coop and the natural food industry itself.
The 5.8 billion dollar organic foods market is fueled by 10% of Americans. Almost 90% of Americans buy no organic products at all. Of The 10% who do, 80% buy organic products only occasionally. Our long term potential lies here. We are planning to enhance our current customer's shopping experience to persuade more frequent use of our products, and effectively target the 90% of Americans who do not buy natural products at all.
Indeed, the vast majority of Americans don't know about the potential benefits of eating whole foods. That is what the Co-op needs to do: work on educating these consumers. We need to focus on buying right, displaying it well, and giving customers what they want at good prices while always maintaining quality. Overall, the atmosphere of the industry changes fits nicely with our goals for the remainder of this year and next year, too. Again, the Co-op needs to focus on buying right, displaying it well, and giving customers what they want at good prices while always maintaining quality.
The Board, Staff, and Working Members have many ideas on how to achieve these goals. For example, there will be a greater focus on inventory management, presentation, pricing, promotions, and stock level management. We plan to promote and create more incentive for volunteerism, and enhance member appreciation. Also, we plan to improve store flow and increase shopping satisfaction, possibly assign an additional paid staff to these tasks. These are just a few of our ideas for the future.
In conclusion, all signs point to increased market share for the industry. For our continued growth, a focus on the changing consumer is the key. The attitude of the American consumer seems to be ready for these changes in purchasing habits. We need to focus on outreach & education to target the 90% of consumers who do not buy natural foods and better serve the 10% who do.
Yes, it's my fault. I, your grocery buyer, have been operating under a misunderstanding. I had thought, and have been advising people that palm oil, palm kernel oil, and fractionated palm kernel oil were all dangerous heavy fats. This is not true. Here's the quick rundown.
Palm oil is to be avoided in food. It is, in fact, a dangerous heavy fat, solid at room temperature, like coconut oil..
Palm Kernel Oil is less problematic, but still to be avoided. It is derived from a more specific location/part of the plant. It is liquid, but very thick at room temperature.
Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil is made when palm kernel oil is separated by centrifugation and the solids removed. The remaining, thinner oil has had most of the nasties skimmed off and is used as a stiffener for coatings and frostings. This separation, coupled with the fact that most of the time so little is used, make Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil much less harmful than I had originally thought.
Note that I am not advocating the "Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil Diet" or anything like that. I just want to take this opportunity to point out a misconception on my part, because I have advised people based on that misconception. My apologies. If you have made choices based on my recommendations in this area, please feel free to speak to me.
Thanks for your attention.
The Coop sponsored Newark Farmers' Market opened for its second season on May 12. The Market features fresh produce brought in by local farmers, supports regional agriculture, and is growing into a community event. Located in the parking area in front of the Coop, the Market will be open on Sundays between 10am and 2pm from now until mid-October.
There was a good turnout for opening day, including many regular Market customers from last year. Vegetables, fruits as the summer progresses (beginning with strawberries), bedding plants, cut flowers, bakery items, and more are available. Farmers who helped make the Market the success it was in 2001 and will be back include: Deborah Carlisle, Scott Clower, Carol and John Feldmann, Clifton Manor Farm, Dave Johnson and Claire Murray, Inverbrook Farm, Wayne Lockwood, and Pam Stegall, Calvert Farm. Michael Collins, Turtle Hill Farm will start to participate this year.
A new banner designed for the Market will be visible from Main Street on weekends in addition to regular advertising. But the best way to bring more people in to enjoy and benefit from the marvelous locally produced things at the Market and talking with the farmers who grow them is by word of mouth. Tell your friends about it. Ask for Market posters if there is a be useful to display them.
If you have any comments or ideas bout making the Market better or would be interested in serving on a Coop Farmers' Market committee to help foster and build the Market, please leave a message at the Coop or give me a call at 366-1577 or an email at rwarren@udel.edu.
The Coop is also open for shopping on Sundays from 10am to 4pm.
