[cgfc] CGFC Weekly Bytes, Vol. 1, #17

[Lisa BK]

 Welcome to Common Ground Food Co-op's weekly (for now) e-newsletter! You're
getting this missive because you're a member of Common Ground who's also
signed up to be on the CGFC mailing list. If you aren't interested in
receiving these updates, please email lisabk at gmail.com.

Every week, via this transmission, members are provided with store
updates/news, links to relevant news items/political actions, and other bits
and pieces worthy of mention. If you have anything of a similar bent you
think members should know about, please email links to lisabk at gmail.com.
Thanks!



STORE/LOCAL NEWS:

****STRATEGIC VISION PLANNING FINAL REPORT
The final report combining information from the committees regarding CGFC's
strategic planning process, which we went through this summer, is now
available! You can pick up a copy in the store or download it:

http://www.commongroundcoop.org/plan.doc

Also, there are still copies of the POS FAQ hanging out on the media table
next to the freezer in the store. Help yourself! Get informed!

****NEW PRODUCT INFORMATION:
Common Ground is pleased to be offering CGFC member Beth Rockenbach's Res
Natura line of bodycare products - just in time for the holidays. Products
for sale include various scented and unscented body lotions, lip balms, and
a healing salve; all products are made with organic and, when possible,
locally-sourced ingredients. Testers are out in the store - come check them
out!

Also newly available: large canvas shopping bags made by Frontier Natural
Products Cooperative. They're roomy with longer handles and are perfect for
o-op shopping! Find them in the Health/Beauty section on the upper shelves.

We're also carrying Seed Savers' 2006 calendar, loaded with excellent photos
of beautiful heirloom produce and recipes donated by Seed Savers folks. We
also have a variety of their gorgeous postcards - shoppers can find them in
the rack with the small Slingshot calendars (also a great gift idea); the
sunflower card alone is enough to ditch the winter blahs.

Additionally, we've also expanded our line of Burt's Bees products to
include full-size versions of some of the baby items (diaper ointment and
dusting powder), a couple of new facial scrubs, and a few other items.

****POSITIONS FILLED
All positions CGFC was hiring for have been filled. Many thanks to all who
expressed interest. <http://www.commongroundcoop.org/hiring.html>

****FALL ISSUE OF FROM THE GROUND UP STILL AVAILABLE!
Just a reminder - the Co-op's printed newsletter is out in its analog form.
Come by the store and pick one up! If you want the digital copy instead,
download a PDF copy on our website:

http://www.commongroundcoop.org/NewsFall05.pdf


BOOKMARK FODDER:

****SIMPLE ECONOMICS?

See what you think about this article:

http://eartheasy.com/article_high_cost_organic_food.htm

I wonder what the person speaking at the end means when they say, ""because
if there's demand for organic, people want to make it easy for farmers to
become certified". At what price "easy"?

****LUCKY STUDENTS:
"ST. PETERSBURG - If someone suggested you make a full meal from ingredients
produced within 150 miles of your kitchen, could you do it?

It would be tough this time of year in Florida. Like winter up North, late
summer-early fall in the Sunshine State is not the best time for local
produce. The heat and humidity - and we've had near-record swelter this year
- is unkind to many fruits and vegetables. And, as the Tampa Bay area swells
in population and subdivisions, small farms are edged out, eliminating
sources for local food.

That was the reality facing chefs at Eckerd College last week when Bon
Appetit Management Co. challenged them and hundreds of others nationwide to
offer meals made from local ingredients. For Eckerd's chefs, that meant no
sugar, bread, oil, pepper or butter, because none of those is produced
nearby."

The rest of the article is here:

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/10/05/Taste/A_local_production.shtml

****SCRUMPTIOUS OFFER!
Board member Jeanne brought it to my attention that Gastronomica magazine,a
journal of food & culture that is published 4 times a year, is having a sale
on subscriptions:

http://ucpressjournals.com/uc6hol/

Bon Appetit!


****HEAT AND EAT:
The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) recently released a paper called
"Heat and Eat: Using Federal Nutrition Programs To Cushion the Shock of
Skyrocketing Heating Bills". You can look over the .pdf here, if you're
interested:

http://www.frac.org/pdf/energy_paper05.pdf


****THIS WEEK'S FOOD BLOG:

The Oscar goes to the folks at World On a Plate. Link:

http://www.worldonaplate.org/


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Please feel free to forward these links to people you think might benefit
from such knowledge.
Thanks and look for #18 same time (more or less) next week!



::compiled by Outreach Co-coordinator Lisa Bralts-Kelly::
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