[cgfc] CGFC Weekly Bytes, Vol 2, #8

Thu Mar 2 18:09:23 CST 2006

Welcome to Common Ground Food Co-op's weekly 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 lisa at commonground.coop .

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
lisa at commonground.coop  . Thanks!

 STORE/LOCAL NEWS:

*****CO-OP DINNER SOCIAL/"THANKS JILL" BASH!
Come one, come all!
You are invited to our Co-op Social!

The Staff and Board of the Common Ground Food Co-op are throwing a Co-op
Social...

...to dance away our winter blues in hopes of Spring

....and also to commemorate the hard work, love, and dedication that Jill
Baer has shown to the Co-op. Jill's life and family plans are taking her
beyond C-U (Pennsylvania even!) and we want to both celebrate the time she
has given us and give her an appropriate last hurrah!

Sunday, March 12th
6pm 'til we're tired

 Common Ground Food Co-op
The fun will be held in Wisegarver Lounge, IDF
(down the hall from the coop)

Please help us share this special occasion. There will be much food, music,
and good company. Everyone is invited! For more information or to help out
with the festivities, contact Molly at molly at commonground.coop or 721-7995.

*****WORKER MEETING!
If you're currently a worker at CGFC, there will be meetings this Monday,
March 6 at the co-op regarding changes being implemented to the co-op's
worker program. All meetings will be held in the PRC room, and snacks will
be provided:

Cooks and bakers will meet from 5-6 PM.
In-store workers (cashiers, stockers, etc) will meet from 6-7 PM.
Out-of-store workers (childcare, transport compost, rags, etc) will meet
from 7-8 PM

Thanks!

****NEW WORKER ORIENTATION
The next new worker orientation meeting will happen at the co-op on
Saturday, March 4 at 1 PM. If you're interested in volunteering with the
co-op, come to this meeting and see what goes into being a CGFC working
member!

****SALES, SALES, SALES

We got sales!

PRODUCE:

March 3,4, and 5: Ruby grapefruit (CA) $1.59/pound, yellow onions (UT),
$.99/pound, and green cabbage (WA) $1.09/pound

March 7 & 8: Navel oranges (CA) $1.25/pound and snow peas for $4.69/pound.

All produce is certified organic.

GROCERY:

This is just a sampling of the grocery items on sale this month at CGFC:

Bionaturae Bulk Penne - $1.55/pound
Annie's Pastas - 6 oz boxes are $2.05 - family size are $3.49
Bragg's Liquid Aminos - small $3.49 - large $5.75
Celestial Seasonings Teacs - $2.65/box
Dagobah Chocolate!!!! - $2.40/bar
Spectrum Peanut Oil - $5.39
San Pellegrino Mineral Water - $1.65
Snopac Frozen vegetables - various prices

Many more items - come in and check 'em out!

BULK TEA:

All bulk teas (they live by the bulk herbs at the back of the store) with
gold labels are 15% off this month! Here are the teas:

bancha
chai
ceylon
darjeeling
dragonwell
earl grey
english breakfast
genmaicha
kukicha twig
oolong
rooibus
young hyson

YUM!

*****WINTER 2006 NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE ON THE WEB*
The brand-spankin'-new issue of CGFC's quarterly newsletter is available
for download as a .pdf file (you'll need Adobe Acrobat to read it) - you
can find it at www.commonground.coop/docs/nl-winter-06.pdf. The paper
version
of the newsletter is *now available* in the store and around town.

*****COREWORKER JOB CURRENTLY AVAILABLE
HABA (Non-food) Buyer

Do you have an interest in natural health and body care products? Are
environmentally sound and sensitive cleaning products important to you?
Do you like trying and testing out new stuff?

We may have a job for you! Common Ground has an opening for a buyer of
non-food products for the store.

This position is a 3-hour/week coreworker position. It involves placing
a weekly order with our main distributor, stocking and pricing products
in the HABA corner, sourcing new and interesting products,  and
generally keeping that section of the store neat and looking good.

Talk to Molly at the store if you are interested or to learn more.

*****FERMENTATION WORKSHOP
Come learn how to ferment wine, beer, pickles, yogurt and more - and sample
some of these goodies at a workshop given by the Urbana Permaculture
Project! It's happening Saturday, March 11 from 6-9- PM at 122 Franklin St.
in Urbana. Registration is $30 - registrants will receive a good amount of
fermented foods fromt he workshop. Questions? Enail Rob at
robscott at freeshell.org.

****GREEN BUILDING TOUR
"This is a unique opportunity to visit and learn from the region's leaders
in green building and growth.  We will be touring Prairie Crossing, a
planned community with energy-efficient, transit-oriented condos and an
organic farm (see www.prairiecrossing.com).  And we'll tour the Chicago
Center for Green Technology with Lead Architect and green building industry
leader, Doug Farr."

Dowload the flyer for this trip (happening March 16) here:

http://ward4.org/GreenDayTripRegistration.pdf

******U OF I ORGANIC FARM COMING SOON?
Maybe you've heard.... There's a movement afoot to start a student-run
organic farm at the University of Illinois. U of I Student Rebecca
Russell is heading up the effort (called Just Food):

"Just. Food. is a cooperative between the Department of Natural
Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES) in the College of ACES and a
registered student organization (RSO) that works to address the issues
of community sustainability.  NRES will supply a one-acre plot on the
Old South Farm for the development of a small produce farm under the
condition it works towards USDA organic certification.  The purpose of
the farm cooperative is to get as many people involved in local food
production as possible.  As more university and community members become
involved, Just. Food. will use the opportunity to educate them about the
sustainable benefits of local food production.

We usually meet Thursday, at 5:30 in Turner Hall (just east of the
ACES library) in the room N527. Please email uiucorganicfarm at yahoo.com for
more information."

INTERESTING AND/OR INFURIATING:

****HR 4167 WILL AFFECT YOU PERSONALLY...
... if you eat, that is:

"*Congress will vote next week on a bill that would gut state food safety
and labeling laws, endangering the food you eat.* H.R. 4167, the "National
Uniformity for Food Act," lowers the bar on food safety by overturning state
food safety laws that are not "identical" to federal law. Hundreds of state
laws and regulations are at risk, including those governing the safety of
milk and shellfish.

Local and state officials are now responsible for 80% of the nation's food
safety enforcement. These officials regularly improve training, sanitation
and labeling standards to address new food borne diseases and other dangers
to our food supply whether natural or man made. H.R. 4167 puts a
straitjacket on these front-line workers, who are most familiar with local
needs.

Industry-sponsored H.R. 4167 is gaining momentum and must be stopped! Act
now! *Protect yourself and others from unsafe food by writing your
Representative and urging them to vote NO on H.R. 4167."

*Go here to sign the petition:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/750315891?ltl=1141344045

****WHAT'S IN YOUR WALLET?
This handy pesticides-in-produce guide is in mine:

http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php

****FACTORY FARMING
Great editorial about factory farming and corporations here:

http://www.celdf.org/editorial/cfarming3.asp

****GMOVERLOAD
Great clearinghouse of worldwide articles about GMOs here:

http://www.connectotel.com/gmfood/
*
*++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Please feel free to forward these links to people you think might
benefit from such knowledge. Thanks, and look for issue 2.9 same time
(more or less) two weeks from now!

::compiled by Lisa B-K, Outreach/Member Services Worker Bee::
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