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Member = Owner at Common Ground
Jacqueline Hannah, General Manager
 You've just purchased
your $60 equity share of Common Ground Food Co-op. Did you just
become a member, or did you just become an owner?
The answer is easy:
YES!
Member = Owner
Why use the term "owner"?
It's empowering. This is your store and you have
a voice in it. Throughout the store and at Co-op events like Owner
Appreciation Days you will see the word "owner" used to
refer to you and the special benefits available to you as an owner.
If you've bought an equity share of the Co-op, you
are now one of over two thousand community members who own Common
Ground. You and your co-owners are the employers
of the staff that keeps your Co-op running, and if there are
profits at the end of the year they are reinvested in the Co-op or
given back as dividends to you, the owners. You are the real
deal--owners vote for and make up the Board of Directors, the governing
body of Common Ground.
(Any owner can run for the board--now's the time! Ask for
details at the register.)
Does that mean the word
"member" has no place at the Co-op now?
For many of us, the
word "member" conveys warmth and community. For the first 33 years of
the Co-op's history, those who owned Common Ground called themselves
"members." In those first years, only people who had made an equity
investment in Common Ground could shop in the store--for
many of those years you even had to work hours at the Co-op to be a
member! This
created many positive and not-so-positive side-effects. One of
the positives was a tight-knit sense of community that developed
around being a "member" of Common Ground Food Co-op.
That
warmth and community will always be a part of Common Ground--it's even
part of our mission statement. We are all both members of something
larger
than ourselves and owners of this
terrific, thriving cooperative business.
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Local Producer: Queen Anne's Lace Q&A with Josie Orberg of Queen Anne's Lace
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How did you choose the name Queen Anne's Lace? What does this name mean to you?
My mother ran a dress making business featuring antique lace she
brought with her from England. To start with I used her business name
just because it was easiest, but I've really grown to love it. Queen
Anne's Lace (wild carrot) is a wildflower that's very common in our
area, but I love it because it blooms everywhere and when not much else
does. To me it represents making the most of your situation - wherever
you are.
Where is your business located? How many miles do you travel to reach Common Ground? We are located in Villa Grove, 20 miles south of Common Ground.
How long has Queen Anne's Lace been in business? We have been in business for over 7 years now.
What products do you make?
We make all-natural goat's milk soaps, beeswax candles, lip balms,
salves, bath bombs and more. I really enjoy working with essential
oils so many of our products are scented with aromatherapy grade oils.
Do you have a signature product? It's hard for me to pick one! Probably our "Luxury bar" goat's milk soap scented with either lavender or geranium.
Do you use natural ingredients in your products? If so, where do the ingredients come from?
Yes indeed, I use as many natural ingredients as possible. We grow
most of the herbs used in our products, as well as raising honey bees
for their honey and wax, and beautiful alpine dairy goats for milk to
use in making the soaps.
What do you enjoy most about running Queen Anne's Lace? I love making things! Soapmaking is so relaxing and it makes me happy
to work with essential oils and beeswax. Plus it gives me an excuse to
have goats and raise honey bees! ☺
What do you find most challenging about your work? You'll laugh, but I find the actual business aspect the most difficult.
What is your philosophy/perspective on farming, agriculture, and sustainability? I believe that using sustainable agriculture is part of ethical farming and is of the utmost importance. I view ethical agriculture not as an ideal but a responsibility and simply a matter of good stewardship.
I also feel very strongly that everybody has the ability to contribute to this whether they're farming a thousand acres or not farming at all and living in the city. Although I'm tempted to think "one day I'll have lots of land and will be able to do more..." in reality everyone can support sustainability by making choices to support farmers who employ ethical agriculture, or even growing their own garden.
Is there anything else you'd like Common Ground members to know about Queen Anne's Lace? We only have 1 ˝ acres of land and although I can wish we had a large farm, I'm happy to be able to use our current situation, here and now. Most of our land floods and can hardly be considered ideal, but we're able to pasture our goats and hens, keep honey bees and have large flower, herb and vegetable gardens. By employing the principle of "use what you have in your hand" we've been able to do more than we originally thought possible.
I'd like to encourage anyone out there who really wants to farm or have a farmstead and aren't able to right now to look at what they do have! Even if you're in the middle of town it's possible to grow herbs, plant a vegetable garden and so on.
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Staff Pick: Orange Dark Chocolate Bar
Kathleen Witek, Front End Manager
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 My favorite pick would have to be
the Equal Exchange Orange Dark Chocolate Bar... at least for this week. I love dark
chocolate and at 65% cacao content, this has a smooth and rich taste that
settles the worst chocolate cravings. Add a little organic orange oil and
voila, an excellent treat! The fact that it's produced by Equal Exchange, which
practices fair trade, is just another reason to feel great about indulging in
this great product. But don't be put off by the orange oil. We carry seven
other Equal Exchange chocolate bars, so come in and check them all out!
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Recipe: Nu-Southern-Style Kale
Jessy Ruddel, Produce Manager |
Local kale is here! Try this twist on classic Southern-style greens while enjoying the fabulous kale from Blue Moon Farm! 2 lbs kale (about
3 bunches), tough stems discarded, leaves cho  pped
2 tbsp medium
onion, chopped
1 large garlic
clove, minced
2 tsp bacon fat,
optional
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp dark sesame
oil
Chili pepper
flakes, a pinch
Salt, a couple
pinches
Sugar, a couple
pinches
In a large skillet
with a tight fitting cover, melt bacon fat and heat olive oil over
medium heat. Sauté onion until transparent, a couple of
mintues. Add garlic and and sauté until fragrant, about 20
seconds. Mix in the kale, sesame oil, chili pepper flakes, salt, and
sugar. Cover and cook until tender, 8-10 minutes. Serves 4.
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Green Living: Spring Cleaning!
Meagan Luhrs, Outreach Coordinator
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 It's Spring Cleaning Time! Whether you are moving, purging, or just needing a deep clean,
forgo conventional cleaners--which contain harmful toxins,
skin-irritating chemicals, and synthetic fragrances--and mix up some of
your own affordable, eco-friendly, and easy home cleaning products.
Distilled white vinegar, which cuts grease and dissolves dirt, and baking soda, a deodorizer and abrasive,
are the two essential ingredients in making your own home cleaning
products. While you'll have to swing by Schnuck's for a gallon of
vinegar, Common Ground offers baking soda in our bulk department for
only $3.55 per pound--what a deal! Here are a few quick home cleaning
product recipes that contain vinegar, baking soda, and other
ingredients available at the Co-op:
Windows:
Mix 3 TBS vinegar, 3 cups warm water, and a squirt of castille soap;
shake to combine. Spray on mirrors and glass and remove with
newspapers or rags. Dr. Bronner's castille soap is available in many
scents in the Co-op's Health & Beauty (HABA) Department.
Floors:
Mix 1/2 cup vinegar with 1 gallon of hot water and mop floors--no need
to rinse! If you don't love the scent of pure vinegar, add a few drops
of essential oils (also available in the HABA department) for an aromatherapeutic effect--lavender and lemon are particularly nice.
Bathtubs
and Tile: Mix 3 parts baking soda to 1 part warm water and scrub away;
for particularly grimy surfaces, add kosher salt to the mix. Essential
oils and castille soap can also be added for a fresh scent!
Carpets/Rugs:
Sprinkle 1 cup baking soda over your carpets and let sit for at least
30 minutes, then vacuum. You'll vacuum up the baking soda and any
unpleasant odors that have settled in the carpet. If you have time to
plan ahead, combine 15-20 drops essential oil with the baking soda the
night before, then proceed as indicated.
Antibacterial
Spray: Combine 1 cup water and 20 drops of tea tree oil, a natural
antiseptic, germicide, antibacterial, and fungicide! Spray
on counter tops, toys, cutting boards, yoga mats, and anything else
that needs disinfecting. If you don't like the smell of tea tree oil,
you can try lavender, sweet orange oil, lemon, or grapefruit, all of
which have great antibacterial properties!
Wood
Furniture: Mix 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon liquid
castille soap, and 5 drops olive oil. Submerge rag/sponge in mixture,
ring out, and clean furniture. Can be stored in a lidded jar.
All
Purpose Spray Cleaner: Fill a spray bottle with warm water and 2
teaspoons baking soda; shake to combine. Add 1 teaspoon castille soap
and 15-20 drops of your favorite essential oil.
A few notes!
Most of the mixtures above can be stored for a couple of months; if in
doubt, just give the mixture a quick sniff to make sure it's fresh.
Also, while essential oils might appear expensive at first glance, a
little goes a long way and even a small bottle will last months!
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Thanks for shopping at Common Ground!
Remember, membership is not required to shop at Common Ground! Anyone can shop in the store, but there are some great benefits to joining and we are always happy to welcome new members! |
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April Sales!
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Check out this month's sales here!
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Did You Know?
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To avoid tears and heartbreak when
chopping onions, place them in the refrigerator the night before you
plan to use them. Don't, however, store them in the fridge for long
periods of time, as this will cause them think it's time to sprout.
~Jessy Ruddell
Produce Manager
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Co-op Principle Number Five!
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Want to learn more about the Seven Cooperative Principles? Click here to learn about Principle #5.
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April Classes and Workshops
Wow! We have an incredible schedule of events for the month of April! Check them out below! All classes are held at Common Ground Food Co-op unless otherwise noted. FOR FULL DESCRIPTIONS OF EACH CLASS, CLICK HERE!
Co-op Kitchen: Quinoa and Millet
Led by General Manager Jacqueline Hannah
Saturday, April 4, 3-4 pm
$6 for owners / $12 for non-owners
Introduction to Gardening
Led by Co-op Member Ben Lubchansky
Saturday, April 11, 9am-11am
$10 for owners / $20 for non-owners
Car Sharing with Zipcar
Jan Kijowski, Marketing Director at the MTD
Tuesday, April 14, 6:30 pm
FREE! Registration not required!
Boneyard Arts Festival
Thursday, April 16 - Saturday, April 18
FREE! Come by anytime Thursday, April 16 through Saturday, April 18!
Cooking with Local Foods
Led by Steve Moore of Tiny Greens
Tuesday, April 21, 6-8 pm
$20 for owners / $40 for non-owners
Soy Yogurt Making Class
Led by Co-op Member Anna Barnes
Saturday, April 25, 3-4 pm
$6 for owners / $12 for non-owners
Please note! You must register in person at Common Ground. Due to the high level of interest in our events, we cannot take registrations via phone or email--thank you for your understanding!
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Common Ground Food Co-op
1 Lincoln Square Village
Urbana, IL 61801
Ph. (217) 352-3347
www.commonground.coop
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