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Choices That Impact Our Health...
Maya Bauer, Education Coordinator
 Every day we make decisions about what it is that we are putting into our bodies. These choices impact our health, the health of our children and future generations, and the health of our environment. As a Co-op we strive to bring you information to help you make decisions about how to feed yourselves and your families. One of the hottest food issues right now is the issue of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) or Genetically Engineered (GE) foods. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) GMOs are part of an umbrella category of "techniques used by scientists to modify deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or the genetic material of a microorganism, plant, or animal in order to achieve a desired trait," referred to as "biotechnology." 1
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Expansion Update
Jacqueline Hannah, General Manager
Living Into It
As you read this, we are likely only a month away from completing the main construction of your expanded Common Ground Food Co-op store space. It gives me chills just thinking about it, this amazing thing we've accomplished together! But I used the words "from completing the main construction" for a reason. In some ways, Common Ground's store expansion is far from over. What do I mean by that?
A co-op expansion is an amazing undertaking. Without the collective will of the owners, board, and staff being in alignment to take on growth, a successful expansion is not possible.
Read More! |
From Your Board of Directors
Lisa Hinchliffe, Board Member
 It Was a MOO-ving Experience!
More than 75 people gathered for the annual Meeting of Owners (MOO) at the Urbana Civic Center on the evening of September 23. Hosted by the Board of Directors and planned by the CGFC staff, the evening featured a perfect combination of community, conversation, and information sharing.
Each MOO features presentations from the Board and the General Manager. Ben Galewsky, current Board Chair, spoke on behalf of the Board.
Read More! | Have any thoughts, questions, or comments about this article or for your Board of Directors? Email the Board at board@commonground.coop.
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A Department by Department Expansion Highlights!
A Glimpse at Grocery:
 Expansion is really about being able to offer a wider variety of products to meet customer needs. The Department will be nearly double, including the addition of separate coolers for frozen and fresh meats, nut grinders, doubling of bulk coffee and so much more. The Grocery Department will be offering you increased specialty cheeses and a beer and wine selection including local and organic options!
Expansion means 2-3 new full time Grocery positions, and several new part-time stocking positions.
A Peek at Produce:
Produce will be adding a lot of new fruits and veggies. We are excited to be expanding our capacity to support more local farms. So far the expansion project has made this possible with 3 new farms and we expect to be working with 7 new local farms by the time that expansion is complete! Come in and check it out!
3 new positions added to Produce so far.
A Wink at Wellness:
Our Wellness Department will be hugely expanded. You will see a much larger personal care and wellness selection, as well as double the bulk teas.
We're looking forward to offering more personal
service and wellness information to customers, and the development of monthly workshops, demos, and wellness events. We are also excited about the opportunity to collaborate with local wellness providers, from yoga to acupuncture to massage, and more.
Wellness has expanded one position and will be adding at least one more.
 A Peek at Prepared Foods: There is so much going on in Prepared Foods, where can we even start? We'll be offering so many new services and options! By the Grand Opening, in February, we'll have an espresso bar, made to order sandwiches, pizza by the slice, more pastries, a salad bar, made from scratch bread and an expanded grab and go selection. Whew!
The Prepared Foods Department will be adding a staggering 20 jobs to our community!!
A Musing about Marketing:  Our Marketing Department takes care of education, events, as well as the look of the store and reaching out to the community! We are so excited to be bringing you the Flatlander Teaching Kitchen and Classroom space, as well as an expanded capacity to hold events, be a resource to the community, expand outreach, increase our customer base, and make more people aware of the Co-op model.
Our Marketing Department has increased to 3 full time positions.
A Flip Through the Front of House: The folks who check out your groceries a nd make your shopping experience so great are excited about the new register set-up (ergonomic!), and the addition of more registers which means less wait time. We are excited to meet the demands of the growing business and to be able to concentrate on extending excellent quality customer service and keeping us connected to our terrific owner-base! Our Front of House Department will be adding 8 new part-time positions!
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Local Producer Profile: Moraine View Farm
Q & A with Phil Swartz, Owner
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 What does your farm name mean to you? How did you choose this name? Our name, Moraine View, has to do with my background in geology. The farm is on a glacial moraine--characterized by almost imperceptible undulating hills. The farm is located on the highest point in the county, on top of the glacial moraine, affording us a nice view and that's where the name, Moraine View Farm comes from.
Where is your farm located? How many miles do you travel to reach Common Ground? We are located 1 hour and 15 minutes northeast of Common Ground, 60 miles away, in Wellington. What do you produce? What is your signature product?
We try to produce all the basic vegetable crops, focusing on heirloom varieties. Vegetables with unique flavors and colors are more interesting to me and to my customers. I also prioritize preserving the bio-diversity that is in danger of being wiped out by mono-culture farming.
I'd say my signature product right now is the tasty little salad turnips.
We also raise 100 laying hens of various heritage breeds (mostly Rhode Island Reds and Black Australorps as well as a smattering of other breeds, including Americaunas that lay green eggs!), 33 turkeys, some Angus cross cattle, and some left-over show pigs raised for family and friends.
For how long have you been farming? I am a 6th generation farmer, my family has been farming since the late 1800s. I grew up on the farm and was not interested in taking up the family business. I took a few years off and came to realize the importance of food issues and organic agriculture, and I returned back to the farm to help transform the farm from conventional practices to meet the customer demand and help alleviate the problems of conventional farming. I've been back for 2 years and farm alongside my dad.
Do you use organic farming practices? Yes. I use organic farming practices on all the vegetable acreage and the 4 acre hay buffer. The farm is not certified organic because of the bureaucratic hassle associated with certification. I'd rather spend more time focused on my customers, but may look into certification next year. What do you enjoy most about farming? There's a lot of things to enjoy. I enjoy seeing the fruits of my labor. The whole process is exciting to see. Watching a seed grow into an edible product and to know that you helped it along is a great feeling. What do you find most challenging farming?
The weather. Finding enough time to realize my dreams for the farm and trying to not become discouraged when things don't go as planned.
What is your philosophy/perspective on locally made goods?I am a strong supporter of local farming. There is a specific quality of flavor that fresh food has, that is specific to the ground it is grown in and gives it a quality, like the French terroir. It's also important to me to keep more money in the local economy. I prioritize sourcing products locally and often would rather go without if I cannot find a product made in the states. Is there anything else you'd like Common Ground's customers to know about your business?
Our vegetable production is pretty small right now, and I am looking forward to working with Common Ground to increase my production potential. For more information you can visit moraineviewfarm.com. |
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click here for more details
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Say NO to GMO
Led by Donna K. Bishop, MS, RD, LDN
Saturday, October 6th 2-3 pm
$3 for owners / $7 for non-owners
Minimum 6/ Maximum 25 participants
Class Location: Common Ground Food Co-op
Artisanal American Cheeses
Led By Billy, Speciality Cheese Buyer
Tuesday, October 9th, 6-7:15 pm
$5 owners / $7 non-owners
Class Location: Common Ground Food Co-op
Movie Screening
The World According to Monsanto
and Letter Writing Party
co-sponsored by Common Ground Food Co-op,
Strawberry Fields and the "Let Me Decide" Campaign
Thurs, Oct. 11th, 6pm
Free!
Location: Lincoln Square Room 114
Holistic First Aid for Pets
Led by Penny Watkins-Zdrojewski
Saturday, October 13, 2- 3:30 pm
$4 for owners / $8 for non-owners
Minimum 3 / Maximum 25 participants
Class Location: Common Ground Food Co-op
Eating Healthy on a Budget
Led by Common Ground Staff Tuesday, October 16th, 6-7 pm Free, but pre-registration is required. Class Location: Common Ground Food Co-op
Common Ground Story Time
Led by Staffer and Lover of Tales Ellen
Wednesday, October 17th, 10:30-11 am
FREE! No registration required.
Class Location: Common Ground Food Co-op
Home Fermentation:
Benefits, Biology, and Methods
for Creating Live Culture Foods
Led By Stefan P Johnsrud Saturday, October 20th, 3-4:30 pm Free, but pre-registration required Class Location: Common Ground Food Co-op
Fair Trade USA TourThursday, October 25th, 11 am - 2 p
Free, no pre-registration required Event Location: Common Ground Porch
Practical Home Gardening Series:
Plans for NEXT YEAR! Led by Laura Wetzel Saturday, October 27, 1-2:30 pm $2 for owners / $4 for non-owners Minimum 5 / Maximum 12 participants Class Location: Common Ground Food Co-op
Check out more classes here!
Sign up in the store, owners may call to sign up: 217-352-3347
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Non-GMO
Month
EVENTS
| Sat morning info tabling
on the CGFC porch
Oct. 6th 10:30-noon
Say NO to GMO! CLASS
Sat, Oct. 6th 2-3 pm
$3 owners/
$7 non-owners
"Let Me Decide" Campaign
Movie Screening
of The World According to Monsanto
and letter writing party
Thurs, Oct. 11th, 6pm
in Lincoln Square-come by the Co-op for info!
Non-GMO BONGO!!
all month long in-store
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| October Sales! |  | Check out our current sales here!
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OCTOBER ROUND UP FOR GOOD
 | The Bike Project!
| This month we are Rounding Up for the Bike Project! The Bike Project co-op offers a space, tools, and community to repair bikes, share knowledge, hold classes, and advocate for bikes in Urbana-Champaign.
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| COMMON GROUND GIVES BACK
As part of our mission to BUILD COMMUNITY:
COLLECTIVELY
WE HAVE RAISED
OVER $345
FOR THE PRAIRIE RIVERS NETWORK!
Thanks to everyone who participated in our monthly Round Up for Good! | |
Missing the Round Up cans at each register? We now have a cool BOX by the doors so you can read up and Round Up on your way out! You can still Round Up as part of your transaction, too!
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PRODUCE FORECAST
 | | The first day of fall just passed and we are now seeing our delicious autumn produce becoming available. A large variety of apples are in, including a co-op favorite: Honeycrisps! Soon we will see local broccoli, green onions, and kohlrabi come in. Also, our new produce section is HERE, so come check out all the new produce we've been able to bring in!
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JOIN OUR
DELI TEAM!
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The Common Ground Deli has witnessed an amazing response from our owners! Since we moved upstairs and the store flipped, we have seen quite the surge in food sales. What does this mean? It means we need to make more food! Which means... we need more cooks! We are currently hiring part-time prep cooks, and will be adding more than a dozen jobs as we expand. If you are interested, stop by the store and pick up an application.
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Community Spotlight!
 | Prosperity Gardens
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On North First St. in Champaign community members have created Prosperity Gardens. Dedicated to cultivating a healthy community,
Prosperity Gardens utilizes education, collaboration and employment opportunities.
Prosperity Gardens seeks to find sustainable food solutions that empower and employ communities.
They work with community volunteers and community organizations, find out more about them on
Facebook!
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Grocery Spotlight
 | | New Grocery products are everywhere! Look for hundreds of new items in the store this month. We've got some new brands, like Cascade yogurts and Saffron Road frozen entrees and sauces, and have greatly expanded what we carry from old favorites like Seventh Generation, Eden, Field Day, and Back to Nature. Check out some new personal care items in our Wellness department too.
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| Farm Bill Update | | News from Wes King, Policy Director at the Illinois Stewardship Alliance:
On Sept 21st the U.S. House of Representatives adjourned, not to reconvene until after the elections in November, without calling the New Farm Bill to a vote, despite bipartisan support from chorus of food and agriculture industry groups and organizations.
The Republican leadership refused to call the Farm Bill, passed by the House Agriculture Committee in July for a vote by the full House. The full Senate passed a new five year Farm Bill in June of this year.
While the big ticket items in the farm bill will continue for now, the newer innovative programs that have helped to support local food systems and sustainable agriculture are now on hold and if Congress does not explicitly act to save these programs by passing a new farm bill later this fall they could end-up relegated to the dust bin of history.
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