holiday cookies
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
   
January 2013
        

Buckle Up! Here Comes 2013: Classroom, Classes, Visioning, and So Much More   

Maya Bauer, Education Coordinator 

 

Happy 2013! There is so much to look forward to over here at Common Ground when it comes to Education. This month we're launching our Flatlander Classroom's first ever Trimester of Classes. With the generosity of the Flatlander Fund donation we were able to put in a certified kitchen, including a locally made cooking island that will allow us to have actual cooking classes right here at your local Co-op! Within the first 4 months we have dozens and dozens of classes scheduled, everything from kids cooking to making your own veganic fertilizer. We have a great gardening series that includes an intermediate gardener's discussion group (we're calling that one "Digging Deeper," clever, right?), and a slew of delightful vegetarian Indian cooking classes, just to name a few.  

 

For the first time in Common Ground history we're putting those class sign-ups ONLINE. Click HERE! Don't worry, you can still sign -up easily in the store, too. You can sign up for free classes over the phone and if you are an owner you may sign up for ANY class over the phone, we'll just IOU the class fee and you can pay it next time you come in!  

 

One of the most exciting developments for me is that we're transitioning the Eating Healthy on a Budget Classes that are part of Food For All, our great food accessibility program, to being actual cooking classes. The Cooking Healthy on a Budget classes will still be totally free, and still be offered monthly, but will now involve hands-on cooking along side the great information and tips that the class has offered heretofore.  We hope that this change will help to empower people to make healthy choices for themselves and their families, and give them choices that are both healthy and affordable!   

 

What else is new?  

 In December Jacqueline (our awesome General Manager), Joy (the great Marketing Manager) , and I met and spent several hours mapping out the next several years in Co-op educational trajectory...I am super excited to share that information with you soon! Stay tuned!  

 

2012 Expansion Update   

Jacqueline Hannah, General Manager    

 

We can do more.
I my article in last month's newsletter I celebrated with you CGFC's 2012 accomplishments. Our brand new, expanded store is a testament to the to dedication and investment of our Common Ground community - what we've done in just five years is nothing short of amazing. We've gone from the basement of a church to a beautiful, full service storefront; we've gone from 1100 owners to 4200 owners of the co-op; we are now an employer of over 70 members of our community with a competitive benefits package (we had just 10 employees and no benefits just four years ago!); and we've grown revenue for local farms from $150K to what looks to be just over $1 million in 2012 (the final numbers for all of 2012 are still being calculated as you read this.)

What we've accomplished together to make positive change in our community is phenomenal, but we can do more. Know how I know? You told us so.

In November of 2011, your CGFC board of directors invited all Common Ground owners to come take part in an in-depth visioning process to look at what you want to see your co-op accomplishing in the years and decades to come. From those four hours of dreaming, brainstorming, and sharing came pages and pages of information about what you, the owners of Common Ground, want your co-op to be accomplishing for our community. The results were inspiring and ambitious - just what I've come to expect from our amazing CGFC community.

The co-op management team and I spent the last year, when not working on the opening of the expanded store, processing all the ideas and information we received from you at that visioning event and found six major themes emerged that we heard over and over again in the different discussion groups:

  1. we want our co-op to offer even more education offered at the co-op and to the community, more educational outreach;
  2. we want our co-op to take a more active role in policy and lobbying work, to be a forceful voice in our community at the policy level and to help empower us to use our voices together to make change;
  3. we want more locations, more store, reaching more people in our community;
  4. we want to be doing even more to bring healthy food into the lives of children and into our schools;
  5. we want our co-op to continue to serve as a community space and to keep providing more community space, as well as support for/access to local arts;
  6. we want our co-op to do even more to increase accessibility to and affordability of healthy, organic, local food.
Read more  here! 
From Your Board of Directors
Martha Mills, Board Member
 
martha
As I write this article, it is just over a week until Christmas. Every year, my partner & I host Christmas dinner for friends and family who don't have anywhere else to go. Or, in some cases, have many other places to go and we are the last stop after a day full of family gatherings. In any case, it is always a day full of singing, laughing, catching up, watching movies, cooking, and, of course, eating.

With the expansion of our Co-op this year, I will be able to get all of my ingredients for this meal in one spot (Even the wine and beer! Yea!). I am looking forward to letting my guests know that many of the ingredients are from local sources, that the food hasn't been overly processed, and that some of the recipes have come from the Co-op itself!

I know I've said this before and I know I'll say it again but I love that the Co-op is not just a grocery store! It is a community. It is a group of people sharing things they know, getting together for activities and classes, and working hard to help each other be healthy and informed. It is a truly amazing place and it has been made that way through loads of team work, struggle, and sacrifice. Kind of like a family and a home (please forgive the cheese factor. The holidays make me all glisteny).

I hope this finds everyone full, healthy, and happy. Merry holidays to co-op owners and staff. Thank you all for what you do all year round!

Happy New Year,

Martha Mills, Common Ground Board Member

Have any thoughts, questions, or comments about this article or for your Board of Directors? Email the Board at [email protected].

 

Sustainable Food Scholarship!  

 

Maya Bauer, Education Coordinator   

Part of what we are after is an ability to feel like well informed and conscious consumers; feeling like we have the information to make decisions, every day, that impact our health and well-being. In order to make these decisions it behooves us to encourage young people to invest their passion and energy into researching the impact of GMOs, the positive values of local and organic production, and the vast array of issues surrounding sustainability, agriculture, our health and the health of our environment that we face every day.

One way that Common Ground chooses to make a sustainable investment in the continuing education of young people bent on addressing these pressing issues is through our Sustainable Food Scholarship. This month (on January 30th) we will release application forms for the 3rd year of our Sustainable Food Scholarship. This year we will be opening the scholarship up to current undergraduate students as well as college-bound high school seniors. We are hoping that this shift will open this opportunity to more students working on the issues that we consider to be of core importance to our Ends here at Common Ground.
 
The applicant must:
-be a college-bound high school senior or current undergraduate,
-live within 100 miles of Common Ground, and
-intend to study/be studying food sustainability or related issues

If you have any questions about the scholarship, or if you would like to contribute to it, please email me. Applications should be completed as directed and turned in through March 31st at Common Ground Food Co-op, 300 S. Broadway Avenue, Suite #166, Urbana, IL 61801, or emailed to [email protected].

 I look forward to receiving the applications and watching this scholarship -and our scholars- grow. Good luck to all our applicants!  

 
Grand Opening Street Team Call Out
Sunday, January 6 at 7:30pm
  Meet in the Flatlander Classroom

The expansion completion is just around the corner and staff focus is shifting to planning our BIG Grand Opening week,
February 11 - February 17.

By this time, all the final pieces of the store will be in place and many of the kinks will have been worked out. Now it will be time to celebrate and spread the word that WE MADE IT HAPPEN, Champaign Urbana has a community owned grocery store that would make any town proud. We can't do this alone, we need your help! In February, we not only want to "open our doors" to many familiar faces, but we hope that the newly expanded Co-op will be a resource that new families will utilize and enjoy.
Be an ambassador for YOUR Co-op; there are many in CU that have never even heard of Common Ground Food Co-op, and we need to change that. If you are interested in volunteering to promote the Co-op in a fun and unique way, come out to this meeting! Bring all of your great ideas and join our awesome street team!

Please email
Marketing Manager Joy Rust
([email protected])
by Saturday, January 5 if you plan to attend.

click here for more details 

 or to SIGN UP ONLINE (just click on the class)!!  
 Eating Smart, Being Active: Get Moving!
Led by Amy D. Ali, University of Illinois Extension
Saturday, January 12th, 1-2pm
Free, but preregistration is required.
This series is specially designed to offer great nutrition and health information for parents who are working to make their family healthy on a budget!
 
Sugar Blues
Led by Deloraine Wellington, Health Coach & Holistic Chef
Monday, January 14th, 6-8pm
$7 owners/ $12 non-owners 
 
Common Ground Story Time
Led by Staffer and Lover of Tales Ellen
Wednesday, January 16th, 10:30-11 am
FREE! No registration required. 
 
Wellness Wednesdays Supplements 101: What is a Vitamin?
Led by Joanne Mierek, Wellness Manager
Wednesday, January 16th, 10-10:30am
Free! Come on by, no pre-registration required 
 
Led by Amy D. Ali, University of Illinois Extension
Saturday, January 19th, 1-2pm
Free, but preregistration is required.
This series is specially designed to offer great nutrition and health information for parents who are working to make their family healthy on a budget!

Led By Anu Bommakanti of HeRMES Clinic
Sunday, January 20th, 2-3:30pm
$15 owners/$20 non-owners

Led by Billy LeGrand and Maggie Wachter
Tuesday, January 22nd, 7-8 pm
$10 for owners / $15 for non-owners

Led by Colleen Wagner
Thursday, January 24th, 6-7:30pm
Free, but pre-registration is required.

Led by Amy D. Ali, University of Illinois Extension
Saturday, January 26th, 1-2pm
Free, but preregistration is required.
This series is specially designed to offer great nutrition and health information for parents who are working to make their family healthy on a budget!

Led by Laura Wetzel
Saturday, January 26th, 2:30-3:30 pm
$3 for owners / $7 for non-owners

Facilitated by Laura Wetzel
Saturday, January 26th, 3:45-4:45pm
$2 for owners/$5 for non-owners
(Free to participants of the Home Gardening for Beginners Series)

Led by Penny Watkins-Zdrojewski,
Animal Wellness Counselor
Sunday, January 27th, 2-4pm
$10 for owners / $15 for non-owners

Led By Stefan P. Johnsrud
Wednesday, January 30th, 6:30-8pm
$3 owners/ $7 non-owners

Led by Annie Weisner of HeRMES Clinic
Thursday, January 31st, 6:30-8pm
$15 for owners/$20 for non-owners

 


Community Spotlight: Farm Beginnings-
a beginning farmer training program

"Central Illinois Farm Beginnings™ is a year-long program designed to help new and existing farmers plan and launch sustainable farm enterprises through seminars, working field days, and mentorships with experienced farmers."
This awesome program is a great opportunity for folks interested in getting a sustainable farm business off the ground! The classes are full for this year, but if you have always dreamed of farming sustainably plan on enrolling for 2014! The classes are held on Saturday morning for a year in 3 different locations throughout the state (one location is right here in C-U!) and cover issues of sustainable farming from many angles.

Central Illinois Farm Beginnings is coordinated and facilitated by The Land Connection, and is made possible with cooperation from the University of Illinois Extension.


In This Issue
From Your Board of Directors
Sustainable Food Scholarship
Get Involved!
Classes and Events
Community Spotlight: Farm Beginnings
Staff Picks!

January Sales! 
Check out our current sales here !


NEW STORE HOURS!
Your awesome 
Co-op will now be open
am - 9 pm
daily! 

JANUARY ROUND UP FOR GOOD
 
This month we are
rounding up for Planned Parenthood. For nearly 100 years, they have worked to improve women's health and safety, prevent unintended pregnancies, and advance the right and ability of individuals and families to make informed and responsible choices.
Round Up for Good today!


Round Up logo
COMMON GROUND GIVES BACK

As part of our mission to BUILD COMMUNITY.....

COLLECTIVELY
WE HAVE
RAISED
OVER $480

for the Crisis Nursery!


 Thanks to everyone who participated in our monthly Round Up for Good! 

MEET YOUR VEGGIE

Cara Cara Navel (Red Navel) 
Discovered in 1976, at Hacienda Cara Cara in Venezuela, the Cara Cara Navel is a cross between the Washington and Brazilian Bahia navels. The familiar bright orange exterior may have you think the Cara Cara is similar to regular navels, but, upon opening the navel, you will find a distinctive pinkish red center. The complexity of its flavor is to be appreciated, a sweet and tangy combination that evokes notes of cherry, rose petal, orange, and blackberry. The Cara Cara navel is medium sized, seedless, and low in acid, which makes it a perfect treat for everyone. Stop by Common Ground to get YOUR Cara Cara's from now until April!



GROCERY SPOTLIGHT

Fresh Ground
Nut Butter! 
Your Co-op now has fresh ground nut butter! In our expanded bulk section we have two beautiful grinders- one for organic almond butter, and one for organic peanut butter. Our fresh nut butter is slightly crunchy with a wonderful fluffy texture.  The next time you shop, ask a staff member to help you try a sample!


"What's for Dinner?" Featured Recipe Sampling!

Trying to figure out what to make for dinner?  We've got some ideas!   Come by Common Ground on Tuesday, January 8 from 5-7 to try out a quick and easy dinner idea.  We'll provide the recipe for you to take home, as well as tips and tricks that can help you get a healthy meal on the table for your family in less time.  We'll continue our "What's for Dinner" sample on the first Tuesday of every month.



Class Sign-Ups are ONLINE!! 
You can still sign-up in our store and now we're offering our sign-ups online! You can browse the whole list HERE or click on the individual classes

and sign-up for classes today! With such a great selection of classes we know they'll fill fast!

STAFF PICKS! 
What do the tireless employees love in our awesome Co-op?

Yusuf, from the Front of House team loves our deli's delicious pear and blue cheese scones made here at Common Ground! Find them in our pastry case!
 
Colleen, from our Marketing team, loves the bulk Brooklyn Brine Pickles! Find them in our fancy cheese  case, only $9.99/lb.
She says "they're sooo good!"


Toni, from our Grocery team loves the Earth Balance Coconut Spread. It tastes both of creamy coconut and rich buttery  goodness and is great on both savory and sweet items. One of my favorite snacks is this spread on a Pekara ciabatta loaf. You can use it for baking, too!


Saleema, from our Deli team, loves our delicious Bean and Rice Burritos, made right here at Common Ground! Pick one up from our Deli today!

Store info