swiss chard
  August 2014        

A New Website

 Maya Bauer, Education Coordinator

The staff have been hard at work on a brand new website. It launches today! 

Take a moment to check out our brand new website. We hope that it is easy to use. Bear with us and send us your feedback, we're looking forward to hearing what you think, email us HERE! We've been working with a great local company, Surface51, and hope you like it as much as we do! Check it out HERE.


 

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Responding to Eden Foods

Jacqueline Hannah
General Manager

On Monday, June 30th, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby that some closely-held companies with religious objections may opt out of an Affordable Care Act requirement to pay for contraception coverage for their employees. Eden Foods, the oldest independent organic food producer in the United States, has a similar case, Eden Foods v. Burwell, pending in court at this time. Michael Potter, Eden Foods' CEO, has been outspoken in opposition to the ACA requirement. Since July 1st, CGFC has been receiving comments from its owners about Eden Foods' lawsuit, some questioning whether or not CGFC should continue to stock Eden products.

 

Read More about CGFC's steps HERE...

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From Your Board of Directors: Board Elections
Julie Zilles, Board Member

Are you thinking about running for the Board? Do you know someone you think would do a good job? Or do you just want to learn more about our elections? As of today, August 1, 2014, application packets are available in the store and online HERE for any owners interested in running for the Common Ground Board of Directors. Read on for the election details.  


 

What does the Board do? In a nutshell, the Board establishes policies that govern our cooperative, studies the Ends, and monitors the General Manager's compliance with the policies. Each director participates in monthly Board meetings, owner outreach events, committee work, and online discussions, and many attend training sessions and conferences to strengthen their knowledge. This year, there are 3 three-year terms and 1 one-year term to be filled. Want to learn more? See the application packet for full details, attend the candidate information session, come observe the August board meeting, or email the Board at [email protected].


 

Thank You Ben! 

We would also like to recognize the exceptional service of Ben BenGalewsky, who recently stepped down from the Board. We would like to send a big thank you out to Ben, who has served on the Common Ground Board since the basement-of-the-church days. Ben played a critical role in the owner loan drive that brought us to Lincoln Square, served multiple terms as Board President, Vice-President, and Treasurer, led the Board during key periods of the most recent expansion, and contributed much accumulated wisdom during a complete review of bylaws and policies in 2013. Fellow board members describe Ben as a center of calm, a keen intellect, thoughtful, and kind. Thank you, Ben, for everything you have given to Common Ground. All the best!

Want to let your Board know what you think?  They love hearing from you! Contact your CGFC Board at  here. 

 

Co-op's 3rd Annual Ice Cream Social 


 

Sunday, August 17th, 2-4pm

Fundraising Event

All Proceeds go to the Eastern Illinois Foodbank

Location: Common Ground Parking Lot 

 

Join us for our 3rd Annual Ice Cream Social. This year Common Ground challenges you, our community, to help raise 10,000 meals for the Eastern Illinois Foodbank! For a donation of any amount, you can build your own sundae with local ice cream from Kilgus Farmstead Creamery and organic toppings, enjoy local music from The Church Street Ramblers, face painting, kids entertainment from our own Produce Manager Satina, and the opportunity to meet your local food bank staff. This event is open to everyone and a delicious way to support our Food Bank during the summer months when the need for food assistance remains high. 100% of the proceeds will directly benefit the Eastern Illinois Foodbank.

 
We have set a goal of 10,000 meals. We can do it!
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click here to sign up or for more details

Led by Annie Weisner

Wednesday, Aug 13th, 6-8pm

$15 owner/ $20 non-owner


Stone Soup:

A cooking event to benefit the TIMES Center 

Led by Colleen Wagner

Friday, Aug 15th, 6-7:30pm

Free, sign up to join us!


You Can Pickle That: Preserving the Seasonal Bounty

Led by Stefan P Jonsrud

Saturday, Aug 16th, 2-4pm

$10 owner/ $15 non-owner


 
3rd Annual Ice Cream Social 

to benefit the Eastern Illinois Food Bank

Sunday, Aug 17th, 2-4pm

donate what you can 


 
Cookbook Club at the Co-op!

Led by Carol Inskeep

Sunday, August 17th, 4-6pm

$2 owner/ $4 non-owner

 

Cooking Healthy on a Budget: 

Mediterranean Stuffed Zucchini

Led by Monee Smith

Monday, Aug 18th, 6-7:30pm

Free, but pre-registration is required.

 

Common Ground Story Time

Led by Carol Osgood

Wednesday, August 20th, 10:30-11am

FREE! No registration required.

 

USA vs UK: Beer & Cheese Pairdown Smackdown!

Led by Jessica Rasmussen & Blane McClellan

Wednesday, Aug 20th, 6-7:30pm

$10 owner/ $15 non-owner 

 

Breastfeeding Your Baby Naturally

Led by Jodi Fan, IBCLC, RLC

Thursday, Aug 21st, 6-8pm

$20 owner (or owner couple)

$25 non-owner (or non-owner couple) 

 

Unjobbing

Led by Carey Smith

Sunday, Aug 24th, 2-3pm

$3 owner/ $8 non-owner

 

FFA Basics: Bulk

Led by Mark Hartstein

Sunday, Aug 24th, 4-5:30pm

Free, but pre-registration is required.

 

Wellness Wednesday: 5-Minute Chair Massage

Led by Emily Barwald, Dream State Massage Therapy

Wednesday, August 27th, 5:30-7:30pm

Free, just drop by and sign-up for a spot!

 

Fresh Homemade Cheeses

Led by Anna Barnes

Saturday, August 30th, 2-4:30pm

$15 owner/ $20 non-owner

 

Paper Making!

Led by Jessie Shoraga

Sunday, Aug 31, 2-4:30pm

$10 owner/ $15 non-owner

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Local Producer Profile: Fermenti Artisan
Q & A with Owner Joshua Henson

 

What does your business name mean? How did you choose this name?

Our name, Fermenti Artisan, is first and foremost a representation of
what we do:  small, handcrafted (or artisan) batches of traditionally
pickled, or lacto-fermented, vegetables and cultured beverages.  The
secondary meaning behind our name represents how we live:  "the
fermentation of the artisan (ourselves);" much like the fermented
foods we create, we are continuously changing and improving the flavor of our lives to bring greater health to the community around us.

What do you produce? What is your signature product?
At Fermenti Artisan, we create small, handcrafted batches of
traditionally pickled, or lacto-fermented, vegetables and cultured
beverages, such as Sauerkraut, Kim-Chi, Garlic-Dill & Spicy Mexican
Pickles, Kombucha and Water Kefir.  Our signature products are our 6
Indiana Artisan krauts:  Traditional Kraut, Garden Kraut, Curtido,
Apple Ginger Kraut, Ramp Kraut, and Kim-Chi.

Where is your business/farm located? How many miles do you travel to reach Common Ground?
Fermenti Artisan is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Our current
production facility is located inside the historic Indianapolis City
Market, 122 miles from Common Ground.

For how long have you been making your products?
Fermenti Artisan has been in production for just over 4 years, since
June of 2010, but the owners have been personally fermenting at home
for nearly a decade.

Where do you get the ingredients for your products?
During the growing season, Fermenti Artisan gets nearly 90% of the
vegetables for our krauts from local farmers.  As more of these
farmers begin to use season extenders, the time frame of local
availability steadily grows.  When farmer-direct local produce is not
available, we source certified organic vegetables.  We continuously
work to develop relationships with farmers in the wider region, and
even nationally, so that we can insure higher standards of quality and
more money going directly to hard working farmers.

Do you use organic or fair trade (natural) ingredients/ farming practices?
When buying produce off of the commodity market, we only buy certified organic vegetables.  However, when we can buy directly from the farmer, Fermenti Artisan does not require organic certification, as
long as the produce is chemical free.  Chemical free vegetables are
essential to fermentation, as synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and
herbicides all destroy the beneficial bacteria we rely upon for
traditional pickling.  Without healthy soil, cultivated in the manner
that nature intended, you cannot create a great tasting, healthful
kraut.

What do you enjoy most about making your products?
Personally, there are two things I enjoy most about making our
products at Fermenti Artisan.  The first is the sound the crocks make
as gas bubbles out of them while there is kraut fermenting inside of
them.  No matter how my day is going, that sound will always bring a
joyful smile to my face.  The other part of making what we do
worthwhile is the thanks we receive from customers as they discover
the health changing joys of this ancient technology.  We've gotten all
manner of thanks, from "You saved my life" to "It just tastes so
good!"

What do you find most challenging about making your products?
Even after 4 years, we still find our greatest challenge is the lack
of education on fermented foods.  For thousands of years, raw
fermented foods have been a part of the human diet.  But, for the last
150 years here in the United States, our food system has moved away
from living, health-promoting foods to commercially sterile, dead food
that can sit on a shelf indefinitely.  However, with the help of such
authors as Sandor Katz and Michael Pollen, the importance of consuming raw fermented foods is coming back into everyday life.  At Fermenti Artisan, whether at the farmers market, in a demonstration class or working with our retailers, we strive to be a resource of information about fermented foods and other health-promoting foods.

What is your philosophy/perspective on locally made goods/ farming and agriculture?
Fermenti Artisan holds close the idea that "no one wants to get to
paradise alone."  We believe that in order for a craft business to be
successful, you must raise a community up with you.  By sourcing as
much as possible either locally or directly from the farmer/producer,
we help to insure the people putting their hearts and souls into the
products we use get most of that money.  This help us to not only
strengthen the culture in our customers bellies, but it also
strengthens the culture in our communities.

Is there anything else you'd like Common Ground's customers to know about your business/farm?
They can find out more information at www.fermentiartisan.com and at
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Moving Beyond the Fork: 

Smarter Rules for Farmer's Markets (Part 3!)

Wes King, Director of the Illinois Stewardship Alliance


 

This is the last in a multi-part series on HB5657, better know as Smarter Rules for Farmers Markets, which unanimously passed the Illinois General Assembly earlier this year and was signed into law by Governor Quinn in June. This last part examines changes made to Illinois' Cottage Food Law that were contained in HB5657.


In 2011, after a long battle with a number of public health departments who opposed the general concept of allowing people to produce non-hazardous food in their homes to sell to the public, commonly known as cottage food laws, that summer Governor Quinn signed into law Illinois' Cottage Food Law. Illinois Stewardship Alliance was one of the lead proponents of the legislation and while the final product was not as permissive as other state cottage food laws, it was still a very important step in the direction of risk and scale appropriate legislation that would create new opportunities for farmers selling at farmers markets and new avenues for entrepreneurs to utilize the business incubation potential of farmers markets. Read more about Illinois Cottage Food law here.

 

Illinois' Cottage Food law went into effect January 2012 and has since helped to launch a number of small businesses that have since moved beyond home kitchens into full commercial operations as well as create new opportunities for farmers to supplement their income through value-added processing. However, the implementation of that law has not been without issues.


READ MORE HERE...

This article is part three of a multi-part series on HB5657, a large package of numerous legislative changes geared towards creating smarter rules for farmers markets.

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In This Issue
From Your Board of Directors
Ice Cream Social!
August Classes and Events
Local Producer Profile: Green Pantry Nursery
Ice Cream Social!
Co-op Art
August Sales!

Owner Deals!


Check out our current sales here!
Co-ops = Democracy
Being owner doesn't just mean that you get discounts around the store. The most important part about being an owner is that YOU have democratic control. YOU elect the board of directors. YOU can run for the board of directors. YOU are responsible for the direction of the Co-op.
 
Let Your Voice Be Heard

Friday, 
Aug 1 Application Packets available in the store and 

Monday, Aug 11 5:30-6p Candidate information session (CGFC Classroom)
  
Monday, Aug 11
6:15-8:15pm | Board Meeting
(Lincoln Square Conference, 154D)

Sunday, Aug 17
10pm  Board Applications DUE

Saturday, Sept 13 10am-noon 
|
 Candidate Tabling at the Co-op

Sept 14-20 Voting for Board of Directors and Round Up for Good

Saturday, Sept 20 
5-8pm | Meeting of Owners 
(Location TBA)

AUGUST ROUND UP FOR GOOD

The Eastern Illinois Food Bank
The Eastern Illinois Foodbank exists to alleviate hunger in eastern Illinois by providing a reliable source of food for the hungry through cooperation with a network of food pantries and agencies.

It's easy to "Round Up," your transaction to the nearest dollar (or more) at the register, or put some change/dollars in the Round Up For Good box by the door on the way out of the store! 
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Round Up logo
COMMON GROUND GIVES BACK

As part of our mission to build community:
Cooperatively
we have raised
OVER $1020

for the  
U-C Books to Prosoners in July

 Thanks to everyone who participated in our monthly Round Up for Good!
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Local Flavors 
 
The Illinois Stewardship Alliance coordinates a series of lunches and dinners with restaurants throughout the state to inspire an increase in local sourcing. The series is called "Local Flavors," and many of your great local restaurants are participating, check it out:
Lunches
Aug 6 - Pekara
Sept 2 - Common Ground Food Co-op!

Dinners
Aug 14 - Bacaro
Sept 18 - Destihl
Oct 16 - Big Grove Tavern
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BLT Season

 

One of our favorite ways to eat locally-grown tomatoes is on a BLT. During local tomato season, the Deli Counter will be selling BLTs.  


Local tomatoes, housemade bread (or Rudi's gluten-free), organic lettuce, regionally-raised bacon, and organic mayo made to order. It's the taste of summer. Yum!
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Know Your Wine:
Protocolo Red

If only there was a simple, inexpensive, yet satisfying wine, ideal for most any situation.

Well, we've found it!

Let me introduce you to one of  THE best inexpensive red wines out there:

Protocolo Red at $8.99.

An unassuming Spanish table wine, this wine is very easy to drink, and a solid table wine that can be paired with many types of foods. This great red sports a dark cherry fruit redolence, a little earth, a bit of oak. With it's mild-medium finish and pleasant amount of dryness, it isn't trying to be anything other than what it is, which is key.

 

What makes this wine so inexpensive?  A major reason we are seeing consistently delicious Spanish wines with an affordable price tag is because they have more vineyard acreage than any other country. The old vines in Spain produce less fruit, and therefore, lend themselves to higher quality wine.

Are you seeing a pattern here? I am: Win/Win!
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New Gallery Art
Lara Orr 
Our Art Gallery in the Flatlander Classroom just had new work installed. Lara Orr's show Domestic Cartography will be in our gallery for the next two months with a celebration for the artist 
Sept 26, 7-9pm 
Hope you'll join us in supporting local art!

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Veggie Spotlight

Pluots

It's a plum! It's an apricot! No...it's a pluot! Pluots, apriums, plumcots, and apriplums are all different generations of a plum/apricot hybrid. Pluots are one of the later generations and they have qualities very similar to a plum since they are about 65% plum and only 35% apricot. Pluots are very sweet but they are full of nutrients and are low in fat, making them a great snack or addition to a fruit salad.

With their amazing taste and the vast amount of varieties available, pluots have solidified their place on the list of favorite summer treats. Pick some up the next time you visit Common Ground!