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Co-op Purchases Creamery!   

 

At 3:41 p.m. on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, after three years of extraordinary work by volunteers and community members, the Old Creamery Cooperative became the owner of the Old Creamery! Earlier in the day, Co-op board members inked documents at two closings: the purchase of the Creamery property and business from Alice and Amy, and the loans from Florence Savings Bank that will fund the start of planned renovations this month. The renovations will also be funded by member-owner equity (being transferred from escrow) as well as member-owner loans and gifts from so many people.

A and A sign
At Tuesday's closing, Alice and Amy sign over the Creamery.
Prez and Trez Sign
Co-op Board President Kimberly Longey and Treasurer Michael Kalagher sign.

The closings took place on high in an office tower overlooking downtown Springfield. Michael Kalagher, Co-op board member and treasurer, summarized the day: "
We were five and half hours in our lawyer's conference room with five of us, one bank VP, four lawyers, and legal support staff scurrying in and out. Alice and Amy finished signing about four inches of paperwork to sell the business to the Co-op and had to hang around for another hour for all the lawyers to get the numbers right. After the purchase closing, the bank's lawyer arrived with six inches of paperwork (to continue reading and view more photos of the closings, please click here). 
Cake and Crew
Creamery staff and Alice and Amy celebrate the Co-op's purchase of the Creamery with a "Happy Birth Day" cake on Wednesday.

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Turkeys, Fixin's, and Pies, Oh My!

Hard to believe, what with the excitement over the election and the Co-op's purchase of the Creamery, but Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! There's still time, though, to order your fresh turkey and Creamery-baked pies for the holiday and to stock up on your other holiday needs, from spices and squash to eggnog and wine.

 

Fresh, never frozen, Thanksgiving turkeys from Diemand Farm in Wendell are $3.49 per pound this year. Sizes range from 13 to 30 pounds. Please note that we can't guarantee an exact size, though we are usually within 1 to 2 pounds. Orders must be in by the time the store closes on Tuesday, November 13. Come in and sign the sheet to place an order, or call the store at 634-5560. Turkeys will be available for pickup after noon on Tuesday, November 20.

 

For Peri's freshly baked Creamery pies, you've got a bit more time to order, but why wait? Order now and cross "PIES" off your list. The pies come in two sizes: small (6-inch) for $12.99 and medium (8-inch) for $14.99. Kinds? How about Apple, Apple-Cranberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Chocolate Walnut, Pecan, and, of course, Pumpkin. Order one of each and skip the turkey (only kidding!). Please place your pie orders by Monday, November 19, with the cashier. Pies will be ready after 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 21, unless you specify otherwise.

 

And by the way, the Old Creamery will be closed Thanksgiving Day!

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Cheese of the Week!

This week's sampling cheese is Pecorino Toscano Fresco, produced throughout pecorino tuscano Tuscany. Made exclusively from raw, summer ewe's milk, it is soft to semi-hard and can be served as a table cheese or a grating cheese. Produced in a small wheel, Pecorino Toscano has a rind that ranges from yellow to deep yellow. The consistency is firm and resistant to the knife, while the color ranges from white with a hint of yellow if soft, to pale yellow if semi-hard. The taste is fragrant, savory, and distinctive. When brought to room temperature, the cheese sometimes weeps; these butterfat tears (salty and milky) are treasured.

 

Come by this Saturday and have a taste of this wonderful cheese. You won't be disappointed. Remember, we'll take 10% off all day! Hope to see you this Saturday.

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Winter Items Drive

Beginning Monday, November 12, Hilltowners can come to the Creamery and enjoy a free cuppa while helping others through Florence-based Tapestry Health's third annual winter items drive, Give the Heat, Get the Heat. The program, which runs through December 7, will help clients at Tapestry's needle exchange programs in Northampton and Holyoke, the La Voz program in Springfield, and HIV client services sites in Greenfield and Springfield.

 

Like the Creamery, Tapestry employs talented and motivated people, ensuring that its clients are treated with the utmost respect and that their needs are addressed in a courteous and effective manner, regardless of their daily challenges. These challenges are particularly tough for clients, many of whom are unemployed, poor, and/or homeless and cannot afford basic items such as clothing and blankets. For them, Tapestry serves as a safe haven where they can begin to regain control over their health and their lives through such services as HIV counseling and testing, safe syringe disposal, individual case management, substance abuse and addiction counseling, overdose prevention, and harm-reduction education. You can help keep them warm during the winter season.

 

Customers who bring a winter item such as gloves, mittens, hats, a coat, a sweater, or a blanket will receive a free cup of Creamery coffee or tea.

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Get the Arsenic Out of Your Diet

Consumer Reports magazine recently released reports showing that worrisome amounts of arsenic were found in rice and popular rice-based processed foods such as breakfast cereals, rice flour, rice pasta, rice cakes, and crackers. The Food and Drug Administration confirmed these findings for rice and announced it plans to set arsenic standards for rice within a year. In the meantime, your friends at Environmental Working Group have come up with ways to reduce arsenic exposure from food (click here for EWG's tips).

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A Way to Help Hilltown CDC Help the Hilltowns

Florence Savings Bank is donating $75,000 to local nonprofit organizations with its Customers' Choice Community Grants Program. Those with an account at Florence Savings Bank can help decide who gets the money. Last year, patrons' votes produced a $500 donation from the bank to the Hilltown Community Development Corporation (HCDC). To vote, click here or pick up a ballot at any Florence Savings Bank branch. There is only one vote per customer and all ballots must be received by December 31.
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Democracy, Everyday, Saturday

Everyday Democracy will present a hands-on experience of democratic community deliberation this Saturday, November 10, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at Green Fields Market, 144 Main Street, in Greenfield. You'll learn about how citizens use study circles to engage in community-wide deliberation and decision-making on challenges facing their community. Hear about Everyday Democracy's work with towns, cities, states, and regions, and get a taste of the experience. For more information, contact Marilyn at (413) 634-8844 or [email protected]. 

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Annette's Recipe: Tofu Scramble

This time of year when it gets dark early and I walk home, I might be lucky enough to see a few stars pop out as I reach the top of Potash Hill. Just another five minutes away is our little house, warm and snug. When Steve arrives, we visit for a bit and then I jump up and announce, "Time to make dinner!"

 

People often ask me if I cook when I get home and I say yes, but after a full day of cooking at the Creamery, dinner is always something simple.

 

Tonight it's Tofu Scramble--easy, delicious, and full of protein. Once it's in the pan simmering, the rest is easy: rice and a vegetable. This makes great leftovers too. Sometimes I'll have it on toast for breakfast or rolled up in a tortilla with salsa. Yum!

 

Steve isn't a vegetarian, but he looks forward to the evening meal when this is on the menu (oftentimes at breakfast I'll tell him what's for dinner; he thinks that's pretty funny).

 

So give this recipe a try. You and yours might love it!

(Click here for a link to the recipe.)  

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California Voters Reject Bid to Label Foods with GMOs

The Non-GMO Project wrote this week, "We know many are feeling disappointment about the defeat of proposition 37 in California, but there is actually a lot to celebrate. Prop 37 has exponentially elevated the GMO conversation, not just in California but across the country. Opportunities to protect the future of our food are still powerful and plentiful, so stay positive and stay engaged!" To read more and learn what you can do, click here.

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Following is one of a series of weekly articles in recognition of the United Nations' International Year of Cooperatives

 

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Aussie Plumbers' Co-op Keeps It Flowing

"We sell plumbing gear to plumbers who are mainly our members, each with an equal vote." That's the succinct description of the Plumber Supplies Cooperative given by Tony Rogic, its general manager of sales. And it applied equally well when the cooperative was formed back in 1955. At that time Australian tradespeople faced a postwar shortage of essential materials. A resourceful group of 46 Sydney plumbers decided that a member cooperative could break the price monopoly that was holding back their work. They began bulk-buying copper pipe and other basic supplies and selling them from an inner-Sydney garage. (To read more, click here.)

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Eat Pasta, Help Berkshire Trail School Rebuild Playground

The Old Creamery's Community Calendar is your place to post, and check for, happenings in the Hilltowns. The Community Calendar can be found on the Old Creamery's website under "News & Events." You can click on any event in the calendar to pop up an expanded information box. For instance, click here to see the listing for a pasta dinner fundraiser this Saturday to benefit the restoration of Berkshire Trail Elementary School's outdoor play space, which was destroyed by Irene last year.

 

We'd also love to hear from you with any suggestions, compliments, gripes, or other comments about the Old Creamery Co-op's weekly email and website. You can email them to [email protected]. Thank you for your help!

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Help us spread the word! Consider encouraging your friends to sign on to receive the Creamery's weekly email newsletter. Better yet, encourage them to become member owners of the co-op. You can forward this email to your friends and relatives, and rest assured, we won't clog their inboxes and we will respect their privacy. We will not disclose your or their email addresses to anyone else. You can unsubscribe at any time. Thank you for your interest, commitment, and support.  

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Many items are on sale every week at the Creamery. Look for the brightly colored shelf tags. These items are 15%-45% off regular prices. We work hard to find bargains on many different items, including staple groceries, treats like chocolate, juices, refrigerated items, personal care products, and supplements. The shelf tags indicate when the sale price expires. Some sale items are one-time opportunities that remain on sale until sold out. Many are purchasing opportunities that can be replenished over several weeks at great prices. Enjoy the savings!
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Your continued patronage supports the ongoing success of our community-owned, values-based cooperative. Thank you for supporting the Old Creamery Co-op as a member-owner, as a shopper, as a friend. We value every contribution to the success of the Old Creamery Co-op.

 


Kimberly, Hattie, Michael, Susi, Sylvia, Patty, & Deborah:      

Your Old Creamery Co-op Board of Directors  

 

Please pass this message on to your friends  

and encourage them to join our mailing list

 

Click here if you would like to become a Member-Owner 

    Quick Links

Creamery Specials and Sales                    Bulk Purchase Program  

445 Berkshire Trail

Cummington, Massachusetts 01026

413.634.5560