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What's Next, from the Co-op Board of Directors
With the successful purchase of the Creamery and our opening as a Co-op behind us, we have contracted with Shippee Builders of Worthington to implement the planned  building renovations. When completed, shopping space and staff working areas will be expanded by 20 percent, we will have wider aisles in the store, and the deli will be adjacent to the café and have an outside ordering window from the new outside dining terrace on the east end of the building. We'll be breaking ground for foundation footings first, and will begin work to bump out the west-side porch as phase one of our plan. This work will get under way between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Our goal throughout will be to minimize inconvenience to shoppers and staff and to keep the store open and fully operating as much as possible. We will keep you posted on the plans and timetables as they take shape.
Thank you all for getting us to this major milestone and please keep shopping so you can see the changes firsthand. If you have any concerns or requests while construction is under way, contact our general manager, Karen Doherty, or let any board member know. We are very excited about what the "new" Old Creamery will look like in the spring!
As well as overseeing renovations, the Co-op board will be fine-tuning its governance policies, managing the capital budget, working with the finance committee to monitor the store's operational performance, and continuing to engage with member-owners to make sure the Co-op is meeting the needs of individuals and the broader community.
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Creamery Co-op in the News
Wednesday's Daily Hampshire Gazette published a fine article by staff writer Rebecca Everett detailing the Co-op's purchase last week of the Old Creamery, as well as more information on what's to come. To read the article, including quotes from Alice Cozzolino and Kimberly Longey, click here.
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From Karen Doherty, Our General Manager
It's been a busy week at the Old Creamery Co-op! We have been open for one whole week operating as a co-op, and we have almost all the kinks worked out as far as ringing up your purchases at the register. There were a few glitches and learning curves along the way, but as of this writing most of those are resolved. Do bear with us over the next little while, as everyone gets oriented to the new systems!
Popular now is the ability to have a Declining Balance attached to your member-owner account. You pre-pay any amount you wish, and when you come through the line there's no cash or cards to exchange; the amount just gets deducted from your balance. The amount remaining after the sale is printed on your receipt, so you'll always know how much you have. It definitely speeds up the lines, and it's is good for your Co-op because it reduces the amount we pay to process sales that use those plastic cards.
One of our local coffee vendors, Indigo Coffee of Northampton, has generously agreed to donate the coffee we will be giving away to customers who donate an item to the "Give the Heat, Get the Heat" winter clothing and items drive. How cool is that? Click here to learn more about what kinds of items can be donated to help others.
Looking ahead, we are all excited about the renovations and will do everything possible to make sure it's business as usual while this is happening. The new layout will make it much easier to shop here, so think good thoughts of happy community as we undergo the banging and sawing of construction.
I've been enjoying meeting so many new people, and I'm always eager to hear your thoughts on things you'd like to see and products you request. I also love receiving your warm welcomes. So thanks for all that, and keep letting us know what you want your store to be! Please feel free to contact me at gm@oldcreamery.coop.
One last note: we have gained three new member-owners in the past week...Go Co-op!
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The Basket Raffle: And the Winner Is . . . In celebration of our Birth Day last week, the Co-op raffled off a basket of goodies,  | |
Hazel and her basket of goodies.
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asking folks to write down a wish or a hope for the Co-op on their entry forms. We received 96 entries, and the winner was Hazel Grallert! Some of the many, many hopes and wishes shared were "more members," "great success," "flavor, laughter, music," "local authors," "love," "to continue to be what it is," "may all blessings fall upon us," "peanut grinder," "more fun stuff especially in winter," "that it continues to flourish as a wonderful community resource," "to stop selling cigarettes and tobacco," "improved customer service," "that we live up to Alice and Amy's example," "worker harmony," "toys," "functionality, warmth, and continued inspiration," "a long smooth life--we love you all," "keep it the same," "employee cubbies," "may you always be fed as well as you feed others," "community unity," "that it still feels like a place for everyone," "improved lighting," "more variety," "thrive!" and . . . "good luck." |
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Camille Says, 'Pie Are Square? Pie Aren't Square, Pie Are Round!'
There's still time to order your Creamery-baked pies for the Thanksgiving holiday, but don't tarry: the ordering deadline is the end of the business day (7:30 p.m.) Monday, November 19.
The pies come in two sizes: small (6-inch) for $12.99 and medium (8-inch) for $14.99. Your Apple, Apple-Cranberry, Blueberry, Cherry, Chocolate Walnut, Pecan, or Pumpkin pies will be ready after 2 p.m. on Wednesday, November 21 (unless you specify otherwise).
And don't forget to round out your Thanksgiving shopping at the Creamery with its great selection of wines, beers, cheeses, fresh produce, seafood, candles, fine chocolates, and other delights. Please remember, the Old Creamery will be closed Thanksgiving Day.
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Cheese of the Week!
Our featured cheese this week is Coomersdale from Bonnieview Farm, a 470-acre sheep dairy and creamery located in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. The farm is owned and operated by Neil and Kristin Urie and has been farmed by the Urie family  for four generations. Their mission is to produce healthy food for the local community, to offer people a connection to their food source, and to keep their land and animals healthy and productive. They have 170 milking ewes, which rotationally graze on lush green pastures from May to October. The breeds, chosen especially for the quality of their milk, include East Fresian, Laucone, Tunis, and Dorset. The delicious rich and creamy milk from these well-loved sheep is the basis for the farm's award-winning cheeses.
Coomersdale is based on a recipe from the Pyrenees. It has a semi-firm consistency like a young Pecorino, but cave-aging adds a thin, natural rind and a slightly grainy yet smooth paste. Grassy, nutty, and earthy flavors combine in this delicious cheese to make it a stand-alone option if you're looking for a high-quality cheese to savor; otherwise, it pairs magically with sweet items like local honey or maple jelly.
Have a taste of this wonderful cheese this Saturday at the Old Creamery. You won't be disappointed! Remember, we'll take 10% off the regular purchase price of this superb cheese all day! Hope to see you this Saturday.
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Emmy's Recipes: Red Lentil Soup and Coconut-Cilantro Chutney
This week's recipes come from longtime Creamery cook and baker Emmy Howard.
This being the week before Thanksgiving, I considered offering a recipe for a holiday treat or for my favorite part of the Thanksgiving feast (creamed onions, in case you're wondering). But on second thought, I decided what I really wanted to write about is the day before Thanksgiving, when you're up to your elbows in pie dough and cranberry sauce, with hours of cooking still ahead and you need a quick, simple meal that will serve as a sort of appetizer for the next day's feast. Red Lentil Soup is the perfect answer: preparation is easy, cooking time is short, and the result is deliciously savory, yet not too rich. Red lentils are among the fastest-cooking and most digestible of legumes, especially when combined with herbs and spices that increase digestive "fire."
For a light meal, try the soup alone. For a more complete meal, serve the soup over basmati rice, along with Coconut-Cilantro Chutney--a recipe I learned from Ayurvedic cooking teacher Amadea Morningstar while I was studying to be an Ayurvedic Doula.
(Click here for links to the recipes.) |
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Following is one of a series of weekly articles in recognition of the United Nations' International Year of Cooperatives.
Single Moms in Mongolia Create Co-op Success
A truly remarkable story: in Mongolia, a small group of women who had lost their government jobs established Ur Jims ("Fruit Cooperative") in 1998. Today they run a successful agricultural business that is also reforesting some of the country's remotest areas. To read more about this inspiring enterprise, click here.
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Bring Out Your Seeds Saturday!
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 Seed Exchange at the Cummington Community House Saturday afternoon.
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 info@oldcreamery.coop. 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.
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