New Logo

 

This holiday season we reflect on the many gifts we have already received.

 

Our three-year effort to transition the Creamery to cooperative ownership was accomplished through the generosity of hundreds of people, many of whom do not live close by, and who seldom -- if ever -- get to the Old Creamery. Foremost in this category are the people in the broader cooperative community.

 

The sixth principle of cooperatives is "Cooperation among Cooperatives." We experienced so many tangible examples of this principle on a daily basis. We had access to a vast array of helpful information about operating and governing a cooperative business and much was readily accessible on the Internet in several co-op-centric forums.. Whenever we reached out to or visited any other co-op we received complete and immediate advice. Particularly notable was the consistent support we received from the Cooperative Development Institute, the Food Co-op Initiative, Field to Table, Neighboring Food Co-op Association, and our "sister" co-ops: Berkshire Co-op Market, Wild Oats, River Valley Market, Leverett Food Co-op, Franklin Community Co-op, and Putney Food Co-op. The staff and board members of these co-ops are mentors and will remain ongoing supporters of our work.

 

Closer to home, our member owners and co-op supporters have raised substantial sums of money through member equity, gifts, grants, and member-owner loans. What a great gift to live in such a caring and committed community.

 

Our greatest gift of all is the wonderful staff and customers of the Old Creamery Co-op. Each -- to a person -- makes the Creamery what it is and will continue to be the bedrock of our successful co-op.

 

While we are just now off and running, the Old Creamery Co-op is also embodying the sixth principle by providing advice and support to many who have been following our progress. We are documenting our business planning and cooperative development process and have been sharing tangible "lessons learned" with many others, including with a group working in New Mexico. Because we transitioned a privately held store to cooperative ownership, our work is perceived as groundbreaking and innovative. We feel that the opportunity to share what we've learned and to help others create their own cooperatives is in itself a gift.

 

We are truly part of a special community.

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Our New Logo, Thanks to Leslie Ann Charles
The Old Creamery has a handsome, bold new logo to help usher us into our new life and look as a co-op.  It was designed by Leslie Ann Charles of Chesterfield. The logo features the Creamery's distinctive figurehead, Camille the Cow, accompanied by strong typography that blends our old "country store" roots with a contemporary aesthetic. Leslie is a dedicated Creamery patron, active Hilltown community member (including co-organizer of the recent Gorge apres Gorge event), and the owner of LAC Design. Her logo designs can be seen at various spots along Route 9, from Bread Euphoria in Haydenville to Holiday Brook Farm in Dalton. And soon it will appear on The Old Creamery's new roadside signage, coming with our renovations. Many thanks to Leslie for donating her talent and time to give the Old Creamery this distinctive, fresh look.
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Cheese of the Week!

This week's sampling cheese is Alpha Tolman, a burly Alpine-style cheese made at Jasper Hill's state-of-the-art, 22,000 square foot, underground cheese aging facility in Greensboro, Vermont. It is a raw cow's milk cheese, aged 7-11 months.
Alpha Tolman is a Jasper Hill Creamery original, inspired by the classic Alpine cheeses of Europe with a modified recipe designed to showcase the cows and landscape of the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont. Its name pays homage to a Greensboro Ancestor - Mr. Alpha Tolman, a philanthropic dairy farmer.   
Alpha is made using the traditional Alpine methods of cooking and pressing the curds during cheese making to achieve a tight, elastic texture and robust, complex flavors. Fresh wheels are washed with a cultured brine to cultivate a rosy orange rind that imparts a funky depth to the ripening paste beneath. Young wheels have milky, fruit and nut flavors and a smooth mouth feel. Mature wheels are more bold and meaty with amplified butter and caramelized onion flavors carried by a rich and crystalline texture.Try pairing with a robust Ale, plummy red wine, or onion jam. Come down this Saturday and have a taste! Remember we'll take 10% off all day! Hope to see you soon.
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REMINDER - Share the warmth if you can 

Donate here at the Creamery.

Please consider sharing the wealth and the heat by donating to Tapestry Health's winter drive. Many of the Florence-based health agency's clients are homeless and cannot afford basic survival items such as clothes and blankets. And when you put something in the bin by the door at the Creamery, you can enjoy a free cup of coffee or tea!

 

This year, Tapestry needs all sorts of new and reusable winter items, but especially men's clothing. Some of the items that will help keep others warm and clean are coats, gloves, hats, scarves, socks*, jackets, mittens, blankets, boots, tents, sleeping bags, bath towels, wash cloths, underwear*, and long underwear* (*new items only, please).

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Alice suggests quick and cozy Spicy Chickpeas and Simple Couscous 

 

The diminishing afternoon/evening light seems to get my stomach rumbling for dinner much earlier than our usual late night dinner hour. When I tune into my natural rhythms, my body yearns for meals earlier and sleep much earlier than I am accustomed to. I look forward to tuning in more deeply this winter, listening to and responding to the internal callings that are in sync with the external cues, and finding the rhythms that are just right for Amy and me this winter.

But some nights we get home when it's dark, we're tired and hungry, and we want nourishing food on the table quickly. On these nights we turn to Spicy Chickpeas and Simple Couscous, adding a green vegetable for a complete dinner. This is our standard quick meal, often on the table in 20 minutes from the moment we begin thinking about dinner. Amy gets the fire roaring in the woodstove, I cook supper, and in less than a half hour, we're cozied up to the woodstove enjoying a nourishing, delicious meal and each other's company.

 

(Click here for a link to the recipe.)  

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

 

IYOC logo

Sustainable business regardless of the social system

Mongolia boasted 225 large collective farms before the Democratic revolution of 1990. From that point on most of the collective farms were privatized and then collapsed. The collective farms that did survive this process were few and each reorganized into a cooperative based model.  To read about one of these most successful cooperatives click here 

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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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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