New Logo

 

Like Us, Please 

 

The Co-op launched its new Facebook page on Sunday. Already we have nearly 150 "likes." FB Like This new page is a really handy way for us to post new products, what's happening at the Co-op and around the Hilltowns, and other fun stuff. Please check it out (click here) and like us today!

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Great Turnout for Community Meeting

Sixty-seven people turned out on Sunday to mingle with friends, enjoy fabulous Creamery-made refreshments, and hear an update on the current Co-op renovations and what's in store, literally and figuratively. Co-op member-owners and supporters joined the Board of Directors, general manager, and volunteer coordinator. We received really great feedback and suggestions and will provide a lengthier report next week. In the meantime, thanks for coming!

 

And if you couldn't make the meeting and want your own personal update, please be in touch with any member of our board or send a note to [email protected]. We love to hear from you.
Food Table
Perusing the fantastic Creamery-made goodies at Sunday's Co-op gathering.

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You Can Help Hilltowns Family Rebuild

Eric and Monica Driver and their infant daughter lost their home to fire Saturday evening on Stage Road in Cummington. The family was not home at the time of the blaze, but their dog and two cats were killed. The Drivers plan to rebuild on the land that was Eric's grandfather's farm, and the Hilltowns are coming together to help the family recover from their uninsured losses.

 

Community members can donate to a rebuild account at Cummington Supply (18 Main Street, Cummington, 413-634-8868; the fund is listed under "Eric Driver"). Donations can also be made to the Driver Family Fund, which has been set up at the Amherst branch of Florence Savings Bank (any branch of the bank will accept donations to the fund). Finally, the Cummington Family Center (located at the Cummington Community House, 33 Main Street) is accepting books to replace a destroyed library for the Drivers' daughter (for more information, contact 413-634-8853 or [email protected]). You can click here to read a Gazette article about the fire and community support for the Drivers.

 

Once again, the Hilltowns have rallied to help their own. We are all so fortunate to be part of this community.

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Send Mail to Your Co-op; We Love to Hear from You!

 

You can stay in touch with your Co-op by using one of several email addresses.

 

For questions about Co-op membership, product requests, or suggestions or other feedback, please send a note to [email protected]. We'll make sure your note is sent to the appropriate person and that you get a prompt response.

 

If you'd like to contact the Co-op's Board of Directors, simply send your email to [email protected]. Emails sent to this address are received only by the board.

 

To reach Karen Doherty, the Co-op's general manager, send an email to [email protected]. Emails sent to this address are received only by Karen.

 

If you're thinking of becoming a valued volunteer of the Co-op, you can reach Shirley Todd, volunteer coordinator, at [email protected]. There are many opportunities for volunteers. Emails sent to this address go directly to Shirley.

 

Stay in touch! It's your Co-op.
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Come Meet the Man Behind Black Rooster Rye!

Don't miss your chance to meet the man behind the bread! John Melngailis will be at the Creamery Co-op this Saturday afternoon from about 3 to 7 p.m. to tell the story of his Black Rooster logo wonderful Black Rooster Baltic Rye breads. Here is a little about John and his bread:

 

Black Rooster Foods is a friends-and-family enterprise founded in 2009 by John, a Maryland-based professor of electrical engineering who was born in Riga, Latvia. John (given name Janis) loves all good food, especially rye bread, which was the bread of his childhood, the bread baked at home by his mother. Appalled by the spongy, characterless bread of his adopted homeland, John had long dreamed of sharing Latvian rye bread with his fellow Americans. Fueling this desire is his understanding that rye bread is not just delicious, it is intensely nutritious and fiber-filled.

 

So do come in and taste, and talk with John; he loves to talk!

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Pierce Bros Coffee Coming to the Creamery!

   

 

You spoke...we heard! Coming soon, in addition to our other fine locally roasted coffees, we'll be adding Greenfield's Pierce Bros Coffee to our selection. Air roasted, 100 percent organic, 100 percent Fair Trade...but really all it takes is one sip of their very special Fogbuster and you'll be hooked!

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Cheese of the Week!

This week's sampling cheese is Garrotxa, a goat's milk cheese produced in the Catalonia region of northern Spain. This Garrotxa (pronounced gah-ROACH-ah) is made in a traditional manner by Garrotxa a small artisanal creamery known for its consistently high quality, and it shows! These beautiful wheels have a semi-soft and compact texture and a light but noticeable coating of velvety, blue-gray mold. The flavor is milky and delicate with a hint of nuttiness and a clean, smooth finish. Garrotxa pairs well with most sparkling wines and Champagne, many whites, as well as many Iberian varietals including Albari�o, Tempranillo, Periquita, Garnacha, Sherries, and Portos.

 

In the episode "Greased Lightning" on TV's MythBusters, the hosts found that Garrotxa is an ideal cheese for use as a cannonball, due to its firmness and elasticity. (Please, folks, don't try this at home!)

 

Come in this weekend to have a taste. Remember, we'll take 10% off the regular price all day Saturday! Hope to see you this weekend!

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Bigger, But Not Better: Help Stop the Frankenfish

This in from the Center for Food Safety, which "sharply criticized the December 21 US Food and

GE salmon
Bad Fish, Good Fish

Drug Administration's (FDA) announcement releasing an Environmental Assessment on the controversial AquaBounty AquaAdvantage transgenic salmon. The FDA action is widely viewed as confirmation that the Obama Administration is prepared to approve shortly the first genetically engineered (GE) animal intended for human consumption in the face of widespread opposition."

 

"It is extremely disappointing that the Obama Administration continues to push approval of this dangerous and unnecessary product," said Andrew Kimbrell, executive director for Center for Food Safety. "The GE salmon has no socially redeeming value; it's bad for the consumer, bad for the salmon industry, and bad for the environment. FDA's decision is premature and misguided."

 

To learn more about this engineered fish, click here. To sign a petition urging disapproval of the fish, click here (deadline for comments is February 25).

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Busting Food Myths

The Food MythBusters team (not to be confused with the folks who use cheese as cannonballs) has announced a new website and movie series that take on some of biggest myths about Food mythbusters sustainable food. The first film, Do We Really Need Industrial Agriculture to Feed the World?, is just six and half minutes long and can be viewed online (click here) or can be procured for your group's event. The website offers companion reading guides and much more. To check out the website, click here.

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Hey, Buddy, Can You Spare Ten Grand for a Cup o' Joe?

"Thanks" to climate change, our grandchildren may find it impossible to find a good cup of coffee. In a study published in the journal Plos One in November, British and Ethiopian researchers point to the possible extinction this century of wild Arabica beans, the beans used in most of the world's coffee. They came up with a best-case scenario that predicts a 38 percent reduction in land capable of yielding Arabica by 2080; the worst-case scenario puts the loss at between 90 percent and 100 percent. To read more about the study, click here. To access the research article itself, click here.

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Dance Till You Feel Better! 

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 free music and movement program for children at the Worthington Public Library on Saturday.

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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.

 

 

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