The Creamery Co-op: Democracy in Action We're thinking about the future! And we need you to do so, too!
The Co-op's first annual meeting of member-owners will be held in October 2013.
At this meeting, the Co-op's member-owners will elect members of the Co-op's board of directors, as well as conduct other business required to democratically run our cooperative. We will publish lots more about our annual meeting as we get closer to the date.
The Co-op's board of directors has formed a nominating committee (Kimberly Longey, Hattie Plehn, and Susi Westwood) to identify possible candidates for positions on the board.
The board currently has three vacancies. It may decide to fill some or all of these vacancies before the annual meeting and likely will do so if there are people interested and able to serve now. We will finalize the ballot for board nominations by early September.
You can learn more about the board, its powers and duties, and the nomination and election process by reviewing the board recruitment package, which is available in the store and online through the link at www.oldcreamery.coop/Content.php?63. The board recruitment packet contains an application to be a candidate for the board.
Think you might be interested in board service? Please reach out to any of us and we'll be glad to provide more information and share our experiences serving on the board. Thanks.
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Early Closing on Easter Sunday
As always, the Creamery will be closing early on Easter Sunday. Hours will be 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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Compost at the Creamery!
Get involved with the Creamery Compost Action Team and help us plan an improved system for the new store! We'd love your ideas and input on Tuesday, April 2, at 5 p.m. in the Sustainability library (upstairs at the Creamery; entrance in back). Light refreshments will be provided.
Contact Carly at Carly@oldcreamery.coop for the meeting agenda or questions. Thank you!
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Shelve It! All of our new shelving arrived last Friday, and as you can see in the photo below it was quite a pile of pretty heavy boxes. Notice that behind the pallet in the foreground is another of equal size. It's our plan to install the first section of new shelving within the next two weeks in front of the new produce bulk section, oriented front to back in the store. As usual, we will be looking for volunteers to help with unpacking and disassembling old shelves, installing new shelves, and restocking. If you can be available either of the next two Thursday evenings for this work party, please email Shirley at volunteer@oldcreamery.coop. We will firm up the exact day and time when we have enough help lined up. Work is already under way offsite to build the new checkout stations. The in-store work to prepare for that installation and the plumbing for the expansion of the kitchen and deli into the east-side porch area will be happening over the next two weeks as well. As always, thank you for your patience and support, excuse the occasional mess, and please let us help you locate the products you are looking for.  | |
Michael Kalagher and Sadie Stull ponder the load of new shelving.
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Cheese of the Week!
This weekend's sampling cheese is Verhampshire organic raw cow's milk cheese. It's crafted by Sawyer's Artisanal Cheese in Putney, Vermont, and aged in Walpole, New Hampshire.
Joseph, Sonia, and Ian Sawyer make Verhampshire together as a family. Joseph grew up on a  dairy farm in Walpole and started making cheese five years ago down the road at Boggy Meadow Farm. Catching the cheese-maker's bug, he enrolled in a series of classes at the Vermont Institute of Artisan Cheese and moved his burgeoning skills to the Ielpi Major Farm in Westminster, Vermont, home of Verano and Invierno cheese. With David Major's encouragement, Joseph began making his own cheese at the Ielpi Major Farm and aging it in a cave at his own farm in Walpole.
The result is Verhampshire, a raw organic cow's milk cheese washed with brine and aged for at least 60 days. It has a faint orange-pink rind that is dry to the touch and a creamy, buttery yellow interior with a nutty, earthy flavor and a clean finish. Verhampshire has been described as having a flavor like buttered popcorn with a mild and nutty quality that reminds one of a hayfield in summer. In the late summer of 2012, this cheese won the Gold Medal for washed rind cheese at the Fifth Annual Big E cheese competition.
Enjoy Verhampshire on a cheese plate, sliced thinly for breakfast on buttered toast, and for dessert with a sliced pear. Verhampshire pairs well with darker beers and hard cider as well as a range of wines.
So come in this Saturday and have taste. Remember, we'll take 10% off the regular price all day! Hope to see you this weekend!
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Superbugs Breed Due to Antibiotics in Livestock
You've probably heard the warnings before: the antibiotics administered to the nation's livestock are "a major public health problem, because giving healthy livestock these drugs breeds superbugs that can infect people. We need to know more about the use of antibiotics in the production of our meat and poultry. The results could be a matter of life and death." 
These particular words come from an op-ed piece in Wednesday's New York Times. Significantly, these words were written by David A. Kessler, commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration from 1990 to 1997. He continues, "We have more than enough scientific evidence to justify curbing the rampant use of antibiotics for livestock, yet the food and drug industries are not only fighting proposed legislation to reduce these practices, they also oppose collecting the data. Unfortunately, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, as well as the FDA, is aiding and abetting them." Click here to read the entire op-ed piece.
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Last Chance for Early Bird Pricing to Slow Living Summit
If you've been considering attending this June's Slow Living Summit in Brattleboro, Vermont, you have until Sunday, March 31, to take advantage of reduced early bird pricing. The Slow Living Summit bills itself as "a gathering focused on sustainable living, resilient communities, and the personal, inner transformations that are necessary for both." Click here for more information and to register.
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Farmers Revolt!
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 talk about Shays' Rebellion at the Shaw Memorial Library in Plainfield Tuesday evening.
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Stay in Touch! We Love to Hear from You!
For questions about Co-op membership, product requests, or suggestions or other feedback, please send a note to info@oldcreamery.coop. 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 board@oldcreamery.coop. 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 gm@oldcreamery.coop. 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 volunteer@oldcreamery.coop. There are many opportunities for volunteers. Emails sent to this address go directly to Shirley.
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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 (for best results, use the "Forward email" link in the white space at the bottom of this page). 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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