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The Little Gallery

(that's big on LOCAL creativity)

 

 

 

-Georgia O'Keeffe

 

The Little Gallery
The Little Gallery

We don't have a lot of room for the troves of great

creative and useful products that come to life in the hills and valleys surrounding the Old Creamery Co-op. But we are  proud to provide customers and travelers with a sample of the products produced in the many hidden byways throughout these Hilltowns. That's why we're so excited to announce that the Little Gallery has been reinstalled after a brief hiatus due to construction.

 

A great selection of pottery, for eating, drinking, gifting, and admiring is back on display on the shelves lining the caf�, as well as woodcraft and delightful, artisan broom design.

 

Works by Jeffery Lipton Pottery, Maya Machin Pottery, Justamere Tree Farm, E.M. Smith Pottery, The Sow's Ear, and more are represented. Visit our Old Creamery Crafts page to learn more about the many creative local people whose works have beautified our space. The Old Creamery hopes to expand the Little Gallery soon, perhaps with visual art, and is always interested in showcasing the work of our local masters. See this link for other creative folks in our midst.

 

Your Old Creamery co-op has a long history of supporting local creative people by using its prominent public location to expose you to the creative works of the many folks who are hiding out in our Hilltowns. We are also happy to support and endorse the efforts of the Hilltown Artisan's Guild, Arts Alive, the Hilltown 6 pottery tours and other efforts that support our creative friends and neighbors.  

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Bulk Herbs, Spices, and Teas

 

Karen Doherty, our General Manager, was very excited about the new location, meticulously organized, for the bulk herbs, spices, and teas.

 

Bulk herbs, spices, and teas at the Old Creamery!

It is neat and organized. But then, if you look closer, you can't help but wonder: what are they charging at the big supermarkets these days for a few ounces of oregano, Earl Grey tea, or cinnamon?

 

The answer is: generally a lot more for lesser quality "name brand" spices than you'll pay at the Old Creamery Co-op for the good stuff. Primarily comprised of items from Frontier Natural Products Co-op, our selection of bulk, loose herbs, spices and teas represent more than just great savings on superior foodstuffs.

 

Visit the "About Us" page at Frontier. You will likely be astounded at the organization's unlikely history. Founded in 1976 in Eastern Iowa, Frontier has gone from a two-person operation working out of a cabin on the Cedar River to an international supplier that encompasses hundreds of thousands of square feet of operational space in multiple states, as well as hundreds of acres of sustainable agriculture. Not only that, but Frontier is responsible for many, many first in the cosmos of quality of life for its employees, innovation in organic horticulture and processing, and a global vision of healthier living.

 

Read all about the philosophy of this purveyor of herbs, spices, foods, teas, body care products on Frontier's website, encapsulated in the following belief:

  

"Our work is driven by the belief that fostering environmental responsibility is crucial to our world's future."

 

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Fresh from the Farm

 

Boy! Do we look forward to this slim window of gastronomical opportunity! The peak produce window is right now! Darn near everything we've been waiting for is here, and it would be absolute folly to let these fruits and veggies pass without taking a great big bite as they slide on by.

 

This week we will proudly offer produce from The Kitchen Garden in Sunderland, MA.

Potato fields of The Kitchen Garden

Heirloom Tomatoes, Beefsteak Tomatoes, Mixed hot peppers, Rosa Bianca and Japanese eggplant, Red butterhead lettuce, Tuscan kale and Bright Lights chard, Along with lemon basil, Thai basil and cinnamon basil in limited quantities.

 

Remember all produce is available while supplies last. Your best chance to get these items will be late Friday and Saturday; by Sunday they may be sold out.

 

Thanks! 

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Help Us Maximize Our Local Produce!

 

We love to bring in as many local fruits and vegetable as possible when they are in season. Many local farms deliver to the store but there are other farms that can'tand we need to make the pick-up ourselves.

 

Harvest season is also our own busiest time of the year, so it is often not possible for staff to be away from the store for the time it takes to drive there and back. This week a member-owner let us know she would be in the valley and would be happy to pick up as many local fruits and vegetables as she could fit in her hatchback. What you cannot see in the photo below is that she also filled the passenger seat with more berries!

 

Hatchback full of produce
Hatchback full of produce!

  

Can you help? If you travel to the valley with any regularity and would like to be part of our supply chain, contact Peter Mitchell, our produce manager: [email protected], or call the store 634-5560 and ask for Peter. If you only make an occasional trip, call Peter a day or so before and ask if there is anything you can pick up for the co-op.

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Cheese of the Week

Kirkham's Lancaster

 

Kirkham's Lancashire
Kirkham's Lancaster

Okay, so the phrase "buttery crumble" evokes a richness and decadence that might make a few cardiologists cringe. Still...all things in moderation, right? We started thinking about all the implications of a cheese that is aged naturally, with very little starter, and sealed on the outside with BUTTER, and knew we had to tempt our cheese-addict friends with this tangy, lemony Kirkham's Lancashire direct from the UK .

 

Created by a true family operation, this cheese is crafted by Graham Kirkham, who lifted the recipe from his mum while his father milks the cows. The cheese uses unpasteurized milk (pregnant women please take note) and real animal rennet (vegetarians take note). But for those who celebrate the glories of traditional, unpasteurized cheese-making, give this wondrous delicacy a try, and support the last Lancaster cheese maker to offer unpasteurized cheeses.

 

Consider trying Kirkham's Lancaster on your favorite cracker OR in a veggie or veggie and grilled chicken wrap!

 

 

 

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Our Co-op, Minute by Minute

 

We need someone to help take notes at the monthly board meetings. The minutes of our meetings serve many purposes, including documenting the journey of our Co-op, but the most important one is to record the deliberations and decisions of the board. The note taker position is a volunteer role.

 

That said, the Co-op board will commit to a $50 per month stipend to help defray costs of traveling to and from meetings and the time in the meeting and taking the follow up notes. The stipend can be paid in US currency or via a declining balance gift card good for purchases at the Co-op. We are seeking an individual with some experience as a minute-taker for a business, non-profit, civic, or governmental body. Ideally, the individual would make a minimum one-year commitment to serve.

 

We are also open to a few people sharing this position, and backing each other up (and already have one offer of back up from the person who did this during our start-up phase). Examples of prior meeting minutes are available in the "board book" (the white 3-ring binder in the east corner of the store near the card carousel). Interested? This is a great way to support your Co-op!

 

Please contact Hattie Plehn at [email protected] or Kimberly Longey at [email protected] for more information.

 

 

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Deadline for Applications for Board of Directors

AUGUST 23!

 

Our Co-op will have its first annual meeting in mid-October (stay tuned for the exact date) and this meeting will include the first member-owner election of the Co-op's board! Our business is governed by a volunteer board of directors (minimum of 6 and maximum of 9 directors). So far we have 8 candidates who are interested, willing, and able to serve. We'd love to be able to put forth a full slate.

 

The Co-op's nominating committee encourages anyone interested in running for election to contact us. The deadline for applications is August 23rd. We will be preparing a slate of nominees by mid-September for distribution to all member-owners. Board recruitment will be a perennial activity for our Co-op.

 

Why consider this opportunity now? A long time Creamery staffer, founding member-owner and current board member provides her thoughts:

 

"Board work can be time-consuming, complex, and, at times, difficult. It requires a serious commitment to responsible stewardship to ensure that our member-owners loyalty, love and investment in our little Creamery Co-op are properly cared for.

 

I'll tell you why I am a member-owner. Being a member owner, for me, is, oddly, an act of faith. This little rural store supports more than 30 jobs and families and, as importantly, supports more than 100 small farm families and growers, potters and poets, makers of soaps and sauces. This little co-op offers a way for folks to stay in the hilltowns, young folks to move here or back here, to have a place to sell their meat from small herds, local eggs and vegetables, it's a way of preserving what we have and offering a future to a rural way of life.

 

"When you become member owner, you support not just one small store, you support a whole community. This is the 99% owning our own store, about changing the world we dreamed of in our youth, made real in lumber and stone and heart and soul. When you become a member, you become that pebble in the pond that ripples out to an entire community; you become what sustains us and offers us a future."

 

-- Patty Kimura

 

An informational packet about the board responsibilities and application process can be obtained by clicking here.

 

The Co-op nominating committee members are happy to talk with you about this great way to support your Co-op. And we'd be happy to talk with you about opportunities to help the Co-op by participating in the work of our standing committees: Finance, Nominating, Outreach, and Personnel.

 

Kimberly Longey - [email protected]

Hattie Plehn - [email protected]

Susi Westwood - [email protected]

 

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Help Wanted!
 

Love the Creamery? Why not work here? We have immediate openings for part-time deli help. We are looking for a friendly, people-loving, detail-oriented people to join our staff. Interested? Call Karen (634-5560) or stop by to pick up an application.


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 [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.

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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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Quick Links

Creamery Specials and Sales                    Bulk Purchase Program  

445 Berkshire Trail

Cummington, Massachusetts 01026

413.634.5560