34 Cypress Street, Keene, NH

Mon- Sat, 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Sun 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.

(603) 355-8008

Co-op E-News: November 2014

Co-op Updates

Thank you to all who joined us for our Annual Meeting and Celebration on October 25th -- the turnout was fantastic. Our Board of Directors put on quite a celebration with dinner from the Co-op's deli, ample amounts of local beer and great bluegrass music to close out the night. We elected three new Board of Directors: Susan Ashworth, Lisa Maher and Jay Smeltz. You can learn more about them on our website.

Last week, we responded to customer feedback and went paperless at our cash registers. You now have the option of whether or not you want a printed receipt. We expect to save a lot of paper -- and trees! Please keep your suggestions coming.

We want to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving. We are so grateful for your continued support of our Co-op. While we will be closed on Thursday, November 27th, we look forward to seeing you on Plaid Friday on November 28th.

Yours cooperatively,

Michael Faber

Monadnock Food Co-op General Manager

2014 Monadnock Food Co-op
Cooperator of the Year: Sandy Hamm

We announced the inaugural Monadnock Food Co-op Co-operator of the Year Award at our Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 25, 2014. Sandy wasn't able to attend the ceremony, but she shared these thoughts with us in her place:

Why am I a Member-Owner and regular customer of the Co-op?

Supporting the Co-op is like supporting family. This is my Co-op and I have a commitment to its overall wellbeing. I choose to do my shopping at the Co-op because what is offered is of such good quality. My purchases support fair trade practices and local food producers and help to pay the wages of Co-op staff. I appreciate the responsiveness of the staff to requests for new products and the openness to share ideas. I have enjoyed the opportunity as a workshop instructor to share skills and knowledge about practices that in the past may have been learned from family elders or neighbors.

We Have All Your Holiday Needs Covered

Whether it's the ingredients you need to make all your Thanksgiving favorite, or a special side to accommodate a guest with food allergies, the Monadnock Food Co-op has you covered.

For our Family-Style and Holiday Plate offerings, please place your order at the Deli by November 23rd. A la carte menu also available.

Guess Who's Coming to (Thanksgiving) Dinner?

By Mary Veerkamp, Monadnock Food Co-op Marketing & Membership

You're all atwitter with anticipation until you discover that one of your guests has (fill in the blank) dietary restrictions. Holy moly: What do I feed a vegan at Thanksgiving dinner? Or, what the heck do I feed the gluten/dairy free/nut free guest? First, don't freak out. It isn't as insurmountable as it might seem. (Oh no! How do I make my famous mashed potatoes without milk and BUTTER?) There are a couple of simple ways to work with these issues.

Image from strongertogether.coop

What's On Sale?

Celebrate Plaid Friday at the Co-op

Show your support for independent businesses and wear PLAID on November 28th

The Monadnock Food Co-op is proud to serve as a Plaid Friday Hub again this year. Come dressed in plaid on Friday, November 28th and get a special thank you from us. We'll also hold a Plaid Friday Raffle and offer samples from local vendors like Walpole Valley Farms, Echo Farm Puddings and With Good Reasons Granola Bars.

From Noon - 3 p.m., local Photographer Kimberly Peck will offer a Plaid Friday Photo Booth in front of the Monadnock Food Co-op. Photos will be added to Monadnock Buy Local's Plaid Friday collage, celebrating all who wore plaid and showed their support for locally owned businesses and our local economy. In addition to wearing plaid in your photo, we encourage you to show off your shopping bags from all the locally owned businesses that you've visited this holiday season!

Photographs will be available for purchase through Kimberly Peck Photography, www.kimberlypeckphotography.com or kpeckphoto@comcast.net. See all the details on our Plaid Friday Event Page.

Co-op Corner: Land, Co-ops, Compost

Originally published in YES! Magazine

From kitchens that buy and sell locally grown food, to a waste co-op that will return compost to the land, new enterprises are building an integrated food network. It's about local people keeping the wealth of their land at home. Read "A Local Food Economy Emerges in Boston's Poorest Neighborhoods"