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 Mon- Sat, 7 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sun 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
(603) 355-8008
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Spring So Soon
Spring seems to be coming especially fast this year, which to me feels like a mixed blessing. I welcome the warm air and sunshine after the long, dark days of winter, but this extra warm weather reminds me about the long term impacts of climate change -- and the critical need for all of us to focus on sustainability and regeneration. This month's newsletter includes an article about Martin's Farm, a composting facility that is greatly expanding our ability to return food waste to the soil, as well as other efforts to build a more sustainable community.
Raw Milk Update  We are sorry to share this news with you: Flying Cloud Dairy, our major supplier of local, raw, grass-fed, organic milk, is no longer selling their product to retail stores -- including Monadnock Food Co-op. Small herd raw milk production is a high-risk business, with high labor and resource costs that can be challenging for many farmers to sustain over the long run.
Bill Jahos and his partner, Kelly, sold their herd of cows to an organic dairy in New York. We can only imagine what a difficult decision this was for them. We extremely appreciate all their work, serving our community which high quality dairy products for over 15 years.
Our Perishable Buyer, Peter Moore, is diligently working to source more raw milk, contacting many in-state suppliers (federal regulations prohibit the sale of raw milk products across state lines). Currently, we are establishing a new relationship with a certified organic, grass-fed dairy herd in Goffstown which, barring any unforeseen derailments, should be on our shelves in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, we will continue to stock raw milk products from Brookford Farm in Canterbury, which provides excellent high quality, pasture-based, sustainably raised products. We increased our Brookford Farm order from one to two deliveries per week -- a quadrupling of our orders, in an attempt to fill the void.
Thank you for your patience during this transition. If you have any questions, please reach out to me directly or our dairy buyer Peter Moore at perishable@monadnockfood.coop.
Cooperatively, Michael FaberGeneral Manager, Monadnock Food Co-op
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Martin's Farm:
Solving Our Food Waste Problem One Banana Peel at a Time 
By Megan Straughen, Co-op Sustainability CoordinatorAs you may have heard, the Co-op recently expanded its composting capacity through a new partnership with Martin's Farm in Greenfield, MA. On an unusually warm February day I ventured down to tour the farm where our organic waste would soon become nutrient dense, certified organic compost.
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Equal Exchange: Empowering Small Growers
By Mary Veerkamp, Co-op Outreach & Education Coordinator
While building a strong local food system and improving the local economy are cornerstones of Monadnock Food Co-op's mission, Equal Exchange (EE) takes a different, but nonetheless awe-inspiring, approach to supporting and empowering small growers - primarily in the tropical regions of our home planet (predominantly from the Equator north to the Tropic of Cancer and south to the Tropic of Capricorn). Discover what makes Equal Exchange different.
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Upcoming Events
CSA Farm FairMarch 13, 2:00 - 5:00pm at the Co-op
If you are considering investing in a CSA farm share this growing season, stop by the Co-op Cafe from 2-5pm to lean about the range of different options from 9 farms in the Monadnock Region. Find the farm share that fits your needs and preferences. View event details.  Maple, MAPLE, Maple!
March 15, 6:00 - 8:00pm at Stonewall Farm
Join Kati from Woodard's Sugar House as she takes you on a delicious journey of easy ways to incorporate a healthier sugar option (Maple) into your diet. Cost: $45. Registration required. View event details.
Delightfully Healthy Cooking Series March 25, 4:30 - 6:30pm at the Co-op
Nutrition students from the Keene State College Dietetic Internship present a healthy, delicious recipe based on seasonal produce. Cost: Free. View event details.
Tree Pruning March 26, 1:00 - 4:00pm at W.S. Badger, Gilsum
What are the benefits of pruning? When, how and with what should we prune our trees? Join Badger for an informative discussion and hands-on demonstration of the tools and techniques for pruning various types of fruit trees led by Anton Elbers from Orchard Hill Farm. Cost: $10-$25 (sliding scale). Registration required. View event details.
The Local Economy Solution: Pollinator Enterprises April 7, 7:00 - 8:30pm at the Keene State College Alumni Center, Keene
Catch all the buzz around Pollinator Enterprises and how these innovative business models grow jobs, prosperity and strengthen local living economies. Keynote speaker Michael Shuman is an author, economist, attorney and community economics expert. This event is part of the Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce Regional Issues Series. Cost: Free. View event details.
How to Grow a Totally Organic Garden
April 14, 6:30 - 8:00pm at the Railroad Square Conference Room (next to the Co-op)
This is a presentation on how to grow a beautiful garden. With over 100 color pictures designed to provide insights and how-to information on soil preparation, planting, weeding, thinning and harvesting, this gives participants the tools that they need to plant and maintain a garden. Cost: FREE. Registration required. View event details.
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 Community Corner
Application Period Open:
Farm Scholarship Program
Does your child have interest in farms or gardening? Would he or she like to explore these interests this summer? The Jeffrey P. Smith Farm Scholarship endeavors to connect young people with agriculture and the natural world around them. The Monadnock Localvores hope to inspire the next generation of local farmers and local food supporters, by giving regional children an opportunity, through summer camp, after school programs, or membership to NOFA-NH, to experience sustainable farming practices first-hand and watch their efforts bear fruit. Applications due: March 31, 2016.
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 Co-op Corner
Investing Like This Locavore Co-op
Won't Leave a Bad Taste in Your Mouth
Originally Posted at Next CityIn the co-op capital model, instead of producers needing to put up collateral (like a car title or land deed), La Montaņita puts up a pool of deposits raised from its members as collateral to Nusenda for loans to individual producers with whom the co-op does business. In this way, co-op capital becomes as much about further empowering members to invest in the local economy as it is about getting the co-op's producers access to the capital they need but can't get any other way because of a lack of collateral or credit history.
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 Board Meetings 3rd Monday of each month at 4:45pm in SCS Railroad Square Senior Housing Conference Room
49 Community Way, Keene
If you are interested in attending, please
contact the board.
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Hours
Monday - Saturday
7:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday
9:00am - 9:00pm
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