Los Alamos Co-op Newsletter

Food For Thought

NEWSLETTER OF THE LOS ALAMOS COOPERATIVE MARKET (JANUARY 2013)

Greetings!

Happy New Year!

We are gearing up for a great year with more events and classes than last year. This month we have two Shop with the Chef classes, a board learning opportunity, new items in the meat department, and public meeting at the Co-op for the Los Alamos Youth Food Project. In February we launch our survey month, a new discussion course on food, ethics and sustainability, a beer and cheese pairing event showcasing Blue Heron Brewing Co, and another Shop with the Chef class. Enjoy!

Our regular hours are Monday through Saturday 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Your chance to get involved!

Here is an exciting opportunity to participate in the governance of your Co-op! Come to an informational meeting to learn about serving on the Board of Directors.

The informational meeting will be Tuesday, January 29, 2013 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express.

If interested, please RSVP prior to January 22 by signing up at the Co-op front desk or emailing vicepresident@losalamos.coop.

2012 Co-op Highlights

Wow, what an amazing year we had at the Co-op! Our first full fiscal year has been fraught with many triumphs and few disappointments. We started off the year with strong sales and had a great 1st Birthday Party with cake and the Hill Stompers marching band. In April we suffered from our refrigerated cases failing, but we found a highly professional refrigeration service tech company that now has our cases optimally operating. May saw us say good-bye to one of our original managers, Matt in grocery and welcomed Teo our new grocery manager. We also launched our first Co-opRocks! event for outreach to the youth community in Los Alamos.

Over the summer, in the spirit of the International Year of Cooperatives, the our management team headed up to Dixon (NM) Co-op to help their team achieve operational excellence, and we enjoyed the world debut of the video showcasing our co-op and our impact on the local economy (watch video). In October we cooperated with two other co-ops in Los Alamos, Del Norte Credit Union and Little Forest Play School, to promote National Co-op Month, and we had a successful member drive garnering 127 new/renewing members (thanks to Del Norte!).

November brought Thanksgiving and this year we sold over 50% more turkeys than last year. Finally in December we surpassed the $3M mark in sales for the first time in our history...whew! I want to thank each and every one of our members, customers, Board members, and staff for making this a successful year. Hey, and let's have another successful year in 2013...Happy New Year!

~Steve, GM

Upcoming Events for January and February

Jan. 22 Shop with the Chef: Antipasto 6-8 p.m.

($15 for members; Registration Required)

Jan. 29 Public Hearing for LA Youth Food Project at 6:30 p.m.

Jan. 31 Shop with the Chef: Raw Cuisine 6-8 p.m.

($15 for members; Registration Required)

Feb. 6 - Mar. 20 Discussion Course: Hungry for Change

(Free* for members; Registration Required)

*excluding book cost of $27

Feb. 7 Beer and Cheese Pairing 6:30 p.m.

($25 for members; Registration Required)

Feb. 16 Co-opROCKS! teen event at Warehouse 21 in S.F.

(Free for teens and young adults)

Feb. 26 Shop with the Chef: Asian Winter Cuisine 6-8 p.m.

($15 for members; Registration Required)

Co-op Events Page

Co-op Member Survey Starts February 1st

Survey month is nearly here. We will be offering a discount card upon completing the survey again this year. The member survey will be available in both paper and electronic versions starting February 1st. Members are limited to one survey and discount card per household. Members will be able to complete the survey and use the discount card by the end of February (2/28).

The Co-op uses the survey to assess our performance in several areas including customer satisfaction, communication, and to gain insight into our member's shopping pattern and demographics. We also use that information to communicate to co-op stakeholders how well we as an organization adhere to our Customer Service policy as well as the mission and vision of the co-op. These reports are presented to the Board in March and April and published on the website once approved/accepted by the Board of Directors.

Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Sandra West
Los Alamos Co-op Market

Check it Out!

Department News:

A Fresh Farewell

Starting 2013 on the Right Foot

New: Bison Steaks

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Tuesday,
January 22
6 to 8 PM

The Basics of Antipasto
with
Edwin Theodore

Antipasti, the Italian version of tapas or hors d'oevres, makes a great light meal at home, for entertaining guests, or pot lucks. Learn to master the art of antipasto and savor the evenings with this Shop with the Chef class on Tuesday, January 22 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Register at the Co-op Today!

__________________

Tuesday,
January 31
6 to 8 PM

Raw Cuisine
with
Jesse & Johanna Boudreau

Share in the splendor of preparing and tasting raw cuisine on Tuesday, January 31 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Register at the Co-op Today!

___________________

Wednesdays,
Feb. 6 - Mar. 20
6:30 to 7:30 PM

Co-op Discussion Course:
Hungry For Change: Food, Ethics and Sustainability

Explore the interconnected nature of food systems and our relationship to them.
Examine the impact our food choices have on our health, the health of others and the health of our planet.
Consider the ethical and political implications of our current food system and our personal food choices.

Register at the Co-op Today!

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Co-op Cookbook: