FOOD CONSPIRACY CO-OP COMMUNITY...

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FoOD COnSpIRACY CO-Op COMMUNITY NEWS volume 46, issues 11 + 12 / november + december, 2013 / member-owned since 1971 Statement of Cooperative Identity A cooperative is an autonomous association of people united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically- controlled enterprise. Food Conspiracy Values 1. We adhere to the internationally recognized Rochdale Principles for co-operatives. 2. We promote whole, natural, organic, and chemical-free products with minimal packaging. 3. We value openness, honesty, and integrity with each other and the community. 4. We seek, through cooperative effort, to provide a humane, fulfilling environment in which to work and shop. 5. We promote social justice by encouraging and respecting diversity. 6. We strive for a sustainable, healthy ecology through use of clean, renewable resources. Co-op Principles 1. Voluntary and open member-ownership. 2. Democratic member-owner control. 3. Member-owner economic participation. 4. Autonomy and independence. 5. Education, training, and information. 6. Cooperation among cooperatives. 7. Concern for community. Co-op principles were first stated by the Rochdale pioneers in 1844. The cooperative principles are guidelines by which we put our values into practice. If you haven’t started your own brood, this year’s chicken coop tour is a great place to start. This self-guided tour is designed to educate, encourage and inform people about the joys and challenges of chicken rearing. Ever wondered how best to feed hens nutritious food and keep them cool over long summer months? How do you raise chicks? What do you do when your hens are egg-bound? This is your chance to learn from experi- enced chicken keepers and have fun too. There are several exciting new coops on this year’s tour, including one at the home of Lisa and Catlow Shipek, who are the executive director and senior project manager and the Watershed Management Group, which recently oversaw the installation of the co-op’s new rainwater harvesting system. People who take the Chicken Coop Tour can also stop and see the new coop at the Tucson Botanical Gardens. Michael Conklin, the Director of Horticulture at the Bo- tanical Gardens, says the organization’s coop is currently under construction, but that it will be ready in time for the tour. Finally, there is a coop at the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, as well as several schools on the tour. This year, like last year, the tour has a co-sponsor, Zenhens, a Tucson-based cooperative that shares many of the co-op’s values. Zenhens’ goal is to deliver a consis- tent source of local, fresh, organically raised chicken eggs and organic produce. How it works Step 1. Purchase your tickets online or at the Food Conspiracy Co-op. Tickets are $5. We’ll add you to a list of participants. Step 2. We’ll email you an information packet that includes a map all participating coops, as well as a description of each coop, its breeds and other features. Participants who prefer can pick up their information packet at the store. Step 3. On Saturday, December 7, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., ticket holders may visit as many of the chicken coops on the tour as they wish. At each participating coop there will be at least one per- son available to answer questions about their chickens. Many of the tour stops have other sustainability features like rainwater harvesting, greywater systems, desert gardens and solar ovens. Feel free to ask about these as well! Ticket Sales We’ll begin selling tickets on November 1. You will be able to purchase tickets online, through the co-op’s web- site, or at the store. The cost is $5 per ticket, and partici- pants are limited to 300 people. Please purchase tickets in advance. Tickets have sold out in previous years. Tucson Chicken Coop Tour When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, December 7 Where: Multiple coops throughout town Cost: $5 More online: www.foodconspiracy.coop IT’S TIME TO BUILD YOUR BROOD THE SIXTH ANNUAL TUCSON CHICKEN COOP TOUR IS HERE Kelly Watters, Outreach + Education Coordinator

Transcript of FOOD CONSPIRACY CO-OP COMMUNITY...

Page 1: FOOD CONSPIRACY CO-OP COMMUNITY NEWSfoodconspiracy.coop/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/Community-News-FINAL1.pdfproducts as locally and sustain-ably produced as possible. • A thriving,

FOOD CONSPIRACY CO-OP

COMMUNITY NEWSvolume 46, issues 11 + 12 / november + december, 2013 / member-owned since 1971

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If you haven’t started your own brood, this year’s chicken coop tour is a great place to start. This self-guided tour is designed to educate, encourage and inform people about the joys and challenges of chicken rearing.

Ever wondered how best to feed hens nutritious food and keep them cool over long summer months? How do you raise chicks? What do you do when your hens are egg-bound? This is your chance to learn from experi-enced chicken keepers and have fun too.

There are several exciting new coops on this year’s tour, including one at the home of Lisa and Catlow Shipek, who are the executive director and senior project manager and the Watershed Management Group, which recently oversaw the installation of the co-op’s new rainwater harvesting system.

People who take the Chicken Coop Tour can also stop and see the new coop at the Tucson Botanical Gardens. Michael Conklin, the Director of Horticulture at the Bo-tanical Gardens, says the organization’s coop is currently under construction, but that it will be ready in time for the tour.

Finally, there is a coop at the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, as well as several schools on the tour.

This year, like last year, the tour has a co-sponsor, Zenhens, a Tucson-based cooperative that shares many of the co-op’s values. Zenhens’ goal is to deliver a consis-tent source of local, fresh, organically raised chicken eggs and organic produce.

How it worksStep 1. Purchase your tickets online or at the Food Conspiracy Co-op. Tickets are $5. We’ll add you to a list of participants.

Step 2. We’ll email you an information packet that includes a map all participating coops, as well as a description of each coop, its breeds and other features. Participants who prefer can pick up their information packet at the store.

Step 3. On Saturday, December 7, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., ticket holders may visit as many of the chicken coops on the tour as they wish.

At each participating coop there will be at least one per-son available to answer questions about their chickens. Many of the tour stops have other sustainability features like rainwater harvesting, greywater systems, desert gardens and solar ovens. Feel free to ask about these as well!

Ticket SalesWe’ll begin selling tickets on November 1. You will be able to purchase tickets online, through the co-op’s web-site, or at the store. The cost is $5 per ticket, and partici-pants are limited to 300 people. Please purchase tickets in advance. Tickets have sold out in previous years.

Tucson Chicken Coop TourWhen: 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, December 7Where: Multiple coops throughout townCost: $5More online: www.foodconspiracy.coop

IT’S TIME TO BUILD YOUR BROODTHE SIXTH ANNUAL TUCSON CHICKEN COOP TOUR IS HEREKelly Watters, Outreach + Education Coordinator

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GENERALLY SPEAKINGKelley Kriner, General Manager

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In the last couple of years the Food Conspiracy has made a lot of big changes, things you noticed right away when you walked in the doors. We exposed the brick on the walls. We added new signage and a new aluminum awning. Maybe most noticeable of all: we finally installed air conditioning! And guess what? It worked! The fiscal year that ended on September 30 saw sales increase by over 17%.

Now we’re getting ready for a few changes that will be less obvious, but just as significant.

New Outreach + Education CoordinatorI am pleased to announce that we have hired Kelly Watters as Outreach and Education Coordinator. Kelly comes to us from the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, where she started and managed the Farmers Markets and eventually began coordinating and connecting border food projects, investing through grants in the local infrastructure and hosting regional conferences to gather multi-state support for increas-ing our regional food production.

At the co-op, Kelly has her plate full already. She’s now overseeing donations and expanding our presence at community events. Next she will be developing our education program, which will include classes held in our new Community Room and hopefully in the not too distant future the co-op garden. Feel free to contact Kelly at [email protected].

Changing the definition of LOCALOur shoppers like to buy local. But what is local? At the Food Conspiracy Co-op, we’ve always said that anything that is grown or produced within 100 miles of the co-op is local. But in September, the co-op’s man-agement team voted to change that definition. Now, we define “local” as anything that is grown or produced within 200 miles of the co-op.

Why the change? Throwing our support behind farmers, ranchers and producers in places like Phoenix, Mesa, and Douglas will ensure that more of your money stays in Arizona. But there are other benefits too:

• Local product producers help create products that

THANKSGIVINGT U R K E Y S

No PreservativesVegetarian Diet

No Antibiotics EverRaised Without Added Hormones

Gluten Free

mary’s FREE RANGE turkeysAvailable for purchase at $2.19/lb beginning early November.

mary’s ORGANIC turkeysAvailable for purchase at $3.39/lbbeginning early November. Organic turkeys are NOT gluten-free this season.

Sorry, no pre-orders. Birds are available on a first-

come, first-served basis. Please remember it may

take up to three days to defrost your frozen turkey.

These turkeys are raised on healthful grains and allowed to roam in areas four times the size of the average commercial turkey ranch. Their high protein diet provides the optimum amount of nutrients for the turkey to grow into a bigger and more flavorful turkey than one typically found in the supermarket. You won’t find any antibiotics, animal by-products, preservatives or hormones in a Mary’s Free-Range Turkey. For more information visit: marysturkeys.com.

the co-op will beclosed thanksgiving

november 28

christmas dayandalso

new year’s day

continued on page 10

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tis the seasonLooking for the perfect gift this holiday season? we’ve got you covered.t-shirtsonesiesreuseable water bottles

co-op gift cardsco-op cookbooksco-op mugs

BOARD REPORTRob McLane, Board President

Co-op Ends StatementThe Food Conspiracy Co-op’s purpose is to provide:

• Healthy, high quality food and products as locally and sustain-ably produced as possible.• A thriving, ethical, environmen-tally conscious and cooperatively owned business.• Education that encourages informed choices about health, food, the environment and cooperatives.• An expanding presence in the community.

Owner LinkageCo-op owners interested play-ing a larger role are encour-aged to attend the Owner Linkage Committee meetings. Contact committee chair Robert Oser at [email protected] to find out the date and time of the next meeting. The Committee explores ways to facilitate and enhance communication between Owners and the Board, so that the Board may better do its job of representing the interests of the owners in the operation of the co-op.

Did you know?In October, the Young Farmers Coalition held an open house event in the Food Conspiracy’s community room, where farm-ers from Sleeping Frog Farms, Forever Yong Farms, Walking J Farms and others wrote letters to the FDA with concerns for rules changes that will affect their livelihood.

food conspiracy board meetings Food Conspiracy Board Meetings are held the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Hoff Building, located behind the co-op at 425 E. Seventh Ave. All owners are welcome. Stay involved in co-op decision-making and accrue time towards a co-op discount for your attendance. (For three hours of time accrued, members receive a month-long 5% discount the following month.) The next board meetings will be on:

wednesday, november 6wednesday, december 4

for OCTOBER 2013

Happy Fall! The calendar year is winding down, but the fiscal year at Food Conspiracy Co-op has just started. The previous fiscal year, 2012-13, focused on bringing the store successfully through many changes. While renovating the store is great by itself, the real success is long-term implementation that makes those changes worthwhile. The staff worked hard to follow through on the potential benefits of the renovations, and it has paid off. We ended this fiscal year in good finan-cial health. While our profitability was not as high as budgeted, our other measures of financial stability are strong. Because of this, our co-op is well-positioned for further growth.

You might say, why grow more? Aren’t we doing well? Aren’t we a good size right now? These are valid ques-tions in a world where “bigger is better” dominates the marketplace. In our case, on the board we see growth as a way to get more people involved in smart food choices, and to get more people involved in a great cooperative enterprise.

What does this growth look like? That is the question that the board spends its time thinking about, along with the GM and staff of the store. We want it to be growth that serves you, the owners, and future owners, as well as the Tucson community as a whole. At our recent board meeting we did an exercise of envisioning what a newspaper headline might say about our Co-op five years from now. Two favorites had to do with serv-ing students on campus, and with developing an urban

farm plot on a closed school campus.

Its hard to believe, but we are preparing for board elections again. There are two seats up for election, as well as two that are currently unfilled. The deadline for applying to be a candidate for the board was Novem-ber 1. If you missed it, but are interested in the board, please contact us so the board knows of your interest and can be personally in touch with you in the future. And as always, owners are invited to board meetings, which begin with dinner at 6 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month.

ADVERTISE IN COMMUNITY NEWSAdvertising in Community News is a great way to reach the active, engaged, and community-minded of Tucson. Find ad rates and more information online at foodconspiracy.coop, or email: [email protected]

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Simply put, we are at a food crossroads in this country. As our nation’s farmers continue to age, younger farmers are not filling those roles at the same rate. Consequently, family farms are quickly disappearing from our rural landscapes, leaving a gaping hole in our country’s food security. In recent years, however, we’ve seen a hopeful groundswell of young people choosing to pursue a career and a lifestyle in agriculture. And since I am one of those young farmers, I feel a particular kinship with other young farmers who have chosen to leave their salaried jobs, seek out as much hands-on education as possible, take out loans, purchase or lease land, and stick their necks out to attempt to fill the food produc-tion roles in their own communi-ties. I am one of four co-owners of Sleeping Frog Farms, a small permaculture farm in Cascabel, AZ. Since we founded Sleeping Frog a few years ago, we’ve been overwhelmed by the number of young aspiring farmers who have contacted us wanting to learn how to farm, and we believe strongly that in order to secure local food sources for future generations, farmers must have a hand in training the next genera-tion of growers. This is something we find great passion in, and an idea that has been percolat-ing beneath the Sleeping Frog soil since we began our own operation in 2008.

Two years ago, we came together with Walking J Farm to co-found a non-profit called FERN (the Farm Education Resource Network), with a mis-sion to secure local food sources in the desert Southwest through educational exchanges

between current producers engaged in diverse ecologically conscious agriculture, and a new generation of food producers.

Our unique apprenticeships are designed for aspiring farmers who intend to begin diversified sustainable farming operations in the desert Southwest. FERN apprentices are placed on host farms for periods of six to twelve months,

where they receive hands-on training in all areas of production specific to the host farm. Apprentices develop a unique one-on-one relationship with an established farmer mentor, acquiring experience in daily field operations and developing important entrepreneurial skills necessary in running a commercial sustainable farm.

FERN was recently awarded $1,000 from Slow Food Southern Arizona for our apprentice scholarship bank, and we are seeking addi-tional funding and materials for our first year of FERN apprenticeships. If you are passionate

about local food and want to help grow a new generation of farmers in Southern Arizona, here are some ways to get involved with the FERN movement:

• Choose to ROUND UP your purchase to the nearest dollar during the month of November at the Food Conspiracy Co-op!

• Visit our website and consider making a tax-deductible dona-tion. We are also looking for material donations– specifically mobile housing (i.e. RVs or trail-ers) to accommodate our FERN apprentices.

• Consider applying for a board member position.

• If you are an aspiring AZ farmer, consider applying for a 2013-2014 apprentice position.

• If you are a Southern AZ com-mercial farmer who is practicing sustainable agriculture, contact us for more information about

joining our farmer network.

• Volunteer with us! We are especially in need of experienced grant writers, fundraisers, cur-riculum, and program developers.

ROUND UP IN NOVEMBER

introducing FERNthe farm education resource networkDebbie Weingarten, Sleeping Frog Farms

thanksgiving salenovember 23

Co-op owners get 10% off purchases up to $74.99, 15% off purchases of $75-$149.99, and 20% off purchases of $150 and up.

Round Up for FERN When you shop at the co-op in November, round your purchase to the nearest dollar and we’ll send the extra change to FERN, a local nonprofit that is working to grow a new generation of farmers.month-long 5% discount the following month.)

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Articles about health or nutrition are for informational purposes only. We recommend that you consult a healthcare professional for medical advice. Opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the writers and not necessarily the views or policies of Food Conspiracy Co-op.

Submissions to Community News are encouraged and due by the 1st of the month prior to publication date. All unsolicited material—including letters—is subject to approval. Written submissions by email are preferred, but hard copies can be mailed or delivered in-person during business hours.

Letters to the Editor are welcome. Letters must be signed and include a phone number for author verification. We will withhold names upon request. The Editor reserves the right to edit for grammatical errors, clarity, and length. Please keep letters to 300 words or less.

The Community Calendar highlights events and meetings of interest to Co-op members. If you or your group would like to be considered for inclusion in the Calendar, please submit all information about the event to: [email protected]. Be sure to include a contact name and phone number. Due to the quantity of submissions we receive, we are not always able to publish all events.

UnClassifieds—Non-commercial ads of 50 words or less from Co-op members are free. Free ads include: personal messages, personal items for sale, lost & found, notices, and miscellaneous wanted. Limit one free ad per issue. Free ads to run more than one issue must be resubmitted. UnClassifieds from non-members, or those that do not meet the standards for free ads, are charged $0.40 per word. Full payment for ads must accompany the order. Ads for instruction and services offered for a fee are not free.

Moving? Please send us your new address, so we can keep the newsletter coming to you.

Please reuse, recycle, or pass this newsletter on to a friend. Thanks.

©2012 by Food Conspiracy Co-op Articles/art may be reprinted only with prior permission of the author/artist.

CONSIDER THE FORK by BEE WILSONA HISTORY OF HOW WE COOK AND EATGlenn Furnier, co-op owner

BOOK REVIEW

You have just purchased a wonder-ful basket of food from the Co-op. Waving goodbye to the friendly people who work there, you load this bounty on your bicycle. On the ride home you think about all the delicious and nutritious meals you will make this week. You will prob-ably not think about the thousands of years of history behind the processes you will employ to pre-pare those meals. It is a long and fascinating journey from the Co-op to your dining table and that is the subject of Bee Wilson’s exploration of the history of how we cook and eat.

When you get home, the first step is to put all those goods needing cold to preserve them in the refrig-erator or freezer. A few centuries back this was not an option, except in winter in regions far from the equator. For decades, the icebox was literally that, fueling a thriving industry that harvested and deliv-ered ice. Refrigeration allowed the storage and long-distance shipping of food, something that became very common in the USA, while less com-mon in other countries.

Some ingredients will need cutting. The fact that our other primate relatives use primitive versions of knives attests to the long history cutting implements. For most of human history they were made of stone. Only with the advent of the Bronze Age did metal substitute rock. Now we have strong carbon steel knives with very sharp blades to make this task easier.

Perhaps you will grind or puree some of the ingredients

to release their full flavor or to make the texture more agreeable. Ancient grinding holes in rocks confirm the long history of this activity. The mortar and pestle followed. Grinding and whipping were tiring and time-consuming activi-ties. For the wealthy, dishes requiring a lot of whipping were a status symbol, attesting to the many servants they had to prepare them. Today many kitchens sport blenders and food processors, making these dishes fast, easy, and accessible to those of more modest means.

Recipes tell us how much of each ingredient to include. To overcome the imprecision of dashes and pinches of ingredients, Fannie Farmer introduced greater precision to cooking in late 19th century Boston. Unfortunately, she fixated on volume, a measure that works well for liquids, but is rather imprecise for solids. While kitchens in much of the rest of the world have scales to precisely measure one kilogram of flour, cooks in the USA still rely on cups that may or may not

be packed tight, introducing errors of up to 20%. The situation is even worse when the recipe calls for a cup of string beans.

Some foods require boiling to make them digestible and/or to breakdown natural toxins. There may have been early experiments in boiling at hot springs in Iceland, but until the invention of the pot, food could not be boiled. The earliest clay pots date back around 20,000 years. Prior to that, all cooking was done over a fire, a process that works well for some, but not all, foods. Boiling widened the diet options of humans. Clay pots

Consider the Fork, by Bee Wilson. Basic Books (2012). Available at Anti-gone Books, across the street from the co-op.

CASHEW COCONUT BARS WITH CARDAMOMRECIPE FROM THE conspiracy kitchen

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix honey and cashew butter until smooth. Add Honey and Cashew Butter and to dry ingredients and mix well. Press mixture into a cookie sheet and refrigerate until mixture sets. Cut into bars and serve.

• 4 cups rice cereal• 2 cups millet• 1 1/2 cups thick rolled oats• 1 1/2 cups dried coconut, shredded

• 1 cup pistachios, shelled and coarsely chopped• 2 cups cashew butter• 2 cups honey• 1 teaspoon cardamom

continued on page 7

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On a bus traveling northeast from Seattle to Skagit Valley, Wash-ington, Farmer Jim details the progression of Cascadian Farms; Jim has managed the farm’s first fifteen-acre farm for the past twenty-one years, and during that time, he has watched the farm evolve into the national organic farm network it is today. From the time Cascadian Farms took their first produce to market in the upper Skagit Valley in 1972, its mission has been sustainable and organic farming.

It took five years for founder Gene Kahn to exceed the production capac-ity of his farm. Since then he has part-nered with regional farmers to keep up with the growing regional and growing national demand for organic produce. Gene spent a lot of time educating his neighbors on how to farm without chemicals in the transition to organic. Then as now, the transition years from conventional to organic deter farm-ers from switching to organic. Post-USDA Organic certification, these farms shoulder the added burden of selling an organic product at commercial rates until they receive certification. In the early days, USDA regulations didn’t exist, nor did guidelines for farmers endeavoring to grow organically. As demand for organic food began to grow, however, all that was all about to change.

The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) of 1990 defined a na-tional list of acceptable production inputs and minimum standards for growers who affix the label “organic” to a product. Around the same time, OFPA authorized the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to administer the National Organic Program (NOP). Compli-ance requires an Organic System Plan, and OFPA certification is evaluated every five years.

Because OFPA standards focus on inputs prioritizing process be-fore results, Cascadian Farms invests time and resources for prac-tices such as composting, hand tending, soil building through crop rotation, cover crops, and plant-based or biodynamic pest control, all of which are the tools in the organic farmers’ toolbox. One way Cascadian Farms prioritizes process is by using cover crops that align with the arrival of the snow geese. The geese eat the cover

crop and deposit fresh fertilizer before they leave. Farmer Jim emphasized this and other types of anticipatory growing as a pivotal difference between organic and conventional farming techniques. There’s still a lot to be learned in terms of combining crop rotation and no till prac-tices. Cascadian Farms is partnering with Washington State University by hosting no till research plots. They’ve been able to isolate which ‘weeds’ volunteer after rolling down crops vs. mowing. Benefits to the soil nutrient content using rolling and mowing are being compared to tilling. Breaking the soil can cause organic mat-

ter to release CO2, disturbing the soil food web, and it costs money and time. Jim pointed to the forest encroaching the field’s bound-aries as the ecosystems of endless regeneration, with lessons on environmental sustainability that our food systems can and should emulate.

Back in Seattle I met up with an old friend Brian. I sat down with Brian at the Flying Apron Bakery in the Fremont district of Seattle on a Sunday morning after the tour. He had worked the blueberry harvest for Gene in those early years and emphasized to me the purpose and mission he felt working there, even as a seasonal labor-er. And when Farmer Jim took over operations when Gene retired in 1992, the mission of organic and sustainable farming lived on.

visiting cascadian farmsBy Eric Lauterbach-Colby, Grocery Manager

Not sure what to make for dinner? Let our knowledgable staff help! You’ll find these “staff picks” and others like them at the Food Conspiracy Co-op. STAFF PICKS

garden of life raw multivitamins

11-2013

StAFf PICK

MARK says these vitamins can’t be beat. “They’re raw, natural and made from whole foods,” he says. “How can you beat that?”

perfect food bars

11-2013

StAFf PICK

EVELYN enjoys snacking on these energy bars because they don’t contain any artificial ingredients. “I like that they’re made with fruits and vegetables,” she says.

conspiracy kitchen bagels

11-2013

StAFf PICK

GILBERT works in the kitchen and enjoys the fruits of his labor — usually with cream cheese. “The bagels are fun to make and they taste delicious,” he says.

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Kelley’s Response:

Suggestions, Questions, Comments

FoOD CoNsPIrACY

co-opI stopped by the store on the first Friday of October and

there was no First Friday Sale. I love those sales, where

all shoppers get 10% off! What’s going on?

We hold First Friday Summer Sales on the first Friday of

each Summer month. Our next one is scheduled for

Friday, June 6, 2014. But don’t worry, we’ve got lots of

great sales in the pipeline, like a Street Fair Sale on

December 11, where all shoppers get 10% off. Plus a

Thanksgiving Sale on November 23 for co-op owners.

The large brick warehouse at the intersection of 7th avenue and train tracks down-town has a rich history. In the 1970s, the building was used as an extra food storage facility for the Food Conspiracy Co-op. The building later became the Tucson Co-op Warehouse and, later, ShopNatural. In 1974, Daniel Fox, who had been involved with all of these efforts, borrowed money from local friends and associates to turn the warehouse into a bakery. 30 years later, Small Planet Bakery still resides in this space, baking up fresh and healthy bread for sale across the Tucson region.

Small Planet began as a collective, which eventually narrowed down to two co-owners, Chris French and Lucy Mitchell. Chris and Lucy, together with a staff of 14 employees, bake about 800 loaves of organic bread every week. The bakery also makes several varieties of granola and has even developed a nutritious treat for horses called the Equibar.

Since its founding in 1975, Small Planet has stayed true to it’s motto, “Nurture The Planet.” All breads are made with organic flour and the highest quality ingredients, including locally sourced honey from Amado, AZ. Baking granola and bread in small batches ensures that each batch is made with care.

The bakery’s basic loaves, like Whole Wheat and Sourdough, tend to be their big-gest sellers. According to co-owner Lucy Mitchell, the staff favorite is the Orange-Cranberry-Pecan Bread, which is baked only on Mondays. In addition to over 20 varieties of bread loaves, Small Planet makes bread bowls, rolls, and hot dog and hamburger buns. Small Planet also makes cinnamon rolls for sale at farmer’s markets on the weekends, and this writer can attest that they make a delicious Saturday morning treat.

Small Planet is beloved by locals, who enjoy their delicious breads and friendly service. The bakery has a perfect five-star rating on Yelp, and one Yelp commenter, Bethie G., raved about their veggie bread, saying, “Veggie Bread is the best! Hands down! It has been my favorite for years, since I was kid I’ve been eating it.”

Another commenter had this to say about the bakery she grew up with:

I’ve had a love affair with SPB Bread since the first time I saw it at the Food Conspiracy CoOp in the 80s. I always stop at the booth when I get to the Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market. I get friendly caring customer service always!

Small Planet Bakery breads are available all week long at Food Conspiracy. Their granolas are found in the co-op’s bulk section.

Small Planet also sells its bread through other local markets, like Aqua Vita and Rincon Market, and the bakery supplies bread for sandwiches made at 4th avenue restaurant Bison Witches. Once loaves have reached their ideal shelf-life at stores, the bakery buys back the loaves and sells them at a discount from their warehouse freezer, in addition to donating bread to local programs feeding those in need.

SMALL PLANET BAKERYSarah Tarver-Wahlquist, Co-op Owner

PRODUCER PROFILE

One of the ways the co-op receives input from owners and shoppers is through cards titled: Suggestions, Questions, Comments. The co-op management team reviews each card and responds. If you want to make a comment, suggest a product, or have a question look for our customer comment area at the front of the store.

Sometimes a comment card refers to an issue of general interest, and sometimes a similar observation or question is submitted by more than one person. Here’s one about First Friday Sales:

SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS

were later supplanted by metal versions. These permitted cooking at even higher temperatures, allowing us to experiment with cooking in oil, a type of boiling that cooks even faster and induces chemical reactions with the food that produce delicious flavors.

Now that you have a tasty hot meal, how are you going to get it into your mouth? In many parts of the world you will use your fingers, obeying a strict etiquette about which fingers to use. While this method is very efficient, it does limit one to foods that are not so hot as to hurt one’s fingers. Other primates have been observed to use folded blades of grass as primitive spoons. Early humans likely did the same, adding shells and other natural implements to their repertoire. At some point we became so sophisticated that we worried about the shape of the handles on our spoons and forks and on which side of the plate we should put each of them. Billions of people avoid this problem by eating with chopsticks. This requires the cook to prepare the food in smaller pieces that do not require cutting at the table.

These are just some of the interesting aspects of the evolution of cooking and eating. Perhaps the next time you sit down at the dining table you will contemplate, even if only for a moment, the thousands of years of history that went into that wonderful meal.

BOOK REVIEW, continued...

street fair saledecember 11

10% offfor all shoppers

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Concocting local meals for kids can be a challenge. There’s sourcing the ingredients, preparing the meal with kids in tow, and keeping things dif-ferent and creative without making the meal too unfamiliar, which can be off-putting to little palates, or too overused, which gets boring. Because there are times when we could all use a little inspiration to pull off this most basic but often tedious parental job, I’ve gathered and want to share with you three stories of local meals put together by co-op members with and for their kids.

Shefali’s outstanding okraWe’re outside feeling the soft breeze of summer turning to fall. I sit on the ground slicing green and purple okra from Sleeping Frog Farms the way my grandmother used to: not on a cutting board but with a paring knife in one hand and an okra in the other. It’s fast and I can keep an eye on the kids because I don’t have to look down, my fingers working from memory like hands knitting a sweater.

When the okra are transformed into thin discs resembling pinwheels, we head inside where I’ve set up stations with sweet potatoes and pinto beans from the CSA. Sagar stands on a step-stool to rinse the sweet po-tatoes in the sink, scrubbing hard to get the dirt off. For him, this is water play, his favorite thing. Pavan’s job is to stir the pinto beans, which have been soaking in a pot of water on the sunlit porch all day. He relishes the chance to cook at the stove, every so often pointing at the flame under the pot and admonishing, “Mama, hot!”

While they’re occupied, I work fast melting a generous amount of butter in a cast-iron skillet, mixing it with yellow-orange turmeric powder, and dumping in the okra sprinkled with salt. A gratifying “hiss” of steam rises from the pan and I relax, just for a moment, before the boys become restless and run to play. Knowing that cries of sibling rivalry are imminent, I quickly cut the sweet potatoes into thin sticks making sure some don’t have skin so Pavan will eat them. I holler for Sagar to mix them with coco-nut oil, but he’s immersed in building a “wobbly bridge” so I do it myself, dust them with salt and set them to bake at 400 in the little toaster oven.

For the next twenty minutes, I alternate between stirring the okra, beans, and sweet potato fries, and refereeing the kids. When the okra and fries are crispy-brown, I call the boys to eat. They scoop the okra with their hands, licking the butter from their fingers; pick at the beans, which are not their favorite but eat some anyway because they helped cook them; and absentmindedly munch one sweet potato fry after another.

Allison’s tasty tartIn the winter, when her family’s garden is bursting with greens, Allison likes to make a simple, hearty tart made with eggs, cheese and dark, leafy greens that appeals to kids because of its deliciously nutty, crumbly and easy-to-make pie crust.

The meal begins with Allison sending her daughters out to the garden to gather greens and eggs. She tells them to avoid lettuces and carrot tops, but otherwise it’s their choice. She encourages them to “nibble on the leaves” to determine which greens they’re in the mood for that day. Be-cause the tart can be made with any dark greens, there’s no right or wrong.

A few minutes later, the girls come bounding into the kitchen with a colan-der full of swiss chard and eggs collected from the family’s chicken coop.

One daughter fills the sink with water and swirls the greens inside to take off the bugs, which can be plentiful in an organic garden especially when the weather turns cold. This is fun and teaches the kids not to fear bugs.

Allison talks to her girls while they cook. She reminds them that most bugs are not harmful, and ingesting a few aphids won’t hurt them. One daughter dries the greens while the other grabs a hunk of parmesan cheese from the refrigerator. Allison asks the kids how much parmesan they’d like to use, explaining that if they use it all today there will be none left for tomorrow. She let’s them make the decision, which teaches them about choices and consequences.

Rather than steaming the greens, which can result in sogginess, Allison “dehydrates” them by placing the greens in a cast iron skillet greased from yesterday’s bacon and setting them on low heat for ten to fifteen minutes. She stirs them occasionally while she grinds the cheese in the blender.

Once the greens are slightly cooked, she turns off the heat and leaves them in the pan for a few minutes to exhale any remaining moisture. She combines one cup of flour, which is made from ground, whole wheat ber-ries from the CSA, with 1/4 cup of water, a 1/4 cup of olive oil and a pinch of salt. She works the mixture with her hands until it can be formed into a ball. She hands the ball to one daughter and asks her to spread it into a pie dish. The coarseness of the wheat berry flour doesn’t just produce a heavenly flavor, it also doesn’t stick to little hands and spreads easily.

Allison removes the cheese from the blender and puts in the greens to chop. She beats the eggs gently and adds the cheese and greens. Then the whole mixtures goes into the pie crust, and is placed in the oven to bake at 350 for about thirty minutes.

The cooking process does not end, however, when the tart is done. When the family sits down to eat, Allison asks the girls how it tastes: Are the greens bitter? If so, why? Could it be the time of year? How is the propor-tion of greens to eggs to cheese? Should they add more or less next time? The girls enthusiastically discuss their creation as the cheesy, crumbly tart melts in their mouths.

Shannon’s crazy quesadillasTucked away in Barrio Santa Rosa, Shannon and her sons prepare a favor-ite lunchtime meal in their large, sunny kitchen surrounded by lime-green walls: cheese quesadillas made with handmade tortillas from Anita Street Market; and from the Co-op, local carrots, deli hummus, almond butter, bulk raisins, and mouth-watering honey-crisp apples grown at English Fruit Farms in Wilcox.

Belying her intense focus, Shannon moves gracefully around the kitchen gathering ingredients to set before the boys who stand on stools to reach the high countertops. They chop carrots and apples with butter knives, dipping the former in hummus and the latter in almond butter while sam-pling generous amounts of each. The raisins, which are meant to decorate the almond butter-glazed apples, are crammed into little mouths by the fistful.

Next, Shannon arranges four tortillas on a cookie sheet. Her older son

LOCAL MEALS BY CO-OP PARENTSShefali Milczarek-Desai, Co-op Owner

PARENTS’ PIECE

continued on page 10

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BarbicideMajor Quad Damage& Iva ColdheartTucson Roller Derby

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sprinkles them with cheese and garlic powder, which he tastes by shaking some into his palm and licking it with his tongue. He also gets to turn on the oven light after Shannon slips the quesadillas into the oven set at broil. The fun culminates with the boys standing behind a grout line about a foot away from the red-hot oven to watch the cheese begin to bubble.

The quesadillas are done in a mere two minutes. Shannon places them on plates to cool and moves the meal to the dining table where the boys practice blowing on their tortillas. Her older son requests that his quesa-dilla be folded while the younger one likes to eat his open-faced. Either way, they’re delicious and quickly devoured.

PARENTS’ PIECE, continued...

feature the flavors, smells and textures of a community.

• Many farmers producing for local markets choose to diversify, growing a variety of crops instead of just one. This is a boon for biodi-versity and your palate, since local crops are harvested at their peak of freshness and flavor.

• Most of the money spent on local production stays in the community, helping to boost the local economy.

While contemplating this change, we consulted with Deanna Chavis, the executive director of Local First Arizona. This is what she said:

“From an economic standpoint, I think the co-op widening its net is a good thing. The ‘rural’ communities depend a lot on the metro centers for exchange of goods and money.”

We agree that broadening our definition of “local” will be a good thing for Food Conspiracy Co-op shoppers and vendors. We hope you agree and we’re eager for your feedback. Remember, you can contact me by email at [email protected], or you can fill out a comment card in the store.

Growing the future, in more ways than one!At the Food Conspiracy Co-op, we take pride in fostering the professional growth of our staff—that’s why we send our staff members to trainings as often as possible. Many of these trainings are organized by our business services cooperative, National Cooperative Grocers Association, which spans 134 co-ops in 36 states. As of 2012, NCGA began offsetting co-op staffs’ qualifying air travel-related carbon emissions in an extraordinarily meaningful way: by growing a sustainable forest in Peru!

To grow the forest, NCGA partners with Pur Projet which provides the research, accredita-tion and on-the-ground support necessary to create an effective carbon-offset program based upon farmer-supported reforestation. The forest is part of the Alto Huayabamba Project located in northern Peru.

To date, NCGA has funded the planting of 1,404 native trees. By the time these trees reach ma-turity, they will have removed over 400 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. NCGA is proud to be Pur Projet’s very first U.S. partner to plant trees as part of this innovative program.

Whenever co-op staff attends a qualifying NC-GA-sponsored training, they’ll be contributing to this important project. Co-ops nationwide are joining together to not only grow the next generation of co-op leaders, but a sustainable forest, too. We’re stronger together!

Our GMO PolicyIn the wake of a couple of requests for us to boycott products produced by companies that oppose GMO labeling, we took some time to clarify our position on GMOs. Here it is:

• We believe shoppers have a right to know what is in the food they are purchasing.

• We strive to educate our shoppers about GMOs to help them make informed choices.

• We will not boycott products made by companies that op-pose GMO labeling; however, we will educate our customers about any boycotts nationally or locally. We’ll post information about these boycotts on a bulletin board in

the store.• We are committed to providing whenever pos-sible at least one product in each food category that is certified organic. This means that, for example, all our organic ketchups might not be organic, but we’ll try and make sure at least one of them is.

We recognize that a lot of our customers have strong feelings about genetically modified food, and we want to make it easy for them to know if the food they’re buying has genetically modi-fied ingredients.

It’ frequently hard to know if the food you buy in stores contains GMOs. Current USDA regulations prohibit the use of GMOs in organic production, so buying USDA certified organic products is a good way to avoid GMOs.

Many of the products we sell at the co-op are verified by the Non-GMO Project, which means that the companies that make them follow best practices for avoiding genetically modified ingredients. Choosing products that are Non-GMO Project verified is one way to minimize the chances that there are genetically modified ingredients in your food. Look for the Non-GMO label on product packaging.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, continued...

share your favorite mealIf you have a local meal you prepare for your kids that you’d like to share, please send an email to [email protected].

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November 1-30Round Up for FERNRound your purchase to the nearest dollar and we’ll send the extra change to FERN, a local nonprofit that is working to grow a new genera-tion of farmers.

October 31HalloweenThe Food Conspiracy Co-op will be open (and extra spooky) on Halloween.

November 6Food Conspiracy Board Meeting6:30 p.m. at the Hoff Building. All owners are welcome. Stay involved in co-op decision-mak-ing and accrue time towards a co-op discount for your attendance. (For three hours of time accrued, members receive a month-long 5% discount.)

November 9Winter ApothecaryJoin local herbalist, John Slattery, for a day of medicine making in preparation for the winter cold and flu season. You will learn to make a variety of preparations (syrups, teas, and oxymels) which are ideally suited for common viral infections. We will explore the nature of host resistance and how to enhance it. Des-ert Tortoise Botanicals, 4802 E. Montecito Street. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. $85. The class is limited to eight people and is sponsored by the Sonoran Permaculture Guild. Contact the class registrar at 520-624-8030 or visit www.sonoranpermac-ulture.org for more information.

November 10Native Seeds/SEARCH Benefit DinnerJoin Native Seeds/SEARCH for an intimate eve-ning celebrating the beauty, magic and culinary delights of corn. Savor the tastes and traditions of the Southwest while supporting NS/S in its mission to conserve our region’s seed diversity. Janos Downtown Kitchen, 135 S. 6th Ave. 6 pm. $120 per person. Register: www.nativeseeds.org

November 16Maíz Mágico: A Celebration of CornNative Seeds/SEARCH presents a festive day celebrating the iconic Southwestern crop, maize. Taste a diversity of corn grown by NS/S, practice tortilla making, enjoy seed bank tours and presentations. Families welcome, $5 sug-gested donation. NS/S Conservation Center, 3584 E. River Road. 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

November 16Arts and Crafts Day and Art Fair

Join the artists of Many Hands Artist Coopera-tive, 3054 N 1st Ave., who will help you make gifts of all kinds. Projects start at $5, materials included. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information contact Lynne at 360-1880 or [email protected]

November 18Native Seeds/SEARCH SalonRenowned permaculture designer and teacher Brad Lancaster brings us up to date with highlights from his new edition of Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Vol 1. NS/S Conservation Center, 3584 E. River Road. 6-8 pm. Free.

November 19Tucson Organic Gardeners Monthly Meet-ingThis month’s program is about Irrigation, Seed Saving, and Fertilizing. There’s a potluck starting at 6:30. Bring a dish that serves eight and your own tableware. A speaker panel will follow the meal. Free and open to the public. 7 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church, 3809 E. 2nd St. More informa-tion: 670-9158 or visit www.tucsonorganicgar-deners.org

November 23Thanksgiving SaleOn Saturday, November 23, Food Conspiracy owners get 10% off purchases up to $74.99, 15% off purchases of $75-$149.99, and 20% off pur-chases of $150 and up. Not a co-op owner? Join the co-op during the Thanksgiving Sale and get a $10 gift card for your next shopping trip!.

November 23Final Exit Network Annual Meeting2:30-3:30 p.m. (doors open at 2 p.m.) at Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St. Derek Humphry, principle founder of the Hem-lock Society and author of the best-seller, “Final Exit,” will be the guest speaker on the topic,

“Choice in Dying in America: Past, Present and Future.” Contact John Abraham, M.Div, F.T., 235-5646 for more info.

November 24Noche BolivianaEnjoy dinner, wine, and a presentation about the Engineers Without Borders University of Arizona chapter project to build bathhouses and latrines in Marquirivi, Bolivia. 6-9 p.m. at Casa Vicente, 375 S Stone Ave. $75; proceeds benefit the project.

November 28Thanksgiving DayThe Food Conspiracy Co-op will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.

December 7Sixth Annual Chicken Coop TourTake a self-guided tour of Tucson’s chicken coops. Buy your tickets at www.foodconspiracy.coop starting Nov. 1. Tickets are $5. We’ll email you a map and an info packet a week before the tour.

December 11Winter Street Fair SaleOn the Wednesday before the Winter Street Fair, all shoppers get 10% off all purchases (excluding Basic Buys, gift cards, and special orders).

December 13-15Winter Street FairThe Street Fair takes place between Ninth Street and University Boulevard, along Fourth Avenue., from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Fourth Avenue will be closed to vehicle traffic during the Street Fair.

December 16Native Seeds/SEARCH Salon

“Test Tube Agriculture: Where Our Food Comes From” — NS/S Seed School Director Joy Hought offers a surprising look at the tech-niques used to breed modern crop varieties. NS/S Conservation Center, 3584 E. River Road. 6-8 pm. Free.

December 25Christmas DayThe Food Conspiracy Co-op will be closed on Christmas Day.

December 4Food Conspiracy Board Meeting6:30 p.m. at the Hoff Building. All owners are welcome. Stay involved in co-op decision-mak-ing and accrue time towards a co-op discount for your attendance. (For three hours of time accrued, members receive a month-long 5% discount.)

AZLyme Association Tucson ChapterThe AZLyme Association’s Tucson Chapter meets on the second Saturday of each month from 2-4 p.m. at the Dusenberry River Branch Library, 5605 E. River Road (Northeast corner of River and Craycroft). The usual agenda is: 2-3 p.m. – guest speaker/presentation; 3-4 p.m. – support/group sharing. For more information call Jane at 529-0221, email Donna at [email protected], or go to www.AZLyme.org

COMMUNITY CALENDARnovEmbeR dECEmbeR

OnGoInG EvEnTs

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Tucson Women’s ChorusOngoing enrollment for Tucson Women’s Cho-rus. Spring 2013 Series starts Jan. 28 & 31. Sing a cappella multicultural songs, including songs from Hawaii, Japan, Africa, the shape-note or Sacred Harp tradition, a Chinese proverb in a gospel mode and a 3-song cycle of spirituals. No auditions, sight-reading, experience or per-forming necessary. Central group: Mondays at 7 p.m. (starts 1/28), St. Mark’s Presbyterian, 3809 E. 3rd St. Northwest group: Thursdays, 7pm (starts 1/31), NW UU Congregation, 3601 W. Cromwell. Series ends on 4/27. FREE first visit. Open to girls with singing adult. $75/adult, girls/free. Scholarships available. Pro-rated enrollment throughout the series. Karleena Ravenwood, Founder/Director, 743-0991, www.tucsonwomenschorus.org.

Skillfully Aware: 6 Weeks to Overcom-ing Stress, Pain and Strong Emotions or Urges6-8:30 p.m. Learn the inner-workings of your mind and body. See into the heart of your challenge and heal it using science and meditation. $300. Co-op owners get a 20% discount. The Zendo Oasis Studio, Central Tucson near U of A. More info: 981-9911 or skillfullyaware.com

Native Seeds/SEARCH Salons6-8pm on the third Monday of the month at the NS/S Conservation Center, 3584 E. River Road, 85718 just east of the Alvernon intersection opposite the Waldorf school. Look for our marquee sign. For details and other NS/S events please go to: www.nativeseeds.org

Jyoti (Light) Meditation ClassesFree Jyoti (Light) Meditation classes held from 1-2:15pm on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays at Wellness First, 3861 1st Ave. Sponsored by Science of Spirituality and dedicated to Love, Peace and Unity. For more info call: Diann at 520-625-8312 or email [email protected]. www.sos.org.

Men’s GroupThis ongoing group, facilitated by Robert Harris M.A., is for men committed to work-ing through their personal stories to get to their True Purpose. The focus is on renewal

and change. Tuesday’s 7:00-8:45p.m. At 529 E. Roger Rd. $35/week. Personal interview is required. Call (520) 822-4982. bobcatintegra-tiveconsulting.com.

Qigong Foundation ClassOngoing class meets Monday evenings from 6-7 p.m. at the Caritas Center for Healing, 330 E.

CALENDAR, continued...

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neXT ISsUE

16th St., and on Thursday evenings from 6-7 p.m. at Lotus Massage and Wellness Center (2850 E. Grant Rd.) $8/drop-in or $30 for 5 classes. First class free for co-op members. For more info: 881-0723 or email at [email protected]

Taoist and Sufi MeditationOngoing weekly class meets Mondays at 7:15 p.m. at Caritas Center for Healing, 330 E. 16th St. This class integrates two wonderful spiritual traditions that can help bring deeper peace to our being. The Taoist Water Method prac-tices of inner dissolving can help to open and transmute blockages in the deeper layers of our being. The Sufi path will include chanting Divine Qualities [such as Al-Fattah (the opener) and As-Salam (the peace) etc.]. The qualities infuse us with beautiful energies helping us open to the Divine within. Donations accepted.

Dances of Universal PeaceThe Dances of Universal Peace are simple, meditative and uplifting group dances. They represent and integrate many of the world’s spiritual traditions, helping to create peace and unity within and without. Second Saturday of every month, 7:00-9:00 p.m. Yoga Oasis, 2631 N. Campbell Ave. $5 to $10 donations accepted. For more info, contact Joanie at: (520) 820-8180 or email: [email protected]

Dance, Drum and Shotokan Karate ClassesBarbea Williams Performing Company offers dance, drum and Shotokan Karate classes in their newly renovated performing arts studio and gallery located inside Dunbar Cultural Center. We offer ongoing classes for children, teens and adults. Call: (520) 628-7785 or email: [email protected] for fees, dress code and registration info.

Local First ArizonaLocal First Mixers are the 1st Wednesday of each month from 6-8 pm. The location changes but details are posted to our website here: localfirstaz.com/news/member-events/tucson-mixer/. Questions? Email: [email protected] or phone: 333-2073

Study Taiko with Odaiko SonoraTaiko classes for all ages and abilities. Learn rudiments of Japanese ensemble drumming, including historical and cultural background. Adult Recreational Taiko class for beginning and continuing students, Saturdays, 2:30-4:30 p.m. beginning Jan. 7. Ongoing Friday after-noon drop-in and Monday night youth classes. Rhythm Industry Performance Factory, 1013 S. Tyndall Ave. Visit www.tucsontaiko.org or call Karen at (520) 481-8003 for details.

Contra DancePresented by Tucson Friends of Traditional Music. 1st, 3rd, and 4th Saturdays. 7-10 p.m. (Intro lesson at 6:30 p.m.) at First United Methodist Church, 914 E. 4th Street. Caller, live music, smoke/alcohol-free environment, all ages welcome. $10, $9 TFTM members, $5 students. For more info go to www.tftm.org or [email protected]

Watershed Management Group WMG’s Co-op offers hands-on workshops that can teach you how to implement green-living practices at your home. From rain gardens to cisterns and greywater systems for landscapes; and from humble vegetable gardens to a So-noran food forest; and even chicken coops and compost systems; WMG does it all. For events, visit: watershedmg.org/calendar. Email Co-op Coordinator: [email protected] or call: (520) 396-3266

Private Dance LessonsSingles, couples, and even youth can learn how to dance Latin, Ballroom, Country, and Swing; whether you want to dance socially, for per-formance, or competitive dance. It’s a fantastic workout and a great way to boost your social life. Meanwhile, you will be developing a skill you have always wanted to acquire. No age limit and same sex couples are welcome. Lessons can be scheduled around your busy lifestyle. Call 275-7931 or email [email protected]

Desert Sky Community SchoolOngoing Kinder and Grades enrollment. School tours weekly by appointment. A tuition-free Waldorf-inspired education at this non-profit charter school includes arts, music, movement, and two foreign languages in all grades. 1350 N. Arcadia, near Speedway and Swan. Call 745-3888, email [email protected], or go to www.desertskyschool.org.

Nature Conservancy Rainwater Harvesting Tours The Nature Conservancy is now offering free public tours of their 2+ acre central Tucson site featuring rainwater harvesting cisterns, passive water harvesting berm and basin designs, water harvesting curb-cuts, native landscaping, and green building construction. For more info and a current tour schedule, contact: (520) 547-3437. Groups may schedule tours at times other than the regular schedule. To participate in a tour, simply show up and meet at the front entrance (NE corner) of The Nature Conservancy’s office building at 1510 E Ft. Lowell Dr.

Sonoran Permaculture GuildSPG, a non-profit in Tucson, offers ongoing workshops on sustainable landscape design, water harvesting, natural building, growing food at home, bee keeping, chickens, and many other topics. SPG also offers a five-weekend permaculture design certification course twice a year. Most importantly, they show you how to integrate all these sustainable topics together into an organic long-term design. For info on workshops and courses visit www.sonoranper-maculture.org or call 520-624-8030.

BICASLearn about the repair and maintenance of bicycles. Tucson’s Bicycle Non-Profit offers community classes. Saturdays, 1:00–4:00p.m. Classes are $20 each. Work/trade and Spanish translation is available. To register or for direc-tions, call: (520) 628-7950.

Desert CronesThe Desert Crones features programs and meetings for women over 50. All meetings are free. The meeting place is Fellowship Square, Villa III, 210 Maguire Ave. Programs include guest speakers, writing workshops, and drum-ming circles. Hours are 1 – 3 P.M. every Thursday. Call 409-3357 for additional information.

WomanKraftArt classes and gallery showings validating and empowering women artists and other under-represented groups. A variety of arts and crafts classes are offered each month. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 1:00–5:00 p.m., February-May and July–December. 388 S. Stone Ave. Call: (520) 629-9976.

Iskashitaa Refugee NetworkVolunteers and donations needed to help U.N. refugee families in Tucson learn English and adjustvto a new culture. Volunteer to harvest fruitsvand vegetables alongside refugees, distribute gleaned food, help in the office, fundraise, or assist at events. Contact Barbara Eiswerth by phone: (520) 440-0100 or by email: [email protected]. Visit our website at: www.HarvestTucson.org for more information.

The Community Calendar highlights events and meetings of interest to co-op members. If you would like to be considered for inclusion in the calendar, please submit all information about the event to: [email protected]. Due to the quantity of submissions we receive, we are not always able to publish all events. Submissions for the next issue must be received by December 1.

CALENDAR, continued...

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pie pumpkins, winter squash,apples, bunched greens,

salad mix, & bunched radishes

november/december

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“It’s like having your grandma in the real estate business.”

Jill RichRealtor

Jill Rich, GRI, CRS, ABRLong Realty Company

1890 E. River Road, Tucson, AZ 85718Bus. (520) 577-7400 Cell (520) 349-0174

Toll free # 800-328-1575 email: [email protected]

238 E 26th St • 520.740.0810

The Gloo Factory stocks recycled,Fair Trade and Union Made products

Color copies • Banners • T-shirts • Graphic designBumper stickers • Buttons • Newsletters & more

Gloo Factory is a C.W.A. 7026 Union Print Shop

TheGlooFactory.com

Community-Minded Printing local beernow on tap at the food conspiracy co-op

how it works1. You buy a growler. Glass growlers are $6.2. We fill the growler with your favorite local beer.3. You take your beer home and drink it.4. You return with your empty, clean growlerand we fill it again.

Proudly offering beer from:Borderlands Brewing Co. &Dragoon Brewing Co.

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412 N. Fourth Avenue · Tucson, AZ 85705www.FoodConspiracy.coop

PRSRTD STDUS POSTAGE

PAIDTUCSON, AZ

PERMIT no. 821

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FoOd COnSpIRACY CO-OpCOMMUNITY NEWSour new cookbook makes a great gift!The Food Conspiracy Co-op’s new cookbook, Tucson Cooks, makes a great holiday gift for the family members who are culinarily inclined.

More than half of the 26 recipes in Tucson Cooks come courtesy of the Conspiracy Kitchen, which makes many of the co-op’s delicious prepared foods. Conspiracy Kitchen recipes featured in Tucson Cooks include peanut-ginger rice noodles, cashew coconut bars, and curried tempeh salad.

Local companies that contributed recipes to Tucson Cooks include:

Everything about Tucson Cooks is local. The color photos featured in Tucson Cooks were taken by local photographer Mamta Popat, and the book was printed locally at Action Printing.

You can purchase Tucson Cooks at the Food Conspiracy Co-op for $20, while supplies last.

FoOD CoNsPIrACY

co-op

Exo Roast Co.Forever Yong FarmsIsabella’s Ice CreamLa Tauna TortillasRex’s Perogies

Sleeping Frog FarmsTucson Tamale Co.Walking J FarmsZenhens