The Insider December 2013

december 2013

INSIDERthe

take me! I’m Free!

created by the swarthmore food cooperative

issue 007

What’s Inside

featuresfollow us@swacoop

designed by HILLARY WICKLINE

published bySWARTHMORE FOOD COOPERATIVE

printed bySWARTHMORE FOOD COOPERATIVE

you said itpage 3

GM’s cornerpage 6

shop small, shop localpage 7

compost happenspage 13

sustainable shopping guidepage 15

smoke outpage 19

do you want to advertise with us?

Contact HILLARY WICKLINEfor a rate schedule

[email protected](610) 543-9805

upcoming eventspage 17

10 for 30page 21

you said itPlease stop selling products from Nestle and other companies that are in conflict with sustainability, GMOs, and go against what the Co-op stands for. Try apps like Buycott.

- Annon.

-- From its beginnings as a buying club during the Depression in the basement of a member’s home, to its current state, the Co-op has evolved to meet the needs of its members and neighbors. That’s what we do; listen to our owners to provide an endless supply of locally produced, sustainable, fair trade items to our shoppers. One topic that we discuss on a daily basis is balancing our unerring commitment to partnerships with local farmers and vendors, while carrying the products that many of our long time owners demand that we keep on our shelves. I think we can all agree that the Co-op is steadily moving in the direction that its end statement begs us to. At this time, we can only say that a balance of the two is necessary to keep our business model in-tact and the Co-op will hopefully resemble a store that completely takes into account the environment and all of us as time goes on.

Thank you for your concerns,The Swarthmore Co-op

‘

WED-SAT 11-6

wellnesswednesdayevery wednesday from 11 AM - 2 PM

by MARC BROWNGOLDGM’S CORNER

When my wife and I drive to our local hangouts on my days off, we often survey the landscape and comment on what has become of our local businesses. Because we are both food people, we often get right to the point when it comes to food establishments, especially chain restaurants. We wonder whether the full parking lots in front of these establishments is an example of what is wrong with our society. Do the consumers who frequent Costco and Outback realize that they are contributing to the industrial food system? Do they think along those lines? What is the real price of cheap food and where does the money come from to make up for the discrepancy?

Each year brings more national chains, displacing locally owned businesses throughout the country. We see clones replace unique establishments. We see and hear the omnipresent ads of corporate chains every day, but are collectively under-in-formed about the many important values independent businesses provide us individually and as a community.

The disappearance of local businesses leaves a social and economic void that is palpable and real – even when it is unmea-sured. The quality of life of a community changes in ways that macroeconomics is slow to measure, or ignores completely. Looking at some of the issues of local, let’s consider the importance of:

Building A Strong Local EconomyThe giant chains often win a town’s consent to build new stores with promises of growth and tax revenues. Their scrutiny inevitably shows that most income of new chains comes directly from established businesses. For example, an extensive study of new Wal-Mart stores at Iowa State University found 84% of sales simply shifted dollars away from existing local merchants.

It’s time to consider the real costs to a community that loses its local business base. Independent local businesses employ a wide array of supporting services. They hire architects, designers, cabinet shops, sign makers and contractors for construction. Opportunities grow for local accountants, insurance brokers, computer consultants, attorneys, adver-tising agencies and others to help run it. Local retailers and distributors also carry a higher percentage of locally-made goods than the chains, creating more jobs for local produc-ers.

In contrast, a new chain store typically puts in place a clone of other units, eliminates the need for local planning, and uses a minimum of local goods and services. Small manu-facturers are also affected since they rely on local retailers to give their new products a chance. Local retailers are free to take chances with the goods of a new manufacturer or product that is not part of a national sales plan. Therefore, small manufacturers and a wide variety of service industries have a clear stake in the nationwide health of local retailers.

Ensuring Choice and Diversity Retailers sift through competing goods and services to find those that appeal to their customers. Even though a single local shop may have a smaller selection than a big chain outlet, a multiplicity of independent retailers creates great diversity.

For example, when 3,000 or so national independent book-sellers or music shops buy for their local customers’ tastes, the cumulative effect is demand for a wide variety of ideas and music. This allows access to controversial books or music from new artists with the expectation that there will be a market somewhere within a variety of stores. As fewer giant corporations dominate both production and sales, our options – determined by a powerful few – will be drasti-cally reduced.

Our freedom of choice is imperiled when a few buyers from national chains choose what reaches consumers. This may be only mildly disturbing for most consumer goods, but truly frightening when you consider the impact on our choice of news sources, books, music and other modes of expression.

Maintaining Community CharacterWhen asked to name our favorite restaurant, cafe, or shop, we almost always cite a unique local business - look at the results in any “Best of” polls as proof. We embrace the idea of distinctive businesses with local character, but often forget their survival depends on our patronage. It is easy for us to get so consumed by efficiency that we forget how much of our lives we spend eating out, shopping, and doing other business. We owe it to ourselves to consider the qual-ity of our experience, and ask if we benefit when we choose a community-based business.

Let’s make future decisions based on full-cost accounting, and create a level (or better) playing field for local business-es with our policies; the chains already have enough laws rigged in their favor nationally.

S H O P L O C A LTis the season! The time has come when our wal-lets feel small and our bills are big. As a product of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Super Saturday, the holiday shopping focus has always been on finding the best deals. While we all want more money in our pockets, buying all your holiday gifts online at Ama-zon and waiting in the mile long lines at Wal-Mart doesn’t do our local economy any good.

While small businesses, like ourselves, can’t offer free shipping or bottom dollar deals, we can offer some-thing big box stores cannot, a boost to your com-munity. Instead of waking up at the crack of dawn on Black Friday, sleep in, eat some left over turkey, and

kick off the season with Small Business Saturday on November 30th.

We have a number of unique holiday gifts this year but we also encourage you to shop at our membership partners, listed on page 8. Our partners range from small boutiques, museums, specialty food stores, and so much more. Like us, these folks rely on their strong community support.

Save yourself the headache and ditch the lines this year. Instead gift something your family and friends will treasure by shopping small and shopping local.

Please Touch MuseumDiscount tickets, online only*

Please Touch Museum®, the Children’s Mu-seum of Philadelphia™, is designed for families with young children and features six brand new interactive exhibits, daily activities and theater performances. Housed in historic Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park, the museum now also offers on-site parking, a family-friendly cafe and a century-old carousel! (215) 581-3174 / 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Phila.

Eastern State Penitentiary $2 off daytime tour, online only*(215) 236-3300 / 22nd St. & Fairmount Ave., Philadel-phia The Academy of Natural Sciences $2 off general admission (excludes festivals and special events, not valid with other offers, max. 4 tickets)(215) 299-1000 / 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia

University of Pennsylvania Museum of Ar-chaeology and Anthropology

$2 off general admissionThe Penn Museum offers a chance to make holiday shopping a cultural experience, with two onsite gift shops featuring hundreds of unique gifts from around the world. Shoppers can find colorful clothing, home goods and décor, books, movies, and more in the Museum Shop, while the Pyramid Shop for kids pro-vides exciting and educational toys and games for explorers ages 5 and up. For hours and more information, visit www.penn.museum/museum-shops.(215) 898-4000 / 3260 South St., Philadelphia

Wolf Performing Arts Center $2 off adult tickets (excludes special events, not valid with other promotions, max. 4 tickets)(610) 642-0233 / 1020 Remington Road, Wynnewood

Tyler Arbortetum$2 off general admission (excludes special events, not valid with another promotion, max. 4 persons)(610) 566-9134 / 515 Painter Rd., Media

Annenberg Center for Performing Arts 10% off single tickets*(215) 898-3900 / 3680 Walnut St., Philadelphia

Fitness At 5 East 10% off all personal training packages(610) 996-0301 / 5 East State Street, Media

Bryn Mawr Running Co. 10% off purchase (Media location only)

Visit Bryn Mawr Running Company for gifts of all sizes to fit the needs of any runners, walkers, or athletes on your gift list. Our experienced staff can help you pick out the perfect present for whoever is on your list! Through Decem-ber 24th, you will receive a free tshirt with the purchase of any $100 and up gift card.(610) 627-0600 / 13 E. State St., Media

Yoga At Wellness On Park 10% off a pack of 6 or more classes(484) 636-4726 / 100 Park Ave. (Suite 2), Swarthmore

Cycle Fit of Delaware County 10% off accessories and parts (excluding sale items)(610) 876-9450 / 320 Chester Rd., Wallingford Fitness Together20% off small group training package or 10% off one on one training (Media location only and one time offer only)(610) 565-2007 / 115 W. State St., Media The Pilates Connexion15% off a pack of private lessons (one time offer)(610) 544-3730 / 9 S. Chester Rd., Swarthmore

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Per Lei Boutique 10% off regular priced merchandise(610) 566-1254 / 2 East State Street, Media

The 5 Senses 10% off purchase(610) 719-0170 / 133 West Market Street, West Chester

One Village Coffee 10% off Swarthmore Co-op Blend @ the

Swarthmore Co-op on SaturdaysOne Village Coffee has a coffee bag on your shelf with a different label because OVC is giv-ing back to the Coop COMSA with this Artist Blend Honduran Coffee a dollar per bag for the help of Fair Trade who is placing bee hives on the coffee farms and training the community on honey production and sustainability. This is being done in conjunction with Fair Trade of which we are a member of for giving the farm-ers the proper price for the coffee.(215) 721-4818 / 18 Cassel Road, Souderton

Local Home + Gifts10% off purchase (excluding sale & consignment)(610) 566-5661 / 29 West State Street, Media

Starry Eyed Optical 20% off any purchase of eyeglasses or sunglasses(484) 443-8396 / 5 East State Street, Media

Hipcycle 10% off online purchase*

Hipcycle offers attractive, stylish and durable upcycled products for you and your home. Up-cycling is the process of taking materials that would otherwise be headed to the landfill and turning them into new, useful, and fantastic items. Learn more and do a little eco-shopping at hipcycle.com

Earth & State 10% off (excluding sale and consignment items)(610) 566-9270 / 23 West State St., Media

Kuta Free pair of Kuta earrings w/ a purchase of $20 or more (one per customer)(610) 565-7967 / 104 West State St., Media

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John & Kira’s Gourmet Chocolate Gifts 20% off first purchase*

John & Kira’s is a socially innovative chocolate company dedicated to both making and selling world class confections and promoting posi-tive social change. Our chocolates are a perfect choice for holiday gifts. Our products highlight ingredients from small family producers and urban gardens. We hope that after tasting our confections and understanding where the ingre-dients come from, you will feel encouraged to support small family farms and school gardens-our partners and others!1 (800) 747-4808 / 157 West Wyoming Ave., Phila. Seven Stones Gallery 10% off purchase (excluding sale items)(610) 627-1177 / 212 W. State St., Media

Reconsidered Home 10% off purchase(610) 547-4663 / 29 W. Jasper St., Media

Compendium Boutique 10% off regular priced items on Tuesdays(610) 543-0283 / 23 S. Chester Rd., Swarthmore

Ten Thousand Villages 10% off purchase (excluding all other offers)

At Ten Thousand Villages, discover beautiful treasures handcrafted by fairly paid artisans around the world. You’ll find jewelry, acces-sories and home accents with global style and meaningful gifts with unforgettable stories. Ten Thousand Villages products represent ancient artistic traditions, innovative materials and the opportunity for artisans in developing countries to earn income and give their families a better life. To learn more visit www.tenthousandvillages.com.(610) 892-5020 / 101 W. State St., Media

Blueberry Bog10% off purchase(610) 565-1619 / 18 S. Orange St., Media

Sorella Boutique 10% off purchase (excluding sale items and gowns)(610) 566-2393 / 23 E. State St., Media

Wyebrook Farm 10% off at the market and cafe(610) 942-7480 / 150 Wyebrook Rd., Honey Brook

Penns Woods Winery Free tasting every visit

It’s the holiday season and time for the 12 Wines of Christmas, a hand picked mixed case of all of our favorite wines to enjoy for the holidays! Wrapped in a bow, these wines are the perfect gift for a wine lover. (610) 459-0808 / 124 Beaver Valley Rd., Chadds Ford

Farm Truck $.50 off $5 and under and $1 off over $5Streets of Philly

Cheng Hing 10% off an order of $10 or more(610) 328-2078 / 333 Darmouth Ave., Swarthmore

Dunkin Donuts 10% off purchase on Mondays and Tuesdays (Swarth-more location only)(484) 472-8891 / 1 S. Chester Rd., Swarthmore

Burlap & Bean BOGO free on pounds of coffee

Burlap and Bean Coffee is an independent café, roastery, and music venue located in Newtown Square, PA. All of our coffee is roasted on the premises using only Certified Organic and Fair Trade beans. We feature food from local ven-dors, rotating art monthly, and fantastic con-certs in an intimate setting. Burlap and Bean is where craft coffee and the arts meet.(484) 427-4547 / 204 S. Newtown St., Newtown Sq.

Vicky’s Place Free coffee with lunch order(610) 328-2453 / 417 Dartmouth Ave., Swarthmore

Twelve Baskets Cupcakes10% off at farmers’ markets & online*

Twelve Baskets is a unique online cupcakery that specializes in gourmet Asian-inspired cup-cakes. We bake from scratch and then deliver directly to you! We use the freshest and highest quality ingredients we can find so that you will have a bountiful flavor experience. Celebrate our first anniversary with us on 12/12/13 and get $12 off your online order! (No same day orders. Cannot be combined with any other offer)(267) 225-3111

Mango’s Froyo 10% off purchase(610) 627-1296 / 311 E. Baltimore Ave., Media

Aria 10% off purchase on Monday from 5-close(610) 543-2701 / 405 Dartmouth Ave., Swarthmore Dos Gringos 10% off, breakfast, lunch or dinner(610) 565-7794 / 113 S. Olive St., Media

Vesper Brothers 10% off at John’s Village Market (Berwyn only)

John’s Village Market is a family owned and operated neighborhood deli, established in Wayne, Pennsylvania in 1978, by John Vesper Jr. Located at the corner of Pennsylvania and Poplar Avenues, John began the business as a corner delicatessen and market. Housed in one of the oldest store fronts in Radnor Town-ship, John’s Village Market came to be known throughout the “Main Line” for having the best hoagies, and for offering only the finest quality food at the fairest prices. Still to this day, the deli, and the Vesper family, including twin brothers, whom you may know as Ves-per Brothers Foods, are going strong, and still serving the best food around!(610) 251-9720 / 676 Lancaster Ave., Berwyn

Occasionally Yours 10% off catering order of $200 or more(610) 328-9360 / 10 Park Ave., Swarthmore

Viso’s Authentic Italian Desserts $1 off regular size cannoli on Tuesdays(610) 566-5006 / 23 South Jackson St., Media(610) 497-1571 / 4928 Pennel Rd., Aston

Awfully Nice Tours 10% holiday Center City tour*

Immerse yourself in Philadelphia’s wintertime cheer. In the heart of the City, you’ll experience a sight and sound presentation experienced by generations of Philadelphians, a holiday tradi-tion within a historic market, and explore a charming Christmas village. You’ll go on to see a spectacular show, a shopping paradise, and end at Philly’s most iconic public square. Get into the holiday spirit on this unique tour of Philly!(215) 280-3746 / 1731 South Street, Philadelphia

Kitchen Harvest 1 free month of organics recycling to new & renewing customers and 10% off all soil & seedling products(610) 952-2930

ME Photo & Design 10% off any session(484) 442-8744 / 16 S. Orange St., Media

Untours 5% off tours*(610) 565-5242 / 415 East Jasper St., Media

Suburban Music School Waived registration fee & 10% off new student tuition(484) 442-8586 / 101 Plush Mills Road, Wallingford

Neil’s Knife Sharpening Service 10% discount on knife sharpening(215) 678-2131 / Philadelphia & Surrounding Areas

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Solavei Cellular Service Earn revenue using the Swarthmore Co-op account1-866-SOLAVEI

Wellness On Park Free 30 minute upgrade on your first massage with Michelle, Kym or Regina and $10 off all subsequent massages, One free myokinesthetics session with Susan, Free 15 minute acupuncture consultation with Kevin and 20% off first treatment, $10 off first energy medi-cine session with Barbara(610) 203-6329 / 100 Park Ave. (Suite 1), Swarthmore

Solar States 10% off solar installation

Solar States is a Philadelphia based solar de-veloper. We are committed to increasing the amount of solar renewable energy in Philadel-phia. In addition to developing solar projects on schools, homes, and commercial buildings, Solar States is working on connecting Philadel-phia students with the green-collar economy through training and jobs.1 (888) 895-8756 / 1400 N American Street, Phila.

Craftforia 10% off Wednesday Workshops(610) 350-8232 / 102 Park Avenue, Swarthmore

Garnet Cleaners 5% off dry clean items (excluding Wednesdays)(610) 544-6400 / 100 Park Ave., Swarthmore

Healing Partners Day Spa 30% off first visit and 10% off all facials(610) 328-1999 / 11-A Park Ave., Swarthmore

*contact the Swarthmore Co-op for discount code,

At the Co-op, we make a lot of coffee. I’ve never counted exactly, but I would suppose that we probably brew about

10 urns of coffee per day, or 2.8 pounds of coffee per

day. If I had to guess, I might say that it is about 4 pounds

of trash per day. While this doesn’t seem like much,

over the course of a year, this adds up to over 1,400

pounds of trash.

Eager to find a solution to this misguided waste, I suggested the Co-op compost the cof-

fee grounds. After contacting our compost carter, Kitchen Harvest, we discovered that our coffee grounds and fil-

ters could be composted with the rest of our biodegradable

waste.

Regular coffee drinkers at the Co-op may notice that there is now a small white

box on the shelves adjacent to the coffee station. This

box is designated to the cof-fee grinds and filters that are

ready to be disposed prop-erly, a simple yet important

change.

Remember, the sleeves and lids are both recyclable and

customers are encouraged to BYO mug for only a dollar.

it’s the holiday seasonorder your holiday favorites in store this year!

compost happensby BROOKE PORCH

ustainable hopping GuideS

The holiday season at the Co-op is a special time – heritage turkeys and hams, beautiful produce, freshly made holiday staples, and a bustling town; it’s hard not to feel the holiday cheer. One of the best parts of

shopping at the Co-op during the holiday season is knowing that sustainability is always a part of the everyday operation. In addition to the locally sourced foods and catering, the Co-op is offering a number of sustainably inspired gifts that can’t be overlooked.

price $225 - $350, 14 weeks

A CSA, or community supported agriculture, is a commitment between a farmer and a consumer. Con-sumers pay for individual shares prior to harvest and in return, the farmer supplies each member with his or her individual shares, or yield, every week for the contracted season. It’s important to remember pro-duce will vary from week to week - nature rules.

In order to secure the livelihood of the farmer, mem-bers share the risk of agricultural hardship or unfore-seen circumstances with the farmer, such as drought or crop failure. However, these risks are minimized through planning and plant diversity.

A CSA membership promotes land stewardship and directly supports local farmers and farms, such as the Happy Valley Berry Farm. Through CSA member-ships, consumers and farmers share the connection between local agriculture and the community.

Happy Valley Berry Farm, owned and farmed by Shirley Kline, is a six acre, pesticide free, vegetable and small fruit farm situated in Cumberland County, NJ, approximately forty-five miles from the Swarthmore Food Coop. Happy Valley Berry Farm has thirteen high tunnels where raspberries, blackberries, straw-berries, and a variety of vegetables grow year round.

Currently, Happy Valley Berry Farm exclusively pro-vides the Co-op with a number of products, includ-ing summer berries and winter greens. The Co-op and Happy Valley Berry Farm are excited to start their new partnership with year round, seasonal CSA shares.

Shares are available in full and half shares. Please make payments in store, checks can be made out to Happy Valley Berry Farm.

price $400, 40 lbs

The Swarthmore Co-op Cow-op Grass-Fed Beef Buy-ing Club connects members of the community to a single source, the Swartzentruber’s Stony Mountain Ranch, that produces Co-op Certified grass fed Pied-montese cattle. By joining the club and purchasing an eighth of a cow, you will receive 40 pounds of the best grass-fed beef in our food system. Within your share you will find all of your favorite cuts of beef, vacuum-sealed and ready to be stored. An eigth sized share can feed a small family for around six months on an average, balanced diet.

Piedmontese is a natural occurring Italian breed of cattle that have a unique gene that makes the meat lean and tender. The Swartzentruber’s cows are antibi-otic and hormone free and grass fed, grazing on pas-ture in the summer and eating hay during the winter.

For ordering information & pricing options, visit www.swarthmore.coop

price $300, lifetime

Membership makes a great, unique gift for food-ies, locavores, family, friends, and neighbors. With a number of benefits, including the early bird special, membership loyalty program, frequent buyer rewards, in store discounts, membership is a gift that keeps on giving.

The Swarthmore Co-op has survived truly due to its members’ patience and commitment. As our com-munity of members expand, we continue to grow into a vibrant and sturdy addition to the local community. Together, our strong roots can revive the future of the local and global food system.

Payments can be made online and in store for as low as $5 a month.

upcoming eventsNovember 30th, Small Business Saturday

December 6th, Quizzo 8 PMJanuary 18th, Members Appreciation Day

holiday hoursNovember 27th – 8 am to 6 pm

Thanksgiving Day – ClosedNovember 29th – 8 am to 7 pm

December 24th – 8 am to 5 pmChristmas Day – Closed

December 26th – 10 am to 6 pm

December 31st – 8 am to 6 pmNew Year’s Day – 9 am to 5 pm

Daytime Prison Tours

Every Day 10 am to 5 pm

I mostly eat meat out of convenience. It tastes good, of course, but I rarely get excited about it. Even when Thanksgiving rolls around, I get a lot more excited about potatoes loaded with cream, pumpkin pie and, of course, stuffing! But there are three types of meat that get me really excited; burgers, buffalo wings, and ribs.

This article is not about wings or burgers.

My friends’, two brothers, family owns a cabin and some land up in North-central Pennsylvania. It has become an annual tradition to go up every fall and get some work done before the winter, typically chopping a lot of wood, and with this comes eating some meat, typically a lot of meat, smoked in their smokehouse.

The smokehouse is a re-purposed woodshed and the fire pit remains outside of the house. A buried clay pipe transports smoke from the pit to the house, which makes it possible to keep the temperature in the smoke house

SMOKE OUTby B R O O K e P o r C H

Porch lends his friends a hand in their smokehouse upstate

around 180 degrees. If the fire pit is in the smoke house, then the temperature will easily rise well above 300 degrees, which cooks the meat rather than smoking the meat.

Much work went into constructing the house two years ago, but my friends and I are now quite happy to enjoy the fruits of the smoke house. Beef jerky is a perennial favorite, but I really like pork, especially ribs. Planning ahead, I bought two packs of the Co-op’s baby back ribs. Before smoking, I covered them with mustard and a rub. Mustard is great because it

has plenty of vinegar and salt, while giving the rub - a basic mix of ground peppers, aromatics, and herbs - something to stick to. Once prepared, the ribs went into the smoke house and my friends went back to work while I made sure the couch didn’t float away!

Fast forward several hours and we had some of the tastiest ribs I’ve ever had, in addition to some smoked kielbasa and beef brisket, Brussels sprouts, kale, and potatoes - fried in bacon grease, of course.

the clay pipe regulates the temperature in the smoke house, making

the perfect ribs.

December Specials

of our

these are a fewfavorite things

St Malachi $17.99 lbreg. $18.99 lb

Vegan Treats Whoopi Pies $3.00 eareg. $3.50 ea

Large Griggstown Chicken Pot Pies $18.99 eareg. $19.99 ea

McKnight Salmon Burgers $9.99 eareg. $10.99 ea

Steaz Organic Green Teas $1.49 eareg. $1.79 ea

Bulk Back Roads Granola $6.99 - $7.99 eareg. $8.99 - $9.99 ea

Earth Balance Coconut Peanut Butter $4.99 eareg. $5.99 ea

Pretzel Chips $2.99 eareg. $3.49 ea

Walkers Shortbread Cookies $3.49 eareg. $3.99 ea

Mashers $5.95 lbreg. $6.95 lb

Braised Red Cabbage $5.95 lbreg. $6.95 lb

Meatloaf $9.99 lbreg. $10.99 lb