Spring is just around the corner! The anticipation of warmer weather makes it hard to stay inside, but also gives us the motivation to start spring cleaning.  To that end, the Board has decided to review the bylaws in depth this year.  Traditionally, the Board reviews a section of the bylaws at each regular meeting, completing a review of the full set of bylaws during the course of the year.  However, the Board has decided to get together in small groups, outside of the regular monthly meeting, to review and discuss the bylaws.  Check out the Board of Directors bulletin board for dates and times if you are interested in doing this work with us.

In addition to reviewing our bylaws, this year we are working to educate ourselves about our local economy.  Prior to the last meeting, the Board watched a webinar of Michael Shuman’s (co-founder of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) address to Hanover Co-op.  This provided us with some interesting discussion about the expansion of cooperative principles into areas of commerce outside of natural foods.  We are also reading and discussing Co-op Principles Meet Slow Money, by Robin Seydel, Membership Coordinator at La Montañita Co-op in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The Board welcomes anyone who wants to participate.  Please come to our meetings held the fourth Monday of each month at 6pm in the Tidal Creek Community Center.

In Cooperation – Your Board of Directors

Everyone is welcome to attend monthly Board of Directors meetings, held the 4^th Monday at 6pm in the Tidal Creek Community Center, unless otherwise indicated.  Comments or questions regarding co-op governance should be directed to BOD member Anthony Garguilo at 910.409.2735.  Please provide Anthony with 48hrs notice for addition to the meeting agenda.  Comments regarding store operations can be heard by management staff or by completing a suggestion form at the Customer Service Desk.  Your participation and input is encouraged!

For the first quarter of the year, there will be an extra 5% discount on all our bulk items on Tuesdays.  Any item that is unpackaged or loose is considered to be bulk.  Bulk items available at the Co-op include: coffee, flour, rice, granola, snacks, seasonings, spices, liquid soaps, bath salts, salad greens, oil, honey, and much more.  You should consider buying bulk items because they are less expensive; you can get exactly the amount you need, and bulk items require less packaging.  Have you ever had a recipe that calls for a mere teaspoon of something and you inevitably ended up buying more than you needed?  When you buy in bulk you get just the amount you need and if you bring in your own container there’s no packaging wasted.

Another change for 2011 is the monthly highlighting of our tremendous locally made products.  Tidal Creek defines “local” as any product that is grown or made in North Carolina or is transported less then 400 miles. This definition comes from amendment H.R.2419 passed by Congress as part of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act.  What you can expect to see is monthly promotions, demos, and education about more than 50 local vendors.  Buying local products has many benefits including strengthening your local economy, supporting family farms, and protecting the environment.

Thank you again for taking the time to fill out our survey and Tidal Creek wishes you all a safe and happy New Year!

Position at Tidal Creek: Front End Manager

How long have you been with the Co-op?
Almost 5 months

What brought you here?
It was a consideration for some time to move to the coast to be closer to family.

What are some of your interest outside of working?
Hiking with my dogs, playing cards with the family, and taking long walks on the beach. I enjoy drawing and painting as well.

What is the best part of your job at Tidal Creek?
Smiling faces… of staff, of owners, of children… I love to see people smile.

Favorite product?
Liz Lovely vegan cookies, particularly Ginger Snapdragons and Chocolate Mousse Dragons.

3 things about yourself.
I hiked and camped on the summit of Cold Mountain this past summer. It was amazing.
I am a former Massage Therapist.
Now that I am at the beach, I plan to learn how to surf.

The Starving Students’ Vegetarian Cookbook; Over 150 Recipes for Quick, Cheap, and Delicious Meals by Dede Hall

College students can eat healthy meals, according to Dede Hall.  Hall’s latest book, The Starving Students Vegetarian Cookbook is a great twist on its predecessor, The Starving Students Cookbook which contained meat dishes. This rendition is divided into sections for desserts, sauces, main meals, and party foods.  The recipes in this book are quick, many taking about 15 minutes or less. They are simple, easy to make, and use the fewest number of pots possible. They are perfect for a microwave or hot plate, stove top, or toaster oven. The size of this book is great and handy. Unfortunately, there are no pictures of the food, and some of the recipes may have too many ready-to-use ingredients for some, but nevertheless this book is a keeper!

You will love this quick reference guide to good eating. Nothing is left to the imagination.  Each recipe is accompanied by a drawing of the type of pot to use. There are basic kitchen supplies to get you started as well as basic shopping lists for the recipes. Hall tells the reader how to peel and mince garlic, and how to cut almost anything from onions to bell peppers. This handy book will even tell you how to clean and store lettuce. Hall also gives the precise amount of time it takes to prepare each of the recipes.  The book covers the many ways to cook eggs and at what temperature to cook them, and even how and when to turn them over.

Almost everyone loves baked potatoes. Hall suggests a variety of fillings or toppings for this old standby. After you take the potatoes from the oven, keep them warm in a clean kitchen towel, and then you can fill them with broccoli florets, cheese, sunflower seeds, yogurt, ricotta or cottage cheese, fresh tomato salsa, or crunchy cole slaw.

Some useful tips about shopping are also included in this book. Hall suggests checking prices against weight, shopping when you’re not hungry (so you will buy less), and checking “use by” dates on all packages.

There are loads of good recipes in Dede Hall’s The Starving Students Vegetarian Cookbook. It was difficult to choose. Here are some that I hope you will try. Bon Appetit!

Onion Potato Soup

• 1 T butter or margarine
• 1 small onion, chopped into ½ inch pieces
• 1 ¼ oz can vegetable broth
• 2 c water
• 2 small white potatoes, chopped ½ inch pieces
• 1 stalk celery, with celery leaves cut into ½ inch pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Dash of Worchester sauce

Melt butter in saucepan. Add onion and cook about 2 minutes until golden and limp. Add the rest of the ingredients to pan. Stir and mix well. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Turn heat to lowest setting. Cover pan and warm until ready to use.

Black Olive and Egg Sandwich Spread

• 2 hard cooked eggs, chopped
• 2 oz. chopped black olives
• 1 T mayonnaise
• 1 t sweet pickle relish
• Mix all ingredients together and spread on buttered wheat bread.

Cream Cheese, Sliced Apple, and Peanut Butter Sandwich Spread

• 2 T cream cheese
• 2 T peanut butter
• 1 T honey
• ½ apple, cored and thinly sliced

In a small bowl, mix together cream cheese, peanut butter, and honey. Spread mixture onto whole grain raisin bread and layer with apple.

Onion, Tomato, and Swiss Cheese Sandwich Spread

• Splash of balsamic vinegar
• Dash of black pepper
• 1 large slice each of onion, tomato, and Swiss cheese

Sprinkle a dash of black pepper on slices of onion and tomato, and layer with the cheese between two slices of buttered French bread.

Quick and Easy Vegetable Pie

Serves one or two people

• 1 10 oz. pack of frozen vegetables
• 4 mushrooms, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, cut into small pieces
• Dried basil and dried oregano, couple pinches each
• Salt and pepper, a dash
• 1 10 oz. can cream of celery soup
• 2 T milk
• ½ cup shredded cheese
• ½ 8 oz. bag of frozen tater tots

In a baking dish, mix together the vegetables, mushrooms, garlic and herbs and salt and pepper. In small bowl, stir soup with milk until smooth. Pour over vegetable mixture. Sprinkle cheese over vegetables.  Place tater tots on top of the cheese with sides touching. Bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees or until tater tots are crisp and brown on top.

Chocolate Brownie Pudding

Serves two to three

• ½ c soft margarine
• ½ c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla extract
• ½ c flour
• 4 oz. chocolate chips

In a large microwave-safe bowl, stir together soft margarine and sugar until pale yellow color. Microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds. Beat with large wooden spoon until creamy and smooth. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and stir until smooth. In a small microwave-safe bowl or cup, melt chocolate chips at 50% power for 30 seconds. Stir into batter until chocolate is evenly distributed. Pour into lightly oiled microwave-safe baking pan. Microwave at 50% power for 10 minutes. Remove and let sit for 10 minutes. (Top will be firm; underside will be moist.) Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

We have also made it through the holidays and are looking forward to another great year at the Co-op. Plans are to bring you more convenience items in the Grab-and-Go section and more variety on the Salad Bar and Hot Bar. Fresh, wholesome meal options with more organic choices are being emphasized. Local and seasonal choices also remain important to us. The bakery staff is working on recipes to expand gluten-free choices. We are also constantly experimenting with varieties of sugar and sweeteners. And, if all goes as planned, this could be the year we are able to apply nutritional data to our menu items. This requires software we don’t yet have, but who knows… with added efficiencies it could be in our budget.

Once again, thank you for your continued support of the Co-op Kitchen. If you are not one of our regulars yet, there is no better time than now to give us a chance to cook for you.

Deb Lovan
Co-op Kitchen

Another new company to look for is Stoney Mountain Farms, which is now providing us with hand-made organic cat toys and wool dryer balls from their farm in Burlington, NC. Commercial dryer sheets often contain harmful chemicals and take years to break down in landfills. The dryer balls from this environmentally conscious farm are a great natural and renewable replacement.

In February, don’t miss our great Valentine’s gifts. We’ll have beautiful heart-shaped beeswax candles from Sunbeam Candles and Be Mine massage oil from Wilmington’s Down to Earth Oils. Delicious Dagoba Chocolate Lip Balm paired with a Dagoba chocolate bar make a sweet gift for the chocolate lover in your life!

February is also American Heart Month. An institution since 1963, the goal of the month is to raise awareness about cardiovascular diseases, a leading cause of death each year in the U.S. The American Heart Association publishes recommendations for keeping your heart healthy. Check them out, and don’t miss the heart health products we’ll have on display in February!

As part of our commitment to you, our meat department stocks products with the Certified Humane® label. Farms that are Certified Humane have to meet animal care standards which allow the animals to express their natural behaviors. Chickens can dust-bathe, pigs can root, cows can graze, and all farm animals are able to live their lives with the space, shelter, nutrition and care they need. In addition, the program does not allow feeding a diet of antibiotics or using hormones of any sort.

The Certified Humane® program is the only labeling program that:

• Conducts annual producer inspections by an independent nonprofit;
• Requires producers to meet all animal care standards in order to achieve certification;
• Is backed by the leading national, local, and regional humane organizations;
• Has been recognized because the founder was awarded both the Purpose Prize and was elected an Ashoka Fellow for the creation of Humane Farm Animal Care and the Certified Humane® program.

Our meat department carries Heartland Meadows ground chuck, ribeye, stew meat, and top sirloin steaks. Heartland Meadows’ ranches have received the Certified Humane® designation from the Humane Farm Animal Care organization. Heartland Meadows’ cattle are never given any form of hormones, steroids, implants or growth stimulants. The animals are allowed to mature slowly for optimal tenderness and marbling. The cattle are never given any form of antibiotics.

If you are looking for a meat alternative, we carry Gardein products. Gardein™ (garden + protein) is a line of delicious, meat-free foods that are made with 100 percent plant-based protein. Free of cholesterol, animal, and dairy ingredients; Gardein is a sustainable replacement to animal protein in any dish. Made from vegetables, grains, and plant-proteins; Gardein is available in our perishable and frozen sections.  For coupons and vegetarian recipe ideas, visit www.gardein.com.

With Valentine’s Day as our inspiration, we have chosen Wilmington’s very own Carolina Candy for February’s local grocery spotlight. Wilmington has the pleasure of being home to Carolina Candy for just over 14 years. The current owners previously ran a bakery with great success, and decided to take the opportunity to get into the candy business. Lucky for us, they make their chocolate molds with no preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup, and completely gluten-free! Everything is made in-house. They have hundreds of different shapes and sizes of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate molds. Also, thanks to their extensive baking experience, they design and create specialty cakes for every occasion. Carolina Candy’s most well known creation, which we carry at Tidal Creek, is their Tarheel Toffee.  Made with fresh butter, almonds, pure cane sugar, and finished with a dusting of freshly ground almonds, you’ll agree that it is the best toffee you will ever try! Carolina Candy is located at 1045 B South Kerr Avenue in the South Kerr Village Center, or give them a call at 910.794.9905.

In February, the wellness department will highlight Wilmington’s Down to Earth Oils. Owner Eva Vontz has been passionately selling aromatics and creating oil blends for over 20 years. After starting her business at a roadside stand in downtown Wilmington, she is now located in the Cotton Exchange, where she has one of the largest collections of oils this side of the Mississippi. At Tidal Creek, we carry Down to Earth room sprays, as well as bulk oils and signature aromas. For Valentine’s Day, we’ll also have the “Be Mine” massage oil. All Down to Earth bottled products will be 30% off for the month of February.

Ernie Bockbrader of Atlantic Hydroponics has been working with Tidal Creek Co-op for five years now. Atlantic Hydroponics is located in Hampstead, NC and consists of two modestly sized greenhouses. Ernie has been using the hydroponic method for growing crops since 1994.  Hydroponics is when a plant is delivered nutrition through oxygenated water rather than through a growing medium such as soil. There are many advantages to using the hydroponics method.  The plant is able to fruit more because less focus is put on the growth of roots. Also, soil-borne pathogens are not a worry because of the lack of soil. Some of the plants that Ernie incorporates into his greenhouse include:  bib lettuce, basil, English cucumbers, mesculin mix and arugula.  He is currently looking to expand the diversity of crops and is open to suggestions. You can find Ernie’s bib lettuce on the deli salad bar. The hydroponic bib lettuce, basil, and mesculin mix can also be found in the produce section of the store.

Sweet Knee, located in North Myrtle Beach, provides us with gentle, all-natural skin care for the sensitive-skinned little one in your life. Kristy “Mama” Platt began Sweet Knee when her son developed a severe skin irritation that would not respond to over-the-counter or prescribed creams. Her special Bun Glaze cleared things up! Now, their yummy products are produced in small batches from the best organic botanicals and are specially formulated for the needs of babies and children. Try their Rubbit Oil, Oatmeal Cookie Bath, or any of the other products that will all be $1.00 off for the month of March.

Scott and Angela Smith own 75 acres of farmland in Harrells, NC. Their farm, Heaven on Earth, includes 21 acres of land that has been certified organic for one year. Scott is 39 years old and went to school for farming and wildlife conservation. He grew up farming with his grandfather, but did not realize then that he would use the skills later in his life for his own farm. Before farming, Scott was known as a professional water skier and even performed in the World Games in Japan. An injury ended his skiing career and he later decided to take up farming as a career. Scott and Angela have grown an abundance of different vegetables on their farm. Tidal Creek Cooperative just recently started carrying their produce. Some of the products that we have had in the store include turnips, bok choy, beets, and carrots. We look forward to carrying more of their produce throughout the year.

Natures Way Farm, located in Hampstead, is home to the Moller family’s herd of happy goats. The quality care and relaxed life of the goats results in quality milk, and with the Mollers’ work that milk becomes award-winning artisan cheeses and goat soaps. All of these products will be $0.50 off each during March. Check out the staff favorites Walnut Blue Cheese and Honey and Aloe goat soap! Also, if you and your family want to see where the magic happens, don’t miss the Natures Way Farm Tour in March! Information will be available at Customer Service.

Q:  Please try to carry Think Thin bars.  They are lower in sugar than most food bars.
A:  We will look into these.

Q:  Could you find out if the reusable co-op shopping bags can be recycled?  Thanks!
A:  Our reusable co-op bags are 100% non-woven polypropylene (plastic #5) and are recyclable in locations that accept plastic bag recycling.

Q:  Please order a product called Roma. It takes the place of coffee. Thank you.
A:  This item has been discontinued.  Sorry.

Q:  I picked up some of the Maple View milk and need to return the bottles. I have washed them out, but is there anything else I need to do? Do I just return them at the customer service area? It was fabulous by the way, and so was the egg nog. We will be getting it again.
A:  So glad you enjoyed the Maple View milk and egg nog.  They are a wonderful, regional farm and we appreciate your support of their quality products.  You can drop off gently rinsed bottles to any register, and you will receive a refund of $2 for each bottle return.

The simple directive, “Eat local,” has shaped a strong trend in the food market. While it might sound like a local restaurant slogan—and it is community-based in practice—the impact of following the advice is far-reaching. Healthful eating, conscientious stewardship of the planet, and community strength are important issues that help shape and direct the trend toward local food.

Also sometimes called the regional food movement, there are a wide range of subscribers and levels of commitment to the local food movement. Some “locavores,” for example, pledge to eat foods that are produced within a 100-mile radius of their homes, while others are comfortable with state or other regional lines. For many people, eating local simply means favoring foods grown as close to home as possible, whenever possible.

When you choose to eat local foods, you:

1. Minimize food miles

Food miles are the distance that food travels before it reaches store shelves. In North America, most fresh food is transported 1,000 to 1,500 miles before being sold—from farm to distribution centers across the country, then back to the grocery shelves. So while a neighboring agribusiness may grow broccoli, on average it will travel 1,300 miles to get to your local store. And this can take days, or even weeks. A local farmer, on the other hand, can often get your broccoli to you or your local food cooperative the same day it’s harvested.

Besides diminishing freshness, food miles translate into massive amounts of fossil fuel burned and carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other pollutants released, which contribute to acid rain, pollution and climate change. Additional energy is needed to refrigerate foods that might spoil over time in transport, and to produce paper and plastic packaging materials for these products. (Of course, local food purchases reduce the pollution involved with the disposal of these materials, too.) Reducing food miles is a powerful way to positively impact the environment.

2. Support local farmers and economies

Eating locally supports local, independent farmers rather than large, commercial agribusinesses. When you buy commercial foods, most of the money for the food goes to marketers, middlemen, processors and suppliers. In fact, only 3.5 cents of each food dollar goes to the farmer. The closer you buy to the farmer, the more of your food dollar the farmer receives.

In addition to putting more money into the hands of the farmers who grow your food, eating locally strengthens the family farm, which has been on the decline for decades. According to www.foodroutes.org, the U.S. has lost over 5 million farms since 1935, and is currently losing farmland at the rate of two acres each minute, thanks to urban and suburban sprawl and the growth in commercial agribusiness.

Buying local helps enable local farmers to maintain the land they respect and work to preserve. Unlike many large agribusinesses, small local farmers who diversify their crops are not dependent upon insecticides (pests are often crop-specific). And they often reuse farm products, like manure, instead of introducing harmful chemical products, like synthetic fertilizers. Small farmers reinvest in their communities, too, which results in a cycle of improved local economics and well-being.

So buying local food supports the local economy, protects small farms, and encourages responsible land development.

3. Eat Better Food

As a general rule, local food is fresher, riper, better-tasting, and of overall better quality than commercially produced food shipped thousands of miles. It’s produced for flavor and nutrition, not so it can withstand travel and industrial equipment. It doesn’t require preservatives and/or irradiation, and it doesn’t lose nutritive value in transport. And because it’s locally distributed, most local farm-produced food involves minimal processing.

Because local farmers don’t need to contend with high-yield demands or products with long shelf lives, they may be able to offer more diverse products and support more biodiversity in nature, too.

While local and organic aren’t linked by definition, family farmers often grow organically, particularly when there’s local demand. And it’s easy to see how you might be more confident that the organic food produced by your local farmer is, indeed, meeting high-quality organic standards. Buying from—and talking directly to—local farmers better enables you to know the food is free of chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Eating locally literally narrows the gap between us and the production of the food we eat.

4. Other Food for Thought

Local food production ensures better food security than food shipped thousands of miles. That’s because food produced on farms with wide distribution, or from widely scattered areas, has greater potential for outbreaks of food-borne disease. Currently, most of the fresh fruits and vegetables sold in the US come from three states while about 40 percent of our fruit is produced overseas and 9 percent of our red meat comes from foreign countries. Local food is less vulnerable to contamination and easier to track in the event of a problem.

How to Support Local Food

• Learn what foods grow during which seasons in your area. Then eat what’s in season. In the Midwest, for example, it’s natural to eat squash and apples in the fall and tomatoes and eggplant in the summer.
• Consider canning or storing in-season foods for use in later months.
• Shop at stores and restaurants committed to supporting local family farmers.
• Visit farmer’s markets to find sources of local foods. You might also visit www.LocalHarvest.org, which helps put people in touch with sustainably grown local food.

Source List

FoodRoutes.org – http://www.foodroutes.org/whycare1.jsp

Local Food, Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_food

Local Harvest – http://www.localharvest.org/

Sustainable Table – http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/buylocal/