We appreciate our owners! I hope you were able to come and shop with us for Owner Appreciation Day on July 21st. The next Owner Appreciation will be in December, close to the holidays.
Eating locally produced food is becoming a real focus not just for the cooperatively minded but is showing up in broader communities. Tidal Creek is proud of its strong connections and support of local farmers. This summer Tidal Creek sponsored a month long Eat Local Challenge. It gained attention from the local media about localvorism. The Challenge also prepared us to better source a variety of local product options for each food category. Thanks to all for making this a successful adventure. This fall will bring another local farm tour. Stay tuned to the co-op calendar (page 15).
PRICE CONCERNS
Our growers, manufacturers and distributors have had to adjust for the recent changes in weather patterns, the Midwest floods and the rising cost of oil. This adjustment is passed along to us by way of increases in the cost of goods. We are watching this closely and will absorb some of this increase internally whenever possible. We continue to offer great value through our Owners Savings program, deep discounts on everyday items, and the Cooperative Advantage Program (CAP).
In June we introduced our weekly Get Fresh program featuring produce, deli, specialty cheeses, perishables, bulk and beer and wine items. Look for the green flier as you enter the door by the produce department.
DELI CHANGES
This summer we also adjusted our offerings from the deli to include a lot more products in the grab and go cooler. We have some wonderful new sandwiches and the Chef’s Specials are fantastic meal solutions. We are continuing to work on expanding these options.
We’ve heard the complaints from those missing the hot bar food after 3pm and realize this may have impacted some of our core customers. This change came after months of monitoring. The evening hot bar was very labor intensive and generated too much waste at the end of the day with leftover food. By looking at the bigger picture we chose to focus on areas that can contribute more to the product mix with less costs and waste. This fall we will introduce packaged hot items after 3pm on the hot bar for eating here or taking home.
NEW CO-OPS
I feel that cooperatives are uniquely suited to change with the times. We began and continue to be adaptable to meet our owner’s needs because of our focus on democratic participation and community. After many years of no new food co-ops opening and a few older food co-ops closing their doors this past fiscal year has seen the opening of 11 new co-op stores!
Here is the list of the towns where new co-ops opened in the last year: Baltimore, Maryland; Carbondale, Colorado; Missoula, Montana; Northampton, Massachusetts; Oakland, California; Paoli, Indiana; Pocatello, Idaho; Reno, Nevada; Stoughton, Wisconsin; Wykoff, Minnesota; & Yelm, Washington.
It is exciting to see the food cooperative movement grow!
If you are interested in donating to help the Midwest farmers affected by the floods you may join others by contacting the North Country Cooperative Development Fund (www.ncdf.coop). NCDF has graciously made its Cooperative Disaster Relief Fund (501c3 status) a collection and disbursement agent for monies allocated for co-op farmer-suppliers affected by the recent flooding.
Cooperatively your,
Christine McElwee
