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CO-OP NEWSA Publication of the North Coast Co-op • July 2014

CO-OP NEWS

1 Co-op News | July 2014

The Cooperative Principles:1. Voluntary & Open Membership 2. Democratic Member Control 3. Member Economic Participation 4. Autonomy & Independence 5. Education, Training & Information 6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives7. Concern for Community

[email protected]

.

www.northcoast.coop [email protected]

Editor Melanie Bettenhausen

Marketing & Membership Director(707) 502-3555 ext. 132

[email protected]

Graphics & CoordinationAmy Waldrip

Graphic Design Coordinator(707) 502-3555 ext. 120

[email protected]

Jeremy Smith-DanfordMarketing & Graphics Assistant

(707) 502-3555 ext. [email protected]

The Co-op does not officially endorse the services or products of any paid advertiser. All articles, columns and letters are the expressed opinion of

the author and not the Co-op News.

Arcata Location 811 I St., Arcata • (707) 822-5947

Open daily: 6 am to 9 pm Kevin Waters, Store Manager

[email protected]

Eureka Location25 4th St., Eureka • (707) 443-6027

Open Daily: 6 am to 9 pmToby Massey, Store Manager

[email protected]

Cooperative Offices 811 I St., Arcata

General ManagerKelli Reese (707) 502-3555 ext. 124

[email protected]

Membership Coordinator Bella Waters (707) 502-3555 ext. 135

[email protected]

Human ResourcesLisa Landry (707) 826-8670 ext. 127

[email protected]

Accounting Kelli Costa (707) 502-3555 ext. 138

[email protected]

Board of DirectorsKelly Boehms, Kate Lancaster,

Fred Moore, Tim Silva, Steve Suttell, Jessica Unmack, John Woolley

July2014

2 Run for the Board!

3 Community Partners

4 Quinoa Protein Bars

5 Eat More Local Seaweed

6 Carrot Salad with Seaweed

7 Member Comments

8 Co-op Kids Coloring Contest

9 Composting in Blue Lake

9 The Truth about Sugar

10 Thrill of the Grill

11 Cooking Class Schedule

11 Reference Guide

INSIDE

CO-OP NEWS

Cooperative Community

Volume 67

Letters must include your name, address, member num-ber, and telephone number (so that we can contact you should any questions arise). Letters should be kept to a maximum of 250 words and may be edited. We regret that we may not be able to publish all letters due to lim-ited space. Please send your letters to:

Co-op News North Coast Co-op

811 I Street Arcata, CA 95521

or email [email protected]

FIND US ON...

Letters to the Editor

It’s On the Ballot!

Melanie Bettenhausen Marketing & Membership

Director

In case you haven’t heard, GMO Free Humboldt successfully gath-ered enough signatures to put their

proposed ordinance (banning Geneti-cally Modified Organisms (GMOs) from agriculture in Humboldt County) on the ballot in November. Thank you to our members who signed the petition and who volunteered their time!

GMO Free Humboldt will be asking people to vote Yes on Measure P, which is now a part of their name. The Co-op endorses Yes on Measure P and will

be working to get the vote out. Hopefully as soon as August, we will be selling Yes on Measure P t-shirts, hats and bags. Each item sold will result in a $5 dona-tion to GMO Free Humboldt Yes on Measure P!

Remember, it’s about Fairness, Prosperity and Protection. The Com-mittee for a GMO Free Humboldt – Yes on Measure P is an all-volunteer, grass-roots effort. Here’s what moves them (and us):

FairnessWe want to ensure that Humboldt County farmers and gardeners have the right to grow non-GMO crops without fear of contamination.

ProsperityWe want to boost our County’s econ-omy by helping local farmers main-tain access to the growing markets for GMO-free and organic food.

ProtectionWe want to protect our local environ-ment from contamination by GMOs

and the toxic herbicides that are often used with them.

There is still much work to be done. If you would like to get involved, attend a regularly

scheduled meeting at the Co-op’s Community Kitchen in Arcata (971 8th Street) from 6-7pm, every other Wednes-day. Upcoming: July 9

and July 23. Visit http://yesonp2014.org/get-involved/

or email [email protected]. If you haven’t had a chance to read

the proposed ordinance, now is a good time to get up to speed. You can find the full document at http://yesonp2014.org/about-the-ordinance/. Don’t have internet? We are happy to print a copy for you—just ask at Customer Service.

Business owners, you don’t have to be a farmer or food producer to endorse Yes on Measure P. Yes on Measure P is about maintaining a healthy economy in Humboldt. You can also see a list of other supporters and formally endorse Yes on Measure P at http://yesonp2014.org/endorsements/. It’s easy to fill out the form. You will receive a sign showing your support. If you are so inclined, please display it proudly. Yes on Measure P!

GMO Free Humboldt Now Yes on “Measure P”

FOR MEETING INFORMATION& TO READ THE FULL

PROPOSED ORDINANCE VISIT:

yesonp2014.org

facebook.com/northcoastcoop

youtube.com/thenorthcoastcoop

www.northcoast.coop 2

Membership

Your Co-op needs you! If you care about our coop-erative, its membership and staying successful

in a changing and challenging busi-ness environment, you should consider running for the Board of Directors. This fall we have one general mem-bership seat open for election and, along with our dedicated and passion-ate employees and staff, the continued success and health of our Co-op also

depends on a strong and dedicated board of directors. We’re looking for engaged, open-minded, creative and committed members to lend their voice and vision to help set and focus on long-term goals for the Co-op.

I had never really thought about par-ticipating on the board of directors even though this is one of my favorite places--too busy with my own family and work, thinking someone else will do it, not giv-ing a second glance to the call for candi-dates in the Co-op newsletters--until one day, after all my talk about how much I love my Co-op, a friend encouraged me to do something about it and run for a seat on the board of directors. I had been thinking about finding new ways to become more engaged within our com-munity and this actually sounded pretty perfect. It only requires a commit-ment of around 8-12 hours a month for three years and it’s always an exciting time to be on the board looking toward and planning for the future, especially now as we’re implementing our new strategic plan.

If running for an election and serv-ing on the board seems too much of a commitment for you, there are several other ways to become engaged with and stay connected to your Board of Direc-tors. You can attend a Board meeting

in either Eureka or Arcata, or you can catch up on Board business by find-ing meeting agendas and minutes at www.northcoast.coop. You could also submit questions for the upcoming can-didates to be asked at the Candidate Forum in August. The deadline to sub-mit questions for the Candidate Forum is August 10 and elections are to be held this year in early October with the newly elected director announced at the Annual Membership Meeting later that month.

Candidate Application Packets are now available in both stores (at Customer Service) and online at www.northcoast.coop. Deadline for Application Pack-ets (including a candidate statement) is July 20, no later than 5pm. Please consider lending your time and talents. Member commitment is what keeps the Co-op strong!

ELECTION TIMELINE 2014

June 3 Application packet for candi-dacy will be available at Customer ser-vice in both stores, as well as on our website www.northcoast.coop.

July 20 Deadline to submit appli-cation packet for candidacy.

August 15 Deadline to meet with Co-op videographer to film video statement. These will be posted to the Co-op’s website during the election.

August 21 Candidate Forum, 7-8pm in Arcata. Opportunity for members to meet the candidates and listen to their responses from questions submitted by members. Please note: members can submit questions before the forum – we want to hear your questions! Keep an eye out for instructions in future issues of the Co-op News.

September 27 – Election Kick-off Party – location to be determined.

September 27-October 15 Can-didate campaigning, if desired, and election time—please vote!

October 18 Annual Membership Meeting. Election results announced.

RUN FOR THE BOARD OF D IRECTORS

Jessica Unmack Nominating

Committee Chair

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With the absolutely amazing weather we have been enjoying recently, many of us are anxious to spend as much time out-

side in the sun as we can! It’s important not to overlook protect-ing ourselves from too much sun. Protect the largest organ of your body—your skin! You also want to protect your eyes from too much UV radiation by wearing quality sunglasses that offer UV protection and wearing a hat or cap whenever you spend time outdoors.

This month we are helping you achieve this goal by giving away the following products: Alba Botanica Facial Sunscreen (SPF 30), Alba Botanica Fragrance Free Sunscreen (SPF 30), Alba Botanica Lip Balm (SPF 18); a pair of sunglasses, and a North Coast Co-op baseball cap (other colors are available if you’re not a fan of pink)!

We our members

Member Giveaway

Enter in either store at customer service by July 31 and have fun safely in the sun!


From the General Manager

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Hot-off-the-grill entreés and all the fixin’s for just $5! Featuring local products from

Humboldt Grassfed Beef and the Tofu Shop. Vegan and gluten-free friendly.

Eureka Car StereoCar Audio • iPod and Bluetooth Solutions • Auto Security

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advertise in the co-op news

Affordable package rates available

Limited space

Contact Amy Waldrip at 707.502.3555 ext. 120or email [email protected]

www.northcoast.coop

Meet Our New Sales Flyers

SAME great local & national sales in a new, easier to use format. BOTH stuffed into the Co-op News & available in stores.

limited time specials Mar 4 thru Mar17

CO-OP SPECIALS

Fresh from the North

Coast Co-op Deli

North Coast Co-op Deli's Corn and Basil

Quinoa Salad featuring these organic

ingredients: quinoa, corn, peppers, onions,

basil, olive oil, and lemon juice.

On sale for $6.99 per lb (reg. $7.99).

SAVE MORE

withcoupons

Save on local items!

From North Coast Co-op in Arcata & Eureka, California • Specials Valid July 1 thru July 14, 2014

Find more Local Specials Inside

Look for the local label throughout

this sales flyer and in our store aisles

to find items grown or produced

within 250 miles.

PLUS

Dozens more deals inside!

Coupons valid July 1 - July 31

Co-op specials are for everyone, not just Co-op members

Lindah’s

Mustard

Hot ‘n Sweet, Toasted

Sesame Hot ‘n Sweet

$3.59Reg. $3.99 9 oz

Tofu shop

Organic International

Spiced Tofu

Tandoori, Chorizo or Thai

$3.69Reg. $4.69 8 oz

limited time specials Mar 4 thru Mar17

CO-OP SPECIALS

From North Coast Co-op in Arcata & Eureka, California • Specials Valid July 15 thru July 28, 2014

PLUSFind dozens of local

specials inside!

Save more on select sale items with Co+op coupons!

Food Should TaSTe Good

Tortilla ChipsSelected Products

$1.99 Reg. $3.49 5.5 ozFronTeraSalsaSelected Products

$2.99 Reg. $4.49 16 oz

50 ¢OFF

extra

withcoupon

Extra Big Deal

Save on chips and salsa for any summer gathering!

Food Should Tase Good Tortilla Chips and Frontera

Salsa are both on sale this month with an additonal

savings with the in-store Co+op coupons.

(See below for prices and sizes.)SAVE MOREwithcoupons

Save even more on select specials

with Co+op Coupons!

Additional savings are available

on many specials with the use of

in-store Co+op coupons.

Coupons valid July 1- July 31

Co-op specials are for everyone, not just Co-op members

SAVE MOREwithcoupons

50¢ OFF 2

extra

withcoupon

Stop receiving paper copies of the Co-op News and get a digital copy delivered

to your inbox instead.

Send an email to: [email protected] the subject line “go paperless”

Please include your full name and member number. CO-OP NEWS

Community Partners


1. Spread the oatmeal out on a cookie sheet in a thin layer. Toast in the oven at 350° for 15 minutes.

2. While you’re waiting for the oats to turn a toasty brown, grind the raw qunioa and flax seeds using a coffee grinder, food processor, or blender. In a large bowl, add the toasted oats and ground quinoa and flax seeds. Then add the cinnamon, salt and sunflower seeds. Mix well to combine.

3. In a saucepan, use low-medium heat to melt the almond butter and honey together until they have a nice smooth consistency. Add in the vanilla and stir again.

4. Take the honey-almond butter mixture and pour it into the bowl of dry ingredients and start mixing them together. The consistency will be very thick. It might work best to wet your hands slightly and mix the ingredients thoroughly with your hands.

5. Lightly spray the pan with coconut oil and press the mix into the pan, using your fingers to apply pressure so that the surface is moderately even. Use a smaller pan (8 X 8) for thicker bars and a larger pan (9 X 12) for thinner bars.

6. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes and then cut into squares or rectangles. Store in an airtight con-tainer and keep up to one week.

COOK & SAVE

The North Coast Co-op’s Cook & Save Club hosts free monthly meetings to develop recipes that include items from our sales flyer. This

month we are featuring several varieties of seeds in a nutritionally dense snack that packs a punch when it comes to fighting off cravings for sugary foods.

A seed is an embryonic plant that is still enclosed in its protective seed coat. Because it hasn’t yet shed this coat, it stores all of its nutrients that would support the growth of a newly grown plant. When we eat seeds, we nourish our bodies with those nutrients that would grow the new plant.

When looking at a single seed, it’s hard to imagine how such a tiny package could contain the makings of an entire plant! In the kitchen they are used for added flavor yet they add amazing nutrients that can help protect against certain cancers, arthritis, and even heart disease.

Seeds have been an important energy and nutrient source throughout history. They provide generous amounts of calories, fats, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Trace minerals like magnesium, zinc, selenium and copper are available in seeds. There are even phytochemicals (bioactive compounds that help fight illness) and plant sterols that can help lower cholesterol.

The seeds used in our recipe this month include quinoa, flax seed and sunflower seeds.

Quinoa Protein Bars

By Brenda Harper, Consumer Education Coordinator & Lauren Fawcett, Outreach Coordinator

• 1 cup quinoa, uncooked• 2 cups oatmeal• ¼ cup flax seeds• ¼ cup hulled sunflower seeds• 2 teaspoons cinnamon• ½ teaspoon salt• ¾ cup honey• ¾ cup almond butter• 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract• coconut oil spray (other oil sprays • will work)

Ingredients Instructions

Sale Ingredients Valid July 15 through July 28, 2014

BULKOrganic White Quinoa$5.69Reg. $6.99 per lb

BULKOrganic Sunflower Seeds$2.99Reg. $3.99 per lb

Join us Monday, July 21 for the next free meeting of our

Cook & Save Club Details in the Quarterly

Community Kitchen Class and Workshop Schedule.

Cook & Save

Photo by Jeremy Smith-Danford


Kombu

ombu comes in long, thick dark brown strips. Kombu is valuable for its

high content of iodine, which is needed to produce two important thyroid hor-mones that control metabolism. Our bod-ies don’t make iodine, so we have to get

it through food. Iodized salt, for the most part, is the main source of iodine in our diet; however, table salt usage is decreas-ing due to the new dietary guidelines encouraging less salt consumption, and those who use sea salt don’t get iodine in their salt. Kombu is also rich in the minerals calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium, as well as vitamins A and B1. Try simmering chopped kombu in your soups until soft or use it to make dashi stock, which is the Japanese equivalent of chicken broth and forms the base for miso soup. To make your own dashi, bring 4 cups of water to a boil and add about 8 inches of kombu that has been cut in half. Simmer over low heat and then strain the stock and use as you would any stock. For miso soup, while the kombu is simmering, place 3 Tablespoons of your favorite miso* into a small bowl, add a little hot water and whisk until smooth. Add this to the pot and

stir. Then add ½ cup chopped green onions and ¼ cup firm tofu, cubed. Cook on low heat for another 5 minutes and taste. Add more miso or a pinch of sea salt if desired.

Wakame

akame comes in long pieces that have been wrapped into a ball

shape, or just broken pieces. Wakame is brown seaweed that has a subtly sweet fla-vor and is most often served in soups and salads. Nutritionally, it is loaded with cal-cium, magnesium, vitamin B12, omega-3 fatty acids, as well as other trace minerals and iodine.

Try wakame in miso soup, or soak some dried wakame for a few minutes to

reconstitute, then chop, and turn into a salad. You can add reconstituted wakame to a stir-fry—try it with broccoli, mush-rooms, chopped fresh ginger and garlic. It’s also great paired with cucumbers and rice vinegar. It can be eaten just dried, but works well cooked with grains or legumes.

Laver, commonly known as Nori

ori comes in pieces or clumps. Nori is classified as a red seaweed, but

when dried is black-brown in color. It is best known as the outer wrap of sushi rolls, which is made by a shredding and rack-drying process that resembles papermak-ing to produce “sheets”. When roasted, the nori sheets turn green. Nori is about one-

third protein and one-third dietary fiber by weight after it is dried. It also contains good amounts of iodine, iron, and vitamins A, B, C, E and K. It tends to have a sweet, meaty flavor pleasant to most palates.

Try nori as a seasoning on salads, rice or just about any dish! Take a handful of nori and toast in 300° oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. Crumble the toasted sea-weed and sprinkle on your favorite dishes.

Food News

long many of the rocky beaches of Humboldt County you’d be surprised to know that there is a “garden” of seaweeds that is

all but hidden, unless the tide is extremely low. Most seaweed depends on the sun to grow and must be firmly attached to some-thing to stay in the part of the water where they can receive sufficient sunlight. There-fore, seaweed is actually land-dependent, growing almost exclusively at the narrow interface where land and sea meet.

A member of the algae family, there are three main types of edible seaweed: brown, red and green.

The most commonly eaten are the brown varieties such as kombu and

wakame, followed by red seaweed, which includes laver, commonly known as nori. The ease of drying them, and their long-term stability when kept completely dry, permits safe, long-term storage and makes seaweed a great, locally harvested prod-uct. As we covered in the last issue of the Co-op News, our local seaweed harvester tests routinely for radiation contamination and has found none.

There are several varieties of locally harvested and dried seaweeds available at the North Coast Co-op. These seaweeds can be found in the bulk department or in packages hanging on racks near the bulk departments. Look for the Humboldt Sea-weed label.

Incorporate Local Seaweed into Your Diet

*Miso can be found refrigerated in the dairy case or in the aisle with International foods. For a gluten free option choose the Cold Moun-tain brand in the dairy case.

By Brenda Harper, Consumer Education Coordinator

miso soup with kombu seaweed

kombu seaweed in the low tide

salad sprinkled with roasted nori seaweed

stir-fry with wakame seaweed


Summer Carrot Salad with Wakame Seaweed

• 2 carrots

• 1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded

• 2 3 cup wakame seaweed, broken into small pieces

• 3 Tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce

• 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon honey

DirectionsIngredientsMakes approximately 4 servings

Local Produce RecipeBy Brenda Harper, Consumer Education Coordinator & Lauren Fawcett, Outreach Coordinator

Photos by Jeremy Smith-Danford

Featuring Carrots from Willow Creek Farm & Seaweed from Humboldt Seaweed

Carrots are believed to have originated in central Asia, near Afghanistan, where they were cultivated for thou-sands of years. The early cultivated

varieties were purplish in color, ranging from lavendar to almost black. The first orange variet-ies did not appear until the 1600s in the Nether-lands. European voyagers brought carrots to the New World, where colonists as well as the Native Americans grew them.

Carrots are rich in beta carotene, a form of Vitamin A when absorbed by the body. Beta car-otene is important for eyesight, skin and normal growth. It may also help reduce chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, folate, Vitamins C and B6, and the minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium and manganese.

Pick up some locally grown carrots and eat them plain or in this delicious salad that also uses cucumbers from Pierce Family Farm and locally harvested wakame from Humboldt Seaweed.

1. Add the dried seaweed to the bottom of a medium bowl. Use a vegetable peeler to cut thin strips of carrots and cucumber and add them to the bowl.

2. The seaweed will start absorbing the liquids from the vegetables. Add the gluten-free soy sauce, vinegar and honey, and toss together.

3. Let the salad sit for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables absorb the flavor of the sauce and the seaweed becomes soft. Serve immediately.


We Our Members

Member Comment Board

Detach this entry form & return it to the Member Survey box located near Customer Service at either store location. Be sure to include your name, contact information, and member number so that we can contact you if your entry is drawn. You can also send your ideas to [email protected] with “Member Survey” in the subject line. Must be a member to enter. Co-op employees and their families are not eligible to win.

Phone #: Member #:

Member Name:

WIN A $25 GIFT CARD

Member SurveyHow are we doing with our Co-op Basics

Program? Is it meeting your needs? What do you love about it? What could be improved?

If you’re not familiar with our Co-op Basics program [blurb about the co-op basics program and point people to our webiste to see

the full list or pick up a brochrue]

DEADLINE TO ENTER JULY 31

Byrd Lochtie Member # 2635She won a $25 Gift Card!

May’s Member Survey Winner!


Enter to Win!

Enter our Co-op Kids Coloring Con-test for a chance to win a $25 gift card! Turn in your entry at Customer Service in either store location by Aug. 31, 2014.

Be sure to include your full name, phone number and email address with your entry. Co-op kids 12 & un-der please.

Meet Our Other Co-op Kids Online!

Co-op Kids


Member StoriesBackyard Composting in Blue Lake

Produce from our local farmers is show-ing up in the Co-op’s produce depart-

ments, making it easy to Eat Local. Do you have a favorite recipe using local pro-duce? Will you share it with us? You may even grow your own veggies and have an abundance of something in particular, pushing you to create interesting dishes using them. We want to see your recipes! We may even publish them in an upcom-ing issue of the Co-op News.

Back before the agricultural rev-olution and advent of processed foods, most of the sugar found in our diets occurred naturally.

Starchy foods such as rice, wheat, corn and potatoes, and then bread, noodles, and pasta, soon became our principal sources of energy. In itself, this didn’t cause too many problems...until someone hit on the idea of processing raw sugar into the refined white stuff and adding liberal amounts of it to almost every packaged and processed food on our supermar-ket shelves (in order to improve flavor, appearance or texture).

People might not be aware that they have increased their total sugar intake, because the sugar is hidden in the ingredi-ent label as some other substance. Prod-ucts like soft drinks, candy, cakes, cookies and other sweets are assumed to contain sugar; however, sugars are showing up in otherwise “healthy” foods like breads, meats, yogurt, granola bars, low fat salad dressings and multigrain cereals.

New research is showing that excess sugar in the diet is causing many more health problems than they previously

thought. There are few people who can resist the taste of sweet foods. Humans have a natural, inborn preference for sweets. However, too much of a good thing can lead to problems such as dental cavities, obesity, and other health compli-cations such as diabetes and heart prob-

lems, to name a few. When people eat food contain-

ing carbohydrates (also called carbs), the digestive system breaks down the digestible carbs into sugar, which enters the blood. All carbohydrates, therefore,

are technically sugar. Before the body uses the carbohydrates in foods such as baked potatoes, green beans or even table sugar, it must break the carbohydrates down to glucose. Glucose is the form of sugar our bodies ‘burn’ for energy. It is also stored as glycogen in our muscle

cells.When sugar enters the

bloodstream it is called blood sugar. Our bodies only need about one teaspoon of sugar for all of our regular activities. In order to keep the amount of sugar floating through our blood vessels at the proper amount, the body releases insulin whenever we eat car-

bohydrates. Insulin works by stimulating cells to ‘sponge up’ this excess sugar out of the bloodstream. Once inside the cells, sugar is used for energy, with any excess amount being converted to body fat. Continued on p. 10

Sugar Hidden in “Healthy” Foods

Brenda HarperConsumer Education

Coordinator

By Brian Julian, Member #11855

Food News

Contact Brenda Harper at

(707) 502-3555 ext. 123 or [email protected]

by July 15

Products like soft drinks, candy, cakes, cookies and other sweets are assumed to contain sugar; however, sugars are showing up in otherwise “healthy” foods like breads, meats, yogurt, granola bars, low fat salad

Photo by Brenda Harper

Brian shows us his outside compost bins in Blue Lake, CA.

My wife Laura and I have a house on a city lot in Blue Lake. We compost all the yard

waste (except thorny roses, blackberries, and noxious invasives) and all the kitchen waste (we eat a whole food, plant-based diet). We also compost wood stove ashes, which are stored in a separate metal bucket with a lid before they are added to the com-post. We have a 3-bin system that I built in 1997, from plans that Laura had in a gardening book. The middle bin is for woody yard waste that won’t break down for years—we eventually haul that off either to Wes Green landscaping or when Blue Lake has a “green waste” day. The two outside bins are the active compost piles.

Back in the late 1990s, I quickly wearied of turning the compost with a pitch-fork—that makes compost happen faster, but it’s way too much work! Here’s what we do: we add all the yard and kitchen waste and wood stove ashes to one bin for a year. The kitchen waste first goes from the small bucket in

the kitchen to a larger galvanized bucket (with lid) outside. When that larger bucket gets full, I add it to the compost, always covering it with

yard waste material, as the kitchen waste can be kind of slimy. For a year, everything (yard and kitchen waste) goes into one of the outside

compost bins. Then, I “put it to bed” and we quit adding to it, just let it sit for a year and it turns into compost. I “put it to bed” at whatever time

that we are using the compost from the other bin (which has already been sitting for a year). So, I empty that side out, we use the compost, and then that side is empty and we start add-ing material to that for the next year.

This rotation works great. I never have to “turn” the compost, as we wait long enough and eventually, “com-post happens.” The biggest part of the work is chopping yard waste up fairly small and digging out the compost when it’s finished. We get lots of really nice compost (maybe 10 or 15 or more wheelbarrows full), often full of worms, that we use on our garden and fruit trees.

In the early years, we went to Redwood Acres and got free horse manure and added that to the mix--that really got the compost cooking well--but

again, way too much work. For us, composting is pretty easy, and it’s fun and exciting to see nature’s recy-cling system in action.


Thrill of the Grill Sugar, Continued from p. 9Some foods contain carbs that are easily and quickly uti-

lized for energy by the body. These simple carbohydrates have a simple chemical structure that leads to a fast rise in blood sugar, while complex carbohydrates have more complex chem-ical structures; they are often rich in fiber and are commonly found in whole plant foods which also contain vitamins and minerals.

Foods differ not only in the type of carbs they contain, but also in how processed they are. Whole foods such as fruits, veg-etables, whole grains, and beans are generally considered less processed, while refined food such as fruit punch, potato chips, white bread, sugary cereals, boxed mac & cheese, and candy are considered more processed.

Eating sugary foods, most sweeteners, grains, cookies, pas-tries, cakes, pasta, and starchy vegetables (like potatoes) all lead to the release of high levels of sugar into the bloodstream and then insulin. So when sugary foods and too many processed carbohydrates are eaten, the body will have released so much insulin that it will begin to lose its sensitivity to insulin. This means the cells won’t receive as strong a signal to sponge up the excess sugar out of the blood, leading to excess sugar in the blood. Insulin resistance and Type II diabetes can be the outcome, as well as overweight and obesity.

Although Americans may be heeding warnings to avoid sugary drinks, many are still consuming way too much added sugar in their food. Reading food labels is the best way to know if there is added sugar in the product of your choice (see chart below). Remember, your body doesn’t care what the label says, it’s all just ‘sugar’ and it’s not good for you!

Food News

Contact Brenda Harper at

(707) 502-3555 ext. 123 or [email protected]

by July 15

Lauren FawcettOutreach Coordinator

This popular BBQ and benefit for Food for People’s Child Nutrition Program took place at our Eureka location and brought in $1,849! The majority of the food and beverages were generously donated by our

vendors, while Food for People and our Co-op coordinated and staffed the event. Local band, Dogbone, once again graciously donated their musical services for the event. Thank you to everyone who attended!

The North Coast Co-op and Food for People would like to thank the following for their support and donations: Hum-boldt Grassfed Beef, Tofu Shop, Loleta Cheese, Mike Hudson Distributing, Earl’s Organic Produce, Lundberg Rice Chips, Blue Sky Soda, Annie’s Naturals, Kettle Potato Chips, Rudi’s Organic Bakery, Beanfields Bean & Rice Chips, Oroweat and Late July Snack Chips.

A Benefit for Child Nutrition

• Anhydrous dextrose

• Beet sugar

• Brown sugar

• Cane juice

• Coconut sugar

• Confectioner’s powdered sugar

• Corn syrup

• Corn syrup solids

• Crystal dextrose

• Dextrose

• Evaporated corn sweetener

• Fructose

• Fruit juice concentrate

• Fruit nectar

• Glucose

• High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)

• Honey

• Invert sugar

• Lactose

• Liquid fructose

• Malt syrup

• Maltose

• Maple syrup

• Molasses

• Nectars, such as peach nectar & pear nectar

• Pancake syrup

• Raw sugar

• Rice syrup

• Sorghum or sorghum syrup

• Sucrose

• Sugar, including turbinado sugar

• Sugar cane juice

• White granulated sugar

• Xylose

Reading the ingredient label on processed foods can help to identify added sugars.

Names for added sugars on food labels include (but are not limited to):

Together, we raised $1,849 for Food for People’s Child Nutrition Program!

From left: Co-op Managers Kevin, Kelli and Toby volunteered as grillers for the day.

A group enjoys burgers, sodas, chips and sun in the Co-op’s parking lot.

Busy Co-op Employees Jim and Lauren made time for a quick snapshot.

Food for People volunteers collected donations and handed out plates.

Volunteers diligently handed out a variety of burger buns.

Thrill of the Grill attendees showing off their decked out burgers.

Photos by Amy Waldrip

DeadlinesJune 15 Member Surveys due (see p. 10) June 30 Member Giveaway entries due (see above) June 30 Member content for composting due (see below)June 30 Honest Tea bike giveaway entries due (see above)

Co-op News Reference Guide

Run for the

See p. 2 for more information.

BOARD OF

DIRECTORS

BOARD OF

DIRECTORS

2014

Applications Due July 20, 2014

NORTH COAST CO-OP

Community Kitchens

Show your support for your local farms with this line of

t-shirts, longsleeves, & hoodies made with 100% organic cotton.

Available in Women’s sizes S-XXXL & Men’s S-XXL and now in sizes for kids & babies!

$15.69

back side of t-shirt

Note: list of farmers is not representa-tive of all local farms, only those from which the Co-op purchases produce

july co-op news

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