Thank You, Terry Walters

It was a pleasure having Terry Walters come to the Beet during Chester's annual Holiday Night Festival, on December 7th, to talk about healthy living and demonstrate a quick and easy recipe for entertaining - Shallot Fig Spread (recipe follows). 

Terry is the author of two well-received and innovative cookbooks that incorporate a "clean" approach to eating, Clean Food and her latest, Clean Start: A Seasonal Guide to Eating Close to the Source.  Clean Food has been on the Wall Street Journal Bestseller list and received a World Gourmand Cookbook Award for Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the United States. 

She is a graduate of the School of Integrative Nutrition.

 

Here's the recipe: 

Shallot Fig Spread

1 cup dried Turkish figs (about 12)
2 cups water
7 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Zest of 1 large orange
Juice of 2 oranges
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Discard tough stem ends from figs and cut fruit into halves. Place in small pot over medium-high heat with 2 cups water and bring to boil. Simmer until liquid is reduced to a half cup (20 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

Our Nod to the Nygards

As some of you may know, this year the United Nations General Assembly has declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives, celebrating around the world the contribution of cooperatives to socio-economic development, their impact on poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration.  It happens that one of our members, Rick Nygard, is a United Nations consultant, and Rick and his wife have been steady volunteers at the co-op since its inception. We find it fitting, therefore, to tell you a bit about the Nygards.

Rick, retired from a career in the federal government, has held a consultancy at the United Nations and U.S. federal agencies for the past ten years. Susan is a retired teacher. In 2010, Rick and Susan moved from Maryland to Connecticut to be closer to two of their children and their families.


Rick and Susan Nygard

As newcomers in Chester, the Nygards looked for volunteer opportunities as a way to become involved in the local community.  When they learned the Local Beet was shifting from a private store into a co-op model and sought volunteers, they joined and signed up to volunteer. The Nygards believed the co-op would serve a need in town for quality food, and this belief has been confirmed for them in the last year.

 

The Nygards have routinely volunteered at the Beet a few hours each week since the beginning – clerking, cleaning and stocking shelves.  Susan says that having a regular volunteer time each week makes it easy to fit in co-op time with other activities, and that volunteering enables them to get a good understanding of what the co-op is currently offering, how it works and who shops there. By way of other volunteering, Susan is a board member of the Chester Land Trust, and Rick has been appointed an alternate member of the Chester Board of Finance.

The Nygards feel the Local Beet plays important roles in the Chester community, not only providing high-quality organic foods, but serving as one of the only in-town grocery stores with a number of everyday items such as produce, meats, bread and milk. They also feel the Beet gives locals the opportunity to work together in a venture that is rewarding not only to them, but to the community as well. We’d like to thank the Nygards for their continued support and steady volunteerism. We’re lucky to have them!

United Nations Declares 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives

Cooperatives offer a mutually supportive environment where everyone’s voice is heard. Consumers who support co-ops become part of a community representing more than just a grocery store.  But co-ops not only offer the opportunity to connect with people who share the same values and views, they help to support the viability of regional economies.

This year, cooperatives are being celebrated around the world. Declared by the United Nations General Assembly, the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC) is shining a light on the cooperative model, affording an opportunity for all to take a closer look at the value of cooperatives universally. Some attributes highlighted include poverty reduction, employment generation, socio-economic improvement and social integration.

The United Nations recognizes that co-ops are principled-run businesses that strengthen regional economies. Around the world, the largest co-op enterprises have combined sales of over one trillion dollars, and account for 100 million jobs, and they accomplish this with democratically run businesses where everyone has a say.

Some of the values important to food co-operators may include knowing food sources, full disclosure in food labeling, hormone-free and free-range meat, rBGH-free dairy, GMO-free foods, pesticide-free produce, foods without high-fructose corn syrup, democracy, social responsibility, support for small-scale farmers and respect for the environment. As a part of a co-op community, you have a democratic say in what matters to you, as well as in shaping the future direction of the co-op.

For a closer look at IYC, take a look at the video on the home page of the United Nations’ dedicated website.

Announcing Our Summer Film Series

Our new summer film series called Health Matters focuses on ground-breaking films (outdoors, weather permitting) related to health, consciousness, and environmental/global awareness.  Films will screen once a month through August.

Co-sponsored by the Local Beet Co-Op and JUSTFood, the series kicks off on Wednesday, June 27th, with Food Matters, a feature-length documentary film about the choices you can make for you and your family’s health.  In a collection of interviews with leading nutritionists, naturopaths, scientists, doctors and medical journalists, the film addresses:




How to use food as medicine
Who needs vitamins?
Is organic better?
How safe is our food?
Natural treatments for lowering Cholesterol
Foods that fight Anxiety and Depression
Natural therapies for Cancer
Which drugs might do more harm than good?
The best ways to detox, lose weight and keep it off

When:  Wednesday, June 27th, 7:30pm - 9:30pm (7:15pm seating).
Where:  1 Main Street, Chester

Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (203) 218-3701. There is a $5 requested donation per family.

A Great Night for a Great Cause

If you live in Chester, Essex or Deep River and have children in the school system, you may be interested in an upcoming picnic-style farm dinner to benefit a new healthy lunch initiative in the schools of the Region 4 School District.

Region 4, which district comprises the three towns, already made great strides in its mission to serve healthier foods in the district when it hired Chef Thomas Peterlik as its Director of Food Services in 2010. Chef Peterlik, who is a part of the Local Beet community and former board member, comes to Region 4 with extensive food services experience. He previously served as Culinary Director of Yale University's food services and holds degrees from Cornell University and the Culinary Institute of Austria.

The new Director of Food Services has already implemented several meaningful changes in the region's school lunch menus, yet there is more to do. The issue comes down to budgetary considerations, as so often is the case. So Region 4 has teamed up with the Local Beet's Chester Village neighbor, River Tavern Restaurant, to create the Get Fresh 4 School picnic fundraiser on Saturday, June 9th, from 4:30 to 8:30. Rain date is the next day, same time. The event will benefit Region 4's efforts to bring better quality foods into our school cafeterias.

Come out and show your support of this great cause by enjoying a farm fresh, local meal served by the same people who bring fabulous open-air Dinners at the Farm every summer. Tickets for the benefit are $25 per person, and children are free.  All proceeds from the picnic will go to Region 4’s new Get Fresh 4 School healthy food program. For more on the event and what Region 4 hopes to accomplish, see the Valley News Now article of May 24, 2012.

GMO Labeling Act Removed from HB5117

In an unfortunate turn of events, it seems an integral section of Connecticut bill HB 5117, scheduled today to be brought before legislators for debate and an historic vote, was pulled from the bill at large last night. The act removed was Section 2, a piece of legislature that would have mandated labeling of food products containing genetically modified products in the State of Connecticut.

You can voice your concerns by calling Governor Malloy's office (860-566-4840 or 800-406-1527) or posting on Governor Malloy's Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/GovMalloyOffice.  You can also e-mail your thoughts at http://www.governor.ct.gov/malloy/cwp/view.asp?a=3998&q=479082 or Tweet: @govmalloyoffice.

While we may not have control over what happens with the State Legislature, we always have the ability to vote with our forks.  At the Local Beet, we make every effort to provide products that do not contain GMOs and will continue to do so. You can also make informed decisions about products containing GMOs by visiting these two websites:  www.nongmoshoppingguide.com and  www.nongmoproject.org.

Support Our Right to Know re: GMOs

An important bill under consideration, HB 5117, supports Connecticut residents' right to know if foods we buy contain genetically modified ingredients (GMOs).  Specifically, the bill requires labeling on all such products, including any of the five major crops that are known to be processed genetically:  soy, corn, canola, cotton and sugar beets.

Today in our country about 80% of processed foods contain one or more GMO ingredients.  Currently no laws exist to require manufacturers to disclose that information on food labels.  GMO ingredients are many and include aspartame, baking soda, caramel color, corn flour, corn sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, protein, lecithin, malt, maltodextrin, sorbitol, sugar, soy sauce, soy lecithin, vitamin E, vitamin B12, and xanthum gum.  Currently there are 50 countries around the world who have already put GMO disclosure legislation in place. 

Protect your right to make an informed choice by signing Change.org's petition.  They are already at almost 8,000 signatures and close to meeting their goal of 10,000.  You can sign the petition here.

To find out more about GMOs, go to www.nongmoproject.org.

Come for Birthday Cake!

It’s hard to believe, but the Local Beet Co-op is nearly one-year old… and what a year it’s been!

In honor of the first anniversary of our community-owned natural food co-operative, all are invited to stop in for birthday cake, and other celebratory treats, at One Main Street, Chester, on Friday, May 4th. We’ll be celebrating from 5-8 pm during Chester’s 21st Annual May Daze Stroll, where shops, galleries and restaurants in Chester Village will stay open for strolling, discovering, tasting and shopping.

Our new juice bar, JUSTFOOD, will also be open, and barista Lisa Sobolewski will be on-site serving up uber-healthy organic juices, smoothies and raw chocolates.

Every year for May Daze, the Merchants of Chester throw a festive jubilee to commemorate the arrival of spring. Local residents and visitors alike are invited to stroll the streets of idyllic Chester Village to see handmade accessories and furnishings, paintings, photographs, sculptures, fashions and jewelry, and to taste baked goods and other culinary delights. It promises to be a great evening!

Welcome to our New Blog

We've been working diligently at the Local Beet to bring our young co-op to the next level. Starting a blog is one more way we can keep our members, shoppers and the general community informed about what we've been up to and what we are planning, as well as to highlight our current grocery and produce offerings.

So check back often, or better yet subscribe, and the blog posts will go right to your e-mail inbox as soon as they are posted. Thanks for your support!