The Co-op is hiring for a General Manager

The search for our next General Manager has begun

Nonprofit Professionals Now is actively recruiting for the next Community Food Co-op General Manager.

The General Manager is tasked with leading the Co-op through the next phase of our growth. As we grapple with the impacts of the pandemic and move past it, our internal teams are looking for support, focus, and innovation. External to our work, we continue to have a focus on social justice, climate change, and engagement of our community with our food and services. The next General Manager will have the unique opportunity to help us shape our strategy for the next three to five years and support the team and services needed to continue our success.

If you have outstanding grocery and retail experience and are committed to our community, please apply. We are accepting applications through May 31, 2022.

The full job description and how to apply can be found here.

The Co-op stands in support with the Asian American and Pacific Islander community

AAIP-webbanner-graphic-standinsupport-nobutton

The Community Food Co-op is saddened by the continued violence against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and condemns all hate crimes. The pandemic has affected us all, but its impacts have not been equal. Throughout the pandemic, we have seen an increase in racial violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Asian American rights advocates attribute these attacks to political rhetoric blaming China for the pandemic and the scapegoating of Asian Americans for the economic and social impacts of COVID-19.

The Co-op has zero tolerance for racism, and we continue to work to transform our organization and community for racial equity. Racial equity work is a journey that includes a shift in policies, procedures, and our culture. We are committed to creating strategic goals, initiatives, policies, and practices to support that journey with measurable steps. Click here to read about the Co-op’s equity, diversity, and inclusion strategic plan goal.

Combatting racism requires us all to speak out whenever we encounter it. The Co-op is adding our voice to amplify the call to stop anti-Asian hate crimes and to support the AAPI community.

Here are a few resources to counter racism, support Asian Americans, and help communities heal.

Amplifying AAPI experiences

Asian American Stories in the Time of Coronavirus — Asian American Documentary Network
Stand Against Hatred — Asian Americans Advancing Justice
Know What Your Asian Colleague is Experiencing — Fakequity

Take action

Asian American Pacific Islanders Organizing Coalition Against Hate and Bias — Seattle
Stop Asian Hate Crime - Stop AAPI hate
Stop AAPI Hate Action Steps — Stop AAPI Hate
Bystander Intervention Resources - Training on how to protect your neighbors and co-workers when bias and harassment occur in front of you.
Asian Pacific Solidarity Fund - The Solidarity Fund will provide grants to organizations working to address the persistent anti-Asian racism, including supporting the physical and mental health of survivors, ensuring the safety of seniors, and advocating for racial justice across racial lines.

Organizations to support

AAPIP.org - Resource directory to mobilize the philanthropic sector towards meaningful action in the midst of heightened violence and hate targeting Asian American communities.
Asian Pacific American Heritage - Learn about events and resources for Asian Pacific American Heritage month.

Visit our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion page for more information.

Stephanie Says

STEPHANIE SAYS

giant cheese wheel and slices with community food co-op deli worker

by Stephanie Willard, Downtown Specialty Cheese

The cheese case can be overwhelming. Don’t know where to start? These selections offer something to please everyone.

Artikaas 3 Month Gouda

Creamy, affordable, goodness. This cheese has a mild, but decadent, flavor. It's good by itself or melted into frittatas. I now always have this at home along with my other long time favorite, Coastal Cheddar.

Uses: Great melted into frittatas or eaten by itself as a snacking cheese. Mild and satisfying.

Coastal Cheddar

This cheddar is matured at the Ford Farm Dairy located on the world heritage Jurassic Coast line in the salty sea air. It is rugged and mature and has crunchy tyrosine bits that I love. It's sharp enough for a kick, but smooth enough to melt.

Uses: Great for cooking. Use anywhere you might use a traditional cheddar or serve on a charcuterie board with cheese and crackers.

Harmony Fields Fleecemaker

This is our lovely, local sheep milk feta from the Skagit Valley. It’s creamy, tart and so good. It’s only available from April to October, so this is the only feta I buy this time of year. Harmony Fields is a regenerative farm that is known for its sheep cheese but offers other products such as wool and organic herbs.

Uses: Great to eat fresh. Add to a mezze platter and sprinkle with za'taar, or eat on top salads and pastas.

Pérail Papillon

Melt-in-your-mouth, buttery, full but mild flavor, with notes of sweet grass and wildflowers. A thick, creamy disc of fresh sheep’s milk with a fudgy center and downy velvet rind. The sheep graze lush floral pastures on the Causses, a group of limestone plateaus rich in minerality in the South of France.

Uses: At room temperatures, it gets almost unctuous and runny, making it perfect to spread on crackers or a baguette with sour cherry jam and toasted nuts on the side.

Smoked Scamorza

This cheese is a locally-made favorite. It's a relative of mozzarella, but smoked and aged making it bold, buttery and slightly more firm than the mozzarella you're used to.

Uses: A great melting cheese. This is ideal for pizza, burgers, and grilled cheese.

Pairing and Charcuterie:

Payson Breton Salted French Butter: My absolute favorite! It used to be a “fancy” butter to have at home when we were hosting dinner or going to friends’ homes. Now it’s in my fridge all the time.

Divina Mediterranean Pickled Beets: So delicious. They’re perfect this time of year with feta or chevre on salad mix.

Arnaud Pitted Nicoise: I’ve become lazy and only buy pitted olives now. These haven’t lost their integrity by being pitted, like some other olives. They’re little flavor pops on any kind of salad. Pasta or otherwise.

Divina Chopped Calabrian Peppers: These are spicy, smoky and a bit fruity. I’ve used them in marinara sauce and topped onto vermicelli bowls. A little can go a long way.

Effie’s Oatcakes: These are sweet and savory. It says they’re good with cheese, but I just eat them by themselves. So good with tea. When I have eaten them with cheese, honey chevre is the hit!

Asparagus: A Sure Sign of Spring

Sure, asparagus has undeniable culinary allure, but almost equally captivating is the way that it grows. From its crown, a spear can grow up to ten inches in one day, which means that you could actually sit and watch your asparagus grow. After harvest, asparagus plants sprout ferns that produce berries (not edible) and the nutrients necessary to grow more spears the next season. Meanwhile, the roots spread underground via rhizomes. While it typically takes a few years from planting to establish a strong crop, once it gets going, a well-tended asparagus bed might just continue to provide asparagus for 15 years without needing to be replanted.

The name “asparagus” comes from the Greek word for stalk or shoot, asparagos. It was the Greeks who first cultivated asparagus (and relied on it to cure toothaches and prevent bee stings) about 2,500 years ago.

Asparagus is a top-notch supplier of folic acid and a good source of vitamins C and A, potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, and thiamin—pretty great for a low-calorie, fat-free, cholesterol-free treat.

There are about 300 varieties of asparagus, though only about 20 of them are edible. The ones you'll most likely run across in the produce aisle are Jersey King, Jersey Giant and Jersey Knight. These are green varieties, but you can also find purple and white varieties. The white, which is more delicate and tender than the green, is grown by mounding earth over it as it grows, hindering its chlorophyll content. Purple asparagus is small, just two to three inches tall, and has a subtle, fruity flavor.

While asparagus originated in the Mediterranean, today it's grown in most subtropical and temperate areas of the world. The largest producers are China, Peru and Germany. In the United States, the leading producers are California, Washington and Michigan.

Though distinctive, asparagus is a versatile vegetable. It can be steamed, stir-fried (along with red peppers and other colorful vegetables, as in this Asparagus Stir Fry), baked, roasted or grilled. It shines as an appetizer (just serve with a dipping sauce like aioli, or along with other veggies, meats and cheese, as in this Asparagus Antipasto Platter, or atop crackers spread with a soft cheese). Use it as a garnish, as a side dish (drizzled with fresh lemon or a mustard vinaigrette), in tofu dishes, or atop pasta. Asparagus has a real affinity for eggs, too. Try this Asparagus Strata with Zesty Mediterranean Garnish or this Asparagus and Bell Pepper Quiche.

Asparagus pairs well with other vegetables, like mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, scallions, and carrots. In the meat department, it complements bacon, ham, prosciutto, fish, seafood and chicken. In the cheese aisle, pair it with a fontina, Parmesan, Gruyere, or Brie. Pasta, rice and farro are enhanced with a side (or topping) of asparagus. And for seasoning, think garlic, tarragon, ginger, dill and chives.

A harbinger of spring, you'll find fresh asparagus from April through early June. Look for firm, rounded, odorless, bright green spears with compact, uniform tips. Avoid limp stalks. You might want to choose uniform stalks, so they'll cook at the same rate. Though the spears do come in different thicknesses, the size of the spear makes no difference in quality (both thick and thin are tender and delicious). Thick spears are great for grilling or roasting, while thinner spears are perfect for stir-fries and frittatas.

It's okay if there's a little woodiness at the base of the asparagus stalk—this helps keep the stalk from drying out. Just snap off this white, woody portion before cooking.

Once home, store your asparagus away from light (which destroys the folic acid content). Wrap the ends in a moist paper towel, or stand the spears upright in a glass or container with a couple of inches of water. Then place in the refrigerator and use within two or three days.

The arrival of asparagus—in your own garden or at your local co-op or farmers market—is truly cause for celebration. Welcome spring! Welcome asparagus! Asparagus: A Sure Sign of Spring.

Co-op Annual Meeting & Election

Meet Your Farmer: Sunseed Farm

by Megan Stilp, Cordata Produce

Locally grown organic garden starts available now at your co-op!

Nick Guilford tending plant starts in Sunseed Farm’s eight greenhouses. After the germination chamber, the small starts move into this warm greenhouse to grow before being hardened off for outdoor planting in the cooler greenhouses.

Nestled in the valley of the south fork of the Nooksack River sits Sunseed Farm. Nick Guilford, proprietor, has been using organic growing methods since starting the business in 1997 and obtained organic certification in 2001. On the farm you’ll find organic garden starts, many destined for sale at the Co-op, growing right alongside the plants that go into Sunseed’s fields for vegetable and herb production.

This makes for less transplant shock, and an earlier, more abundant yield.

Most plant starts sold in our area are chemically raised, which can make for a hard transition into a garden where they aren't being fed a nutrient solution every day. According to Sunseed’s website, “Our organic starts not only come with a longer lasting nutrient base in the pot, but the plants are also in a more natural, nutrient foraging relationship with the soil. This makes for less transplant shock, and an earlier, more abundant yield.” Additionally, over a 20-year career as a market farmer, Nick has selected varieties of crops that have been proven to thrive in our climate. All of these factors can help produce a successful home gardening experience when using starts from Sunseed Farm.

You can find their organic garden starts at both Community Food Co-op locations from about mid-March through the end of our often unpredictable local planting season. You can also find Sunseed Farm at the Saturday Bellingham Farmers Market.

Dedicated to your gardening success, Sunseed’s website is a great resource for the home gardener, with planting tips and schedules, articles on season extension, and even a selection of their favorite gardening tools and books available for purchase.

margaret gerard and nick guilford on their farm

Margaret Gerard and Nick Guilford at Sunseed Farm get your garden starts growing with the best soil, optimal growing conditions, and lots of love.

planting chart for veggies herbs and starts

Farm Spotlight: Terra Verde Farm

by Dave Straub, Cordata Produce Department

Terra Verde Farm in Everson Amy and Sküter Fontaine

Amy and Sküter Fontaine, owners of Terra Verde Farm, grow organic vegetables on their 12-acre farm in Everson including specialty crops like ginger, turmeric, and jicama.

If one were to trace the history of Whatcom County’s small organic farms, they would find them all connected in some way. One generation of farmers inspires the next. Guidance is offered and opportunities given. Terra Verde Farm in Everson is a product of this supportive agricultural community and, at the same time, possesses a unique flair. It is a hearty business built from the ground up by a couple of youths with top soil under their fingernails and genuine smiles on their faces.

Eight years ago, Amy and Sküter Fontaine wanted to challenge themselves to grow their own food. So, with a handful of seeds and a community garden plot, they discovered the magic of making things grow. It was such a positive experience they decided to make it their livelihood. Mike Finger, of Cedarville Farm, leased them the land and equipment to start their dream. After outgrowing that space, they moved to Everson where their business, Terra Verde, currently thrives on 12 organic acres leased from Dusty Williams of Broadleaf Farm.

"with farming there is a drive you feel to move beyond what you thought was possible and it transforms your life"

I pedaled out to Everson this August to pay them a visit. The first thing I noticed about Amy and Sküter is how friendly they are. And after spending a short time with them I couldn’t help but feel inspired by the energy and innovation with which they lived their lives on the farm. They designed tractor implements and “MacGyvered” them into existence with totally original parts. They converted a tractor to run on electricity. Besides all the delicious kale, cauliflower, and eggplant I recognized from our shelves at the Co-op, they are pioneering new crops like ginger, turmeric, and jicama; tropical treasures you’re not likely to find anywhere else in Whatcom County. During the tour I was constantly surprised by the novelty of their farm.

At the end of my visit I asked Sküter what he liked most about his job. “It’s hard to explain. People don’t make a lot of money. But with farming there is a drive you feel to move beyond what you thought was possible and it transforms your life. The reward is seeing what you can do.”

Moon Valley Organics

by Kimberly Johnson, Cordata Wellness

The moon melt lotion bar is a decadent moisturizer with calendula and comfrey to help restore and soothe dry skin.

The Farm

Moon Valley is a 10-acre organic farm located in Deming, Washington. Kim Denend and Aaron Otto own and operate the farm and apiary, and also run a body care production facility. Vegetable gardens supply the Otto family and Moon Valley employees with fresh produce, while herb gardens generate ingredients for salves, soaps, and other body care products. This year they planted 9,000 calendula plants, three varieties of mint, burdock, marshmallow, comfrey, fennel, anise, and yarrow, all of which are organic or wildcrafted.

As part of their commitment to sustainability, they utilize a rainwater catchment tank for watering the gardens, and compost or reuse most of their waste on-site.

The Business

Moon Valley Organics employs 12 people, plus two to four WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) volunteers who work on the farm from spring to fall. Their products are sold at 11 retail locations in Whatcom County and at 393 additional locations nationwide. Their largest account remains the Pike Place Market booth in Seattle.

WWOOFers harvest calendula on Moon Valley’s 10-acre organic farm.

The Products

With company values stating their commitment to organic and sustainable ingredients, Moon Valley’s products are both natural and effective. They produce a Moon Melt Lotion Bar, liquid foaming soaps, bar soaps, lip balm, and a line of medicinal salves that were formulated by Daniel Newman, MD, ND, DOM (Doctor of Oriental Medicine). Most of the products utilize herbs and botanicals grown or wildcrafted on the farm. Several products carry the USDA organic certification, while other products are WSDA organic. Packages are produced with 100 percent recycled paper, and are letterpress printed by hand at Bison Bookbinding, a local Bellingham company.

Why We Love Moon Valley Organics

Our wellness staff has the opportunity to sample a wide range of products from many different companies, but we have a particular fondness for Moon Valley products. A few staff favorites include:

Oatmeal Sage Cleansing Body Bar, an exfoliating bar soap made with organic sage essential oil
Grapefruit Thyme Foaming Herbal Hand Soap, made with calendula and comfrey
Herbal Lip Balm, an organic vanilla lip balm
Herbal Heal, a medicinal salve made with calendula, goldenseal, and propolis

Please ask for assistance in finding these fabulous products on our shelves, and as always, thank you for shopping local!

Owners Aaron Otto and Kim Denend enjoy a quiet moment on the farm.

Learn more at www.moonvalleyorganics.com, and watch a beautiful video about Kim and Aaron and Moon Valley Organics.

The Spice Hut

by Meaghan Flesch, Outreach Team

Co-owners (and mother/son) Mundir and Tanvir Sidhu’s love of vibrant, healthful foods shines through in all of The Spice Hut’s products.

Variety is the spice of life. We’ve all heard the saying, which by definition means that life is more interesting when it changes often and you have many different experiences. The same is true of spice itself.

The use of spices has been traced back to the dawn of history and been depicted in Egyptian tombs, hieroglyphics, and the Old Testament. Hundreds of spices are found worldwide and used for many reasons such as religious practices, medicinal benefits, and for flavoring bland foods.

"use of spices has been traced back to the dawn of history"

For Mundir Sidhu, her love of cooking, teas, and a health-conscious diet inspired the opening of her store, The Spice Hut, now in operation for a decade. Born in India and raised in Canada, Mundir ended up in Bellingham raising her children and working in retail. She always dreamed of owning her own business.

What started as a dream to open an Indian foods specialty store turned into a tea and spice store when Mundir said she began falling in love with teas and the added health benefits of drinking them.

baskets labeled for spices oregano juniper cumin allspice cinnamon

Tanvir and Mundir carefully select 100 percent certified organic ingredients for use in their tea and spice blends, and are currently in the process of having their products Non-GMO Project Verified.

Providing clean, healthy foods is a value that The Spice Hut believes is parallel to that of the Co-op, and Mundir said that is why the relationship is a good mix. “What the Community Food Co-op brings into their store is the same that I would bring into mine,” said Mundir.

Tanvir Sidhu, son of Mundir and co-owner of The Spice Hut, said from the beginning the business grew as a result of their being conscious of the health benefits of what they put into their foods. “That carries through into all of our products—our teas and spices,” said Tanvir. “We don’t put something as simple as salt into our spice blends, so that people can control that for themselves.”

"business grew as a result of their being conscious of the health benefits of what they put into their foods"

Both the Cordata and Downtown stores carry an array of The Spice Hut’s seasoning blends. Varieties include Creole, Garam Masala, Chinese Five Spice, and Italian, to name a few. Their spice blends are made with whole spices that are packaged immediately after grinding to preserve the peak of freshness. They are free of salt, coloring, and anti-clumping chemicals, said Tanvir.

Later this month, the Sidhus are proud to be able to add the 100 percent organic label to their packaged spice blends, and by the holiday season they will likely have finished the six-month process of becoming Non-GMO Project Verified.

On any given day you may see a representative from The Spice Hut at the Co-op handing out samples and demonstrating easy-to-make, flavorful recipes using their spice blends. As a result of these in-store demos, The Spice Hut has experienced a rise in sales, said Michael Elkins, Cordata grocery department manager. “They have a real connection with their brand,” he said.

Over a nice cup of steaming “Twilight” tea, the Sidhus are positively passionate about the brand they have created. In the future Mundir would love to work with local cheesemakers and create a new line of products utilizing her spices.

No doubt, The Spice Hut will continue to bring unique foods to the people of Bellingham and to the shelves of the Co-op.

Mundir’s Berbere Chicken

4 tablespoons Spice Hut Berbere Seasoning

4 chicken breasts

Salt, to taste

Place chicken breasts in a large pan and coat liberally with Spice Hut Berbere Seasoning.
Marinate in refrigerator for an hour or overnight.
Place chicken breasts into oiled casserole dish and bake in a preheated 425 degree oven until done.
Serve with rice.

Learn more at www.thespicehut.com.

Front and Center

by Steve Faucher, Downtown Front End Department

Lacee Henifin community food co-op clerk cashier

Lacee Henifin, Cordata Front End Team

“My sister was shopping at your Cordata location recently, and realized as she was checking out that she had forgotten her wallet. Lacee, ‘a cute red-headed cashier’ (her words), paid for her lunch, and set off a flurry of pay-it-forwards since. Awesome job making ‘community’ such an important part of the Community Co-op!”

—submitted via our online customer comment system

One of the first and last people you probably see when you visit the Co-op is someone who works on the team that we call the Front End. We are the team of folks who work at the checkstands, diligently ringing up our member-owners and customers while striving for a high level of precision with a big focus on service. The Front End also handles most elements of membership, operates the Service Desk that is the informational hub of all things Co-op, and always has a Supervisor on duty who, in addition to assisting our cashiers with any issues or hang-ups, is the catch-all person for anything out of the ordinary that might come up throughout the store.

With a team of 30 staff Downtown and 17 at our Cordata store, we ring up around 3,400 customers a day. That adds up to 102,000 customers in a month, so in only two months we have rung up as many transactions as there are people in Whatcom County!

Holly Turri, Cordata shopper and Co-op member-owner

Holly Turri says, “I love the Co-op!” Soon after moving to Bellingham in June 2013, she visited the Cordata store for the first time. Being new to the Co-op, she and her assistance dog, Sarah, went a bit astray and mistakenly ended up at the loading dock door. Nate Wright, Cordata front end assistant manager, kindly walked her to the front door and thus began her relationship with the front end team. Holly said: “They always go above and beyond. And though it may sound a bit cliché, they are like family. They shop with me, and they educate me.” Holly and her husband James are looking forward to hosting Marc (pictured at left) at their house so he and James can share their mutual interest in making music.

At the register our cashiers are responsible for a dizzying array of details. Every team member has hundreds of numbers tucked away in their heads in an effort to more quickly and efficiently ring up our patrons. What shoppers may not know is that beyond all of the daily transactions at the registers, we serve many people in a myriad of other ways. This brings us to the role played by our Service Desk.

At the Service Desk our member-owners can expect to get information and assistance of all kinds. We can let you know if we have a specific product, show you where it is located in the store, and in most cases give you details about the ingredients, the company that makes it, how to use it, and alternative products that you might want to consider. While you can make a return at any register, many returns are handled by Desk staff. We also sell tickets for community events, help people register for our Healthy Connections classes, and sell ad space for our newsletter and this magazine. Another in-demand service at the Desk is preparing special orders—a very popular money-saving benefit for member-owners to receive a discount of up to 15 percent off the shelf price by prepaying for case quantities of almost any item we sell.

If you have questions, Service Desk staff will strive to find an answer even if it is not directly related to the Co-op—we can help you look up a list of local homeopathic doctors, give you directions to their offices, and then sell you a bus pass to get there! Basically, the Service Desk is staffed by very knowledgeable, jack-of-all-trade Front Enders who try very hard to meet our customers’ needs.

Mike Straus, Downtown Front End Team

Mike Straus can’t quite remember how his friendship with Dorothy Beach started; perhaps it was their mutual connection to Texas. Dorothy was a regular shopper at the Downtown store and after a few falls left her less mobile, Mike started to shop for her and deliver her groceries on his way home. They would share tea and cookies, and talk about the news and their kids and grandkids. “Dorothy was a great lady, and I enjoyed spending time with her. The tea and cookies were just icing on the cake,” said Mike. When Dorothy moved into a care facility Mike visited her with one of his grandkids, and he still keeps in touch with one of Dorothy’s children who lives nearby. Their regular visits extended over a period of 4 to 5 years. “I miss Dorothy,” Mike said in closing.

Offering an umbrella of support for customers and cashiers alike is the store Supervisor. “Supers” are super-capable know-it-alls—in the best possible way! They know the ins and outs of Front End procedures and policies, so they can keep the whole operation flowing. They know how to troubleshoot our finicky Point of Sale system. They know what to do and who to call if something is on the fritz. They are on-site theft patrol. But most of all, they know how to get our member-owners what they need. If there is something a customer wants and we can get it, the Super will make it happen.

Of course, as proud as I am of the Front End team, there wouldn’t be much need for it without our customers. One of the best things about working on this team is YOU—the great people that we have been privileged to serve over the years.

Our community-owned grocery store is truly a work of the community. There are member-owners who have shopped here regularly for 40 years. Some of the relationships and genuine acts of kindness that have occurred here over the years are rather wonderful. It’s not uncommon for a Front Ender to drop off a member’s groceries on the way home from work—purely out of the goodness of her own heart and without need for acknowledgment. One of our own might check in with a regular shopper we haven’t seen for while, just to make sure things are OK. And the outpouring of support from you, our customers, when something unfortunate befalls the Co-op or one of its employees is equally inspirational to me.

It’s really a collection of all these little things that add up to make our beloved cooperative not just for the profit of any one group or person, but to increase the general good for all involved. It’s a collective effort of our community, and it results in the realization of a truly special place.

Thank you!