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Harvest Times A publication for members and shoppers at Harvest Co-op Markets
Harvest, take flight! By Brian Peat Why do geese fly in a ‘V’ formation? As each bird flaps its wings, it creates extra lift for the bird immediately behind it. By flying in a ‘V’ formation, the whole flock can cover over 70% more distance than each bird flying on their own. People who share a sense of common direction and community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. When a goose falls out of formation, it immediately feels the draft and resistance of going at it alone, and quickly returns to formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird directly in front of it. If we have as much sense as a goose, we’ll cooperate in choosing a direction and share the burden of the journey. When the lead goose gets tired, it falls back in the formation and another goose flies point. It pays to take turns doing the hard job. The geese in the back honk to encourage those up front to keep up with their speed. An encouraging word goes a long way. When a goose gets sick or hurt and falls out, two geese also fall out of formation and follow the sick goose until it is able to fly or dies. Then they fly in their own cooperative formation to catch up with the group. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that. At the time of writing this article, I have been working at Harvest as general manager for a little under two weeks. I have been impressed by the enthusiasm and attitudes of our staff, I have seen a cooperative spirit in our members, and have been getting support and encouragement from our partners and vendors. We have an exceptional Co-op here in Harvest. Most, if not all, of you know by now that we are going through a very difficult time at Harvest. We have had declining sales, little operating capital, and are in the midst of our slowest season of the year. We have lost some key staff positions at the Co-op and don’t have enough sales (yet) to add that labor back in. We have been and are continuing to
find ways to reduce expenses. We’ve received a few small loans to help us with cash so that we can get through the slow months. Despite these hardships, though, I am confident that we can turn our Co-op around and be the thriving community hub that shines as a beacon in the communities we serve. I am still going through all the finances of the Co-op and learning more about our business, what brought us here, and what we can do together to get to where we need to be. National Co+op Grocers, our national Co-op that supports us through purchasing contracts to help keep our food costs lower by combining the purchasing power of approximately 148 co-ops across the country, has committed to giving us support as well. Tony White, one of their development advisors who is from Massachusetts, is going to be spending a substantial amount of time with me to support Harvest in developing a comprehensive plan. Like the geese I described above, we can all support each other to create a new future of Harvest Co-op Markets and go further than any of can do on our own. We are developing new methods of communicating with you, our members and shoppers, to make sure that you are informed of our progress and ways you can help. One of those methods is a weekly bulletin that we will be emailing as well as posting in the stores. If you do not receive this newsletter via email and are interested in receiving our bulletins, please let me know by emailing me at bpeat@ harvest.coop and I will make sure you get added to the list. I am thrilled to be here in Boston and am honored to be a part of this exciting time of rebirth at Harvest. By supporting each other and working together cooperatively, we will come out on the other side stronger than ever. Stay tuned for next month’s newsletter as I will be scheduling times at both our stores to host some “meet and greets” to chat with you and learn even more about your hopes, dreams, and concerns for our Co-op. Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to getting to know many of you.
August / 2017
Harvest Co-op’s
2 100% Organic
From our amazing customers: Harvest Co-op by Emily Paulhus www.bostonzerowaste.com @bostonzerowaste on Instagram The two Harvest Co-op Markets in the Boston area are the most “feel-good” stores to buy bulk staples, produce and organic products. They’re also the only stores in the Boston area that have such large liquids sections! They have signs up on the wall explaining how to handle bringing your own container which I find to be very welcoming if you’re like me and are trying to cut down on your packaging and plastic waste. Both of the stores, located in Jamaica Plain and Cambridge, carry roughly the same items. At each location there’s a large section devoted to baking ingredients (flours, sugars, chocolate chips, etc.), granola, cereal, beans, dried fruit, grains/rice, pasta, coffee beans and nuts/seeds. If you do use your own containers in the bulk section you can either write the weight on them at home if you have your own scale or have the friendly staff tare your empty container before you fill it. That way you are only paying for the weight of the food in the container. The products they have are reasonably priced compared to other stores in the area that sell similar items. They also have rotating items on sale which makes them even cheaper and gives you the opportunity to try out foods you might not have looked at otherwise! The herbs, spices
and tea sections at Harvest are pretty extensive for the size of their stores. There are stations set up that have funnels and scoops to help you get your spices into your own containers. A few of my favorite items are vegetable broth powder, sea salt and vegetarian “bac’n” bits. The loose leaf tea is also intermingled in this area. My favorite section is the liquids area. It may look small, but it’s currently the largest one available in the Boston area. There is canola oil, olive oil, maple syrup, honey, dish soap, laundry detergent, shampoo, lotion, conditioner and several castile soaps. A few of these items are available at other stores, but I appreciate that I can go to Harvest and get multiple items in one trip. There are also freshly ground almond and peanut butter machines. They have a beautiful produce section with mostly local and unpackaged fruits and vegetables including loose mushrooms, carrots and celery. Each location has a kombucha tap with a few different flavors and empty bottles if you forget to bring your own. Harvest carries package-free soap, menstrual cups and organic cotton pads/tampons in the personal hygiene section to help you on your low-waste and plastic-free journey I like shopping at and supporting Harvest Co-op Markets because they support local agriculture, provide fresh organic produce, promote a healthy lifestyle and help me cut down on my food packaging waste.
One Member One Vote One Co-op
100% Organic
3
FEATURED VENDOR Red Fire Farm “Co-ops have always been leaders in connecting local farmers to eaters, and I’m so glad we can be part of it.” Sarah Voiland, Owner and Communications Manager Red Fire Farm has been producing a wide diversity of vegetables, flowers, and fruit since it was opened in 2001. Farmer Ryan Voiland started farming when he was 12, in 1991, in his back yard in Montague. With the encouragement and support of his father and mother, he opened a small stand in front of the house where he sold wild berries that he picked.
RFF works closely with area produce markets, including Harvest Co-op, to make their goods available on our shelves. You might find them on the menu of some of the more locally-oriented restaurants in the region as well. At their permanent farm stores, apart from their own produce and plants for your garden, they connect with area producers to carry local bread, eggs, milk, honey, butter, cheese, maple syrup, chips, pickles, and many other products that support the regional economy.
Sarah Voiland grew up in Stafford Springs CT, one of the most rural parts of that state. She now manages communications at the farm. Red Fire Farm began on a 50 acre piece of land located in Granby, MA. As Ryan started the business, he needed a name. He looked into the history of the place and found that in 1922, a lightning strike fire burned the original barn and farmhouse structures to the ground. When naming the farm, Ryan chose Red Fire Farm partly to remember that fire event, and also because ‘New Red Fire’ is the name of his favorite red leaf lettuce variety. The farm currently farms two pieces of farmland, one in Granby, MA and one in Montague, MA. The
two properties allow more effective soil building and crop rotation than could be achieved on either piece individually. Located at 172 Meadow Road in Montague Center this 110 acre farm is in the heart of the rich Montague meadows. The farmstead dates back to at least the 1800’s. With the sale of the property to Red Fire Farm in 2009, Ryan and Sarah transitioned the land to certified organic practices.
Many families across the region participate in their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program and get a weekly farm share of the Red Fire harvest. Sarah Voiland: “Our very first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) pickup in the Boston area was hosted at the Harvest Co-op in Cambridge, and over the years we added one at the JP Co-op too. For space reasons, our CSA pickups are at different locations now, but we love Harvest Co-op for welcoming us and helping the CSA farm shares get started! I’d say we have very similar goals of feeding our community with great quality sustainable food. Co-ops have always been leaders in connecting local farmers to eaters, and I’m so glad we can be part of it.”
The Art of Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipe from Sarah Voiland
Farm-fresh organic berries and decadent chocolate go together very easily for a wonderful dessert or gift. This recipe makes enough for a small batch. Double or so for more. 1 cup chocolate chips or broken up chocolate bar 1 1/2 tsp coconut oil (this makes the chocolate smoother, shortening can be used also) 6-12 Strawberries Melt the chocolate in a double boiler with the coconut oil, mixing well ’til smooth. Prep a plate or baking sheet with parchment or wax paper on top. When the chocolate is smooth, hold the berries by the stem or greens and dip each berry in, twisting to coat each side. Then lay the berry on the parchment paper. They look pretty when you can still see some of the red top of the berry. Put your full plate of berries into the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so to set the chocolate. Then they are ready to serve!
Six Tips for perfecting the art: 1. Ripe strawberries are key! You want sweet and flavorful berries. When selecting the berries to dip in chocolate make sure they are ripe and red but not so ripe that they are mushy. Bright green greens of superfresh berries are prettiest.
2. Keep them at room temperature. Before covering them in chocolate, refrain from putting them in the fridge-let the berries sit on the counter for a bit, as water will condense on cold berries.
3. Wash AND dry! When prepping your berries for chocolate make sure they aren’t wet. Damp berries will cause the chocolate to clump and loose its smooth texture.
4. Choose the chocolate you love – Use dark chocolate or milk chocolate bars or your favorite chocolate chips. Taza Chocolate is made in Somerville, MA, and their dark bars are wonderful for this.
5. Melt chocolate with a double boiler. Put some water in a sauce pan and with heat-safe bowl on top. The water in the sauce pan should be high enough to surround most of the bowl but not high enough that it gets in the bowl. Keep the water at a low simmer, put the chocolate with some milk in the bowl and stir until it melts!
6. Get creative! tChocolate is perfect on its own on berries but don’t be afraid to personalize the recipe. Add some white chocolate drizzle, toasted coconut, sprinkles, slivered almonds, or crushed walnuts to your berries!
Enjoy!
August 19th, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm: Don’t miss A Taste of Italy in Harvest Event at both Arboretum and Cambridge locations: Don’t go to Italy - just come to Harvest Co-op!
A Taste of Italy in Harvest! Caprese salad over pasta: local organic heirloom tomatoes, local organic basil, fresh mozzarella, and olive oil over a bed of pasta with lemon zest!
This is a free tasting!
Harvest Co-op Markets www.harvest.coop
580 Mass Ave., Cambridge, MA 617-661-1580
3815 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, MA 617-405-5300
