Syracuse Real Food Coop's Board Blog

How to reduce toxins in your home

srfcboardblog — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:57:52 +0000

A short article at Huffington Post. As you know, we have plenty of “green” cleaning products for sale at the coop! Even good ol’ vinegar… in bulk!

August board meeting

srfcboardblog — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 00:27:53 +0000

The next board meeting will be on Monday, August 23rd, at the location below. If you’d like to be on the agenda, please contact the store ASAP. We’ll have expansion updates and committee reports (Did you know that there are two active committees right now? By-laws and board candidate training! Stay tuned for the community service committee!). We will plan our yearly Board retreat and the annual meeting. We have a full Board right now, with many enthusiastic folks contributing their knowledge and experience to the governance of your coop.

The meeting starts at 7 pm. Here is the Centro System Map if you’d like to take the bus. It’s a nice walk from downtown, too!

Wells Fargo Advisers

Bridgewater Place, 5th floor

500 Plum Street

Syracuse, NY 13204

I know it’s far, so why here? Because one of our Board members, Kris Venne, works there and we get to use it for free! His boss is a huge coop supporter, just like you. We have a conference room with enough space for visitors. Nice, huh? Thanks, Wells Fargo Advisers!

Jamie Oliver (“The Naked Chef”) talks about his food revolution

srfcboardblog — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:26:07 +0000

Jamie Oliver started an anti-obesity project in West Virginia. He connects not cooking at home with obesity and food-related diseases. Very interesting, check it out.

The Better World Challenge

srfcboardblog — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 13:47:20 +0000

Read about this year’s challenge at the A Better World By Design conference. It is to solve the problems of food deserts in Providence, RI, in a way that is replicable in other places. Our proposed location on East Genesee has the potential to help out folks on the north side of that road, some of whom are elderly and have to cross Erie Boulevard on foot to get to Aldi’s (according to our friend at Meals on Wheels). Not everyone has a car! And in our future of quickly depleting oil reserves, even fewer of us will.

The Good Guide

srfcboardblog — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:41:13 +0000

Dara O’Rourke, professor of environmental and labor policy at UC Berkeley, has founded a company that rates the health, environmental and social impact of various consumer goods. The website, Good Guide, rates products so that you can choose those that reflect your values. For example, I just rated my shampoo, Nexxus. It gets a whopping 3.9 out of ten points:

Health 4.0

Environment 3.3

Society 4.3

Well! In my defense, I chose it because PETA had it listed on it’s cruelty-free list a few years back. Time to change brands… and ratings websites!

Update on our application for a zoning variance

srfcboardblog — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:48:57 +0000

As you may recall, the property at 2200 E. Genesee Street is not zoned for our type of business, so the coop is applying for a zoning variance. We’ve had three presentations with the Zoning Board. The ZB will vote on our variance application at its August 19th meeting. We appreciate all the letters our owners sent to the ZB in support of our application! However, the ZB has closed the file and is not accepting any further letters. We’re crossing our fingers and visualizing whirled peas on the new shelves of the Genesee Street location! No matter what happens, we’ve learned a lot… we’re in a better position financially and operationally… It’s all good!

The Cooperative Grocers’ Information Network

srfcboardblog — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 15:42:26 +0000

There are all kinds of coops: health care, farmers, utilities, etc. If you’d like to learn more about cooperative grocery stores, there is a free listserv you can sign up for.

Federal regulatory agencies quietly strengthened under Obama, TNR says

srfcboardblog — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:28:59 +0000

Great article in The New Republic about the Obama administration strengthening our federal regulatory agencies. Systematically weakened from the 1980s, finally culminating in mining disasters, vitamins with dangerous levels of lead, sick cattle polluting the food system, and the current Gulf crisis, impartial experts are joining the ranks of the FDA, OSHA, etc., and working for the American people.

Looking for stationery made from a recycled product?

srfcboardblog — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:50:51 +0000

The husband of my friend Elaine (librarians rock!) just bought her some recycled elephant poo paper. Yes. No. Really. “100% Recycled and Odorless Products Made From Poo!” says the website. Also available: products from koala, cow, and horse poo. Lots of fiber in it, apparently. Check it out here.

June Board Meeting

srfcboardblog — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:48:05 +0000

The next board meeting will be on Monday, June 28th, at the location below. If you’d like to be on the agenda, please contact the store. The meeting starts at 7 pm. Here is the Centro System Map if you’d like to take the bus. It’s a nice walk from downtown, too!

Wells Fargo Advisers

Bridgewater Place

500 Plum Street

Syracuse, NY 13204