By the community.
For the community.
In the community.

Upcoming Events

Dec 16   Membership Committee Mtg.
6:30-8:00 pm

Jan 1     Uptown Main Street First Friday
5:30-8:00 pm

Jan 6     Board Meeting
6:00-7:00 pm             St. Luke's Church

HIGHLIGHTS OF DECEMBER BOARD MEETING

The VFC board met on December 2nd, 2009 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Fourth Plain from 6:00 to 7:00 PM.

Treasurer Mike Osheroff reported as of December 1, 2009: Cash accounts balance, $27,525.22; Shorebank money market, $20,004.34; Umpqua, $7,513.51; PayPal, $7.37. Paid in member equity, $33,105.00; number of members, 203; shares, 221.

Committee reports:
Membership. Chair Christine Baumann continues to work to clean up data lists. Next meeting is December 16 at which time web site, newsletter, and email communications will be discussed and policies established.

Outreach. Greta Lavadour distributed drafts of a new brochure, business card, and flyer for comment. The ‘every member get a member’ mailings are scheduled to go out in about two weeks.

Site & Feasibility. The committee plans a Saturday tour of Portland food cooperative groceries to evaluate site needs.

New Business. Planning for the 2010 budget has begun. It was agreed the budget should be built around tasks and goals set at the planning retreat.

 FROM MARJ

OUR EYE ON THE PRIZE

My mother was fond of saying, ‘Keep your eyes on the prize, honey, and you’ll get what you want.’ When I got older, and read about the law of attraction—if you really want something and truly believe it's possible, you'll get it—I understood more clearly what she meant. And I understood that wishing was not enough—we have to be willing to work for what we want.

Making a cooperative grocery store happen is generally a lengthy and tedious process. I just got here and already I sometimes feel the onus of long hours of slogging through tasks, of days spent learning best practices of an unfamiliar industry, of weeks of planning the steps to take to reach our goal.

But my eye remains on the prize: a cooperative grocery store for Vancouver. Those of you who have become members have your eye on that prize, too. Keep hold of that idea and think we will succeed. Remember—simply wishing for something isn’t enough—we must work for it!

Contact me at Marj@vancouverfood.coop.

Marj Casswell, president

TELL US WHY YOU JOINED VFC: newsletter@vancouverfood.coop

FEEDING THE WORLD ORGANICALLY

Michael Pollan: “But ‘can organic feed the world?’ is a question up for grabs. The honest answer is, we don’t know. I’ve seen research that suggests with really smart rotations and cover cropping, there is enough nitrogen to do it. I also think that if we changed our relationship to meat, we probably could. Half of all the grain that we’re growing now is fed to livestock. If we were eating more food directly as plants, then we could feed the world organically. It really is the world’s appetite for meat that forces us down that fossil-fuel path.” From Organic Gardening, NOV/JAN 2009/10

NEW VFC BROCHURES 
AND FLYERS AVAILABLE

Do you have a location for an informational flyer, and/or brochures to help get the word out about Vancouver Food Cooperative? Please email questions@vancouverfood.coop and let us know the location, about how many flyers and brochures you can use.

Recipe of the Month

Oatmeal, Raisin & Nut Cookies
These cookes have a wonderful chewy texture with lots of crunch and less sugar than traditional cookie recipes.

1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts,  and/or almonds)

Preheat ovento 350F. Combine first three ingredients in large bowl and beat at medium speed to blend. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Combine next five ingredients in small bowl and mix well before adding to oil mixture; beat well. Stire in raisins and nuts. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before placing on cooking sheet by spoonful. Gently flatten with fingers. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.

In this Issue

Highlights of December Board Meeting
From Marj
Feeding the World Organically
New VFC Brochures & Flyers Available
Vision/Guiding Principles
How to Get Store Open
Recipe of the Month: Oatmeal, Raisin & Nut Cookies

HAPPY



HOLIDAYS!!

VANCOUVER FOOD COOPERATIVE NOW HAS GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE. Email questions@vancouverfood.coop

THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING…A VFC SHARE WOULD MAKE A GREAT GIFT FOR A LOVED ONE! THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING!

Vision:

To provide our community with healthy foods and products, with emphasis on local suppliers.

Guiding principles:

• Democratic member control
• Sustainability
• Healthy lifestyles
• Education
• Economic and social justice
• Honesty and integrity
• Respect for diversity
• Collaboration and cooperation
  
  

HOW TO GET THE STORE OPEN!
Join other VFC volunteers working to bring more people into our food co-op movement. Become a part of the VFC volunteer team. The only way our store will happen is if we all help—each in the way we are able. Here’s how: please contact volunteer@vancouverfood.coop, let us know what you can, and want to do. A list of potential jobs—all of which may be shared by two or more persons:

• Volunteer coordinator—linking volunteers with events, and jobs

• Speakers’ bureau—develop gigs and/or speak
• Telephone tree—coordinate or serve as a member
• Newsletter—write articles about VFC coop events, member interests
• Press releases—attend events, take photos, write releases
• Membership—process new membership applications
• Outreach & marketing committee—help develop plan
• Local farmers—develop connections, serve as liaison
• Web site—serve as web master
• Fundraising—help identify potential sources, write proposals
• Marketing—help outreach committee develop plan and increase membership
• Fundraising—contact businesses for various types of donations and support
• Membership database—help obtain data on membership talents and skills
• Budget and finance—serve on committee, help with banking, payment systems, reporting
• Store—serve on site and feasibility committee researching location, size, budget, permits & fees, design, risk scenarios

• Events—help plan member events, be part of the team