5 ways the Co-op can help regional food security (and vice versa)
...many financial institutions have a growing interest in supporting sustainable businesses that have a triple-bottom line—people, profit and planet. Greater Philadelphia has a number of financial organizations interested in supporting the growing local food and healthy food movements, in addition to the emerging social enterprise movement.It goes on to list a few of those institutions as examples. Obviously such institutions aren't going to throw money out there at every start-up food concern that comes along, but an organization with a large and growing number of dedicated individuals, who can prove that there is a market for the kind of mission-based business represented by this co-op can have hope of securing the support it needs. And while getting that critical mass of people is clearly the most difficult part of this process, being able to give them a reason to believe that their time, effort and money has a reasonably good chance of being leveraged into institutional financial support makes it just a little easier. The report also recommends making improvements to the supply chain so that the "efficiencies of the global food system" (think supermarket chains and big box retailers who also sell food) can be applied to the regional food system. The "direct market chain" - one system that a food co-op would support - in which producers are put directly in contact with consumers has the benefit "of providing consumers with detailed information about where and by whom the products are produced." (Actually, as a "middle man" of sorts, the co-op model may technically be an example of the hybrid or intermediated chain but connecting producer and consumer more directly can be among its goals.) In order to help, say, a small local co-op compete with the big players the report says:
Applying technological innovations already employed by the global food system to intermediated and direct market supply chains can increase transportation efficiencies, which in turn can lead to more affordable local products and more accurate information on product origins for the consumer.The sooner the better! There are a number of ways the co-op (and existing co-ops in the region) could help the recommendations in the report become reality. In fact, a strong system of food co-ops (as mission-based, rather than purely profit-based businesses) could help implementation of all the recommendations in the report. But the following especially stood out: Promote the use of new technology and community-based communication outlets by all partners—government, private sector, and nonprofits—to educate people about healthy food. (p 59) Approaches to reduce hunger should emphasize creating jobs with livable wages and empowering those personally affected. (p 76) Though there's some argument about his motivations, Henry Ford's idea of paying his workers a high wage they could afford the cars he was selling is an example of how a co-op with a goal of paying its workers a living wage could help create a number of well-paying semi-skilled-labor jobs that in turn reduce poverty and hunger. Advocate for food labels that allow consumers to make more informed decisions and enable food producers to be more fully compensated. (p 77) I've written about fact-o-vore based eating before so it's no surprise that this is one of my primary motivations for wanting a co-op. Overall, the takeaway for any of us involved in starting a food co-op is that we're not doing this in a vacuum. As the report makes clear (just with its list of "stakeholders") these issues are being considered at some of the highest levels of regional government and by hundreds of different organizations. Food security, like energy security, will be one of the foremost issues of the 21st century. It's clear that the system that has been in place for the past 50 years or so needs to be fixed, if not totally overhauled. While we continue working on our community's part of this fix, the report ends with some recommendations for individuals:
Individuals can support the region’s economy and heritage by purchasing fresh, locally grown foods from a nearby farmers’ market or by joining a community-supported agriculture (CSA) farm. If one has the space, growing a garden will improve a household’s food security. Many municipalities and some neighborhoods have composting programs. Private companies have started to meet the need to compost household food waste. The region has an extensive park and trail network, encouraging people to get outside, enjoy the outdoors, and exercise or commute to work. Lastly, individuals can protect open space and farmland by voting for municipal, county, and state funding referendums or becoming a member of a land trust.
Pizza night
Dan and I had some friends over for recently for dinner, and while that’s usually an excuse for me start ripping through cookbooks and narrowing down the endless list of recipes I’ve been meaning to try, all I wanted to eat was pizza. I’d been sick all week, had just spent the morning at those not-to-be-named big box home supply stores on South Philly picking out bathroom tile and shower heads, and it was a cold Saturday night. I wanted pizza. Totally fair, right? But could I order up a couple of pies from Marra’s or FrancoLuigi’s and not feel like I was shirking my hostess responsibilities? Was that totally lame? How do I reconcile my pizza passion with wanting to provide a fun, tasty, home-cooked meal for my guests? The answer came to me in a cloud of Theraflu and gray floor tiles: Make-your-own pizza party. Brilliant. It would be fun, creative, and delicious – totally perfect for a Saturday night with friends. To start, roll out some dough – store bought or hand made – into personal sized pizzas. We pre-baked ours on a pizza stone at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. [caption id="attachment_516" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bakin' some dough"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_517" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cooling and waiting for toppings"][/caption] The toppings are the real fun part – so use what you like. Based on what was hanging around in our cupboards, we laid out: heart of palm, crispy tempeh bacon, red onions, kalamata olives, steamed broccoli, sautéed mushrooms, tomato sauce, pea shoot and walnut pesto (vegan, see below) and mozzarella cheese (of both the whole milk and vegan varieties). We didn’t have any on hand, but roasted brussels sprouts would have been a slammin’ addition to the topping bar. I love them on a pizza mixed with a little veggie bacon. [caption id="attachment_572" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A color palette"][/caption] When guests arrive, invite them to take a pizza shell, add desired toppings, and put back in the oven for 10 – 15 (we did up to 20 minutes (depending on how crispy you like your crust). [caption id="attachment_573" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Pizza with salad gets thumbs up"][/caption] We served the pizza with a green salad, (though in this case, I think the salad was just an excuse to toast up some gigantic croutons) and some cookies and cream (vegan) cupcakes. [caption id="attachment_512" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Really just a crouton vehicle"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_513" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Icing the cupcakes (and, of course, Dan got to lick the spatula)"][/caption] And the recipes: Pea shoot and walnut pesto:In a food processor or blender combine pea shoots (roughly 2 handfuls), basil (again, 'bout 2 handfuls), garlic (2-4 cloves) and pulse until roughly combined. Add toasted walnuts (I used about half a cup) and pulse until walnuts are just chopped and incorporated. With motor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil; blend until well combined. Scrape pesto into a bowl. [caption id="attachment_575" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Vegan pesto"][/caption] Green salad with roasted tomatoes and croutons For the Dressing
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 2 -3 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tsp. mustard
- ½ tsp. sugar
- Large pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil
For the Salad
- 5 or 6 slices good bread, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used focacia)
- Olive oil
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Good balsamic vinegar
- 12 tomatoes – cherry, strawberry, or roma
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 12 basil leaves, julienned or torn
- 3-4 handfuls lettuce leaves
- ½ cup ricotta salata or feta broken into big crumbles (optional)
Make the Dressing Mix shallot, lemon juice, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper in a wide mouth jar or other salad dressing making vessel. Add the olive oil to taste. Cover and shake or mix like hell with a whisk or fork. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Make the Salad Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Place the bread cubes on a baking tray and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle a large pinch of salt over top and a few grinds of black pepper. Toss well with your hands. Place in the oven and bake until starting to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Set aside to give time to firm up a bit. Turn the oven up to 425ºF. Slice each tomato in half. Set aside a few of them of them and seed the others (though I didn’t take the time to seed mine and it was just fine…). Place on small baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, sugar (to help with caramelization), salt and a couple grinds of pepper. Toss gently with your hands. Carefully drizzle on just a bit of balsamic vinegar. Bake until dark, caramelized and slightly collapsed, about 25 minutes. Remove and set aside. Place the croutons in a salad bowl. Scrape the tomatoes and any juices over top. Chop up the raw tomatoes and add them to the bowl along with the basil and the lettuce. If using cheese, scatter it over top. Dress the salad according to your taste, and toss carefully. Add more dressing as needed. Recipe for the vegan cookies and cream cupcakes can be found at the Peas & Thank You blog, a great resource for all kinds of vegan ideas. In fact, here I am with the computer on the kitchen island following that recipe: [caption id="attachment_574" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A work in progress"][/caption]
South Philly Food Co-op on Phoodie.info
There's An App For That
Meet a Committee Member: Julie Haynes
On which committee do you serve? I am currently the secretary for the Outreach Committee. What do you do for a living? I am a teacher. How did you get involved with the food co-op? A good friend. Why do you want a food co-op in South Philly? I am really interested in buying local food. Why should people join a food co-op? People should help support their community and want to educate the local population about healthy food. What is your favorite meal to cook and why? That's not a fair question to ask. Too many. Lots of seafood and vegetables.
Minimalist gets a new home
We Won!
Ignite Philly is part of a world-wide network that hosts semi-regular events where individuals and organizations give short 5 minute presentations to entertain and educate viewers on a wide variety of subjects. As Ignite describes it,
Each presenter is on stage for a total of 5 minutes (20 slides, at 15 seconds each slide). These talks are a ’spark’ if you will, they are lightning fast and leave people with a new idea to mull over and talk about.
Recently at Ignite Philly 6, Outreach Committee members Mary Beth Hertz and Julie Haynes gave a presentation on the SPFC and our goals of educating South Philadelphians on sustainable food practice and opening a member-owned community grocery store. This week came the exciting news that the co-op was chosen as the winner of the last Ignite! As part of their goal to promote organizations that will have a meaningful and immediate impact on the community, the organizers chose us as the recipient of the proceeds from the door, a big boost to our initial fundraising. Many thanks to the Ignite organizers and a hearty congrats to Mary Beth and Julie for their hard work. You can see video and slides of their presentation here and attend Ignite Philly 7 on Thursday, February 10 at Johnny Brenda's. Come on out, it's always a fun time.
Meet a Committee Member: Josh Richards
On which committee do you serve? Legal & Finance What do you do for a living? I am a lawyer. How did you get involved with the food co-op? I came to an open meeting at SPOAC and loved the idea of helping to open a food co-op. Why do you want a food co-op in South Philly? Access to high quality food is important to me and the community of a co-op is a great bonus. Why should people join a food co-op? Community and high-quality food plus knowing that the money they spend goes back into their own neighborhood. What is your favorite meal to cook and why? Deep dish veggie lasagna. It's a fun process and the result can cheer up anyone.
Factovore - or Fact-based Eating
Warrior On
A big thanks to Genevieve Sherrow, author of Gluten-free Warrior, who braved the cold to come out and speak to South Philly Food Co-op this past Sunday. Genevieve first discovered she was gluten-intolerant after she moved from Philly to the Pacific Northwest to enroll in a Master’s Program in Nutrition at Bastyr University, a Seattle-based institution that specializes in natural health science degree programs. While her symptoms were partially triggered by stress, Genevieve didn’t find any stress in the transition to gluten-free living in foodie-central Seattle, host to grocery stores and restaurants stocked with lots of gluten-free options.
With her diverse training from Bastyr, including culinary classes focused on Whole Foods Production, Traditional Chinese Medicine Nutrition and Ayurvedic Nutrition, she observed her cooking abilities changing dramatically at home. Her instincts in the kitchen improved and she began experimenting with different foods and cooking techniques, and so began the evolution of Gluten-free Warrior. The cookbook focuses on whole foods that are naturally gluten-free such as whole grains (millet, buckwheat, quinoa, tef), legumes, vegetables with strong nutritional profiles like sea vegetables, root vegetables, ginger, leafy greens, some meats and fish, and Asian-style sauces and condiments (tamari, fish sauce, mirin, cooking sake, umeboshi plum vinegar),
Gluten-free Warrior contains 60 whole foods recipes, each extensively tested by at least 2 people from a group of over 30 volunteer recipe testers. Many of the recipes tested as “kid-friendly” - most surprisingly Garlic Sauteéd Collards. The book is overwhelmingly vegetarian and includes several vegan options. Gluten-free foodies who love brunch will be happy to find more than ten new breakfast recipes including warming whole grain porridges. During the Sunday night book discussion, South Philly Food Co-op was able to taste-test two recipes – The Warrior’s Jewish Apple Cake and the Blue-est Muffins prepared as a cornbread. Both were easy to make and received rave reviews by our group.
Some great questions were raised in the Q & A portion of the talk – specifically “How do you navigate the restaurant scene when your diet is gluten-free?” The future co-oper who asked this question said she had many experiences where she was told her dishes were gluten-free only to suffer a reaction a few hours later. Unaware of the consequences, a restaurant may cross contaminate gluten from other parts of the kitchen when preparing a gluten-free plate. Genevieve suggested sticking to restaurants whose cuisine generally does not contain gluten-filled ingredients. Here in South Philly we are lucky to have authentic Mexican restaurants that use corn tortillas and Vietnamese restaurants that offer rice noodles. Restaurants are catching on to the need to offer gluten-free menu options and gluten-free non-profit organizations are helping them do that. National Foundation of Celiac Awareness hosts “Appetite for Awareness”, a local gluten-free festival featuring a vendor marketplace, cooking demos, and food provided by chefs from your favorite Philly restaurants. Gluten Intolerance Group of North America (GIG) organizes a gluten-free training and certification to restaurant owners and maintains a searchable list of participating restaurants at the website for the Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program. Very helpful if you are traveling and don’t have access to a kitchen or a good grocery store! Beyond that, the best thing to do is to call the restaurant and ask if they offer gluten-free options and how they manage issues of cross-contamination in the kitchen.
If you weren’t able to make it out to the book discussion, you can catch up with Genevieve at book events around the city. Check out the Gluten Free Warrior Blog or sign up for her mailing list ([email protected]) to keep up-to-date on where she’ll be next. You can also purchase her book at several local bookstores:
Garland of Letters Bookstore, South Street
The Cookbook Stall, Reading Terminal Market
Wooden Shoe Books, 7th and South
Giovanni's Room, 12th and Pine
Headhouse Books, 2nd Street off South
We’d also like to thank Philly Community Wellness for being a great host to the event. Our next community event “There’s an App For That” will be on Sunday February 27th, 2011 at 6pm at Philly Community Wellness (1241 Carpenter). It’s an appetizer potluck and recipe exchange. We will also discuss our favorite food blogs, apps, and cookbooks. By the end of the night will have full bellies, food inspiration, and a community generated blog post! Stay tuned for more details.