Annual Meeting Recap

by

Our annual meeting 2018 is in the books! Everyone is welcome to shop at the co-op, and anyone can become an owner of our grocery store. Part of community ownership includes an annual meeting to learn about the business and vote for board members who oversee it.

Our Board of Directors (from left): Venus Fromwiller, Allie Evans, Andrew Catalano, Andrea Larson-Perez, Todd Holm, Angela Sidlo, Matt Stanley (General Manager), Angi Perez, Emily Geddes, and Norma Hernandez

The election highlights:

In our General Manager’s annual report, Matt Stanley says our new store expansion is right on track for our five year strategic plan. It has involved a rigorous land use process, including a compromise to make neighbors happy in a way that works for the co-op. Now it’s time for engineering and financing. There’s still an opportunity to make a truly local investment, as there are $820,000 in preferred shares still available for those interested in investing. In October 2017 the co-op launched an owner investment campaign raising $1.6 million in 8 weeks.

Our co-op is weathering the challenge of more competition, thanks to your support. The new store will help the co-op to become a destination to even more shoppers, with increased visibility and more space for great food including locally-sourced products and a deli with hot food.

New store rendering at 23rd & Marine Dr. Astoria

“Based on research and evidence we have from other co-ops, we need to get out there and be visible to be relevant and be in this community for another 40 years,” Stanley said.

Our expansion timeline is fluid, but your co-op could break ground as soon as January and construction is expected to take about a year.

Some other points Stanley made:

  • 100% of staff are eligible for PTO, 89% eligible for health care, and $16/hr. is the average wage
  • Nearly no food is thrown in the trash: more than 8,000 pounds of produce scraps went to farmers in 2017 and 22,000 pounds of edible food was donated to the food bank
  • A program called Co+op Forest offsets our business travel emissions
  • We work with 50+ truly local producers from our coastal region and we’re excited to be able to expand our local offering in a larger venue
  • Community giving is growing as the store grows in sales including in-kind donations, large sponsorships focused on health and wellness, Beans for Bags and Change for Community
  • 72% of sales came from co-op owners in 2017 and 28% from other shoppers
  • Our co-op grew by 280 new owners in 2017 and we now have 4200

Stanley concluded his report by saying how excited he is to grow so we can provide a bigger community impact including access to more healthy and local food.

Click here for expansion updates.

Owner Appreciation Week

by

It’s a great time to be a co-op owner! Owner Appreciation Week is September 16-22, 2018 and we’re trying out a new discount structure that allows co-op owners to save up to 20% on a shopping trip.

Here’s what the new discount structure includes:

  • 10% off on purchases under $100
  • 15% off on purchases of $100 or more
  • 20% off on purchases of $150 or more

Please note: equity payments must be up-to-date to receive the discount. Discount applies to items in stock and does not stack with case discounts.

Not a co-op owner? No problem. You’re always welcome to shop! If you’d like to learn more about how you can sign up and save during owner appreciation week and the good that comes from being an owner of our consumer-owned cooperative, click here to learn more about co-op ownership.

See the food and drink sampling schedule.

Yes You Can!

by

Organic Produce Case Specials for Canning

Click here for the order form. Orders must be submitted by Thursday September 6 for pickup at the store anytime on Saturday September 8.

Savor summer throughout the year by preserving organic fruit and veggies from your co-op! We’ve got specials on cases of organic peaches, green beans, tomatoes, and pickling cukes. Simply fill it out the order form and bring it by the co-op or email your order information to our produce manager Danny at [email protected].

Sale prices are final (no additional case discounts).

Articles:

Preserving Your Organic Harvest
Pickle in the Nickel (of Time)

Annual Meeting 2018

by

Our annual meeting for co-op owners is happening on Sunday September 30 at 5-7 p.m. at the Loft at the Red Building (20 Basin St.) in Astoria.

There will be dinner by Chef Andrew Catalano, music by the Brownsmead Flats, an annual report and election including new Board members and proposed updates to our bylaws. No need to RSVP this year.

Bylaws Change Proposal

It is considered best practice in cooperative governance to review and amend bylaws from time-to-time to ensure they continue to meet legal requirements, reflect best practices, and serve the best interest of the co-op. We’ll be asking you to vote at the annual meeting to adopt these new bylaws. Here’s the information you need:

Bylaws Change Memo
Proposed Bylaws of Astoria Co+op 2018
Redline Changes to Astoria Co+op Bylaws (see the proposed edits)

Board Election

The Board candidates up for election/re-election are: Norma Hernandez, Angela Sidlo, and Emily Geddes. You can read there bios by clicking here.

If you have questions, please contact our general manager, Matt Stanley at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting!

New Fall Coupons

by

The most recent issue of the Disco+ver coupon book is brimming with brands that support organic farming, fair-trade supply chains and ingredients and cooperative business models. That means your co-op purchases make a difference and help local, national and global communities thrive. Check your mailbox in early September or stop by the co-op to pick up your free copy, and save over $60 on products like Organic Valley, VitaCoco, Organic India and Cascadian Farm. You’ll be doing good, while getting great deals from companies that share co-op values.

Look for coupon books beginning in September. We try to keep individual coupons at the shelves by the products as well. Coupons are valid through October 31, 2018.

 

Co-op deli salad dressing recipes revealed!

by

Having a batch of good homemade dressing on hand can be just the ticket to convenience when it comes to whipping up a salad for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast! Our deli gets a lot of requests for our popular salad dressing recipes. We aim to promote health and wellness and these simple dressings make healthy food extra delicious. They work for salads, wraps, and dips for veggies. We hope our recipes will help increase your consumption of healthy salads!

Balsamic Vinaigrette
Prep time: 10 min

2   cloves garlic
½   teaspoon salt
½   teaspoon pepper
¼   cup balsamic vinegar
½   cup sunflower oil

Peel garlic and put the cloves in a blender.  Add seasoning and blend until the garlic is all diced up. Pour oil and vinegar into blender and blend until it’s the consistency of mayonnaise (about 30 seconds). Store in a glass jar with a lid in your refrigerator for about a week. Shake it up if it separates.

Lemon-Cumin Dressing
Prep time: 10 min

1   clove garlic
1   teaspoons cumin
½  teaspoon salt
½  teaspoon pepper
1/3  cup lemon juice
½  cup sunflower oil

Peel garlic and put the cloves in a blender.  Add seasoning and blend until the garlic is all diced up. Pour oil and vinegar into blender and blend until it’s the consistency of mayonnaise (about 30 seconds). Store in a glass jar with a lid in your refrigerator for about a week. Shake it up if it separates.

Appeal Meeting FAQ

by

What is the plan for Astoria Co+op’s new store? 

The co-op plans to build an 11,580 square foot building at the corner of 23rd and Marine Drive in Astoria. It will hold about 7,000 square feet of retail space that offers a full line of fresh foods – think full-service deli, an expansive organic produce section, local meat and seafood, and more. We hope to begin construction by the end of 2018 and open in 2019.  

What is happening on July 30th?

Astoria City Council is having a hearing to listen to some neighbors’ concerns regarding traffic behind their homes. We definitely want our co-op to be a positive impact on that neighborhood and we are optimistic that we can adequately address reasonable concerns.

Is the Mill Pond Home Owner’s Association (HOA) as a body appealing the co-op’s design? 

No. The appeal was filed by three individual property homeowners.

Why are attorneys involved? 

One of the individuals who owns a vacant lot next to the future new co-op has hired an attorney to present their appeal. The co-op’s developer partner thus felt obligated to retain representation to be sure we clearly demonstrate that our design meets the City’s criteria to the best possible standard.

How much will this delay our process?

Hopefully not too much. We have done our due diligence, we know this store will bring a lot of good to our community, and we appreciate everyone’s continued support!

How can I help?

Please attend the hearing at Astoria City Hall July 30th at 6 p.m. We need to show the City Council that we have huge community support and that our shoppers are ready to shop their new store without further delay.

I have more questions, who can I reach out to? 

If you have further questions please reach out to the co-op’s General Manager, Matt Stanley. He can be reached at [email protected].

Fresh New Look

by

By Zetty Nemlowill/Marketing Director

In our last newsletter I told you we’d be freshening up the co-op’s look and now… it’s official (see our new logo below)! We’re making this change now so that we will be ready to start designing our new store. We’re still the same co-op you know and love; we’re just getting better at sharing our story.

To survive and thrive, especially in a larger, more visible store, we need everyone to understand what makes Astoria Co+op different and why they might want to shop here. A logo and tag line can help represent this visually.

You’ll notice the subtle name change of “Astoria Co+op” instead of “Astoria Co-op Grocery.” The shorter name looks great, is very friendly and can be paired with our tagline (good. local. food.) It is simple and easy to understand at a glance.

The plus sign aligns our brand with the Co+op, stronger together brand and highlights our cooperative ownership. This allows us to fully utilize the resources available through our membership with National Co+op Grocers—Co+op Deals flyers, coupons, bags, coffee cups, and signs—while maintaining a cohesive visual identity with materials produced in-house.

Astoria Artist Roger McKay paints the new logo on our outside wall.

I believe this change will result in an increase in efficiency, allowing us to mature into an even more competitive business, lowering operating costs while still treating our employees well.

While a new logo is an important symbol, it is our amazing staff, dedicated owners and shoppers, local farmers, delicious food, and being 100% community-owned that makes our co-op truly unique and special. Thank you for your continued support!

Disco+ver Back to School Savings

by

Back to school season is here and your co-op is stocked with amazing deals for every budget on products your family needs. Save big on healthy snacks, lunch box fillers, and wonderful weeknight meal essentials. Save over $55 on products like Woodstock, Clif, Annie’s and Organic Valley. You’ll also find some late-summer recipes to try!

Look for coupon books at the store entrance. We also try and provide the coupon right at the shelf near the products. Coupons are valid through August 31, 2018.

Click on the coupon book cover to see what’s inside…

Project Appeal

by
Here’s an update from General Manager Matt Stanley:

The co-op’s Design Review Committee approval has been appealed by three Mill Pond residents. We will go before the City Council on July 30th at 6 p.m. at Astoria City Hall. The approval process has proved to be more challenging than anticipated. However, the greater Astoria community continues to provide us with enduring support.

We remain confident that the perceived negative impact to these individuals is vastly outweighed by the benefits the co-op brings to both them and the community at-large.

We will provide further updates as the hearing approaches. It will be imperative that the City Councilors and the Mayor hear from you urging them to vote to uphold the sound decision made by the Design Review Committee. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with further questions or concerns.