At the Co-op
added 07/26/10
Late summer and early fall is a happening time of year at the Co-op. Local farms are in full swing with some of the best produce you can find anywhere, Co-op Month and Fair Trade Month are in October, some of our biggest events such as the CaseLot Sale and Producers Fair are taking place, and more. Look below to learn more about the myraid goings-on.
Celebrating Co-op Month
There is much to celebrate about October in the Upper Valley: cool, crisp weather; pumpkin picking at local farms; fall foliage that brings in leaf-peepers from far and wide; and of course, one of our favorites, Co-op Month!
At the Co-op, we like to celebrate Co-op Month in many ways—from the CaseLot sale to special promotions to free demos and samplings throughout the stores. Perhaps more importantly, we honor Co-op Month by doing even more to spread the word about cooperative history, values, principles, and all the other things that make cooperatives special. Keep an eye on our websiteall through the month of October to learn more about Co-op Month events in our stores and at other cooperatives in our area.
October is Fair Trade Month!
The Cooperative and Fair Trade movements share a lot of the same values, ethics, and key players—so it’s a natural fit that Co-op Month and Fair Trade Month are both celebrated in October. What is the Fair Trade movement? We’re so glad you asked!
Think about it like this: Particularly in developing countries, many food producers labor for long hours on small plots of land far removed from the markets in which they can sell their wares—especially if those markets are in the West. The Fair Trade movement shortens the path from farm to table, thus reducing the number of high-priced middlemen in-between and providing a living wage for the farmer.
Fair Trade started decades ago with individual companies called Alternative Trade Organizations (ATOs), who made a commitment to work directly with indigenous peoples and to market their products directly to consumers. Today, the grassroots movement is a worldwide phenomenon, and food cooperatives are dedicated supporters of Fair Trade organizations and farmers.
For more information on this topic, see “Small Farmer Co-operatives: Saving Coffee–and the Earth” and “Connecting Consumers to Their Food” in this issue of the Co-op News. You can also learn more by checking out our website and searching for “fair trade.” Finally, be sure to keep an eye on our website throughout October to learn more about free demos and samplings of Fair Trade products going on throughout the month in our stores.
Producers Fair
Planning a vacation sometime soon? Don’t be away during the Producers Fair! It’s free fun for the whole family and being held at the Lebanon Food Store on Saturday, August 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
How far did the food on your table travel before it finally reached you? When you buy locally from a Co-op area food producer, you not only get good, nutritious food from sources you can trust, you also help to support the environment, your community, and the local economy.
Join us for our the Producers Fair—our annual celebration of Upper Valley growers and food producers! Our Producer’s Fair features tons of free food samples, music, hayrides, games for the kids, and more! The Producer’s Fair will be held Saturday, August 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lebanon food store. We look forward to seeing you there.
Join Our Reading Group! Just Food, by James E. McWilliams
Do locavores have it wrong, and is there a more responsible way to eat? Join our reading group for some lively discussion in the Hanover Co-op Boardroom on four consecutive Thursdays, September 2, 9, 16, 23 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Click here for details.
Lunch Menu
If you’re a loyal member of our fun-loving lunch crowd, then check out our daily online menu so you can plan ahead. Bookmark this page and check it regularly!
Board Meetings
The Co-op’s Board of Directors holds meetings on the third Wednesday of every month, starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Board Room upstairs at the Hanover Food Store. Anyone who is interested in attending is asked to contact the Co-op, as the time and place of these meetings is subject to change. For further information, call Board Administrator Genie Braasch at (603) 640-6340 or send her an e-mail
CaseLot
Case discounts have a long and storied history at our Co-op. They provide the ground in which our cooperative first planted roots that would flourish in the decades to come. Each October, one of the ways we celebrate Co-op Month is to honor our founders’ courage and vision with our annual CaseLot sale, and we invite you to be a part of it.
In January 1936, 17 Hanover and Norwich residents formed the Hanover Consumer’s Club. Initially, members of the fledgling co-op pooled orders for cases of citrus, potatoes, and maple syrup and arranged for discounts of gasoline and fuel oil with local suppliers. A year later, Co-op members incorporated as the Hanover Consumer Cooperative Society and opened a small retail store in a basement on Hanover’s Main Street. Annual sales that year reached $11,404. Today, our yearly sales top $65 million, and we have just opened our fourth food store.
This year’s sale will be held at the Lebanon Co-op food store on October 7-9. Stay tuned to our calendar page for times and full details as it gets closer. We’ll be discounting the case prices on hundreds of items, including your favorite food, household, and pet products.
Get Class
Look for fall classes on Flowers for Kids, Vegetarian and Vegan Cooking, Indian Cuisine, Gluten-Free Cooking, and more! New classes are added regularly. Go to our class page for details and sign up for our class enews updates.
