From the General Manager

By Lindy Bannister

Who better to celebrate local food than the co-ops? Co-ops have emphasized local products in their stores for decades!

The Eat Local, America! Challenge gives us a whole month to showcase our partners in food: the producers and manufacturers of the products we sell all year long. Over the past year we've tried to make it easy for you to see how many of your everyday purchases are local by itemizing your receipts and totaling the local purchases at the bottom. Elizabeth's article in this issue will give you the details.

Remember the controversy about Trader Joe's coming to Lyndale Avenue? Well, we don't have any news for you, but we've renewed connections in our neighborhood. We've joined with Hum's Liquor for a couple of interesting promotions and we tell their story in this issue. Don't forget to pick up your "Keep it Local on Lyndale" buttons at the customer service desk. We are one of the last "unchained neighborhoods" in the city.

In my job as the General Manager I get to meet many interesting people. A few months ago I got a phone call letting me know that two men were on their way to the store. If I had a few minutes, they'd love to tell me a story. Shortly thereafter I was mesmerized by an unlikely partnership. Mark Lipson, Senior Analyst for the Organic Farming Research Foundation, and Joshua Anderson, a former medic in our armed services, arrived to tell me about The Farmer-Veteran Coalition. Their story is in this issue. The Coalition, which now has a farm in Minnesota, brings producers together with veterans looking for careers in farming. Mark worked with Rick, a produce buyer at our Co-op Partners Warehouse, for years back when he farmed in California. Mark is now our connection to helping this organization get their product to market.

Our non-profit Organic Field School is officially in operation. This 501(c)3 is dedicated to transforming our food and farming systems by providing organic- and ecologically-based practical education and research to farmers. It will also teach the public about the benefits and values of this farming system. We put together an amazing Board of Directors that has its work cut out for it in the next few years. We hope to continue to partner with organizations in the Twin Cities and surrounding areas, connecting resources with people who are already working towards the same goals. Check out the Wedge website for a great Organic Field School article by Atina Difley, the board president.

Please remember to vote for your board of directors this fall. Candidates will be profiled in the October/November issue of At the Wedge. Voting for directors is an important part of your co-op membership.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and here is hoping for a long autumn full of good food and good friends.