Manager's Report

By Lindy Bannister, General Manager

Well, it's certainly been a busy year! The College of the Wedge has been good to me; I've enjoyed a year of natural and organic co-op education that's been second to none.

The Wedge is in the midst of several projects, and I encourage you to use this newsletter and our web site as your portal to further community participation and information.

We are enhancing our support of family-farm agriculture and healthy food systems by collaborating with the IATP (Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy). Check out www.sowtheseedsfund.org to learn how you can be part of this effort! Congratulations to IATP and its outgoing president Mark Ritchie on 20 years of efforts on behalf of sustainable worldwide agri-enterprise. We look forward to a continued relationship with IATP as Jim Harkness takes the reins.

Please support our mission with Gardens of Eagan to stop an oil pipeline from intersecting their beautiful, valuable farm. Imagine life without their tasty sweet corn, watermelon or broccoli! Martin and Atina Diffley run one of the area's foremost organic farms and they need your help. See our website or stop by the store to discover ways to contribute.

Shepherd's Way Farm is also on our minds. Arson fire destroyed their sheep barns 14 months ago, but Steve and Jody Read are working hard to replenish their herds and supply the community with their delicious hand-crafted cheeses. Thank you for your generous donations during the month of April (over $500)!

The Organic Standards debate continues and you can count on our dedicated staff to keep you up to date on all the happenings and opportunities to have your say. Our team is also keeping their expert eye trained on Fair Trade developments.

I would like to applaud the staff at Co-op Partners Warehouse for their dedication and hard work during our warehouse expansion project. Our excitement is building as we near completion! Our management staff is collaborating with several local vendors to help meet their distribution needs. This is part of our ongoing work to boost small local producers by providing an economical way to get their products to market.

Remember: WedgeShare applications are available soon, and Board of Director nominations are right around the corner. Don't miss out! Thanks for being part of a fascinating and informative year!