I t was just before 3 p.m. on Friday, August 26th. Hurricane Irene was churning up the coast. The first sheets of rain came down on Union Street. And the Coop was so busy that shop- pers coming in had to wait for a cart. A Receiving Coordinator’s weary but amused voice came over the PA: “Attention new Coop shoppers....If you don’t see the line that’s because it’s so big, it just looks like a bunch of people standing around.... But you can still turn back.” Up in the office, staff were in wait-and- see mode. The Coop hadn’t yet decided to close for the storm. The phones lines were jammed with members calling for the latest informa- tion, or to say they couldn’t work. Or they could work. Or that the basement was going to flood. The first two shifts of Fri- day office workers failed to show, according to Charlene Swift, a Membership Coordi- nator. Someone was making repeated crank phone calls. At one point the phones weren’t working at all. The mayor had just announced that the subways would be closing down at noon on Saturday. In the receiving room, Theresa Gray, a Receiving Coordinator, moved Holly- wood carts of bananas onto the shopping floor. It was her day off. The check-out lines were the longest she’d seen in her nine years as a Coop staffer. On the heels of the minor earthquake that struck the region, she felt the media were fueling the public’s anxi- Next General Meeting—September 27 The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on the last Tuesday of each month.* The next General Meeting will be on Tuesday, September 27, at 7:00 p.m. at the Congregation Beth Elo- him Temple House (Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Place. The agenda is in this Gazette and available as a flier in the entryway of the Coop. For more information about the GM and about Coop governance, please see the center of this issue. * Exceptions for November and December will be posted. IN THIS ISSUE Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Canning Makes a Comeback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Coop Hours, Coffeehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Coop Calendar, Workslot Needs Governance Information, Mission Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Letters to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Classified Ads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 By Diane Aronson D o you know how much sugar you’re allowed in an unrestricted diet? As it turns out, there’s no hard-and-fast rule for daily sugar-intake amounts. Read any nutrition- al label, and you’ll see tidy breakdowns of fats, carbohy- drates, and vitamin and min- eral amounts, each expressed in amounts and in percent- ages of daily allowance. But while sugar may be listed as an ingredient, and the label information may include the amount, it doesn’t include a percentage expressing the amount as a portion of your daily sweet-tooth budget. Running the Numbers According to www.live- strong.com, federal depart- ments have actually backtracked from more strin- gent sugar-intake limits: “The U.S. Department of Agricul- ture, which, together with the The Coop’s Finest Hour? Despite Workforce Shortages and a Crush of Shoppers, Staff and Members Keep Coop Stocked and Running Before Hurricane Irene Hits By Willow Lawson CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 Volume FF, Number 18 September 8, 2011 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE PARK SLOPE FOOD COOP Established 1973 Coop member Miwa Yokoyama sees empty bread shelves in the rush to shop before Hurricane Irene. PHOTO BY PATRICK MACKLIN ILLUSTRATION BY DIANE MILLER CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Coop Event Highlights Tue, Sep 13 • Safe Food Committee Film Night: Two Angry Moms 7:00 p.m. Thu, Oct 6 • Food Class: Yummy Gluten-Free & Vegan Noodles 7:30 p.m. Fri, Oct 7 • Film Night: Battle for Brooklyn 7:00 p.m. Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue. Sugary Snacks: No Sweet Deal Are you ready for september 12? See back page for details 11-09-08.pp1-16.gazette_Layout 1 9/7/11 7:27 PM Page 1
Transcript
It was just before 3 p.m.on Friday, August 26th.Hurricane Irene was
churning up the coast. Thefirst sheets of rain came downon Union Street. And theCoop was so busy that shop-pers coming in had to wait fora cart.
A Receiving Coordinator’sweary but amused voicecame over the PA: “Attentionnew Coop shoppers....If youdon’t see the line that’sbecause it’s so big, it justlooks like a bunch of peoplestanding around.... But youcan still turn back.” Up in theoffice, staff were in wait-and-see mode. The Coop hadn’tyet decided to close for thestorm. The phones lineswere jammed with memberscalling for the latest informa-tion, or to say they couldn’twork. Or they could work. Orthat the basement was goingto flood.
The first two shifts of Fri-day office workers failed toshow, according to CharleneSwift, a Membership Coordi-nator. Someone was makingrepeated crank phone calls.At one point the phonesweren’t working at all. Themayor had just announced
that the subways would beclosing down at noon onSaturday.
In the receiving room,Theresa Gray, a ReceivingCoordinator, moved Holly-wood carts of bananas ontothe shopping floor. It was her
day off. The check-out lineswere the longest she’d seenin her nine years as a Coopstaffer. On the heels of theminor earthquake that struckthe region, she felt the mediawere fueling the public’s anxi-
Next General Meeting—September 27The General Meeting of the Park Slope Food Coop is held on thelast Tuesday of each month.* The next General Meeting will be onTuesday, September 27, at 7:00 p.m. at the Congregation Beth Elo-him Temple House (Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Place.
The agenda is in this Gazette and available as a flier in theentryway of the Coop. For more information about the GM andabout Coop governance, please see the center of this issue.
* Exceptions for November and December will be posted.
unrestricted diet? As it turnsout, there’s no hard-and-fastrule for daily sugar-intakeamounts. Read any nutrition-al label, and you’ll see tidybreakdowns of fats, carbohy-drates, and vitamin and min-eral amounts, each expressedin amounts and in percent-ages of daily allowance. Butwhile sugar may be listed asan ingredient, and the label
information may include theamount, it doesn’t include apercentage expressing theamount as a portion of yourdaily sweet-tooth budget.
Running the NumbersAccording to www.live-
strong.com, federal depart-ments have actuallybacktracked from more strin-gent sugar-intake limits: “TheU.S. Department of Agricul-ture, which, together with the
The Coop’s Finest Hour?Despite Workforce Shortages and a Crush of Shoppers,Staff and Members Keep Coop Stocked and RunningBefore Hurricane Irene Hits By Willow Lawson
C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 3
Volume FF, Number 18 September 8, 2011
O F F I C I A L N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E P A R K S L O P E F O O D C O O P
Established1973
Coop member Miwa Yokoyama sees empty bread shelves inthe rush to shop before Hurricane Irene.
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C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 2
CoopEventHighlights
Tue, Sep 13 • Safe Food Committee Film Night:
Two Angry Moms 7:00 p.m.
Thu, Oct 6 • Food Class:
Yummy Gluten-Free & Vegan Noodles 7:30 p.m.
Fri, Oct 7 • Film Night:
Battle for Brooklyn 7:00 p.m.
Look for additional information about these and other events in this issue.
Sugary Snacks: No Sweet Deal
Are you ready for september 12?See back page for details
ety unnecessarily. “Fear hasits place,” she said, “but thisis too much.”
Down in the basementthings were strangely quiet,given the crush of shoppersupstairs. Anngel Delaneyloaded yogurt onto a u-boatin the dairy cooler. “Summeris usually really quiet, so thisis like a wake-up slap to theface,” Delaney said. “It’s likeThanksgiving in August.”
Inventory at the Coop wasrelatively low compared tomost weeks, because thehurricane was arriving dur-ing what was historically theslowest sales week of theyear. “ I ’m worried we aregoing to run out of product,”she said. “Closing the sub-way has really ramped upthe panic.”
The Coop was nearly outof canned beans. Soup wasgoing fast. There were nolimes, but plenty of lemons.Fresh bread and bakedgoods were wiped out, butsliced bread was stil l instock. Overall, the shelveslooked good from a shop-per’s perspective, even if thelines were monstrous.
Staffers had other worries.The basement had floodedbadly in the past, but newejector pumps would be putto the test. The pumps hadperformed well in recentheavy rains, but the outlookfor Irene was ominous, withsix to 12 inches of rain in theforecast.
If the drainage backed up,water could pour into theelevator shaft. The roof wasalso known to leak onto theshopping floor. The madnesscontinued until 10:55 p.m.on Friday, when the lastshopper was checked out.The Coop sold about$186,000 worth of goods,topping previous records.
“I give a lot of credit tothe 8:30 p.m. Friday squad,”Ann Herpel, a General Coor-dinator, said after the storm.“Friday and Saturday werejust nutty. Coop memberswent crazy. That line waslong. The squads were
short. Everyone workedreally hard.” Sales wouldlikely have reached similarheights on Saturday if thestore had stayed open, butthe call was made in theafternoon to close at 5 p.m.and stay closed on Sunday.
When the store closed onSaturday, staffers imple-mented “black-out” proce-dures in case the electricityfailed. The refrigerators andfreezers on the shoppingfloors were emptied and thegoods stored in the base-ment, where temperaturesare more stable if coolers arekept closed. Then bucketswere put out on the shop-ping floor beneath past prob-lem spots, and the elevatorwas sandbagged. Staffersand members worked until 9p.m. as the storm rolled intothe city.
“We have developed pro-cedures over time as we haveexperienced blackouts andfloods in our basement,” saidHerpel. “We pay more atten-tion to developing systemsfor the staff to follow. There’sa long document so that any-one who finds themselves inthat position can do it.”
When the storm cleared,the Coop was unscathed. AsSunday wore on, somemembers wondered why theCoop didn’t go ahead andopen after all. But the logis-tical hurdles don’t allow forsuch quick changes of plan.
“We kind of had to followwhat the city was doing andfollow their cues,” said Her-pel on the Monday after thestorm. The city governmenturged people to stay homeon Sunday.
“A partial opening isimpossible for us to com-municate,” she said. “Wedidn’t have that many work-ers in the office. We didn’thave enough workers to
make those phone calls.Even though Twitter and thewebsite were updated, mostmembers are not using thetechnology that is availableto us. They just called andcalled. It was ringing off thehook.”
Still, one member sur-veyed the furious activity onSaturday and proclaimed itto be the Coop’s “finest hour.”Many neighborhood busi-nesses never opened at all onthe Saturday before thestorm, while the Coop was
one of the last to close.“I heard from neighbors
and people on the streetthat people were coopera-tive, or at least not reallyuptight,” said Herpel. “Itwasn’t anxious or grim.”Members came in forimpromptu shifts to readythe store for the storm,including a man who camein from Long Island to help.
Said Herpel: “This is whatthe Coop does well. It’s whatthe Coop’s about. It’s the storyof the Coop at its best.” ■
2 � September 8, 2011 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY
Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
Empty shelves in the Coop’s basement, after the rush ofpre–Hurricane Irene shopping.
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The Diversity and Equality Committee Seeks New Members
Are you interested in Issues of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion?
The Diversity and Equality Committee is dedicated toimproving human relations and communication in
all policies and procedures in the Coop. Our goal is towork toward preventing and eliminating discriminationin the Coop. If you are interested in issues of diversity,
equality and inclusion, you can help us to achieve ours goals by becoming a member of the DEC.
We are currently seeking new members, with experience in conflict resolution and mediation,interviewing, and leading and organizing workshops,ideally around diversity. General computer skills and
editing and writing skills are also helpful.
Requirements:• Must be a member for at least one year
• Have good attendance record• Attend monthly committee meetings on
Thursdays from 6:30-8:00 p.m.• Participate in subcommittee work as needed
We seek members who are reflective of thediversity of the Coop membership.
If interested, please send an email with your name,PSFC member number, and details of your relevant experience to [email protected].
Please put “Diversity and Equality” in the subject line.
Finest Hour?C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1
THANK YOU!
Thank you to the following members for referring friends who joined the Coop in the last two weeks.
U.S. Department of Healthand Human Services, periodi-cally issues dietary guide-lines for Americans, hasretreated from its earlier rec-ommendation that addedsugar intake should berestricted to 10 teaspoonsper day for 2,000 calorie-per-day diets.”
Indeed, according to Live-strong, in 2010 the restric-tions were watered down toan admonishment not toconsume “foods and bever-ages with added sugars, andopt instead for foods with lit-tle or no added sugar.”
While the USDA hasbacked off from specific,spelled-out maximums foradded-sugar intake, theAmerican Heart Associationsticks to specific numbers.
According to the organiza-tion’s web site, womenshould consume “no morethan 100 calories per day, orabout 6 teaspoons, of sugar,”and for men, “150 calories perday, or about 9 teaspoons.”
Whether you go with theUSDA’s softer stipulations orthe Heart Association’s morerigorous limits, when itcomes to sugar, less is best.Too much sugar can increaseyour risk of developing type 2diabetes and heart disease,the latter by sugar contribut-ing to an elevated triglyceridelevel in your blood.
A first step toward cuttingdown the amount of sugaryou eat is becoming an avidnutrition-label scholar—bevigilant for hidden sugar infoods, sugar in amounts thatwould surprise you in foodsyou wouldn’t suspect. Tohelp convert grams listed onlabels, think of four grams ofwhite sugar equaling oneteaspoon.
While it’s straightforward
to monitor ingredients as youput together a meal, whatabout sugar in those snacksthat get you through the latemorning, or that seeminglyendless stretch betweenlunch and dinner time?
Fruit Juice: Mind the Sugar
It’s mid-morning and youare in desperate need of aboost. Rather than caffeine,you instead opt for a glass ofjuice. You’re careful to pickbrands that contain onlyjuice, and perhaps you stickto only organic choices. Butconsumer, beware. Sugar issugar, no matter how organ-ic the juice may be. If youpoured an eight-ounce glassof Adam & Eve NaturallyCranberry, you would add 30grams of sugar to your dailyintake—more than seventeaspoons of sugar! R.W.
Knudsen Simply NutritiousVita Juice may be a blend offive fruit juices, but eightounces stil l serves up 27grams of sugar. The ten-ounce suggested serving ofTropicana ruby red grape-fruit juice yields a whooping37 grams of sugar. Muchlower in sugar is LakewoodCranberry Lemonade—aneight-ounce glass contains16 grams of sugar.
If you still crave fruitjuices, then try halving thejuice and adding plain or fla-vored seltzer. This will cut thesugar in half, while allowingyou to enjoy a little juice.
Another alternative isbrewing up your own reviv-ing drink. Herbal teas, suchas peppermint, chamomile,or rooibos—allowed tosteep strong, for 10 or 15minutes—drunk hot or cold,offer a refreshing alternativeto sugary juices. In cluding alittle lemon juice will alsocontribute some vitamin C.If you’d like to add a little
fizz to a cooled tea, you canadd seltzer or sparkling min-eral water, and you have arefreshing pick-me-up, withno sugar.
Yogurt: A Great Source of…Sugar
Three o’clock rollsaround, and you are drag-ging. Rather than a candybar, you opt for a containerof yogurt, happy you’ve cho-sen a snack that, dependingon the variety, can deliver arespectable portion of pro-tein and calcium. But alongwith the dietary good comesthe bad. If you chose Stony-field raspberry low-fatyogurt, you’d get 22 grams ofsugar, some of it from organ-ic sugar and some of it fromlactose—milk sugar, whichwill be present in any dairyproduct. Chobani Greeknonfat blueberry yogurt hasslightly less sugar: 20 grams,some of it from evaporatedcane juice. Opting for a soy-based yogurt doesn’t cut thesugar count. Whole Soy andCo. mixed berry yogurt maybe made with organic soy-beans, but it also containsevaporated cane juice and22 grams of sugar.
How can you enjoy yogurt,but cut out some of thesugar? Try plain yogurt—asix-ounce container of plainnonfat Chobani Greek yogurthas only seven grams ofsugar. If you crave somesweetness, adding a half-tea-spoon of honey would beabout 3.5 grams of sugar, or atotal of 10.5 grams for yoursnack. Mixing in a teaspoonof real vanilla extract intoplain yogurt adds only onegram of sugar (much lowerthan Stonyfield’s Frenchvanilla no-fat, which weighsin at 17 grams of sugar persix-ounce portion!).
Fresh fruit is a goodoption, too. A quarter cup offresh blueberries would addabout four grams of sugar.Make sure to gently crush theberries before you mix theminto the yogurt—this willhelp the berries and theirjuice blend in properly. Aquarter cup of raspberries iseven lower in sugar—about1.3 grams—with about eightpercent of your recom -mended fiber and 13 percentof vitamin C.
All Cookies Are NotCreated Equal
Are there any lower-sugaroptions to satisfy a cookiecraving? You might thinkreaching for a fig bar would bea good choice. But you maywant to consider putting thepackage back on the shelf.
Barbara’s fig barshave 16 grams ofsugar per eachtwo-bar serving,which is morethan Newman’sOwn OrganicOriginal Choco-late Chip, with11 grams ofsugar per eachf o u r - c o o k i eserving (ofcourse, thechocolate chipcookies con-tain 12 per-cent of dailyfat allowance,and Barbara’sfig bars none). Ifyou think Mi-Del ginger cook-ies would be low in sugar, youmight want to reconsider; thesuggested five-cookie servingserves up 12 grams of sugar.
A tasty low-sugar option isNairns mixed berry, ginger, orchocolate oat cookies. Thesuggested serving for each,two biscuits, contains onlyfour grams of sugar, and isquite low in fat, too, withthree grams in two biscuits.
Snacks That Offer MoreCrunch and Less Sugar
If you desire a munchysnack, there are always non-cookie options. A great go-to,low-sugar snack is popcorn,and air popping keeps the fatdown to zero. Top the pop-corn with a little cider vinegarand some black pepper orother seasoning of choice(paprika adds some spice),and you’ve got a tasty alter-native, with no additionalsugar added. A small handfulof walnuts or almonds alsooffers a satisfying, virtuallysugar-free snack—but por-tion control is key, to keep the
fat amount down. An ounceof walnuts yields 10 grams offat, an ounce of almonds,about nine grams.
Two-thirds of a cup ofno-sugar-added AlpenMuesli is tasty and filling,with only eight grams ofsugar and three grams offat ; as a bonus, Mueslidelivers 14 percent of yourdaily recommended pro-tein, and 16 percent offiber. I eat it right out of thebox, plain, but mixing in atablespoon or two of vanil-la-extract-flavored yogurtor skim milk makes it moreof a treat, without adding alot of milk sugar.
Cutting down on sugar insnacks does require creativi-ty, but it also makes you thinkliterally out of the box aboutsnack foods. Once you startto read labels and thinkabout alternatives to chock-full-of-sugar choices, though,you’ll find yourself thinkingabout snacks in a whole new,and more healthful, way. ■
Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY September 8, 2011 � 3
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Puzzle author: Stuart Marquis. For answers, see page .
All the clues listed below consist entirely of consonants. Each cluecan be reconstituted into at least three different common words byadding appropriate vowels.
For example, the clue dbl can be turned into “double,” “edible” or“audible.”
The number of missing vowels may vary from word to word. Someclues can be expanded to more than three words.
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Sugary SnacksC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1
Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
Election of new Coop Secretary at the September 27th General Meeting.Election of a new member of the Board of Directors at the October 25th General Meeting.
Each term expires at the June 2012 Annual Meeting.
If you are interested in one or both of these, please attend the meeting and announce your candidacy.
If you have questions about these positions, please speak to a General Coordinator at 718-622-0560.
Board & Officer Elections
WELCOME!
A warm welcome to these new Coop members who have joined us in the last few weeks. We’re glad you’ve
Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY September 8, 2011 � 5
Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
By Liz Welch
The end of summer marksthe end of many things:
including blueberries, peach-es, plums, tomatoes and nec-tarines, to name just a few oflate August and early Sep-tember’s bounty. But don’tdespair: there is a way to pre-serve these delicious bites asmore than tasty memories.While it may seem to be oldfashioned, canning is makinga comeback. And what betterway to make use of all theproduce section has to offerthis very minute than to vacu-um seal it now and enjoy allthat vitamin-packed good-
ness throughout dreary win-ter months? Think tomatosoup that tastes like Augustin the middle of February. Ora sweet tart cherry compoteto jazz up vanilla ice cream orcrepes in January.
Now these reveries canbecome reality, thanks to 33-year-old Kelly Geary, theowner of Sweet Deliverance,a home delivery food servicecompany based in Bed-Stuyand the co-author of Tart andSweet: 101 Canning and PicklingRecipes for the Modern Kitchen.Geary’s canning obsessionbegan as a result of too manystrawberries. As part of a CSAin Williamsburg, where shelives, Geary was getting moreberries than she and herboyfriend could eat. Herneighbors, who were part ofthe same CSA service, were inthe same dilemma: “We’deach have quarts of strawber-ries that were not going tomake it until tomorrow,”Geary says. “So I started withstrawberry jam.” It did not gowell. “We went to the dollarstore and bought three cheappots, and proceeded to burnthem all.” Undeterred, Gearystarted reading up on can-
ning and taking classes. Andin the meantime, she startedher food delivery service,which utilizes CSA food andGeary’s love for seasonalcooking. A graduate of Man-hattan’s renowned NaturalGourmet Institute for Healthand Culinary Arts, Geary hasalso cooked at Dan Barber’sfamed Westchester-basedBlue Hill at Stone Barns, aswell as Little Giant in Man-hattan’s East Village, bothshrines for slow food. Butcreating menus out of CSAboxes for home deliveryplaced Geary in a similardilemma: instead of too
many strawberries, she nowhad overages of turnips andokra. And garlic ramps. Thehappy solution? “I wound upplaying around with pick-ling,” she explains, “and atthe end of each season, Iwould give my clients jars ofleftover produce.” These gifts,which Geary maintains weresimply part of the homedelivery deal, were a hit witheveryone, and further fueledher interest in canning.
Enter Jessie Knadler, afreelance journalist who wasequally passionate aboutpreserves: the two wrote a 70-page proposal, for whichGeary created ten recipes,teamed up with an agent—and a bidding war lead to abook deal with Rodale. Theirbook, Tart and Sweet, is thebeautiful and informativeresult. The first sectionunpacks canning dilemmasfor the modern cook: “thinkpints, not pecks” is one pieceof advice, and “make stuff youactually want to eat” another.It also takes the reader step-by-step through “water bathcanning,” a relatively simpleprocess to preserve all sortsof produce.
Tools for CanningTo begin, you will need the
following tools:• A large pot that holds at
least 8 quarts.• A small pot to pre-heat
lids• A rack to allow water to
circulate beneath the jars.Canners are equipped withracks, but a dishtowel placedat the bottom of the pot willsuffice, or a round aluminumor stainless steel cake rack.
• Canning jars: Availableat the Coop, the USDA rec-ommends jars specificallymade for canning such asBall, Kerr or Mason. (Not re-used pickle or mayonnaisejars, Geary insists.) Theyrange in size from 4-ouncesto one quart, though Gearysays the 8-, 16- and 24-ouncejars are the most useful. Newjars come with appropriatelids, which is imperative forperfect seals.
• A magnetic wand: thisitem is key, Geary says, as itmakes fishing lids from boil-ing water hazard free.
• Rubber-coated tongs tolower and lift jars from thepot or canner.
• A ladle to pour food intojars.
• Funnels to prevent splat-ter when pouring into jars.
• Clean dishtowels for wip-ing down rims of unsealedjars.
While it may seem to be oldfashioned, canning is mak-ing a comeback. And what
better way to make use of allthe produce section has to
offer this very minute thanto vacuum seal it?
A bad seal often means aninedible product—but notnecessarily a lethal one.“People think they’re going togive botulism to their grand-ma,” Geary says. “There areroughly 20 cases a year, butthey rarely have to do withcanning!” The hysteria stemsfrom a case in the early sev-enties where a woman atepotato leek soup from ametal can, got botulism andtragically died. As a result,the USDA changed all itsrules for canning and issueda health campaign. “I remem-ber being in home economicsclass in the eighties, andbeing terrified,” Geary recalls.“There were even posters thatwarned, ‘Don’t eat anythingout of dented cans. Or onesthat explode.’” Geary says
that this concern comes up atevery canning class she teach-es at Brooklyn Kitchen. (seewww.sweetdeliverancenyc.com for more information) “Ialways start out my classes bysaying if something funky isgoing on in the jar, you’regoing to see it!” Geary says. Infact, one section of her bookdeals directlywith that: it’scalled, “How toTell if yourCanned Food is Destined forthe Dumpster,”and includes abulging lid, ris-ing air bubbles, acotton-like moldon top of thefood or beneaththe lid, or a badsmell or spurtingliquid, uponopening. If indoubt, throw itout is anothergood mantra forcanners.
But a betterway to avoidthese catastro-phes is to followGeary’s steps forsafe processing,excerpted below from herbook.
Processing, Step by Step• Assemble your CAN-
NING TOOLS (see above)and place your jars on top ofthe rack in the large pot. (i.e.,make sure the jars do nottouch the bottom of the pot).Fill pot with enough water sothat the jars, once sealed, arecovered by at least two inch-es. Bring the water to a boil—this sterilizes the jars, as wellas prepares water for pro-cessing. Remove the jars, andturn down flame to keep towater at a simmer.
• Meanwhile, heat a sepa-rate, smaller pot to sterilizethe lids. Do not allow waterto boil—this will interferewith the seal. As soon as
water begins to simmer, yourlids are ready.
For the novice canners,Geary suggests starting withsomething simple, likeapplesauce, tomatoes or fruitbutter. “You can stop it at thethickness you want it to be,and not deal with the confu-sion of adding pectin, and
when to take it out,” sheexplains. “Pickles are easy aswell.”
Below she shares a recipefor CANNED TOMATOES, amost useful recipe for rightnow.
STEP ONE• Remove Skins (If you
prefer to leave skins on, go toSTEP TWO).
• Fill a bowl with coldwater, then start a large pot ofwater boiling on the stove.Make an X at the base of eachtomato, then plunge into theboiling water for 10 to 15 sec-onds to loosen the skin (usetongs!). Then place in coldwater to cool. Once all thetomatoes have been plungedand cooled, peel skin.
Canning Makes a Comeback
Preserve the summer harvest to enjoy throughout the winter.
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Essential tools for successful canning.
C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 6
Kelly Geary co-authored Tart and Sweet:101 Canning and Pickling Recipes for theModern Kitchen.
Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
6 � September 8, 2011 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY
Understanding Your ToddlerToddlers can be delightful, confusing, frustrating and exhausting—all in the span offive minutes! Understanding the toddler’s developmental changes can help parents nav-igate the often demanding toddler years with increased patience and skill. This work-shop will explore the reasons for toddlers’ behavior. We’ll discuss balancing the needsof the child and the parents, and ideas for handling common challenging behaviors,such as tantrums and defiance. Pre-registration requested: to register, [email protected]. Coop member Becky Plattus and Sharon Connor aresocial workers and early-childhood and parent educators.
What Are Nutrient-Dense FoodsYou trust that everything you and your family eat is nourishing, but in truth, most ofit only adds unnecessary energy and not enough of the nutrients that make healthsoar. Come and learn about the nutrient-dense foods that we, just like our ances-tors, need for flourishing health. You won't look at your grocery shopping cart thesame way again. Andrea Ramirez is a health coach for women with chronic diges-tive, auto-immune and hormonal issues.
Fibroids, Cysts and PMSParticipants will learn five effective, natural ways to eliminate fibroids, cysts andPMS. Learn the underlying causes of hormonal imbalance, how to resolve themand how to boost energy and clarity through beneficial diet, appropriate exerciseand the use of natural supplements. Advanced registration suggested: call 646-483-4571. Coop member Rebecca Curtis is a licensed and registered health andfertility coach, through the New York State Department of Education and theAmerican Association of Drugless Practitioners, specializing in women’s issuesand hormonal balance.
Safe Food Committee Film Night:Two Angry MomsOver the course of a school year, we see a coalition drivedramatic changes in one Westchester, NY, school district,showing not only what is wrong with school food; butoffering strategies for overcoming roadblocks and gettinghealthy, good-tasting, real food into school cafeterias. The
movie explores the roles the federal government, corporate interests, schooladministration and parents play in feeding our country’s school kids.Refreshments will be served.
Mamie Minch and Noe VenablePark Slope local singer and guitarist Mamie Minch soundssomething like a well-fleshed-out 78rpm record. She’s knownaround town for her Piedmont-style fingerpicking chops, herbig deep voice and her self-penned antique-sounding songs.
She’s played music all over the world and Brooklyn, with all kinds of excellent people,including Dayna Kurtz, the Roulette Sisters, Jimbo Mathis and CW Stoneking. Singer-songwriter Noe Venable is a composer of mystically tinged experimental folk songs,
incorporating spine-tingling vocal harmonies and soaring strings.Ani DiFranco has called her music “ravishingly melodic!”Puremusic.com dubs her “a full-blown young musical visionary.”Having honed her songwriting and musicianship within the con-text of San Francisco’s rich experimental and jazz music scene,Venable has gone on to wider recognition through the release offive albums, as well as national tours opening for artists fromAni DiFranco to They Might be Giants.Concert takes place at the Brooklyn Society for EthicalCulture, 53 Prospect Park West (at 2nd St.), $10, doorsopen at 7:45. The Very Good Coffeehouse is a monthly musi-cal fundraising partnership of the Coop and the BrooklynSociety for Ethical Culture. To book a Coffeehouse event, contact Bev Grant, 718-788-3741.
Why You’re Not Losing WeightWhat many people don't seem to realize is that you can lose weight and still beunhealthy—which means lost weight is often gained back. This workshop isdesigned to give you the tools you need to kick-start your metabolism and get yourbody in a state of calorie-burning health and balance. Find out how to become theshape you are meant to be! Coop member Coleen DeVol is a health counselor andwhole foods nutrition educator.
Qi Gung to PreventThe Common Cold
Do you get sniffles, cough or sinus problems every fall and winter? Join in for anevening of Qi Gung exercises and breathing techniques to strengthen your lungs’ resis-tance to illness. Learn how to treat yourself if you get sick. Workshop is limited to 18participants. Please reserve by calling 347-461-2028. Presented by licensed acupunc-turist and long-time Coop member Ann E. Reibel-Coyne, who has studied Tai Chi Chuanand Qi Gung with Master Hua Chi Wang and Master Jeffrey Yuen.
PSFC SEPT General MeetingItems will be taken up in the order given. Times in parenthesesare suggestions. More information on each item may be avail-able on the entrance table at the meeting. We ask members toplease read the materials available between 7 and 7:15 p.m.
Meeting location: Congregation Beth Elohim Social Hall (Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Place at Eighth Avenue.
Item #1: Restatement and Amendment of the Park Slope Food Coop, Inc. Pension Planand Trust in order to comply with the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act of 2011 andthe 2006 Cumulative List of IRS Notice 2007-3 (10 Minutes)Proposal: To restate and amend the Park Slope Food Coop, Inc. Pension Plan and Trustin order to comply with the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Act of 2001 and the 2006Cumulative List of IRS Notice 2007-3 we approve the following motions:With respect to the amendment and restatement of the Park Slope Food Coop, Inc.Pension Plan and Trust (“the Plan”), the following resolutions are hereby adopted:RESOLVED: That the Plan be amended and restated in the form attached hereto, whichPlan is hereby adopted and approved;RESOLVED FURTHER: That the appropriate Officers of the Company be, and they here-by are, authorized and directed to execute the Plan on behalf of the Company;RESOLVED FURTHER: That George Haywood and Joseph Holtz are hereby retained asthe Trustees of the Plan; andRESOLVED FURTHER: That the Officers of the Company be, and they hereby are,authorized and directed to take any and all actions and execute and deliver such docu-ments as they may deem necessary, appropriate or convenient to effect the foregoingresolutions including, without limitation, causing to be prepared and filed such reportsdocuments or other information as may be required under applicable law.Dated this _____________ day of ______________, 2011._____________________________Officer —submitted by the General Coordinators
sep 10sat 12 pm
sep 10sat 3 pm
sep 11sun 12 pm
sep 13tue 7 pm
sep 16fri 8 pm
sep 17sat 3 pm
sep 27tue 7 pm
sep 27tue 7 pm
For more information on these and other events, visit the Coop’s website: foodcoop.comAll events take place at the Park Slope Food Coop unless otherwise noted. Nonmembers are welcome to attend workshops.
Views expressed by the presenter do not necessarily represent the Park Slope Food Coop.
Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY September 8, 2011 � 7
Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
Item #2: Correction of unclear wording of our Bylaws in regard to elections (20 minutes)Proposal: “To amend the first paragraph of Article VII of the Coop bylaws so that thefirst paragraph reads as follows:‘Election of officers shall be held at the June meeting of the directors from among thosecandidates nominated from the floor at such meeting. In the case of an officer positionbecoming vacant, there shall be an election held at the next directors’ meeting to fill thevacancy for the unexpired portion of the term.” —submitted by the General Coordinators
Item #3: Election of Coop Secretary for Interim Term (20 minutes)Proposal: Due to the resignation of the Coop Secretary, effective Aug 30, 2011, the electionof a new Secretary will be held. Nominations will be accepted from the floor. The term willbe until the next Annual Meeting in June 2012. —submitted by General Coordinators
Item #4: Annual Hearing Officers Committee Election (20 minutes)Election: One current committee members will stand for re-election. Hearing Officerswork on an FTOP basis when needed and serve three year terms.
—submitted by the Hearing Officer Committee
For information on how to place an item on the Agenda, please see the center pages ofthe Linewaiters’ Gazette. The Agenda Committee minutes and the status of pendingagenda items are available in the Coop office.
Improve Your Health With Taoist Tai ChiTM
Learn the first few moves of the 108-move Tai Chi set, which can bring a wide range ofhealth benefits to the muscular, skeletal and circulatory systems, with a soothing effect onthe mind. Coop member Aaron Kirtz invites you to a demonstration as a member of theInternational Taoist Tai Chi Society™, which has just started classes in Brooklyn. Pleasewear loose and comfortable clothing and comfortable shoes. Aaron Kirtz has been practic-ing Taoist Tai Chi™ for 13 years and is a Continuing Instructor in Training.
Why You’re Not Losing WeightWhat many people don't seem to realize is that you can lose weight and still beunhealthy—which means lost weight is often gained back. This workshop is designed togive you the tools you need to kick-start your metabolism and get your body in a state ofcalorie-burning health and balance. Find out how to become the shape you are meant tobe! Coop member Coleen DeVol is a health counselor and whole foods nutrition educator.This event is rescheduled from an earlier postponed event.
Agenda Committee MeetingThe Committee reviews pending agenda items and creates theagenda for this month’s General Meeting. Drop by and talk withcommittee members face-to-face between 8 and 8:15 p.m.Before submitting an item, read “How to Develop an Agenda
Item for the General Meeting” and fill out the General Meeting Agenda Item SubmissionForm, both available from the Membership Office or at foodcoop.com. The next GeneralMeeting will be held on Tuesday, October 25, 7 p.m., at Congregation Beth Elohim SocialHall (Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Place at Eighth Avenue.
Food Class: Yummy Gluten-FreeAnd Vegan Noodles
Do you think all noodles are made with wheat flour? Hideyo Yamada has a gluten allergy andis a noodle lover. “Mung-Bean Noodles Malaysian-Style” is Malaysian street food: a curry-fla-vored fried noodle with vegetables. “Rice Noodle Ramen-Style” is noodles in soup with beansprouts and other vegetables. She will show you how to make a special vegan soup stock.She will use naturally sweet kabocha pumpkin for the “Pumpkin-Custard Rice-PaperPudding.” This holistic chef—a Coop member since 2007—is a cooking instructor andhealth coach. She graduated from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She specializes invarious vegan recipes and sushi and gluten-free, vegan and refined sugar-free pastry. Menuincludes mung-bean noodles Malaysian-style (curry-flavored fried noodles with vegetables);rice noodles ramen-style; pumpkin-custard rice-paper pudding. Materials fee: $4.
Film Night: Battle for BrooklynBattle for Brooklyn is an intimate look at the very public andpassionate fight waged by residents and business owners ofBrooklyn’s historic Prospect Heights neighborhood facing con-demnation of their property to make way for the polarizingAtlantic Yards project, a massive plan to build 16 skyscrapersand a basketball arena for the New Jersey Nets. The film
focuses on graphic designer Daniel Goldstein whose apartment sits at what would becenter court of the new arena. A reluctant activist, Daniel is dragged into the fightbecause he can’t accept that the government should use the power of Eminent Domainto take his new apartment and hand it off to a private developer, Forest City Ratner. Theeffort to stop the project pits him and his neighbors against Ratner and an entourage oflawyers and public relations emissaries, the government and other residents who wantthe construction jobs, the basketball team and the additional housing that the projectmight produce. Daniel and a host of Brooklynites form the group “Develop Don’tDestroy Brooklyn” to pursue alternate plans to Ratner’s proposal and to expose miscon-ceptions about the project. One by one, residents living in the footprint begin to selltheir homes to the developer or move away, leaving Daniel as the last man standing inthe footprint of the proposed sports arena. Director Suki Hawley will be in attendanceafter the screening, for a Q&A. Battle for Brooklyn 2011, 93 min., U.S. Directed byMichael Galinsky and Suki Hawley. To book a Film Night, contact Faye Lederman, [email protected].
Healthy ThyroidLearn how to heal your own thyroid and free yourself of weight gains, depression,indigestion, hair loss and possibly medication. Some topics of the talk: food thatsabotages and food that heals the thyroid; how water impacts the thyroid; vita-mins and minerals that matter; emotions, stress and the thyroid; how to pick agood endocrinologist and what to ask him/her; how to interpret thyroid blood testresults. Coop member Magdalena cured herself from years of Hashimoto’sDisease, which is an auto-immune disease causing hypothyroid. She was told itwas incurable. Today she teaches how to self-heal with food, supplements, waterand stress management.
Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
8 � September 8, 2011 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY
COOP HOURS
Office Hours:Monday through Thursday
8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.Friday & Saturday
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Shopping Hours:
Monday–Friday8:00 a.m. to 10:00* p.m.
Saturday6:00 a.m. to 10:00* p.m.
Sunday6:00 a.m. to 7:30* p.m.
*Shoppers must be on a checkout line 15 minutes after closing time.
Childcare Hours:Monday through Sunday
8:00 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.Telephone:
718-622-0560Web address:
www.foodcoop.com
This Issue Prepared By:Coordinating Editors: Stephanie Golden
Erik Lewis
Editors (development): Anne Kostick
Petra Lewis
Reporters: Diane Aronson
Willow Lawson
Liz Welch
Art Director (development): Patrick Mackin
Illustrator: Diane Miller
Photographers: Travis Hartman
Patrick Mackin
Traffic Manager: Barbara Knight
Thumbnails: Kristen Lilley
Preproduction: Sura Wagman
Photoshop: Steve Farnsworth
Art Director (production): Lauren Dong
Desktop Publishing: David Mandl
Dana Rouse
Joe Banish
Editor (production): Lynn Goodman
Puzzle Master: Stuart Marquis
Index: Len Neufeld
FridaySep 168:00 p.m.
A monthly musical fundraising partnership of
the Park Slope Food Coop and
the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture
53 Prospect Park West [at 2nd Street] • $10 • 8:00 p.m. [doors open at 7:45]Performers are Park Slope Food Coop members and receive Coop workslot credit.
Booking: Bev Grant, 718-788-3741
Park Slope local singer and guitarist Mamie Minchsounds something like a well-fleshed-out 78rpm record. She’s known around town for her Piedmont-style fingerpicking chops, her big deep voice and her self-penned antique-sounding songs. She’s played music all over the world and Brooklyn, with all kinds of excellent people, including Dayna Kurtz, the Roulette Sisters, Jimbo Mathis and CW Stoneking.
Singer-songwriter Noe Venable is a composer of mystically tinged experimental folk songs, incorporating
spine-tingling vocal harmonies and soaring strings. Ani DiFranco has called her music “ravishingly melodic!”
Puremusic.com dubs her “a full-blown young musical visionary.” Having honed her songwriting and musicianship
within the context of San Francisco’s rich experimental and jazz music scene, Venable hasgone on to wider recognition through the release of five albums, as well as national
tours opening for artists from Ani DiFranco to They Might be Giants.
The Linewaiters’ Gazette is published biweekly by the Park SlopeFood Coop, Inc., 782 Union Street, Brooklyn, New York 11215.
Opinions expressed here may be solely the views of the writer. TheGazette will not knowingly publish articles that are racist, sexist, or oth-erwise discriminatory.
The Gazette welcomes Coop-related articles, and letters from members.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINESAll submissions must include author’s name and phone number andconform to the following guidelines. Editors will reject letters andarticles that are illegible or too long. Submission deadlines appearin the Coop Calendar opposite.
Letters: Maximum 500 words. All letters will be printed if theyconform to the guidelines above. The Anonymity and Fairnesspolicies appear on the letters page in most issues.
Voluntary Articles: Maximum 750 words. Editors will reject articlesthat are essentially just advertisements for member businesses andservices.
Committee Reports: Maximum 1,000 words.
Editor-Writer Guidelines: Except for letters to the editor, whichare published without editing but are subject to the Gazette letterspolicy regarding length, anonymity, respect, and fairness, allsubmissions to the Linewaiters' Gazette will be reviewed and ifnecessary edited by the editor. In their review, editors are guidedby the Gazette's Fairness and Anonymity policies as well as stan-dard editorial practices of grammatical review, separation of factfrom opinion, attribution of factual statements, and rudimentaryfact checking. Writers are responsible for the factual content oftheir stories. Editors must make a reasonable effort to contactand communicate with writers regarding any proposed editorialchanges. Writers must make a reasonable effort to respond toand be available to editors to confer about their articles. If thereis no response after a reasonable effort to contact the writer, aneditor, at her or his discretion, may make editorial changes to asubmission without conferring with the writer.
Submissions on Paper: Typed or very legibly handwritten andplaced in the wallpocket labeled "Editor" on the second floor at thebase of the ramp.
Digital Submissions: We welcome digital submissions. Dropdisks in the wallpocket described above. The email address forsubmissions is [email protected]. Receipt of yoursubmissions will be acknowledged on the deadline day.
Classified & Display Ads: Ads may only be placed by and on behalfof Coop members. Classified ads are prepaid at $15 per insertion,business card ads at $30. (Ads in the “Merchandise–Non-commercial”category are free.) All ads must be written on a submission form(available in a wallpocket on the first floor near the elevator). Classi-fied ads may be up to 315 characters and spaces. Display ads mustbe camera-ready and business card size (2"x3.5").
Printed by: Tri-Star Offset, Maspeth, NY.
P L A S T I C S
RECY
LING
Monthly on the...Second Saturday
September 1010:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Third ThursdaySeptember 15
7:00 p.m.–9:00 p.m.Last Sunday
September 2510:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
On the sidewalk in front of the receivingarea at the Coop.
What plastics do we accept?Until further notice:
• #1 and #6 type non-bottle shaped contain-ers, transparent only, labels ok
• Plastic film and bubble wrap, transparentonly, no colored or opaque, no labels
• #5 plastic cups, tubs, and specificallymarked caps and lids, very clean and dry(discard any with paper labels, or cut off)
•NOTE: We are no longer accepting #2 or #4 type plastics.
PLASTIC MUST BE COMPLETELY CLEAN & DRY
We close up promptly. Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the
collection end time to allow for inspection andsorting of your plastic.
S Store Equipment Cleaning Monday, 6 to 8:00 a.m.The Coop is looking for members to clean thecheckout area of the store. It entails cleaning thescales at each check out and vacuuming aroundthe base of the checkout station as well assweeping and occasionally mopping. You willwork under the supervision of a staff person.
Early-Bird Entrance DeskWeekdays, 5:45 to 8:15 a.m.You will be staffing the Entrance desk in hours ofthe weekday before the Coop is open to shop-pers. You will be checking in working members,informing them of their member and householdstatus, and handing out entrance desk slips to
members who need them. You must be welcom-ing, polite, able to read and interpret informationon the entrance desk screen and able to clearlyconvey information about member status directlyto members. You will provide a key security func-tion, and must remain alert throughout the shift,which may have slow periods. Therefore reading,writing, talking on the phone, texting, etc. is notallowed. Punctuality and good attendance will beessential, as you will be the only Entrance workerscheduled at this time of day.
Refrigerator CleaningMonday, 9 to 11:00 a.m.This position requires a desire to do physicalwork, enjoy cleaning and organize refrigerators.
You will thoroughly clean the refrigerator,removing all movable parts and cleaning them,label food items and discard old or out-of-dateproducts. Please speak to Adriana in the Mem-bership Office if you are interested.
Office Set-upWednesday, Thursday 6 to 8:30 a.m.Need an early riser with lots of energy to do avariety of physical tasks including: setting uptables and chairs, buying food and supplies,labeling and putting away food and supplies,recycling, washing dishes and making coffee.Sound like your dream come true? This job mightbe for you. Please speak to Adriana or Cynthia inthe Membership Office for more information.
Attend a GMand Receive Work Credit
Since the Coop’s inception in 1973, the GeneralMeeting has been our decision-making body. At theGeneral Meeting (GM) members gather to makedecisions and set Coop policy. The General-Meeting-for-workslot-credit program was created to increaseparticipation in the Coop’s decision-making process.
Following is an outline of the program. For full details, seethe instruction sheets by the sign-up board.
• Advance Sign-up required:To be eligible for workslot credit, you must add your
name to the sign-up sheet in the elevator lobby. The sign-ups sheet is available all month long, except for the day ofthe meeting when you have until 5 p.m. to sign up. On theday of the meeting, the sign-up sheet is kept in theMembership Office.
Some restrictions to this program do apply. Please seebelow for details.
• Two GM attendance credits per year:Each member may take advantage of the GM-for-
workslot-credit program two times per calendar year.
• Certain Squads not eligible:Eligible: Shopping, Receiving/ Stocking, Food
Processing, Office, Maintenance, Inventory, Construction,and FTOP committees. (Some Committees are omittedbecause covering absent members is too difficult.)
• Attend the entire GM:In order to earn workslot credit you must be present
for the entire meeting.
• Signing in at the Meeting: 1. After the meeting the Chair will provide the
Workslot Credit Attendance Sheet.2.Please also sign in the attendance book that is
passed around during the meeting.
• Being Absent from the GM:It is possible to cancel without penalty. We do ask that
you remove your name if you know cannot attend. Pleasedo not call the Membership Office with GM cancellations.
Park Slope Food CoopMission Statement
The Park Slope Food Coop is a mem-ber-owned and operated food store—analternative to commercial profit-orientedbusiness. As members, we contribute ourlabor: working together builds trustthrough cooperation and teamwork andenables us to keep prices as low as possi-ble within the context of our values andprinciples. Only members may shop, andwe share responsibilities and benefitsequally. We strive to be a responsible andethical employer and neighbor. We are abuying agent for our members and not aselling agent for any industry. We are a partof and support the cooperative movement.We offer a diversity of products with anemphasis on organic, minimally pro-cessed and healthful foods. We seek toavoid products that depend on theexploitation of others. We support non-toxic, sustainable agriculture. We respectthe environment. We strive to reduce theimpact of our lifestyles on the world weshare with other species and future genera-tions. We prefer to buy from local, earth-friendly producers. We recycle. We try tolead by example, educating ourselves andothers about health and nutrition, coopera-tion and the environment. We are com-mitted to diversity and equality. Weoppose discrimination in any form. Westrive to make the Coop welcoming andaccessible to all and to respect the opin-ions, needs and concerns of every member.
Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY September 8, 2011 � 9
C O O P CA L E N D A RNew Member Orientations
Attending an Orientation is the first step toward
Coop membership. Pre-registration is required for
all of the four weekly New Member Orientations.
To pre-register, visit foodcoop.com or contact the
Membership Office. Visit in person or call 718-622-
0560 during office hours.
Have questions about Orientation? Please visit
www.foodcoop.com and look at the “Join the Coop”
page for answers to frequently asked questions.
The Coop on the Internetwww.foodcoop.com
The Coop on Cable TVInside the Park Slope Food CoopFRIDAYS 2:30 p.m. with a replay at 10:30 p.m.
Channels: 56 (TimeWarner), 69 (CableVision).
General Meeting InfoTUE, SEP 27GENERAL MEETING: 7:00 p.m.
Our Governing Structure From our inception in 1973 to the present, the openmonthly General Meetings, to which all members areinvited, have been at the center of the Coop’s decision-making process. Since the Coop incorporated in 1977, wehave been legally required to have a Board of Directors.The Coop continued the tradition of General Meetings byrequiring the Board to have open meetings and to receivethe advice of the members at General Meetings. TheBoard of Directors, which is required to act legally andresponsibly, has approved almost every General Meetingdecision at the end of every General Meeting. Boardmembers are elected at the Annual Meeting in June.Copies of the Coop’s bylaws are available on the CoopWeb site, foodcoop.com, at the Coop Community Cornerand at every General Meeting.
Next Meeting: Tuesday, September 27, 7:00 p.m.The General Meeting is held on the last Tuesday of eachmonth.
Location The Temple House of Congregation Beth Elohim(Garfield Temple), 274 Garfield Place.
How to Place an Item on the AgendaIf you have something you’d like discussed at a GeneralMeeting, please complete a submission form for theAgenda Committee. Forms are available on the Coop Website, foodcoop.com, in the rack near the Coop CommunityCorner bulletin board and at General Meetings. Instructionsand helpful information on how to submit an item appearon the submission form. The Agenda Committee meets onthe first Tuesday of each month to plan the agenda for theGM held on the last Tuesday of the month. If you have aquestion, please call Ann Herpel at the Coop.
Meeting FormatWarm Up (7:00 p.m.) • Meet the Coordinators • Enjoy some Coop snacks • Submit Open Forum items • Explore meeting literatureOpen Forum (7:15 p.m.) Open Forum is a time formembers to bring brief items to the General Meeting. Ifan item is more than brief, it can be submitted to theAgenda Committee as an item for a future GM.Reports (7:30 p.m.) • Financial Report • Coordinators’Report • Committee ReportsAgenda (8:00 p.m.) The agenda is posted on theCoop Web site, foodcoop.com, the Coop CommunityCorner and may also appear elsewhere in this issue.Wrap Up (9:30-9:45) (unless there is a vote to extendthe meeting) • Board of Directors’ vote • Meeting evalua-tion • Announcements, etc.
10 � September 8, 2011 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY
Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
WHEN BOYCOTTERSPETITION FOOD CO-OPS...
TO THE EDITOR,Port Townsend Food Co-op. Boy-
cott REJECTED!• Board member Rick Sepler: “We
are not in the business of adjudicat-ing international issues...”
• Board member Steve Moore, “It’snot why we were elected.”1(www.ptleader.com/main.asp?Sec-tionID=36&SubSectionID=55&Arti-cleID=27784)
Davis Food Co-op. BoycottREJECTED!!
• Davis saw “...a reduction in shop-pers and sales [and] disruption tobusiness operations...”
• Accepting the boycott would,“...require us to accept the Global BDSCampaign’s tactics as our own, andwould allow the Global BDS to deter-mine our compliance with its princi-ples and policies...”
• “Davis would also have to sub-ject its fiduciary authority, discre-tion in the management andoperation to BDS,”
• “...the Davis Food Coop is notqualified to pass judgment on thelegitimacy or illegitemacy of actionsor policies of any foreign govern-ment...and the initiative may beexcluded for failure to specify a properpurpose.”2 (www.daviswiki.org/Davis_Food_Co-op/Boycott,_Divest-ment, _And_Sanctions)
Sacramento. Boycott REJECTED!!!• “The store’s General Manager
received repeated customers com-plaints about tablers for this particu-lar issue and suspended theirprivileges...Unfortunately, the Sacra-mento Police have been called to thestore twice after customers com-plained that the group was blockingaccess to the Co-op to customers.”
• “...when there is no apparent con-nection between an act called for in apetition for member vote and the pur-poses of the cooperative itself...certi-fying the petition would have put theCo-op in legal jeopardy.”3 (www.sac-foodcoop.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=154:faq-on-the-israeli-boycott-issue&catid=51: ownershipbod&Itemid=82)
Seattle. Boycott REJECTED!!!!• The Central Co-op in Seattle’s
Capitol Hill neighborhood, killed aboycott proposal...The committeeleadership decided that further con-sideration would damage the co-opand had become, “a malignancy toour business,” said former commit-tee member Rick Bannerman.(www.jtnews.net/index.php?/news/item/7670)
Ann Arbor, Michigan. BoycottREJECTED!!!!!
• “The attempt was made to essen-tially say that we as a board are guilty ofkilling Palestinians because this isn’thappening quickly enough.”5 (www.lin-dadianefeldt.com/blog/?p=199)
• “The co-op managers began tohear complaints of aggressive tactics
from those collecting signatures...” “Amember outburst at a board meetingaccusing the board of being directlyinvolved in the deaths of Palestiniansresulted in our losing our free meetingspace.” “Statements to the press need-ed to be carefully worded, and staffneeded support and direction on howto respond to questions or when con-fronted by angry shoppers and protes-tors.” “The board was asked to be apart of efforts to resolve the conflict inthe Middle East, a task we were notprepared for.” (www.cooperativegro-cer.coop/articles/ 2009-01-19/co-op-challenged-member-boycott-request)
“The conflict in the Middle East,however, remains as difficult and chal-lenging as ever.” (www.cooperativegro-cer.coop /articles/ 2009-01-19/co-op-challenged-member-boycott-request)
Jesse Rosenfeld
BDS LANGUAGE OFDECEPTION
TO THE EDITOR:In view of the GM discussion about
banning Israeli products, it is impor-tant that Coop members are aware ofsome facts.
Those advocating a boycott identifythemselves as part of the globalmovement BDS (Boycott, Divestmentand Sanctions). Its ostensible aim isthat people stop supporting Israel inany way. Its actual aim is to destroyIsrael. Toward that end it distorts,omits, and falsifies facts; spreads mis-information; anduses manipulative, emotion-laden language. One insidious exam-ple is labeling Israel an “Apartheid”country.
Apartheid was a system in SouthAfrica, under which a small minorityof whites dominated the larger blackmajority population. Apartheid sub-jected blacks to severe legal, political,economic and social discriminationand segregation. They could not becitizens, vote, participate in govern-ment, or fraternize with whites.
Israel could not be more different.It is a democracy like the U.S., the onlydemocracy in the Middle East. Whileit is a Jewish state, it is multi-racial,multi-ethnic, and religiously pluralis-tic. All citizens (Jewish Israelis, ArabIsraelis, Christians and others) haveequal rights, liberties and protectionsunder the law, including protectionfrom discrimination. Arab-Israelisparticipate as full members of Israelisociety. They vote and serve in everylevel of government, including theSupreme Court.
The West Bank and Gaza territoriesare not part of Israel. Arabs livingthere are not Israeli citizens. Theyhave their own government, thePalestinian Authority.
Replying to a recent New YorkObserver article about the PSFC boy-cott debate, one of the Coop’s BDSorganizers, Bill Mazza, wrote a state-
ment which included the word“Apartheid” four times. That state-ment drew a response from “Barbuti,”some of whose eloquent and movingwords I’d like to quote here:
“I’m from South Africa. An AfricanSouth African, not a colonialist.(Americans just call me black.) I expe-rienced Apartheid. Separateness. Itwas ugly. Many of my friends died.
I’ve been to Israel. The West Bank.Gaza. Inside of Israel. Lived there for ayear touring for a book I want to write.
Mr. Mazza, you don’t know whatApartheid is. For all of Israel’s faults,you dishonor yourself and my fallenmates by using the word. The UN doesnot use the phrase ‘Israeli Apartheid’and you repeating it over and overagain does not give it authority. Thereis really no comparison betweenIsrael and South Africa. We appreciateyour help over there in the US for “sav-ing” us back in the eighties, but wehere in S.A. did the dirty work. We suf-fered. We went to jail. We died. Youstayed safe, signed a few pieces ofpaper, spoke at a meeting or twomaybe. You follow the same route foryour work on human rights in the Mid-dle East
…You are, I’m sorry to say, veryuninformed about what causes youtake up.”
BDS supporters are entitled toform and disseminate their own opin-ions. They are not entitled to form anddisseminate their own facts.
Ruth Bolletino
OPEN CONVERSATION ON CULTURAL BOYCOTTOF ISRAEL
TO THE EDITOR:You are invited to a respectful con-
versation with six speakers with manydifferent perspectives about culturalboycott of Israel.
WHEN: Thursday, September 15,2011; starting promptly at 7:30 p.m.
WHERE: Kolot Chayeinu/Voices ofOur Lives, 1012 Eighth Avenue @ 10thStreet in Park Slope
During this time when the UN isscheduled to vote on Palestinianstatehood, we hope to encourage dis-cussion and thought about how tobest support movements for peaceand justice in Palestine/Israel.
Background: Many artists andmusicians and others oppose theIsraeli Occupation and support thecultural boycott of Israel—which ispart of the international Boycott,Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS)campaign—as a non-violent way topress Israel to abide by internationallaw and recognize Palestinians’human rights and right to self-deter-mination. This boycott includes thedecision not to perform or exhibit inIsrael or in settlements in the Occu-pied Territories. This also includes acall to boycott Israeli institutionsthat are complicit with the occupa-tion. Supporters of BDS and of cul-
tural boycott have joined an appealcalled for by Palestinian civil societyasking the international communityto use this nonviolent tool at a timewhen the Israeli government, as wellas the U.S. and European govern-ments, have failed to act to stop theabuses that are intensifying andwhen other forms of pressure havenot been successful.
Other artists, actors, and musiciansand others, also committed to peaceand justice, feel differently. Theybelieve that a cultural boycott ofIsrael does more harm than good andis not an appropriate tool in theIsraeli-Palestinian context. Theyaccept—or support accepting—invi-tations to perform or exhibit in Israeland prefer to keep channels of com-munication open. When Israeli cultur-al institutions or artists perform in theUS, some of these people prefer tofocus on their art, and not to engagein political actions such as protests orcalls for boycott. Some who share thisview about cultural boycott also feelthis way about the Palestinian callregarding BDS in general.
The event: Our speakers have spenttime in Israel/Palestine and disagreewith each other about BDS and cultur-al boycott. Some of our speakers areactive in the arts, some are membersof Jewish groups that focus on peacein the Middle East. Some are mem-bers of our host congregation. Therewill be time for audience members toask questions and engage in discus-sion as well.
Speakers (organizational affilia-tion for identif ication purposesonly): Udi Aloni, Filmmaker; DalitBaum, Who Profits?; Jethro Eisen-stein, Board of Directors, JewishVoice for Peace; Roy Nathanson,Musician, member of KolotChayeinu; Lynne Sachs, Filmaker,member of Kolot Chayeinu; RonSkolnik, Executive Director, Partnersfor Progressive Israel (Meretz USA)
Organizing Committee: BrooklynFor Peace, Jews Say No!, KolotChayeinu/Voices of Our Lives
Mary BuchwaldBrooklyn For Peace
THE ILLUSIONISTS
TO THE EDITOR,I do apologize for not writing soon-
er, I even missed two opportunities towrite during my Candidacy! Still, my400+ votes was the most I ever gotdespite the 800+ No votes, an innova-tion of which I’m sure the Co-Op isproud! So I heartily thank all my read-ers, fans, and supporters for that!
This present letter might well betitled “The Illusionists,” as two suchgroups seem to have joined forces toensure the Co-Op does not boycottIsrael. Our Lead Coordinator, Joe
Holtz, has proposed that a super-majority be required for the GeneralMeeting to order any boycott. And atthe last GM he declared that such adecision would better be made at ageneral meeting than through a refer-endum. Better for whom?
As I’ve emphasized in these pagesand in my Campaign Statement, oneof the major benefits of our shadowygovernment is that Management doesnot have to state policy, claiming alldecisionmaking and planning aredone by the mystically powerful andall-knowing General Meeting. There-fore one must read their intentions bytheir actions. Hence it seems abun-dantly clear that, despite protesta-tions to the contrary, they will doeverything in their power to maintaintheir Co-Op as a food store and not asa social experiment (government) oran activist force (boycotts, expansionto other co-ops) of any kind. Hencetheir adamant opposition to theIsraeli boycott (I don’t think many ofthem are pro-Israel personally, eventhe Jews among them).
As to the Boycott itself , as anAmerican and a Jew and patriot I feelthat it is every American’s duty tooppose and defund the Israeli gov-ernment in every way possible (notthe people). In the shameful andgrisly battle going on in the Gazette,the pro-Israeli illusionists pooh-pooh the First and Second LebaneseWars, the massacre at Sabra andShatila, tens of thousands of Arabpolitical prisoners including minorswho are raised and indoctrinated injail, and in each of these conflictsIsrael waited politely until the USsaid “It’s time to withdraw!” Not tomention the slaughter of 1,400mostly innocent souls in Gaza. Andthat’s without mentioning the otherwars and the denial of nuclear arma-ments, in which our country col-ludes to this day.
And our stalwart Israelophiles pre-fer that the proposers of the boycottwithdraw their motion rather than evendiscuss it, just as the Israeli govern-ment passes a ban on protestsagainst the settlements. And still theyclaim that Israel is a liberal democra-cy when through discriminatory regu-lations the Israeli Arab villages arepiles of white rubble. While the Jewishvillages bloom with rolling lawns andflowers, Arabs are not allowed in themilitary, and checkpoints bloom out-side Arab Israeli villages.
Enough… So we see Israel illu-sionists join with Co-Op governmentillusionists to propose that unelectedrepresentatives will serve us betterthan the universal suffrage providedby a referendum. Together, they dis-grace simple humanity and every formof right thinking and moral decency.
In solidarity and defeat, Albert Solomon718-768-9079
of the proposed Israeli boycott refer-endum, I have been reading all theletters published in the Gazette onthe issue.
I have not decided how I will voteon the referendum as yet, awaitingthe wording of the proposal itself.However I have been following theletters which have appeared signed bya group of Coop members who arestrongly opposed to holding a refer-endum. In the August 23rd Gazette, theletter is signed (if I count correctly) by121 members. Plainly, they are justi-fied in expressing what I am sure istheir heartfelt opinion when andwherever they might.
However I note that of the tenother letters opposing the referen-dum, all ten are by signatories to thegroup letter. We have almost 16,000members of whom probably somefeel just as strongly that a referendumshould be held. Should a smallminority opposed to the referendumseek to prevent a vote in a democraticPSFC?
It is easy for a minority to say thatthe vote would be “divisive,” that theCoop would be divided into separatecamps as a result of the referendum.But is that a reason to deny the mem-bership a referendum in which themajority might vote for, or a majoritymight vote against, the referendum?
Another weakness in the wall ofopposition is its claim that an ulti-mate vote for a boycott would have noeffect on the Israeli-Palestine conflict.Certainly a vote rejecting the boycottwould have no effect, it is true. But if apositive vote would have no effect,why is there such vigorous oppositionto allowing a referendum?
And finally, as to the cost of the ref-erendum, which letters in oppositioncite as “$10,000.” My recollection isthat at the GM discussion of the refer-endum, much less costly means ofcon-ducting it were suggested,including conducting it in the Coop,itself, or including the ballot in anoth-er mailing.
Mel Spain
GAZETTE EDITORIALPOLICY
COOP MEMBERS,There’s something odd about an
editorial policy that opposes personaldefamation, but seems to have noproblem allowing submissions whosepurpose is to defame the entire stateof Israel.
For more than two years, the Gazetteeditors have violated the spirit oftheir own editorial policy by repeated-ly publishing defamatory materialabout Israel, with unsubstantiated
allegations of Israeli apartheid,racism, human rights violations, etc.And while the Gazette also publishesopposing letters criticizing thisdefamatory material, the very focuson this subject places many, particu-larly Jewish, Coop members on thedefensive, where Jews have been formillennia, and this has becomeoppressive to those of us who believe,even with a critical eye, in the exis-tence of the Jewish state.
Should a future General Meetingvote for or against a referendum onBDS, should a referendum decide oneway or another, either way if currenteditorial practices continue, theGazette may inadvertently become amegaphone for BDS by continuing tofocus on Israel as though this subjecthad the same intrinsic relevance tothe Coop as agriculture policy, genet-ic engineering and the environment.
In contrast with their past incendi-ary language, BDS proponents haverecently attempted to promote theircause, the delegitimization of Israel,with deceptively friendly terms likedemocracy, civility, peace, non-vio-lence, justice, respect, all wonderfulconcepts designed to provide palat-able cover to distract from an agendathat is decidedly offensive to manyand divisive for the Coop.
Their most recent Gazette article isan advertisement for a “Jewish Con-versation on Cultural Boycotts ofIsrael.” Boycotts being the propagan-da tools of BDS, this discussion likelyagain won’t include the goals of BDS.Many of us may have difficulty envi-sioning a group of Jews “respectfully”sitting down, in a synagogue no less,to discuss whether or how best tobring about the end of the Jewishstate, but in any case, this has noth-ing to do with the Coop.
The Gazette needs a more rationalpolicy concerning what are appropri-ate subjects for coverage in a FoodCoop publication.
Sylvia Lowenthal
SUPPORT FOR GMO CROPS IN NEW YORK TIMES
STEPHANIE AND OTHERS:On August 18th, The New York Times
published an “op-ed” piece by NinaFederoff which pitched the wide-spread use of GMO (Genetically Mod-ified Organism) crops as a panaceafor rising food prices and begs theObama administration to cease regu-lation of them. Federoff’s piece showsa blatant disregard for the evidence ofharm traced to GMO crops; andignores the fact that much of thedeveloped world including the Euro-pean Union and Japan have rejectedthem.
Thanks to Tom Philpott, we knowthat for the 5-year period beforeFederoff joined the State Depart-ment, she served on the scientificadvisory board at Evogene. This
Israeli agriculture-biotech firm worksclosely with Monsanto, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Bayer CropScience, Syngentaand others. She also served on theboard of Sigma-Aldrich, a transna-tional coporation that provides ser-vices and products—includingtransgenic animals—to agriculturalbiotech companies. And she herselfwas one of the early patent holders ontransgenic technologies, back in the1980s.
These solid corporate credentialsproved just the ticket into the G.W.Bush Administration’s State Depart-ment; tapped initially by CondoleezaRice, Federoff was kept on by HillaryClinton. During the same period(2007-2010), Federoff also served asthe Science and Technical Advisor tothe head of the U.S. Agency for Inter-national Development. USAID workswith Monsanto and other partners todevelop and commercialize GE crops,advancing U.S. trade interests inopening new markets abroad forthese products.
If The New York Times choses to pro-vide such a one-sided op-ed piece,and fails to present an alternativepoint of view, one can only concludethat they are advocating the pro-industry stance.
Getting any “anti-GMO” coveragein the mainstream media, as charac-terized by The New York Times, is nearlyimpossible, according to MeganWestgate, Executive Director of theNon-GMO Project. After all, the chem-ical industry has a huge ad budgetand employs a lot of people.
Fortunately the Linewaiters’ Gazettedoes not take ads, and we can havesome comfort that truth still has afighting chance on its pages.
The blatantly pro-GMO coverage byThe New York Times and their clearrefusal to provide any coverage for theother side, seems like an interestingstory angle.
I’m sure your readers would love toknow:
Why won’t The New York Times printsomething approximating a lively dis-cussion of GMOs?
Why are the letters they print inresponse to their pro-GMO coverageso uninformed?
What, in other words, are they sofrightened of anyways?
I’d love to see an in-depth article inthe Linewaiters’ Gazette on this topic.
Thanks,Greg Todd
Member, GMO Shelf Labeling committee
BDS CAMPAIGN—WHY I SUPPORT IT
TO THE EDITOR,In the sound and the fury about
BDS, and the complaints about Israelbeing “singled out”, basic facts getignored:
Israel is being “singled out”because the US already “singles out”
Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY September 8, 2011 � 11
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Israel with massive military and eco-nomic aid, aid that is used, in part, tosubjugate Palestinians, take theirland, deprive them of access to waterand other resources, and reinforce akind of institutional double standardthat we would never tolerate in thissociety. I cannot support such poli-cies, both American and Israeli, andBDS is my way of stating my breakwith them.
Israel is being “singled out”because Palestinian civil society hasasked the international community topressure the State of Israel to stop thedaily violence it perpetrates throughthe occupation. They have asked us todo so using democratic, non-violentmeans. Some of us are respondingthrough the BDS campaign. Others,sadly, are still in denial about whatthey are supporting: a dehumanizingcolonial enterprise in the West Bankand a permanent siege of Gaza.
Israel is being “singled out”because the occupation is at a criticaljuncture. It has gone on for 60 years. Itis approaching a point where verysoon no viable two-state solution isgoing to be possible. Action is needednow, quickly, before we reach thepoint of no return: which is a perma-nent, ghetto- ized existence for mil-lions of Palestinians surrounded bysettlements, walls, check points andoff-limit roads. It is past time for eachof us to state that we, personally, col-lectively, institutionally, stand againstthe inevitability of this outcome. It ispast time for us to support the his-toric compromise that Palestiniansociety has agreed to make—a viablestate in less than 25% of historicPalestine.
Finally, Israel is being “singled out”because it claims to uphold the val-ues of freedom and democracy in ahostile neighborhood, and yet sys-tematically acts against the right ofself-determination of millions in thatsame neighborhood. At a time whenwhole societies in the Middle East arestruggling for, and in some casesachieving, justice and equal represen-tation, Israeli policy has chosen,sadly, to align itself with a parochialversion of the past rather than ashared promise of the future. It is topoint out this contradiction, and itsconsequences, that I, and others, sup-port BDS.
Mohan Sikka
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE MEMBERSHIP ANDADMINISTRATIVE BODIESOF PSFC
At the July General Meeting, cham-pions of blacklisting Israeli productsat PSFC printed a statement with nohard factual information about theirmovement. It contained no definedscope of their mission, no evidenceon how it would help the Coop in ameasurable way (subjective ethicalopinions are not measurable), and—
most significantly—no named signa-tories. Furthermore, when asked bythe floor to supply information aboutspecific reasons behind their agenda,they offered no assistance, replyingonly that membership has had theopportunity to read about Israel/Palestine for years. Finally, whenasked why not support individual con-sumer choice instead of a boycott,their response was an unsatisfactory,“It’s different,” full stop.
Boycott Divestment and Sanctiondevotees stifle debate. Their refusalto discuss the real issue breeds mis-trust and smacks of avoidance. Evenwhile calling for “More Democracy,Please,” they evade the core questionaffecting everyone, that is: “How willyour boycott measurably and quanti-fiably help the Coop’s operationalefficiency, finances, membership and
public image? In short, how is thisgood for the Coop?” It’s a fair andstraightforward question, one theysee no reason to answer. Indeed theynever have, because by their ownadmission in the July 28th Gazettewhere they take great liberties tospeak on behalf of anti-BDS advo-cates as well, their immediate goal isonly to “...pack the meeting to swaythe vote.” Hard answers hinder thisgoal.
Meanwhile, their strategy hingesupon distraction in order to avoidanswering this question: distractmembership by alleging deep-rooteddivision in collective opinion; distractmembership with blanket accusationsof our racism and complicity inhuman rights abuses; distract mem-bership with imagery of the Israel/Palestine conflict; distract member-ship by insisting an oversimplifiednon-solution—boycotting—willuntangle complex geopolitics; andanswer membership questions withonly more questions in order to side-step what demands a direct answer.
I call on PSFC’s administrative bod-ies to require immediate, directanswers for this question and others,with said answers coming only from acredible, officially accountable, Coop-member representative of BDS, liveand in person. BDS’s full answers andrepresentative’s names must be madepublicly available to membership.That they are a movement instead ofan organization is no excuse to claimlack of leadership. Because when anygroup promoting an agenda cannotprovide direct, unambiguous and ver-ifiable information to PSFC, theymust be viewed as proponents of anuninformed, ill-considered and possi-bly discriminatory outside agendathat exploits our democratic processfor its own undefined goals. At pre-sent, PSFC’s operations, membership,finances, and its public image as a
standard-bearer for food and environ-mental justice function very well with-out BDS. BDS is therefore obligatedto submit their answers to this andother crucial questions at the earliestpossible opportunity. Anything lessshould be rejected from PSFC’s agen-da without comment.
posal to boycott Israeli products withamusement and, more recently, con-sternation. While I can’t and won’tsupport any regime that regularlypractices discrimination against asegment of its population, at thesame time I think singling out Israel istaking a swipe at pretty low-hangingfruit. By this logic, we should be boy-cotting products from Turkey for theirsuppression of the Kurds, China fortheir suppression of Tibetans (not tomention the Muslim and Christianpopulations), and the mother of allapartheid regimes, the US of A.
While I was in college, oh so manyyears ago, I remember taking a courseon rhetoric in which the professordescribed a tactic known as the “Tin-ker-bell Effect.” Using this technique,we can make the argument that if allmembers of the Coop were forced tocease and desist from purchasingproducts of Israeli origin, Tinkerbellwill wave her magic wand and the gov-ernment will reform, peace will sproutand everybody will live happily everafter. Is it no coincidence that WaltDisney was a notorious anti-semite?
But what I really find so offensiveabout this attempt at policy change isthat it is completely otiose. If this con-cerned group of citizens really has thetime to pour into such a futile endeav-or, to churn out idealistic tracts, towrite letters and offend massiveswaths of the Coop population, don’tyou think they would do a little bit oftheir homework? Why don’t they get offtheir duffs and actually compile a listof Israeli products carried by theCoop? Why don’t they investigate eachof those products and find out the pol-itics of each of these companies?Wouldn’t it be ironic if the Coop endedup boycotting a Palestinian-Jewish col-lective that donates a portion of theirprofits to operating food kitchens inimpoverished Palestinian villages? Ifthese activists had actually botheredto compile a list of products and theirproducers connection to the racistpolicies of the Israeli government,well, then they might have a case.
Taking this further, if we could putup signs next to every single productsold at the Coop describing its manu-facturer’s level of commitment to civilrights, economic justice and ecologi-cal preservation, then maybe wecould truly shop with our conscience
in mind. To tell you the truth, I findthe overpackaged goodies that springup on the shelves (really, $80 perpound for 2 ounces of kale chipspacked in sturdy plastic?) a lot morethreatening than the question ofwhether carrying a hypothetical prod-uct constitutes support for one of themost vibrant democracies in the Mid-dle East.
Sincerely,Robert Berkman
BDS: NO BRAINER
TO THE EDITOR,I’ve been hoping for a long time
that the Coop would join the BoycottDivestment Sanctions Against Israelcampaign but I’ve been confusedabout how to even raise this issue orhow to find like-minded people towork with on it.
When I heard that it was up for dis-cussion at a General Meeting, it feltlike a no-brainer to me. I decided togo just to show my support and seewhat people had to say but I neverexpected it to be as huge of a debateas it was. Having grown up in a Zionisthousehold, I know that this is emo-tional for people but, for me and mostof my family, the situation for Pales-tinians has become so dire that wecan’t ignore it anymore.
I support this movement becauseat its most basic level it is about foodin a way that really fits the Coop’smission. Friends of mine who havetraveled to Palestine have watchedcrops be cut down by Israeli bulldoz-ers to make room for a wall to sepa-rate the land. They’ve taught meabout how difficult it is for Palestini-ans to live any kind of regular livesbecause of how limited their access isto basic things such as water andmedicine. I left the July General Meet-ing feeling disturbed by the mainargument that I heard against theBDS campaign. The most commonargument seemed to be: “Why Israel?Why not Syria or Libya or any othercountry with human right abuses?” Itdidn’t seem to me that most peoplewere denying that there are humanrights abuses occurring, rather theyfelt like Israel was specifically beingsingled out. But, for me, the logic of“everyone else does it too” just simplydoesn’t cut it.
First off, it was made clear at thebeginning of the meeting that theCoop’s policy on boycotts allows usonly to join boycotts that alreadyhave a national presence and a localorganizing group. The Israel boycottfits these criteria, whereas there areno other national boycott movementsinvolving any of these other countries(to my knowledge).
Even more importantly though, thisreminds me of the children I work withwho get upset when I catch them hit-ting another child. They alwaysrespond first with “but so-and-so washitting people!!” I’ve learned that this
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is a way they distract me so that theywon’t have to be accountable to theiractions. And generally, it’s not as cutand dry as they are trying to present.For example, I rarely think that thesame method of discipline works withevery child. I doubt that many peoplewould think I should let a kid slide onviolence against another child becauseof this argument. So why do peopleexpect us to use this logic with Israel?
Rebecca Giordano
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
COOP MEMBERS:Omar Barghouti is the self-identi-
fied central thinker of the BDS move-ment, founder of the PalestinianCampaign for the Academic and Cul-tural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), andauthor of the seminal BDS tract “Boy-cott, Désinvestissement, Sanctions;BDS contre l’apartheid et l’occupationde la Palestine” (“Boycott, Divestment,Sanctions: BDS against Apartheid andthe Occupation of Palestine”; in Ara-bic, French edition, 2010).
The coordinating body of BDS, theBDS Campaign National Committee(BNC), claims to not take positions onissues outside the specific principles of“the Call”—the Palestinian Civil Soci-ety Call for BDS (July 9, 2005)—norendorse either a one-state or two-statesolution. But this putative impartialityis an illusion: Barghouti explicitlyadmits that “You cannot practically rec-oncile the right of return for refugeeswith a negotiated two-state solution”[interview: Ali Mustafa, ElectronicIntifada], and openly clarifies that hisreal aim is the end of Israel itself: as hesays, “a Palestine next to a Palestine,rather than a Palestine next to anIsrael.” In fact Ali Abunimah, cofounderof the pro-BDS Electronic Intifada, hasin campus appearances promotingBDS advocated, along with Barghouti,for a one-state solution as a meanstowards the elimination of Israel, ashas pro-BDS author Ahmed Moor:“Ending the occupation doesn’t meananything if it doesn’t mean upendingthe Jewish state itself.”
But again in typical illogic, Bargh-outi admits that no Palestinian party(of the more than 170 Palestiniancivil entities) in “the Call” stands fora single state, yet there is apparentlyno need to defer to that consensusagainst the manifest real BDS objec-tive of a single-state solution, onenow rejected as wholly unrealisticeven by Noam Chomsky (a ferociousearly supporter). So, we should heed“the Call” from Palestinian CivilSociety but should ignore their con-trary (to Barghouti and BDS)acknowledgment of the viability oftwo-state solution.
This unique illogic of BDS is furtherinstanced: Barghouti himself attendsTel Aviv University, operated by a coun-try he claims to be an “apartheid” and“racist” state, claiming that he had noalternative, since “oppressed people
don’t have a choice of where they go toschool” (Q&A, Loyola Law School). Buthe and Palestinians do have “anotherchoice” besides “attending an Israeliuniversity” or “leaving their homeland,”namely of attending a real Palestinianuniversity in the West Bank or Gaza,exactly what hundreds of Palestiniansin fact do: there are eight universities,three colleges, 16 community collegesin the West Bank and six universities,three colleges, four community col-leges in the Gaza Strip.
An irony is here to be savored, thatZvi Galil, Rector of Tel Aviv University,has successfully defended Barghoutifrom calls for his expulsion as a radical,so that even Barghouti who seeks notonly the boycott of the very institutionhe attends, but also the eclipse of theJewish state via the futile notion of abinational/single state solution,receives sanctuary from discrimination,continuing to enjoy the academic free-doms he seeks to deny Israeli acade-mics, protected by this “racist,apartheid” state.”
An irony within a hypocrisy. Constantine Kaniklidis
HEALTHY CHOICES NOTUNHEALTHY ATTITUDES
TO OUR MEMBERS:Our Coop has been asked at the
July 26th GM to support a Boycott,Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) pro-posal to boycott products from Israel.From the BDS history, literature andweb site, however, it is clear that thegroup has a narrow, anti-Israel politi-cal goal. It is not a peace movement!Instead, it is an attempt to create onepolitical agenda, which is divisive andwhich many of us oppose.
We ask you to join with us in help-ing to maintain our community wherewe welcome people of all nations andbackgrounds, without singling outand targeting any one group. OurCoop should continue to focus onfood and not falsehoods, on healthychoices not unhealthy attitudes.
If you agree with this and you arenot yet a member of our group, pleaseconsider joining us by sending and e-mail to: [email protected] learn more, go to stopbdsparks-lope.blogspot.com.
Rhudi Andreolli, Maurice Appelbaum,Rebeccah Appelbaum, Eva Aridjis,
Roberta Arnold, Shena Gitel Astrin, Connie Bell, Greg Bell, Steven Berke,Shalmon Bernstein, Esther Bernstein,
Danielle Rose Bernstein, Ora Chaya Bitton,Peretz Blasberg, Shandel Blasberg, Jennifer Bleyer, Gloria Blumenthal, Robert Blumenthal, Ruth Bolletino,
Elisa Bonneau, Carla Brookoff, Rita Brookoff, Alan Brown, Arthur Brown,
Matthew Brown, Darrin Cabot, Nathalie Cabot, Rubi Cammarota,
Sandra Catania, Chana Crayk, Meir Crayk,Zusha Dean, Sharon Eagle, Audrey Elias,
Mickey Elias, Eli Eliav, Shayna Eliav,Lenore Fineberg, Arthur Finn, Carol Freeman, Riva Freeman,
Ralph Friedman, Jill Friedman, Yoav Gal,Ronen Glimer, Lisa Gilinsky,
Jonathan S. Sack, Lisa Sack, Ruth Seliger,Ilan Schifter, Rita Schifter, Shayna Schmidt,
Victoria Shonbrun, Rivkah Siegel, Mushkie Silberberg, Naftali Silberberg,Adam Silver, Renee Silver, Lisa Smith,
Nancy Spitalnick, Israel Spitalny, Malkah Spitalny, Marion Stein, Ronald J. Stein, Ruth Steinberg,
Jonathan Stern, Mirit Tal, Susan Tauber,Allen Tobias, Joel Warshawer,
Rabbi Gerald I. Weider, Rosalie H. Weider,Daniel P Wiener, Frances Weiner,
Baruch Weisman, Esther Wilenkin, Rivky Wilenkin, Constance Williams
BDS—NUFF SAID
TO THE EDITOR:I support BDS. Put it to a referen-
dum. Nuff said.Oh, and by the way, remind me how
to identify Israeli products so I canavoid them. I just learned Sabra hum-mus has some affiliation, so I willnever again purchase it.
S. Wright
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We welcome letters from members.Submission deadlines appear in theCoop Calendar. All letters will beprinted if they conform to the pub-lished guidelines. We will not know-ingly publish articles which are racist,sexist or otherwise discriminatory
The maximum length for letters is500 words. Letters must include yourname and phone number and betyped or very legibly handwritten. Edi-tors will reject letters that are illegibleor too long.
You may submit on paper, typed orvery legibly handwritten, or via emailto [email protected] oron disk.
AnonymityUnattributed letters will not be
published unless the Gazette knowsthe identity of the writer, and there-fore must be signed when submitted(giving phone number). Such letterswill be published only where a reasonis given to the editor as to why publicidentification of the writer wouldimpose an unfair burden of embar-rassment or difficulty. Such lettersmust relate to Coop issues and avoidany non-constructive, non-coopera-tive language.
FairnessIn order to provide fair, comprehen-sive, factual coverage:
1. The Gazette will not publishhearsay—that is, allegations notbased on the author's first-handobservation.
2. Nor will we publish accusations
that are not specific or are not sub-stantiated by factual assertions.
3. Copies of submissions that makesubstantive accusations against spe-cific individuals will be given to thosepersons to enable them to write aresponse, and both submissions andresponse will be published simultane-ously. This means that the originalsubmission may not appear until theissue after the one for which it wassubmitted.
The above applies to both articlesand letters. The only exceptions willbe articles by Gazette reporters whichwill be required to include theresponse within the article itself.
RespectLetters must not be personally
derogatory or insulting, even whenstrongly criticizing an individualmember's actions. Letter writers mustrefer to other people with respect,refrain from calling someone by anickname that the person never useshimself or herself, and refrain fromcomparing other people to odious fig-ures like Hitler or Idi Amin.
14 � September 8, 2011 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY
By Nancy Romer
Ispent 53 hours in Washing-ton, D.C., lock up after
being arrested for participat-ing in a nonviolent civil dis-obedience action atthe White House on themorning of August 20, 2011.Sixty-five of us sat in front ofthe White House protestingthe Keystone XL Pipeline thatPresident Obama alone hasthe ability to approve or stop.
You see, the Keystone XLPipeline will carry crude oilfrom the tar sands of Alberta,Canada through the UnitedStates, and to the Gulf ofMexico, destroying farm-lands, watersheds and indig -enous lands. On top of that,it’s probably the dirtiest oil inthe world: whole forests arebeing leveled to access thesands, and vast quantities ofwater and carbon-spewingnatural gas are needed toprocess the tar, all of whichare dramatically compound-ing climate change.
Read all about the issue,the demonstration and watcha video produced by AmyGoodman of Democracy Now!
After we were arrested onSaturday morning, hand-cuffed, put into a paddywagon, brought to the U.S.Park Service jail, processedand fingerprinted, we weredumped into a tiny cell withabout 20 other women. Short-ly thereafter, six of the women,all from the D.C.area, weresent home. The rest of us wereconsidered a “flight risk.”
We were handcuffed again,packed in another paddywagon and shipped to theD.C. women’s lock-up. Therewere 14 women, all white,ranging in age from 19 to 65from 14 different states. Wewere put into a cell with oneLatina and five Black women,held on a range of domesticviolence charges. For almosttwo days, the 20 of us stayedin a 15’ x 35’ cell with no bed-ding or beds whatsoever, justa cement floor, a toilet, fluo-rescent lights permanentlyon, and bone-chilling temper-atures. Most of the protesters,me included, were dressed insundresses or shorts becauseof the hot weather during thesit-in. To sleep, we would layon the cold floor, shivering,and occasionally pass out fora few minutes from sheerexhaustion. I got perhaps twoor three hours of sleep duringthe 53 hours we were jailed.
Every 12 hours we wereserved processed-cheesesandwiches on white bread,
plus water (and twice, terri-ble-tasting fruit punch), butthe silver lining was that thesandwiches were packaged inplastic wrap and we used thatto insulate our bare arms andlegs. On Sunday afternoon,some additional clothing wasbrought to us by loved onesand we shared the few warmerclothes we got with the 20women. Nonetheless, wefroze the second nightas well.
From the beginning, weprotesters used our collectiveorganizing skills to keep upour spirits, exercise, and haveas much fun as possible. Wedid frequent yoga and pilatessessions, played lots of differ-ent games, told stories,shared personal information,especially how we gotinvolved politically, how wefell in love, and lots of sillystuff as well. We kept busy,chose a representative to con-sult with our (volunteer)lawyer, and kept watch overeach other, caring for thosewho were ill (one protesterhad a migraine requiring a tripto the hospital), or scared.
The non-protesting womencommented on how great theexperience was, and howafraid they had been of beinglocked up. One of the localD.C. women was shocked thatnone of us had met prior tothe arrest, because we workedso well together and sharedso much in common. Whatshe was observing wasactivist culture in action. Itwas a white version thereof,but I am quite sure thatwomen-of-color activistswould find all of this veryfamiliar as well. The race dif-ference—all the protesterswere white and all of the otherwomen, both in our cell andlater at the court lockup, werewomen of color—was pre-dictable and shameful. I knowthat I went into the situationwith all of my privileges inhand: race, age, class. I didn’tworry much about my person-al safety, whereas my sisterinmates of color had everyreason to fear for their safetyat the hands of a racist systemand guards who might takeadvantage of their vulnerabili-ty. But even with thoseprivi-leges, it was prettyhair-raising for me.
At 7 a.m. on Monday morn-ing, we were again hand-cuffed, put in a paddy wagon,and driven to the DC criminalcourt house, shackled as soonas we got there, and put intoanother holding cell withother women. The noise from
women in the other cells, andthe clanking of cell doors andkeys, was deafening and rat-tling. We worried that we’d bekept yet another day. Againthe cold was intolerable, butthis time we had metalbenches to sit on: muchwarmer than cement. Weexchanged info on ourfavorite environmental booksand films, and strategizedabout how to conduct our-selves in court and consultwith legal counsel.
At 4:30 p.m. on Monday wewere released and told toleave; charges were dropped.We hugged and kissed,walked out (shackles finallyremoved), saw the 40 men inlockup and heard them cheerus as we left, went into thebuilding and were met by thesupport team ready with foodand drink. There were lots ofcheers and hugs, very littlecorporate media, though lotsof alternative media. (TheNewYork Times did have an editori-al on Sunday, August 21,2011, opposing the KeystoneXL Pipeline.) The men had itrougher, if warmer. They wereseparated into two-personcells, with almost no visibilityother than a slot. They hadtrouble communicatingbetween cells. The bunk bedswere metal with no mattress,and the top bunks were soclose to the ceiling and thefluorescent lights, that it wasdifficult to stay up there,much less rest. Their cellslacked air conditioning, sothey sweltered in the heat andhumidity. What’s more, theywere denied the possibility ofcamaraderie that we womenso enjoyed.
All of us felt it was worthit to step out and declareour opposition to policiesthat are killing our planet.We all felt that we con-tributed what we could tocall out to our people andask them to join us, to riskarrest, to give of themselvesin any way they can to dialdown the climate changethat threatens our lives, andespecially the lives of ourchildren and grand children.
Right before the sit-in, myhusband, Lew, and I visitedour 20-month-old grandson,who has a wonderful life andis being raised with an enor-mous amount of love andcare. He is a happy boy,laughing and smiling his waythrough each day. Seeing himhelped strengthen myresolve. I cannot stand by andwatch our planet deteriorate
without being part of a move-ment of resistance, and,hopefully, change.
Mostly I work on fooddemocracy issues though theBrooklyn Food Coalition,including the non-sustainabil-ity of our present food system(which currently accounts forone-third of all greenhousegases—more than personaltransportation). The issue ofthe tar sands oil that would betransported by the KeystoneXL Pipeline ignited my inter-est and determinationbecause I wanted to see theenvironmental movementbecome more militant,involve more people, andstand up to the oil, gas andcoal industry. We need a“Manhattan Project” to devel-op sustainable, renewableenergy sources. We need tocut down on energy usage, notcreate yet another source ofcarbon-producing energy. Weneed a population that standsup to the corporations andtheir puppets in the WhiteHouse, Congress, the citiesand states, and demands weinvest in renewable energyand slow down the rate of cli-mate change. Please go totarsandsaction.org and readmore about the issue. Andplease also read the New YorkTimes editorial on tar sands.
The demonstrations arestill going on in D.C., and willculminate in a big protest on
September 3rd. Please con-sider coming down to partici-pate in the sit-ins or theSeptember 3rd demonstra-tion. While those of us whoprotested on the first day ofthe action, August 20th, weredetained for more than twodays—we were told repeat -edly by the prison guards thatit was at the request of “peo-ple VERY high up”—all otherprotesters were detained forless than eight hours andreleased the same day.
The plan is to have thelargest rolling sit-in on theenvironment in history. If youcan’t come down, please fol-low the issue and tell yourfriends. Do it for yourself andthose you love, and all thosewho will come after us. Itfeels great to step out andvoice your resistance. Theplanet cannot wait for us tosummon up the courage. Weneed to do it now. Thanks forreading this.
And finally, please con -sider making a contributionto Tar Sands Action, or joiningthe Brooklyn Food Coalition,both of which are fightingagainst climate change.
With love for the presentand the future. ■
My 53 Hours in Jail Protesting the Tar Sands Oil Pipeline
Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
MemberContribution
Interested in learning more about how diversity issues affect Coop members’
shopping and work shift experiences?
Want to know more about what resources are available to
help your shift run more smoothly?
The Park Slope Food Coop’s Diversity and Equality Committee is holding a series of workshops for Squad Leaders. The goal of the two-hour workshop is to increase awareness
and understanding of diversity in the Coop. Through interactive discussions we will talkabout the values of diversity, how differences can create both collaboration and conflict
and strategies for dealing with issues of diversity. We will discuss conflicts that have arisen in the Coop, the findings of the diversity survey and
what you can do to make the Coop a more welcoming place for all.
Please call 888-922-COOP (2667) box 89 or send an e-mail to [email protected] (with “SL Training” in the subject line) to confirm your attendance and/or for more information.
In either case, please tell us your name, Coop member number, contact information and the date you are interested in attending. We will reply with a confirmation within a week.
DIVERSITY AND EQUALITY COMMITTEE
PARK SLOPE FOOD COOPWORKSLOT CREDIT (MAKE-UP OR FTOP) IS AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO ATTEND.
TRAINING DATES:Saturday, September 17, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Classified advertising in the Linewaiters’ Gazette is available only to Coop members. Publication does not imply endorsement by the Coop.
Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
To Submit Classified or Display Ads:
Ads may be placed on behalf of Coop members only. Clas-sified ads are prepaid at $15 per insertion, display ads at $30.(Classified ads in the “Merchandise–Non-commercial” cate-gory are free.) All ads must be written on a submission form.Classified ads may be up to 315 characters and spaces. Dis-play ads must be camera-ready and business card size (2" x3.5" horizontal).
Submission forms are available in a wallpocket near theelevator in the entrance lobby.
16 � September 8, 2011 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY
Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
Contact the Membership Office or
pick up a flier at the Entrance Desk to
learn more.
IMPORTANT CHANGES— that could affect your
shopping privileges — are coming to the Coop
on September 12!Starting on September 12 the Checkout/Cashier
stations will know your member status and your household status. A “suspension” could
impact your ability to shop.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Community calendar listings are free. Please submit your event listing in 50 words or lessto [email protected]. Submission deadlines are the same as for classified
ads. Please refer to the Coop Calendar in the center of this issue. An asterisk (*) denotes a Coop member.
SAT, SEP 108–10:30 p.m. Peoples’ Voice Cafe
presenting: Walkabout Clearwater
Chorus; Lydia Adams Davis. At the
Community Church of New York
Unitarian Universalist,40 East
35th St. (between Madison &
Park); for info call 212-787-3903 or
www.peoplesvoicecafe.org. Sug-
gested donation: $15-18 gener-
al/$10 members.
SUN, SEP 1111 a.m. Brooklyn Society for Eth-
ical Culture: A “We” Grows in
Brooklyn with Catherine Bor-
deau: join us as we will remem-
ber the events of ten years ago
and reflect on why community is
critical to our resilience and
what humanism has to offer.
Location: 53 PPW at 2nd street.
TUE, SEP 137:30 p.m. The Brooklyn Women’s
Chorus is having open rehearsals
to invite new members. No audi-
tions. Try it out for free, no com-
mitment. Tuesday evenings at
7:30 at the Brooklyn Society for
Ethical Culture Prospect Park
West at 2nd St. For information
www.brooklynwomenschorus.com
or call Bev Grant at 718-788-
3741. We strive to represent the
diversity of the women of Brook-
lyn; all women are welcome and
encouraged to join.
WED, SEP 147–9 p.m. Invitation by Power-
house Arena, A book launch
party for:”Thrive Foods” 200
Plant-Based Recipes for Peak
Health, by Brendan Brazier. 37
Main Street, Bklyn, NY 11201. For
information call 718-666-3049.
Please RSVP: rsvp@power-
HouseArena.com.
FRI, SEP 167:30 p.m. Concert by Renown
Progressive Troubadour David
Rovics in Brooklyn; Park Slope
United Methodist Church, 410
Sixth Ave corner of 8th St. For
more information go to: www.
nycsoaw.org.
SAT, SEP 172 p.m. Community Bookstore’s
40th Anniversary- Reading &
Party! Paul Auster, Jonathan
Safran Foer, Siri Hustvedt, Nicole
Krauss, Mary Morris and Jon Sci-
eszka will read work by their
favorite authors of the last 40
years. Reading at Old First
Church, party to follow at Com-
munity Bookstore. Free. For
information call 718-783-3075.
8–10:30 p.m. Peoples’ Voice Cafe:
Tribute to Matt Jones: Marshall
Jones, Wazir Peacock, Kim & Reg-
gie Harris, Magpie, Avon Rolins,
Errol Maitland. At The Commu-
nity Church of New York Unitari-
an Universalist, 40 East 35th St.
For info call 212-787-3903 or
www.peoplesvoicecafe.org. Sug-
gested donation: $15-18 gener-
al/$10 members
SUN, SEP 1811 a.m. Brooklyn Society for Eth-
ical Culture: Being an Overseas
Ally w/Global Movements for
Social Change with Nikhil Aziz,
executive director of Grassroots
International, on the challenges
and opportunities for supporting
global movements for social
change and human rights. Loca-
tion: 53 PPW at 2nd street
SAT, OCT 1Miles for Midwives, Prospect
Park (Bartel-Pritchard Square).
5K Fun-Run and Birth & Wellness
Fair. All ages welcome! Pee-wee
race, free wellness fair activities.
Proceeds go to promote
increased awareness of mid-
wives and the services they offer
families, and help us improve
maternity care in our city.
h t tp : / /mi les4midwivesnyc .
blogspot.com.
STEP TWO• Leave tomatoes whole, or
halved, or quartered, as youlike. Heat 8 cups of water onthe stove in a large pot (A sep-arate pot from the one that isalready simmering!). Reducethe heat, but keep water hot. Ifyou are making pints, place 1tablespoon of bottled lemonjuice in each jar (If you aredoing quarts, use two table-spoons, as the USDA recom-mends, acidifying thetomatoes for safety.) Then topeach jar with raw tomatoes.Next, ladle hot water into jarsto cover tomatoes, leaving ½inch headspace between liq-uid and top of jar. “You want tomake sure your headspace isright,” Geary says. “Jams, jel-lies, chutneys and fruit but-ters also need ¼ inch from thetop of the jar. Pickles need ½inch.” Next, slide a knife orthin spatula down the side ofthe jar to release any trappedair bubbles. “They’ll messwith your seal,” Gearyexplains. Then wipe the rimswith a damp, clean clotharound the edge of the jarthat connects with your lid.“You don’t want any food par-
ticles or stickiness, anythingthat creates a space thatwould allow oxygen in,” Gearyexpounds. “That will spoilyour food.”
STEP THREE• Lower the sealed jars
into your boiling pot andcover with a lid. Processquarts for 45 minutes, pintsfor 40 minutes. After the jarshave been processed, turn offheat and wait for water tostop boiling before removingjars. Place jars on towel orbutcher block—somethingthat absorbs heat, and pre-vents slippage—to cool. Afterthe jars have cooled com-pletely, check your seals. If itis concave—sucked in—youdid it! Press your finger in thecenter of the lid. If it does notpop up when you release yourfinger, it’s air tight.
This is a simple start. Formore adventurous recipes—like plums in vanilla syrup,soy garlic cherry tomatoes,chili pickled okra or curry cau-liflower pickles—pick up acopy of Geary’s incrediblecookbook. (Available at FortGreene’s GreenLight book-store, as well as through Ama-zon and other vendors.) ■
CanningC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 5
Kelly Geary of Sweet Deliverance, a home-delivery servicebased in Bed-Stuy.
Geary uses the summer’s bounty to create lovely treatslike jam!
