Greetings fellow Co-op members-

I'm happy to announce that the California Right To Know Genetically Engineered Food Act was submitted to the Attorney General on November 9.  

We are now gearing up to gather the 850,000 signatures we will need to get to ensure we qualify for the ballot.  We start January 4 and go until April 15 (which is the last date the state will guarantee it makes it on the Nov. 12 ballot).  We need all hands on deck for this!   Every volunteer signature gathered keeps money in our budget for the media campaign we will need next year to counter the estimated $60M we think the opposition will spend.

Please JOIN US and help get this historic initiative on the ballot.  Our first, one hour meeting for the Chico signature gathering training will be on Dec. 1 on campus.  

Please visit the labelgmos.org website for an update on the room number.  It's very helpful if you will RSVP as soon as possible so we have an idea about room size needed. You can RSVP at the Facebook event page or email me at plarry@labelgmos.org .

Join us- if you've never done signature gathering, this is a fun partnering system.  You'll get to connect with your local leader and meet others who believe that action is the road to food sovereignty.    

Thanks so much for all who had held the vision of this and trusted that it's time was now.

See you on the streets!

-Pamm Larry
plarry@labelgmos.org

Olivia Peters-Lazaro

Occupation: Owner and acupuncturist at Chico Community Acupuncture

Candidate’s Statement of Interest:

I am excited and honored to be considered for the BOD.  I have been shopping at the Co-op since before I was born: my mom was an active member during the Co-op’s infancy, and I have been shopping here since.  I grew up on my family’s walnut orchard in Chico.  As an undergraduate at UCLA I earned a BA in geography and dance: studying indigenous agriculture, urban food systems, and dance.  When I got done at UCLA I attended Five Branches University in Santa Cruz and received a Masters in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which qualified me to become a licensed acupuncturist in California and nationally.  For me, the human body is a micro version of our greater ecosystems, so practicing acupuncture and living a healthy life is integral to the health of our planet.  In a very real big way this starts with the food we eat: how we get it, what we eat, and where we get it from.  I see Chico Natural Foods Co-op as an integral part of our local food ecosystem that is striving to make people and our planet as healthy and thriving as possible.  For this reason I would like to take a turn being more than “just” a member buying my food from the Co-op, I would like a more active role in seeing Chico Natural Foods Co-op thrive.

Experience, volunteer and paid, relevant to BOD job description:

I have experience developing and maintaining sound financial practices in my small business.  As a small business owner I get daily practice communicating clearly with a wide swath of my community who come to me for their personal health, as well as coordinating volunteers and other professionals, who are all integral to the success of the clinic (my business is Chico Community Acupuncture).  Throughout my life, starting as a kid in home study, I have been part of environmental activism, including demonstrations to protect the vernal pools, working as the administrative assistant at Butte Environmental Council, and the UCLA Environmental Coalition.  I mention these because they have all given me experience in organizing people, events, coordinating people, places, and things, within the context of community involvement in local issues.  I have specific experience around food as well, currently living on and being part of my family’s commercial walnut orchard, growing most of my own produce, raising my own chickens for eggs, as well as a background in studying indigenous and urban food systems as an undergraduate.  Because of these things I understand many of the factors that are involved with choosing what products are sold as what price point, and why they would or wouldn’t support CNFC’s mission statement.

Training and education relevant to trustee job description:

For over four years I created budgets, maintained the books, interpreted stock portfolio statements, and prepared tax documents as a personal assistant.  In this capacity I facilitated communication between her, her lawyers, property manager, landlord, renters, accountant, personal caregivers, and financial advisors so that she understood the administration of her trust and personal business.  Currently I am the sole owner of a successful small business in Chico that I started in 2010.

Skills that would directly contribute to the mission of CNFC:

I am passionate about high quality, easily accessible food.  Specifically I believe that this is an integral part of a healthy person, community and planet.  CNFC is a vital resource for this.  I understand that while it may be easy to tout ideals on a flag, it takes consistent, proactive work, nitty gritty as it may be at times, to realize this vision.  I am skilled at listening to the needs of people, be that as a group of members, the staff, BOD, or community, and reflecting a way to meet that need within the mission of CNFC.  I am intimately aware of many aspects of that sandwich bread sitting on the shelf:  the process in which the wheat was grown, how that farmer is able to make a livelihood, the marketing for the product, CNFC’s access to that product and our ability to offer it to the community, and how that bread will affect the person’s body when they eat it!  Being a small business owner (offering affordable and accessible healthcare) I understand what it takes to provide my community with a valuable service that benefits their daily life.  What I have learned the most in the process is how to provide clear, concise, honest, compassionate communication with each individual and to the community at large.  When this happens, people are empowered to use your clinic, or your grocery store!

Experience on a committee or with an organization in the past that used active member participation to achieve its goals:

In 2005 I was the administrative assistant at Butte Environmental Council.  One of the greatest things I got to do while I was there was be the lead organizer for the Endangered Species Fair.  The success of this event was based on the hard work of people in previous years who had set up a clear, and organized system for making the Fair happen.  Following their guidelines I was able to:  solicit personal donations, organize dinner fundraisers, online-fundraising campaigns, recruit the help of the BOD for critical tasks, market the event in the community primarily using free media coverage, run a contest to obtain original artwork for the Fair, recruit and coordinate volunteers for the day of the event, network with local ngos, nonprofits, and community service organizations to set up booths, organized pre-Fair work days to execute critical elements of the Fair, while maintaining daily functions of the BEC office.  My clinic is able to offer acupuncture on an affordable sliding scale in a large part because my patients make use of simple systems that put their care into their own hands:  self-pay station, choosing their own chair, using on-line and self-schedule book in the clinic, spreading the word about special events, and referring their community to the clinic, all perpetuate the goal of the clinic which is to offer effective, affordable, accessible care to the Chico and surrounding communities.  Chico Community Acupuncture (my business) is part of the People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture (a professional, patient based, national cooperative), and we have volunteers in the clinic who help with reception work, cleaning, and more. Their volunteering is invaluable to my ability to focus time and energy providing acupuncture and herbal care to the folks who walk in the door.

Experience with making sound financial decisions or operating a successful business and ability to read and interpret a balance sheet and income statement:

I started Chico Community Acupuncture in April 2010.  We offer acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine on a $15-35 sliding scale.  This is the first business I have owned and/or started and operated.  This year’s projected estimated gross is $80,000.  It is a small business, started with about an $8000 personal investment.  I am keenly aware of how to put together and maintain a sound budget.  My experience as a personal assistant mentioned earlier as well as running my current business has given me experience reading and interpreting balance sheets and income statements.  In all honesty, this is the area that I can most improve.  To this end I am a member of the Chico Chamber of Commerce and make use of what professional development classes they offer, as well as Butte College’s program for small businesses.  That being said I am the one who does the books for my business, and I am able to get help from good people and ask the right questions to make sure that I am optimizing the finances of the business.

Experience in working on a business or enterprise budget:

Starting my own business last year it was crucial to have a realistic budget and generate startup funding based on the expected growth of the business.  It worked out well and the business continues to grow.  As it does I am able to adjust the budget accordingly to meet the needs of the business and its employee (me).

Prior or comparable experience on a board or oversight committee:

I have never served on a board or oversight committee.  The work I did at BEC involved working with committees of people (the BOD, people working on the Endangered Species Faire), the environmental activism I have been would always involve a group of people in charge of a particular campaign that we would then utilize our human and other resources to achieve the goal.

Experience with long-range planning:

My life up to this point has used tons of long-range planning!  Part of starting a business is looking at its long rang goals, objectives, and mission.  I am a “big picture” thinker in general, with an aptitude for then setting smaller goals and plans to accomplish that long-range plan.

Experience in which you used problem solving skills in a task-oriented group:

Each day in the clinic the volunteers and I work out better ways to make the clinic easier for the patients to use, and for us to manage their flow in and out of the clinic.  We have a variety of tools at our disposal, including signs directing people, consistent verbal cues, and scheduling software.  One problem recently: a patient requested that there be something for her to rest her head on in the treatment chair.  My volunteers and I looked into making headrest covers, the cost of that and then washing them and maintaining them, the cost of disposable headrest covers and where to source them.  It turned out to be most feasible, at least right now, to have the disposable paper headrest covers.  We made those available to those patients who wish to use one.  A volunteer made an appropriately worded sign, with directions on it, and we put it in a good spot with some rearranging of treatment room supplies.  I know that seems like a very simple “problem” but it required that we find a way to accommodate a reasonable request within the framework of a clinic system that is for all intents and purposes working very well.  The volunteers are some of the best resources for implementing changes in the way the patient interfaces with the clinic because they are patients themselves, and see how the “back end” of the clinic works as well.  They are great folks to collaborate with.

Recently, several CNFC employees were given the opportunity to spend 4+ hours touring and learning about Lundberg Family Farms.  We had a great time with Bryce Lundberg, a 3rd generation rice farmer, who played tour guide for the day.  To learn about the beautiful family history of Lunberg Family Farm, visit their website!  Below are photos from our trips with a few of the things we learned.

Bryce standing in a field of Organic Akita Komachi Rice (sushi rice).  Lundberg grows 17 varieties of rice.

Lundberg plants all their rice by seeds, not by transplants from a nursery.   For grass invasion management they use water rather than chemicals.  They do this by drowning the grass for 24 days.  For some weeds, such as Red Berry, they do the opposite and dry the soil. 

Bryce claims that Lundberg rice is the best in the world because of it's location between the Feather River and the Sacramento River.  This allows us to have wet area in winter and dry in the summer.  Other rice producing areas, such as Asia, have consistent humidity which causes disease and insects.

A view from the top of one of Lundberg's many storage bins.  They currently utilize 20,000 acres of rice.  5,000 of which is their own (split between 4 Lundberg families branches).  The rest is owned by 35 local farmers, some of whom have grown for them for over 30 years.  Of the 20,000 acres, 15,000 are farmed organically.

One of the original shippers.

A view of more Lundberg buildings from the top of the rice storage bins.

It’s the final week September and time to finish this challenge with a bang! Unfortunately I missed both markets last week so I was forced to get creative and use what I had left in my fridge. After a quick tally, I found I had potatoes, more tomatoes (of course), garlic, and basil from the garden. Plus brown rice, millet, lemons, a cucumber, the last of the green onions and mozzarella that I picked up from the Coop.

I found that the simplest mixtures of things usually turned out the best. In which case, I made tabouleh for the first time using the millet, cherry tomatoes, green onions, cucumber and basil. Not your traditional tabouleh I know, but the substitutions turned out tasty and this prepared meal is great to pull quickly from the fridge.

Those extra potatoes and garlic from the garden, paired with my Berkeley olive oil, a bit of dill and fresh juice from a lemon tasted wonderfully together. I boiled the potatoes, then whisked the other ingredients together and added them in. I ate some warm right after I made it and also put them in the fridge for later.

With the surplus of tomatoes and basil, you’d think by now I would have used it to make many caprese salads, but this week was the first. The heirloom tomatoes just soaked up the balsamic vinegar and olive oil perfectly and the combination was mouth watering. I learned from the students at the school to top this with fresh pesto for an even better mixture. I think this is what I’ll make every week until my beloved tomatoes are gone from the vine.

Maybe I’ve had it easy because I had local food easily accessible from the garden, but this challenge did in fact, challenge me. I’ve made dishes using ingredients I never thought to combine before, like beets and carrots. And I’ve learned just how good it feels, to my body and mind, to know that what I eat comes from a good source. But I think I’ve learned most importantly, how easy it can be to eat local once you make the attempt to do so.

We have so many great resources, the Coop especially included, that feeding yourself and your family local foods can be done. I hope you’ve enjoyed my posts and pictures and have learned a few recipes yourself. So, until we meet again, bon apetit!

       Last Monday I attended the Chico City Council’s monthly Sustainability Task Force Meeting, chaired by Mayor Ann Schwab. If there’s one thing you should know about Task Force Meetings, it’s that THEY ARE YOUR MEETINGS. THEY ARE TOTALLY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND THEY RELY ON YOUR INPUT AND WHEN YOU DON’T COME THE MAYOR MISSES YOU. She said it, in so many words. You can get in the loop here: http://www.chico.ca.us/city_council/home_page.asp. This particular one was, for the most part, a presentation and discussion on the future of WASTE in Chico. That’s A LOT to think about.
      A representative from the Butte County Solid Waste Division spoke for a long time about efforts at the Neal Road Recycling and Waste Facility (the artist formerly known as the Neal Road Landfill). In the past several years, there has been an unprecedented drop in pounds of waste brought to the landfill. This is due in part to both mandatory and voluntary recycling efforts, especially in the construction business. It’s in part due to more people recycling as a source of revenue. It also is a reflection of the economy plummeting since 2006. This is mostly a positive thing. The folks at Neal Road want to see less trash buried. The folks on the council want to see less trash buried. The representatives of our two city waste haulers, Waste Management and Recology, they want to see less trash buried. And the interested citizens and business representatives that attended the meeting also want to see less trash buried. Nobody likes trash.
     Here’s the thing though, less trash means less income for the Neal Road Facility, and they need to hit a certain bottom line in order to afford the fees landfills must pay to ensure there is money for maintenance and cleanup after they are closed, not to mention the salaries of the minimal staff and the costs of maintenance and current projects.
It’s sticky like the inside of a dumpster.
     The rep shared a lot of information, some facts and figures, and an estimate of how long until the landfi---er, Recyling and Waste Facility is full. He shared some really interesting developments too. Had you heard of Landfill Mining? Me either. But it’s obvious in a way, and kind of cute. It’s like a hide-and-go-seek game we’ve invented to keep ourselves entertained: hide millions of tons of valuable material in a pile with dirty diapers and Styrofoam packaging, then see how fast you can dig it all up again to make more new things! The only losers would be any species and ecosystems harmed or obliterated by the processes in between. Still, kind of a fun game.
     They’re also in the process of building a system to reclaim the methane released from the landfill for power. Though it’s not released into the atmosphere (it’s currently burned) harnessing it is a much more sustainable (and profitable) option. Other hopes and plans at the facility include building a recycling plant on site. The hope is that, in the future, rather than being able to dump everything in the hole, haulers will have to pass through a recyclables audit, and can either sort their own or pay to have staff do it. These recyclable materials could be a source of income for the facility, but again, the money to create the system will have to come from somewhere.
    Like, I said, sticky dumpster.
    It seemed to me that a lot of these problems would be solved before they ever even happened if the responsibility for materials and their lifecycles did not just rest on the shoulders of city government. What if consumers, and bygolly, manufacturers were required to be responsible for their own things? I was told that this was a big component of the city’s plan, working down the supply chain.
     This meeting was just an informational presentation. There is a sub-group devoted specifically to the issue of waste, and I asked to be added to that mailing list. Are you interested? You can be added too. Get in touch with General Services Administrative Manager Linda Herman at lherman@ci.chico.ca.us.
      But wait, there’s more! There was an exciting presentation about a recent collaboration between the city, PG+E, Butte College and Chico State to help improve homes. They do an audit of the house as a holistic unit, create a prioritized, step by stap plan for the most effective home-improvements, and provide training to contractors to apply these systems to their buildings. It struck me as an innovative program, that was well supported, and is coming up with inspiring results. How often do you hear something like that?
      At the very end, there was an announcement from the rep of a new business in town, GRID Alternatives. This is a group that provides training to volunteers to do solar installation for qualifying low-income homes. They’ve had great success on the East Coast and in the Bay Area, and just arrived in Chico a few weeks ago. Check them out here: http://www.gridalternatives.org/
     I’ll be at the next one on Monday, Oct. 3 at 5:30 pm. See you there?