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What's
Cooking?
Another year seems to be flying by. This month (October) our Manly Food
Co-op shop will be half a year old. The way time is passing, Christmas will
be upon me before I've had a chance to get accustomed to Spring. While we're
musing on the subject of seasons, your Newsletter has been seasonally transformed.
From now on, you'll be receiving it quarterly. Sind your teeth into some
good reading in this, our inaugural 'Spring' issue. What a great season
for a new start!
The Co-op has had another new start, or maybe it's more of a Spring clean,
with our Values and Ethics Workshop on Sunday, 28 September. Twenty keen
Co-op members sacrificed a gloriously sunny afternoon to contribute their
feedback and ideas. We talked about what the Co-op represents for each of
us personally, and how we collectively see its purpose. Our exchange of
ideas culminated in a Co-op Mission Statement thatĖs 99% finalised. No mean
feat for 20 people in less than 4 hours! Our Mission Statement led to a
discussion of what kinds of Values support it. We then looked at how these
Values would be embodied in a Code of Behaviours. We gave this process a
pretty good kick start. ThereĖs lots more work to be done on these issues
before weĖll have everything down in black and white. But once we have agreed
upon Co-op Values and established a clear Code of Behaviours, setting specific
policies for all our Co-op operations will be a breeze! A big thanks to
everyone who showed up for their valuable input. And a special thanks to
Caroline Butler, our facilitator for the afternoon. Caroline helped us to
stay on target and achieve all that we did.
If you missed out on the Workshop and would like to share your ideas, you
can have your say at our committee meetings, held in the Co-op on the 1st
Thursday of each month at 7pm. The next meeting will be held on 6 November
and all members are welcome to attend. Do you fancy a bigger audience?
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Or
are you more of a 'one meeting a year is plenty' type? Well, your opportunity
to shine is fast approaching. The Manly Food Co-op Annual General Meeting
will be held upstairs at the Co-op on Saturday, 29 November from 5:00pm
to 6/6:30pm. ItĖs a great opportunity for you to have your say, or even
run for office. Our 5 current directors must stand down and be re-elected
(or replaced by newcomers). Positions are also open for a Secretary, Treasurer,
PR Officer, Volunteer Coordinator, Cleaning Coordinator and Social Secretary.
For more details on the AGM, see the Agenda posted on the noticeboard
at the Co-op.
And just in case the AGM puts you to sleep, we have devised the perfect
post AGM pick-me-up. Yes, itĖs another Bush Dance Fundraiser! Right after
the serious stuff you can let your hair down and have some fun! And support
your Co-op. See the boxed advertisement in this edition for all the details.
Polish
up
your dancing shoes |
It's
another (Waste FREE) Bush Dance Fundraiser!
Complete with professional bush dance and multicultural dance callers,
Door Prizes and more!
When:
Saturday 29 November 7:30pm to 12:00am (right after the AGM)
Where:
North
Steyne Surf Life Saving Club - North Steyne, Manly
Cost:
Adults - $8.00 / Concession - $6.00 / Kids FREE!
Tickets available at the door.
Please bring a plate of food to share - Drinks will be available for
purchase. |
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- PAGE 2 - |
Dip In!
We now sell Hommous. It's made entirely with organic ingredients (including
filtered spring water) and lots of loving care by our member, Carole Douglas.
For a taste sensation, dip some of our yummy nibblies in it, like Tapioca
Chips, Corn Chips, or organic carrot and celery sticks. We guarantee you'll
be back for more!
Say Cheese!
If you like Ricotta cheese, you'll like it even better, bulk from the Co-op.
You can use it instead of cottage cheese in your favourite recipes too.
Enjoy a glass of fine wine with our mouthwatering Timboon cheeses. You can
choose from Buetten (similar to Havarti), Buetten with caraway seeds, Brie
and Herb Torte. All Timboon cheeses are Bio-Dynamic and are made using plant
rennet. They are also free of additives and preservatives.
Fancy a Cuppa?
Dust off your finest china teacup, for afternoon tea may never be the same
again. Our new herbal teas are exotic, aromatic and colourful. Experience
the delights of Lemon & Light (Nettle, Calendula, Lemon Thyme & Lemon Balm),
Highland Blend (Calendula, Spearmint and Bergamot) and Yep Tea (Yarrow,
Elderflower and Peppermint Ō itĖs great for colds and flu) at a price you
can afford (you can fill a 390gm Hakea yoghurt jar for as little as $2.00).
All the teas are organic (certified A grade by Biological Farmers of Australia)
and come from Highland Herbs, a family-owned business in Tasmania.
Pining for Pesto?
Attention all pesto lovers! Whiz up your next batch of pesto with pine nuts
fresh from the Co-op! They taste wonderful mixed in a spinach salad too.
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Have you ever noticed how people tend to gravitate towards what they know?
Unfamiliar territory can be somewhat daunting, even when it is in your own
kitchen. I'm no exception. I avoid cooking foods I don't know how to prepare
and steer clear of those I can't recognise, let alone pronounce the names
of. Working in the Co-op has put me in dangerously close contact with some
of my 'unknowns'. I've also come face-to-face with several people who don't
share my fears at all (and they seem quite normal). This experience has
made me wonder? What if some of the foods I cook with all the time are someone
else's 'unknowns'. While pondering on all this and the greater meaning of
life, I decided it's time I embarked on a journey through unfamiliar territory.
Join the adventure! In this edition, we venture on a marine mystery tour
of Poseidon's veggie garden - seaweed. For those of you who are already
seaweed-friendly, please bear with the rest of us. We'll explore your uncharted
waters in a later edition.
Veggies
Afloat
As a child, I remember swimming speedily over beds of slimy seaweed at the
beach. I imagined that if I were to stop, I might never get out alive, my
body sucked into the eerie depths by millions of long rubbery tongues and
swallowed - whole. The probability of being eaten was a fate worse than
death by drowning. These days I gleefully avenge my once potential demise
with a sharp knife and stabbing fork! You might find the idea of eating
seaweed more palatable when you discover it is not actually a 'weed' at
all but a specialised form of algae. Well, then again, maybe not. Just think
of it as a vegetable of the sea. |
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How can I be sure that the product I am buying is in fact, organic?
National organic growing standards have been established by the National
Association for Sustainable Agriculture of Australia (NASAA), the Biological
Farmers of Australia (BFA) and the Bio-Dynamic Farmers of Australia (Demeter
label). NASAA's certification system has been internationally evaluated
by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, (IFOAM)
and meets its standards. Here's how the NASAA system works:
Level A: Certified 'Organic'
Produce must be grown without the use of synthetic fertilisers, synthetic
pesticides, growth regulators, antibiotics or hormone stimulants.
Level B: Certified 'Conversion to Organic'
This is similar to Level A, except that the farmer has been farming organically
for less than 2 years.
Level C: Certified 'Sustainable'
The product may contain small amounts of some products that do not meet
criteria for Levels A and B.
When you see this symbol you know the product has been certified 'organic'
by NASAA. Certification by the Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) comprises
3 levels which correspond to NASAA's Levels A, B and C.
When you see this symbol you know the product has been evaluated by the
BFA and certified 'organic' and/or 'biodynamic'.
Any food sold under the International Demeter Trade Mark must have been
produced according to the Bio-Dynamic agricultural method. Bio-Dynamic certification
also comprises 3 levels, which correspond to Levels A, B and C set by NASAA.
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This symbol is the 'Demeter' TradeMark. When you see it you can be assured
that the product is certified 'biodynamic'. In order to meet Level A certification,
Bio-Dynamic farmers must ensure that anything used in production (eg feed
for livestock) is also Bio-Dynamic.
How will eating organically grown products make a difference to me, or
to the health of my planet?
Well, here are just 5 ways you can benefit from eating organically produced
food:
- It tastes better - Because farmers select plant varieties carefully,
grow them in soil high in available nutrients and allow them to ripen
naturally.
- It's more nutritious - Because organic produce is grown in healthy
soil, it contains more protein, vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
- It's safer to eat - Because no synthetic pesticides and fertilisers
are used to prevent pests and disease or to promote growth and improve
appearance, organic produce is free from harmful chemical residues.
- It keeps better - Because organic produce is lower in water content
and has healthier cell structure, it deteriorates more slowly after
it's harvested.
- It's ecologically sound- Because organic agricultural methods do
not include the use of synthetic chemicals, there is less damage to
the environment through water and air pollution.
Our classified advertisement for the position of EPA Project Officer appeared
in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Manly Daily on 27 September 1997. The
response has been excellent. By the time this newsletter reaches you, applications
will have closed and our EPA project committee will be busy selecting the
best candidate for the job. Good luck to all applicants! |
- PAGE 7 - |
Do you have a product or service you want to advertise to our members? Well,
as of the next newsletter (Summer edition) we will make advertising space
available at a reasonable cost. Call the Co-op for details.
At the turn of this century, our natural global environment was relatively
clean and stable. The twentieth century has witnessed the building of an
unprecedented standard of luxury for upper and middle-class citizens of
developed nations. Our global economy now produces as much in seventeen
days as that of our grandparents did in the year 1900. And our economy is
dependent on the use of our planet's natural resources.
Did you know that since the middle of this century, the world has doubled
its per capita use of energy, steel, copper and wood? Or that in the same
period consumption of meat has doubled, and car ownership has quadrupled?
The increase for new materials like plastic and aluminium is higher still!
Since 1940, the USA alone has used up as much of the earth's mineral resources
as did everyone, everywhere before them put together. How much longer can
our earth sustain such consumption?
(Source - How Are We To Live, by Peter Singer, 1993)
Do you need to do a couple of hour's work for the Co-op to keep shopping
at the member price? Or do you want to do extra work so you can qualify
for our extra discount? Many of our members are keen to contribute, but
can't work in the shop because of the opening hours. If this sounds like
you, here are some other ways you can contribute to earn your 'Energy Points'.
The Co-op needs someone to help with account keeping (bookkeeping etc).
We also need someone to do data entry on the computer. Both jobs would be
done on a regular basis and can be done outside shop hours. |
If you're not available on a regular basis, you can help organise special
events. We need volunteers to organise our next Bush Dance, on 29 November.
If you can do any of these jobs and want to earn some 'Energy Points', please
call the Co-op today!
Is your garage a growing repository for 'still useful' things waiting to
be sold at a garage sale 'one of these days'? Your Co-op just may be able
to help relieve you of some of your cobweb-covered burden. If your garage
houses an awning to fit the shopfront, something suitable for grinding seeds
(a coffee grinder would be great) or kitchen utensils (like tongs, spoons
and scoops) we'd like to hear from you.
Fancy the idea of a moveable feast? What about a Co-op picnic on a Sunday
each month over the summer season? Our idea is to alternate venues between
Shelly Beach and Fairlight Pool beach. We'll set some dates in time for
the AGM and post them at the Co-op. Blow up your beach balls!
Over Seas
A 'Rosebud' for Gill McConnell and Ray Lansom. They have donated a Co-op
advertisement in the Sailing Instructions of the Manly Yacht Club. This
annual publication will be read by Club members at least fortnightly. Thank
you Ray and Gill. What a sailing idea!
A Stopper On Corked Wine
A 'Rotten Egg' for Classic Packaging Pty Ltd. They have plans afoot to manufacture
Supreme Cork, an American invention made from a high grade polypropylene
compound. It's designed to replace the real thing (no pun intended). Many
vineyards are already sold on this new synthetic product because it won't
affect the taste of the wine, won't break and won't allow air to spoil a
top vintage. All good points, but at what long term cost to our environment?
To add insult to injury, the Supreme Cork stoppers can be made to look and
feel like natural cork. Why bother? Lindeman's and Hardy's are already packaging
some wines with the new invention. |
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