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Zero Waste Strategies

Solving the world’s waste problem isn’t a quick or easy fix, but there are still plenty of ways that we can support positive change. Join Ben Kogan of Reusable Solutions in this empowering conversation where we’ll explore opportunities to reduce our personal impact on this planetary problem. We’ll learn more about the path an item takes when we throw it “away” or recycle it, we’ll hear about circular systems of reuse, and we’ll brainstorm swaps to reduce the number of items in need of disposal. Come with your questions and ideas, leave with a free reusable utensil set and a renewed commitment to a zero-waste lifestyle!

Ben Kogan is the Founder of Reusable Solutions, a sustainability consulting company focused on eradicating single-use plastic, breaking free from fossil fuels, and transitioning us to a circular economy. The company was started in 2020 and it houses various sustainability projects. Some of those include: organizing Imagine Zero: an aspiring zero carbon and zero waste music festival scheduled for May 13 2023, establishing the VT Can Carrier Reuse Program, and most relevant to this event, giving educational talks about Zero Waste. He lives in Woodstock, Vermont with his wife and son.

Advance registration is required. Please register at least one week in advance. This class is capped at 20 participants. Enrollment is first-come, first-served. All classes are $30, or FREE for members of the Co-op’s Food For All Program. To register, email Denise at the Hannaford Career Center (dsenesac@pahcc.org) or call (802) 382-1004. 

Parsi and Indian Subcontinental Cuisine

Delna’s journey from India to California to Singapore to New York and, finally, to Vermont, has given her vast experience to understand different global cuisine. She seeks to share with her Vermont community the rich heritage of Parsi cuisine, which evolved from Persian cuisine, and Indian subcontinental cuisine, which is diverse and not just limited to the widely popular North Indian food in America. Join Delna in this hands-on class where we’ll prepare a few of her favorites. Delna’s approach to home-style cooking centers fun and creativity while building kitchen confidence with basic knowledge, simple techniques, and local ingredients!

 

Delna Khambatta is the founder/owner of Delna’s Kitchen, located in Williston, VT, where she prepares ready-to-eat frozen meals inspired by her rich cultural heritage. She grew up in the predominantly vegetarian state of Gujarat but enjoys cooking all regional cuisine. Historically, the Parsis descended from Persian Zoroastrians who migrated to India in the 7th century AD after Arabs invaded Persia. Thus, you can taste the influence of other Indian subcontinental cuisine, given the adoption of local ingredients and spices. When she isn’t cooking up meals to stock the shelves at Co-ops and other local retailers, Delna enjoys culinary teaching, catering, hosting pop-up kitchens, and making pottery. She enjoys adding creative twists to traditional family recipes, substituting local and plant-based ingredients whenever possible. Her culinary instruction focuses on home-style Indian regional cuisine, which is balanced and very different than what is typically served in Indian restaurants in America. Her style of cooking is easy and simple to follow, focusing on simple techniques and inspired by local ingredients.
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Advance registration is required. Please register at least one week in advance. Classes are capped at 12 participants. Enrollment is first-come, first-served. All classes are $30, or FREE for members of the Co-op’s Food For All Program. To register, email Denise at the Hannaford Career Center (dsenesac@pahcc.org) or call (802) 382-1004. 

Rally for Change February 9-15 for Addison County Restorative Justice Services!

 

Round Up Your Totals at the Registers February 9-15 for Addison County Restorative Justice Services…

…The Co-op Will Match Your Donation!

 

We are so excited to Rally for this local organization that is committed to tackling some of the most challenging circumstances that our community encounters.  If you are not familiar with Addison County Restorative Justice Services, please read on to learn more from them, in their own words:

 Who We Are

We are a non-profit organization dedicated to providing Restorative Justice programs to the residents of Addison County. Our goals are to provide opportunities for program participants to fully appreciate the impact their offense has had on the affected party and the community. Participants are also given the opportunity to repair the harm caused by their actions and build the skills necessary to avoid future involvement with the juvenile or criminal justice system.

Court Diversion

  Addison County Court Diversion is a confidential referral program that offers an alternative to regular court proceedings. Participants are expected to meet with a volunteer review panel that operates under the “Balanced Approach” restorative justice model, which balances the needs of the affected party (victim), the community, and the program participant (offender). The goals during the process of creating an appropriate agreement for the participant are to; compensate the victim for loss,  compensate the community for its resources, and help the program participant understand and accept responsibility for their crime, as well as gain the skills necessary to prevent future offenses. 

Reparative Panel Program Youth Substance Awareness Safety Program

This program is a referral program for higher-level offenders.  Referrals may come directly from the Court or as a requirement of probation.  It focuses on four goals of repairing the harm to the affected party (victim) of the crime and the community. It also provides an opportunity for the program participant (offender) to be accountable for their actions, understand the impact their actions have had on others, and learn ways to avoid re-offending.  The participant meets with the Reparative Panel, made up of community volunteers who, with the participant, create an agreement that addresses these four goals.  Participants then work with the Case Manager to complete the tasks. Upon successful completion of a Reparative agreement, the case manager will send a notice of successful completion to the Court or probation officer. If a participant fails to complete the program, their case will be returned unsuccessfully to the court for further action.

 Safe Driving Class

This program is a referral program for higher-level offenders.  Referrals may come directly from the Court or as a requirement of probation.  It focuses on four goals of repairing the harm to the affected party (victim) of the crime and the community. It also provides an opportunity for the program participant (offender) to be accountable for their actions, understand the impact their actions have had on others, and learn ways to avoid re-offending.  The participant meets with the Reparative Panel, made up of community volunteers who, with the participant, create an agreement that addresses these four goals.  Participants then work with the Case Manager to complete the tasks. Upon successful completion of a Reparative agreement, the case manager will send a notice of successful completion to the Court or probation officer. If a participant fails to complete the program, their case will be returned unsuccessfully to the court for further action.

 COSA

COSA is a re-entry program based on a  successful international restorative justice model of assisting high-level offenders, including those with sexual offenses, to reintegrate into their communities from incarceration. Trained COSA volunteers work in teams and meet weekly with the participant or core member, and the Restorative Programs Coordinator to support his/her return to the community and management of everyday living. The circle holds the core member accountable for adherence to post-release expectations and for developing healthy relationships in their life and within the community.  

 Reentry

The Reentry program assists high-level offenders to reintegrate into their communities from incarceration. Services may include Reintegration Reparative Panels, Reentry Navigation, Family Conferencing, and Educational workshops. The goal of these services is to improve community and victim safety, improve the coordination of support, services, and community connections, establish and maintain clear expectations for healthy community behaviors, and repair relationships between the participants and the community.

Conflict Assistance

ACRJS staff is available to help community members, community organizations, Town officials, ACSDVT schools, and Addison County Police Departments address community conflict and safety concerns before a crime is committed. Examples include neighborhood conflicts, landlord/tenant disputes, student conflicts, and more. Approaches vary to fit the circumstances.

Addison County Restorative Justice Services 

A Community Approach to Repairing Harm and Restoring Relationships 

282 Boardman Street, Middlebury, VT 05753; Phone: (802)388-3888   Fax: (802)388-5754; Website:  www.acrjs.org

 

The Great Empty Bowl Silent Auction is at the Co-op 11/01-11/30

For more than 30 years, the Co-op has had the pleasure of collaborating with Middlebury Studio School to help us orchestrate an Empty Bowl Fundraiser to benefit local food shelves, CVOEO, and HOPE.  The Studio School has been instrumental in coordinating dozens of local potters to create 50 bowls for this event, each year.   Thank you, Middlebury Studio School friends!

For the third year, the Co-op is hosting The Great Empty Bowl Silent Auction.  From 11/01 to 11/30, stop by the Co-op to view beautiful hand-made bowls from Middlebury Studio School.  When you find one that’s meant for you or someone you love, please write your bid, your name, and your phone number on our auction list, next to the bowl of your choice.  A photograph of each bowl, with a corresponding number, will be included on the list.  Bids start at $30 (the usual cost of an Empty Bowl Dinner ticket).  The Co-op will match all final bids (maximum total match will be $5,000).  Once the auction is over on 11/30, we’ll contact all participants with top bids to arrange for payment and pick-up.

Here’s How to Participate:

– Take a look at these beautiful bowls, handmade and donated by the generous artists at Middlebury Studio School.

– When you find one (or more!) that you like, match the number on the bowl to the number on the Auction List (center table).  Fill in your name, phone number, and your bid (bidding starts at $30 and must increase by at least $10 for each additional bid).

– The auction ends on 11/30.  After that date, if you have placed the highest bid on a bowl, we will contact you to let you know, so you can stop by to pay for and pick up your bowl.

The Co-op Will Match The Highest Bids for Every Bowl (maximum total match will be $5,000)

“Empty Bowls” is an international project to fight hunger, personalized by artists and arts organizations on a community level.  It was founded by Lisa Blackburn and Art teacher John Hartom in 1990-91 when they joined a drive to raise charitable funds in his Michigan community. Hartom’s idea was to organize a charitable event to give artists and art students a way to make a personal difference. Hartom’s students made ceramic bowls in their high school art classes. The finished products were then used as individual serving pieces for a fund-raising meal of soup and bread. Contributing guests kept the empty bowl.

Today, hundreds of communities hold some version of an Empty Bowls event.  Their efforts support food-related charities around the world and have raised millions of dollars to aid in the fight against hunger.  Although the sponsors of the events may differ widely – from glass blowers to churches to Co-ops like ours, their goals remain the same:

  • Raise as much money as possible to feed the world’s hungry people.
  • Increase awareness of hunger and related issues. Through education, awareness, and action, concerned individuals can change human attitudes that allow hunger to exist.
  • Advocate for arts education. Nurturing the creative process through the arts enhances the possibility of finding new solutions to old problems.

According to Hunger Free Vermont, right now, 2 in 5 people in Vermont are experiencing hunger. Please place a bid at our Empty Bowl Auction and be a part of the effort to wipe out hunger in Addison County.

 

Rally for Change October 6-12 for Homes First Vermont!

 

Round Up Your Totals at the Registers October 6-12 for Homes First Vermont…The Co-op Will Match Your Donation!

 

We are so excited to Rally for this local organization that is committed to tackling Addison County’s housing crisis in a very innovative way.  If you are not familiar with Homes First VT, please take a moment to hear from them about who they are and what they do:

We are:

  •  A group of 7 residents who meet regularly to generate and leverage community partnerships to alleviate our housing crisis
  •  Motivated by the community, not profit. This is not paid work for any of us.
  •  Committed to housing a person in our county who is unable to afford the market rate.
  •  Not debt- fund any part of this process, to keep costs low.
  •  Only interested in helping to build attractive, environmentally, and economically sustainable homes.
  •  Incorporated as a 501c3, HomesFirstVT. We have a website: https://homesfirstvt.org/

 We have strong and collaborative relationships with the area non-profits involved in affordable housing. 

The Homes First Crew

 HomesFirstVT Long-term vision:

A village of 9-12 ‘right-size’ homes with a community gathering space, situated within walking distance or on the bus line in Addison County. This is very intentionally an alternative to affordable housing developments.

Short-term goal:

To build homes by the community, one by one, funded by the community to offer necessary homes as soon as possible. Hannaford Career Center has agreed to build one per year for as long as HomesFirstVT is the ‘middleman’. We hope to have other voluntary crews building simultaneously, once we receive enough funding.

Our Board of 7-10 members of HomesFirstVT will determine the best resident for this home, ensuring the future viability of this model. We have relationships with the area nonprofits that work in this space; one of our board members works at CSAC and on the Housing Coalition of Addison County. We envision this first home to be lived in by a beloved person working in our community who cannot afford the rent.

HomesFirstVT wants to ensure that this home is allowing a person to live in our county that otherwise is unable to do this. We intend to work with local banks to learn about loan options that might allow for home ownership.  Payment received by the renter/owner will be used towards the building of future tiny homes.

For more information, please visit:  HomesFirstVT.org

 

 

 

 

 

Fundraiser: Share The Harvest On Thursday, October 6th

Fundraiser: Buy Your Produce on Thursday, 10/6 – The Co-op Will Donate 30% of Produce Sales to Share the Harvest!

On Thursday, October 7th, 2022 your Co-op will donate 30% of all Produce Sales to the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont‘s Farm Share Program.  What’s this all about?  Read on to learn what NOFA VT has planned for this year’s Share the Harvest event!

Share the Harvest is a great opportunity for you to support the Farm Share Program, which provides income-eligible Vermonters with the opportunity to support their local CSA farmer and receive reliable access to high-quality produce on weekly basis all season long.

With your support, the Farm Share Program assists hundreds of individuals and families in accessing a season’s worth of fresh farm products by providing half off of the cost of shares. Throughout October, generous restaurants, coops, breweries, and food stores statewide participated in Share the Harvest. When the public eats out or shops at participating businesses in October, the businesses made a donation to the Farm Share Program.  

If you were not able to join us for Share the Harvest this year, you can still make a gift to support the Farm Share Program today! See the DONATIONS section below and please consider making a donation today.

Share the Harvest is a win-win scenario! Here’s how it works:

  1. Eat out or shop at generous participating businesses during the month of October
  2. Participating businesses donate $ to NOFA-VT’s Farm Share Program
  3. The $ goes to farmers to help subsidize limited-income Vermonters’ participation in their local CSA
  4. Folks (who might not otherwise be able to afford it) can join their local CSA at half the cost and receive delicious, healthy food all season long!

DONATIONS

Donations to the Farm Share Program are always welcomed and are accepted year round. If you would like to contribute to the Farm Share Program, you can do so online or download this form (pdf) to make a donation by mail.  

NOFA Vermont’s Farm Share Program is a great way that limited-income Vermonters can afford to purchase CSA (community supported agriculture) shares of fresh produce from their local farmers. Donations to the Farm Share Program go into a fund which helps subsidize CSA shares to needy Vermonters. NOFA Vermont believes that all Vermonters should be able to eat local organic food, regardless of their income level, while also making sure farmers get a good wage for their hard work.

Demand for Farm Share Program support is significant. The Farm Share Program is funded by individual donations and by the annual Share the Harvest fundraiser.

If you know of a restaurant, brewery, co-op, or food store who would like to participate in Share the Harvest 2021 or partner with the Farm Share Program, please contact cailey@nofavt.org or call (802) 434-4122.

 

Fall Customer Appreciation Event – Join Us!

We are so grateful to our Co-op Community for all that you do to support us.  It’s time we showed you a little appreciation!  Stop by the Co-op on Saturday, September 17, from 12 pm to 3 pm to feel the love!  We’ll be halfway through our Eat Local Challenge and ready to celebrate LOCAL!  Start your visit at the Co-op Plaza and:

  • Grab a Local Burger Slider  – local beef (Boyden Farm), local buns (Klinger’s Bakery), and even local ketchup (Baird Farm) will be featured in juicy burgers fresh-grilled by our Co-op Staff.  Wash it down with local apple cider and apples from Champlain Orchards.
  • Meet Guests from local, cooperatively-owned Vermont Federal Credit Union – Sign up to become a VFCU Member and you’ll receive a free jug of local maple syrup!

Then, reap the benefits of Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op member-ownership and get a FREE Co-op T-Shirt and 8 oz local maple syrup (syrup courtesy of VFCU, just for supporting your Co-op!) when you:

  • Become a Co-op Member-Owner
  • Renew your Membership (12 months will be added to any renewed membership, so nothing is lost by renewing early)
  • Donate a Member Share to our Food For All program

Membership is just $20 per share and is always fully refundable!

See YOU there on Saturday, September 17th, 12-3 at the Co-op (rain or shine)!

 

 

Veggie Fermentation

In the context of food preservation, fermentation is the transformation of food by various bacteria, fungi, and the enzymes they produce in an effort to preserve them. Our ability to ferment foods as a means of preservation dates back to the dawn of recorded history. It is a process that is inextricably linked to our culture as human beings and is, in large part, responsible for our survival as human beings, as it allowed our earliest ancestors to preserve and store food to get through long winters and periods of famine. It also renders our food more nutritious, more flavorful, and easier to digest, delivering a healthy dose of living probiotic bacteria to our microbiome. Join Jason Elberson of Sobremesa at Wool Folk Homestead in this hands-on workshop where you’ll learn the basics of veggie fermentation and leave equipped to give this a try at home!

Jason Elberson, along with his partner Caitlin, are the founders of Sobremesa Farm to Ferment. They reside at Wool Folk Homestead in Charlotte, VT, where they practice regenerative agriculture, raising a diverse polyculture of perennial and annual veggies, fruits, and herbs, along with rotationally-grazed Icelandic sheep and laying hens. They began Sobremesa with the desire to provide their community with nourishing food and to encourage people to slow down for mealtimes and connect and converse after sharing a meal. “Sobremesa” is a Spanish word that describes the time after a meal spent lingering around the table, having food-induced conversations with people with whom you shared the meal. Sobremesa is a time to digest and savor food, family, and friendship. These connections are the heart of their vision: to provide their community with local food, including traditionally preserved foods, year-round. 

Advance registration is required. Please register at least one week in advance. Classes are capped at 12 participants. Enrollment is first-come, first-served. All classes are $30, or FREE for members of the Co-op’s Food For All Program. To register, email Denise at the Hannaford Career Center (dsenesac@pahcc.org) or call (802) 382-1004. 

Tamales

Back by popular demand! Join Magdalena Deloya of the famed Viva el Sabor collective to learn how to make tamales! When Deloya isn’t cooking up meals with the Viva el Sabor collective, she serves her community at Middlebury’s Open Door Clinic (ODC), where she’s been a valued translator in the clinic’s outreach to migrant workers. She prepares meals for many members of the migrant farmworker community, serving them both through her work at ODC and also in partnership with Middlebury’s Giving Fridge.  Deloya hails from the state of Guerrero in Southern Mexico and looks forward to sharing the cuisine of her region with the Co-op community.
 
 
Advance registration is required. Please register at least one week in advance. Classes are capped at 12 participants. Enrollment is first-come, first-served. All classes are $30, or FREE for members of the Co-op’s Food For All Program. To register, email Denise at the Hannaford Career Center (dsenesac@pahcc.org) or call (802) 382-1004. 

Microfiber Lab: Exploring the Effects of Washing Machines on Textiles

Welcome to the fun, hands-on introduction to microfiber pollution! Guided by microfiber experts Brooke Winslow and Ashley Sullivan, design the experiment yourself to learn how washing machines are causing shedding and the simple strategies you can use to make your everyday laundry routine more sustainable while saving money and energy. Participants will leave with a free Cora Ball! 

Brooke Winslow is one of the co-inventors of Cora Ball and a passionate ocean and lake lover. She grew up sailing in the Pacific Northwest before coming to the East Coast for college and falling in love with Vermont. Together with the founders of Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean, she learned about microfiber pollution from washing machines and was inspired to develop a solution accessible to everyone. With inspiration from coral filtering plankton from the ocean, Cora Ball was made to protect our waterways and our clothes!

Ashley Sullivan grew up on an island surrounded by the sea in South Florida and has been involved in the design, implementation, and ongoing management of Environmental Education programs at multiple nonprofits for the past 20 years. She is the Executive Director of the Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean, a lifelong sailor, ocean lover, and a USCG captain. Ashley’s strength as an Educator is her creativity and ability to connect with people of all ages. In addition, she is one of the captain’s aboard Rozalia Project’s oceanographic research sailing vessel, American Promise, which travels the U.S. recovering marine debris, collecting data, and sharing the story of Rozalia Project. Ashley loves to inspire people to be part of the solution through storytelling, cleanups, education programs, and presentations. When she is not traveling she lives in Vermont and spends her days in the snowy mountains with her dog, riding her bike or playing in, on or near the shores of Lake Champlain.

Advance registration is required. Please register at least one week in advance. Classes are capped at 12 participants. Enrollment is first-come, first-served. All classes are $30, or FREE for members of the Co-op’s Food For All Program. To register, email Denise at the Hannaford Career Center (dsenesac@pahcc.org) or call (802) 382-1004.