Finger sandwiches, scones, petit fours and tea for mom: Invite Mom to an elegant tea in the co-op community room to celebrate Mother’s Day on May 11.  Fancy hats welcome!

Presenter:  Kathryn Schmidt majored in International Relations and minored in Latin American Studies and Mandarin at Carleton. She has been involved with Witness for Peace-Upper Midwest since interning for the Regional Organizer in the summer of 2011 and plans to pursue a career in social justice related to Latin America.

Interested in sustainable agriculture and how other countries are doing it? Cuba is world-renowned for its advances in sustainability and organic methods, and Kathryn Schmidt, 2012 Carleton grad, was able to see that firsthand on the December Witness for Peace professional organizer delegation to Cuba. Come learn about the progress Cuba has made in this field with a short documentary, pictures and stories from Kathryn, and plenty of time for discussion!

Instructor Angela Sydnes teaches people to garden, cook and live healthier.  She received her Holistic Health Coach training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC.  She received a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture from Montana State University-Bozeman in 2000 and has worked coast to coast in the field of Horticulture since.  Now a mother of two, herbalist and avid gardener she is passionate about sharing what she has learned with others.

We will cover site selection, soil preparation, favorite varieties for Minnesota gardeners, garden layout & design, what is best to start from seed or direct sow versus buying transplants and where to get them, easy maintenance, when to plant and harvest.

Throughout the country, small-scale farmers often lack the infrastructure to access larger, wholesale markets. As a result, local food systems can be limited in their ability to support local farmers and provide local produce for large portions of their communities. Food hubs, also known as regional distribution centers, are one recent popular, effective, and innovative approach to strengthening local food systems by helping to connect small-scale farmers to larger institutional markets. Food hubs are centralized organizations that aggregate and redistribute local food, while also making positive economic, social, and environmental change within a community. Can a food hub accomplish these goals in Northfield? Join Carleton College Environmental Studies seniors Sophie Daudon, Kristen Dooley, and Casey Silver to hear the results of their Northfield food hub feasibility study and learn more about the regional food system.

We continue to talk about a nutrient dense diet in part 2, Healthy Oils and Fats, to show you how to look at your food from a nourishing and disease preventative view. Just as sprouting, fermenting and soaking foods result in easier digestion, weight control, better health and more energy, incorporating the right fats and oils is just one more step to a healthy body. The class is taught by Lois Taylor, RN, who through 50 years of her nursing experience has witnessed the increased use of pharmaceuticals which attempt to manage, and often compound and antagonize, medical problems.   Instead, she advocates for an integrative approach which seeks to enhance an individual’s level of wellness as the primary means of prevention. Jeanine, her daughter, has become an advocate in her own right for “you are what you eat” as an employee of Just Food Co-op.

Ron Griffith Young Leaders Fund ANNOUNCES NEW GRANT RECIPIENT

The Northfield Area YMCA and Just Food Co-op Successfully Collaborate
to Encourage Young Leaders in Northfield

Northfield, Minn. (February, 2013) – The Ron Griffith Young Leaders Fund announces new grant recipients, Victoria Ostenso and Ellie Youngblood, both representatives of Carleton College Student Farm. Victoria and Ellie participated in a Sustainable Agriculture Education Conference in Corvallis, Oregon. Victoria and Ellie are developing a community outreach program through the Carleton Student Farm that involves teaching sustainable agriculture, plant science and cooking to Northfield area youth in the schools and summer programs. They are also working on networking with other food-related groups at Carleton and St. Olaf to fuel initiatives in the greater Northfield community.

The Ron Griffith Young Leaders Fund’s mission of the fund is to support and develop the capabilities, talents and motivation of young adults in the Northfield community. Ron Griffith was the co-founder of Just Food Co-op who was widely recognized for his desire to inspire and train young leaders as a means of building a strong and sustainable Northfield community through collaboration and cooperation. Grants are awarded by the Executive Director of the YMCA upon the recommendation of the Fund’s Grant Committee and are available to the community’s young leaders between the ages of 18 and 35 who need help getting their projects off the ground.  Those with great ideas or projects, but without the funds to bring them to life, should contact the Northfield Area Family YMCA at (507-645-0088 or info @northfieldymca.org). Organizations and individuals interested in contributing to the Ron Griffith Young Leaders Fund are also invited to contact the YMCA.

We’re excited to be offering a NEW session of Zumba with Kathryn Schmidt on Saturday mornings!  Kathryn is a recent grad of Carleton and bringing the dance to the Co-op!  This registration is for a 6 week class with Kathryn that will end on April 6.  You don’t need to know how to dance, just follow her moves and if you’re having fun and sweating – you’re doing it right!

There are no refunds for this class.  Sign up and commit to the first 6 weeks. Kathryn and the Co-op are excited to be partnering to hold this class!

Questions about the class, please email Kathryn at kemschmidt at gmail dot com;  questions about registration – please contact Stephanie at Just Food at 507-650-0106

Homeopathy, the alternative medicine for the 21st century, is a natural and effective scientific system of mind-body-spirit integrative healing. This holistic approach to medicine takes a wider view of illness, cause of disease, and the ways in which people express their illnesses individually. In this class Sujata Owens, Homeopathic Master Clincian of Vital Force Consulting, Inc. will explain how homeopathic medicines can be used beneficially for hormonal imbalances, mental and emotional disorders, pregnancy and childbirthing issues. Please come and learn more about how you could benefit from this 250 year old system in achieving and maintaining vibrant health.

“This year I am going to lose the weight!” “This year I am going to eat right and be more healthy!” This doesn’t have to be a yearly resolution. We would like to show you a diet for a healthy way of life instead of the quick fixes we all get caught up in. Choosing foods wisely and properly preparing them, result in a nutrient-dense diet, which is not only easier on your digestive system, but is also healthy and energy producing. Additionally, you may actually lose weight and prevent and/or treat tooth decay! Learn about this nutrient dense diet in a 3-part series, taught by Lois and Jeanine Taylor. Part one:  Preparations and the healthy benefits of sprouting, fermenting, and soaking foods.

Gabe Meerts and the local homebew club will show you how to brew!  They will incorporate some local ingredients into the beer and show different stages of the brewing process.  A homebrew kit will be given away as a prize, so sign up to learn more about homebrewing and a chance to win a kit to get started!