Perhaps more than anything else, stress is becoming the element in our lives we commonly share. Stress causes friction with our family members and it creates barriers to enjoying time with our friends. Stress pushes us to seek out activities to help us forget our troubles and numb our minds. And, stress weakens our defenses, making us more vulnerable to illness.

The common theme in my conversations with members is the stress in their lives. Despite the revolution of the personal computer and the proliferation of time-saving machines and appliances, our lives have not become more leisurely; in fact just the opposite is true.

I was talking with the manager of a natural foods store the other day. He described the difficulty he has finding help for his store. He expressed his frustration: “Some days I just want to cash it in and run to the woods.”

I recently spoke with the coordinator of a buying club. She works two jobs to make ends meet; although she wants to buy our products, she has very little time to figure out her own order, much less facilitate her buying club’s orders.

Earlier this spring I met with the vice president of a supermarket chain. He was frustrated by the pressure at his company. He was responsible for too many diverse activities, forced to travel frequently and had no administrative help. He simply didn’t have time to consider the bigger picture.

These are not isolated examples. They are the stories of all our members —except perhaps those living an intentionally simpler life. It makes me question whether our society is serving us if so many are so affected. Other than my own stress—which each of us holds dear—there are a couple of facets of this societal trend I think are particularly relevant for the Cooperative.

North Farm provides many natural foods, vitamins and supplements to help you deal with stress in your life, whether by minimizing it or by reducing the negative consequences on your body and health.

More significantly, we at North Farm are examining the services we provide to minimize the chances of creating any more stress in your life.

This means two things. First (to paraphrase another member), we need to do everything we
can to ensure our problems don’t become your problems. Second, we need to creatively build this co-op into a business to make your life easier–—at least in respect to buying your groceries.

For retail members, we have to be the best partner, providing tools to help you be more successful in managing your businesses.

As we continue the task of evaluating our previous year and planning for next year, these issues will play a significant part in the process. Please call or e-mail me at wlathrop@northfarm.com with your feedback.

Each week members call us here on the “farm” with questions; occasionally there’s one we can’t answer or can answer only partially. There are lots of smart, North Farm members who read this newsletter and who probably would have the answer. This new feature will provide a way to present questions and relay answers.

Here are some recent questions:
1. Can you make yeast-free bread in a breadmaker?

2. My child has Down’s Syndrome. Are there any products that are yeast, gluten, soy and lactose-free (all four) that I could feed him? [Obviously fruits, vegetables, meat, nuts and eggs would meet the requirements, but I think the caller wanted to find some dairy or grain substitutes that would be similar to the real thing. Perhaps the parent of a child with Down’s Syndrome could write about diets that would help.]

Organic Produce
The best way to browse a whole category, in this case ORGANIC PRODUCE, first begin at the online catalog.
1. Go to www.northfarm.com 
2. Within the purple banner at the top, click on “Products.”
3. You will now be on the page “Online Product Catalog”. Scroll down past the search feature until you see the product categories.
4. Keep scrolling down to “Dairy & Refrigerated Foods,” click on the underlined link “ORGANIC PRODUCE” to view the current offerings and current prices for our Organic Produce.

(Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared last November in North Farm’s employee newsletter, Life On The Farm. Tracy is still happily employed at North Farm; we see him every Monday when he comes in to turn in expense reports and take off again in a fully-loaded North Farm semi.)

Welcome to Maple Route 13, Wk 1/Day 3. This is going to be a long day—14 hours. We will start in Fort Wayne, Indiana and wind our way northwest to Niles, Michigan.

There were ten stops yesterday and eleven today. There are only five tomorrow and then a long drive from Michigan to Madison, Wisconsin via Chicago. It can take one hour to drive through Chicago or five, depending on Chicago’s mood. I only work four days a week, but the other three days are needed for recovery after 55 hours on the job.

In addition to being responsible for a $120,000 tractor and trailer, $40,000 worth of product, an arduous amount of paperwork and a good deal of physical labor, we drivers are also responsible for maintaining good public relations.

I have only been driving six months for North Farm, so I don’t have much of an historical perspective. For that, you would have to talk with our seasoned drivers, two of whom have been with the company for over 15 years.

Our first stop is Three Rivers Food Co-op in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana. Rosemary and Co. know that I will be a half-hour early and are ready for me. This is by far my biggest stop of the day and my only weekly stop (most others are monthly buying clubs). There are at least six carts and dollies, and an equal number of people. We check off everything at the stop, but Rosemary has been doing this for a long time and is so efficient she knows what I am going to say before I read the product name.

The work goes quickly but the atmosphere is relaxed and we joke around quite a bit. Rosemary has trained me to not be overly garrulous. This is a busy day for Three Rivers and there are usually one or two trucks waiting for me to leave so they can also deliver there.

Our next stop, also in Fort Wayne, is the Health Food Shoppe. This stop goes quickly and we head out of town to Morning Star Buying Club. This is a big farm house out in the country with a long driveway; it is about 45 minutes from Fort Wayne. On the way, I start getting into my well-stocked food supply. There is no time to stop for a meal, but I have planned ahead and have an ample supply of apples, beef jerky, carrots, Kettle Chips, almonds, water and M & M’s. From Morning Star we head toward Wilmont Milling, an old mill we supply with whole grains and other products. This is a very short distance as the crow flies, but it takes much longer on roads fit for an 18-wheeler. There are rumors that I left my 2-wheel dolly here before, but they are unfounded and I have no further comment on the matter.

From Wilmont we go to Donna Riddle Buying Club—in another farmhouse near Plymouth, Indiana. It always seems like a long drive, probably because it is. This is a large stop, but there is ample help, usually three generations.

From there we go to Earthworks Buying Club at Ancilla College. This is a difficult place to back into, but repetition makes a difficult task easier. There is a stray dog here who seems happy to see me and likes beef jerky.

By now it’s 4 p.m. and we head to South Bend, where we have three stops. I am listening to Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck on tape. I rarely listen to the radio and almost never listen to the CB radio, which I consider a necessary evil.

Our next three stops go well, and we arrive at Granger Gleaners Buying Club in Granger, Michigan at 7:45 p.m.—the scheduled arrival time. This is a good feeling; by now I am physically and mentally tired but I can see light at the end of the tunnel.

I am grateful that Days Inn is only ten minutes away; checking in goes quickly because I am a regular. I put off as much paperwork as possible until tomorrow. After all, it is going to be a short day—only 12 hours.

For a one-time-only change of delivery location, your coordinator must call the transportation planner to request the change. If the address is not on an approved truck route, a new Delivery Authorization Form is required. This is determined by asking your local Police Department. The Delivery Authorization Form is available though Member Services.

For a permanent location change, your coordinator must call Member Services and request a Delivery Authorization Form. This form includes contact telephone numbers and directions to the site.

Please send the completed form, including a signature from the local Police Department, to North Farm Transportation, Attention: Transportation Planner, 204 Regas Rd, Madison, WI 53714.

Delivery times are based on the time the driver usually takes at each delivery location. Checking in the entire order delays delivery for the remaining customers along the route. It could cause customers to miss their delivery day and require them to arrange for delivery the next morning.

Why does my delivery time change month to month? Customers are assigned to a route based on their location and delivery day preferences. Customers order on a variety of schedules (every week, every 2 weeks, every 4 weeks, every 8 weeks or whenever they want North Farm products).

The North Farm Board of Directors election process ended at the 2000 General Membership Business Meeting. Here are the highlights:

At-Large Elections
With the recent addition of two at-large seats (the total at-large seats on the Board is now four), there were three seats open for election. Candidates Seth Nowak and Wendell Nekoranec won the seats with two-year terms; write-in Mark Thomas received the one-year term seat.

Chapter Elections
The only chapter with a seat open for election was the Midwest Chapter. The sole candidate, newcomer Alan Cina, won this seat handily. Michelle Robillard submitted her resignation, and newly-elected alternate Sheila Herman stepped into the seat of Big West Chapter Director.

Board news can be found on North Farm’s Web site, www.northfarm.com  Board members are also listed in the Price List’s news pages, Co-op Focus.

Your Board of Directors
for the 2000–2001 Board Year:
MEMBER AT-LARGE
Mark Thomas, President
801 Hazen St  Paw Paw, MI 49079
616-657-7745 x 3219 
thomasm@msue.msu.edu 

MICHIGAN CHAPTER
Mark Slagh, Vice-President (Planning)
5095 Smokey Hollow Ln  Clarkston, MI 48348 
markslagh@hotmail.com 

WISCONSIN CHAPTER
Bill O’Donnell, Vice-President (Personnel)
208 Royce Rd Hancock, MI 49930
906-482-7414 wjodonne@up.net

BIG WEST CHAPTER
Sheila Herman, Treasurer
601 Lansing Ln  Bismarck, ND 58504
701-223-0545 sgja@prodigy.net

MEMBER AT-LARGE
Wendell Nekoranec, Secretary
422 Palm St  Rothschild, WI 54474
715-359-0155 wendell@synergythinking.com

MIDWEST CHAPTER
Alan Cina
4131 Magnolia St. Louis, MO 63110
313-773-0841

WAREHOUSE CHAPTER
Jenny Hanson
204 Regas Rd Madison, WI 53714
608-241-2667 x 2673 jennyh@northfarm.com

WAREHOUSE CHAPTER
Ian Wylie
204 Regas Rd Madison, WI 53714
608-241-2667 x 2692 iwylie@mail.chorus.net 

MEMBER AT-LARGE
Tom Nesler
10829 S Turtle Townhall Rd Beloit, WI 53511 608-365-7898 tomnesler@aol.com 

MEMBER AT-LARGE
Seth Nowak
437 W Johnson St Madison, WI 53703
608-251-2667 madicoop@aol.com 

Enthusiasm at the North Farm General Membership Meeting and Natural Products Show spawned energy for all who attended. The event was held May 12th–13th at the Dane County Expo Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

Friday’s events included tours of the Warehouse and an herb walk; an early evening shower dampened the grass but not the spirits of those who came to the opening reception/picnic. Saturday morning featured a workshop on NF-One, a buying club forum, chapter meetings, cooking demonstrations and the annual business meeting. There were seven workshops Saturday afternoon, plus massages and the Natural Products Show.

Bill O’Donnell, Board President, opened our annual business meeting with introductions and his “State of the Cooperative” report. He highlighted the year 1999 with honesty and sincerity, explaining the dynamics of what has transpired to date and how the Cooperative is moving forward. Bill expressed his appreciation to the staff, the general manager and his fellow Board members for all their hard work.

Bill Lathrop, General Manager, addressed the members with a recap of operations and technology improvements made at North Farm and how they have shaped our Cooperative. He highlighted how operations analysis, done in a timely fashion, can minimize adverse impact or capture opportunities. Bill expressed his pride in the North Farm staff and pointed out that without them there would not be a North Farm. He touched on the financial condition and reviewed the new financing and its positive impact. Bill’s excitement was obvious, and he could have been on the stage for hours discussing the innovations and new opportunities taking shape—from the new management team to an improved invoicing system and searchable Web site. Bill emphasized that North Farm will focus on rebuilding old relation-ships and strengthening current ties with the best customer service possible and the best products available.

Jeff Brandenberg, representing Clifton Gunderson, gave the Auditor’s Report. Jeff did a nice job of laying out the important areas of the financial statements and what they mean to the membership.

All the by-law changes recommended by the Board of Directors were approved by the membership and afterwards the elections for at-large directors took place.

Sheila Herman moderated the question and answer segment. Questions came up regarding operations, buying clubs, communications from North Farm and the seriousness of the financial situation. Thanks to those who gave answers; members sure do appreciate your honesty.

We recognized a true supporter and friend of the cooperative movement, Michelle Robillard, who has hung up her cooperative hat to pursue other interests. Michelle brought many things to North Farm and the greatest of these were love for one another and love for life. Her spirit will always be with us and we will forever be grateful for her dedication and hard work. We love you, Michelle!

There were also lots of door prizes; everyone who won was especially happy they came.

If I had to sum up this year’s business meeting in one sentence it would be: “The membership came for honest and forthright communication, and, as in the past, that is what they got, along with a list of what to expect in the future.”

The afternoon offered another superb natural foods “table top” show, sampling hundreds of the best products available. This year dozens of new products were featured and members got to try them before their introduction in the July/August Price List.

With so much excellent food being served up for free—from wheat grass to turkey dogs, red hot corn chips to frozen desserts—the Natural Products Show was a wonderful reward for those traveling to Madison for our annual General Membership Meeting.

Are you planning to come to next year’s GMM? Mark your calendars for May 18–19, 2001. Join all of North Farm in celebrating our 30th year in business. We hope to see you there!

Do you ever wonder about products North Farm sells and wish you knew someone who had actually tried the product? Here at North Farm we are always evaluating products and giving each other our recommendations; from now on we will share these opinions with our members.

Evan McAteer, Member Services:
Welsh’s organic, skinless & boneless (uncooked) chicken breasts (#2839) are a family favorite. They may seem expensive but they are convenient, high quality & there's no waste. Perfect for grilling.

Sara Procknow, Marketing Manager:
My brothers’ favorite: Sprecher Root Beer (#17261). It comes in bottles, which they prefer to cans, plus it’s made in Wisconsin. It’s a higher-end, micro-brewed, really creamy root beer, not overly carbonated like IBC Root Beer.
My favorite: Reduced-fat, Reduced-salt White Cheddar Cheese (#124). It is a great-tasting cheese; there is absolutely no way you can tell it is reduced-salt or reduced-fat. It is not at all rubbery like most reduced-fat varieties. Plus, it melts like a charm, so I use it for all my recipes—to make grilled cheese, shredded for enchiladas and tacos and in casseroles or omelets.

Denise Denu, Marketing:
I like Alacer Emergen-C Powdered Drink Supplement because it is refreshing and chock-full of vitamin C. It is a wonderful, convenient pick-me-up during the day, after exercising or as a preventative against colds. It comes in 10 different flavors; my favorites are Raspberry (#10560), Tropical (#10566) and Lemon-Lime (#10555). Try it—you’ll like it!

Steve Neumann, Purchasing Manager:
Uncle Matt’s Fresh Organic Apple Juice (#4225) is by far one of the best-tasting products on the market and is truly refreshing.

I recently returned from the Consumer Cooperative Management Association (CCMA) Conference in Boston. The conference is geared toward cooperative grocers and offers seminars and workshops to help educate co-op retailers on how to enhance their operations.

Of course the best part of the conference was meeting folks from across the country and listening to the challenges and success stories they shared. A personal goal of mine was to learn how North Farm, based on the challenges and concerns expressed by co-op grocers, could become a better partner to retailers. I came away with many, many ideas. (Seeing all downtown Boston had to offer wasn’t bad, either.)

I strongly encourage all cooperative grocers to participate in this conference next year. The knowledge and networking opportunities are well worth the cost of participation. CCMA 2001 will be held in Chicago, Illinois.

Many co-ops have used grants from North Farm’s 3% Co-op Development Fund to pay for travel, lodging and conference fees to CCMA. North Farm allocates 3% of all sales generated by cooperative grocers in October (National Co-op Month). Co-ops may then apply for grants to fund co-op development and education projects.

Every Day Low Price (EDLP) programs are created by vendors for specific product lines. These programs are designed to help your store pass along ongoing discounts to customers at everyday low prices. North Farm currently has five EDLP programs in place:
1. Cloud Nine:
Tropical Source: baking chips, bars, changemakers
Cloud Nine (brand): bars, changemakers
2. Earth’s Best: baby food
3. Hain/Little Bear/Westbrae:
Hain: soups, oils, rice cakes
Little Bear: chili, refried beans, dips
Westbrae: Canned beans & veggies, soups, soy milk
4. North Farm: cheese
5. White Wave: soy yogurt, tempeh, tofu