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Hi. As you read over your North Farm News you will see an article by board member
Wendell Nekoranec. His article explains the strategic initiatives that were produced at
North Farm’s planning session in July ’98. These initiatives give guidance to
North Farm’s management for the next few years. We will craft our goals to help
advance our cooperative towards attainment of these initiatives. This is a key component
of the chain of command in our cooperative.
The Board, representing you -- the members, leads the cooperative by envisioning the
“big picture” for North Farm and steering management in that direction.
Management takes this direction and produces operational goals which are specific;
measurable; attainable; realistic. Each goal has a time line attached to it. Each
department at North Farm is responsible for producing goals that advance us towards the
strategic initiatives. The management team reviews all department’s goals. We realize
that most goals require the involvement of more than one department to ensure
accomplishment. We work together and agree on the final goals, understanding what is
needed from each department and team to accomplish the goal.
Once we have agreed on goals, we begin the budgeting process. The idea is to produce a
budget that gives us the resources to allow us to accomplish our goals. We produce both an
operational budget (regular expenses we will incur: wages, rent, supplies, etc.) and a
capital budget (equipment, software, etc.) Once we have a first draft of the budgets,
management reviews them to see if we have produced a financially reasonable approach to
the year. If we have not, we start adjusting the budget. This method leads us to yet
another goal review. This is a very dynamic process which allows us to create goals we
feel capable of accomplishing, given the information we have at that time. We understand
the need to remain flexible throughout the year, to accommodate both internal and external
changes which may impact our ability to accomplish these initial goals.
Once management has agreed to goals and budgets for the year, I take this information
and use it as the heart of our business plan. When I have finished my first draft of the
business plan I submit it to our board for their assessment. I incorporate their input
into the plan and produce, what I hope to be, a final draft. This goes to the board for
review and acceptance. The final document is then distributed to all board members and
management team members so we all have the same information on which to base our approach
to the upcoming years. It is also given to our banks to inform them of our direction and
goals.
During the course of the business year, management reports on progress toward achieving
our goals. If conditions significantly change, we may present an alternative approach to
previously accepted goals. The business plan is an important document at North Farm, but
we run the cooperative by responding, on a daily basis, to new information and conditions.
Responding to change is what keeps us vital.
While the process and product of the business plan are somewhat routine for me, I see
how new members of the board and management gain excellent insights into our cooperative
by going through this process. It seems more value is derived from the process of creating
a business plan than from the actual document produced. It is one of our best training and
orientation tools. Having management and board share in this annual process enables us to
enhance our cooperative effort in managing this business.
Yours in cooperation, Mel Braverman
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The North Farm Outlet Store is pleased to announce an additional pick-up day for our
pick-up customers. The Outlet Store is now open to pick up orders on Saturdays between 10
a.m. and 4 p.m.
When you call to place your order on Wednesdays, let the order taker know you will pick
up on Saturday and what time you plan to be in.
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Your board recently moved ahead to put in place the Carver Model of policy governance.
Policy governance is an explicit, written statement of the values and expectations that
guide current and future decisions. This will enable the Board to direct and supervise all
activities of the Cooperative and the manager through the policies it creates. This
underling foundation of expectations based on a shared vision will assure performance and
reduce disappointments as it clearly spells out expectations of action within an agreed
upon framework.
Moreover, adopting policy governance will enable your board to work more efficiently on
meeting your future needs. Meeting your future needs can only be accomplished by
establishing an effective communication channel. Real communication only occurs when a
message is received and acted upon by providing feedback. Simple face-to-face
communication occurs when the receiver nods to acknowledge hearing. This newsletter is
just the first part of that communication process. It is essential that members provide
feedback in some form (mail, email, phone, etc.) to board representatives to ensure this
linkage tool is effective.
Your board will make decisions enacting policies to meet the needs of the members.
These decisions will guide management within a framework of values to marshall and utilize
assets. Assurance of performance to meet needs is the measurement tool the Board uses to
monitor and evaluate results. This is the process of what is, compared to what was
expected.
For your board to be effective we need to have written policies in place to monitor.
This is not to say we do not have any written policies at this time, but rather we have
not formalized the policies in a written form to measure performance. Effective boards
should spend only 20% of their time on enacting policies and assuring performance. Rough
estimates of our process over the past two years would suggest we spend 80%.
Where we should be spending 80% of our time is linking to you and using your feedback
to dream the future of our cooperative. Your board has agreed that its job is to discover
your expectations and to debate, decide and direct management to utilize assets to meet
your expectations. This ability to look forward and plan will enable North Farm
Cooperative to serve you for many years to come. Your trust in and interaction with your
board of directors will help this process to come to fruition.
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Linkage to Members means deciding who the cooperative serves and might serve in the
future, finding out what they want or need from the organization and setting up ways for
the board to report to members on its success at meeting their needs. At the July 1998
Planning session of board, management and staff, the number one agreed- upon strategy for
the next three years is enhanced communication/education exchange with members. We like to
be in touch with you.
North Farm is proud of its advances and continuing efforts at networking with our
members and communities throughout our service territories. Over this past year, North
Farm hosted 28 educational food fairs, from Wyoming to Ohio. Included in these were
membership Chapter meetings, an opportunity to meet and speak with managers, workers and
board members directly about life and our service issues. Community-wide invitations were
made to join with us in making available healthy foods and natural products, using
cooperative principles and practices, based on democratic ownership and control of
capital. Over a thousand folks have enjoyed samples, socializing and the information
exchanges while being introduced to North Farm and all its offerings. Sales are growing
strong!
Member Linkage happened at the “I Feel Good” 1998 GMM this past May. This was
a very successful event attended by over twelve-hundred members and friends! Good
workshops, informative business meetings and many great foods and prizes were shared. The
North Farm Board Report and North Farm News are other good ways we report and respond to
members comments and requests.
Another improvement and communication link between members is the development of new
“depot locations”, including Superior, WI; Marquette, MI; and Grand Rapids, MN.
These are locations in which buying clubs can split up their orders indoors, have a
minimum order of $100 (as opposed to $500, if they want) and North Farm usually has
samples available to try while they are breaking down their orders. Great success stories
are being told about the efficiencies and teamwork that is building through some shared
responsibilities as well. Contact Jan Torkildson for more on where the nearest depot is or
how you may help coordinate a depot near to you.
Our newly expended warehouse also illustrates our linkage to members and commitment to
the future and serving you. New technology, improved work conditions, and improved systems
and planning will help ensure that “Quality” you expect from North Farm. The
expansion of the outlet store creates another way for more customers and members to have
direct access to the products and services we offer.
The board of directors is becoming a strong partner with management in assuring success
of our cooperative. We are reaching out in every way to know who our members are and what
you really want. Linkage With Members is the way to our clarity of purpose. Please,
contact North Farm and/or board members with your feed back when possible.
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On Friday, July 17th, North Farm management and the Board of Directors ventured
together down the path of planning for North Farm’s future. The one-day, blended
audience worked with a consultant to build a greater mutually beneficial working
relationship. The thread that wove together everyone was the focus on the North Farm
vision. The outcome of this venture was four strategic initiatives for the next three
years:
- Actualize North Farm Cooperative quality statement, a) continually review processes and
services (P.D.C.A.) to assure effective operations and superior customer service; b)
maximize Internet for interactive exchange of customer information. (Plan Do Check
Act is a strategy that reviews all current processes for continual improvement. It also is
used when implementing a new process or service.)
- Stabilize labor force, providing incentives and resources to ensure excellence for
our valued staff and members.
- Enhance our capital base for future growth in facilities and equipment, and returns on
investment.
- Explore and develop cooperative efficiencies working with other cooperative warehouses
and producers.
North Farm strives to become a highly respected quality organization. To achieve higher
kudos, North Farm will continue to review its processes and services so its members will
receive its full order on time. During the three year strategy development period, goals
will be set to benchmark out of stock, full orders, and truck arrival times. Your only
wish is to receive your full order on time, and North Farm will meet the goals it sets to
fulfill these outcomes.
To help increase delivery of product to you, North Farm will continue to develop its
Internet capabilities. Enhancements to the web site planned for the upcoming goal period
include increased communication, information on products, their promotions, seasonalities
and possible discontinuation. Also being researched is the possibility of placing orders
via the Internet and/or web site.
The next initiative will focus management and the board on creating action plans to
retain North Farm’s employees. Training opportunities, career incentives, cross
training initiatives, to name a few, will be designed and implemented to create more
opportunities for the staff. The desired result is to have the staff look at North Farm as
a valuable place to work.
Interwoven in-between quality improvements, greater Internet accessibility for service,
and a prized North Farm staff, is the need to build a strong capital base. Even though
North Farm’s financial statements have become more profitable in the last few years,
a strongly enhanced capital base will breed a more secure “farm.” Financial
initiatives to enhance North Farm’s capital base are under design. Look for the
results of an enhanced capital base over the next three years in this way: full orders
delivered to you on time by a highly motivated staff supported by stronger financial
statements.
Lastly, the natural products industry continues to change and be challenged by internal
and external forces. North Farm’s management and board will strengthen its working
relationships with key players in the industry. The benefits to the North Farm community
will be more timely industry information so North Farm can develop strong strategies to
keep itself well placed within the industry. Remaining at the front of the pack of an
industry requires focused strategic initiatives. The four strategic initiatives will keep
North Farm a well-positioned, dynamic player in the natural products industry.
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Sweet Dough Buns
submitted by Pat Meyer, Lakeshore Food Buying Club Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
August 8 Appleton Area Regional Meeting Runner Up.
- 9 cups Great River unbleached flour # 5050
- 3 cups warm water
- 3 cups Great River Whole Wheat Pastry flour # 5063
- 1 cup warm water
- 6 T. Eagle Wheat Bran # 5042
- 6 organic eggs
- 9 T. Bay Wheat Germ # 5043
- 2 organic eggs
- 3 T. Red Star yeast # 4386
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1 cup Hain Safflower Oil # 4499
- Fearn Liquid Lecithin # 9360
- 1 ¾ t. Bay Sea Salt # 5321
Combine 1 cup water, yeast, and 1 T. honey (From ¾ cup set aside).
In large bowl mix 3 cups water, honey, oil, salt, 6 eggs, wheat germ, wheat bran, 3
cups pastry flour and 3 cups unbleached flour. Beat for 5 minutes vigorously to release
gluten.
Add yeast mixture and gradually beat in flour until of kneading consistency. Turn onto
floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding flour as needed. Return to
bowl, cover and rise until doubled. Warm 11x 14 pans in oven and grease with lecithin.
Beat 2 eggs for brushing on top of buns. A feather brush works great!
Turn dough onto floured surface and knead out air. Roll golf ball size dough into
desired shape. Place 15 on each pan. Cover and let rise until doubled. Brush with eggs,
sprinkle with poppy or sesame seed.
Bake at 375 degree oven approximately 13 minutes, turning pan halfway through baking
for even browning. Makes 5 dozen. Flip pan to remove buns and cool upside down.
Tofu Spinach Pie
Submitted by the Sholz Family, Family Harvest Buying Club, Mequon,
Wisconsin. July 16 Shoreline Chapter Meeting Winner
Crust:
- 2 cups ConAgra Unbleached While flour # 5079
- 1 t. Hain sea salt # 14834
- 2/3 cup softened Westby butter #1410
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Mix the flour and salt together. Add the butter and
stir till totally mixed. Add the water and stir it up until totally mixed. Now, take your
dough-ball and place it on a floured board. Lightly flour your hand and pat the dough
down. Flour a rolling pin and roll out the dough so it fits into you pie plate (glass
works the best for me) For now, don’t cut off the excess dough that is hanging over
the edges. Poke the crust all over with a fork. That way the crust won’t have bubbles
when it bakes. Stick it in the oven for about 5 minutes.
Filling:
In a medium saucepan, combine the tofu, spinach, feta, and lemon juice together and
heat it up. Make sure everything is all mixed together. The cheese also should be melted.
Pour the green filling into your pie crust and trim off the excess dough on the rim.
Decrease the oven temp to 375 degrees and stick the pie into the oven. Bake it for about
25 minutes.
*Suggestion: cool for 5 minutes before serving. Cut into 6-8 pieces. Our family likes
it best when served with sun tea
Summer Salad
submitted by Nan Brisko, Heavenly Manna Buying Club, Appleton, Wisconsin.
August 8 Appleton Area Regional Meeting Winner
- Broccoli cut up in small pieces
- Cauliflower cut up in small pieces
- 1 cup chopped Vidalia onion
- 1 cup organic raisins
- 1 cup organic sunflower seeds
- 10 strips turkey bacon (crisp/crumbled)
- 8 oz. water chestnuts (drained/chopped)
Dressing:
- 1 cup mayo (not salad dressing)
- 1/3 cup turbinado sugar
- 2 T. vinegar
Mix dressing ingredients, pour over other ingredients. Mix well, chill and serve.
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North Farm Cooperative’s next annual General Membership Meeting (GMM) is scheduled
for Friday, April 31 and Saturday, May 1, 1999 at the Dane County Expo Center. GMM
‘99 focuses on connecting communities of all kinds with natural products, resources
and information.Alan Tangren, Chez Panisse pastry chef, plans to speak about his
experience foraging raw cooking materials from ecologically responsible growers and
sustainable agriculture for Chez Panisse, Alice Waters’ Berkeley restaurant known for
its local, organic, fresh fare. At the GMM Tangren will also educate North Farm members
about “Market Cooking for Kids”, a science and cooking program sponsored by
Berkeley’s Center of Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA).Planning
is underway for special Friday events, and as always, The Natural Products Show will take
place on Saturday, along with workshops and chapter meetings. For future information on
GMM ‘99, visit the North Farm Cooperative website (www.northfarm-coop.com), and check
upcoming issues of the North Farm News and either Home Shopping Insider
or Retail Update.
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Ben
15629 Naturally Almond Vanilla Flavor (or “Almond Mylk”). This
product is made with almonds, not just almond flavoring. A hint of ginger gives it a very
special taste.
14533 Bravissimo Roasted Vegetable Pizza. Great crust and toppings make this a super
appetizer or meal.
2299 White Wave Stir Fry Chick’N Herbs. Vegetarian seitan entree I’ve used in
soups, stir frys and in a roasting pan with potatoes, onions and carrots. Chewy and
filling, it’s good for serving to vegetarians or meat eaters.
2376 Just Pick’t Organic Orange Juice. New organic selection packs great taste,
and organic quality along with a price not much more than conventional.
Connie
19010 Millina’s Crushed Garlic Og. Great for marinades! No mess, no
fuss.
Susie
3717 Mixed Fruit Leather - 6 Flavors. A snack which is easy and good for
you.
Carla
3290 & 2753 San-J Szechuan Sauce and Health is Wealth “Potstickers
Vegetable Dumplings”. Perfect for a cool weather meal. I love the flavor when dipped
in the Szechuan sauce. Guaranteed to warm you up!
18637 Tiger’s Milk Peanut Butter Nutrition Bar. A teenage grandson loves his
sweets but needs to avoid chocolate. He gets a nutritional boost from these and enjoys
their flavor. A case makes a nice gift.
2734 Health is Wealth Jalapeno Munchees. Got a taste for something hot and spicy? This
ought to do it!
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Over twenty-five years ago, in the basement of a farmhouse called Castle Yonder located
just west of Grand Marais, Minnesota, the Cook County Whole Foods Co-op was born. Back
then, it was a group of neighbors who would occasionally venture to the “Big City
Beyond the Woods” (Minneapolis) to buy bags of beans, rice, and tubs of peanut
butter. The first capital improvement was a rummage sale purchase of a kitchen scale.
These neighbors later formed a buying club which soon turned into an official storefront
cooperative in 1976, when the owners of Castle Yonder moved to Arizona. The storefront
changed locale two times before settling in its present location in the old kitchen of
Mabel’s Café, just one block from the shores of Lake Superior.
Grand Marais is located approximately halfway between Thunder Bay, Ontario, and Duluth,
Minnesota, on the North Shore of Lake Superior. With a current membership of over 400, the
Cook County Whole Foods Co-op is still growing. Our retail space is small (420 sq.ft.) but
this doesn’t deter business as it is the only store within 100 miles that carries
natural and organic foods. Sales in 1997-1998 reached $193,000 representing a 13% growth
over the previous year. The last six months of the fiscal year showed a 23% growth! The
largest percentage of sales comes from bulk items (28%) with packaged items representing
18% of sales. Members have the chance to special order any products from the North Farm
price list each week, a service which comprises 12% of sales.
One unique aspect of the Co-op is its continued reliance on volunteer help. The only
paid positions include a half-time manager, a half-time assistant manager, and three
part-time clerks. Every Wednesday night the North Farm truck is unloaded and a swarm of
volunteers price and stock the order making the little store seem like a bee hive.
Volunteers are able to increase their standard 3% member discount up to 15% by working
six hours in a month. As a special benefit to members, all member shoppers receive an
extra 10% discount (20% maximum) all day on Mondays. Seniors receive a 5% discount
everyday and 15% on Mondays. With this structure, member discounts equal 5% of annual
sales.
One of the biggest challenges for the Co-op is juggling storage space. With weekly
deliveries, stacks of boxes in the store room rest on bowing shelves at the beginning of
the week. By week’s end, the storeroom is almost bare. Expansion is a long term
possibility with a member equity plan in the beginning stages. Recent improvements include
a new 5 foot produce cooler, and updating bookkeeping to a computerized system. This small
space and lack of high-tech equipment is quite refreshing to many shoppers, however.
It’s not unusual to hear a visitor exclaim with a hint of nostalgia “This is
what our Co-op looked like 15 years ago!”
Although Cook County Whole Foods Co-op has seen many changes and lots of recent growth,
its commitment to “provide low-cost naturally and organically grown foods and
earth-friendly cleaning products to the residents and visitors to Cook County with as
little packaging as possible” has remained unchanged.
Cook County Whole Foods Statistics:
General:Sales Area: 420 sq. ft.
Storage Area: 100 sq. ft.
Membership: 400
Staff: 5 paid
Volunteers: 30
Sales:
Member discounts comprise 5% of sales ($9,600)
1996-1997 Sales: $171,500
1997-1998 Sales: $193,000
Departments by Percent of Sales:
Bulk: 28%
Grocery: 18%
Special Order: 12%
HABA: 8%
Produce: 7%
Dairy: 6.5%
Bakery: 3.5%
Other 14%(candy, spices, pop, etc.)
Store Hours:
Monday 9:30 - 6:00
Tuesday - Friday: 9:30 - 5:30
Saturday 10-5
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North Farm Cooperative conducts business in 2 different areas - our wholesale
operations and our retail operations. Our retail operations consist of a 98% ownership
(with Williamson Street Co-op) of our Magic Mill Natural Foods Market on the west side of
Madison. The North Farm Board not only oversees the wholesale activities, but also acts as
an oversight group for Magic Mill.
Magic Mill began operations in February, 1989. Magic Mill was started to give North
Farm a presence on the west side of Madison. This area was not being serviced by an
existing cooperative retail. During its existence Magic Mill has been very positive for
North Farm, providing not only a large sale base in Madison, but also substantial profits
for North Farm. In fact, it can be stated that Magic Mill greatly helped North Farm
through a time of operational losses a few years back. The last two years have seen just
the opposite, North Farm wholesale operations have done well and Magic Mill has suffered
losses. These losses have been a result of outside influences such as new competition, as
well as internal issues.
One of our goals for this next year is to strengthen and stabilize Magic Mill. To do
this we have new management in place, are taking steps to increase our oversight of Magic
Mill’s operations, and have approved a management request for improvements to the
deli operations. The North Farm Board views Magic Mill as an important part of our
cooperative and will continue to work to make it a success.
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New for November: Stir Crazy! - More than 100 Quick, Low-Fat Recipes for your
Wok or Stir Fry Pan
by Susan Jane Cheney
Contemporary Books, 1998
162 pages
This work offers a wealth of knowledge and ideas for both those interested in learning
the art of stir fry as well as seasoned veterans of the craft.
The first two chapters offer detailed tips and information on care and selection of an
appropriate pan and accessories and “streamlining” the cooking process. After
that, it’s vegetarian recipes galore! Besides some classic vegetable stir frying,
other chapters cover stews; noodle dishes; grains; tofu, tempeh, and seitan; sauces and
condiments; and a “wrap-up” chapter on the very trendy “wrap”.
Each of the recipes includes nutritional information that includes calories,
carbohydrates, fat, protein, cholesterol and sodium per serving. Here is a recipe from the
“It’s a Wrap” Chapter for you to try:
Seitan Fakin’ Fajitas (p. 139)
Thinly sliced marinated seitan is a perfect substitute for the skirt steak
strips commonly used for fajitas, and a wok is a good way to sear them. For a hearty meal,
serve the fajitas with rice, refried beans, and steamed or stir-fried greens.
- ½ pound traditionally seasoned seitan, cut into thin, 3-inch-long strips
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp. Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium to large onion, quartered and sliced thin
- 1 medium to large bell pepper (green or red) sliced into thin strips
- 1 tsp. Ground cumin
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup vegetable stock
- 4 large flour tortillas, warmed
- Green or red salsa to taste
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced thin
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Combine the seitan strips, garlic and lime juice in a shallow bowl. Stir to coat, then
refrigerate for several hours, stirring occasionally.
Steam the tortillas until soft, then wrap in an unnapped towel to keep them warm.
Set a wok or stir fry pan over medium-high heat. Pour the oil around the rim and swirl
it to coat the pan. Add the onion and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until translucent. Add
the bell pepper, cumin and black pepper and continue stir frying for about 3 minutes. Add
the marinated seitan and stir fry for several minutes. Add the stock and continue to stir
fry until the liquid has almost cooked away.
Spoon a quarter of the seitan mixture down the middle of each tortilla, drizzle with
salsa, lay a quarter of the avocado slices on top, and sprinkle cilantro over all. Roll up
the tortillas to enclose the filling and serve immediately.
Recipe Stats:
Serves 4.
Calories: 322
Total Fat: 12 g
Protein: 23 g
Carbohydrates: 31 g
Cholesterol 0g
Sodium: 117mg
Book Stats:
Cover price: $12.95
NF price $10.33
NF Stock # 2204
On sale in November for $9.81!
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The 21st annual “Great American Smokeout” is Thursday, November 19, 1998.
Since 1977 this event has helped millions quit smoking. Only 25% of adult Americans smoke
today compared to 34% in 1978 and 42% in 1965. Wouldn’t it be great if you, too,
could just say “I Quit” and join the trend against smoking and towards better
health?
As a member of North Farm Cooperative, you have already demonstrated your commitment to
improving your health through consumption of natural and organic foods, and use of
earth-friendly products. But the most important single thing you can do to improve your
overall health is to quit smoking!
Get Motivated!
So what if you tried and failed to quit smoking before? So what if you tried and
failed a thousand times? Learn all you can about the various ways to quit smoking and try
again, only this time use a fresh approach. If you tried going “cold turkey”
before, perhaps using gum or patches will help you quit gradually. If you tried to quit
gradually before, perhaps a sudden cessation of smoking will work this time. Or perhaps a
combination of several approaches will turn you into an ex-smoker.Seek out friends who
have quit and enlist their advice and encouragement. Join a support group: these are often
sponsored by your local hospital. It is easy to find supportive groups, such as the
“Smoke No More Forum” through the Internet.
Check out various websites such as the American Cancer Society’s www.cancer.org. Nosmoke software is available through www.autonomy.com. There is a 12-step program you can
follow at www.nicotine-anonymous.org. Over
50 links to some of the best information that the Internet has to offer can be found at www.chriscor.com/evenmore.htm. If you do a
search on “quitting” and “smoking”, you will find the paths to
thousands of helpful sites.
Get Physical!
When people first quit smoking often they feel worse instead of better. This is
partly due to nicotine withdrawal symptoms and partly due to the body ridding itself of
toxins. It is much easier to refrain from smoking if you feel better as a non-smoker than
you did as a smoker. There are a lot of ways to help yourself feel better:
- Exercise is absolutely necessary for good health and to feel good. Walk at least thirty
minutes a day or engage in other physical activity. If you devote your lunch hour to
exercising, you will experience an energy boost that will carry you through the afternoon
without a cigarette break.
- An internal cleansing program can greatly assist the body in freeing itself of poisons.
The single best way to help the body cleanse itself is by drinking lots of pure water.
Eight glasses is the recommended amount. Buy bottled water or a good water filter to
ensure that you are putting the best water possible into that “billion-dollar
body”. A side bonus is that the better-tasting water will encourage you to drink even
more.
- According to Paavo Ariola in his book How to Get Well, going on a fruit juice fast is a
100% effective way to cleanse the body of smoking-related poisons and to completely
eliminate physiological cravings for cigarettes.
- Various herbal preparations and teas have proven to be of great benefit in assisting the
body in detoxifying itself. And “Smoke Free”, manufactured by Boericke &
Tafel, has helped at least one North Farmer “kick the habit”.
Eat Right!
Even if you haven’t yet quit you can prepare yourself by improving your diet:
- Consume a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables plus whole grains in your daily
diet. Many diets do not provide sufficient amounts of all the nutrients you need, consider
taking supplements to provide nutritional support.
- Antioxidants, such as Vitamin A, E and beta carotene, to destroy free radicals produced
in smoke and aid in healing mucous membranes.
- Take B-Complex vitamins plus Folic Acid to help cellular enzyme systems damaged by
smoking.
- Consume vitamin C-rich foods such as orange juice and/or supplement your diet with
Vitamin C tablets. It is a well-known fact that smoking depletes Vitamin C in your body;
smokers need 3.5 times as much Vitamin C as non-smokers.
You can quit smoking any day. You don’t have to wait until the third Thursday in
November for the “Great American Smokeout”. But no matter what day you quit,
when the fourth Thursday in November (Thanksgiving Day) rolls around, you’ll really
have something to be thankful for!
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Right about the first of this year, North Farm was delivering food to you at an
unprecedented level of quality. We had never been better, and at that time, no one else
could do as well. It was an exhilarating feeling at North Farm — to be that good. We
want you to think we are the best at what you want us to do — get you your food.
At about the same time, we were introducing new tools into our own systems that we felt
would make us even better. You see, it was determination and hard work alone that were
allowing us to be as good as we were then. Modern technology and sophisticated systems
played no part. We were good in spite of acute weaknesses in those areas.
We began with the freezer. The first weeks after we went live with new software in the
freezer were troublesome. The old software, which we are still using parts of, and the new
software were not communicating properly, despite the fact that we thought we were ready
to go. The uniqueness of our business threw curves at consultants in which we had too much
confidence. Invoicing errors were the first major problem. Out of stock problems were the
next problem — and much more difficult to solve. Our product Buyers were extremely
frustrated as products sat in storage, waiting to be “received” into our system.
After the exhilaration of the first part of the year, this did not feel good at all. We
made some changes. Some people worked incredibly hard, well above and beyond the call of
duty, to make things better. We are still not finished. But, we are starting to see
benefits — and we believe you should begin seeing them as well. The warehouse
components of the project are almost complete, although it will still take a few months
for us to get really good with the new tools we have at our disposal.
By mid-fall the warehouse portion of the modernization projects will be largely
complete. By then we will be well underway with new purchasing software, which is Phase
II. The purchasing software we have selected, known as E3, will help us reduce out of
stocks while at the same time reduce inventory. This software will compliment our new
warehousing software.
Some of these changes won’t be obviously apparent to you. Many of the changes will
be gradual, and you will see them through improvements in quality. Billing errors
originating in the warehouse should decrease, and product availability should increase.
Phase III should start just after the first of 1999. Phase III will be more obvious as
we will be updating our ordering and invoicing systems. We will be making greater use of
the Internet as a tool to communicate with you. We will also be working on a Windows
version of NF-One, which we will build right into our own in-house order taking systems.
We regret and apologize for problems we created for you as we have worked on these
major projects at North Farm Cooperative. We deeply appreciate your patronage and we will
work hard to regain your confidence in us. I’m pretty optimistic about our future
together, despite the rocky path we experienced during the summer. I am committed to
returning our service and quality to levels we are proud of.
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Established, smooth-running buying clubs are a wonderful resource for new clubs or
those that need restructuring!
The featured club this issue, Salt of the Earth - Hartford, WI, has been in existence
since 1982. Their club grew mainly through “word of mouth” and now has a stable
membership of 42 families. Laura Schwengel, the club’s bookkeeper, shared some great
tips on managing a buying club.
Her first tip is, the best way to organize is to computerize! Very soon, NF-One, North
Farm’s ordering software, will be available to all interested buying clubs. This
program will make ordering easy and help with the bookkeeping. Another is to share case
items. Members may order partial cases and the extra product from the case is put on an
“extras” table. The club newsletter lists the items for sale on this table and
members can shop from this list. This system is very popular because people enjoy trying
new items. It also helps increase monthly sales. Financing of this table is possible
through North Farm’s volume discount program.
Salt of the Earth has an innovative way of keeping their club running smoothly. All
jobs necessary to make the club run smoothly are listed, along with the amount of time
required to do them. People signing up for jobs know in advance what is expected of them
and the time commitment that is required.
An interesting feature that Salt of the Earth offers is a “come and see”
policy. Potential members are invited to the distribution and are able to see firsthand
how the club operates. Best of all, they are able to see all the products that members
have ordered.
Thanks go to Laura for her willingness to share her 15 years of experience in managing
a buying club!
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On Wednesday, May 27, 1998, North Farm Cooperative was awarded a Governor’s
Employment and Training Award for exceptional performance in hiring persons with
disabilities. Scott Savage, M.A., People Processes Manager at North Farm accepted the
award from Lt. Governor Scott McCallum, at the conference which was held at the Paper
Valley Hotel in Appleton, Wisconsin.North Farm was nominated for the award by the Division
of Vocational Rehabilitation, a State agency which provides services necessary for person
with disabilities to become employed in suitable positions. North Farm provides its
employees equal employment opportunities, meaningful work and a competitive reward
structure. All employees have the opportunity to participate in the success of the
cooperative.North Farm has worked closely with DVR counselors and Job Placement
specialists in employing persons with disabilities and assuring that job accessibility and
job accommodations are provided for employees if they are required, in order to perform
the essential functions of the job.Susie Gall, who works both in North Farm's Retail and
Buying Club teams and is herself confined to a wheel chair, was instrumental in prompting
the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to nominate North Farm for this award.The award
is proudly displayed in North Farm’s main entrance.
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