Eat Local Challenge 2009

What is the Eat Local Challenge?

Challenging the Chippewa Valley to eat locally, within 100 miles, for the entire month of September.

For the hard-core: A contest to eat completely within the 100 mile radius of the Challenge.

For most people:

• Consciously buying and eating more local food, making the effort to seek out local food.
  
• Substituting local products for national brands (such as milk and eggs).
  
• Trying some different locally grown vegetables or meats.
  
• Eating one primarily-local-ingredient meal a day.
  
• Making the decision to buy local whenever possible.

Just Local Food's involvement:

We encourage you to come to our store, and try some of the amazing local food available. Many of our products come to us direct from the farm, such as organic milk (in glass bottles) Crystal Ball Farms (89 miles), fresh eggs from Matt Buvala (52 miles), organic chicken from Coon Creek Family Farm (10 miles), salad greens from DragSmith Farms (59 miles). We work directly with many local farmers and suppliers to get food that is fresh and sustainably grown, that has been raised for flavor and nutritional goodness rather than its ability to be transported across the country (or hemisphere), which keeps money in the local economy, and reduces the amount of energy required for shipment.

To make it easy to spot local foods within our store, look for the Eat Local Challenge logo or a red "LOCAL!" label on the shelves. There are many other great foods outside the 100 mile radius that we get direct from the farm, such as the tortilla chips from Whole Grain Milling (Welcome, MN), that you may also want to try.

Check out one of our in-store tours called Just Local Food 101. Aaron will take you around the store and tell you the stories behind the local food we carry. The more you know about your food and the people who grow it, the more you'll get why we're so passionate about local food.

We have some great ideas for easy local meals. Once you form a new habit, it’s easy. You just need to start. We look forward to helping you discover all the benefits of eating locally.

Current Just Local Food 101 Schedule:

Thurs, Sept 3, 7pm – 8pm
Thurs, Sept 10, 7pm – 8pm
Mon, Sept 14, 10am – 11am
Thurs, Sept 17, 7pm – 8pm
Tues, Sept 22, 10am – 11am

For more information:

Pick up a copy of A Second Opinion for details and ideas.

Why eat local? Here’s 10 reasons.

http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/

http://eatlocalchallengecv.blogspot.com/

mid-year report now available

Howdy folks!

Our 2009 mid-year report is now available for download at the link below. Inside this report you'll find narrative describing the activities of your local food cooperative over the past year or so. Please take a moment out of your day to enjoy the progress report we've worked to create. Please let us know if you have questions or concerns about our cooperative enterprise. It is you, our customers and suppliers, that we owe a great many thanks for supporting us over the past five years. We depend on your feedback to improve and advance our collective mission.

2009 Mid Year Report (PDF download)

As mentioned in the report, we can also make financial information available upon your request. Send inquiries to Lissa.

Tropical heat relief

pura vida mi pueblo,

This week we bring you a Latin American theme to accompany the this heat wave. we just brought in an order of fantastic tropical treats that will surely quench your summertime thirst!

Fresh today we have young coconut, black and green figs, papaya, pineapple. cilantro, tomatillos, y mucho mas for an amazing fruit salad, salsa, combination of the two or whatever your inner latina/o may crave.

New cafe earns downtown award

Congrats to our friends at harmony corner cafe! We eagerly anticipate fresh baked breads, sweets, rolls and other delicacies both at the new harmony corner and at our locale!

http://www.leadertelegram.com/story-news.asp?id=BKQLATLI07M
http://harmonycornercafe.com/

"Harmony Corner Cafe, recently took first place in Downtown Eau Claire Inc.'s fifth annual Jump-Start Downtown Business Plan Competition. The bakery/coffee shop/cafe earned $5,000 in startup capital and $500 in airtime or advertising production from Charter Media...

...Work is under way at Harmony Corner Cafe, 210 S. Barstow St., which plans to open in early fall. The business has about 3,500 square feet of space spanning entrances on both Barstow and Graham Ave. ...

...Harmony already has an account to supply Just Local Food; the relationship between growers, farmers and customers was one reason for the use of "harmony" in the business name."

BREW NEWS AUGUST 2009

1. Oktoberfests Are In!
2. Walter's Beer Update
3. New/Seasonal Options
4. Samplings

1. Oktoberfests Are In!
We are excited to offer 2 Oktoberfest beers already this year. First came Capital's offering and second came Summit. Both beers honor the Oktoberfest celebration in Munich, Germany that dates back to 1810.

2. Walter's Beer Update
Y'all have probably heard, but Walter's Beer is being brewed in Eau Claire, WI again. We have a steady supply of 6 packs on hand, ready to help you beat the summer heat. In the near future look for new 6 pack holders sporting the Walter's insignia (instead of the generic Northwoods ones). Also in the works are 6 pack cans ala Floppin' Crappie. If you haven't yet, stop on down and pick-up a piece of Eau Claire history.

3. New/Seasonal Options
Capital Oktoberfest
Summit Oktoberfest
Viking Dim Whit
Summit Extra Pale Ale 12pk
New Glarus Yokel

4. Samplings
Make sure to mark your calendars for our monthly beer samplings. We do one every 3rd Thursday of the month. We have sure had fun this summer drinking some good beer with the folks from Angry Minnow, Northwoods, and Viking. We will be having a sampling August 20th with a brewery t.b.d. or a comparison sampling with the JLF staff. Check back often for updates on the upcoming event.

Cheers,
Jordan

"Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza."
-Dave Barry

Alchemy Family Farm's New Products!

Chef Bradley 'Dean' Parent is at it again with some new products.

Come down and grab a Serrano Hummus, Red Pepper & Cumin Hummus, Fire-Roasted Salsa, or Gyro Sandwich and enjoy these new additions to the already diverse line of Alchemy Family Farm products already carried.

We also are stocking old favorites: Smoked Salmon Mousse, Mushroom & Herb Spread, Hummus, Aegean Tapenade, and a rotation of sandwiches: Mediterranean, North Coast, Il Rustica, etc.

Stop in and spoil yourself with these amazing products!

Need some new food ideas for the summer?

Two completely different sites, lots of delicious ideas...

Here's a fun site with lots of beautiful cheeseburger creations featuring Wisconsin cheeses: http://www.cheeseandburger.com/

And for something completely different, 101 Simple Salads for the Season, by Mark Bittman, in the New York Times. This article has lots of great ideas for simple fresh salads combining summer foods you wouldn't necessarily think go together. (Mark Bittman is the author of one of the best overall cookbooks, in my opinion, How to Cook Everything. I refer to it regularly, and often give it as a gift.)

After you check out the above links, come to Just Local Food and check out our wonderful and ever-changing produce section, our mighty and expanded cheese selection in the cooler, and our wide selection of local and regional sustainable meat, including ground beef, bison, pork, lamb, chicken, and turkey -- and make some of the above ideas a reality.

(image borrowed from www.cheeseandburger.com)

stone fruits

We are blessed to have access to some amazing stonefruits coming into ripeness. These fruits, typically coming from California, are certified organic and carefully handled every step of the way. Pictured here are just a few of the varieties we're seeing come in and out our door these days. Dapple Fire Pluots packed by the Peterson family. Sweet Treat Pluots from Twin Girls farms. Spring Bright Nectarine from D.B. Harris in Parlier California. Get your Vitamin A with these sweet treats!

Alchemy/Viking Co-Sampling TODAY!

Come on down to the store from 3-6PM today for beer samples from Brew Masters Randy & Anne a.k.a. Viking Brewing Company and food samples from Chef Bradley 'Dean' a.k.a. Alchemy Family Farm.

Viking Bio: Viking Brewing Company, established in 1994, was the first microbrewery in Northwest Wisconsin. Viking brought back that time-honored tradition of a local, family run brewery that takes pride in brewing unique and outstanding beers; over 22 different styles.

Alchemy Bio: Alchemy Family Farm offers the finest

in hand grown foods, custom catering of all types, food service consulting, and contract food production. We also carry an artisan food line found in several local establishments.

Investment Opportunity

Dear Friend:

Just Local Food Cooperative has been working hard with you over the past five years to build a viable local food system. In 2008 we sold over $550,000 in local food and project sales of nearly one million dollars in 2009!

Just Local Food Co-op members created Preferred Shares to raise capital for the business. The Co-op will use the invested money to expand services, education and products for members of our greater community. Each share has a par value of $100 and an annual dividend of 5%. The minimum investment is $100, which translates into exactly one share of Class C, Series 1 Stock.

For example, a $500 investment for Class C Series 1 stock will earn $25 per year. The dividend payment will automatically be reinvested in the form of more stock. This means in the following years, the 5% is calculated on more dollars, also called compound interest. The Board of Directors guarantees that a dividend payment will be declared at least once per year. There are a total of 2,000 shares available in Class C, Series 1.

Preferred shares are more like a Money Market Account (MMA) or a Certificate of Deposit (CD) than a stock that fluctuates on the stock market. There are many MMAs and CDs offered, with a variety of terms. Some current examples are:

MMA under $10,000, .25% dividend rate
MMA over $10,000, 1.19% dividend rate
CD, $100, .75 - 2.75% dividend rate

Just Local Food Co-op
C,1 $100, 5% dividend rate

Check out the Frequently Asked Questions, read our most recent annual report, and call or visit Just Local Food Co-op to speak with Aaron Ellringer. They can answer your questions and set you up!

Materials are also available for download as PDF right here:

Investor Checklist

Letter and FAQ

And the federal governement has the required W9 form online, just fill in and print out!

Thanks for considering investing your time and money in our cooperative enterprise!

Sincerely,
jen, lissa, bob, jordan, aaron, laura, cindy, dave, mary beth, zac, drew, susie

Brew News - July 2009

1. Summer Seasonal Beers

2. Viking Brewery & Alchemy/Esca Ars Sampling

3. Walter’s Beer

4. Updated Mix ‘n’ Match Beer Pricing

1. Summer Seasonal Beers

Summer is a great season for us beer lovers (although, who am I kidding - aren’t ALL seasons great for drinking beer?). On those sweltering, humid summer afternoons there’s nothing better than an ice-cold brewski to help cool off. A popular choice for brewers this year seems to be Wheat Beers. Take a look at the various styles we have in the store, as well as these other brews perfect for enjoying in the summer warmth:

· NEW! – Capital Wild Rice Summer Lager

· NEW! – Summit Horizon Red Ale

· Furthermore Fatty Boombalaty

· Bell’s Oberon

· Viking Lime Twist (a wheat beer)

· Summit Summer Sampler 12pk: Extra Pale Ale, Pilsener, Scandia Ale, Hefe Weizen

· Sand Creek Hard Lemonade

Here are a couple more suggestions to further enhance your summer drinking experience:

-- Try Sand Creek’s Hard Lemonade over ice or mix it half-and-half with your favorite “lighter” beer (in style - I do not mean Light Beer) for a refreshing Shandy-style beverage

-- Add a slice of lemon, orange, or lime to your beer. See which fruit you like best with different beers for that added flavor kick.

2. Viking Brewery & Alchemy/Esca Ars Sampling

On Thursday July 16^th, brew masters Randy and Ann will be at the store from Viking Brewery (Dallas, WI). Their extensive selection of beverages will team up with Dean from Alchemy Family Farm/Esca Ars (Colfax, WI) for a food and beer combo you surely won’t want to miss.

BEER & FOOD SAMPLING

THURSDAY JULY 16^th

3:00-6:00pm

3. Walter’s Beer

A local favorite once again brewed in Eau Claire by the hometown Northwoods Brewpub. Public demand for this beer has been so great that the brewery couldn’t keep up and quickly ran out of their supply. But not to worry! The next batch is fermenting in the tanks and should be ready by mid-July. We should have it back on our shelves by then! Take a look at this article for more information on this re-issued classic.

4. Updated Mix ‘n’ Match Beer Pricing

Create your own beer tasting at home! Peruse our wide selection of beers then mix ‘n’ match your own 4 or 6 pack for your drinking pleasure. We offer a $1.00 discount off the total price on all mixed 6 packs, as well as $.50 off the total price of mixed 4 packs. Variety is the spice of life!