Summer Greetings from the Interim Management Team

-by Marcia Hanson, Matt Hass, & Kathy Vaughan

Summer fruits are now in abundance, with a good amount of local vegetables coming in from Wisconsin Growers and Earthen Path. In response to questions we’ve had, purple produce signs indicate that these items have been locally grown and are certified organic or have been grown using organic standards. On the near horizon, look for local melons and, of course, peaches from Colorado and Michigan!

There are still a few changes and tweakings of where store stock will be shelved, along with new products appearing and old products being phased out. Remember: if there is something that you particularly like that is no longer stocked or a new product you want to try, you can special order it if it is available from our distributors, or we may discontinue some other item to make room for it. We have had many requests to carry fresh chicken in the store and decided to bring back Kadejan chicken, a local farm that raises chickens free range without the use of antibiotics or hormones. We hope you enjoy!

The new cooler in our expansion has allowed for many new deli items, cheeses, olives, and beverages. By far, shoppers have been very pleased with our improved space and new look! In our original space, we now have a new cooler in the front for all bulk and packaged nuts. Sales have been vigorous, and Kathy, the buyer, is ecstatic! Marcia, our supplement buyer, displays refrigerated supplements on the top shelf of that cooler along with certain nut butters. Soon we will have labeled aisles and a map of the store.

We continue to acquire new members, and we have a special calendar for volunteers who wish to work on the new side of the store, so we have been able to accommodate this growth in membership. Welcome to all of our new members, and thank you for choosing to join Hampden Park Co-op.

Lastly, many of you are aware that this September and October Raymond Avenue will be closed near Energy Park. We hope that you take the extra detour to come into the co-op during this time. Saint Anthony Park does a great job of supporting its local businesses and we thank you for your continued support!