Greetings from the aisles of HPC - August, 2010

One benefit of living in Minnesota is our distinct seasons. Summer always seems like an explosive time of the year: longer days, beautiful weather, people rushing to get outside, and, of course, produce!

Plenty of produce

Summer means gardening, farmers' markets, CSA shares, and checking out what is coming into the co-op. Most of our local produce comes from Wisconsin Growers and Earthen Path farm. They bring us carrots, peppers, melons, squash, potatoes, apples, and more. Wisconsin Growers has invited us to tour their farms in August; watch for details posted in the store.

Summer also brings us peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, and figs; many of these items aren’t grown locally but still are essential to our summer experience. We have Michigan cherries and peaches, and Whitewater Valley Orchard in St. Charles, MN, will have plums for us. The Michigan and Colorado peaches are always a favorite for canning; let us know if you would like to special order a lug or two for your projects.

Deli news

Summer at Hampden Park Co-op means that we dial down the hot soup a little bit and turn up the bulk summer salads. Our deli staff has also been adding new items to the sandwich section: adobo chicken and black bean wraps, Italian hoagies, and my new favorite, the lime-marinated tempeh sandwich. We hope that you enjoy the deli offerings; let us know what you think.

New faces at the co-op

My partner Melissa and I have a nine-week-old son, Shannon, who has been making the rounds at the store and getting to know folks. Thank you to everyone for so graciously welcoming him into our community. He has made this summer special for me and challenging to say the least!

Aaron Kroska left us in June, moving to new adventures in Colorado. We will miss his smile and warm spirit. We welcome new employees Cynthia Thomas, Sophia Rog, and Katy Peter. All three have experience working in other food cooperatives and are a great addition to Hampden Park Co-op.

End of the fiscal year

On June 30th we ended our fiscal year and also had our end-of-year inventory. Many volunteers helped us with this task; it was a great reminder of how wonderful our volunteers are. Thank you for choosing to spend your time helping the store to function well and be a part of our community. You are the lifeblood of the co-op.

I hope that you all enjoy the remaining days of summer and all of the activities, travel, and food, etc. that it has to offer.