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Benefits of Volunteering With the West Michigan Co-op

The West Michigan Co-Op will be holding our annual meeting on March 3, 2009.

For those of you who have volunteered at least five times during the 2008 calendar year, you will be eligible to vote at this meeting. Furthermore, as a voting member you will be eligible to run for a vacant position on the board of directors.

There are two ways to become a voting member:

1. Users of the West Michigan Cooperative may pay $100 to the Co-op to become a lifetime Voting Member of the Co-op. This is in addition to the $35 annual user fee, which must be maintained to remain a lifetime Voting Member.
   
   
2. Users who volunteer five or more times in a calendar year, ending December 31st, will become a Voting Member for the following calendar year. You must volunteer five times every year to maintain a Voting Member status. The volunteer numbers will reset to zero every January 1st.

Volunteers are currently needed to help during pick-up nights as well as on the committees. Currently the Membership Committee and the PR/Marketing Committee are in need to more volunteers. For information on committees, as well as contact information, please visit our Web site.

If you have any further questions or if you would like to find out how many times you have volunteered this year, please contact Tara at tara@westmichigancoop.com.

Buy Local Mint Essential Oil & Help Save a Farm

Crosby Mint Farm in St. Johns, Michigan, is under foreclosure. Because of the farm's historic significance and the desire to continue producing peppermint essential oil, your help is needed to save the farm.

In addition to having what appears to be the oldest surviving still in the country, the Crosby Farms operation also appears to be the oldest mint farm in continuous operation in the United States. The key word here is 'continuous' - that it has cultivated and processed mint since J.E. Crosby purchased the property before World War I.

How You Can Help

For $5, you can get a gram of pure mint oil. This essential oil lasts a long time and is very hard to find.

Currently, there is enough essential oil inventory to pay the farm's debt, but 77,000 dram bottles must be sold!

Visit http://www.getmint.com/ for more information and to place your order.

Some of Mint's Many Uses

Headaches:

Peppermint may ease headaches and migraines. Apply a rub to temple area in circular motion and across the forehead. For migraines, wet hair and put 4-5 drops into your hand and massage into the scalp.

Sinus Problems

Peppermint is very useful in reducing sinus congestion when added to a bowl of steaming or boiling water. A rub may be applied to chest, back of neck area, and behind ears. A few drops of oil in a vaporizer at night will help ease congestion as well.

Digestive System

Peppermint oil can help relax the muscles of the digestive tract to relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. One drop of peppermint oil on a sugar cube or used in tea may help relieve intestinal cramps.

Body Muscles & Arthritis

Peppermint oil is soothing to sore muscles when added to a hot bath or massage oil. Use this to soothe arthritis pain. Mix 4-5 drops of oil into 1 ounce of lotion and/or massage carrier oil.

Feet

Applied full strength, or mixed with a carrier oil, peppermint oil may relieve swollen feet and may reduce and assist in healing blisters, cuts, or athlete's foot by killing bacteria.

Women Only

To relieve menstrual or abdominal cramps, add 1-2 drops of peppermint oil on a sugar cube or into an 8 ounce glass of water and drink. A toothpick dipped in oil works great for tea or water. Mint also helps to relieve hot flashes!

Flu Season

For a sore throat, sparingly dip a cotton swab into mint oil and carefully apply to the back of the tongue area.

Relieve congestion by rubbing a few drops of peppermint oil on chest and covering with warm compress.

Add a few drops of mint oil to the water of a humidifier or vaporizer to keep it smelling fresh and kill germs.

Peppermint Oil is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal!