Upcoming Board Meetings.

The West Michigan Co-op board will be meeting Tuesday, February 10th, at 6:30pm to prepare for our annual meeting on Tuesday, March 3rd, at 6:30pm.

Both meetings will be held at Media Rare, 1111 Godfrey SW, and everyone is encouraged to attend.

Hope to see you there!

Why I Love the Co-Op

Yesterday (Saturday) morning, I went grocery shopping. Did I battle the throngs of people at the local grocery store who also do their weekly grocery shopping on Saturday mornings? No, I did not.

Rather, I sat at home, in front of the computer, wearing my pajamas, and eating a bowl of cereal while grocery shopping.

A year ago, my husband and I joined West Michigan Co-op. Through this organization, local farmers post their products on the Co-op's web site, and then consumers/members of the Co-op purchase food from the farmers through the web site. You order the food online (which is what I was doing yesterday), and then go pick it up at the designated pick-up date and location.

Besides being able to do a portion of my monthly grocery shopping in my pajamas while eating breakfast, here are some other reasons why I love the Co-op:

• Support local farmers.
• Get fresher food (its not shipped from South America like a lot of the food in grocery stores).
• Much more environmentally friendly.
  
• You can read about each of the farms and their farming practices before ordering their products.
• You can select foods that are certified organic, free-range, grass fed, pesticide free, etc.
• You can minimize dealing with the shopping cart traffic jams and long check-out lines that occur in traditional grocery stores.

Yes, you might pay slightly more for buying through the Co-op compared to a traditional grocery store. However, the Co-op farmers often put their products on sale too.

And while you're writing your check, think about the good that you're doing. It's win-win for everyone: the Earth, West Michigan farmers, and you.

Updates!

Hello, everybody! It's Paul, your friendly Co-op Tech Guy.

You may have noticed a slightly different look on the home page today. This refreshed look was wrapped into our version 1.2 software update.

We've done a lot of work on the back-end of the software (the database things you don't - and don't want to - see). Hopefully, this in addition to some changes to the look and organization of the site will help you get shopping faster.

This also puts a stronger foundation in place for us to add new features, and further organize the current ones. Our software has been in a constant state of change with our continuing growth - we appreciate your patience as there have certainly been growing pains at times!

If you notice any errors today, go ahead and email questions@westmichigancoop.com. I've added myself on to that list for this cycle so that I can get a handle on any bugs that crop up with the new software - and there's sure to be some!

Finally, it might be interesting to note that we have also open-sourced our software. Information is available at http://code.google.com/p/online-co-op/. What this means is that other people can now start the work of opening their own online co-op in their area - and they have a head-start by downloading and using our software.

Thanks everybody - shop early, shop often!

The Light Bulb guy

I hear alot of people refer to Michael Hedrick as the light bulb guy! That's because his booth is usually lit up with his line of energy-efficient, full-spectrum light bulbs.

The actual company name is Healthy Living Technology, and he sells WAY more than just light bulbs. Last month I finally purchased the Living Water All-In-One Showerhead w/ filter. The showerhead has a replaceable filter that takes out chlorine, sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen sulfide. I became concerned about the chemicals and toxins you absorb and inhale during showers, and Healthy Living Technology had the solution. I chose the handheld model since I also have a big dog I routinely bath (can't wait to try it!)

You can also get whole house air and water purification systems, as well as a slew of other feel good products.

So next time you're picking up your order, be sure to swing by the Light Bulb guy and take a peak at what else is for sale!

Volunteer Appreciation Party

Here are some photos from West Michigan Co-Op's volunteer appreciation party which was held on December 4. The party included a full meal prepared with food grown and produced locally, local beer and a raffle.

Thank you to all of the Co-Op's volunteers!

Photos of December's Pick-Up

Steven Depolo, who did some interviews for an article he's writing for the February edition of Revue, took some wonderful photos at our last pick up. Be sure to check them out!.

Wondering Where all the eggs went?

You may have noticed that some producers are only selling eggs by special order, while others have a very limited supply of eggs. That's because chickens like to take a well-deserved break in the winter! The truth is that as the days get shorter, chickens react to the decrease in day light. This change in day length causes hens to molt and cease egg production, a process that may take several months.

Molting is a natural process that allows the hen to replace old, worn feathers and rejuvenates her oviduct, the organ that “makes” eggs. With the molt, the hen puts the bulk of her energy into feather growth, leaving little for egg production. This is the way nature intended it to be. Factory farms, who cram the chickens into giant warehouses, among other atrocities, use chemicals, unnatural feed, and fake sun light to trick chickens into creating eggs all year round. It is just not right!

So while you may be a little bothered that you can't get the eggs you've been happily buying for months, be happy to know that the chickens are resting their bodies so that they can give you their eggs in the Springtime.

Doesn't that make the eggs you get from the Co-op even more precious?