Blog

by Colin Dodson, IT Coordinator

from the January 2018 newsletter

by Jess Rasmussen, Wellness Manager

Putting our name on a dietary supplement is a commitment to our brand but more important, to you. It's our way of guaranteeing our own vitamins provide the quality you expect from the co-op, at a reasonable price.

by Sam Ihm, Promotions Coordinator

My parents' northern Illinois farmhouse sits on a few acres atop a hill just outside DeKalb. You can easily see into town and as far as your eyes can take you in every direction. It makes for incredible sunrises and sunsets, as there's a 360-degree skyscape at all times. That's one of the benefits of living in a flat state: lots of sky, and a more subtle - or trained, perhaps - appreciation of beauty.

by Sam Ihm, Promotions Coordinator

What's the Issue?

Dicamba herbicide wreaking havoc on local ecosystems

Monsanto's weedkiller, dicamba, is causing widespread damage in Illinois. Drift from the airborne herbicide has ruined millions of acres of crops - including unsprayed fields, eradicated by the flying poison - and damaged oak trees in numerous nature preserves, including Funk's Grove just 10 miles south of Bloomington.

by Sarah Buckman, Outreach Coordinator

How does Common Ground reduce food waste and feed our hungry neighbors, all while increasing support for local food pantries and social welfare organizations? We'll tell you in one word: SHRINK!

Jess Rasmussen, Wellness Manager

Here at the Co-op, we absolutely love our local farmers and vendors! Did you know that we are representing local in the Wellness Department as well?!

My goal is to really highlight local vendors by giving them prime location and merchandising.  I want to encourage our owners and all of our customers to give them an extra perusal the next time you're in and see what amazing goodies our local vendors are making!

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Common Ground Owners;

Recently, I had the opportunity to do an analysis of Common Ground's credit/debit card processing fees. I had not looked at these numbers for years and found them fascinating, a bit painful, and thought you might also find them interesting.

For years the grocery industry resisted accepting credit cards, fearful of the costs. The banks lowered the rate for grocery stores and eventually the food industry joined the bandwagon. There is no going back as you will see in the following bullet point details.

See our Impacts Report for 2016!

Owner Election Results

2017 Board of Directors Results

560 voters (457 electronic ballot voters, 103 paper ballot voters)

4 available Board of Directors slots (Three 3 year terms and One 1 year term)

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Karen Carney, 336 votes, elected to a 3 year term.

Karen Medina, 326 votes, elected to a 3 year term.

Magdalena Casper-Shipp, 238 votes, elected to a 3 year term.

By Sam Ihm, Promotions Coordinator

The buzz is all about our competition these days because local products have become a focus at big box stores. Co-ops like ours, who’ve always focused on local, are losing the money that the “big boys” are raking in. In these trying times, it’s ever more important that our community-owned store has community support.

So, what can you do? Here’s a list to get you started.