Blog

by Gary Taylor, General Manager

Happy August fellow Co-opers!

Some of the questions we get here at the coop concern the high cost of groceries these days. I think it is time we talked about this elephant in the room. I will tackle this in two parts, the first being the effects of inflation on food cost and the second being our unique situation as a small independent co-op.

by Mia Hanneken, Education Coordinator

Did you know an astounding forty percent of food in the U.S. goes uneaten? Not considering the vast quantities of restaurant foods that are wasted, it is estimated that even two-thirds of food in U.S. kitchens are discarded.

by Keith McKenney

Happy August, dear readers!

Not unlike last month's dispatch from your board of directors, I will remind you that we are fast approaching election season.

One of the things I love about our co-op is this piece: Owners vote for their board of directors. As an owner that has invested in a piece of equity in our store, you have a say in who represents you when it comes to governing Common Ground. That's a little different than your average grocery store. Even the smaller regional chains.

by Sam Ihm, Marketing

On industrial agriculture, farmer suicides, being a "consumer", eating consciously, and working toward a local food system that meets our material needs.

What's Your Relationship to the Food You Buy?

What is the ultimate decision we face when choosing what food to buy at the store? Is it what we’re going to eat for dinner, or how much money we’ll have left to spend elsewhere? Or, can it be bigger than just what happens to us today?

Almost exactly four years ago, I applied to run for Common Ground’s board. At the time, I worked for a nonprofit that focused on local food and farming, and my motivation for joining CGFC’s board was mostly because I care about the importance of locally grown food and having a connection to the people who produced it. The co-op, then, was a logical place for me to find a sense of community. The Ends (conveniently painted on the walls above the registers) are things I believe in, and I am proud to be a part of them.

by Anne Bargar, Produce Assistant Manager PrairiErth Farm sits a few miles outside of Atlanta, IL, about 20 miles southeast of Bloomington-Normal. It’s 350 acres of diversified farm including vegetable crops, grains, pasture, cover crops, and restored prairie. The terrain there is rolling and the whole farm is quite beautiful. Add in the dramatic clouds we had during our visit, and it was quite the visual feast.

by Gary Taylor, June 2018

Hello Co-opers,

June 2018

by Mia Hanneken, Education Coordinator

I have been living my bulk aisle dreams this past month! An enormous “thank you” to everyone who has donated their jars to the co-op. Little by little, we are bringing awareness to single use plastic and offering sustainable options. I encourage everyone to continue donating their empty jars and skipping the unnecessary bags when shopping in bulk (and produce, for that matter).

June 2018

by Andi Marietta, FOH Manager

New to bulk buying and want to know what it’s all about? Awesome! Buying from the bins might seem complicated at first glance, but it’s really very easy once you know what to do. We’ll show you how with these step by step instructions.

June 2018

by Andi Marietta, FOH Manager

We all know by now that the best thing for the environment and sustainable living is reusing what we already have. Many years ago, folks here at the Co-op began a leave a bag/take a bag system which has been hugely popular. So popular in fact, it got some of us to thinking: how can we help folks reuse more items? Well, our very smart, one and only Mia in the Marketing team came up with a great idea.

Introducing...The Jar Donation Station!

Here's how it works: