May GM Report
by Kenna S. Eaton
Each month, I report to the board on what is happening in the store as well as our progress on our long-term goals, which we call our Ends. These Ends reflect our aspirations—what we want to accomplish—and they are part of what makes us different from a regular grocery store. We publish these reports as a blog to keep our member-owners up to date on what we are doing.
Our Ends
The general manager strives to provide these benefits to our member-owners and community while operating a strong grocery store:
Strengthen and advocate for our local food system, with a vibrant culture of appreciation and support for local farms and producers.
Treat people well, increasing equity and access by providing a safe, welcoming, and educational environment.
Treat the planet well, by modeling environmental stewardship and regularly sharing our accomplishments and challenges with member-owners.
May Update on Store and Progress on Ends
Working Together to Nourish our Community
Store Update
This month we welcomed Amber Q. to the Food Co-op as our new Store Manager. (Store Managers report to the General Manager.) Amber has a strong background in both co-ops and management, having served as the GM of the co-op in Fairbanks, Alaska, before relocating to Washington and working at Central Co-op in Tacoma. We’re excited to have her on our team, helping to make our store even more welcoming.
The store closed for the day on April 15th so we could tackle multiple maintenance projects without impinging on the safety of our customers or staff. All departments used the time to work on their own projects, ranging from meetings to cleanings. Thank you to all our staff who organized and assisted—it was a very productive day. Here’s a list of just the facilities projects we accomplished:
Water line was replaced along with the pressure regulating valve.
Water line trench was patched, and two new speed tables were installed.
Water heater above the Front End bathrooms was replaced and replumbed to reduce the risk of flooding.
Deli Case was hooked up and readied for use (toe kicks to be installed soon).
Back staff bathroom floor was stained and sealed.
Kitchen steamers were maintained and vents repaired.
Quarterly maintenance on refrigeration equipment was performed.
HVAC ducting was cleaned.
Annual Fire Alarm testing was successfully completed.
Ends Update
Local
We brought in one new Local 5 non-alcoholic beverage, Propolis hop water, and added Sauk organic Honeycrisp apple cider to our shelf-stable juice selection. We also stock their dried Honeycrisp apples. We purchase Sauk Farm products through Puget Sound Food Hub. Also new to our local kombucha shelves is Puget Sound Kombucha, who are located in Seattle, helping to fill the void left by Shen Zen kombucha, which is no longer available due to a shortage of glass to package their kombucha. We refreshed our face-care products with new items from three of our Local WA vendors–Island Thyme from Orcas Island, and Gabriel Cosmetics and Uncle Harry’s, both from Redmond.
People
Have you seen the Inclusive Trade signs posted around the store? We currently stock 96 brands that are owned by people who identity as women, Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQIA+, persons with disabilities, and veterans. We are also close to launching our own Local 5 version of the Inclusive Trade program.
During the month of April, we presented the results of the 2024 Employee Engagement Survey to staff. The results, the questions, and the feedback we received from those meetings will go to the Employee Work Group (EWG) who will help us create workplans to address any issues raised. And in May, Beau Ohlgren, at the suggestion of our Employee Resource Group (ERG), will be giving staff “An overview of Gender Diversity in a Healthy Workplace” with the goal of a better work environment, and we will talk about the ins and outs of LGBTQ+ best practices at the Food Co-op.
Planet
During April, our weekly e-flyer focused on the many ways your Co-op is acting as a good steward for the planet and how you can help us. We plan to continue highlighting these actions throughout the year, so readers can learn more about how we do our work and they can help us keep our footprint less smaller.
We continue to receive comments and questions about our food service packaging. We have a commitment to use the most environmentally friendly containers we can. What does that mean? If it’s plastic, it will be compostable, made from recycled content, or reuseable. And no, we don’t have a composting facility here in our county yet, but the carbon footprint for those containers is much lower than that of virgin, oil-based plastic. We’re also looking at pulp-based containers for certain items. Containers must be leakproof, allow some visibility of the item inside, and be readily available. Being out here on the peninsula, we always need to consider availability at our local warehouses before committing to a new line or style. So it’s a work in progress—thanks for your grace as we navigate this one.
Yours in community,
Kenna