April 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.
April Update on Store and Progress on Ends
Working Together to Nourish our Community
Store Update
We introduced some fun sales for customers during March: Pie Day with $1.50 off local pies and 15% off all Washington wine for two weeks.
During March we were a sponsor of the Connectivity Summit at Fort Worden, an event designed to bring community together with a shared purpose. We gave out snacks and recruited members for our Board and Community Engagement Committee, while sharing stories about the Farmer Fund.
We also sponsored the Annual Rotary Breakfast with proceeds benefitting the new nonprofit Cooking Kitchen at the Jefferson County fairgrounds, Jumping Mouse, and Dove House. Additionally, we are hosting the Master Gardener class with Washington State University. This is a six-week training held every year, a very sought-after course that always sells out.
Ends Update
Local
We received our first plant starts a week earlier than 2025, just in time for a snow shower! We have a small number of plants to start with more arriving daily. We have several varieties of tender, spring Raab on the shelf from both Red Dog & Dharma Ridge Farms. Raab, or rabe, is a tender spring delicacy and is the spring flowering of any cabbage family plants that survived the winter. Best cooked, you can add it to a soup, stir fry, pasta, risotto, or pizza.
Good Juju Ghee has decided to stop production of their ghee. We won’t be able to order more than we currently have on the shelf.
People
Our first All-Staff Meeting since 2019 was a fun and engaging event with good food, fun new training videos, and time to strengthen co-worker relationships. A follow-up survey is being conducted by the facilitator so we can get a measure of the effectiveness of our time together.
Monthly staff “lunch and learns” are voluntary informational meetings to help ensure staff have access to understanding the many different benefits of working at the Co-op. Last month we focused on our 401k program, and this month featured a presentation by our health insurance provider, Aetna.
In April Beau Ohlgren-Evans will reprise his workshop on “Gender Diversity and Healthy Workplace.” This training is mandatory for all new employees.
Safety Update: All actions noted as needing improvement in our voluntary Labor & Industries report have been completed. The All-Staff Safety guidelines have been refreshed, and all staff are in the process of re-taking this annual training.
Planet
During the All-Staff Meeting, March 11, the facilities team got some critical work done during those all-important daylight hours.
Water line repair—The leak in the water line was found and repaired.
Fire alarm testing is completed, except for the fire doors, which will need to be rescheduled.
Storm drains were mucked out.
Fiberglass Reinforced Panels were installed on the North wall of the lobby.
New: “Staff only” floor stencils were painted at produce, meat, back doors and food services. Also, we added “Do not block the receiving fire door.”
HVAC ducting was cleaned.
Quarterly HVAC maintenance was completed.
Kitchen make-up air ducting was insulated.
Beverage cooler door hold-open was repaired.
Gasket on the top steamer was replaced.
And have you noticed the new paper salad bowls in the Grab & Go? They hold up pretty well and area great value too!
With gratitude,
Kenn