Time to Celebrate!

Hello, friends! October brings all kinds of spooky fun to the Co-op this season. Apples from Montgomery Orchard are here, fall squash are in abundance, Halloween is just 20 days away, and it’s National Co-op Month! Back in 1948, Minnesota was the first state to declare an official Co-op Month proclamation and it’s been celebrated ever since.

We are one of the 26 National Co+op Grocer Co-ops in Minnesota, and we all share the same seven principles, which were created by the International Cooperative Alliance:

  1. Open and voluntary membership (open to all persons, without gender, social, racial, political, or religious discrimination)
  2. Democratic member control (one member = one vote)
  3. Member economic participation (members democratically control the capital of the co-operative)
  4. Autonomy and independence (members maintain their co-operative autonomy)
  5. Education, training and information (co-ops inform their members, elected representatives, staff, and the public)
  6. Cooperation among co-operatives (co-ops collaborate—locally, nationally, regionally & internationally)
  7. Concern for the community (co-ops work for the sustainable development of their communities)

These principles give us an opportunity to further our vision of having a healthy, sustainable, and just community— locally and beyond.

As we celebrate Co-op month, we also are celebrating Apple Month! Have you ever tasted a Zestar apple? Well, we have, and we think they’re awesome! Montgomery Orchard has had one of their best crops of Zestars this season. These apples are a Minnesota original, developed in 1999 by the University of MN as a hybrid of the State Fair and MN 1691 apple varieties.  Zestars are sweet and tangy, with notes of brown sugar, making them perfect for a snack on the go, a salad, a charcuterie board, or for slicing and placing in pies and crisps or cooking down for sauces. This apple pairs well with cheddar cheeses and is known to keep its crunch for up to two months in refrigeration. Go Zestar!

ANYONE CAN BECOME A CO-OP MEMBER! Check out more at https://stpeterfood.coop/about-us/ownership/

Learn more about Co-Op Month: https://www.coopmonth.coop/

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