Category: Announcements

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Climate Marchers Find Nebraska’s Friendliness Attractive

During the typically hottest month of the year in Nebraska, a community of concerned citizens are marching, through Nebraska, from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C.

The Great March for Climate Action comes at a critical moment in the climate crisis, contends the march’s founder. Beginning their march on March 1st and completing their journey on November 1st, the marcher’s route will cross the path of the proposed Keystone Pipeline on Saturday, July 19. Teaming up with BOLD Nebraska, the Climate Marchers will visit the renewable energy-powered barn that was built on farm land directly in the path of Keystone XL pipeline.

ClimateMarchersEnterNebraska
Two climate marchers expect great things from Nebraska’s welcoming sign.

The marchers have met folks all across Nebraska, engaging in conversations along the way. They stopped for a bite at the Haigler Country Cafe; marched in the Culbertson 4th of July parade;  hosted a potluck dinner and community  conversation in Holdrege; demonstrated their solar cooking ovens to a TV news crew in Axtell; and collected petition signatures in Kearney.

Knowing that healthy eating is critical to the health of the walkers, the Nebraska Food Cooperative was twice the source of the walkers’ local purchases. Buying greens, grains, dairy, and meat, the marchers raved about the quality and variety of NFC’s offerings. Marie, the marcher’s food coordinator, shared that once they entered Nebraska, everyone they met were friendly and respectful, regardless of their position on climate change. And the local food has been outstanding!

NebraskaPiesClimateMarch
Anna Wishart delivering donated pies to the marchers at the Colorado/Nebraska border.

Hearty ‘pies’ (quiche, meat, vegetable, fruit) were introduced to the marchers at the Colorado/Nebraska border by Anna Wishart, the Nebraska coordinator for the Climate Marchers. So popular were the pies, that additional donations may be made on July 19th or at a later date in Lincoln or Omaha (Nebraska route by date).

Follow their journey on FaceBook or to see how you can personally support the marchers on July 19, check out the BOLD Nebraska link that outlines the day’s march and activities, and how to offer donations.

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September 14: Annual Members’ Banquet & Meeting

The Nebraska Food Cooperative is holding their annual members’ meeting this year at the beautiful Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue.

banquetWith cooler temps gracing a late Sunday afternoon in mid September, it will be the perfect time to hike Fontenelle Forest trails before sitting down for a  Nebraska-local banquet.  Keynote speaker Tim Rinne will speak about local food security that has implications nationally and internationally.

Voting members will hold a short business meeting, but you don’t have to be a voting member to enjoy the evening.  Whether you are a visiting member, non-voting member, or a friend of a member, you are welcome to attend and enjoy the comaraderie of fellow local ‘foodies’.

A registration form will be available in the August newsletter.

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Board Update & Large Order Discount

From the NFC Board:

The NFC board of directors last met on May 27, 2014. Among other business, there was some great discussion about pricing and deliveries.

Members are always welcome to attend board meetings (scheduled every other month) and are encouraged to become involved as advisory board members. If you are interested in directly supporting your coop in this capacity, contact Caryl Guisinger, the general manager at gm@nebraskafood.org.

 

Large Order Discount: $600+:

Among other decisions from the May board meeting, orders over a $600 value will receive a 10% discount. We hope to roll out some additional savings in the future, but this is our way to start making your food bills more affordable.

Little-known fact: Although it has never been advertised, most large orders also receive personal home deliveries by Kevin, our route driver. This has been one of NFC’s best-kept secrets for several years, and now we’re letting the cat out of the bag. There could be some circumstances when a home delivery is not possible, but we haven’t discovered any yet.

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NFC Forum List – Your Opinion Matters

youropinionmattersWe are seeking opinions about how NFC members would like to see their Forum List utilized.

The purpose of the Forum is to share relevant NFC news, discussions, and as a means for increasing exposure and participation. However, we also realize that many people like to minimize their e-mail volume.

Currently, all new members are automatically subscribed to the NFC Forum (ie, an Opt-Out forum: members may OPT-OUT of the list at any time).

So, we would like to hear from you for a short TWO QUESTION survey: 1) Do you prefer an: OPT-IN or OPT-OUT forum, and 2)  what topics you would like to see on your forum. Help us improve the forum by sharing your opinion on this SURVEY MONKEY poll by the end of June.

Thank you for your time, interest, and support in improving your NFC experience.

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September 14: SAVE the DATE!

FontenelleForest

It’s time to start planning the Nebraska Food Cooperative’s Annual Membership Meeting and Celebration Dinner.

Mark your calendar now to join us at the beautiful Fontenelle Forest Nature Center in Bellevue late in the afternoon on Sunday, September 14.

Tim Rinne, of the Lincoln’s Hawley Hamlet and Mother Earth News fame, is our keynote speaker who will connect the food security dots. A Silent Auction is being organized as well as a fabulous local food dinner featuring our very own producers.

Watch for more information in upcoming newsletters. If you’d like to join the Organizing Committee, please contact the General Manager at: gm@nebraskafood.org by the end of June.

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Expanding the Source of our News to You!

Are you a die-hard supporter of local food and want to get the word out about a burning topic?

Or maybe you are a new or existing NFC producer who would like to share with the NFC membership about your operation or specialty products.

If you just have a hankering for writing and would like to share your love of the local food scene with the NFC membership, send your original blog article to the NFC General Manager for a review, edit – as necessary – and possible inclusion in a future NFC newsletter and/or on NFC website, under Recent News.

Thank you for your contribution to an even more successful Nebraska Food Cooperative!

Email:  gm@nebraskafood.org

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Does NFC Offer SNAP Benefits?

Now that Nebraska farmers’ markets are offering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to their customers, NFC customers are wondering if we can follow the same lead.

The US Department of Agriculture Food Nutrition Service (FNS) who manages SNAP says, “No” that the Nebraska Food Cooperative does not operate the same as farmers’ markets with our multiple delivery points.  Another kink is that the SNAP process does not allow for online ordering of products for a later delivery date.

But NFC wants to find a solution. So we are working on providing an alternate method.

SNAPIt is possible that by working through churches as delivery points that FNS would allow pre-ordered products (ie, you would be able to use SNAP for NFC products by picking up your order at a church).

So, NFC is looking for interested members located in Omaha, Lincoln, and other towns who are associated with churches to start a SNAP drop point for NFC products.

Everyone should have equal access to healthy food.  And it should matter not whether you are paying with cash, PayPal, or through SNAP.

If you would like to volunteer to be a church site coordinator or if you have an alternative solution, contact the NFC General Manager or the NFC Treasurer of your interest.

Email:
gm@nebraskafood.org
nfctreasurer@nebraskafood.org

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Website Security and Heartbleed

This morning, we made a several updates to the NFC website, including switching to secure protocol for data transmission, also known as SSL or TLS. Beginning now, you will see a “padlock” on all NFC pages, indicating the data between your computer and NFC is encrypted.

This will help ensure the privacy of personal data, such as usernames and passwords, even when working from a public wi-fi network. Sensitive financial information (such as credit-card numbers) have never been at risk with NFC since they are only handled by external agencies, like PayPal, who specialize in protecting that sort of information.

Heartbleed OKFinally, the recent “heartbleed” OpenSSL security flaw has been addressed at NFC and poses no known risk for the future. We strive to keep your information as safe as possible and would be happy to discuss any concerns you may have.

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Be Courteous to your Site Coordinator

Your site coordinator graciously volunteers their time to be a pick-up site for your NFC order. They receive your products, receive your payments, make deposits, and they prepare a site accounting report for each cycle.

The pick-up location, pick-up day, and hours for each site are clearly defined on your invoice.  If you absolutely cannot pick up your order on the designated date and time, PLEASE contact your site coordinator IN ADVANCE of the pick-up date to discuss alternatives.

NFC policy states that if your order is not picked up at the designated time, your paid order will be distributed to someone else.

 

No-Show Policy
The Nebraska Food Cooperative is a volunteer run organization that also depends on the willingness of local churches and businesses to open up their facilities for our pickups.

As such, we are unable to provide storage for our customer members after designated pickup times.  Our official policy therefore is to not offer such storage.

Orders not picked up during the order window may be donated at the discretion of the site coordinator. The customer will still be liable for payment in this case, in order to fulfill the obligation with our farmer members who supplied the products in good faith.

In practice, we recognize that each site and each site coordinator work under unique circumstances.  We leave the application of this policy to the discretion of the each site coordinator or cashier.  If you have a concern about your ability to pick up your order during the designated time, please call your site coordinator as soon as possible.  His or her phone number is listed on your invoice.  Thank you for helping your cooperative run smoothly!

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Grow Year-Round in Nebraska

Never Ending HarvestWORKSHOP — Would you like to grow produce year round to supply not only your family but expand into new markets, like schools, restaurants, retail stores, farmers’ markets, and NFC customers?

Being held in Nebraska for the first time, this Fall, Winter, Spring Produce Workshop teaches a greenhouse method that doesn’t necessarily require auxilliary heating!  Presented by Roger and Beth Matson, founders of Never Ending Harvest, this family owned and operated, sustainable farming business is a long-time grower of winter produce in Iowa.

The workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 23 from 1:00-4:00 PM in Hastings, Nebraska. It includes three hours of detailed group instruction, plus the winter greenhouse set of three DVDs. Cost is $85.00.

Greenhouse in winter
Winter vegetable production

Register no later than Saturday, April 19 — limited seating available — by mailing payment and contact information (name, email, address, and phone) to:

NFC General Manager
45150 State Hwy. 52
Belgrade, NE 68623

For questions, contact Caryl Guisinger, NFC General Manager:
308.357.1000 (home)
gm@nebraskafood.org

This workshop is co-sponsored by the Nebraska Food Cooperative and Buy Fresh / Buy Local Nebraska.

 

 

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‘How Can I Continue to be Better’ Workshop

springBuy Fresh Buy Local® Nebraska (BFBLN) in partnership with the UNL Nebraska Cooperative Development Center will provide educational workshops and trainings to assist specialty crop growers in Nebraska. The purpose of the workshops are to not only provide knowledge but also change marketing and business management behaviors to sustain a successful, profitable business.

BFBLN will strengthen the specialty crops grower businesses in Nebraska by offering presentations that focus on three areas: “Business & Enterprise Planning and Financing”,” “Food Safety for Direct-to-Consumer Markets” and “Marketing & Promotion Utilizing Social Media”.

The workshops are open to anyone, but the focus and topics geared toward specially crops growers. Specialty crops are defined as “fruits and vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and horticulture and nursery crops, including floriculture and Christmas trees.”

It matters not if you are just starting out as a young specialty crop grower or have some years of experience under your belt, these workshops can help you expand your skill set and gain practical knowledge!

DATE:  Saturday, March 8

TIME: 12:30 – 4:30 pm

WHERE: Kearney Public Library, 2020 1st Ave

Please register by Friday, March 7th so we will have an accurate number of workbooks available.

There is a $10.00 registration fee for the workshop and payable on day of workshop.

Registration information to: BFBLN coordinator Billene Nemec, bnemec2@unl.edu or 402-472-5273.

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Lincoln Volunteers Needed!

Get Involved!
Get Involved!

Seeking one or two additional volunteers to help with the Lincoln pickup site located at Indigo Bridge in the Haymarket.

Ideally, volunteers would be expected to work every third or fourth pickup cycle and perhaps a last-minute substitution in case of illness or emergency. The pick-up window is from 4:30 to 6:30, but volunteers should try to be at Indigo Bridge around 4:00 in order to set up. One volunteer per pick-up day is the norm, unless there are a large number of orders (typically around Thanksgiving).

Please email Beth Farleigh if interested.

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March 18….Save the Date!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014 1:00 - 4:30 PM
Tuesday, March 18, 2014 1:00 – 4:30 PM

Are you an NFC producer?  Do you know someone who has a desire to get into gardening or small-scale farming as a business?  Are you involved in your local school?  Are you a parent who wants your child’s school to serve up ‘healthy, local foods’?  Or as a community member, are you interested in starting a school garden?

Then this afternoon workshop is for you.  Attend the Farm-to-School Summit March 18th at the beautiful Nielsen Community Center in West Point and see what other states are doing in their school cafeterias!  You’ll like the new face the Center for Rural Affairs – along with collaborators from the Department of Education, Farmers Union, and Nebraska Food Cooperative – is bringing to our rural schools.

See the Save the Date for the Farm-to-School Summit for details.

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New Micro-Sites are Popping Up All Over!

The word is getting out about the Nebraska Food Cooperative and the local food movement!  Since the start of the year, new memberships have exploded with a 300 percent increase.  So what does that mean?  We need more micro-sites to staff customer pick up.

Two sites are newly in action as of the February order cycle:  Beatrice and Unadilla.  And two more sites will be open very soon:  Hastings and Lincoln in the Farmers Union parking lot.  As interest increases, we plan on expanding in even more markets!  So spread the word.  NFC is coming your way!

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Number 2000 Hits the Mark!

Congratulations, Jennifer Nichols, for signing up as NFC’s 2000th member!  Joining as a visitor and hitting the jackpot, Jennifer received an upgrade to a one year, non-voting membership, a $40 value.  When you see Jennifer around, be sure to congratulate her on hitting 2000!

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See NFC at the NSAS Conference!

Stop by our exhibitor booth Friday, February 7 and Saturday, February 8 at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney.

If you bring a friend who is not yet a member of the Nebraska Food Cooperative and they sign up for a FREE TRIAL, they could win a FREE ONE-YEAR MEMBERSHIP (a $40 value).  NFC will be gifting several of these non-voting memberships during the conference.