Gustav at Wine and Dine for the Arts

On January 8th and 9th the Honest Weight Food Co-op will be participating Albany Chefs' Food and Wine Festival: Wine and Dine for the Arts at the Crown Plaza Ballrooms. For more information on the event, check out:
www.albanywinefest.com

Gustav Ericson, our Cheese Department Manager will be giving a presentation on the Capital District's five favorite cheeses. These favorite cheese include Old Chatham Shakers Raw Blue (www.blacksheepcheese.com), Nettle Meadow Kunik (www.nettlemeadow.com) and Jasper Hill Cabot(www.jasperhillfarm.com).

Kwanzaa Celebration at the Albany Museum

On December 29th the Honest Weight Food Co-op will celebrate the Hamilton Hill Art Centers Kwanzaa event at the Albany State Museum from 4pm-9pm. This is event is free and open to the public. The day falls on the fourth day of Kwanzaa, Ujamaa which recognizes cooperative economics. The program includes workshops, vendor fair, activities for children and teens, live performances and a candle lighting ceremony. For more information check out: http://www.hamiltonhillartscenter.org/

Gift Baskets- Available Now!

Gorgeous gift baskets are now available at the co-op. These baskets range from $20-$100. The perfect present for a holiday
party or your Aunt Sue! Stop by the co-op and take a look!

Featured Basket: Gourmet

Alabu Soap In Store Demo!

Come feel how Alabu Soap can be just the answer for your skin this winter!
On December 19Th from 2-5pm at the Demo Station near the specialty department, Alabu will be giving out free samples of their natural products for skin health.

Snack Attack Kids Program at Delaware Community School

This Thursday the Honest Weight Food Co-op Outreach Team will be visiting the Delaware Community School in Albany. Bringing our hands on "Snack Attack" program featuring make your own Smoothie, Trail Mix, Kabob, Healthy Soda and Hip Dips!

Fruit and Veggie Sculptures at TOAST

This week the Honest Weight Food Co-op's Outreach Team is in the classroom visiting Elementary classes at the Thomas O'Brian Academy of Science and Technology on 141 Western Ave bringing a special hands on fruit and veggie sculpture activity. The activity is a part of our Ready, Set, Grow! Series.



(Silly Pear Face)

Winter Festival at Indian Ladder Farm this Saturday!

Saturday Dec. 5th Honest Weight will be providing a "Children's Make Your Own Seasonal Decoration" at the Indian Ladder Farm's Winter Festival from 11-4pm. Mariah Dahl will also be giving a 20 minute presentation on Buying Meat for the Holidays at 12pm. For more information check out: www.indianladderfarm.com

Coming up: Women's Building Fundraising Gala

Friday Dec. 4th the Honest Weight Food Coop willing be selling gift baskets at the Women's Building Fundraising Gala! The gift baskets range from $25-$75.
At 7pm doors will open for the Vendor & Artisan Fair and at 8pm the concert with Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde will begin.
The event will be held at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 405 Washington Ave, Albany NY For more information check out: http://www.womensbuilding.org/


Taina Asili y La Banda Rebelde

Photos from the Buy Local Bash!

Food For Thought: An Evening of Socially Relevant Cinema

Our upcoming film for our monthly film series Food For Thought is: What Would Jesus Buy?

December 17th Doors open at 6:30, film @ 7pm

Food For Thought is a monthly evening of food, film and discussion with a focus on films of social, political, environmental and community interest. Held at The Linda Preforming Art Center, the third Thursday of each month, the night will feature food samples, a feature film screening and a panel discussion.

About the film: What Would Jesus Buy? - The film focuses on the issues of the commercialization of Christmas, materialism, the over-consumption in American culture, globalization, and the business practices of large corporations, as well as their economic and cultural effects on American society, as seen through the prism of activist/performance artist Bill Talen, who goes by the alias of "Reverend Billy," and his troupe of activists, whose street theater performances take the form of a church choir called "The Church of Stop Shopping," that sings anti-shopping and anti-corporate songs. The film follows Billy and his choir as they take a cross-country trip in the month prior to Christmas 2005, and spread their message against what they perceive as the evils of patronizing the retail outlets of several different large corporate chains.

About Reverend Billy - Reverend Billy and the Life After Shopping Gospel Choir believe that Consumerism is overwhelming our lives. The corporations want us to have experiences only through their products. Our neighborhoods, "commons" places like stoops and parks and streets and libraries, are disappearing into the corporatized world of big boxes and chain stores. But if we "back away from the product" – even a little bit, well then we Put The Odd Back In God!

The Church of Life After Shopping is project of The Immediate Life, a New York based arts organization using theater, humor, and grassroots organizing to advance individuals and communities towards a more equitable future - starting today. We partner with citizens, grassroots organizations and progressive visionaries to produce dynamic, informed public campaigns that enact our core values - participatory democracy, ecological sustainability, and the preservation of vibrant communities and local economies.

Hope to see you there! For more information and ticket sales visit: http://www.wamcarts.org

Buy Local Bash Success!

Last weekend the Honest Weight food Co-op participated in Capital District Local First's third annual Buy Local Bash.

“It’s incredibly important for the public understand the power that spending some of their holiday dollars at local independent businesses can have in the regional economy,” said Susan Taylor, Chair of Capital District Local First. “By supporting locally-owned independent businesses, more money stays in the region.”

The event was a huge success! If you are interested in learning more about Capital District Local First, you can find more information at www.capitaldistrictlocalfirst.org

Food for Thought: Tableland

THURSDAY MAY 21st at The Linda, 339 Central Ave., Albany, at 7 pm
Food For Thought: An Evening of Socially Relevant Cinema presents:


Co-presented by the Honest Weight Food Co-op and WAMC’s Documentary Film Series, Food For Thought is a monthly evening of food, film and discussion with a focus on films of social, political, environmental and community interest. Held on the third Thursday of each month, the night will feature food samples by Honest Weight Food Co-op, a feature film screening, and an open panel discussion.

This rich, beautifully filmed documentary chronicles filmmaker Craig Noble’s two-year journey across Canada and the U.S. as he visits small farms, wineries, and artisan producers across North America. Tableland is a wonderful testament to sustainable living and the pure enjoyment of freshly prepared food!

Individual makeup and skin care consultations

Join us at Honest Weight Food Co-op
for a pre-Mother's Day Event
Saturday, May 9th, 11:00 AM- 2:00 PM
with Dr. Hauschka Esthetician/Educator Kelly Kynion.

Kelly will provide individual makeup and skin care consultations, featuring all-natural products to help you look and feel sensational this spring. Your skin can be better at any age! Free gift to participants who make an appointment and a discount on Dr. Hauschka makeup.

Limited space, $15 deposit to hold your appointment, credited against your purchase.
RSVP the Co-op's Wellness Department 518-482-2667.

Take a Fair Trade Coffee Break!

Outside at the Honest Weight Food Co-op
Saturday May 9th from 10 am to 5 pm
Taste how good fairness can be and learn about the impact simple consumer choices can make on communities around the world.

Visit us at the Buy Local Bash in Schenectady!

We'll be set up within Proctors Theatre, 432 State Street, Schenectady, NY, along with several dozen additional Local First members and vendors to share our local joy. Music, giveaways, demos, food tastings, and more. From 10 am to 3 pm. See www.capitaldistrictlocalfirst.org for more details.

From The Ground Up Film Screening

In this film, From the Ground Up, join acclaimed filmaker Su Friedrich as she takes from Guatamala to South Carolina to New York City to see how her morning cup of coffee has passed through the hands, and lives, of countless people.

Friday, April 24, 7PM at the Sanctuary for Independent Media, 3361 6th Avenue, Troy. www.mediasanctuary.org. Co-sponsored by the Honest Weight Food Co-op.

Healthy School Foods Conference Video

My Co-op Rocks Video Contest

(March 1 - April 17, 2009)

Honest Weight Food Co-op announces the My Co-op Rocks Video Contest, a nationwide contest where you tell the world the ways our co-op rocks, starting March 1! Videos will earn votes from the viewing audience, people like you (people’s choice) and a select set of judges (judges’ choice), and there are seriously awesome prizes at stake.

So, just how creative can you get with your video? Depends on how big your imagination is. Unleash your sense of humor or desire to become the next Spike Jonze or Wes Anderson. Share your up to two minute masterpiece with the world for your chance to win cool prizes! Create your own Top 10, choose from any of these humble suggestions below, or create your own non-Top 10 original idea:

• Top 10 Reasons I Love My Co-op

• Top 10 Foods at the Co-op

• Top 10 Funniest Sights at My Co-op

• Top 10 Ways to Get a Date at the Co-op

• Top 10 Reasons to Become a Co-op Member

• Top 10 Reasons why shopping at a co-op is just better

Download the Contest Terms and Conditions to get started!

Stay tuned and check back often at www.MyCoopRocks.coop for the latest news and updates!

Make a Loan to YOUR Co-op!

(Ongoing)

Please consider making a loan of $1,000 or more to Honest Weight as we embark on our next stage of development: building and moving into a new store, complete with a Teaching Kitchen, lots of Community Space for classes and workshops plus, of course, more room to sell all of the items we believe in, and park cars and bicycles -- comfortably and safely. After all, as a shareholder or working member you own this place! We all do. To reach our goal of 2 million dollars, which is the amount of money we need to show the banks that our business model and proposed new building, to be situated at 100 Watervliet Ave., are a healthy and realistic investment for the entire community, we need YOU to consider making a loan. Not a donation, but a loan, which you should have returned to you, with interest, after 5-10 years. Please call Lynne Lekakis at 427-7386, or send an email to GoCo-op [at] honestweight.coop to make your loan today!

Can't find that brochure or letter we sent out with the details, conditions, more reasons to take action now? Here's the letter and brochure!

Food for Thought Film Series: Blind Spot

March 19th, doors open at 6:00 pm and film starts at 7 pm

Co-presented by the Honest Weight Food Co-op and WAMC's Documentary Film Series, Food For Thought is a monthly evening of food, film and discussion with a focus on films of social, political, environmental and community interest. Held on the third Thursday of each month, the night will feature food samples by Honest Weight Food Co-op, a feature film screening, and an open panel discussion.

This month's film, BLIND SPOT, is a documentary film that illustrates the current oil and energy crisis that our world is facing. Whatever measures of ignorance, greed, wishful thinking, we have put ourselves at a crossroads, which offer two paths, each with dire consequences. If we continue to burn fossil fuels we will choke the life out of the planet and if we don’t, our way of life will collapse. Simply put, oil is the DNA of our culture.

Discussion with the film's director immediately following the screening.

Co-op Cookbook Project

(Ongoing)

DO YOU LIKE TO COOK? DO YOU SHOP OR WORK AT THE CO-OP? Then we would like to have at least one of your favorite recipes to include in the planned Co-op Cookbook. The cookbook is intended as a way to promote the HWFC, and we hope to include recipes from as many members of the Co-op community (staff, members, member workers, shoppers) as possible. We are looking particularly for recipes that use unusual ingredients that can be found at the Co-op and recipes that cater to specific needs (e.g. gluten-free, dairy-free). The recipes do not have to be vegetarian nor do they have to be original. We will accept submissions in whatever form is most convenient for you -- e-mails to HWFC.cookbook [at] gmail.com, photocopies or hand-written copies left at the front desk, or citations to a cookbook (name of recipe, title of book, publisher, page, your modifications) that we can look up. Be sure to include your name and contact information. Please cite the source of the recipe, even if you have made significant changes. We will accept recipes until 6/1/09, but the sooner the better!