September 2022 Newsletter

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The Mushroom Messenger

KCG Monthly Newsletter: September 2022

Bringing you the latest news on the KCG Food Co-op. We cover monthly news related to local food, community, and culture.

 
Hello to our Member-Owners and Friends! Read the news of our growing KCG Co-op!
WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO
On August 8, we held our monthly Board Meeting and approved the 2022-2023 Annual Budget. Included in our MOVE Committee expenses is the expenditure for our Annual Member-Owner meeting.  A Save-the-Date email will arrive shortly for this meeting to be held in late October or early November.  At this time, we are working to secure a venue and the meeting will be both in-person and on Zoom. When we announce the date and place, please plan to attend. We also finished collecting responses to our market survey that we are excited to present at our Annual Member-Owner meeting.

As we are a totally transparent organization and welcome your comments, you are welcome to attend Board meetings.  The next meeting is September 12, 2022 on Zoom and the link is https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9042382954. Passcode: KCG.

We had a successful August KCG Co-op box sale and the website is now accepting orders for the September KCG Co-op Boxes. The next pick-up date is Saturday, September 24 at 10 AM to Noon at Kennett Friends Meeting House, 125 W. Sickle Street in Kennett Square.  

In August, we put the finishing touches on our new Health Education partnership with the Library and Chester County Hospital.  We will host an Event to launch this program to coincide with the box pick-up on September 24. We hope to see you there!

 
PRE-ORDER KCG CO-OP BOX
 
LOOKING AHEAD TO SEPTEMBER

Part of our Mission as KCG is to provide the community with free events to highlight the benefits of eating local foods and preparing healthy food options.  Our KCH/Kennett Library/Chester County Hospital partnership named LIVE BETTER meets this mission.  It will be offered at the Resource Center of the new Kennett Library.  Whether you are picking up a box on September 24 or not, please plan to attend and talk to us and our Kennett Library and Chester County partners about what programs you will want included in this free community initiative. 
 
MEMBERSHIP EVER GROWING
We are now up to 258 Member-Owners with 5 new Member-Owners joining after our August KCG Co-op sales. At our September 24 pick-up, we will have a gift basket to be raffled off to anyone joining during the week following the box pick-up.  Please let your friends know about this and as always, encourage friends and neighbors to join our effort.

Already know you want to join? Click the button below to sign up!
 
BECOME A MEMBER-OWNER TODAY
 
OUR SPECIAL FEATURE: THE BRANDYWINE BEE CO.

month we highlight local businesses aligned with our mission to promote locally produced foods and crafts. This month we feature the Brandywine Bee Co., owned and operated by very early Member-Owners, Michael and Karen Langer. You will recognize Michael and his honey products from the Kennett Farmers Market, KCG’s first Co-op Box pick-up, and other local outlets.

Michael and Karen have been keeping bees for nearly ten years. They started with two hives in their backyard and quickly expanded to ten. They now have six apiaries with over 50 bee colonies. It is truly a family business: Michael is the beekeeper and chief bottler, Karen supports labeling, and daughter Meredith is the creative director responsible for labels, logos and signage. Michael is rightfully proud of the purity of their honey and the variety achieved by harvesting through the seasons: “we are able to sell spring, summer, and late summer/fall honey. All very different in taste and color. We do not supplement our harvest with purchased honey from suppliers. We know by case and by jar, where and when it was harvested. All our honey is raw…never filtered or heat treated.”

In addition to selling honey and beeswax products, such as candles and salves, Michael is passionate about educating and promoting healthy beekeeping. Working with the Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County – now part of the Red Clay Alliance – and the Chester County Beekeepers Association, Brandywine Bee offers advice and support to other beekeepers and raises quality queens to sell. As the health of bee populations and the availability of sources of pollination come under threat, Michael sees education and community support as critical.

Community cooperation in the beekeeping world aligns perfectly with the mission of KCG, and Michael is a long-time supporter: “We joined 4 years ago as a supporter of a true local effort to serve an important need. We joined Kennett Community Grocer as members not as a potential vendor; [we] really wanted to be part of something special to our local community.” Nevertheless, KCG shoppers would be fortunate to see an expansion of Michael’s title to member-owner-vendor.

Some Facts About Bees and Beekeeping:
1. Nearly two-thirds of people who set out to be beekeepers don’t make it to year three – a big reason for Michael’s support of education.
2. Bees only live for 40 days during the summer. The queen will lay over 2,000 eggs per day to replace the short-lived hard-working foragers.
3. Honey bees swarm in May and June. It’s a natural event and while it appears scary, all they want to do is find a new home. Ninety percent of all swarms do not survive. Contact a local beekeeper to help save a swarm. 

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

9/12: Public Board Meeting (7pm-8pm)
We meet as a Board on the second Monday evening of the month by Zoom at 7PM, every month except July and December.  These meetings are open to the general public and we welcome you to attend our meetings and find out what we are doing to move the co-op forward. Here is the Zoom link to join: 
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9042382954. Passcode: KCG.

9/27: Communications Committee Meeting (7pm-8pm)
This is our monthly meeting to discuss upcoming communications strategies and projects. If you’re interested in volunteering your time and/or expertise, we would love for you to join via Zoom.

9/24: KCG Co-op Box Pick-up Event (10am-12pm)
Come pick-up your pre-ordered KCG Co-op Box between 10AM and 12PM at Kennett Friends Meeting House (125 W. Sickle St., Kennett Square, PA). Even if you didn’t order a box, we’d love to see you! Click here to pre-order your Co-op Box. We will also be hosting the LIVE BETTER event at that time.

9/30: Tabling at the Kennett Square Farmers Market (3pm-6pm)
Come chat with us at the Kennett Square Farmers Market at the Creamery (401 Birch St., Kennett Square, PA). This is the perfect opportunity to chat with a Board Member about joining and have all questions answered while picking up some local produce from our great KSQ vendors.

 

 
 
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