Council Election Results 

Thanks to everyone who voted in this year’s council elections, and to the members of the Ballot Committee who counted the votes! 

Five candidates vied for six positions on the council, so they were all shoe-ins for election. However, term lengths are distributed according to voting results. Here are the results and consequent term lengths: 

Three Year-Term
Giles Brulé, 184 votes 
Dvora Jonas, 179 votes
Lauren Antler, 177 votes

Two Year-Term
Steven Farnham, 155 votes
Thomas Gram, 152 votes

To fill out the additional position, the council has appointed Nona Estrin. Her term runs until the next council election.  

Congratulations to everyone!  

When the staff choose a representative to the council, this coming year’s council will be fully crewed. 

In the meantime, we’ve held a two-hour orientation for the new council members (with a couple returning council members attending both to help out and get a refresher), and we’ll meet as a new council for the first time on Tuesday, Dec. 10 (Nobel Prize Day!) at 5:30 pm in the community room.  

I also want to thank outgoing council members for their service: Ashley Muscarella, Eva Schectman, and Tyler Strange. Eva, in particular, performed invaluable service as a very active vice president this past year. The institutional knowledge she brought from six years on the council, two of them as president, plus her creative approach to issues made it much easier for me to serve as president after being off the council for five years.  

A Web-based Return to Co-op Roots 

The seed that led to Hunger Mountain Co-op’s physical store was planted through a buyers club. Without a physical store, the founders took orders for food and distributed it, with potlucks part of the mix. Nowadays, community-supported agriculture (CSA) offers something similar, with connections to individual farms. (NOFA-Vermont has information on CSA opportunities in Vermont.)  

In addition, I was intrigued to see a story about an Iowa-based co-op that combines the buyers club experience with a web interface. They say, “Our members have access to over 75 Iowan producers and over 1,500 local products.” Members place their orders online, and every two weeks, the food is available for pick-up at various locations in the Des Moines area. There’s even a home delivery option.  

I wonder if members of the Iowa Food Co-op have as much fun socializing at the pick-up locations as they do in the crowded aisles of our co-op, or the farmers market?  

Speaking of the farmers market, the Capital City Farmers Market winter season at Barr Hill starts tomorrow, 10 am to 1 pm. Please visit Hunger Mountain Co-op on your way to or from the farmers market! 

Wrap-Up 

I wonder how many co-ops in the US sell pillows. I found some at REI, but not exactly what I want. I’m looking for a corduroy pillow for a Christmas present; apparently they’re all the rage now? At any rate, I hear they’re making headlines. 

—Carl Etnier, Council President

Do you have any questions or comments about the council? Do you know any jokes even faintly related to food and/or co-ops? Please email them to me!