What happens when you move an annual meeting date from early November to the middle of September? We held the annual meeting this past Saturday, September 13, on the Co-op’s 53rd birthday. Well, attendance was down from recent years–perhaps because so much was happening that day–but we still had a quorum of members to vote on the single voting item (approving last year’s minutes), share in appreciation of the good work the Co-op does, and eat the delicious dinner the Food Services Team served. 

General Manager Mary Mullally began by asking the meeting to thank the entire staff for everything they do. “They make the store the wonderful place it is,” she said. She also recognized staff celebrating milestone anniversaries: Paul Knight and Taylor Bell for 10 years, Julie Henderson, Sonia Keene, and Karlyn Proulx for 15 years, and Leo Ormiston for 20 years. She then recognized the 2025 Employee Service Award winner, Jamie Montague. This is an award that the staff nominate candidates for and vote on. 

 Matt Levin, chair of the Hunger Mountain Co-op Community Fund Advisory Committee, named this year’s grantees. “The Hunger Mountain Co-op Community Fund was founded in 2005 to offer financial support to organizations, businesses, and initiatives that are aligned with our co-op’s mission,” Levin explained. “Over the past 20 years, we’ve given out over $100,000 in grants to about a hundred recipients. The funds have provided critical support to projects that strengthen our community’s individuals, our local food system, and cooperative commerce.” 

 The fund is supported by donations from members and the co-op’s operations, plus uncashed patronage refunds. This year, the Co-op made around $26,000 in grants to the following local organizations and businesses:  

• The Montpelier Community Table, $965 to help with the purchase of food preparation and serving equipment. 
•  Cooperation Vermont, $2,870 for the purchase of a solar refrigerator.
•  The Tillia Tea Company, $1,200 to support transitioning an urban lot to a grow space.
•  Salvation Farms, $2,700 for the installation of a new walk-in cooler.
•  Down Street, $3,000 to support construction of a new food pantry.
•  Central Vermont Council on Aging, $3,000 to support their cooking classes.
•  Just Basics, $1,500 to support new signage for their piggy bank fundraising efforts.
•  Feasts Meals on Wheels, $3,000 to support student-designed weekly menus.
•  Twin Valley Senior Center, $1,000 to support purchasing locally sourced food.
•  Plainfield Community Meal, $1,000 to provide ingredients for their community meals.
•  The Morrisville Co-op, $3,000 to purchase a hood, fan, and oven for their commercial kitchen.

 As I previously reported, farmer and educator Alan LePage was one of the nominees for this year’s Hunger Mountain Co-op Community Award and was unanimously selected by the council. In his acceptance speech, he lauded many other local pioneers in organic agriculture. He described his role in founding four farmers’ markets: Barre, Montpelier, Stowe, and the no longer extant one in Waterbury. He teaches farming and gardening Sundays 7 to 9 am on his WGDR/WGDH show, The Curse of the Golden Turnip, and now he teaches at Orchard Valley Waldorf School.  

 “I’m not teaching soil science,” LePage said. “I’m not trying to show people exactly how to do it. I’m demonstrating through the senses of sight, touch, and taste the whole aspects involved in small-scale production. And that’s ages five through about 14. In whatever capacity you may have to encourage agricultural education, you’re doing something for the future of food production in this country.”  

 Mary and I also presented reports about operations and the council’s work, but I’ll save those for a future newsletter issue. 

 Council elections 

All four candidates in the ongoing council election introduced themselves at the annual meeting: Greg Gerdel, Catherine Lowther, Jeff Roberts, and Mark Seltzer. Voting began during the Annual Meeting, at 5 pm on Saturday, September 13, and runs through 8 pm on Saturday, September 27. You can vote in the store or at hungermountaincoopvotes.com. Even though there are four candidates for four open positions, your vote matters–the three top vote-getters receive three-year terms, and the fourth candidate receives a two-year term.  

 We’ll be joined by another new council member at our October meeting. Lauren Antler, citing time constraints, recently resigned from the council, but too late for her position to be put on the ballot. Last week, the council appointed long-time member Leesa Stewart to fill the position, which she will hold through next year’s council election.  

 The Wrap 

As the Canada geese are flocking together and flying around (and sometimes, it seems, heading south), here’s a seasonal riddle:  

Q: Why is one side of a goose flock’s V-formation usually longer than the other?

A: Because there are more geese in it! 

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! CarlE@HungerMountain.Coop