At the Co-op’s Annual Meeting on September 24, featured speaker Ginny Sassaman showed us that happiness can be a public, practical tool for building community. She shared a fascinating case study from Santa Monica, where city officials used happiness data to discover that residents felt lonely and disconnected. Their solution? A simple photo booth at the farmer’s market where people were invited to pose with complete strangers, acting as if they were close friends. The impact on those who participated was real and immediate. 

Ginny is a co-founder and former president of Gross National Happiness USA. She argues that tending to our “happiness muscles” can be both self-care and political resistance. By keeping our spirits up and our resilience strong, we are better equipped to navigate the current chaos and plan for a just and joyful future. Whether you’re looking for ways to connect with your neighbors or tools to keep your own spirit up in difficult times, this talk offers a roadmap. 

Watch the full presentation to discover how small, data-driven interventions can create big shifts in community vitality. 

Beyond the Talk: Governance and Strategy 

The Annual Meeting was a vibrant celebration of our co-op’s collective work. In addition to Sassaman’s keynote, we enjoyed a meal prepared by our Food Services team, music from 25 Strings, and recognition for our dedicated employees. We also awarded grants to organizations doing important work in our local food system and officially kicked off our strategic planning process, with a promise for more public engagement starting in January. 

Council Elections & Appointments 

Voting in the council election began on September 24; information on the candidates is here. 

• Members were emailed voting information at the address we have on file. Please use the link in the email to vote. 
• If you did not receive a voting email: Please contact Member Services to ensure we have your correct email address and to request a new ballot link. 
• You can also vote by paper ballot in the store. 
• Voting closes October 13 at 8 pm. 

(Disclosure: I’m one of three candidates in an uncontested election.) 

Note: After this year’s candidate filing window closed, there were still two council seats to fill. At a meeting last week, the council appointed Wayne Fawbush (a returning council member) and Maddy August (a cashier new to the Co-op and the council) to fill the one-year terms. We welcome them to the council! 

Co-op Connects in October 

General Manager Mary Mullally and I were delighted to begin the September “ask me anything” Co-op Connects event in the store with a couple long-time members who showed up specifically to talk to us about a number of issues. If you have some things you want management and the council to hear, please put the next one on your calendar: Thursday, October 22, 3:30 – 4:30 pm, at the Demo station near the Produce department. 

Secretary of State recommendations on how to vote—they may surprise you  

The Co-op promoted civic democracy by hosting the League of Women Voters’ voter registration event on September 15. And I recently spoke with Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas about how to vote in the November 3 election. Even though Vermont mails ballots to all voters, she does not recommend mailing in completed ballots; for those who do return their ballot by mail, she encourages doing so very early. “If people need to use the mail to return their ballot, they should really plan to get their ballot back in the mail by mid-October,” she said. “But we are also recommending strongly that if you want to be sure, hand it to your clerk during their normal hours or use one of the convenient ballot drop boxes that are located in most communities.” You can check the status of your ballot at the voter portal.

The Wrap 

Q: What do you call cheese that isn’t yours? 

A: Nacho cheese!

—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!