The Latest News from Wheatsville

Update from the Board of Directors

The purpose of the Wheatsville Co-op is to promote a transformation of society toward cooperation, justice, and non-exploitation. We are constantly exploring what this work  means as our co-op evolves from the organization that was born on March 16, 1976.

October is Co-op Month: a time to appreciate the power of cooperation. Many of you know the story of the Rochdale Pioneers, the community often seen as first to implement the cooperative business model as we know it. They were motivated by the need for staples that were fairly-priced, unadulterated, and sold with honest weights because they lived in a company town. The textile mill owned their housing and the stores, which had false scales for weighing goods and used gypsum to cut the ground flour that they sold. The founders of Wheatsville envisioned a place where the community could come together, could find health foods such as whole wheat and tofu that were not readily available at that time, and where we could participate in an economy that was created to serve people (in contrast to the paradigm that people exist in service to the economy). What does Wheatsville mean today, in a time when there are many competitors who sell similar foods? We are constantly asking this question and would love to hear your thoughts as well. We always look for new ways to effectively serve the needs of Owners and customers and to cultivate community connection through food.

At our May 2019 board retreat, we spent the morning with our entire management team focusing on financial performance and how we need to respond to increasingly challenging market conditions. We are always trying to strike the optimal balance between fair prices to vendors, fair wages to staff, and fair prices to consumers. We appreciate our Owners and customers who know that the grocery cart is a powerful vehicle for social change. Because we all need to eat, the choices we make about how we engage in the food economy have a profound impact on what does and can exist in the world. We know that many local vendors have been born and have managed to grow because the Wheatsville community was able to support their emerging business before they were able to produce the volumes required by larger chains. We know that smaller local farmers could not exist without a local market to serve. We know that the co-op, which exists to meet people’s needs, is constantly looking for high-quality products that consumers can trust. We also know that the power of the co-op comes from the ripple effect that we can all have, such as by rounding up for  Community Action Partners.

The afternoon focus of the May board retreat was Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) along with strategic Owner engagement. We reflected on the origin of our name (the first community of freed slaves in Austin, founded by James Wheat, near the neighborhood where our co-op first opened it’s doors), and discussed what the strategic governance work of the board could look like in relation to DE&I. Wheatsville has entered a partnership with Austin’s SAFE Institute, a well-regarded local organization that specializes in helping businesses foster respectful and inclusive environments. I am personally very excited to discover how our cooperative community can promote the much-needed transformation of society in this realm.

On August 1, the Board formally accepted the resignation of longtime GM/Chief Executive Grocer, Dan Gillotte. We thank Dan for his service to Wheatsville, and appreciate his many accomplishments and contributions to our co-op through over two decades of service.

We are very excited and grateful to have an Interim General Management Team in place, consisting of three highly-experienced and long-time management team members: Niki Nash, Dana Tomlin, and Bill Bickford. Niki, Dana, and Bill have a combined 52 years of Wheatsville service including 44 years of working together as a management team.

Please join us on October 5, 2019, at our South Lamar location for the Annual Owner Meeting, beginning at 11:00am.

The purpose of the Annual Meeting is for Co-op leadership to provide an in-person update on Wheatsville. It is also an opportunity to meet the Board of Directors and Board candidates who are listed on the ballot. We will be sharing important updates about our financial condition and organizational priorities for the coming year.

We encourage you to participate in the Annual Meeting as well as the Co-op Vote. This year’s election will include election of three directors and selection of our Community Action Partners.
Thank you for being part of the Wheatsville Cooperative Community!

The History of Our Wheatsville Bakehouse

When we opened our South Lamar location in September 2013, we not only achieved the dream of a second location, but the vision of our very own Bakehouse. Six years later, Bakehouse supervisor Robin Roosa, and her talented team, make not just our delicious pastries and one-of-a-kind vegan donuts, but hundreds of fresh bread loaves and rolls daily. Our breads are made with all-organic flours and no preservatives. Nearly all of our deli sandwiches are made using Bakehouse sourdough and whole wheat sandwich breads, rustic rolls, and of course, French rolls for our famous popcorn tofu po’boys!

Our journey to bread production began the summer before South Lamar opened, when Robin traveled to Wild Oats Co-op in Williamstown, Massachusetts. She worked side by side with the bread bakers there to perfect the art of Pain d’Ancienne, the inspiration for our rustic breads.

Though the dough itself is quite simple (flour, water, salt, and yeast), the process is anything but. Once the dough is mixed, it must be proofed overnight. The proofing process creates air bubbles in the dough as the yeast works, creating the tender, open crumb that is the hallmark of our rustic bread.

The following day, the dough is cut into portions and hand-shaped, using a twisting method that looks easy but takes some practice to master. Finally, the loaves are placed in a 500°F deck oven directly on the stone.
At Wild Oats, the old deck oven did not have steaming capability, so the loaves were misted with a spray bottle of water. Steam allows the crust of the bread to remain soft for the initial stage of baking so that the loaves can expand. It also dissolves sugars on the surface of the dough so that they caramelize during baking to create a crisp golden brown crust.  Our deck ovens have steaming capability and humidity control to ensure a perfect result every time.

When Robin returned to Austin, she immediately got to work creating our very own sourdough starter, feeding and it twice daily for several weeks and allowing it to ferment before beginning to develop our sourdough bread recipe. We use this very same starter to this day and aspire to match the bakeries in San Francisco that have been using the same starter for over a hundred years. We once heard from a transplanted Northern Californian that our sourdough is the best she’s had outside of the Bay Area—high praise indeed!

In addition to the sourdough, rustic, and whole wheat breads that we make year-round, we are proud to offer featured seasonal breads that are totally unique to Wheatsville! In September, we will be featuring apple challah bread, a beautiful braided egg loaf studded with peak-of-season apples and a hint of cinnamon. In October, we will be featuring mesquite flour bread. Mesquite flour is milled from the dried pods of the mesquite tree and has a distinctive flavor reminiscent of dark chocolate and molasses. We’ll also reprise last year’s delicious pumpernickel, reimagined this year as rolls topped with everything bagel seasoning.
We are so proud of our amazing breads and the bakers who put care and love in making them everyday! Please ask at the deli counter for a sample anytime!

Co-ops Nurture the Local Economy

As someone who grew up eating more filler than real food—in the form of “TV dinners” and fast food—I’ve come a long way in my understanding and relationship to food, and I’m not alone. The rise of natural, organic food and the local and slow food movements show an awakening of food consciousness within society at large. It’s really something to celebrate.

Yet, there’s been a missing piece in our conversations about food and food systems. It’s not just WHAT you buy, but WHERE you buy it. As antitrust enforcement and anti-competitive regulations have loosened while technological change and consumer habits have created shifts in the grocery industry, large chain grocery stores have become more and more powerful.

Here’s a mind-blowing fact for you: “In the entire south of Texas (San Antonio, Austin, Corpus Christi), 60 percent of retail food purchases today are made at H-E-B stores. H-E-B and Walmart together command 87 percent of eaters’ grocery dollars in that part of the state,” according to Jon Steinman in his fascinating book Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants.

Steinman’s book is filled with shocking—and yes, disturbing—facts like that. He explains that the transition from neighborhood mom and pop grocery stores to our modern day grocery giants has created a bottleneck of power, “a commanding of authority over the supply chain”, that leaves suppliers, farmers, and consumers at the complete mercy of major corporations.

What do we lose when we give up this power? As it turns out—A lot. For instance, big chains often require suppliers to pay fees to shelf and promote their products, often making these shelves inaccessible to small-scale foodmakers and limiting choice for consumers.

Another example is the culture of “sameness” that grocery chains have created by demanding farmers grow food to rigid standards, which has “whittled down the genetic diversity of the global food supply,” writes Steinman. When power is consolidated and unchecked to this degree, everything we eat is shaped by it (literally!).

So what do we do? Yes, you knew where I was going with this... Food co-ops to the rescue! As an alternative to grocery store monopolies, cooperatives disperse power to the communities they serve. As the only food co-op in Texas(!), Wheatsville Co-op is a mission-driven business that is run for and by the community. As co-op owners and shoppers you can rest easy knowing your money is staying within our community to support local suppliers and farmers, important community organizations, and the local economy. Being a co-op supporter is being a part of a movement to bring our food system back into the hands of the people. For a more detailed look into our food system and how food co-ops play a role, I highly recommend reading Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants. — Megan McDonald, Board Member

Message from the Interim General Management Team

Hello Wheatsville Owners,

The Wheatsville Co-op Board of Directors recently accepted the resignation of the co-op’s General Manager, Dan Gillotte. The board determined that accepting Dan’s resignation was in the best interest of the cooperative. Dan had been an important and valued employee for more than 20 years. During that time, he became a tremendous leader in the cooperative business community.

In order to ensure smooth ongoing service to owners while the Board of Directors conducts a search for a new General Manager, the Board has established an Interim General Management Team (IGMT) consisting of Niki Nash, Bill Bickford and Dana Tomlin. Together, they have a combined 52 years of Wheatsville tenure with more than 15 years of experience working together as a management team.
The IGMT has placed a high priority on addressing concerns regarding the treatment of both staff and customers while working and shopping at the co-op. As such, Wheatsville has entered a partnership with Austin’s SAFE Institute, a well-regarded local organization that specializes in helping businesses foster respectful and inclusive environments. Your co-op is committed to promoting an empowering, inclusive and cohesive work environment.

Conducting a thorough GM search can take several months, but there is much work to be done right now in demonstrating our core values as a co-op. Your IGMT is focused on serving all co-op stakeholders—staff, owners, and the greater Austin community—in keeping with the cooperative principles and values.

Thank you to everyone who has recently reached out with feedback, comments and words of support. Wheatsville is now over 24,000 owners strong, representing the only retail food co-op in Texas. Your continued support and patronage is what makes our work possible, and we look forward to continuing to serve you.

Apple Guide

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Hey Moms & Dads! Fun for your Kids—Co+op Explorers!

Kids ages 12 and under are invited to become a Wheatsville Food Co+op Explorer and be eligible to receive a free piece of fruit per visit! To become a card-carrying Co+op Explorer, kids simply need to bring a parent or supervising adult to the Hospitality Desk and ask to become a Co+op Explorer. Each child will be issued their very own super official Co+op Explorers membership card, sticker and temporary tattoo.

Once kids are signed up, here’s how it works:

1. Kids and parents stop by the Hospitality Desk, where we keep the designated Co+op Explorers fruit basket. Each child is eligible to take one piece of fruit and enjoy eating it while shopping.
2. Once your kiddo has selected a piece of fruit, take a sticker and have them wear it to show off their Co+op Explorer pride!
3. What should you do with the peels or core? Peels can be thrown away in any of our compost bins. If you don’t see a bin, just ask a staff person.

That’s all there is to it! If you have questions, please ask a staff member.

REBBL: Vendor Partner of the Month

What is REBBL?

REBBL, the name, is an acronym for roots, extracts, berries, bark and leaves – the various all-plant constituents we use to craft the world’s finest super herb Elixirs, utilizing the most revered healing plants on earth. REBBL exists to bring you the highest quality ingredients, with herbal adaptogens at truly meaningful levels, to help you achieve your optimum state of wellness. Additionally, Rebbl is committed to ethical ingredient sourcing, doing their part to reverse climate change and on top of all that, produce delicious, plant-based beverages to promote the health and happiness of all people.

• REBBL is always USDA Organic and ORGANIC certification means no GMOs.
• REBBL beverages are gluten free and do not contain dairy, soy, refined sugars, fillers, carrageenan or gums.

We are working hard to be a regenerative business of the future, today. We are part of a living system that includes:

Our Customers:

We commit to using only pure, plant-based ingredients in everything we create. Every super herb is used at levels that correspond to traditional levels of efficacy. If we can’t use a super herb at meaningful, efficacious levels, then we won’t use it at all. We refuse any gums, added flavors, or thickeners.

Our Grower Partners:

Through ethical, impact sourcing practices we develop community, prevent worker exploitation and work to ensure our farmers receive fair wages, access to health care, water, nourishing food and education as well as protection of their rights.

Our Communities:

We commit to creating a future without human trafficking in partnership with Not For Sale. We donate 2.5% of net sales to support Not For Sale in providing shelter, education, healthcare, legal services, and job training for survivors of exploitation. We support our valued partners to thrive and build self-sustaining, resilient communities all over the world.

Our Planet:

Climate change is inextricably linked to supply chain and human trafficking, and we are committed to doing our part as a business to reverse the effects of global warming.

How it began:

Dave Batstone, founder of Not For Sale and co-founder of REBBL, brought together global thought leaders at Montara Circle to create an innovative, sustainable business solution to the human trafficking problem in Peru. In attendance were investors, an agronomist, and a baseball player, amongst others. What emerged was the concept of crafting a beverage from native ingredients grown in regions in need of economic empowerment, un turn, creating dignified, sustainable livelihoods for these communities and reducing the risk of trafficking and exploitation.

Rebbl is working hard to be a regenerative business of the future, today. As a certified B Corporation, they’ve joined a world-wide community of mission-driven companies in an effort to leverage business as a tool for good. 2.5% of net sales are donated by Rebbl to support Not For Sale, an organization dedicated to providing shelter, education, healthcare and more for survivors of exploitation and human trafficking in the US and around the world.

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Local Vendor of the Month: mmmpanadas

mmmpanadas is the creation of husband-and-wife team, Cody and Kristen Fields. A U.T. Austin grad, Cody fell in love with empanadas while working in Costa Rica. Then, on a trip to Austin in 2006, Cody met Kristen and fell in love with her too.

Together, they began making a variety of empanadas for local bars, coffee shops, and markets. Next thing they knew, they were married and slinging gourmet empanadas out of a big red truck. Over the years, they tell us that Wheatsville has been an amazing partner supporting them every step of the way.

Things they love about Wheatsville:

• emphasis on local food and vendors
• feels like family!
• they love shopping here! From empanadas to paleo to CBD the co-op has them covered!