The Latest News from Wheatsville

Apple Butter Recipe

The Best Fall Condiment is Apple Butter

The falling leaves and golden grasses may be more from the dry heat of summer than a signifier of chilly autumn temperatures, but as the first cool mornings arrive, I am ready to celebrate fall. The first local crops of apples will be showing up in produce soon, and apples are one of the most versatile and delicious of fall fruits. Apples are satisfyingly crunchy eaten out of hand, or soft and gooey sweet baked into a pastry. There is so much potential in an apple and one of my favorite autumn recipes is apple butter!

Apple butter is a humble but delicious condiment. A richer spicier version of the more ubiquitous apple sauce; it relies on heat and time to develop its signature smooth velvety texture. I like to make mine from a variety of apples but I usually skew towards the tarter varieties like Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Cortland. One perk of apple butter is that it does not require perfect apples. If you have a few apples that returned in lunch bags or backpacks a bit jostled and bruised. They are perfect candidates for cooking down into apple butter.

Peel and core the apples, then slice them into rough chunks about ½ inch in size. You can compost the scraps. My chickens enjoy the peels as a treat. Combine the chopped apples and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a steady simmer and cover. Occasionally stir and mash until the apples are soft and broken down. They will reach an apple sauce consistency. You could stop here and have unsweetened apple sauce, but I strongly recommend adding sugar and continuing to cook the apples further.

Add about 1/2 cup of brown sugar. The exact amount will vary based on the sugar level in the apples and your personal preference. I usually end up with between ½ to one cup of brown sugar to three pounds of apples. Further seasoning is up to you. I like to add one tablespoon of molasses, ½ teaspoon of vanilla, and ½ teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Any warm spice will do in this recipe. Use what you like and have on hand. Continue cooking on low for several hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes to keep the bottom from browning too quickly. Your kitchen will be filled with the most delightful spicy sweet fall aroma. It will put you in the mood for a hot beverage and cozy scarf, even if it is still 90 degrees outside!

Eventually the apple butter will turn a uniform deep shade of brown and take on a glossy sheen. At this point it is ready. Turn off the heat and do a taste test for sweetness and seasoning. Resist the urge to eat it all straight from the pot! Once you have your preferred sweetness and spice allow the apple butter to cool slightly. The sauce will thicken up as it cools from the pectin in the apples.

I store my apple butter in a large ball jar in my fridge. Apple butter can be spread on toast, or dolloped on yogurt, or ice cream. It also adds a punchy, flavorful filling for homemade cinnamon rolls and coffee cake. It needn’t all be used on sweets; apple butter makes a fabulous partner as a glaze on pork or chicken. I usually find myself scraping the bottom of the jar within a month of making a batch. Happy Fall Cooking!

Apple Butter

INGREDIENTS

•   3lbs apples - peeled, cored,
     & roughly chopped
•   2 cups water
•   ½ - 1 cup brown sugar
•   1 Tbsp molasses
•   ½ tsp vanilla extract
•   ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice
     (any warm spice is fine)
•   ¼ tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

1.  Simmer the apple chunks and water in a covered pot, stirring occasionally until the apples turn into apple sauce.
2.  Add ½ cup sugar and the molasses, spices, vanilla, and salt. Mix well and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens and turns dark brown. It should take about an hour and a half.
3.  Adjust seasonings to taste and allow to cool.
4.  Store in a container in the fridge.

State of the Co-op

By Bill Bickford - General Manager

Among the most basic responsibilities we hold in common as Wheatsville owners is to remain informed regarding the state and health of our shared community asset. As we wrap up our annual audit and finalize financial statements for our 2021-2022 fiscal year, it seems an appropriate time for a general update on where your co-op stands and where we may be headed in the future.

Strong Financial Year
As Board Treasurer Stephanie Wong notes within the Audit & Review Committee’s report, Wheatsville produced very favorable financial results in our 2021-2022 fiscal year. We generated our strongest net income in many years, increased our cash balance, and reduced our liabilities. This could not be said in recent previous years, so we are very pleased to be in a much stronger financial position today.

It’s important to recognize that co-ops do not exist for the purpose of generating profit. It is also true, however, that operating profitably is a necessary prerequisite to increasing the positive impact we can have on our community. What ultimately sets co-ops apart from other businesses is how we use our profit.

I was delighted this past summer to pay our first staff bonus since 2015. We were also able to increase both our starting wage scales and available raise ranges. Our staff have persevered through some challenging years to work in the grocery business, so it has been gratifying to share our success with the folks who helped make it possible.

In addition to taking care of staff, we were also able to raise $130,580.10  for our Community Action partners, invest in needed fixtures and equipment, and have our first real conversations about patronage rebates to owners in several years. I’ll definitely take that as a win!

Caution: Bumpy Road Ahead
Despite the many positives of last fiscal year, we are nonetheless likely to face tough headwinds in the year ahead. Sales remain in decline at both stores, a trend your co-op has now contended with for several years running. With wages increased and pressure to raise them further likely in the future, profitability in the current fiscal year is far from guaranteed. In fact, your co-op posted a loss in our first quarter (June through August), consistently our most challenging quarter of the year.

Need for Growth
Our most critical challenge moving forward is to grow store sales. We must not only reverse the current negative sales trends; we must grow sales at a rate that can outpace current wage and cost inflation, which is no easy task. We are currently developing and implementing a variety of strategies to do so, perhaps the most important of which is improving our food service operations, discussed elsewhere in this newsletter.

That said, improving our current store operations—while critically important—is not the only avenue to increased market share and sales volume. As I shared with owners during a recent GM Connect event, your co-op is actively exploring growth opportunities for the first time since opening our Lamar store in 2013. Despite sales decline and wage pressures, our balance sheet is in its strongest position in several years. We have a higher cash balance and lower debt-to-equity ratio today than at any point since opening South Lamar, which may present an opportunity to grow our organization beyond the current locations.

Any plan to add locations would require the support and engagement of our community of more than 27,000 Wheatsville owners. We quite literally cannot do it without you! While there is not yet one specific opportunity we are committed to pursuing, your board and management do hope to reach alignment on a feasible growth opportunity over the next several months. When that time comes, I look forward to earning your support in furthering our founders’ vision of a robust community “that will grow and promote a transformation of society toward cooperation, justice, and non-exploitation” 

After 23 years connected to this co-op, I truly believe that Wheatsville sits at the heart of this Austin community. It is that community’s support that has sustained and nurtured the co-op to this point; and it will be your support again that ultimately sets our course moving forward. We shall endeavor to earn that support each

Message From The General Manager: Bill Bickford

As this newsletter goes to print, we have just concluded our 2021-2022 fiscal year. Annual reports will be made available in an upcoming issue, following completion of our audit, but what I can confidently share today is that your co-op has had its most favorable financial year in at least a decade. After a number of years spent treading water financially, store operations have now produced positive cashflow for several consecutive quarters. This is an enormous improvement over our performance just a few years ago.

While the co-op was also profitable in each of the past two years, it was only minimally so—and not enough to do anything particularly exciting. This year, we get to make the kinds of energizing choices that are only possible with strong financial performance.

For starters, we plan to pay our first staff bonus since 2015. It was difficult to impossible to pay year-end bonuses when the co-op was not operating profitably, so I am very excited to be able to do so this year. Our staff has absolutely earned it. The operational and staffing challenges of the past two years have not been easy to work through, and our financial performance this past year is a direct result of our staff’s combined efforts. I am optimistic that this will mark a return to the regular staff bonuses of years past based on continued profitability moving forward.

Additionally, I anticipate the board having the opportunity to consider issuing a patronage rebate for the first time since 2013. The ability to pay a patronage rebate back to owners based on their purchases is a privilege unique to cooperative businesses. Much like staff bonuses, patronage rebates are only possible when the co-op is financially successful. While the authority to issue a patronage rebate rests solely with our Board of Directors, I am excited to be able to explore this option for the first time in several years. At minimum, your board and I will have an opportunity to discuss how best to invest this surplus toward our co-op’s future.

While the above is exciting news to share, it’s important to remember that strong financial performance is much more easily lost than achieved. Last year’s performance was strong, yet the co-op still faces several financial and operational challenges moving forward—all the more reason to invest this surplus wisely.

Most importantly, sales and customer count continue to decline year-over-year. That fact, combined with high cost inflation and the continual need to increase staff wages, will ultimately either reduce or eliminate financial gains or force us to operate with fewer staff, which in turn will impact service. The only mathematical way to avoid that outcome is to increase sales, which must be our focus in the year ahead in order to produce similar year-end results.

To that end, if you have feedback on how we can better meet your needs or those of your friends and neighbors, we would love to hear from you. What can we carry that you have to go elsewhere to get? What could we do to make it easier for you to visit your co-op over a competitor? We would appreciate an email to info@wheatsville.com with your thoughts!

Staff Spotlight: Amy

Hi folks, my name is Amy, and I have worked at Wheatsville for just over 8 years; throughout that time, I've worked in a few different departments and collected a few skills along the way! I've worked as a bread baker, produce VAP clerk {think sliced and prepped fruits & veggies,) cashier, and now as a Manager on Duty where I help provide guidance and support to the front-end staff, and really anyone throughout the store.

Where are you from and when did you get to Austin?
I grew up in Central Texas, really the Middle-of-Nowhere during the 1980s. Where I grew up is all farms, prairie land, and big skies. I have lived in Austin for about 15 years but grew up only about an hour northeast of here, so I've been coming to Austin for years to go to local shows and be immersed in the local music scene. 

What is your favorite product at Wheatsville?
Anything from Bouldin Food Forest. They grow various kinds of basil and other herbs, micro greens, and leafy greens all right down the road in Rogers, Texas. Peppery arugula, purple basil, and herb-infused bouquets of intoxicatingly beautiful flowers are on my shopping list literally every week. Down the road a stretch in another direction in Fredonia is Buena Tierra Farms.
We get potatoes, squash, kale, and radicchio (just to name a few) from them and they are stellar quality. I'm always on the lookout for their purple potatoes--they make any potato dish instantly more magical and nutritious!

What is something most people don’t know about you?
I'm pretty reserved so I'm sure there is a lot people don’t know about me. Aside from my Wheatsville life I've worked in the past with local drag queens and theatre companies doing hair, makeup, and costume design. I enjoy slow things like birdwatching, reading, dreaming, and cloud-gazing. I'm usually obsessed with/and researching some particular facet or niche of one of my revolving doors of intense interests: genealogy (I've mapped my family tree for several generations,) history, literature (lifelong love of the Romantic poets,) philosophy, music {jazz, punk, rock n roll in its various iterations...but most recently I've been exploring the works of Liszt and other Romantics,) folklore, workers' rights, subversive counterculture throughout time, Giallo films. I'm obsessed with the ocean and dream about it nearly every night. 

Why Wheatsville? What appeals to you about the cooperative model?
To borrow a comment from one of my co-workers, where you sell your labor matters. I've never envisioned myself working for a corporation where all the money, authority, and power is funneled to the top while being built on the labor of others, and without regard for their concerns. A co-op fundamentally does not operate that way, and I appreciate that as consumers, owners, and workers we are empowered to use our voice if/when we feel compelled to do so. I like that community involvement is built into the way we operate, every day in myriad ways. Volunteering, collecting donations within the community, and donating our own time, money, and space to local organizations is a huge part of what we do.

As far as my current role within the co-op, I like that I have an opportunity to hear my co-workers' concerns and needs, and can provide support and solutions. I think that the pandemic world has made evident, more than ever, how valuable workers are, and it is one of my big aims to really show up for my peers at work in a way that allows them to feel that their time and energy is appreciated, and that they are supported in meaningful ways.

Staff Spotlight: Chris Strahan

What’s your history with Wheatsville?
I had heard of Wheatsville long ago in Austin legends, but only started going once I moved to the South side of town. I remember the first time I left Wheatsville with my partner I told them “I didn’t hate that… and I usually hate the grocery store!” and I’ve been coming back ever since.

Where are you from and when did you get to Austin?
I was born and raised in North Austin, and I’ve lived in multiple parts of the city. I moved into a place on the South side with my partner a few years ago and I’ve been in love with this part of the city ever since. It still has that amazing, weird Old Austin vibe I remember from growing up here.

What is your favorite product at Wheatsville?
I don’t think I can pick just one! Of course, I love the popcorn tofu, the amazing selection of local & organic produce, all of the delicious vegan & gluten free baked goods… I love that it’s easy to shop at Wheatsville if you have dietary restrictions, and that it’s easy to make healthy decisions here!

What’s your favorite place to go in Austin?
This is another hard one! As far as business go, lately I’ve been obsessed with Casa de Luz, but I love Square Rut kava bar, Mr. Natural, and Bouldin Creek Café. I also love all the walking spots and nature easily accessible from the city…the Barton Creek Greenbelt is amazing, but I have to shout out Brushy Creek Regional Trail where I cut my teeth as a young’un… check it out if you’re ever that far north!

What is something most people don’t know about you?
My partner and I are currently building a tiny house and are super excited about that! We also follow a gluten free vegan diet.

Why Wheatsville?
I love how many organic/gluten free/vegan/local/fair trade options there are! Also, I don’t have to avoid brands I don’t trust or boycott like at most grocery stores...

Letter from our General Manager - Mark Jacob

Dear Owners,

First off, I just want to say thank you to you all for supporting Wheatsville! It is a great time to be part of your coop and to support local businesses. Over the last year and half I have gotten to connect with many of you whether it be through email, our virtual Meet the GM series or even in person and so many of you have shared your stories of what Wheatsville means to you. Thank you.

This last June, myself and the members of the Senior Leadership Team presented our business plan to the whole organization. Every staff member, from the produce clerks to kitchen managers was given a clear vision of where we are headed for financial success and given the opportunity to share feedback. I would like to share some of those key areas with you and even celebrate some succsess.

People Matter – At the Co-op we stay focused on our staff, owners, and community. Below are some key updates.

-  Turnover – With turnover in the food industry averaging over 130% according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we are very proud we have been able to keep turnover below 75% at Wheatsville. Being able to do this during a time many are seeing record turnover numbers is a key indicator to how our staff feel about working here.

-  Internal Staff Promotions – 70% senior leadership have been internally promoted, 78% of department managers have been internally promoted and overall, we are close to 80% all internal promotions. We are proud to work with our staff to develop their talents and grow their career. If you are looking for a career with growth opportunities, Wheatsville is a great place to be.

-  Pay and benefits – We are proud to offer an average hourly wage of over $15 per hour for front line staff and a competitive benefit package. In addition to two paid holidays, we were able to celebrate our added paid holiday of Juneteenth for the second year in a row. Stay tuned for some exciting pay and staff benefits enhancements we are working to have ready by April 2022.

-  Customer Scores – We average an  81% overall satisfaction for our customer scores ranking us as a leader amongst cooperatives at the national level. We want to remain your favorite place to shop so please keep the feedback coming. 

Financial Health – Part of our Ends statement is to ensure a robust cooperative economy. Below is how we are doing in some key financial metrics.

-  Sales growth – We are seeing weekly sales growth for the first time in years, other than during initial panic buying from Covid19. Thank you so much for being part of Wheatsville’s growth! We are just getting started!

-  Profit – We were able to do what unfortunately so many other small and local businesses were not able to do during this pandemic and that is stay open. Words can’t express how painful it is to see so many local businesses close. But even with the hardest challenge we have seen in years we were able to show a modest profit. We have even started off our new fiscal year in what appears will be a profitable one.

-  Though our profit may seem small we are grateful to the staff and customers that helped us earn it. As Wheatsville again begins to gain strong financial footing we look forward to all that we can accomplish such as supporting our staff, store renovations, growing our store count, and of course continuing to give back to our community.

Where does the money go we spend at Wheatsville?

•  Roughly 24 cents of every dollar you spend at Wheatsville goes back to our staff to ensure we can offer a competitive wage and strong benefits package.

•  Roughly 62 cents of every dollar goes to our cost of goods we purchase to sell to our shoppers. Wheatsville’s focus is on ensuring our producers, farmers, and suppliers are paid a fair price for their goods.

•  Roughly 14 cents of every dollar goes to the other items such as rent, electricity, and other basic expenses.

•  After it all, we have a goal to end up showing 1 to 2 percent of total sales as profit this year.

Here are some things to remember as to why co-ops are a great place to spend your money. We focus on staff benefits, fair pay for farmers and producers and supporting the local economy. We will do all we can to continue to be fair priced while also ensuring we stay true to fair pay for everyone in the supply chain from farm to shopper.

Thank you all for being part of our Co-op! It is because of you we are doing great and thriving for our local community.
 - Mark Jacob

COMMUNITY ACTION CANDIDATES

It’s that time of the year again! Our annual fall election is right around the corner where Wheatsville owners will have the chance to vote on who our 2022 Community Action partners will be. Each organization that gets voted in will be the recipient of our customer’s rounded-up change at the registers, our staff’s volunteer time, and our advocacy for one month during the year! Our community never ceases to impress us with all of the efforts that are made in order to improve the lives of Austinites and this year’s applicant pool wasn’t an exception. We can only accept 10 out of 18 partners in the running next year that will join our Let’s Feed Austin and Cooperative Community Fund programs that will be beneficiaries for 2 of the months. Please read more about the incredible organizations in the running & the work that we would support them in, if voted in:

Austin Creative Reuse
Austin Creative Reuse has to date diverted more than one million pounds of creative materials from the landfill and put them back into the hands of the artists, makers, teachers and others in our community.  Donations received through the Wheatsville Community Action Program will be used to complete the build out of our new community workshop space where we will offer affordable art classes for all ages and skill levels, reuse artist and maker showcases, volunteer opportunities, low-cost studio rentals, sustainability meetups and other ways for the community to come together.

Austin Parks Foundation
Austin Parks Foundation provides resources, programming and funding to ensure access to parks for every Austinite. With Wheatsville's funding, we will continue to create volunteer opportunities (both large and small), activation programming and even large, capital improvement projects.

Austin Pets Alive!
Austin Pets Alive! is not your average animal shelter; we pioneer comprehensive, innovative programs designed to save the animals most at risk for euthanasia. Support received from the Wheatsville Round Up campaign will be allocated to our programs where support is needed the most, for example, purchasing medical supplies for our Medical Wellness and Triage Clinic.

Caritas
We build well-being by making sure people have a safe home, access to healthy groceries, jobs that provide a reliable living wage, and educational opportunities to learn life skills. These funds will directly impact the services we're able to provide to our clients.

Casa Marianella
Casa Marianella provides shelter and support services to the people who come to the Texas border fleeing danger. In addition to food and shelter, we have ESL classes, legal services, an acupuncture clinic, and housing services.

CASA of Travis County
CASA of Travis County exists to promote and protect the best interest of children who have been abused or neglected, by training volunteers to advocate for them in courts, in schools and in our community to help them find safe, permanent and loving homes. We ensure that each child’s individual needs remain a priority in an overburdened child welfare system.

Central Texas Food Bank
The Central Texas Food Bank gives free food to 75,000 Central Texans in need each week through more than 250 partner pantries, kitchens, shelters and other agencies. We also run our own direct distribution programs, including supplemental nutrition programs for older adults, Mobile Food Pantries and meal programs for children. We provide hungry individuals and families with education related to food security and help applying for federal assistance programs.

Farmshare Austin
Located on a 10-acre certified organic produce farm, Farmshare’s mission is to grow a healthy local food community by teaching new farmers and increasing food access. Funds will be used to support Farmer Starter, our beginning farmer training that teaches the next generation of Central Texas farmers, and Fresh for Less Mobile Markets and Curbside Delivery which increase food access in neighborhoods experiencing economic and geographic barriers to good food.

Friends of Austin Animal Center
Austin Animal Center (AAC) touches 18,000 pets every single year and the goal of Friends of AAC is to supplement the stretched-thin city budget to keep pets in homes, help shelter pets find new families, and provide enrichment and care for the pets in the shelter.

Hospice Austin
Hospice Austin serves patients with a terminal diagnosis and their loved ones. If a patient’s symptoms cannot be managed at home, we offer inpatient services at Hospice Austin’s Christopher House. In addition, we offer grief support programs, such as counseling, support groups, webinars, and a grief camp just for children and youth. Funds from the Wheatsville Community Action Program will support hospice services for families facing the final months of a serious illness, including patients who are uninsured or underinsured, as well as grief support programs available to the community at-large.

Meals on Wheels FEATURE
Meals on Wheels Central Texas (MOWCTX) offers a holistic platform of programs to help homebound seniors in Central Texas to continue living safely and independently as they age in place. Funds will be used to provide services to seniors like home-delivered meals, case management, home repair, pet food and veterinary care assistance, and more.
 
Meals on Wheels was our Community Action Partner for August this year and we had the opportunity to learn all about their different programs- which include so much more than just delivering food to homebound seniors. Due to the pandemic, their mission has been more important than ever! Our senior neighbors are lonely and trying their best to stay safe. Meals on wheels provides not only nourishment for the body, but for the mind as well. We were so happy to help them pack 1700 non-perishable meals that will go out to the clients of their Senior Centers program. We are so grateful to be helping out these organizations that do so much to support our community.

Multicultural Refugee Coalition
Multicultural Refugee Coalition (MRC) is an innovative nonprofit organization training and employing refugees in fair-wage, dignified work through two social enterprises (an organic farm and sewing studio) and a community garden. Support from Wheatsville will be used to employ refugee farmers at New Leaf Agriculture farm.

PEAS
PEAS' mission is to cultivate joyful connections to the natural world through outdoor learning and edible education. Funds will be used to sustain our fundamental environmentally-focused outdoor and kitchen educational curriculum taught at 15 Austin-area elementary schools.

People's Community Clinic
As a front-line provider of medical and behavioral health care services for low-income, medically underserved populations throughout Central Texas, People’s is an essential stitch in the community’s health care safety net and plays a critical role in the battle against COVID-19. People’s would use funding from the Wheatsville Food Co-op Community Action Program to support general operating costs and ensure that the clinic can continue to operate at maximum capacity in order to meet the community’s evolving health and wellness needs.

The SAFE Alliance
The SAFE Alliance's mission is to Stop Abuse for Everyone. To work towards this goal, SAFE provides housing, healing and support services for survivors of Family Violence and Commercial Exploitation/Human Trafficking.

SIMS Foundation
SIMS provides mental health and substance use recovery services to musicians, music industry professionals, and their dependent family members. Funds will be used to provide counseling and services to ensure the emotional wellbeing of our Central Texas music industry that gives so much time and talent to our community.

Sustainable Food Center
Sustainable Food Center was founded in 1993, and is a 501(c)(3) Non-profit organization whose mission focuses around cultivating a more just local food system so that people and the environment can thrive. The funds from this partnership have historically and will continue to be used toward our efforts to move this mission forward.

Workers Defense Project
Workers Defense Project (WDP) is a membership-based organization that empowers low-income workers to achieve fair employment through education, direct services, organizing and strategic partnerships within the Austin community. The funds will be a source of power and hope for many low-wage workers who have little access to these important resources. WDP is one of the few organizations in Texas working to address workplace abuse faced by low-wage workers.
 
 
Wheatsville’s Programs (not in the running!)

Let’s Feed Austin
Our Let’s Feed Austin program began during the pandemic this year as a way for us to provide groceries to our local neighbors. We have had lots of interest in this, and so we are going to be devoting one month to this cause in 2022! Donations made at the register will go to buying healthy groceries for the predicted 18.2% of people facing food insecurity in Austin.
 
Cooperative Community Fund
Donations rounded up during the month that align with this fund will help us further be able to live out cooperative principles 6 and 7; cooperation amongst cooperatives and concern for the community. The interest earned by the fund will be given annually to local groups working on issues related to sustainable agriculture and organic food, hunger and social issues, environmental protection and other cooperatives!

Juneteenth and a $5000+ commitment

As we come up on the first federally recognized Juneteenth Holiday, it is important to not only remember and honor the long and turbulent road it has taken to get such recognition, but to also open our eyes and recommit to the work that still needs to be done towards creating a truly transformed society based in equality and respect. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. In one of the most inspiring grassroots efforts of the post-Civil War period, newly freed Black men and women transformed June 19 from a day of unheeded military orders into their own annual rite, “Juneteenth,” beginning one year later in 1866. In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday. 

Here at Wheatsville we use this day to reflect on our mission that was created by our cooperative founders over 45 years ago. Their simple mission was this: The purpose of Wheatsville Co-op is to create a self-reliant, self-empowering community of people that will grow and promote a transformation of society toward cooperation, justice, and non-exploitation. With that in mind they named our store after Wheatville, the first post-civil war Black community in Austin. We feel that we have honored their legacy as best we can but we also believe that we can do better. 

Last year in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, we like countless others were compelled to evaluate our role in systemic racism and inequality. We committed to honoring our namesake and to make a positive impact in fighting racial injustice and advancing inclusion and diversity as a whole. We still have a lot of work to do but we are proud of what we have accomplished. Here is an update on what we have done and where we are headed.

In The Store:
One way we can have the most immediate impact is by amplifying the work of our BIPOC vendors. Following last months featured vendor Alaffia, we have chosen Nubian Heritage a Black-owned business as our Vendor of the Month for June. In their words they are "Guided by the legacy of ancient Nubia, the world's first melting pot, Nubian Heritage remixes global healing traditions into modern wellness solutions." Visit either of our stores to try their high-quality body care products.  

For Pride month, we have for the second year in a row chosen a local organization making a difference in the Austin LGBTQ+ community to be the recipient of our Pride Pin sale. This year we've selected allgo. They are an organization whose mission it is to nurture and celebrate queer people of color by building, educating, and mobilizing communities toward a just and equitable society. 100% of the proceeds go to allgo.

This year we kicked off Black History Month with a very special addition to our timeline at the South Lamar location. Possibly the most important and often overlooked part of our history is our name. In 1976 our coop founders decide to pay homage to Wheatville, the first post-civil war Black community in Austin. Founded by James Wheat, a formally enslaved man from Arkansas, Wheatville had over 300 residents at its peak. Now the story of Wheatville will have a permeant home on our walls. To find out more about this important community visit here.

What we are doing:
As part of our continued commitment to honor the importance of this day, this is Wheatsville’s 2nd year providing Juneteenth as a paid holiday to staff. 

Directors. Managers, Supervisors and our staff led D&I Network have undergone Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training with Dr. Kazique Prince and Jelani Consulting. This training combines individual development in addition to team development within every facet of the business.

We have been recognized by the National Cooperative Grocers as having the third highest percentage of staff diversity in the central corridor region of the United States. We are very proud of this achievement and continue to strive for the highest percentage in our region.

We are actively reaching out to BIPOC organizations that may not know of us. Even though we have successfully raised millions of dollars for local organizations over the years, we realize that not all nonprofits have the same resources to find help, especially those in marginalized communities. We are diligently working to bridge that gap.

Our Commitment:

We are also pleased to announce that we will again be giving direct support to the Black Community this year. Last year we donated $4,000 to organizations that were actively engaged in the work of racial justice and empowering Black communities. This year we are committing to $5,000. This money was raised in part from customer donations to our Co-op Community Fund.  25% of this year’s donations will be benchmarked for the specific use of the staff led D&I Network for direct donations in their name.  

Celebrate in the Community:

Today there is a Juneteenth celebration with a parade starting at 10 am on Chicon, with a festival at Rosewood Park and a Fireworks display to commemorate the night on Boggy Creek. The following links have more information and further lists of Juneteenth events around the Austin area. 

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/central-texas-juneteenth-parade-and-festival-returns-to-austin/269-804f6546-8994-4517-9042-3f52a423d289

https://www.juneteenthcentraltexas.com/parade

https://www.kvue.com/article/life/holidays/list-juneteenth-events-in-austin/269-2c1d4b3c-3563-4de3-9dbc-37f2a13542b4

Happy Juneteenth from Wheatsville Food Co-op!