By: Anya Firszt, General Manager
Hello dear Owners,
We are: Committed to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Now and Always
As the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion is being questioned on a national level, we remain relentless in building on our long history of honoring our values and the cooperative principles. We would like to assure Owners and our communities that we will continue to uphold and pursue the transformational values of diversity, equity, and inclusion now and always.
Check out willlystreet.coop/DEI for more information on our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at Willy Street Co-op.
Spring Greetings and a Warm Welcome to March
According to Jimmy the Groundhog of Sun Prairie, his Groundhog’s Day prediction is for an early spring (not six more weeks of winter), which means more spring-like weather, warmer temperatures, and longer daylight hours are just around the corner. It remains to be seen if his prediction was accurate (or not).
There are several holidays and observances that you might be inclined to celebrate this month. Some events offer a reason to celebrate community and culture including Mardi Gras, National Pie Day, and Saint Patrick’s Day. The Co-op has just about everything you need to create your traditional food and drink favorites. If baking is not your cup of tea, we also have prepared items for your convenience.
An important day for me to reflect upon is March 8th, International Women’s Day, which celebrates women’s achievements, advocates for gender equity, and calls for the end of discrimination and violence against women. We will be highlighting women-owned Inclusive Trade vendors in the March issue! Look for details on page 18.
We can also celebrate this month the vernal equinox or spring equinox, the day in spring when the length of day and night are equal; it’s the half way point between the winter and summer solstice. The equinox marks the beginning of spring, which means to me that digging in the dirt is in my near future. Yippie! You can find seed packets, gardening supplies, and more at the Co-op to help you with your activities.
Price of Groceries
There has been a lot of discussion about the price of groceries increasing due to tariffs, bird flu, and the impact of changes to immigration practices. Tariffs increase the cost of a product from the wholesaler by the amount of the tariff. Retailers, like Willy Street Co-op, then pass along the price increase to their shoppers. Bird flu is causing a reduction in the supply of eggs, which then causes the demand to be greater than the supply. This imbalance may result in a price increase.
Changes in immigration policy can impact the cost of labor to harvest or produce food.; those rising costs, in turn, are also passed along to grocery shoppers. Product availability may be affected as well.
As of the writing of this article, the demand for eggs has increased to such an extent that we have had to limit purchases to two dozen per customer per day. Our eggs are almost exclusively local, and while we have not seen a change in our supply, what we have seen is an increase in the demand for eggs at our stores. Our hope is this limit will allow a more stable supply of eggs at our stores.
Guerilla Cookie
Do you remember the Guerrilla Cookie that was sold at the Co-op in the late ’80s and early ’90s? Well, they’re back! The cookie has been reconstructed and updated from the original recipe by Elegant Foods, a local bakery. We have them for sale at our Willy East location in the self-serve bakery case.
Each Guerrilla Cookie sold will benefit Three Waters Reserve as well as other Southern Wisconsin Land Conservancy (SWLC) conservation and education efforts in honor of Ted Odell, the originator of the Guerrilla Cookie.
Eagerly awaiting signs of spring,
Anya
