Farewell to Beautiful Warm Summer
September 13, 2024
The lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer have flown by as they always do. In spite of the heat of the day, the evenings are cooler and the autumn breezes are whisking us into early fall. It is always wistful to bid adieu to summer, but sweater weather is definitely on the horizon.
September was called the “harvest month” in Charlemagne’s calendar. If you venture outside the city, you will see that harvest in all areas of the province is well underway, aided by the recent plentiful warmth and wind. Our wish is that this harvest proves bountiful and abundant. With the end of summer, the lingering days at the beach, long sleep-ins and family camp-overs and wiener roasts are coming to a close as families plunge head-long into back-to-school preparations. Parents are buying school supplies, registering the kids, figuring out childcare, and hoping to get one more season out of the clothes in the closet! Teachers are deep into lesson planning. Our two long-time staff members, Sammy and Scott, will be working fewer hours this fall, as they are heading back to school this fall too - so we wish them good luck with their studies, and welcome new staff to the store. It’s a busy, hopeful time, filled with optimism and nervous anticipation.
Back-to-school also means back to school lunches, and Steep Hill can help you with that! This newsletter has some great suggestions for back-to-school lunches that are nourishing, healthy, delicious, and earth-friendly! September is also Organics Month. Read on to learn more about Canada’s Organic Month, the largest annual celebration of organic food, farming and products across the country. Steep Hill is proud to carry certified organic products, many of them grown right here in our own backyard.
If you haven’t quite had enough fun in our beautiful city over the past summer months, there are still a couple of street fairs going on in September. The 33rd Street Fair takes place on Saturday, September 14 from 10-5. Visit vintage 33rd Street for local food, fun and music while exploring and experiencing unique vendors, artists, and boutiques. It was great to see so many of you enjoying the Broadway Street Fair on September 7! Thanks for stopping in at Steep Hill to shop and say hi.
School Lunch Ideas
September and the start of fall bring changes for everyone. As the seasons change, we start to make changes in our day-to-day routine, including the return of school and packing school lunches for many. Luckily at Steep Hill Food Co-op, we’ve got you covered! Here are some great lunch ideas you can try out this new school year.
There are tons of options for making a variety of sandwiches with ingredients like ham and turkey slices, dairy-free cheese slices, and lots of veggies. One tasty option that’s a favourite in my home is a veggie and hummus sandwich. You can use pre-made hummus or make your own if you have a food processor and change out the vegetables based on your taste. Check out the recipe for the veggie and hummus sandwich below.
For older kids (or adults) who have access to a microwave and are looking for some easy options for lunch, Steep Hill has a number of delicious pre-made meals like pad thai and curries. You could also make some Annie’s mac and cheese. A great tip to boost the nutritional value of mac and cheese is to add some nutritional yeast to the cheese sauce. Nutritional yeast has a cheesy, nutty flavour and has B vitamins, as well as potassium, calcium, and iron.
There are also plenty of great side and snack options to add to school lunches. You could add pureed fruit cups, a variety of granola bars, as well as granola and mixed nut packs, or mini yogurt cups. There are a variety of choices for adding sliced fruits and veggies to lunches and bulk bags of nuts and dried fruit which can be added on their own or combined into homemade trail mix. There are tons of great options for school lunches, so why not try something new for a new school year?
Veggie and Hummus Sandwich Recipe
Enjoy this easy-to-make healthy and delicious veggie hummus sandwich for lunch or anytime you need a quick meal on the go.
View Veggie and Hummus Sandwich Recipe
Cooperation Among Co-Operatives
Steep Hill Food Co-op embodies the cooperative value of Cooperation Among Co-operatives by actively engaging with and supporting other co-operative enterprises, thereby strengthening the co-operative movement as a whole. Rather than operating in isolation, the co-op recognizes the power of collaboration and solidarity within the co-operative community.
One way in which Steep Hill Food Co-op demonstrates Cooperation Among Co-operatives is through its sourcing practices. The co-op prioritizes purchasing goods from other co-operatives whenever possible, whether it be locally sourced produce from a nearby agriculture co-operative or fair trade products from a co-operative overseas. Steep Hill now carries many staple grocery items to ensure we are able to be more of a local resource for groceries. These products are sourced through Federated Co-op and are Co-op products. By doing this, Steep Hill not only supports fellow co-operatives but also promotes the values of democratic decision-making, equality, and sustainability that are inherent in the co-operative model.
Furthermore, Steep Hill actively participates in co-operative networks and alliances, both regionally and nationally. By collaborating with other co-operatives, the co-op is able to leverage collective resources, share best practices, and advocate for policies that benefit the co-operative movement as a whole. Whether it’s through joint marketing efforts, group purchasing initiatives, or co-operative education programs, Steep Hill Food Co-op demonstrates its commitment to working together with other co-operatives towards common goals.
In essence, Steep Hill exemplifies the co-operative principles of Cooperation Among Co-operatives by actively collaborating with other co-operatives, participating in co-operative networks, and fostering a culture of solidarity within its community. Through these efforts, the co-op not only strengthens its own resilience but also contributes to the collective success of the co-operative movement.
Celebrating Organics Month!
September is National Organics Month, a celebration of organic food, food production, and other products. Since its inception, Steep Hill has been an enthusiastic promoter and supplier of organic food and household items. We were organic before it was cool (or available at mainstream grocery stores)!
Organic agriculture follows a set of principles designed to put nature first. These include:
- Health
- Organic agriculture benefits the health of humans, animals, soil, and the world’s environment as a whole.
- Ecology
- Organic agriculture works within and sustain existing ecological systems and cycles.
- Fairness
- Organic agriculture builds relationships based on ensuring fairness in life opportunities and the common environment.
- Care
- Organic agriculture operates in a manner that protects and ensures the health and well-being of both people and the environment for generations to come.
In practical terms, following these principles means that organic food crops are non-GMO, and are grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. Organic meat, eggs, dairy products, etc. come from animals who are fed organic feed, have ready access to the outdoors, and are not given hormones, antibiotics, or medications in the absence of illness. Organic processed foods, in addition to containing organically grown or raised raw products, do not contain artificial colours, sweeteners, and preservatives.
Steep Hill carries products from a number of producers who follow organic guidelines in their food production. Canadian-produced certified organic products must be certified by an accredited body as meeting the requirements of the National Canadian Organic Standards; these products will display a Canada Organic logo.
Choosing organic means that you and your family are receiving products that are grown, raised, or produced in a way that is sustainable and respectful of the future well-being of the environment. Supporting the work of organic producers ensures that these earth-friendly practices are able to continue and expand in the future.
Steep Hill has always promoted organic produce and products, and continues to do so. For example, all the bulk bin contents (beans, seeds, grains, etc.) are organic, as are the packaged herbs and spices. Look for organic labels and signs on other items, and always feel free to ask the staff if you have any questions!
For more information on organics, visit these informative sites:
Refer to National Organics Month for more information such as activity ideas, trivia, and prizes.
Celebrate Fair Trade!
October is Fair Trade Month, and this year, celebrations mark 30 years of Fairtrade in Canada and the UK!
To kick off the month, Fair Trade Canada and the Fairtrade Foundation will host a free webinar from 10:00 - 11:30 AM on October 1 recognizing the commitment of advocacy groups who have championed the movement and made a lasting impact on communities worldwide. This 90-minute virtual event will feature community presentations by fair trade advocacy groups from around the globe, plus a session with Bismark Kpabitey, a Fairtrade cocoa farmer from Ghana, who will share his experience advocating for farmers and workers.
Steep Hill has been part of Fair Trade’s success in Canada for many years by offering many certified Fair Trade products on our shelves including chocolate, sugar and coffee. Learn more about what it means to be part of this movement!
Volunteer Opportunities
September is a time for getting back into a routine and starting new activities – why not volunteer at Steep Hill?
Our in-store volunteers usually package, label, and shelve products (herbs and spices, nuts, candy, dried fruit, etc.), and generally assist with tasks that the staff may not have time to do regularly. You can sign up for a shift on the schedule posted on the store bulletin board, or call 306-664-4455 or email hello@steephillfood.ca to request a shift.
We are still in need of volunteers who are willing to pick up and recycle cardboard, as well as people able to pick up and dispose of garbage. Ideally, we would have enough volunteers that each person would only need to do a pick-up once or twice a month. If you’re interested in these opportunities, please email Amielle directly at hello@steephillfood.ca and state which type of pick-up you’d like to do.
Watch Steep Hill’s social media posts and future editions of this newsletter for other volunteer opportunities! Whatever your skills and interests may be, you can help ensure Steep Hill’s success.
Meet Our New Staff Members
As many of you are already aware, we’ve welcomed several new staff members to Steep Hill over the last two months. Three of our staff will be heading back to school full-time, so we’ve brought in a few extra helping hands to keep things running smoothly!
Our first new addition was Brooklyn Alto, who says she’s always loved to create, whether through drawing, writing, or baking. So far, her favourite thing about Steep Hill has been meeting all the board members, volunteers and customers. Brooklyn says, “It’s so nice to see how supportive everyone is and how tightly-knit the community is with Steep Hill!” Her favourite things in the store are the Cabana cherry lemonade and the banana chips.
Shortly after, we added Stephan Booth to our team. Stephan is the father of four boys and enjoys camping, gaming, and having dance parties with his sons. He’s also very familiar with food, having been a line cook for 14 years (some of you might very well have enjoyed his work during his time at Leda’s!). Stephan is a big fan of all the fresh, local produce we get in and is always amazed by the kale when it arrives from Our Farm. His favourite thing about the store so far is the “colourful and witty clientele” that he meets every shift.
Our most recent addition is Sol Skalozub. Sol enjoys reading (especially independently published books, and books about history, folktales, and mythology) and video games. Sol is also an artist and writer and has a small collection of training swords and a real sword (called a shamshir), which he uses for art reference purposes. He says that he “very much enjoy[s] the community, all the regulars [he’s] met so far, and that we carry so much local produce.” Sol’s favourite things in store are the red potatoes and our large variety of mushrooms, which he says goes very well with what he cooks at home.
We hope that you’ll all take the time to warmly welcome all our new staff and continue to have your trademark patience as they learn everything there is to know about Steep Hill.
And because we know they have one of the biggest fan clubs anyone could ask for: Sammy and Scott will both be in the store a lot less frequently starting this month as they’re both heading back to school. Scott is in his second year of Engineering and Sammy is starting his first year of Psychology. They are still working at the store and will be happy to see all of you if you happen to catch them, but some of their responsibilities/knowledge, etc. will be spread out to more of the general staff.
We also want to say a huge thank you to Zain, who moved on to new opportunities this summer. He did great work while he was here, and we wish him the best in the future.
Holiday Celebrations - What’s On Your Menu?
Holidays are coming soon! Steep Hill would like to be prepared to offer ingredients for the menu items you like to serve when you celebrate Thanksgiving, Diwali, Hanukkah, Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve or another day that is special for you and yours.
Please take a minute or two to fill in this short survey to help us plan our ordering, so we can have what you want in stock when you shop for upcoming special occasions.
Recipe Corner
Our ongoing series of recipes using ingredients available at Steep Hill!
Louisa’s Birdseed Crackers
These crispy nutritious crackers are a great healthy snack to enjoy throughout the day, served with a dip or a great compliment to a cheese platter.
View Louisa’s Birdseed Crackers Recipe
We Want to Hear From You!
For information about products and the store, email us at hello@steephillfood.ca or call 306-664-4455.
To contact the Board of Directors with ideas, feedback, concerns or questions, email board@steephillfood.ca or fill out a “How did we do today” card when you are in the store.
Thanks to Jasmin Carlton, Amielle Christopherson, Adam Douglas, Maxine Glover, Cathy Holtslander, Maryann Scott, Ann Smith, and Brianne Weigel for contributing to the Newsletter!
Your grocery store on Broadway!