October at Steep Hill Food Co-op
October 15, 2026
Thanksgiving greetings! We just want to take a moment to express how grateful we are for all of YOU who make Steep Hill everything that it is. Our wonderful local suppliers, our members, our community partners, our volunteers: every single one of you are so greatly appreciated. We thank you all for your continued support and your commitment to supporting our “little co-op that could.” We hope you were able to enjoy the holiday weekend with those nearest and dearest to you.
In addition to celebrating Thanksgiving and World Food Day, October is also Co-op Month and FairTrade month. We bring it all together with abundance at Steep Hill!
Store News
A big order from one of our national suppliers is arriving this week, including popular product lines such as organic Avalon yogurt, Covered Bridge chips, organic canned goods from Eden Foods and eat Wholesome, Eco-Max cleaning products, L’Ancetre organic butter and cheeses, Maison Orphee organic oils, vinegars and mustards, Stahlbush Island frozen organic vegetables, and more. Our next big restocking order will replenish our bulk beans, as well as the very popular eucalyptus candies, and gummies.
The growing season for some of our fresh local produce (such as tomatoes, celery, zucchini) is wrapping up as the weather cools and the days grow shorter. That means it is time for our menus to highlight fall-harvested crops, and enjoy the bountiful squash, potatoes, carrots, apples, and beets our local farmers provide.
A big thanks to everyone who ordered their Thanksgiving turkeys from us. We’ll be doing the Original Family Farm brined turkeys again at Christmas. If you are able to let Amielle know you would like one for your holiday feast, it would be very helpful for placing our order.
Our “back to school” student membership discount continues until October 31. Students with valid student ID can join or renew their Steep Hill Co-op membership for just $10.00 instead of the regular student rate of $15.00 per year. Student members enjoy all the benefits of membership, including 3% discount off shelf prices, opportunities to volunteer as a working member, place special orders, get groceries delivered, and participate in governance.
Need Your Groceries Delivered?
If the weather - or anything else - is making it hard for you to get to Steep Hill to shop, we can deliver your groceries right to your door for just $5.00. Email us or give us a call at 306-664-4455 and staff will work with you to get your groceries to you ASAP.
Casita Foods – Local Gluten-Free Goodness
As anyone who follows a gluten-free (GF) diet can tell you, finding tasty, well-textured breads, buns, etc. containing a minimum of additives can be challenging. With a few exceptions, many of the GF options available in Saskatoon are produced elsewhere, even as far away as Europe!
Steep Hill is proud to stock Saskatchewan-made GF products from Casita Foods. The company is made up by a small team of chefs and bakers who operate under the belief that everyone deserves delicious, high-quality breads, and that dietary restrictions should not be a barrier. They are dedicated to using ingredients sourced as locally as possible and use no artificial additives or preservatives in their products.
The company began to develop their GF bread recipe over 10 years ago and have been perfecting it ever since. Their flagship rustic loaf is a result of their hard work. In addition to this, Casita Foods also produces brioche-type buns, as well as croutons and breadcrumbs (made from the rustic loaf). As a complement to their line of breads, the company also produces hummus, always GF.
Look for Casita Foods products at Steep Hill – since they contain no preservatives, they’ll always be in the fridge or freezer.
Are You Handy?
If so, we have some volunteer opportunities for you and your tools!
Both the front and back doors could use some minor repairs and/or installation of new or used parts. If you can source needed secondhand or discount parts and have the skills to fix one or both doors that would be greatly appreciated, especially if it can be done before the weather turns cold. The back door needs a new screen door and potentially a new ramp leading up to the door. The front door’s automatic door-closer needs to be replaced, and it could also use a new handle. If you are a qualified electrician, we’d like to install a light on the awning above the front door too. Members who volunteer are entitled to the Working Member discount of 6% off the shelf price following completion of their work shift(s). Please contact Amielle at hello@steephillfood.ca or call 306-664-4455 if you would like to help out with these tasks.
Co-ops and FairTrade
The FairTrade movement and co-operatives are very much intertwined, as Gerardo’s Story illustrates. Author Megan Minnick interviewed Gerardo Goicochea for the Equal Exchange newsletter to illustrate how life-changing being part of a co-operative has been for him and his community. Gerardo is a fair trade coffee farmer from the village of Santa Rosa in Jaén Province in the mountains of northeast Peru, and a founding member of the Sol & Café Farmer’s Cooperative.
Megan asks what difference the co-op has made since they organized it in 2008. Gerardo replies, “The difference is in both the social and business aspects of the cooperative. We are family, and we work as a team. If we have an objective or goal, we all pull in that direction.
It’s created a safe place for our farmers. We’re not alone anymore, and we don’t need to look for opportunities elsewhere, which can represent a danger—as our experience with the debt collector showed.
We trust in each other, that no one will take advantage of us, and we feel safe.
It’s not something to be taken for granted. I’ve found that I need to remind members of these values and benefits all the time in the cooperative meetings. Especially now, when coffee prices are very high, it can be tempting for members to look outside the co-op for short-term gain. But we need to think in the longer term, and in that, we’re much better together in the cooperative.”
Like Equal Exchange, Level Ground, Steep Hill’s FairTrade supplier for coffees and teas also purchases from farmer co-operatives, infusing your morning brew with responsibility, solidarity, sustainability, and trust as well as excellent flavour and aroma!
Read the full interview of the Gerardo’s Story.
Where Rights Take Root: Fairtrade and Economic Justice
Who grows the things we love, and how can we Make It Fairtrade?
October is Fairtrade Month and Steep Hill is committed to providing Fairtrade products like Fyffe’s organic bananas, Level Ground coffees and teas and Camino chocolate.
Join the Saskatchewan Council on International Co-operation (SCIC) and Fairtrade Saskatoon this National Fairtrade Month for a webinar exploring the people behind the products and the movement working to advance human rights, environmental protection, and economic justice.
The speakers will be Pippa Rogers from Fairtrade Canada, Stacey Toews from Level Ground Coffee Roasters, and Kelly Storie from Camino Canada.
Whether you’re a longtime fair trade supporter or are simply curious about where your food comes from, join in exploring how everyday choices connect with collective action for a more just world.
Wednesday, October 28 at 2:00 PM CST
Online via Zoom
Register to join the conversation.
Catch the (Spooky) Wave!
Meet neighbours, share some food and enjoy the artistry of our community members at the community potluck, music, spoken word and jam session at Grace Westminster church. From September to May on the last Friday of the month, Brian Paul DG and friends host a potluck (6 PM), variety show (7:30 PM), featured artists (8:30 PM) and music jam (9:40 - 10ish PM). On October 30, have fun dressing up for the Halloween Costume Party if you wish, and enjoy featured artists Ecoarbori Janelle’s spoken word and music by Sharptail. Admission is by suggested donation of $10 to $25. Everyone is welcome!. Grace Westminster is one block west of Steep Hill on the corner of Eastlake and 10th Street.
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 Amielle Christopherson, Adam Douglas, Cathy Holtslander, and Maryann Scott for contributing to this Newsletter! If you would like to join the newsletter crew, just send an email to board@steephillfood.ca.
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