The Bethlehem Food Co-op will hold its 2nd Annual Craft Fair on Saturday, April 18 from 11am–4pm at Christ Church UCC, 75 E. Market Street, Bethlehem. The event is free and open to the public.

Yesterday was Super Bowl Monday, the national demi-holiday celebrated in office break rooms throughout the nation. It’s marked by the tradition of criticizing the advertisements we willingly subjected ourselves to the night before. Nationwide’s horrific ad was king of the hill when it came to yesterday’s water-cooler talk. But I want to talk about Budweiser’s controversial commercial where they praise their “hard” method of brewing beer.

Budweiser’s let’s-just-drink-beer-because-you’re-not-supposed-to-think-about-it Super Bowl ad is a true puzzle. The ad lambasts craft breweries that feature “Pumpkin Peach Ales,” but a quick Google search will show you that Budweiser just recently acquired Elysian breweries, one of the few craft breweries that actually do feature a Pumpkin Peach Ale. It could be a hidden nod of recognition to their own hypocrisy here, or a huge oversight. Either way, as the creator of the “Lime-A-Rita,” a margarita-flavored malt beverage, can Budweiser really pass judgement on odd-flavored beers?

The Bethlehem Food Co-Op is seeking a part time Member Recruitment Coordinator who is passionate about local food, healthy eating, community-building, and the cooperative business model.  The individual hired will be an independent contractor for the Bethlehem Food Co-Op.

The Bethlehem Food Co-op will hold its next public meeting event on Monday, January 5 at the Charles Brown Ice House in Bethlehem at 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the general public to learn more about this effort to open a community-owned grocery store and get a taste of the opportunities the Co-op will provide in addition to groceries.

This past summer I participated in my first CSA with Taproot Farms. All I can say is: wow. The quality and consistency of the vegetables all summer was incredible, and the variance in crops was astounding. I received vegetables I had never even heard of before, which I will not list in order to save judgment from the more hardcore members among us. Trust me, the assortment was impressive.

The CSA made every Thursday like Christmas, and Wednesday Christmas eve. We waited patiently to receive the email informing us of what would be in that week’s share. Thursday we rushed to our pick-up location, which was conveniently located in downtown Bethlehem at Lux Hair Salon on New St. As soon as we got the box home we eagerly inspected its contents, which was stuffed with items like escarole, Swiss Chard, kale, spinach, beets, carrots, potatoes, Sunflower shoots, tomatoes, garlic, herbs, watermelon, beans and much much more. The only problem we had was what to do with all this goodness!

The Energy Co-Op is coming to the Lehigh Valley, and your enrollment can help the Bethlehem Food Co-Op!

In the true spirit of Cooperative Principle #6 (Cooperation Among Cooperatives), the Bethlehem Food Co-Op and The Energy Co-Op have teamed up to help grow cooperative enterprise in our region. The Energy Co-op is coming to Bethlehem next month, meaning you can now receive your electricity from a member-owned cooperative and support PA renewable power. Even better, The Energy Co-Op has offered to contribute to our movement for each new member who mentions the Bethlehem Food Co-op! For each enrollment,The Energy Co-op will donate $43* to Bethlehem Food Co-Op! Click here to enroll today, and don't forget to mention BFC.

In the Lehigh Valley, there are plenty of ways you can avoid GMO-laden coffees and also support coffee farmers around the world. In Bethlehem, there are no less than five sources of quality coffee, including The Joint, The Wise Bean, Back Door Bakeshop, Full of Crepe and Deja Brew. Whether you demand organic or would just prefer your coffee come from a friendly business, many local shops have smart options for latte lovers and black coffee drinkers alike. 

Neil Young, famed folk singer/rock artist, made headlines about a month ago when he announced on his blog that he’s having a hard time finding a coffee supplier with a "Heart of Gold" saying ”GOODBYE STARBUCKS!”

Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, are a hot topic given today’s climate of conscious consumers. Some, particularly those on the political right, have taken time to criticize consumers who choose to avoid GMOs. However there are a lot of us who are confused on the science, or are simply not versed sufficiently in the biological, political and business-oriented aspects of GMOs that would allow us to assemble a sound argument as to why GMOs are worth avoiding.

I have no degree in biology. I am not fully aware of the efforts taken by GMO-producing businesses to promote the legal use of their controversial products. So, I found a newly-released collection of essays titled The GMO Deception: What You Need to Know about the Food, Corporations, and Government Agencies Putting Our Families and Our Environment at Risk that really sheds light on these issues. With a title like this, this book has a clear bias against the promoters of GMO foods. But, I wanted to examine their arguments, and how soundly they could present their cause in regards to my own logic. All-in-all, this collection contains over 50 essays, mostly originating from a single quarterly periodical, GeneWatch, that often discusses genetic politics. Each essay is written by a specialist in a different field of study selected from a time range spanning decades, mostly focusing on tangential consequences relating to the implementation, creation or aftermath of GMO products being produced en-masse for consumer consumption. Worth a read if you wanna know the scoop on GMOs.

Around the world, cooperatives follow a common set of guidelines that harken back to 1844.

That’s when a group of merchants and peasants from Rochdale, England, decided to pool their money together and start a business that suited their needs. This allowed them to take advantage of economies of scale and profit-sharing that they would never have been able to touch. They called themselves the “Society of Equitable Pioneers”. Their original seven Co-operative Principles were adopted by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) in 1937, updated every thirty years and celebrated by every principled ICA Co-op.

We've interviewed member-owner Diana Worley. Not only has Diana been integral in getting the word out about the Bethlehem Food Co-Op, but she's also been active in collecting locally-sourced recipes for the Co-Op.

First off, please introduce yourself

My name is Diana Worley and I live here in Bethlehem with my husband, John. I am the mother of two grown children. I love to cook and craft and learn and oh yes… garden.

How did you first learn about the Bethlehem Food Co-Op?

I was introduced to the co-op by a co-worker who casually mentioned that the group met at the Unitarian Church on Center Street and that I should check it out. She moved and now is missing out on all the great stuff we have going on, but I’m glad we had the casual, random conversation.

There have been other food co-ops in the area, what makes the Bethlehem Food Co-Op different? 

If you've never lived anywhere else it wouldn’t be as evident as to how unique Bethlehem really is. I think it is a community with pride and diversity; it is a college town with culture and opportunity for enrichment. It sits in a location that is a hub to other major cities like NY and Philly but also is close to beautiful natural surroundings such as the Poconos, the NJ Skylands and PA Dutch country. I think the colleges bring people to Bethlehem who decide to stay because of all these factors and make their home here and as such we have people who want to make a difference in their quality of life.

Those are our members, people who care about what they eat, their environment, community and acceptance. Open-minded people looking to make change for the good. I think that is actually the definition of the cooperative spirit, helping each other working together. That’s really refreshing in our me, me, me society.

The people who sprouted the seed of the co-op have done their homework, they are committed to success and yes, I whole heartedly believe that the co-op will thrive. We are here to stay!

And of course the technology of the day changes a lot. It enables us to communicate and cooperate so much quicker and have a wider reach to the surrounding communities. More people can know about us much quicker than ever before.