Ganesha watches the Grinola mixxin.

The Squash Blossom Food Coop is compiling our annual members’ cookbook.

 Send us your favorite recipes and a photo from the kitchen with you and your dish.

Get the kids involved.  

 This year’s theme is cooking local with your family and friends.

Send us your recipes and stories of your culinary adventures.

 Squash Father’s Grinola

 Keep it simple I say. Use superior ingredients and a big helping of kitchen love.

 The Squash Blossom Food Cooperative is the perfect place to get the organic ‘Superior ingredients’. You provide the Kitchen Love.

 4 cups thick rolled oats

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup medium coconut

1/2 cup agave, honey, maple syrup, or 1/2 cup raw sugar and 2-3 tablespoons water

1/4 cup sunflower oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 teaspoon salt

 Use middle position for oven rack

Preheat oven to 275 degrees, bake ~60 minutes total.

 Coat a 9-by-13-inch metal baking sheet with oil Mix oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, coconut and salt.

 Mix sweetener, oil, water and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat. Drizzle over dry mixture, and stir to combine.

Pour mixture onto baking sheet. Work the mixture into small clumps.

Bake for 45 minutes. Stir in raisins. Continue to bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool and dry then store in quart Mason jar.

  Add sprouted almonds pistachio or pecans when you’re ready to eat.

 You can add all sorts of goodies like sesame seeds, buckwheat goats, sprouted wheat or kamut berries.

 Get your GrinOla fixin’s at http://squashblossomcoop.org

Join the Squash Blossom Food Cooperative and be part of the Vision…

One goal is to operate coop food stores throughout Kansas City.  To bring back the neighborhood groceries once prevalent in what are now urban fresh food deserts; our satellite food stores will serve the needs of our diverse population directly in their neighborhoods.

join at: http://squashblossomcoop.org/

The Squash Blossom Food Cooperative Online ordering system is up and running.

Special Order :
We will have a special Kansas grown distribution at the Breaking The Silence Conference. Fresh spinach, salad mix, radishes, organic sweet potatoes, squash  along with everyday pantry items like organic oatmeal, rice, peanut butter and beans.
 
January  regular order  cycle starts Jan 3 . Closes Jan 14 with delivery Jan 22 at BadSeed Farmers Market 1909 McGee KCMO

go to http://squashblossomcoop.org/ to join and order

Join our Facebook Group http://www.facebook.com/groups.php?ref=sb#/group.php?gid=131432392433 for all the news

Beautiful Squash Blossoms

On December 6, 2009 a new democratic, grass roots institution was formed to create a secure local food system for our community, the heartland of America.

We’re coming together to take the next step in making our vision a reality by creating a cooperative business that will  provide healthy food for our families and communities. The organizing committee has identified our shared vision and mission for the Squash Blossom Food Cooperative.

Vision: Everyone in the heartland greatly benefits from our local, sustainable food system.

Mission: We are your KC Metro food cooperative building sustainable community and providing you the healthiest food in the heartland.

Our vision and mission speaks to the need for food security, healthy communities, environmental and social justice. We will build a thriving local food system through cooperation.

The business of the Co-op shall be operated in accordance with the Seven Cooperative Principles:

First Principle: VOLUNTARY AND OPEN MEMBERSHIP

Cooperatives are voluntary organizations; open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political, or religious discrimination.

Second Principle: DEMOCRATIC MEMBER CONTROL

Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the membership. In primary cooperatives members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote) and cooperatives at other levels are organized in a democratic manner.

Third Principle: MEMBER ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION

Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their co-operative. At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative. They usually receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership. Members allocate surpluses for any or all of the following purposes: developing the cooperative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of which at least would be indivisible; benefiting members in proportion to their transactions with the co-operative; and supporting other activities approved by the membership.

Fourth Principle: AUTONOMY AND INDEPENDENCE

Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If they enter into agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure democratic control by their members and maintain their cooperative autonomy.

Fifth Principle: EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND INFORMATION

Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, managers, and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They inform the general public — particularly young people and opinion leaders — about the nature and benefits of cooperation.

Sixth Principle: COOPERATION AMONG COOPERATIVES

Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the co-operative movement by working together through local, national, regional, and international structures.

Seventh Principle: CONCERN FOR COMMUNITY

While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies accepted by their members.

For more information contact Steve Mann at 816.352.9213       
Join Squash Blossom Food Cooperative on  Facebook

  How can a people who don’t control their own food system be free?

How can a people whose children are malnourished by the food they eat be free?

How can a people who fear to lose their jobs be free?

Only in their minds.

How can you start to be free?

Join the Squash Blossom Food Cooperative

Own your own solid piece of Food Security

Have a say in deciding how to provide the Healthiest Food in the Heartland.

Starting 2010

From the Squash Blossom Holliday Bulk Item Bins

 New Items like  Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil…& Price updates added..

The following organic food items will be available on November 20 at BadSeed Farmers Market 1909 McGee  or by appointment

Preorder only  deadline Wednesday Nov 11

Copy description and number of pounds you would like and send order to order@squashblossomkc.org  or phone in your order to Steve 816 352-9213

 description                                                            price /pound

If you would help with fulfilling orders and packaging please volunteer at volunteers@squashblossomkc.org. 

Volunteers get 5% off their order .

 Sweet potato potluck Wednesday Nov 18 to divide up the order at 5223 N Merrimac Ave KCMO.

local squash

We have a thriving local organic farmer’s market scene in Kansas City but it serves the middle class and a number of restaurants that cater to the local, organic and seasonal California cuisine.  Some local grocery chains have picked up on the trend and offer local products. But the vast majority of working class and inner city residents aren’t enjoying the fruits of the local food system.  Schools and institutions must source food from the competitive market which favors international agribusiness.  Small local producers currently lack the capacity for this market.

The real problem is about social justice and the failure of industrial agriculture to provide healthy sustainable food to all Americans. Nutritious local fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs and dairy must be available to all in our community.

It’s our responsibility to see that all children, all families, everyone in our community has life giving nourishment, their Primary Health Care System.

BadSeed Farm

To me, it seems absurd that a group of our neighbors should so greatly fear a small, organic farm in a suburban backyard.  They would sooner seek its demise than walk through its open gates to see it firsthand.

Amidst the worst economic times in recent memory, people fear for their jobs, for their homes, for their marriages, for their very way of living.  So we should not be surprised when a long-time neighbor tells us that she fears she may have to move back into her second home if she cannot sell it due to our organic efforts.

Afraid of declining property values and an invasion from poorer black neighborhoods to the east, our politically powerful neighbors fingered us for troublemakers and demanded the city do something.  The officials in the city issued us with numerous violations, despite our compliance with city codes, because they fear for their jobs.

How many of us stay in jobs we dislike for fear of losing health or retirement benefits?

To be free is to live without fear.  I have lived in America for 27 years.  I have visited Cuba, China, Europe, and Peru, and I find this definition of freedom to be the truest.  And yet, I believe that Americans are less free than ever before.  And we are more fearful than ever before.

We are fearful not because of the economy, not because of the value of our homes, not because of our jobs.  We are fearful because we have lost the ability to control our own destinies.  We have lost the ability to do for ourselves.  For if we have the ability to feed ourselves, to build our own homes, to sew our own clothes and to mend our own wounds, what have we left to fear?

Answer: Natural disasters, and the government.  These are my greatest fears.

Brooke Salvaggio & Daniel Heryer

BadSeed Farm

Kansas City Missouri

August 27, 2009

We don’t let a little rain stop us. But when the Monsoon poured down the band had to pull the plug. Thanks to Jim Hermann and Checkered Past for providing the good vibes and fun. Thanks to Natalie and the Cafe Gratitude KC crew for the Gratitude Rampage. Thanks to Kelley, Marcille, Jenet, Dave, Neil and everyone who helped out.  We thank all those who came out and shared the wonderful food and spirit.  And most of all to Lynn and Neil Burdick for their support and letting us use the Creekhouse Norganic Community Garden for the Squash Festival.

Abundance