We still have spaces available for the Saturday, February 27th talk, Eating Close to Home: A Terre Foods Benefit Sponsored by White Violet Center for Eco-Justice! Tickets are $10 in advance, or $15 at the door. You can still register for the event here until 5pm on Friday. 

We will feature a variety or organic/fair-trade coffees and refreshments. For a little bit more information about the event, take a look at our Events page. Please contact Candace Minster at candace@terrefoods.org or 812-535-2935 for more details or for driving directions.

Terre Foods is excited to partner with Clabber Girl's Culinary Division to offer another set of cooking classes and demonstrations to be held at the Clabber Girl facility at the corner of 9th and Wabash streets in Downtown Terre Haute. 

Pre-registration for classes is strongly encouraged! To register, contact April Osburn at Clabber Girl at 812-478-7113 or aosburn@clabbergirl.com. Attendees who have not pre-registered will be accomated as space allows.

Beginning Lacto-Fermentation with Stephanie Solomon of Mother Hubbard's Cupboard in Bloomington, Indiana, $12 at the door

Saturday, March 13th, 1pm-3pm

It's not just sauerkraut! Learn this traditional form of food preservation that not only enhances nutrients in vegetables, dairy, and grains but also gives them a flavor kick to add to your cooking adventures. In this workshop, we'll explore simple lactic fermentation and the many ways to use fermented foods to accent your cooking.

How to Prepare Dried Beans with Robyn Morton and Tammy Tintjer of Terre Foods, $10 at the door

Saturday, March 20th, 10am-12pm

So you know that dried beans are economical and delicious--but how do you fit cooking them into your schedule? Heck, how do you cook them at all? Join us as we go through basic dried bean cooking techniques and share some tips and tricks that will allow you to finally kick the can and save some cash!

Dairy 101 with Robyn Morton of Terre Foods, $10 at the door

Saturday, April 10th, 9am-12pm

Learn to make various basic dairy products and a few specialty cheeses that you'll be glad to bring into your home cuisine. Products covered; yogurt, butter, buttermilk, sour cream, creme fraiche, ricotta, paneer, and mozzarella.

Beginning Homebrew with Terre Foods members, Tom Derrick and Mark Minster, $10 at the door

Saturday, May 1st, 1pm-3pm

May 1st is National Homebrew Day and what better way to celebrate than by learning how to brew your own! Instructors will learn the basics of brewing with grains and bottling the finish product.

Seasonal Cooking Class, instructor TBA, $10 at the door

Saturday, June 12th, 10am-12pm

Learn how to take advantage of the bounty of local produce and other foods available at the Downtown Terre Haute Farmers Market. Get tips on how to make the most of what's in season.

Yeasted Breads 101 with Susie Lannoo and Candace Minster of Terre Foods

Saturday, September 11th, 10am-12pm

Nothing beats the taste and aroma of homebaked bread. Learn how easy and satisfying it can be to bake a variety of yeasted breads in your own home. 

Terre Foods is excited to partner with Clabber Girl's Culinary Division for another great season of cooking classes and demonstrations. Most classes are just $10 and registrations are now open for March classes. Be sure to register early, since these popular classes tend to fill up quickly!

Beginning Lacto-Fermentation with Stephanie Solomon of Mother Hubbard's Cupboard in Bloomington, Indiana, $12 at door                                                                                                                                             

Saturday, March 13th, 1-3pm in the Test Kitchen at the Clabber Girl at the corner of 9th and Wabash streets

It's not just sauerkraut! Learn this traditional form of food preservation that not only enhances nutrients in vegetables, dairy, and grains but also gives them a flavor kick to add to your cooking adventures. In this workshop, we'll explore simple lactic fermentation and the many ways to use fermented foods to accent your cooking. 

How to Prepare Dried Beans with Robyn Morton and Tammy Tintjer of Terre Foods, $10 at the door

Saturday, March 20th, 10-12pm in the Test Kitchen at the Clabber Girl at the corner of 9th and Wabash streets

So you know that dried beans are economical and delicious--but how do you fit cooking them into your schedule? Heck, how do you cook them at all? Join us as we go through basic dried bean cooking techniques and share some tips and tricks that will allow you to finally kick the can and save some cash!

To register for classes, contact April Osburne at Clabber Girl at 812-478-7113 or aosburn@clabbergirl.com.  Pre-registration is suggested, though attendees who have not pre-registered will be accomodated as space allows. You can see a full list of 2010 classes on the events page.

A Discussion on Slow Food by Marion Fass, Phd Beloit College Thursday, February 25th, 7pm
Tirey Ballroom of the Hulman Memorial Student Union, Indiana State University

Join Marion Fass and Terre Foods for a discussion about the Slow Food Movement while enjoying refreshments made with locally-produced foods.  This event is sponsored by Indiana State University and SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagement and Responsibility)  Please contact jim@terrefoods.org for more details.

Eating Close to Home: A Terre Foods Benefit Sponsored by White Violet Center for Eco-Justice
Saturday, Februrary 27th, 7pm 
Reilly Auditorium in Owens Hall on the north campus of St. Mary of the Woods

 $10 in advance/$15 at the door

We just received a message from Nikki Royer regarding budget cuts to the Indiana Meat and Poultry Inspection Program.  From what I understand, budget cuts will reduce inspectors to working just one or two days a week, which means that state-approved processing facilities will not be able to keep up with the volume of meat that is currently being processed.  There's also the chance that the USDA will deem this inspection insufficient and eliminate it entirely.  You can learn a little more about this here, http://pasturetoplate.wordpress.com/

This does not only affect the Royers--it affects all small farms.  Please take the Royer's request to heart and contact Mitch Daniels to let him know how important it is that we maintain access to safe, locally-produced food! 

If you care about your food and the farmers who raise it, please immediately contact Governor Mitch Daniels @ 317-232-4567 or email http://www.in.gov/gov/2631.htm and tell him to reinstate funding for the Indiana Meat and Poultry Inspection Program.      

This lovely piece of work (courtesty of member Christina Blust of Blustery Day Designs) is visible heading north on 3rd street, just over the Regency Inn, as pictured below. The ad is printed on a reusable material that we can relocate to other parts of town as needed while we maintain our membership drive.  (Perhaps once the store has opened, we can have a repurposing contest to see who has the best idea for how we can reuse the material?)

Terre Foods is happy to join our local businesses and artisans to celebrate Downtown Holiday Fest and Miracle on  7th Street this Friday, December 4th from 5-9pm.  There will be an exciting array of activities for December's First Friday, including art gallery open houses, delicious dinner options, holiday storefront displays, photos with Santa, and much more!  You can even do some holiday shopping at Miracle on 7th Street, an open air market featuring local artisans and businesses, including photography from Steering Committee member, Jim Speer.

Terre Foods will have an information booth inside the 7th street tent, where you can warm up with some free organic/fair-trade hot chocolate.  In addition, a few of our brazen friends and Membership and Steering Committee members will be roaming the streets singing Christmas carols.  Caroling will begin just after 5pm and will continue until we're too cold or all sung out.

 Bring your friends and family and come join us!

Thanks to everyone who came for the Fall Harvest 5K held on Saturday, October 31st.  Those who braved the chilly weather at 8:30am were grateful to find the clouds parting and making way for a beautiful, sunny day that warmed up quickly.  Runner/walkers were treated to homemade cookies and fruit, a chance to win organic and fair-trade door prizes, and a Fall Harvest 5K long-sleeved t-shirt.  (We have a few extra shirts available for $10.  Let us know if you're interested!) Many thanks to our event sponsors, Graphic FX, The Element, White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, L&A Farms, and Royer Family Farms. 

Last, but certainly not least, let's give a hand to Sandy Fuqua and the Membership Committee for making this event happen!  If you're interested in lending hand for future events, contact membership@terrefoods.org. 

All proceeds of the event will go towards Terre Foods Cooperative Market, a cooperative grocery targeted to open in the Spring of 2010. The market will bring local, sustainable, and organic groceries to the heart of downtown Terre Haute.

• Click HERE to register for the race online.


• Click HERE to download and mail in the registration form.

Terre Foods Cooperative Market seeks a General Manager to oversee the opening and operation of a full service cooperative grocery store in downtown Terre Haute, Indiana.  Required experience includes management experience in the grocery industry, purchasing, inventory, hiring and training of employees.  The ideal applicant will have experience in the natural foods industry, an understanding of and commitment to co-operative principles, proven leadership ability, and excellent supervisory and financial management skills. We are looking for a candidate with the vision and energy to head the exciting and challenging opening of our store in Spring 2010.

CLICK HERE to download the full job listing (.pdf).

Applications will be considered until the position is filled.  Please send a cover letter, resume, and names of three references to info@terrefoods.org.  

On Friday, Terre Foods hosted a press conference to announce the Annual meeting (Septmeber 29th, 7-9pm, Vigo County Main Library), and to unveil the first drafts of our store design!  Architectural and interior designs are being done by the local firm MMS-A/E, and construction will be led by CDI Construction.  The Terre Haute Tribune-Star has a wonderful article on the press conference HERE.

For the sake of the load-time for this website, rather than posting the graphical image of the store schematics (which takes forever to load, even on high bandwidth), we have uploaded .pdf versions of the layout and preliminary store vision which you can view by clicking on the links below.  Check it out!

• Exterior concept design
• Interior store schematics/layout
  

 Vigo County Main Library, 7-9pm

Yup, it's that time again!  Please plan to attend this important meeting, where we will get everyone up to speed on all that's happened in the past year (a lot!), and what our road map looks like to the opening of the store.  At this meeting, we will have presentations about the store purchase, news on our efforts to hire a General Manager, where we stand on our financing, and much more.  We will also have architectural drawings of the building plans--come see for yourself how the store is shaping up! 

This meeting is open to the public--please bring along your friends!  The more, the merrier--and the more members, the better for our store!

View and download the flyer for the meeting HERE .

Join us out at Hawthorne Park in Eastern Vigo County for our first 5K Poker Run on October 31st, 9am!  Along the course participants will stop at 5 designated locations and "draw" 1 playing card. A trophy will be awarded to the top 2 adults and youth who complete the 5K (by walking or running) with the best 2 Poker Hands in their age group. This is not a timed event. Limited to the first 52 registrants. Registration available thru 8:30 am on Race Day!

All proceeds of the event will go towards Terre Foods Cooperative Market, a cooperative grocery targeted to open in the Spring of 2010. The market will bring local, sustainable, and organic groceries to the heart of downtown Terre Haute.

• Click HERE to register for the race online.


• Click HERE to download and mail in the registration form.
  

Calling all salsa chefs!  Things are heating up at the Downtown Terre Haute Farmers Market and to celebrate, Terre Foods is sponsoring the first ever Salsa Contest on Aug. 22^nd.  In order to make this success a bang, we need contestants!  Take a chance to show off your salsa skills and submit your favorite salsa for a chance to win some local goodies.

There will be three salsa categories; tomato-based raw, tomato-based cooked, and specialty, which may be raw or cooked.  What sets specialty salsas aside is the use of non-traditional ingredients, such as fruit or leaving out tomatoes altogether.

Terre Foods will assemble a panel of local chefs and personalities to judge the winners in each category.  In addition, market-goers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite salsa by placing a donation in the jar next to their top choice.  The salsa that earns the highest donations will be the “Tasters’ Choice” (all donations will go to Terre Foods).  Winners will have the opportunity to have their prize-winning recipes on the Terre Foods’ website and distributed on the Terre Foods mailing list. 

Each registered entry received before Aug. 20th is $5.  Last minute registrations received after Aug. 20^th are $10 each. Contestants may place more than one entry. If you would like to enter more than one salsa, please fill out a registration form for each entry.

For complete details, download the Contest Guidelines here.

To download the entry form to mail in, click here.

To enter the contest online, click here.

Thank you to everyone who made the Blueberry Festival such an incredible success!  We couldn't have asked for a better event--great weather, great volunteers, great support, and DELICIOUS BLUEBERRIES!  Special thanks to all of our dedicated volunteers; without you, the event never would have happened.  To everyone who donated baked goods--I didn't think we'd ever manage to sell everything that was donated, but instead we sold out by 2pm! Incredible!  Thanks to All American Tents for providing the great large tents, signs and banners that we used throughout the area.  Thanks to Kool Smiles dentistry for providing children's activities. Thanks to our local media outlets for hyping the event and running ads and/or news items on us.  Gosh, I know there are so many more people that deserve thanks, but this is turning into an Oscar speech, so I'll stop by saying Thank You to everyone who came, and everyone who made the event the resounding success that it was. 

In Cooperation,

The Terre Foods Cooperative Market

Membership Committee and Blueberry Festival Planning Group

Schedule of Performers at Blueberry Festival, July 16th:

10:45- 11:45-- J.P. Mellor, bagpipe
11:15- noon-- Banks of the Wabash, barbershop
noon- 1:30-- Rowe & Trench
1:30- 2:30-- Nathan Paul-Bonham, acoustic guitar
2:30- 3:30-- Papapatty, saxophone
4:45- 7:00-- Marshall Rector, Dixieland band

And, of course, blueberry sundaes, baked goods, kid fun, and a PIE EATING CONTEST (sign-ups all day, $5 entry). It's gonna be an all-around good time, celebrating the bounty of an Indiana summer!  Come on out!

Central Presbyterian Church, 125. N 7th St.

11am-7pm

Rain or Shine! Terre Foods Cooperative Market and Downtown Terre Haute, Inc,. will be hosting a Blueberry Festival from 11am to 7pm at the Central Presbyterian Church on 7th & Larry Bird Ave, adjacent to the Multi-modal parking garage and the Hulman Center.  Blueberry sundaes will be served, with local blueberries picked at farms in Indiana, and fresh local ice cream!  We will have music, kid's activities, fresh baked goods for sale, and a Blueberry Pie Eating Contest.  Come down and have a refreshing sundae with the family, and celebrate the bounty of an Indiana summer!

Click Here to download the flyer!

Terre Foods Cooperative Market is happy to announce that we now have an online membership option available for anyone who wishes to use it.  Just go to our Membership Page and find the link at the top, or click HERE to go there directly.  Follow the directions to create a new account, choose your preferred payment plan, and you're all done and can begin watching the mail for your membership card and packet!  Payments are processed via Paypal, a secure online payment service.  You CAN use Paypal even if you do not have a Paypal account. 

Our regular print out application will of course still be available to anyone who wishes to use it.   If you have any questions at all, please contact me at robyn@terrefoods.org.

Check out this great short video from NCGA (the National Cooperative Grocers Association--there are too many acronyms in the world, aren't there?).  And remember, when the video says "Visit your local co-op today" that the only way we will be able to do so is to become a member today, so that we can build it tomorrow! 

Go Co-op! from NCGA on Vimeo.

Visit our Membership Page and find out how to become a member-owner today!

Terre Foods is planning many events this summer to help raise funds for our cooperative, and to raise awareness of our project in the community.  Come on out to support your co-op!

• FREE FILM: "The Future of Food", Saturday, June 27, 7pm, at Myers Tech 105 on the ISU campus, Cherry Street between 6th and 7th Street (please note the change in date and venue!).  "The Future of Food offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade."
• BENEFIT CONCERT:  Christina Blust, Travis Dillon, and Cuba will play a benefit fundraiser at 7th & Elm, Thursday, June 25th, 9:30pm.  Come listen to some great local music and support your co-op!  $5 cover
• BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL:  July 16th, Central Presbyterian Church, 7th Street.  MUSIC, FUN and BLUEBERRIES!  We're planning some great activities for this event, and of course, we will have all kinds of foods that highlight the wonderful, local, yummy blueberries available this time of year.
• SALSA COOKOFF:  August at the Downtown Farmer's Market (date TBA)
• 5K RUN:  tentatively scheduled for Fall 2009; watch this space for more details
• ONGOING:  Terre Foods will be at the Downtown Farmer's Market every Saturday from 8am-noon, serving fresh-brewed Fair Trade coffees provided by Jameson Coffee, and dishing out the latest news on the co-op front.
• ONGOING:  Terre Foods Cooking classes will continue throughout the season, and will include a seasonal cooking class, and a food preservation class.  Watch this space for more!
  

Terre Foods Cooking Classes

Beginning Extract Brewing

Saturday, June 6th, noon-2pm, Clabber Girl Kitchens

Have you ever wanted to try your hand at brewing your own beer?  It's simpler than you might think, and quite a lot of fun!  And you get a delicious beer at a fraction of the cost of high-end exports.  Join Brian Morton and Colin Pizerak, both new brewers themselves, and they will introduce you to the basics of extract brewing (i.e., starting with grain extracts, rather than the more advanced whole grain brewing).  This class will cover the equipment, ingredients, and techniques necessary to do extract brewing in your own home.

(Please note,this is a rescheduled time from the previously-announced May 23rd.)

____________________________________________
Class Details:

Class:  Beginning Extract Brewing
Teachers:  Brian Morton and Colin Pizerak
Place:  Clabber Girl Kitchens
Date:  Saturday, June 6, 2009
Time:  Noon-2pm
Cost:  $5 members/$10 non-members, payable at time of registration
Registration:  contact April Osburn for registration at aosburn@clabbergirl.com, or at 812-478-7113
Registration deadline:  Friday, June 5, 2009 

The summer season is kicking into gear, which means that Terre Foods representatives will be out and about to spread the word about our store!  This weekend, April 17th, Terre Foods will have an informational booth at St. Mary-of-the-Woods/White Violet Center Earth Day Celebration.  The festival runs from 10am to 3pm and includes lots of displays and demonstrations on sustainability and other green issues.  While you're there, stop by the grilling station and the vegetarian stand for a bite to eat, also run by Terre Foods.  Grilling meats were donated to the WVC by Royers Farms, and the salads are all donations from fellow Terre Foodies!

 Upcoming: 

• We will have a booth at the Union Hospital Earth Day Celebration, April 22nd, all day
• We are participating in the Bunch of Ladies Backyard Bounty Garden Event, April 23rd-25th
• We'll be at the annual Spring Thyme Herb Faire at Fairbanks Park, May 10th

See you there!

A local seed-producer and wholesaler is making their spring catalog available to our membership and interest group for purchase!  You can view the catalog here:

2009 Nature's Crossroads Catalog (opens a .pdf file)

These seeds are 100% organic; the packets are $2.75 each, which is a great deal for organic seeds.  Of special note:  the tomatoes listed at the top of the catalog are all locally produced seeds!  This means that the seeds have been cultivated specifically for Indiana.  Not only does this support a local farmer, but it also gives you the opportunity to grow tomatoes that thrive in our climate and soil types.

We have a shopping cart available on our website for ordering seeds--click the "Shop Online" button to your left on the main page.  We will need all orders to be in by March 9th at the latest; everything will then be ordered in bulk, and we'll split orders up when they arrive (maybe we can have a "pick up your seeds" party?).  The order deadline is coming fast, so start picking your seeds soon!

Note for using Paypal:  you do NOT need a paypal account in order to use Paypal.  If you do not have a Paypal account, when the order form takes you to the Paypal login screen, look for the button that says "If you do not have a Paypal account, click here to continue" and you can process your order with no account.

Terre Foods will be hosting a second section of the Dairy Products class, taught by Robyn Morton.  The class will be held in the Clabber Girl Kitchens.  This course will cover how to make all of the following products:

• Butter
• Buttermilk
• Yogurt
• Creme Fraiche
• Sour Cream
• Paneer (a mild Indian Cheese)
• Mozzarella
• Ricotta

All of these dairy products are easy to make, and require very little extra equipment or products than most people regularly have in their own homes.  There will be a free raffle at the end of class for people to win the products made in class!

Course Location:  Clabber Girl Kitchens
Course Fee:  $5 for members; $10 for non-members.  Fees due at beginning of class. 
Fee covers:  All course materials, including handouts, recipes, and Clabber Girl kitchen fees.
Register for class:  registration is CLOSED
Class size:  Registration is capped at 20 students, so register early!  (If there is sufficient interest, I will schedule a second class early in 2009.)

Thanks to Clabber Girl for allowing Terre Foods to host this class in their wonderful kitchens!

Terre Foods will be selling baked goods during the Collett Park Christmas Walk on Saturday, November 24, from 9am-4pm.  We are looking for donations of baked goods!  Things that sell particularly well are items to serve for Holiday meals or items that make good Holiday gifts.  Also good sellers are items that freeze well, so that people can have ready-made baked goods all through the Holiday season.  Pies, tarts, cakes, packaged/wrapped cookies, and so on, make wonderful donations.  Be creative!  People love to buy homemade baked goods of all sorts!

Baked goods will be sold at Tammy Tintjer's and Robyn Morton's houses, both of whom will be participating in the Christmas Walk.  If you would like to donate a baked good to this fundraiser, please contact either of us via email, or drop off a donation at either of our houses on November 22nd.  The Christmas Walk is also a great time to pick up a Yard Sign for our Membership Drive (see sidebar, left, for more information).

And everyone come on out to the Christmas Walk.  It's a wonderful event that showcases our local craftspeople! 

Terre Foods would like to announce our first Course offering--a Dairy Products class, taught by Robyn Morton.  The class will be held in the Clabber Girl Kitchens.  This course will cover how to make all of the following products:

• Butter
• Buttermilk
• Yogurt
• Creme Fraiche
• Sour Cream
• Paneer (a mild Indian Cheese)
• Mozzarella
• Ricotta

All of these dairy products are easy to make, and require very little extra equipment or products than most people regularly have in their own homes.  There will be a free raffle at the end of class for people to win the products made in class!

Course Location:  Clabber Girl Kitchens
Course Fee:  $5 for members; $10 for non-members.  Fees due at beginning of class. 
Fee covers:  All course materials, including handouts, recipes, and Clabber Girl kitchen fees.
Register for class:  email robyn@terrefoods.org
Register deadline:  Friday, November 21
Class size:  Registration is capped at 20 students, so register early!  (If there is sufficient interest, I will schedule a second class early in 2009.)

Thanks to Clabber Girl for allowing Terre Foods to host this class in their wonderful kitchens!

Last month we announced our goal of 50 new members in order to take the next step and commission a feasibility study.  We are now at FORTY new members!  We are so close!  If you have been planning on purchasing a membership, but haven't found the time to do so, please sign up now!  With ten more members, we will be able to move our project forward, and get that much closer to opening our co-op store!  Visit our Membership page at terrefoods.newtechwebservices.com/membership.aspx, and apply for membership today. We have numerous plans to make membership available to anyone.  Anyone who wants to be a member can be one--we will make it work!