JUNE-2011

		We are celebrating WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY Sunday June 5th! Come down and celebrate with us. (The shop will be filled with people, and at 7PM we will be screening the film; We will be taking donations for our famous Alfalfa House Chai, and vegan popcorn to keep you fed and warm! Alfalfa House will be offering courses, classes, meetups, etc. Starting this month! co-op member and naturopath, Rebecca Goldhurst will be hosting the first of what we hope will be many vegan and vegetarian nutrition courses on Friday June 24th,from 7 to 9 PM. Email HERE for more info! The courses will be open to the community for a suggested donation of $10 to cover costs. No one will be turned away (we promise!) Alfalfa vegan bake sale! In an effort to raise funds to aid the beautification of the CO-OP and to purchase a new grain mill, we will be having vegan bake sales down at the Newtown hub on various dates this month! We need bakers, and sellers! let us know if you are interested in helping out!	Fresh flour at alfalfa?

		Ever walked into a shop looking for a yam and saw a pile of sweet potatoes? Ever ask the produce person what the difference is only to have them say they are the same? This month let us answer this question once and for all! FEATURE ON THE DIFFFERENCE. IN THE BASKETS: JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES are in and are delicious baked, steamed and even eaten raw! I have heard a rumour that when eaten raw, one can avoid a common after effect of the jerusalem artichoke, which is unfortunately, flatulence! Grate in to salad. Make sure to wash well or peel skin off first. For more info check the FRUIT AND VEG UPDATE	Sweet Potato(L) Yam (R)

		This month's grocery product feature is from our lovely Australian Organic vanilla supplier, Vanilla Australia. We have a special article written just for us from Russel and Mary the growers. Vanilla Australia have a really interesting story that they have been kind enough to share with our members HERE check it out! When you are finished, we dare you to not want to try our VANILLA INFUSED HOT CHOCOLATE. We also invite all of our readers to stay up to date and support the legal action that one of our suppliers is taking against mega store Woolworths. Get the info HERE and get the rest of the scoop! And as always check out WHAT'S IN THE BINS direct from Monika.		VANILLA ON THE VINE

		Rosemary(Rosmarinus officinalis) is one of many species of the mint family, Lamiaceae. But it is one of only two species of the genus Rosmarinus. Its native habitat is the Mediterranean, although it now grows widely across temperate regions.The name rosemary derives from the Latin ‘rosmarinus’, which is from ‘dew’ (ros) and ‘sea’ (marinus), or ‘dew of the sea’. It is believed that this is because of its ability to survive on the humidity carried on the sea breeze. However, mythology provides us with a more interesting interpretation: rosemary was said to be draped around Aphrodite as she rose from the sea, being originally borne of Ouranos’s semen! Our expert Naturopath, Elaine Parry, takes us through her DETAILED ROSEMARY GUIDE, discussing the plant's many diverse uses from the italian food super spice too love potion!!		love potion number 9?

		The MC and staff of the Alfalfa House will be holding what we hope will become our annual Vision Day June 13th. During the day we will discuss what we hope to see in the CO-OP in the near future, and set some long term goals as well. If any member has something they would like to add, please stop in and fill out a "My Vision For Alfalfa" sheet at the front till. Our co-op coordinator will be speaking at THE BOWER on June 14th about sustainability as it relates to the Alfalfa House, packaging, food sources, organics, and all things Alfalfa. It should be an excellent evening full of good conversation.	Share your vision!

STUDENTS OF SUSTAINABILITY is the recipient of this month's community food grant from Alfalfa House. Need a food grant FOOD GRANT?