Meet your board member: Aristide Tessitore
By: Gigi Godwin, Board President
Greetings Co-op Owners! I am enthused and excited for you to meet the Co-op’s newest Board member: Aristide “Ari” Tessitore. I asked Ari some “get-to-know-you” questions, and here’s what he had to share with everyone.
What was your first memory of Willy Street Co-op?
My first memory of the Co-op was many years ago on an early summer day. I wanted to cook a big dinner for my friends, and decided to cook them a very classic Ari dinner—lots of fresh veggies, a simple chopped salad, and some teriyaki marinated grilled chicken. I was starting to make all of my sauces and marinades from scratch at that time, and I needed more specialty items to accomplish this. So the usual stores my college student self would typically shop at didn’t have them.
I then decided to go to the Co-op for the first time, and from that day on, the chef in me was in heaven. The gorgeous produce and friendly staff alone got me hooked.
What do you rely on Willy Street Co-op for?
I have come to rely on the Co-op for helping me source local meat and also local produce during the parts of the season when I can’t grow them myself, and also to fill my pantry with high-quality local grain and flour. This is something that I believe is so important for the Madison community to have access to—both for customers and producers.
What are your top three favorite Willy Street Co-op foods?
- Tipi Produce carrots
- Vitruvian Farms mushrooms (Oyster, Lion’s Mane, Shiitake, etc.)
- Hook’s blue cheese
Do you have any favorite food traditions?
As a chef who was born into a family where food was everything, we have many food traditions. But I would say the one thing that is constant across all of them is cooking with my Mom. To this day she is still one of the most talented chefs I know, and one of the few people I truly love cooking with in the kitchen. She’s the one who taught me how to cook, and to love sharing our food with others. What a gift that has been.
What are you most excited about by being a new Board member?
I’m excited to really understand how our Co-op works on a higher level, and to also see how it continues to improve its future, as I truly believe it is a vital piece of our greater Madison community.
Besides being a Willy Street Co-op Board member, what else do you like to do with your time?
I am a farmer and a chef, so it’s easy to say that food is my life. But outside of this, I love woodworking, slacklining, climbing rocks and trees, sailing, playing music, and spending time with my friends (yes, food is usually involved).
What do you see as the biggest opportunities and challenges the Co-op will face over the next few years?
I believe we are at a very interesting turning point in our country. No matter your political leanings, or religious views, I do think we all, deep down, want what is best for our community. High-quality food and sustaining our land is at the center of this belief. If the Co-op can continue to do the work it has been doing for so long, and also keep reflecting inward on how it can adapt to support our customers and producers through these turbulent times, then I believe we can cement ourselves as the pillar of the community I see us as. This is no simple feat as so much is changing, but I do believe we have the tools and the people needed to achieve this.
