by Anya Firszt, General Manager
Hello Dear Owners & Hello September
In 2022, the autumnal equinox—also called the September equinox or fall equinox—arrives on Thursday, September 22. Fall begins in the Northern Hemisphere on this day. And, to quote one of my favorite characters, Winnie the Pooh, "It's the first day of autumn! A time of hot chocolatey mornings, and toasty marshmallow evenings, and, best of all, leaping into leaves!"
On the near horizon we can enjoy the local, organic harvest, cooler nights, at least two more neighborhood festivals, the Northside Festival and Willy Street Fair, and, for some, school is back in full swing for students and teachers alike. Ah, fall.
Operational Updates
You may have noticed that change is afoot at Willy East and we are in the throes of removing the Juice & Coffee Bar. In its place we will be installing shelving to offer additional packaged grocery products and improved traffic flow through the store. We anticipate the project to be completed in October just in time for the holidays.
We are in the final planning stages for a couple projects at Willy North—to replace the two bathrooms with three gender-neutral bathrooms, and to enlarge the staff break room. This work will likely take place at the beginning of the new calendar year, starting in January and ending in March.
Eat Local Month 2022
We are champions of local food year-round, but we created Eat Local Month in September to give it an extra boost. That's when we see the largest amount of local fruit and vegetables in our stores—sometimes as many as 100 local products! We'll be sharing stories from our local farmers and vendors, free product samples, giveaways, and extra sales on local foods. Check out the ad on page 12 for more information.
Owner Drive
Many of you may have heard about, and participated in, our Equity Drive that happened this August, where Owners could make a payment on their remaining equity balance. Thank you to all who participated and kept investing into the Co-op; it was very much appreciated!
This month, we are conducting an Ownership Drive during the entire Eat Local month. Many non-owners may be coming through our doors to see what the Co-op is all about due to high-value local vendor sales and incentives. We want to show them what the Co-op has to offer with our quality products, local partnerships, and excellent, personalized service that you, as Owners, have come to know and love (32,800 plus Co-op Owners and going strong!) compared to their previous grocery shopping experiences. For all newly signed up Owners this month, their administration fee will be waived if they pay their total equity in full; an exciting perk! I wanted to let you know of this drive so that if you have friends, family, and/or co-workers that you feel would be interested in committing to ownership, this would be a particularly beneficial month to do so. As always, when you refer someone to become an Owner, you will receive a $25 Co-op gift card to be picked up at our Customer Service desk as a thank you. This is an unlimited perk of being an Owner; so let's spread the Ownership love this month!
Northside Festival
Owners, if you plan to attend the Northside Festival at Warner Park on Saturday, September 17, stop by Willy North to get a Festival Perks Pass (if you haven't already gotten one for another festival)! The Pass will give you half-price food and beverages 2:00pm-5:00pm during the Northside Festival, plus we'll give out gift bags to the first 330 Owners who show up with a Pass. Learn more about the Passes and the Northside Festival at www.willystreet.coop/owner-festival-perks.
Annual Meeting
This year’s Annual Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 11 at the Performing Arts Center in Middleton. We plan to share highlights of last fiscal year and financial results, as well as introduce Board candidates, and draw prizes for those in attendance. You can attend in person or virtually by registering in advance (details to follow).
Board Elections
Next month, you have an opportunity (and responsibility) to cast your ballot for the Board of Directors elections. There are four open seats (three: three-year terms and one: two-year term) that need to be filled. Look for candidate statements, voting instructions for paper as well as online instructions in the October Reader. Voting runs October 1–26, with the election results announced at the Special Owner Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, October 26.
Reminder: in order to cast your ballot online, we need your current email address, which you can update at the Customer Service desk or send an email to the Owner Records Administrator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Mark Your Calendar
• Labor Day, September 5: stores are closing at 7:00pm
• Annual Meeting: Tuesday, October 11