WSM's Recycling Program: The Beet, Weaver Street's E-Newsletter

Link to Weaver Street Market's Home Page

WSM's Recycling Program
by Sally Robertson, WSM Recycling Coordinator
In 1997, Orange County established a goal of reducing its waste by 61%. To date, Orange County has reduced its waste by 45%. Weaver Street Market is trying to do our part. How are we emptying out the trash dumpster? Let us count the ways...The plastic and glass bottles, metal cans, and newspapers that you put in our recycling containers are sorted by Weaver Street Market staff; collected by Orange County, then processed, baled or crushed and sold to various companies that recycle them into new products. A rough estimate indicates this diverts about 30 tons per year from the waste stream. A private recycling company collects our office paper, plastic bags, and corrugated cardboard. Every year we recycle about 6 tons of office paper, 2.5 tons of plastic bags, and 98 tons of corrugated cardboard. More

Animal Awareness Day
Community Non-Profit Day
Bread Bakery Open House

CHICLE Talk
Really Free Market
Blood Drive at SV
Classifieds Due

Sustainable Farming Classes

Lunch at Panzanella!

Weekly Produce Specials
Weekly Meat Specials

Vegan Blueberry Muffins Recipe
Irish Soda Bread Returns!




WSM's Recycling continued
We take our used fluorescent light bulbs to Orange County's Hazardous Waste Collection Center. Our used packaging material (Styrofoam, bubble wrap, etc.) goes to a local company that reuses it. Last year, we began donating certain "trash" items to The Scrap Exchange, in Durham, which collects unwanted materials for use in art projects. We fill two bins a month with wooden cheese boxes, produce crates, corks, and assorted other treasures. Composting: Grow Plants, Not Landfills! We feel particularly proud about our food waste diversion. In a program funded by Orange County, Brooks Contractors collects our food waste and turns it into compost at a facility in Goldston, NC. The compost is then sold to farmers and gardeners; it can be purchased at the Orange County Landfill for $25 per cubic yard or at Southern States in Carrboro for $30 per cubic yard. Between July 2005 and June 2006, Brooks composted over 226 tons of our food waste. Along with the food waste, we compost non-recyclable paper, like coffee cups and waxed cardboard, and even some of our "plastic" takeout containers, which are actually made of polylactide (PLA), a carbohydrate-based polymer made from corn and/or beets. Although some of our takeout containers are still petroleum-based plastic, most of what we now use is made of PLA. The advantage of PLA over plastic is that it's biodegradable, and even compostable under the right conditions. Unfortunately, the typical home compost pile does not get hot enough to decompose PLA. So you have to throw it in the trash, right? Not anymore! Beginning Thursday, March 1 there will be a bin at the Carrboro store where you can deposit clean PLA containers. At the Southern Village store simply deposit your PLA in the dish bus tub in the café area. We will send them to Brooks and they will soon be decomposing happily in a pile of compost. (Please make sure you put only PLA in the bin, and not petroleum-based plastic, which won't decompose and will make us very unpopular with Brooks.) If you're unsure of what is PLA and what is not, look for the faint "Nature's Plastic" imprint on the PLA containers. Other Ways You Can Help In addition to returning your PLA containers for composting, here are some other things you can do that can make a world of difference to our world: - Reuse is even better than recycling. You can reuse plastic and paper grocery bags, plastic produce bags, and bulk coffee bean bags. You can bring plastic containers from home for products you buy from the bulk aisle (just ask a cashier to weigh your container before you fill it). You can buy Weaver Street Market canvas bags (just $3.99 each) and never use paper or plastic again! - When you're eating in the café or on the lawn, use real plates, mugs, glasses, and utensils unless you really need disposables. - Put your newspaper bags and dry cleaner plastic into the plastic bag recycling bin at Weaver Street Market locations (no heavier plastics, please). - Return your clean egg cartons to the Customer Service Desk; they are collected and reused by the farmers who deliver our eggs. - If you buy Preserve toothbrushes or razors, look for the postage-paid mailers behind the items (you can return the products to the manufacturer and they'll be turned into park benches). We know that many of you are even more dedicated recyclers than we are. If you have ideas, we're eager to hear them and publicize them. We also need a few volunteers to help with our recycling efforts. If you'd like to volunteer or have ideas to share, just email: recycle@weaverstreetmarket.coop

Weekly Produce Specials


	Organic Broccoli	$1.59 lb	super low price
	Local, Organic Sweet Potatoes	99¢ lb	from Pine Knot Farm
	Lady Moon Organic Slicer Tomatoes	$1.99 lb	save $1.00 lb

Weekly Meat & Seafood Specials

	All Natural Stew Beef	$3.99 lb	save $1.00 lb
	Applegate All Natural Sunday Bacon	2pks/$6.00	save $1.98 on 2 pks
	Troller Point Wild Alaskan Salmon Fillet	$10.99 lb	save $2.00 lb
Read more about other Weaver Street Market Specials.


Vegan Blueberry Muffin Recipe

3 tsp ENER-G egg replacer 4 Tbsp of water (Mix well and let it sit) 1 cup of Coconut Milk (the more fat, the better) 1/2 cup of Vegetable Oil 3 cups of Flour 1 cup of Sugar 4 tsp of baking powder 2 cups of fresh or thawed blueberries (not frozen) 1 tsp of salt Heat oven to 400°. Mix ENER-G egg replacer with water and set aside. Shortly add Coconut Milk and Oil to it. In other bowl sift the rest (dry), of the ingredients. Mix until flour is moistened, and then combine everything together. Blend in blueberries. Fill greased muffin tins. Good to go. Bake 20-25 minutes. Mmmm...Mmmm...Mmmm...
View other Weaver Street Market recipes here.

Irish Soda Bread Returns

Available March 1 - 17 March is here—and along with it comes the annual run of Irish Soda Bread from our bakery in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Soda bread is a relatively new bread that has its origins in the early 1800s when baking soda was first introduced as a leavening agent in Ireland. It was originally made with the most basic of ingredients of flour, soda, salt, and soured milk. Before baking, it was cut with a cross pattern to chase away the devil and then eaten as an accompaniment to trout, rabbit, or other game many in Ireland eked out a living on for so long. Over time this simple bread morphed into the fruited dessert bread many bakeries sell today. In Weaver Street Market's hand-shaped loaves you'll find three kinds of dried fruit and even a touch of sugar. And finally, a modest serving suggestion with a nod to the point that original soda bread was a savory staple as opposed to a sweet treat: Pick up some Irish Dubliner cheese with your loaf. Toast a slice of the bread and butter lightly before topping with a generous slice of said cheese.



Animal Adoption and Awareness Day

Weaver Street Market in Carrboro Sunday, March 11, 2:00-5:00 This year we will be hosting five Animal Adoption and Awareness Days. The first event will be on Sunday, March 11, from 2:00-5:00 These events are weather permitting and you can bring the animals that are available for adoption. If you would like for your organization to be involved please contact Kris Brannan at kris.b@weaverstreetmarket.coop.
Read about other Weaver Street Market events here.

Community Non-Profit Day

Sunday, March 4, 10 am - 2 pm on the lawn in Carrboro Stop by the Weaver Street Market Carrboro lawn this Sunday for our first Community Non-Profit Day! Local, non-profit groups will have informational tables where you can find out about the good works of our local charitable groups. Come prepared to learn, to donate, and maybe find a group you'd like to volunteer with!

Bread Bakery Open House

Sunday March 18, 6 pm - 8 pm It's time for Spring training! With cardio dough kneading! It's free! All materials provided. Snacks...open oven... dough for children to play with...stop by anytime! Workout begins at 6:30

CHICLE Talk

No hay país sin maiz - There is no Mexico without Corn
by John Ross and Co-sponsored by
The Institute for Latin American Studies-UNC

Sunday, March 4, 2007, 5:00 pm
Free and open to the public
At CHICLE. 101 E Weaver St. 3rd floor over the Market, Carrboro

This talk will zero in on the threat to Mexico's corn farmers posed by globalization, vast imports of genetically modified corn, and the resistance of indigenous peoples to this invasion from the north. Corn encapsulates the Mexican identity much as olives do in Palestine, date palms in Iraq, and coca in Peru and Bolivia, all identity crops touched upon in the talk.

Based in Mexico City for the last two decades, John Ross's reporting has appeared in the San Francisco Bay Guardian, The Nation, Texas Observer, and Counterpunch, to name a few. He is the winner of an Upton Sinclair Award and an American Book Award. His books include Rebellion from the Roots, The Annexation of Mexico, and the novel Tonatiuh's People.

Please call CHICLE at (919) 933-0398 if you want more information.

Really Free Market

The Really Really Free Market

Would you like to share things/services with others? Please stop by on the first Saturday of the month from 1:30 - 4:30 pm at the Carrboro Town Commons. Everyone is welcome at this free event, where all are encouraged to give, receive, and create on their own terms. This free and open market is a celebration of the cooperation and gift-giving that make life possible beyond the constraints of capitalist markets.

You may arrive between 1:00 and 5:00 pm with goods, services, skills, performances, stories, crafts, food, games, music, clothing, furniture, plants, and resources to give and share with others in the community. There is no buying, selling or exchanging involved—in this market, everything is strictly free. Better than a yard sale, the Really Really Free Market has no price tag!

For more information please contact The Coalition for a Really Really Free Market Email: vdaro@email.unc.edu or depowell@email.unc.edu.

Blood Drive at SV

Christ Church in Southern Village
Monday, March 5th
2:00-6:00 pm

March is National Red Cross Month!

Show your support by giving blood at the Christ Church on Monday, March 5th.

Classifieds Due

Sunday, March 4, 9:00 pm at our Carrboro Store
Classified ads for our April print newsletter dated: March 29-May 2 are due at our Carrboro Store by 9:00 pm on Sunday March 4. The cost is $10/month for owners and $15/month for non-owners. Please limit your ad to 50 words or fewer. Weaver Street Market reserves the right to edit ads for length.



Sustainable Farming Classes

Spring Classes at Central Carolina Community College in the Sustainable Farming Program! Sign up now for: Organic Farming - a six week intensive course for individuals considering starting a commericial organic vegetable farm. Students will learn the components of a farm business plan, farm design and infrastructure, evalating and amending soils, boilogoical pest, disease, and weed management, record keeping, organic cerification, harvesting and marketing. Tuesdays, 3/20/07 to 4/24/07, 6 to 9 pm by Tony Kleese, $56.25 Diesel Technology - 3/6/07 to 4/10/07, 6 to 9 pm by Johnny Frye, $56.25 Free Workshop on Biodiesel Production! North Carolina Solar Center, Alternative Fuels Garage, Raleigh, NC Wednesday, March 7th 10:00 am - 4:00 pm As part of a grant through the National Center for Appropriate Technology and the USDA Risk Management Agency, Piedmont Biofuels has been contracted to provide a free workshop on biodiesel production and fuel quality to farmers and agricultural professionals in the eastern region of the United States. The purpose of this workshop is to address energy risk by providing accurate information to agricultural professionals on biodiesel fuel production and how to maintain proper fuel quality for use in farm trucks and tractors. This workshop will include both a lecture portion with questions and answers and a hands-on demonstration of fuel quality methods and biodiesel production upon a trailer-mounted mobile biodiesel reactor. Attendees typically leave with a basic understanding of how biodiesel is produced, how to ensure fuel quality, and where they should go for further information. This workshop is free of charge to farmers and/agricultural professionals. A boxed lunch will also be provided. To register for this workshop please email rachel@biofuels.coop or call 919-321-8260. This workshop is limited to 25 participants.
Additional Information on the workshop available here.


New Lunch Menu

We've freshened up our lunch menu with new salads, sides, and panini offerings! New! Weaver Street Market House Salad - Baby lettuces, Champagne Vinaigrette with "Carolina Half Moon" Cheese, and Pine Nuts Orange County Chopped Salad - Romaine, Caesar Dressing, Ceci, Bacon, Caponata, and Goat Cheese Portobello Panini- with Zucchini, Basil Aioli, and Provolone on Focaccia Italian PLT Panini - Pancetta, Romaine, Tomato, Garlic Parmesan Aioli, on Sourdough Bread Pulled Chicken Pesto Panini - Basil Aioli, Fresh Mozzarella, on Focaccia Hot Garlic Fries and Crisp Eggplant Fries! Need lunch on the run? Why not call ahead for Take Out Pizza! Hot and fresh, choose from: Pizza Margherita: Roasted Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella, Torn Basil with Prosciutto Panzanella Sausage: Carmelized Onion, Fontina, Oregano Peperonata: Sweet Sopressata, Peppers, Onions, Fontina Eggplant: Caponata, Celebrity Dairy Goat Cheese, Mint
Visit Panzanella's website to view all menus (lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch).
Sign up for Panzanella's Enewsletter here.