Awaken the Leader Within: My Journey as an HWFC Board Member
by Chris Johnson
“If you want to make everyone happy, don’t be a leader. Go sell ice cream.”
—Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple
Some view leadership as an art. Others see it as a science. I perceive it as both.
Leadership begins as a science, grounded in an understanding of its rules, laws, and principles. Once the basics are mastered, the next stage is the art of leadership. The art is where the nuances are explored and applied. This is where the leader “graduates” from applying the letter of the law to embracing the spirit of the law. At this stage, the leader examines the value, potential pitfalls, and benefits of the decisions he or she makes and the effects they have on other people. The leader begins to fully grasp the concept of “cause and effect.”
When elected to the Board of Directors in April 2023, I basically gave myself two motives:
1. Place the needs of the “asset” (Honest Weight) first in all decision-making efforts.
2. “Serve and Solve”: Keep the focus on serving the “asset” by addressing issues as they present themselves.
My biggest challenge was operating in a unique business model where I had to navigate the delicate balance of Honest Weight’s political and business aspects. Coming from a business and entrepreneurial background, I was accustomed to making decisions quickly due to the sense of urgency required in the publishing field. In this cooperative model, the Co-op’s democratic nature can slow the pace of action. The benefit, however, is that more voices are heard, acknowledged, and appreciated.
Perhaps “balance” is not the most accurate word. It is more a matter of finding harmony between the governance and business aspects of operating a cooperative. The challenges of this juggling act reminds me that everything discussed and implemented has an effect on human beings—whether staff, management, or committee members.
For anyone seeking a position on the Board, I would ask the candidate to be clear on his or her reasons for wanting to serve. My caution to candidates is this: If your intentions are anything but selfless, those intentions will be exposed in a critical moment. Serving in any leadership capacity requires a level of selflessness that transcends personal agendas. That is why I ensure that everything I do centers on serving the “asset” and supporting its growth and development.
Benefits I’ve gained over the last 3 years:
1. Improved communication skills. This encompasses a broad range of competencies where communication is critical. Board members must be able to effectively communicate ideas (oral and written) to fellow board members, committee members, management, and other governing bodies. Communication also requires the ability to listen attentively to others’ ideas and perspectives.
2. Appreciation of various backgrounds (personal and professional). Everyone brings a unique perspective and value to the Board. Some approach discussions from a business perspective, while others bring a more co-op-oriented paradigm. Regardless of background, I operate from the assumption that each Board member contributes meaningful value. The challenge lies in incorporating that value into the collective body and aligning it with Honest Weight’s mission, vision, and purpose (MVP).
3. Macro level thinking: Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth Revisited, explains the difference between working “in” a business and working “on” a business. As a Board member, my thinking had to expand and think on a macro level. I needed to view Honest Weight in its entirety and understand the interconnectedness of the various “parts” contributing to the entire organization’s success.
Leadership requires a selflessness that transcends personal agendas.
I will say this: The person you are at the beginning of your term will not be the person you are at the end. You will experience growth on a personal as well as a professional level. Your investment in Board service will determine the extent of that growth in your leadership capacity.
Being a Board Member is not about you, but something much greater than you.
Board Member Chris Johnson serves as liaison to the Elections & Nominations Committee (ENC) and Strategic & Long Range Planning Committee (SLRP).
2 Honest Slate April 2026
Get to Know an MO: Meet Kurt Larson
Dictionaries define; they don’t imply. Take the word “arranging,” for example. Putting things in order isn’t simply organizing scattered objects; there’s an implicit value in doing so. In other words, a human side. There’s a problem solver—an arranger—behind the arranging. Case in point, the life experiences of Member-Owner Kurt Larson.
As a baby boomer, Kurt came of age in a whirlwind decade that included assassinations of three idealistic heroes, the Vietnam War, Kent State massacre, Watergate scandal, and more. Like many other young people then, after his 1973 graduation from Alfred University with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies, Kurt needed clarity to learn what he wanted from life and how to find it.
In his first post-college years, Kurt did a variety of odd jobs. He smiles, recounting a clever quip his father used when well-meaning people would ask, “So…what’s Kurt up to?”
“Oh…he does arrangements for the Albany Symphony.”
This would lead to admiring responses such as, “Oooh! I didn’t know Kurt was musically gifted! Arranging for the Albany Symphony? That’s amazing!”
His father would then explain that, well, actually…Kurt was arranging chairs, music stands, and other stage equipment for orchestral performances.
Tongue in cheek? Yes. But as Kurt’s story and the trajectory of his decision-making shows, that word “arranging” stands out as exactly right. Whether he knew it or not at the time, he was “making arrangements” for a meaningful and productive future for himself, others, and the environment.
At the time, though, Kurt was drifting. “I needed space to figure myself out,” he reflects. In 1975, he decided to join a friend on a pilgrimage of sorts by hiking the Appalachian Trail. He describes those months as “the best experience I could have had at the time—it was seminal.” The hike taught Kurt, among other things, that he loved the outdoors and cared about protecting the environment—a passionate commitment he has maintained ever since.
by Marilyn Paarlberg
Returning from his extended and formative hike, Kurt took the New York State Professional Careers exam to apply for a two-year traineeship in personnel administration. Restless after hearing nothing back, he bought a bargain ticket for a two-way, coastto-coast Greyhound bus trip.
By the time he reached California, he realized that although the trip had expanded his world, he couldn’t face the long bus ride back, so he sold his return ticket and set out to hitchhike home.
He stopped off in Colorado to help a friend build a house, crossed the border from Nogales, AZ into Guadalajara, took a train back to Colorado, bought a used VW bus, sold it after it broke down, and finally caught a plane to join his family in Westchester County for Christmas. Get the picture? Kurt Larson was on an odyssey of self-discovery.
His search came to fruition in 1978, when he heard back from NYS with an employment offer and accepted a position at the Department of Social Services in Personnel. “The work gave me the structure I had been looking for,” he remembers.
Kurt found that he enjoyed and was good at analyzing a problem and solving it—arranging tangible ways to improve working conditions for other state employees. “I like being able to make things better for people,” he says with an air of self-knowledge. His work for NYS took off; around that time, he settled in Altamont and didn’t look back.
Along the way, Kurt transferred from the Department of Social Services to the Department of Tax and Finance, where he implemented a management system that the state had recently adopted; again, arranging procedures for the betterment of all.
His success led to a 2005 promotion to the Office of General Services and responsibility for implementing “green cleaning” legislation and other environmental policies regarding lighting, electric usage, waste, composting, and other concerns that he valued and wanted to address. Once more, he applied his gifts and principles to improve New Yorkers’ environment and quality of life.
Did his efforts end when he retired in 2010? To the contrary. Among other arenas, they translated to his service to HWFC’s mission.
Kurt’s first co-op experience was with a fledgling start-up out of someone’s basement. Later, he shopped at HWFC’s Quail St. and subsequent Central Ave. locations. That’s when he learned about the opportunity to become an MO, signing up in 2000. He was attracted to the sense of community that Membership offers: not only the chance to work alongside people with similar values, but also to meet shoppers and extend welcome and help where needed.
Having invested time in departments including Bulk, Grocery, Plants, Front End, and currently Produce, he enjoys arranging things— not just groceries on shelves, but ways to help shoppers feel valued and welcome. He can be found answering questions, offering suggestions, or cracking a joke. “It’s nice to be able to support a place you believe in,” he observes. “I love it when there’s a connection.” Kurt is also a natural at getting the word out about HWFC. “I talk up the Co-op with anybody who will listen!”
How does Kurt arrange his personal life now? Outside HWFC, he continues what he loves, including spending time with his grandchildren, going to concerts, and physical and meditative movement such as hiking, Pilates, Zumba, yoga, and qigong. Valuing healthy and natural food products, he’s an avid gardener and longtime beekeeper. His participates in the Helderberg chapter of Indivisible, a national grassroots movement empowering local groups to defend democracy, take action on key issues, and organize collective pressure on elected officials. “I work for the things I want to ensure for my grandchildren,” he summarizes.
It’s clear that Kurt Larson’s father was right: he is, in fact, a gifted arranger—not in stage furnishings or musical notes, but in putting together experiences, questions, procedures, and values, organizing them in ways that have led to an integrated and meaningful whole for himself, his loved ones, and the community around him. Thank you, Kurt! We’re glad you’ve arranged your time and priorities to include HWFC. We’re better thanks to you.
April 2026 Honest Slate
Book Club Reflects on Budget Justice: On Building Grassroots Politics and Solidarities, by
by Irene Kim
Most of us are probably not very attuned to the details of our cities’ budgets, unless we’re policy wonks or economists, but Celina Su, a professor of political science and a public policy researcher at the City University of New York, argues that we should be. Su Zoomed into a meeting of the book club on March 19, sharing her insights, perspectives, and sunny disposition with about 15 attendees who had gathered to discuss her book Budget Justice: On Building Grassroots Politics and Solidarities.
Municipal budgets may seem like dry, overly technical documents, but Su describes them as moral documents that show the health and failings of our democracy. Public budgets influence people and their communities—and should be shaped by those people and communities. Engaging with others on public budgets is a conduit to exploring the merits of line items, uncovering the community’s true needs, and discovering ways to address those needs – and it’s a powerful way to address systemic injustices and give seldom-heard voices a better opportunity to be heard.
And when people get together with neighbors to talk about the problems they’re dealing with and the priorities they want to address, they are suddenly face to face with others who might be very different, but who also have a lot in common with them. The result, Su said, is that everyday people develop new modes of citizenship as neighbors who care for each other.
One important tool that people can use to affect the budgeting process is participatory budgeting (PB), which involves people getting together to decide how government funds should be used. PB usually happens at the municipal level—in New York City, at the City Council district level—but can also take place in school districts, counties, agencies, and other levels.
When people feel they are relevant and can make a difference, Su said, they show up, act, and engage with each other. She pointed out that vehicles like PB can empower peo-
ple who are disenfranchised in other ways —who aren’t eligible to vote, for instance, or who don’t speak English or have much money. PB has been a useful tool in many settings: Su mentioned that in Brazil, which has used PB at the city level since 1989, cities that used PB collected 30 percent more in taxes, developed more civil-society organizations, and lowered their infant-mortality rates.
It’s during meetings like this, Su added, that people sometimes adjust their perspectives when they see their neighbors’ urgent needs thrown into stunning relief. She gave an example of a middle-class Upper West Sider who attended a PB meeting in East Harlem, planning to advocate for funds for his child’s school. But when he found out that people with disabilities were living in public housing that lacked washers and dryers, he chose to drop his own proposal and support better conditions for the people in Harlem. Other examples: curb cuts in sidewalks were originally designed for people in wheelchairs, but people without disabilities realized that curb cuts could be useful for many other people, as well. Similarly, parents observed that playground equipment designed for children with disabilities worked just as well for their kids without disabilities.
Su also talked about the importance of fighting back against things we have grown to accept or take for granted, such as how governments often address budget issues with austerity measures. We are told, she explained, that our necessities are actually luxuries that we now have to do without.
At her institution, for instance, faculty who retire or leave are not replaced, while the budget shrinks. Class sections with low enrollment numbers are culled way before registration, although often the numbers are low because students haven’t yet registered because they are saving up money to pay their tuition.
She pointed out that the U.S.’s “winner-takeall” approach to contests has encouraged us to think that everything is a zero-sum, black-and-white battle to the death, rath-
Celina Su
er than arenas where we can meet others where they are, talk things over, and figure out what works for our own needs and communities.
Attendees commented on the irony of public budgets often being nearly impossible to read. Although the supposed intent is to make the information transparent, it ends up being extremely opaque.
Su pointed out that some municipalities, such as Los Angeles, use diagrams that make their documents easier to read, or present information in a way that would mean more to the average reader—for instance, what percentage of SNAP beneficiaries actually receive their benefits.
Even when budgets appear to be straightforward and easy to understand, their very simplicity could obscure the whole story—for example, giving one line item to a whole department wouldn’t give an accurate picture of what actually goes on in that department.
One attendee observed that sometimes official documents might just be too technical for most people to understand, and asked if people should be expected to educate themselves enough to read the documents.
The author suggested that perhaps the documents should be more accessible, written in plain language, with transparency in mind. Rather than forcing people to read highly technical documents, why not focus the discussion on priorities, and then let the technologists figure out the details?
She pointed out that trying to bring lay people up to the technologists’ level of knowledge would not empower the everyday folks, and would devalue the technologists’ time. Instead, she said, it was the role of facilitators, assisted by technical experts, to help people solve problems creatively.
The book club will next meet on May 21 to discuss The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna. See page 6 for more info.
Rethinking Protein: Why Grains Are Essential to a Complete Diet
by Asli Koksal
Grains are not just fillers on the plate; when paired thoughtfully, they make plant-based nutrition complete.
For decades, nutrition advice has emphasized protein: how much we need, where to find it, and whether plant-based diets can provide enough. Less frequently discussed is how foods work together. The concept of “complementary protein” helps explain why grains, long dismissed as mere carbohydrates, play a far more significant role in human nutrition than commonly assumed.
Complementary proteins are food combinations providing sufficient amounts of all nine essential amino acids, which the body cannot produce on its own. While earlier guidance emphasized combining them within a single meal, newer research shows that eating a variety of plant proteins across the day is sufficient. Still, traditional pairings, such as rice and beans, or lentils and bread, reflect a long-standing nutritional logic: grains are typically lower in lysine but higher in methionine, while legumes provide the inverse balance.
Grains Complete the Protein Picture
Grains contribute more to daily protein intake than many people realize. Most provide roughly 4–10 grams per cup when cooked—a meaningful amount, particularly when grains form a meal’s base. Beyond
protein, whole grains bring fiber, B vitamins, and essential minerals such as magnesium, iron, and zinc, making them genuinely nutrient-dense rather than just filling.
It is worth noting that some of the most protein-rich options in this category—quinoa, amaranth, and buckwheat—are technically pseudocereals: seeds that behave like grains both in the kitchen and nutritionally. Their inclusion here reflects how they function in the diet, not how they are botanically classified.
GF Grains: Protein Without Compromise
As gluten-free diets have become more common—whether due to celiac disease, sensitivity, or lifestyle choice—grains have sometimes been replaced with refined starches that lack nutritional depth. Yet many naturally gluten-free grains offer both protein and micronutrients, allowing these diets to remain balanced and nutritionally robust.
The USDA defines gluten-free foods as containing fewer than 20 parts per million of gluten and recognizes naturally gluten-free grains such as rice, quinoa, millet, buckwheat, amaranth, teff, sorghum, and wild rice.
Importantly, many of these grains are nutritionally superior to refined wheat products. Several provide substantial protein, along with fiber, iron, calcium, and other minerals often lacking in processed gluten-free foods.
Teff and amaranth are particularly notable for their iron and calcium levels, making them valuable in plant-based and gluten-free diets alike. Quinoa, buckwheat, and amaranth are among several plant foods considered nutritionally complete proteins—meaning they supply all nine essential amino acids in meaningful amounts—though in practice most diets achieve this through variety rather than reliance on any single food.
Another important distinction: gluten-free does not automatically mean healthier. Highly processed gluten-free products often rely on refined flours that lack fiber and protein. By contrast, whole gluten-free grains retain their nutritional integrity and align more closely with traditional dietary patterns.
A Return to Balance
The lesson here is one of balance rather than restriction. Grains are often framed as foods to reduce intake of, yet when viewed through the lens of complementary protein they emerge as essential partners in a nutritionally complete diet.
Whether in a bowl of rice and beans, a quinoa and chickpea salad, or a millet-based dish paired with lentils, they show that the quality of what we eat depends not only on individual ingredients, but on how those ingredients work together.
Comparative table: 11 GF grains and grain-like seeds with protein content and broader nutritional profile (per 1 cup cooked)
Grain
Teff
Amaranth
Quinoa
Sorghum
Wild rice
Millet
Buckwheat
Oats (rolled/ steel cut)
Brown rice
White rice
Corn (sweet corn kernels)
Key Minerals
Iron, calcium, magnesium
Iron, calcium, magnesium
Magnesium, phosphorus, zinc
Iron, phosphorus
Zinc, phosphorus
Magnesium, phosphorus
Magnesium, copper
Iron, magnesium, phosphorus
Manganese, selenium
Small amounts of minerals
Magnesium, potassium
Key Vitamins
B vitamins
Folate
Folate
B vitamins
Folate
Niacin (B3)
B vitamins
B vitamins (esp. B1)
B vitamins
Enriched B vitamins
Vitamin A (in yellow corn)
Q & A Q & A SUGGESTION BOX
Suggestion Box answers are provided by our Honest Weight managers and departments.
Kudos Corner
Q: Donald in Grocery excels in customer service. Goes beyond what is expected!
A: Thank you!
Q: Sherylynn, cashier. Highly fast, intuitive, and efficient.
A: Thank you. We love her too.
Q: Cashier Barb is excellent!
A: We agree!
Q: Michelle Savage is a GEM! Bruce and Drew are GEMS!
A: We agree! Thank you.
Q: Recognition: James cleared the conference room so very well. Thank you! Well done. Appreciated.
A: Thank you for the compliment.
Q: I hear great things about the Black Sesame latte!
Q: Bea is a coffee genius!! Black Sesame latte is LIFE changing and delicious!!!!!
A: Thank you! Really appreciated.
Q: This place is AWESOME. Staff are incredible.
A: Glad to hear! Compliment appreciated.
Requests / Ideas
Q: PLEASE can you make some sandwiches and prepared foods without red onions?
A: Over half our sandwiches do not currently have onions on them. Many prepared foods do have onions (not red) to build layers of flavor in our housemade offerings. We plan to continue this to offer flavorful food to our guests.
Q: Please, please, please bring back the OG breakfast burritos that were large and had sweet potatoes in them! Thank you!
A: They are available in the case above rotisserie chicken.
Q: We need stronger paper bags. They easily rip. Please. Thank you.
A: We’re very sorry for that. Occasionally we get batches that are defective. We will keep an eye out for that in the future.
Q: Please [have] more regular (not vegan or GF) baked goods. Please make soups without vegetable oils. Some baked goods are far too expensive for the portion [size].
A: Thank you for your suggestions. We look to satisfy many dietary restrictions and choices. We balance choices on demand. Our house-made soups use organic olive or safflower oil. Soups served hot are purchased based on space at our facility.
Q: Wednesdays are extremely busy for seniors. Cannot find parking places...Is, or can there be, any considerations for seniors to shop on other days and get the senior discount? Seems like the billboard on I-90 will only make this more difficult! Please help. A: All we can suggest is to shop early. We do not have the flexibility in our budget to offer additional discount periods. Thank you for understanding.
Q: Please [add] security in the parking lot. Q: Security in the parking lot after dark— Member-Owner team!
A: 32 hours/wk. are allocated for security. We try to assign when most needed. If you are uncomfortable, ask for someone to accompany you.
Q: Hudson Valley Foie Gras is local. Could we carry that?
A: The process of creating foie gras does not align with our ethical standards.
A: We are aware of the issue. Our active practice is to raise awareness. Thank you for your concern—we do take it seriously.
Q: Can we return used but clean cardboard egg cartons to the Co-op for reuse by our farmers?
A: Yes! Farmers appreciate clean egg cartons. Return to the service desk.
Q: Printed or embroidered shirts, coats. Free advertising.
A: Great idea! We hope to get more shirts ordered soon.
Q: Too Good to Go participation: reduce food waste and give back to the community. ♥
A: This is on the Management Team’s agenda. [Stay tuned for more info on this program.]
Q: For the Grab ‘n Go it would be amazing to include nutritional info: easier for calorie conscious people to make a decision!
A: Labels would become too long, but you can ask about any of them at the deli counter.
Q: Could an HWFC “food truck” be a good thing for us and our community?
A: We don’t currently have the resources for this, but thank you for a great idea!
Q: Have a school print a new T-shirt (Then they can earn money for a good cause.)
A: Good idea. The school would need to reach out to marketing@honestweight.coop
Q: When you get swag for staff, please get extra in all sizes so Member-Owners can buy them!!! We’d like to be able to rep HWFC!!
A: Because of how sales taxes are applied to staff swag, we are not able to order extras to sell. We are, however, planning to buy more shirts to sell in the store.
Q: I see more and more single-use plastic here! I guess there’s no alternative these days!
Q: We miss the Izze products. They still exist elsewhere, please bring them back to our Co-op.
A: We found it with another distributor. Look for Izze soon!
Q: Move tempting bulk food higher. For the 2nd time, I saw a young child take berries, stick their fingers in their mouth, and then reach in for 2nd serving.
A: We are educating ourselves and doing our best to reduce where we can. Our triple bottom line includes “planet” and we are always looking for more ways to reduce.
Q: Why is our parking lot not covered with solar panels?
A: Even if we had the extra parking spaces it would generate a very tiny amount (5% or less) of what a grocery store uses. We partner with community solar as our only affordable option.
Honest Slate 6
B o a r d Decisions
At the April 7, 2026, HWFC Board of Directors meeting, the Board:
• Approved March 3, 2026 BOD Meeting minutes as presented.
• Affirm the decision made March 18, 2026 allowing HWFC to participate in capstone research by A. Bastias for degree program in Co-operatives and Credit Unions (MMCC) through the International Centre for Co-operative Management (ICCM) at Saint Mary’s University, within specified guidelines.
• Affirmed March 18, 2026, decision to ask Personnel Committee to revise Problem Resolution Policy and resubmit for Board approval.
• Approved Communication Committee’s revised 2025–26 work plan as presented, adding 15 hours for proofreading and editing committee/governance documents as requested.
• Appointed Hilary Yeager to the Finance Committee as of April 28, 2026.
• Recommended that FPM proposed changes be presented for Membership vote at April 26, 2026, RMM.
• Approved new Department Manager Frozen, Bread, and Dairy job description and revised Department Manager Grocery job description as presented.
• Approved Problem Resolution Policy as presented for inclusion in Employee Manual.
• Changed June 2026 RMM from June 28, 2026 to June 21, 2026 due to community events that could impact RMM attendance.
• Approved April 26, 2026 RMM Notice as presented.
Meeting adjourned at 9:34 pm.
April 2026
Book Club News
We had such a wonderful conversation with author Celina Su for March’s discussion of Budget Justice. She emailed afterward to say how inspired she was by our thoughtful attention to the topic.
Our next book is The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna.
“In The AI Con, Bender and Hanna deliver a hard-hitting, no-nonsense takedown of the so-called ‘artificial intelligence revolution.’ Far from the sci-fi fantasy of machines thinking for themselves, this book shows how tech giants are using AI as a cover for their real agenda: data exploitation, surveillance, and a race to replace human labor with soulless automation. With irreverence and razor-sharp analysis, Bender and Hanna dismantle the hype and arm readers with the tools to see through the corporate doublespeak.
HWFC Coffeehouse Open Mic
Mon., April 20 · 6:30–8:30pm
HWFC’s café fills with song, music, and readings every 3rd Monday! Open and free to the public. Join us for an evening featuring local performers and artists. Performer sign-in starts 6pm. All family-friendly performances welcome!
april 2O26
Editors & Contributors
Cara Benson
Stephanie Conde
Eva Glassman
Elisa Grimm
Lynn Huntington
Chris Johnson
Don Kennison
Irene Kim
Asli Koksal
Carol Ostrow
Karen Roth
Robin Schatz
Janet Sorell
honestslate@honestweight.coop Contact with questions, comments, ideas.
Submissions Policy
• Maximum article length is ~800 words.
• Material is published at the discretion of the Honest Slate team.
• Only signed work is accepted. Items are edited for length, grammar, & style.
• We may consider unsolicited material but encourage submitting ideas first.
• Letters to the Editor do not require preapproval.
This isn’t just about debunking myths— it’s about reclaiming control over the future that’s being sold to us.”
—Ruha Benjamin, author of Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want
The book will be available shortly at Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza for 20% off for Honest Weight Book Club readers (you do not have to be an HWFC member). Please note they moved to a new location in the Plaza (in the old EMS spot in the back corner). Member Services will have loaners available in a week or two.
Thursday, May 21 • 6–7:30 pm in the HWFC Community Room Join us! There will be snacks, conversation, and connection.
July’s book is Replenishing the Earth: Spiritual Values for Healing Ourselves and the World by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and founder of Kenya’s Green Belt Movement Wangari Maathai. —Cara Benson
White Affinity Group
3rd Thursdays • 6:30–7:45pm via Zoom
This group works on eliminating racism and white supremacy. Join us to share thoughts, feelings, successes, and mistakes in a warm, friendly, and nonjudgmental atmosphere.
Contact Tam for the Zoom link at Listeningpartnerships@gmail.com.
Statement of Purpose:
Honest Slate is a platform for HWFC Membership, Staff, Management, and Governance: promoting transparency, reporting news without bias, and sustaining community.
Honest Slate articles are for informational purposes and are not intended to diagnose or treat disease. Opinions expressed in Honest Slate do not necessarily represent the views or policies of Honest Slate or Honest Weight Food Co-op.
All contents ©2026 Honest Weight Food Coop; no material appearing in Honest Slate may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of HWFC.
COMMITTEE CORNER
Preliminary committee reports submitted to the Board of Directors (BOD) for its April 7, 2026, meeting. See Board Meeting packet for details. Approved reports are posted on HWFC’s website.
by Stephanie Conde
Anti-Racism Committee (ARC)
∙ Subcommittee striving to increase Blackowned business visibility at HWFC.
∙ Began crafting short addition for HWFC’s Mission Statement about anti-racism.
∙ Asked ARC members to reread Guidelines for Visiting Guests and consider orienting future members.
∙ Received go-ahead to sponsor evening with other committees showing videos and discussing racism.
∙ Plan to meet with committee to let each know what ARC does, invite participation.
∙ Received go-ahead, dates, and times for tabling.
Membership Committee (MC)
∙ Discussed Honest Arts Comm comments re Committee Fair. Brainstormed additional ways to recruit MOs rather than standard gathering in Community Room with committee tables.
∙ Will add Emergency Hours Bank language to MO Manual.
∙ Created Orientation Subcommittee to reevaluate in-person/remote orientations, materials, notes, and all slides; to discuss store tours (esp. for remote-oriented MOs).
∙ Discussed creating Post-Orientation Mentorship Program. List of MO Mentors for each department maintained by MC subcommittee as source for new MOs having trouble connecting for time investment. Create SOP, store/department tour, quarterly check-ins with mentors (ask about recurrent issues, will mentors continue?). Will consult Membership Program Administrative Assistant.
∙ HWFC 50th Anniversary: Storewide party including staff/MOs likely in July. Requests BOD to consider potluck 50th celebration/ hybrid remote/in-person October RMM, including request for decision by June BOD meeting to allow ample planning time.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee (DEIC)
∙ Discussed DEIC’s 2nd Community Cooking & Meal Share event slated for Mon., Apr. 20.
∙ Discussed training and education for DEIC members and HWFC community, and reimagining DEIC’s missions.
Nutrition & Education Committee (NEC)
∙ Discussed suggested changes to Food and Product Manual (FPM) from Feb. 26 and March 8 feedback sessions. No additional changes made.
∙ Info sessions on proposed FPM changes slated Apr. 15, 6–7pm and Apr. 19, 2–3pm.
∙ Request term “Banned List” be deleted from website.
∙ Request Cabot Cream Cheese be removed from sale as it contains Potassium Sorbate, an ingredient HWFC does not knowingly sell.
∙ Updating wording on fluoride and carrageenan, currently listed in FPM Section 7.
∙ Submitted all proposed FPM changes to BOD Administrator.
∙ Continuing promoting FPM with in-store tabling once or twice monthly.
∙ Request BOD approve proposed FPM changes.
Elections & Nominations Committee (ENC)
∙ Discussed BOD meeting updates. Could be helpful to bring back a BOD meeting moderator/facilitator who was helpful in keeping meeting flowing and cognizant of timekeeping. Will request after April BOD elections.
∙ Reviewed and planned April RMM tasks. Votes on updates to FPM and BOD Election. Confirmed dates and times for Meet the Candidates (Thurs., Apr. 23 7–8pm and Sun., Apr. 26 11:30am–12:30pm; hybrid meeting planned using OWL meeting system). Emphasized need for more effective recruitment tactics since 5 BOD seats need to be filled; will consult Marketing Manager. Identified committees to visit for garnering support to find/recruit candidates.
∙ Identified several promotional opportunities including BOD meeting announcements, email campaigns, in-store postings, website, other election promotional materials, Honest Slate, tabling opportunities.
∙ Request BOD provide solution update on technology causing problems sending emails to HWFC group email recipients.
Governance Review Council (GRC)
∙ Approved February GRC minutes.
∙ Report made on Mar. 3 BOD meeting.
∙ Discussed Jan. 2026 RMM, Strategic and Long-Range Planning (SLRP) meeting, ENC meeting, and FPM updates.
∙ Tabled discussion of progress on Conflict Resolution Policy/Problem Solving Guide until BOD finishes revisions.
∙ Discussed BOD guidance for project to compile HWFC documents in one place, per SLRP.
Bylaws Panel (BLP)
∙ Discussed happenings at HWFC. Currently no active referrals for Bylaws changes.
∙ Reminded BOD to appoint MO to BLP.
Communications Committee (CC)
∙ Reviewed April’s Honest Slate and planned May’s issue.
∙ Slate’s Q&A column has returned (page 5)!
∙ Editorial subcommittee edited and formatted one-page brochure for MC to distribute to new Members.
∙ In response to BOD’s request for info on “cushion of hours” to accommodate additional committees’ editing needs through end of current work plan year; requested 15 additional hours. Submitted amended work plan to BOD.
∙ April copy for Honest Slate is due Apr. 23 to print May 8.
Personnel Committee (PC)
∙ Problem Resolution Policy Review & Guidance. Reviewed BOD questions, discussion, and group editing. Unanimous vote to return policy to BOD with edits and for review; request BOD review and approve updates to Problem Resolution Policy.
∙ Discussed PC committee structure.
∙ Discussed Employee Manual—general updates, grammar, clarity, bereavement, payroll policies, staff representatives, probation, conduct, performance reviews.
∙ Discussed Values and Code of Conduct.
∙ Discussed Retail Workplace Safety Policy. Awaiting operational particulars.
memBer-owner
Grocery
Seeking Member-Owners for:
• Refrigerator & freezer stocking shifts on Wednesday afternoons 1–4pm.
• Bread stocking shifts on Friday late mornings.
• Dry goods stocking shifts on Monday late mornings.
Seeking folks who don’t mind being cold, pay attention to detail, and like to make things look neat. Fixed weekly commitments would be most ideal! Contact both georgia.sullivan@honestweight.coop & tom@honestweight.coop
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Empire State Plaza (Food Court)
Seeking Member-Owners with customer service experience for fixed weekly commitments at the Empire State Plaza Cafe. Current vacancies: Monday, Thursday, Friday (10am–1pm OR 11am–2pm).
This consistency helps us make the best use of our limited workspace and maintain smooth operations.
Email: JesseFrayne@honestweight.coop
HWFC Regular Membership Meeting
Sunday, April 26, 2026 (to be conducted remotely) 4–6pm Check-in • 6– 8:30pm Membership Meeting
Council (GRC) Update: Presentation ............. 5
Strategic & Long-Range Planning Comm. Update: Presentation .... 5 Anti-Racism Committee Update: Presentation 5 Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee Update: Presentation ..... 5 Nutrition & Education Committee Food & Product Manual
Proposed Changes: Presentation, Q&A, and Vote 30 Food & Product Manual Pre-Meeting Zoom Info Sessions • Wed., April 15, 6–7pm • Sun., April 19, 2–3pm
Meet the Candidate Sessions Hybrid/Zoom & Community Room • Thurs., April 23, 7–8pm • Sun., April 26, 11:30am–12:30pm
Election for five (5) seats on the Board of Directors:
Presentation, Candidate Statements, Q&A, and Vote 45 Open Discussion 15
Use this online meeting link for RMM and all info sessions: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81073676905
Phone Login information: Meeting ID: 810 7367 6905
Phone number: 1 (929) 205 6099 OR Toll-free: 1 (833) 548 0282
Food Services
Seeking Member-Owners with customer service experience for fixed weekly commitments in the Food Services sampling program. Email: Danh@honestweight.coop
Meat Department
Seeking Member-Owners to provide customer service and wrap meat & fish. Experience preferred! There is a major need for weekly evening shifts, 4–7pm OR 5–8pm! We have openings for every day of the week. Email: DylanGuerrette@honestweight.coop
Community Cooking & Meal Share
with the DEI Committee
HWFC’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Committee invites you to join us for our second Community Cooking and Meal Share.
Let’s celebrate the arrival of spring together with a hearty and delicious pasta salad! Help is welcome (but not required) to prepare food starting at 11am. We will open up the space for guests to enjoy a meal at 1pm.
We hope to use this opportunity to hear your feelings, experiences, and thoughts on diversity, inclusion, and equity at the Coop. Afterward, we will stock the Free Food Fridge in the HWFC parking lot.
Monday, April 20, 2026
HWFC Teaching Kitchen
• Sign up via Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/community-cooking-meal-share-with-hwfc-dei-committee-tickets-1985609645902?aff=oddtdtcreator
Choose your ticket based on how you’d like to participate:
∙ Cooking (11am)
∙ Meal (1–2pm)
∙ Cleanup (2–3pm)
• Share your thoughts or get involved: DEIComm@honestweight.coop.