New Beginnings

by Jim Nelson, General Manager

The New Year brings a fresh start for me as the rookie GM at the co-op. I was hired by the Board in late October and Margot Conrad has cheerfully tossed me the hat and is showing me the ropes.

Some of you have been asking about my background. I was born and raised in Lincoln. I have two children, one girl and one boy. Barbara, my wife, and I have eight grandchildren, all living here in Lincoln. After leaving Lincoln in the 80s, we returned in early 2007. Almost all of my forty-plus years in the work force has been devoted to retail and in some segment of the food business. Probably the most interesting part of this history is the seven years we owned a business on the island of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands.

Each day I find myself continuing to be impressed with the co-op and the staff. It is wonderful to be part of a tradition that holds to its values and is focused toward the future. I have met many of you in the past few weeks, but if we have not met, please look me up when you visit the store. If you do not find me on the floor, ask someone to page me.

Open Harvest continues to experience a moderate sales growth. Our backroom and storage space continue to provide challenges! We are working hard to work smart so we can provide you a positive shopping experience.

You will now find a daily sampling program at Open Harvest. You will be able to sample a produce, bakery, deli, cheese and a grocery item each time you visit the store. We hope you enjoy this experience as it allows you to discover some new healthy foods and menu ideas.

We also hope you have noticed some fresh cut floral items in the store. So far we are experimenting with roses and carnations. We will be selecting either Certified Organic or Veriflora products. Veriflora™ is America's first comprehensive social and environmental certification standard for the floral industry. Some of the standards are water resource management, ecosystem management and protection, management of wastes and hazardous materials, social responsibility, packaging materials and energy resource management. For more information you can go to www.Veriflora.com

I sincerely hope that 2008 brings peace to the world and we all find new opportunities in our careers and personal lives.