From info at fareshares.org.uk Thu Dec 3 08:20:11 2020 From: info at fareshares.org.uk (Info at Fareshares) Date: Thu, 3 Dec 2020 08:20:11 +0000 Subject: [Fareshares_newsletter] Fareshares newsletter December 2020 Message-ID: <8a168897-127c-e6a6-f04f-7c9d40763b19@fareshares.org.uk> *News from Fareshares food co-op, December 2020* Early winter greetings from Fareshares! *Contents:* - Thanks for sticking with us - Finance - Luxuries from Palestine - Fresh veg this week - 7p a day to protect your health? ** Thanks for sticking with us ** Fareshares has been open again for face-to-face shopping for three months now, albeit still serving at the door rather than self-service. We will probably continue with door service for a while yet, out of an abundance of caution, but we look forward to opening in the old-fashioned way in due course. It has been great to see regulars coming back, and to be giving people back the reassurance that we will be open at our advertised times. Serving at the door has also, interestingly, meant that more of those who normally walk by without coming into the shop are stopping and asking what it's all about. ** Finance ** We had a rough couple of months recently when our arrangements for paying cash into the bank were interrupted, so we were running out of funds to pay suppliers with. This, coupled with the losses and expenses of four months' closure, meant we had to cut back on orders and depend on a substantial loan from a member of the collective. Now we have worked out a new arrangement for paying in cash, we are building up our stocks again. The 56 Collective was fortunately awarded a small business coronavirus grant, so Fareshares is able to suspend its contributions to the rent account temporarily to allow our finances to recover. Now we are over the worst, we feel once again able to make regular orders of bread, fresh fruit and veg, and even chilled goods (we've just received our first order from Suma for many months). Thank you to those who are able to add a donation to cover our overheads when you shop. It's needed, and always appreciated. ** Luxuries from Palestine ** Now in stock, we have our traditional winter delights from occupied Palestine, via the wonderful Zaytoun. They make great presents ... especially to yourself! Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Organic & Fairtrade Certified - 250ml & 750ml Zesty za'atar - a traditional Palestinian herb mix - 80g jar Medjoul Dates - Jericho's Finest - 250g and 500g boxes Freekeh - smoky green wheat - 200g box Organic Maftoul - Palestinian Giant Couscous - 200g box ** Veg this week ** The following fresh veg is on sale from today, Thursday 3rd December: - Cauliflower - Kale, cavolo nero - Red onions - Desiree potatoes - Apples (various) - Dirty carrots - Red cabbage - Swede - Brown mushrooms Come and get it! ** 7p a day to protect your health? ** You're generally onto a winner health-wise if you eat a wholefood plant-based diet, but you risk serious health consequences if you don't take special steps to make sure you get enough vitamin B12 which, with very few exceptions, is not present in plant foods. Likewise it is difficult to get enough iodine from a strict plant-based diet. And everyone, irrespective of diet, should be supplementing with vitamin D between October and March in these latitudes. VEG1 is the nutritional supplement developed by The Vegan Society. It provides an affordable, reliable source of vitamin B12, B2, B6, D3, Folic Acid, Iodine and Selenium, covering all your bases -- https://www.vegansociety.com/news/blog/why-i-take-veg-1 We are looking at stocking VEG1 tablets. We would sell these at the same price as they're advertised by the Vegan Society, but buying from us would save you the shipping cost (?3.07). They come pots of 90 for ?6.60 and 180 for ?12.70. We're looking at a minimum outlay of about ?200 to start stocking VEG1. So the question is, if we stock them, will you buy them from us? Please drop us a quick line back to info at fareshares.org.uk if you will, so we can gauge demand. Thanks! Happy hols, Fareshares ?? __???????????????????? _ ? / _| __ _ _ __ ___? ___| |__?? __ _ _ __ ___? ___ | |_ / _` | '__/ _ \/ __| '_ \ / _` | '__/ _ \/ __| |? _| (_| | | |? __/\__ \ | | | (_| | | |? __/\__ \ |_|? \__,_|_|? \___||___/_| |_|\__,_|_|? \___||___/