Your co-op community, August 2016

This article was originally published in August 2016

West Seattle PCC

The land that the West Seattle PCC is on was sold last year and the new landlord plans to redevelop the site. PCC reached an agreement with the new landlord and will return as the retail tenant in the building once the project is complete, securing our long-term future in West Seattle, a community we have served for more than 25 years.

Demolition will begin next year and, as a result, we anticipate the West Seattle PCC will close, temporarily, in early 2017. While we are sad to close for a while, we are pleased that we’ll be able to serve our West Seattle shoppers for decades to come.

We will reopen in mid- to late-2018 with a 25,000-square foot store that will feature all the best that PCC has to offer. During the closure, we will continue to offer delivery to West Seattle through both Instacart and Amazon Prime Now.

PCC’s dedicated, knowledgeable and friendly staff is a true key to our success so, during the closure, we’ll place our current West Seattle employees in our other PCC locations. Our hope is that many will stay with the co-op and return to West Seattle when the new store opens.

Look for updates about the West Seattle PCC in the Sound Consumer or the West Seattle PCC Facebook page.


Food bank packaging parties

Donate your time to pack bulk foods into family-sized portions. Visit pccmarkets.com/foodbank.


Tilth Harvest Festival

Saturday, August 6
Meridian Park in Wallingford

Participate in this fun, lively hands-on community festival with workshops, cooking demonstrations and fun urban farm activities for all ages. Eat tasty food and enjoy live music with friends and family.

Enjoy a cider pressing, make herb crowns, visit with urban farm animals, and enjoy an organic farmers market and organic beer garden. Kids can participate in crafts, see a puppet show and take part in the parade at noon.

PCC will be grilling organic corn for all ages. Kids, stop by the TasteMobile for a Kid Picks taste test and test your food knowledge with the Color Wheel!


Taste of the Valley

Saturday, August 6, Goose & Gander Farm
Between 80th and 100th on West Snoqualmie Valley Road Northeast, Carnation

Join us for a fantastic evening featuring a farm-to-table dinner, live music, a silent auction and more! You won’t want to miss this delicious and fun evening accompanied by some of the region’s best restaurants. All proceeds go to fund the work of protecting the Snoqualmie Valley for generations.


Farestart dinner

Thursday, August 11, Seating from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

People helping people make great food and build better lives. What’s not to like? Take part at FareStart’s Guest Chef Night featuring PCC chef Lynne Vea, celebrating students graduating from the 16-week culinary training and job-placement program. Enjoy a three-course dinner provided by PCC in support of FareStart training programs. Dinner reservations required. Cost per person is $29.95. For more information and to book a table, visit opentable.com/farestart.


Cinema Under the Stars

Saturday, August 13

Enjoy the Rainier Valley Heritage Parade, then at dusk, bring the family to Columbia Park for Cinema Under the Stars, which will show a family-friendly film on a giant screen.

Columbia City PCC is next to the park, so pop in for healthy movie snacks and cool drinks. Visit seafair.com and seedseattle.org for more info.


Big Day of Play

Saturday, August 13, noon to 6 p.m.
Rainier Play Field and Community Center
4600 38th Ave. S, Seattle

PCC is the title sponsor of this free, family event held by Seattle Parks and Recreation. Stop by the PCC TasteMobile, where kids 12 and younger can participate in a “build your own trail mix” activity. Next, all ages can spin the Color Wheel to test their food knowledge and win prizes.

Also enjoy activities such as bicycling, basketball, tennis, a blow-up obstacle course and a fitness challenge course. Learn more about Big Day of Play at seattle.gov/parks.


Othello Park Festival

Sunday, August 14, noon to 5 p.m.
4351 S Othello, Seattle

Othello Park will be showcasing its rich cultural heritage by featuring authentic music, dance and food from East Africa, the South Pacific Islands, the Philippines, Latin America and more. Audience participation is encouraged for frolicking and fun on the dance floor under tutelage of the performers. Stop by the PCC TasteMobile for a Kid Picks taste test.


Big Truck Day

Friday, August 19, 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Farrel-McWhirter Farm Park
19545 Redmond Rd., Redmond

Does your child love big rigs of all shapes and sizes? Here’s a chance to get up close and personal with the trucks, tractors, construction equipment and other unique vehicles that work in our community. PCC will be there handing out fruit for kids. For more information and to register visit redmond.gov.


CHOMP!

Friday August 19 and Saturday, August 20
Marymoor Park, 6046 West Lake Sammamish Parkway NE, Redmond

PCC is proud to be the presenting sponsor of CHOMP! It’s the second year of King County’s local food and sustainable living festival. Part of the county’s Local Food Initiative, its goal is connecting the region’s urban and rural communities around social justice and healthful food.

Friday, August 19 at 6 p.m. enjoy a locally sourced dinner with live music, hosted by King County Executive Dow Constantine and Macrina Bakery’s Leslie Mackie. PCC’s own Chef Lynne Vea will be one of the local chefs participating. Proceeds benefit FEEST.

Saturday, August 20 offers a full day of free events throughout the park. Participate in hands-on activities and demonstrations from local farmers and sustainable businesses, taste local cuisine, and enjoy live music and entertainment throughout the day. CHOMP! also will feature a cooking demonstration out of the TasteMobile.


PCC Cooks

What’s better than summer produce? We’re so excited about the season’s offerings that we’ve dedicated a whole class to one of the summer’s loveliest treasures — fresh plums! We think you’ll feel Plum Good after joining us for this fun class. We also want your summer entertaining to be easy, so we have the perfect Do-Ahead Dinner Party menu for you. If rustic is more your speed, join us for Ploughman’s Lunch: Bread, Cheese and Pickles, where we’ll cover the basics of bread making, cheese making and pickling.

Plus, take a cue from our southern neighbors and enjoy the midsummer heat à la Latin America with Brazilian Cooking or La Cocina Mexicana: Check Out Chiles. View the full calendar for August and September classes at PccCooks.com.


Summer food drive

Monday, August 1 through Wednesday, August 31

PCC is collecting contributions for our 13 local food bank partners all month! Your cash donations are used to purchase bulk foods at discounted wholesale costs. Look for our donation cards near PCC registers, choose your donation amount and have a cashier ring you up. Learn more at pccmarkets.com/foodbank.


Greenlake Aurora 20-Year Anniversary

Saturday, August 27, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
7504 Aurora Ave. N

Come celebrate 20 years at Greenlake Aurora PCC. Enjoy a BBQ, samples and more!

Also in this issue

Will carrageenan remain in organic food?

Carrageenan, a thickener used in many foods, is considered a "synthetic substance" due to its extraction process. It must be reviewed by the National Organic Standards Board every five years. Research demonstrates carrageenan's role in inflammation, colitis, cancer and diabetes.

Soil & Sea: reports from our producers

Learn why 2016 was a "vintage year" for Washington cherries, how the first crop of GE Golden Delicious apples will hit the market this fall, why the dead zone plaguing the Gulf of Mexico is expanding, more agriculture news.

Hot days, cool melons

PCC sources organic melons from two Washington farms that provide us with variety: black-rind watermelons, honeydew, cantaloupe, Piel de Sapo, Magenta and Snow Leopard, to name a few. Get them while they last!