It's seriously time to dust off that barbecue, if it's not already going! While summertime doesn't officially start until the Summer Solstice on June 21 (easy and delicious ideas to celebrate, below!), we think summertime is a state of mind, so light those coals or load up that picnic basket and enjoy.
Easy Summer Solstice Celebration
Get out and celebrate the longest day of the year with these easy party ideas and recipes for Icy Sparkling Wine Cocktails (Strawberries! Prosecco! Grapefruit! Pink wine!) & Lemony Pesto Alfredo with Chicken off the Grill! Get cookin' >
Strawberry Shortcakes in the House!
New Pi's House-made Strawberry Shortcakes spell "summer" to us! Our pastry pros make this old fashioned specialty – "With a classic biscuity shortcake so it absorbs all the strawberry goodness," says our pastry maven Elizabeth – with organic flour, European Plugra butter, and local cream, plus plenty of organic strawberries. Plus they're on sale through June 21!
Youth Off-Road Riders at the Co-op Ride!
Did you know that when you shop the Co-op, you support many local activities – like the Annual Co-op to Co-op Ride (check out more photos from the event here!) – and even youth sports!? Read this article about the Iowa City Youth Off-Road Racing team and how they got going here>
Thank you for the good you do simply by buying groceries!
Want to see the Youth Off-Road Team race? Catch them at: Beverly Fat Tire Frenzy (Cross Country Mountain Bike Race)
Sat., June 3, Cedar Rapids
Stop by for lots of new goods including Fair Trade Mint-scented Neem & Turmeric facial, hair, and body care from Alaffia (a wonderful company that donates schools, bicycles, and health supplies for safe births in Togo, Africa), currently on sale! Want to hear about health & wellness tips & new items? Adjust your email preferences with the link at the bottom of this email, and check out the most recent e-newsletter >
Local Kombucha's on Tap at New Pi C.R. – Coming Soon to Coralville & Iowa City!
Local kombuchas from Sarah of Agri-cultured (Waukee, Iowa) are now on tap at New Pi Cedar Rapids! Not to fear, Iowa City and Coralville, on-tap kombucha will be coming to you too this summer. Sarah's just made her biggest kombucha delivery – ever – to New Pi Cedar Rapids and is getting a new fermenter to keep up with demand! We love helping new local food businesses grow!
City of Iowa City Eliminates Lawn Chemicals in Iowa City Parks & Schools!
We are SO excited that the City of Iowa City and the Iowa City School District have now eliminated chemical spraying in our schools, parks, and city property! Check out this map by Good Neighbor Iowa of childcare centers, parks, schools, and institutions that are leading the way by pledging not to use pesticides (common lawn weedkillers, insecticides, and fungicides – known to be toxic to children and our rivers) to protect child health and local streams.
Of course your Co-op is in this group! We hope other grocery stores, schools, churches, businesses, residents (list your lawn as pesticide free to pledge your support as a good neighbor – for a step further, check out this resource for planning edible gardens, monarch habitat, and school gardens) and municipalities will follow suit to protect child health, water quality, and biodiversity!
Why the Co-op's Different:
Any profits at your Co-op improve your community –
not some corporation's bank account.
Your Co-op's not here to make a buck – we're here to meet our owners' needs (that'd be you) with local and sustainable foods, and improve our community.That's it. No corporate shareholders to satisfy with high profits, no out-of-state bank accounts, no funny business. We're all yours. #whyinewpi
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world;
indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
– Margaret Mead
New at Your Co-op: Iowa Brewing Co. Beers!
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Iowa Brewing Co. is a 30-barrel brewery in Cedar Rapids sporting a taproom with food by a rotating menu of food trucks!
They recently started bottling, so snag a 6-pack of Iowa Brewing Company's Surf Zombies, their "gnarly brain devouring West Coast-inspired flagship IPA" and Tragedy of the Common, a Great American Beer Festival 2016 Silver Medal winner! "'Common' style beer – known as 'steam beer' during San Francisco’s early days – is a medium-bodied amber lager brewed with lager yeast, but fermented like an ale."
Your Co-op, Untappd
Wanna be the first to know what's new and when it arrives in the wide world of beer? Get the Untappd app! Find local tap lists, track what you've tried and what you think of it, discover new beers, and get the inside scoop on when new brews arrive at your Co-op. Untappd >
Local, Local, Local
Let's get some local greens in your life! Stop by for local asparagus from Organic Greens (Kalona, IA) and Echollective Farm & CSA (Mechanicsville, IA), and lettuce from Echollective and Friendly Farm (Iowa City, IA) – on sale through June 21!
Grinnell Heritage Farm Strawberry Festival!
Experience the farm (the home of the most famous & delicious carrots) and now home of a wood fired pizza oven, open to the public for dinner every other Friday, and a delightful new annual Strawberry Festival June 10! Info >
Sponsoring PBS
Your Co-op is a proud supporter of PBS! We're sponsoring their shows on American Epic Sessions (witness a historic recording session led by Jack White and T Bone Burnett with top artists, including Willie Nelson, Elton John, Nas, Taj Mahal, Alabama Shakes, Beck, and Los Lobos – your Co-op hosted Los Lobos playing in front of the Co-op for a fundraiser for the Free Medical Clinic back in the '80s!) at 7PM on 6/6, The Buddah at 7PM on 6/13, and The Great British Baking Show: Bread at 8:30PM on 6/23. Tune in!
Stock up, and mark your calendar for your Co-op owner discount days the rest of the year! Plus for ALL Co-op Owners: Every first Tuesday of the month (that'd be June 6) – get 10% off supplements and body care products at your Co-op!
Named after an internal staff newsletter started in the mid-'80s by New Pi anchor Patti Zwick, today The Slice serves up all the delicious New Pi happenings packaged in a monthly newsletter conveniently delivered to your inbox.
