A GM Minute – November 2025
Inside the Co-op I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to our local farmers and vendors, whose dedication and hard work sustain our small business. And to my incredible staff
A GM Minute – February 2026
Hello Co-op Owners, February brings us a handful of days to celebrate: Groundhog Day, the Full Snow Moon, Super Bowl 2026, Valentine’s Day, and Mardi Gras, to name a few.
New Team Lead Excited to Grow the Grab & Go – February 2026
Rashari Newton, a foodie with a passion for taking care of others, joined the Food Shed staff at the start of the new year to lead the co-op’s Grab &
A GM Minute – January 2026
Hello Cooperators, A new year brings fresh beginnings—and before sharing what’s ahead, I want to thank you. Your support, engagement, and generosity over the past year, especially in recent months,
A GM Minute – December 2025
Hello Co-Op Owners, The last month of the year, can you believe it?! Before we ring in the new year, there are a few holidays and events to celebrate in
What if you DO live to be 90?
Guest Editorial from Food Shed Co-op Owner-Member Mary Bartnik January 2026 What if you DO live to be 90? What might the quality of your daily life look like?
A GM Minute – March 2026
Hello Co-Op Owners, March is the first month of Spring! The first official day is March 20th, the vernal equinox, when the sun crosses the equator, bringing nearly equal day
Let’s make the Food Shed Forever
Being a business owner, adjunct college instructor, and a “from-the-beginning” board member of the Food Shed requires looking at both the big picture and the details of an endeavor. Recently,
Choosing What We Can Strengthen
March 2026 – There are moments in the life of a cooperative when the word Co-op Owner becomes more than symbolic. We are living in a time when much feels fast-moving
Beef Prices in 2026
Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed 100% grass-fed beef continues to be one of the most popular meat choices at the Food Shed Co-op. Many shoppers appreciate the flavor, the regenerative grazing
New Center Store Team Lead Brings Passion for Local Brands
From warehouse worker to Woodman’s youngest grocery manager during the early days of the Covid pandemic, Connor Hill brings his passion for the food industry to the Food Shed Co-op
Composting 101
Monday, July 29 | 5:00 – 6:30 PM Food Shed Co-op Community Room Free Join Woodstock resident and sustainability advocate Jon Alspach for an engaging and practical class on how
Waste not want not: a small contribution to sustainability
Today I was working on a post about sustainability. I got a little overwhelmed with the enormity of our problem even as I recognized how many smart, capable people are
The Value of Cooperation
I have learned many things from the experience of owning a cafe, but my most important lesson is that putting good and wholesome food on a table is by nature
Food Shed Crumbs (for thought)
If I get my way, the Food Shed Co-op will offer the healthiest diet in the world, the LOVE* Diet. The LOVE* Diet is . . . Locally sourced. Little
The Hazards of Seed Oils in the American Diet
My journey into this realm of nutritional research began in 2022, driven by my own struggles with chronic health issues that mainstream medicine failed to adequately address. Frustrated by the
No More Survival of the Fittest
As an evolutionary human ecologist, I am painfully aware how far human society falls short of achieving its evolutionary potential. Much of this failure results from a broad misunderstanding of
Is our tendency to “dietary shrinkage” trying to tell us something?
Do you believe that intuition is a valuable tool for anticipating events? I do! And I think that sometimes intuition works beyond our personal lives. Before you start to think
Food with Meaning
When I first started in the food business with the intention of making all my food “from scratch,” from whole produce (which I was told couldn’t be done), someone told
Farming with Nature: The New Graziers
McHenry County is seeing a rise in the number of grass fed beef and dairy operations. There are a number of farms throughout the county where pastured meat and dairy