Keepin’ It Fresh

By Christopher Wiesman, Deli Manager, Co-op Owner

For those of you who don’t know, I’ve worked at GreenTree for over eight years now. Before that, I was on the Board of Directors for two years. And before that, I was an enthusiastic shopper (thanks to the venerable Angie Pohlman who taught me the ways of shopping at the Co-op). It’s impossible to work somewhere for as long as I have without accumulating some life lessons, quick tips, and best practices. I’ve created many recipes that I am proud of, worked with a number of people I’ve grown to love, and, of course, made quite a few mistakes along the way. But the failures and successes I’ve had while working at GreenTree have given me the opportunity to learn, and learning is what I love most in life (well, that and napping). I want to share with you just a snippet wisdom I’ve collected during my tenure at the Co-op from the shoppers, my coworkers, and, of course, the food. Here are some of my favorites!

1. Everything you make needs more salt. Salt your food while you’re cooking, and you’ll end up with less sodium in your meal overall.
2. No matter how much you know, there’s someone who knows more. (And even the people who don’t, somehow how still do.) Be open to learning.
3. The people you work with become like family, so treat them like it.
4. Equipment—especially the expensive stuff—always breaks with surprising ease and frequency.
5. Take responsibility for the mistakes and share the credit.
6. Never assume people know what you know.
7. No to-do list is ever as long as it seems.
8. Bees love flying very close to your head, especially when you’re trying to work outside.
9. Coworkers come and go, but burn scars last forever.
10. Don’t be afraid to take a vacation.

I feel truly fortunate to have been able to spend the last ten years with GreenTree. You all have taught me so much! But we’re not done yet: I’d like to hear from you. With GreenTree’s expansion approaching, I’d like to know what you want for our deli. We have a short 3-question survey we hope you’ll take a few minutes to fill out. We want to create the best department we possibly can for you, so don’t be shy! Thanks for 10 great years, everyone.