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Gem City Market

Lily’s Bistro Garden Party To Benefit Gem City Market

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On Wednesday, September 5 Lily’s Bistro is partnering again with the Gem City Market to host the Garden Party: A Summer Preservation Class.

“We love doing this annual interactive event with our customers,” Emily Mendenhall, owners of Lily’s Bistro said. “From the bar and kitchen, we’ll be walking you through how to do your own shrubs and pickling of all sorts of produce! It’s a great chance to get creative and preserve some wonderful flavors for the colder months and it’s all vegetarian and vegan friendly too!”

As a partner for the event, Lily’s will also be donating $10 from every ticket sold towards the development of the Gem City Market, a community member- and worker-owned and operated full service grocery store.

“We strongly support the work of Gem City Market and it’s great that an event like this gets to promote the use of fresh produce, while also helping increase access to these food for our neighbors,” Mendenhall said.

For those interested in attending the Garden Party, the event costs $29 and takes place at Lily’s Bistro on Wednesday, September 5 from 6-9pm. The event cost includes all of the jars and produce needed, samples of shrubs, the class, and all guests will take home a jar of their own pickle and shrub.

Additional cocktails utilizing Lily’s own shrubs as well as a snack menu incorporating Lily’s housemate pickles will be available for purchase.

Tickets are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-garden-party-a-preservation-class-tickets-49395977699?aff=efbeventtix

At Table: solo exhibition of photography by Glenna Jennings

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Opening reception for Glenna Jennings’ long-term project At Table (2004-2018), a series of photographs that document everyday spaces of congregation, conversation and expression.   As an owner-member of the Gem City Market and an advocate for food justice, Jennings is offering 50% of art sales profits to Gem City Market.

Opening Reception: April 6, 6- 9 PM. Exhibition runs: April 6 – May 5.

Third Sunday: April 21, 11 AM- 4 PM. Gallery Hours: Saturdays 11 AM – 4 PM

*Or by appointment

Gem City Market T-Shirt Contest

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Dayton, called the “Gem City”, is more precious to us than a real gem stone because of the culture and communities that thrive here. The Gem City Market is having a contest to find the best t-shirt design in Dayton and invites you to celebrate our community in your own creative way! Entries do not have to necessarily reference Dayton, but should speak to the Gem City Market movement and the communities we serve.


Entries MUST:
•Include “Gem City Market” name in the design.
•Maintain that the design fits within a 10”x10” block and is vertically oriented.
•Submit original art. No trademarked characters or other depictions will be allowed.
•Submit one color artwork for printing. (Please suggest the color t-shirt you envision with your design.)


•SUBMIT ENTRY FORMS AND DESIGNS BY NOVEMBER 17th, 2017.
These can be emailed to [email protected]y.org or mailed or dropped off by 5:00pm to:

United Way of the Greater Dayton Area
Attn: Etana Jacobi, T-Shirt Competition
33 W. First Street
Dayton, OH 45402

Other Notes:
The contest is open to everyone, but limited to two entries per person. Entry forms must be taped to the back of the image. Digital entry forms must be submitted in a separate document than the design to ensure fairness in judging. The GCM outreach team and related volunteers will judge the entries. One first place winner ($150) and two honorable mention winners ($50) will be announced by December 1st. All winning entries become the property of Gem City Market and may be reproduced for promotional purposes.

The Holy Grail of Beer Fests

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The end of July brings the annual Belgian Ale and Food Festival. Arguably the most underrated beer fest in the Miami Valley, this event brings a treasure trove of Belgian and Belgian-inspired beers to the majestic and historic Miami Valley Golf Club on July 29th from 4-7 pm.

 

The affair is intimate in scale but features a staggering 21 different beers, including Trappist ales from La Trappe and Spencer (the only U.S.-based Trappist brewery), Belgian mainstays like Rodenbach, Duvel, and Boon, and New World interpretations from Unibroue, Ommegang, and Dogfish Head. The Miami Valley shows off its Belgian-style chops, too, with beers from Fifth Street Brew Pub, Toxic Brew, Mother Stewart’s, Woodburn, and more.

 

The club’s Art Deco-style ballroom provides an ornate backdrop for the tasting, which maxes out at 200 people. The Belgian food menu, selected to pair with the beers, adds to the elegance of the room and the ales. The food is included with the ticket price and, like the beer menu, provides a sampling of the best of Belgium. Nibble on cheese and sausages, or go for something heftier like the Gratin of Brussel Sprouts, the Flemish Ragout of Rabbit, or the Belgian standard, Steamed Mussels. Satisfy your sweet tooth with Liege Waffles—pearl sugar waffle bars with fruits, flavored whipped cream, and syrup.

For the last six years, the event has raised funds for the Salem Avenue Peace Corridor, a community group dedicated to the redevelopment of the neighborhoods along Salem Avenue. The groups’ efforts have helped stabilize the area, in part through the money raised by this event. Organizer Jule Rastikis explains that, “The whole corridor is maturing–it keeps evolving.” As a result, Rastikis’ group is able to be more targeted in their efforts, this time focusing on branding of the neighborhoods. “One of the things that the event helps is that the Peace Corridor is doing a Gateway sign. It’s going to be at the corner of Salem and Riverview.” (You can see a rendering of the sign, and get tickets to the event, at www.baffdayton.com.)

 

A portion of ticket sales also help kickstart the Gem City Market, a food co-op grocery store planned for Dayton’s west side. The Gem City Market seeks to end the food desert on that side of the river and will function much like other cooperatively owned stores. It will be open to the public, but members will receive discounts. Think REI or Fifth Street Brew Pub, but with apples and oranges, not backpacks and pints—although if Rastikis has his way, a brewery won’t be far behind. “The Northwest Dayton market is an untapped resource,” he explains “There are 22,000 people in the area, so we’re trying to let beer people know–distributors, brewers, that, look, it would be pretty smart to get involved here.”

 

You can get involved by purchasing tickets at www.baffdayton.com. Tickets are $50 each ($40 for designated drivers who are eating but not drinking) Attendees can also purchase raffle tickets to win the Holy Grail of Trappist Beer—a basket stuffed Trappist beers and glassware, including the coveted Westvleteren 12.

Dayton Rotary Foundation Awards $50,000 Grant

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The Rotary Club of Dayton has awarded its first Signature Grant in the amount of $50,000 to The Gem City Market project, which is part of the Greater Dayton Union Cooperative Initiative (GDUCI). The check will be presented to Lela Klein, Director of GDUCI and will take place at the Dayton Rotary Club’s weekly luncheon on Monday, July 17, 2017, Noon, at Sinclair College Ponitz Center.

The Signature Grant was the first grant award of this type made by the Club’s Foundation. The Grant’s funding priority is to support a larger project or initiative in the City of Dayton that will make a meaningful and sustainable impact and long-term change in the community.

The goal of the Gem City Market project is to significantly improve food access and related health outcomes for families and individuals living in Northwest Dayton by opening and operating a full-service grocery store that provides access to healthy and fresh foods.

“We are excited about making this first award to such an exciting project and one that will have a significant, positive impact on the residents of Northwest Dayton and many residents in the surrounding area,” said Dona Vella, President of the Dayton Rotary Foundation. The Dayton Rotary Foundation received letters of interest from 60 organizations. The other finalists for the Signature Grant were East End Community Services and Catholic Social Services.

The Rotary Club of Dayton Foundation is committed to enhancing the quality of life in the City of Dayton. The Dayton Rotary Foundation also accepts applications for non-profit program grants of $3,000 each quarter of the year.

The Rotary Club of Dayton is a fellowship of diverse business and professional leaders who commit their time and talent to staying informed and serving the club, the community and the world.

West Side Grocery Selling Co-op Shares

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The Gem City Market will be a full-service 15,000 square foot grocery store and deli located in the 100 block of Salem Avenue in West Dayton, just across the bridge from downtown Dayton, with a planned 2019 opening.

 

According to a 2015 study by FRAC, Dayton is the 2nd worst city in the nation for food hardship for families with children.

A recent Gallup poll shows 29.4 percent of households in our region report trouble obtaining healthy food.

 

Why Grocery stores matter

  • People who live near a supermarket have lower rates of diet-related
    diseases than their counterparts in neighborhoods lacking food
    access (Food Trust)
  • 20% percent higher obesity/diabetes rates in least
    healthy “food environments,” controlling for income,
    race/ethnicity, age, gender, and physical activity.

To open the market and provide fresh food for the area, organizers need to raise $3.9 million. The grocery store is being set up as a co-op business, with a goal for the store to sell 2,000 shares at $100 each to customers and community supporters. They hope to fund the rest  through donations, grants, the business community and loans.

 

 

 BECOME A MEMBER 

What a membership share will get you:

  • access to member-only sales prices (similar to a Kroger Plus card)
  •  a vote on or run for community seats on the board of directors. participate in annual meetings where the general direction of the store is set
  •  petition the store to make changes in terms of product mix or what we sell
  • Once they are profitable, the community will share in a percentage of profit not reinvested in the store, based upon level of patronage (how much you shop at the store).

What a membership share will cost:

  • $100 one time membership fee, can be payed $10 per month for 10 months.

Subsidized shares

  • Individuals who qualify for financial assistance can apply for a subsidized share. Individuals will be able to securely upload concurring documents (snap benefit card, employment insurance statement, etc) when purchasing their membership.