• Support my local coffee shops instead of a national chain
• Buy the “Game of Thrones” series my son is asking for from a local bookstore, like Boswell's, rather than on Amazon
• Buy the next birthday present for the party my daughter is going to from the local variety store, like Winkie’s, instead of the national chain toy store
• Buy my next dress shirt and tie from a local haberdasher, such as Harleys, instead of a national men’s store

After having a few days to digest our annual meeting, we wanted to take a moment to  recognize your level of commitment to our cooperative. Some of us shop, use re-usable bags and cups, donate time or money to Outpost organized community events, submit comments, fill out our surveys, read our website, follow and respond to our blogs, and attend owner events. We vote. And we celebrate our cooperative’s ongoing commitment to help our community. We even recruit friends and family to attend the annual meeting to support our values. 

The questions, ideas, concerns, and support  from our owners demonstrates tremendous commitment to cooperative values, passion for the democratic process, and a strong desire to participate in helping make our community and the world a better place. 

If you missed the meeting, it was awesome.

We heard and read both your concerns and your praises. Thank you!  Every single one has been reviewed and each will inform our decisions in a positive way as the co-op moves forward.

Like you, we love our cooperative. As board of directors we are owner-members like you. We want your participation. We understand the diverse needs of our owners and communities. 

Our cooperative is growing at a fast pace. Unlike when we first started out, as a business, we have passed the various financial thresholds that allow us to provide more to our owners, provide to more owners, and most importantly, with our financial strength and owner fortitude, we can provide more assistance to those in our community who need the support. 

Every level of participation is important as even the smallest of participation has a domino effect. We are extremely proud to belong with you as we use our passion to become better and our compassion to help others. 

Thank you again for your participation and commitment,

Sincerely,

Outpost Board of Directors 

- Lori Fredrich

- David Lee, director

Last June, I had the good fortune to attend the Consumer Cooperative Management Association (CCMA) annual meeting in Philadelphia. It may sound like a big yawn, but it isn’t. One of the more interesting events was the screening of the completed part of a film by Steve Alves entitled Food for Change: The Twin Cities Story. Steve is a member of the Franklin Community Co-op in Greenfield, MA, and decided to research and produce this film which highlights a colorful history of the cooperative movement in the US.

This completed part of the film is centered in Minneapolis-St.Paul and feels very much like home to me. There was wonderful and funky footage about early co-op efforts, and we all know that the early days of co-ops continue, as new organizations and co-operative groceries continue to form, struggle and grow.

The completed movie is expected out this spring, but as you can imagine, it is a very expensive operation to put together a feature length film for national and international distribution. You may be aware that our Outpost contributed $8,000 to this effort, a tremendous affirmation of cooperative principles requiring concern for community and cooperation among cooperatives.

The extremely good news is that the completed portion, which we saw at CCMA, has won a United Nations International Year of the Cooperatives Short Film Festival competition. This is a tremendous boost for Steve Alves and his colleagues in the future sale and distribution of the full-length film.

There will be further publicity about the film once it is released, and if it is made available locally, I urge all of you to see it. It will remind you of what is great about co-ops in general, and our Outpost in particular. Happy New Year!

– Nancy Ettenheim, director

A recent study released by the National Cooperative Grocer’s Association (NCGA) should make you feel pretty good about shopping at Outpost.

Why?

Well, because the report underscores the many ways that coops surpass the competition when it comes to creating economic and social impact on their communities.

That’s no surprise, right?

Well, that’s true.  But, you might be surprised by some of the cold, hard statistics.

For example, did you know that for every $1,000 a shopper spends at their local food co-op, $1,604 in economic activity is generated in their local economy—$239 more than if they had spent that same $1,000 at a conventional grocer?

Even more dramatically, a  co-op with $10 million in annual sales generates $16 million of local economic impact.  A conventional grocery store of  the same size, in the same community, would have an annual economic impact of $13.6 million – meaning that simply by choosing to support and shop at  a food co-op, a community can increase its total economic activity by over $2.4 million a year. 

That’s because coops support LOCAL.

Where conventional grocers work with an average of 65 local farmers and food producers, food co-ops work with an average of 157. Likewise, locally sourced products make up an average of 20 percent of co-op sales compared to 6 percent at conventional stores.  Two thirds of NCGA co-ops define local as either within their state, within a  multi-county region, or within 100 miles. In the conventional grocery sector, slightly less than half of  operators use this same definition.  

And coops think about their environmental impact.

Co-ops recycle 96 percent of cardboard, 74 percent of food waste and 81 percent of plastics compared to 91 percent, 36 percent and 29 percent, respectively, recycled by conventional grocers.

Best of all, they win with organics.

And did you know that, when it comes to organic foods, coops win every time? Conventional stores actually won’t do you much good if you’re trying to switch over to organic. In fact, only 12% of the produce they sell is organic. At co-ops, a whopping 82% of the produce sold is organic. AND, at Outpost, 92% of the produce is organic!

Which means, comparing Outpost to another retail chain is like comparing… conventionally grown apples to organic peaches. 

So, next time you consider where to spend your cash, consider supporting your local cooperative. There’s simply no comparison.

- Lori Fredrich, board member

Despite the rain, sleet, and snow on Dec. 9, forty-two local Milwaukee neighbor businesses and organizations got together as well as 940 attendees, for the 4th Annual “Buy Local Gift Fair” held at Lakefront Brewery. This 4th annual, amazing holiday shopping event was sponsored by Local First Milwaukee, Lakefront Brewery, and Outpost Natural Foods.

Stephanie, Katie, Sarah, Carrie and Karen were there, among many others with their locally sourced  goodies. In addition, local non-profit/charitable organizations were there to share in their missions for our community. They are your neighbors. They are my neighbors. They live down the block or around the corner. This is what local is all about, supporting great Milwaukee businesses and organizations.

There was a buzz in the air and a feeling of community. The aisles were almost impassable at times and friends and neighbors were sharing, talking, sampling and of course supporting these businesses and organizations with their holiday purchases and donations.  You can’t get that feeling in a big box store because it only comes when people gather sharing a common goal - to be a community that supports one another.

When you shop local, 68¢ of every dollar stays in the community. Compare that to shopping at a chain or big box store where only 43¢ stays local. Simply switching up 10% of your purchases for goods, services and entertainment not only keeps our community unique and authentic, it puts more dollars back into our local economy, creates new jobs, attracts other businesses, adds to real estate value and increases the tax base. In Milwaukee alone it’s estimated that an additional $300 million dollars would stay local if everyone switched only 10% of their purchases to local businesses.

I purchased some Christmas surprises and only at the Buy Local Gift Fair could I get the unique gifts to give to a friend. But there is something else I got with my purchase, a personal connection to Stephanie and Sarah who made their products.  They are proud of their products and I am even more proud to give them to a loved one. Shopping local is personal.

So before you dash off to a chain store, think about your neighbor and the greatest gift you could give them and yourself.  The gift of shopping Local!

Happy Holidays!

 - Suzanne Garr, director

In other words:  You have an opportunity to select YOUR ambassador in the leadership of your Outpost.

One month after the election results we contemplate the data obtained about the voting process:

• 780 owners voted

• 16,834 owners did not

• 9 viewed the online ballot…and decided not to vote

• Owners voted the most on Wednesdays

• Outpost has approximately 7000 emails for its approximately 17000 active owners

• Outpost electronically posted a reminder 9 times in the month of October

• Voters voted more immediately after a electronic reminder from Outpost

Years ago the Board of Directors established a one month voting period to account for all the mailed-in ballots.  A very small percentage of our total voters mailed in a ballot this year, but we continue to make this method of voting accessible to all active owners. 

Some considerations for next year, by the Board Nominations Committee, include:

• A shorter voting period

• Continue with emails and social media reminders

• Continue with the in store reminders and signage

• Continue with a mailer

• Consider reinstating an in-store voter kiosk

• Consider allowing voting at the Outpost annual meeting

Thanks to all who considered the candidates and voted.  Congratulations to our new Directors: Nancy Ettenhiem (incumbent), Doug Spencer, and David Lee.

If you didn’t get a chance to or were unaware of the election in the month of October, please let us know how to better reach you.

- Kathy Osowski, director

Every Thanksgiving I prepare a vegetarian entrée to go along with the traditional Thanksgiving turkey dinner. My variety of stuffed squash recipes or past years of tofurkeys were the usual solution to my meatless entrées. This year while searching for something deliciously different I came upon a recipe for Veggie Balls. Yes, vegetarian meatballs. They’re pretty mainstream these days in frozen food departments and several brands are really quite good. But, being the food purest I am I’d always prefer to make my own. I gave this recipe a try – lots of ingredients and many steps – but worth every bite and I think a new meatless favorite for the  Thanksgiving feast. 

The Veggie Balls recipe comes from The Meatball Shop in Manhattan. The recipe was featured in a 2011 New York Times well blog along with other recipes from the Meatball Shop.  http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/the-meatball-shop-goes-vegetarian/ This is not a vegan recipe.

The Veggie Balls were served with Spinach-Basil Pesto.

Since I am a lover of horseradish sauce and recently dug up a horseradish root from my daughter’s garden, I thought it would be a nice accompaniment to the Veggie Balls. Indeed it is.

Not only are you getting the great nutrients from all the vegetables and healthy, lean protein from the lentils but also the benefits of the horseradish root. Horseradish clears your sinuses, aids in digestion and packs a punch against Listeria, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus and other food pathogens you definitely wouldn’t want in your food.

The Meatball Shop's Veggie Balls

Makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2-inch meatballs (more or less depending upon the size you make)

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced (I added 2)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons tomato paste
8 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced (I chopped them)
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup whole grain bread crumbs

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (my addition)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
4 cups cooked brown lentils

1. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil to a large frying pan and sauté the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and salt over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 15 more minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature..

2. When mixture has cooled, add the eggs, Parmesan, bread crumbs, poultry seasoning, parsley, walnuts and lentils to the cooled vegetables and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated. Place in the refrigerator for 25 minutes.

3.  Preheat oven to 375°. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface. Set aside.

4. Roll the mixture into round golf ball-size meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the vegetable mixture firmly. Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, allowing 1/4 inch of space between the balls and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid. 

5. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through. Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.

After baking my first test batch I decided to add an additional 1/2 cup of bread crumbs and 1/4 cup of flax meal to make a firmer ball for better results.

Per serving (about 3 large): 295 calories, 13g fat, 3g sat fat, 7g mono fat, 12g protein, 779mg sodium, 6g fiber

Note: Using 1 teaspoon of salt will reduce sodium to 512mg

Horseradish Sauce Recipe

Makes 1 cup

6 tablespoons prepared horseradish

1/2 cup plain low fat Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons chopped chives or the greens of a green onion

1. In a medium sized bowl combine all ingredients. Mix well with a wire whisk. Serve as a sauce for dipping, as an accompaniment for salads or drizzled over Veggie Balls.

Per serving (2 tablespoons): 39 calories, 3g fat, 2g carbohydrates, 2g protein, 80mg sodium, trace fiber

Enjoy and have a happy Thanksgiving!

On Saturday, October 6, I had the pleasure of attending Harvest Day at Walnut Way, on 17th and North Avenue.  The entire 2200 block of N. 17th Street was blocked off for the celebration, with a large sound truck on the north end, providing a stage and sound system for talk and music.

There is much to celebrate on this block, a former home of drug houses and the people who ran them.  This is the story of two particularly dedicated people, Sharon and Larry Adams, who returned to the block after many years’ absence and were horrified at what had happened to Sharon’s former home.

She and Larry determined to make this city block bloom, to reclaim it into a neighborhood, where people helped one another, and celebrated life’s ups and downs together.  One primary vehicle for this movement was the re-introduction of fruit and vegetable gardens in backyards and empty lots.  There is a peach orchard halfway down the block, raspberries, tomatoes and a variety of other good things for people to eat and sell through the Fondy market.

So, this was not just any old generic harvest celebration; it was a moment to reflect on the work which had been invested in this very block’s growth and produce.  One of the most special parts of the day included the Nefertari African Dance Co, which featured six young girls who clearly had worked hard under the direction of Marilynn Douglas, the group’s director, and one of the drummers.  There were three other young guys  drumming, and the effect was tremendous.

This was Walnut Way’s 12th annual fall celebration.  Keep an eye out for it next year, as Outpost has a presence in it, as well.  Come on down, enjoy the music and wonder at what can be accomplished in a neighborhood’s love affair with an urban garden!

- Nancy Ettenheim, Member, Board of Directors

There are many reasons to love winter squash. It has a delicious, creamy taste – it’s orange (my favorite color) and it’s a nutritional powerhouse.  It also brings to mind autumn love and the warm memories of raking leaves with my children years ago. I think I used to purchase frozen squash in those days and even that was a treat shared by my family.

Squash and pumpkins rank about the same in my book and can be used interchangeably in almost any recipe. Both belong to the Cucurbitaceae family of edible gourds, which includes cucumbers, watermelon, musk melons, squash, and pumpkins.

One-half cup of cooked butternut squash has only 41 calories, 0g fat, 11g of carbohydrates and 3g of fiber. Perhaps best of all is the fact that it has about 300% of the vitamin A and 40% of the vitamin C our bodies need.

Why is that so great? Dietary vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene (an antioxidant) is a potent cancer fighter. It also promotes night vision, prevents infections and is essential for bone health. Beta carotene is the most active carotenoid (the red, orange, and yellow pigments) form of vitamin A.

So, start cooking, and serve this recipe as a great tasting healthy side dish to accompany a veggie burger or as a main dish served over whole grain pasta. Look below for some great squash preparation tips!

Orange-Glazed Squash

Serves 6

1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup orange juice

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped

1. Heat oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add cubed squash and stir fry to lightly brown squash pieces, about 5 minutes.

2. Add orange juice and honey, reduce heat to medium and continue to cook squash until tender, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

Per serving: 159 calories, 3g fat, 0g sat fat, 36g carbohydrates, 3g protein, 12mg sodium, 5g fiber, 138mg calcium

Basic Squash Preparation

Wash and rinse the outside of the squash. Cut the squash lengthwise. Remove and discard the seeds and excess fiber. Squash can be peeled if desired. 

TIP To cut a squash in half without cutting off your fingers: pierce your squash several times with a fork, place in microwave and cook on high for about 2-1/2 minutes. Remove from microwave – squash can now be sliced and peeled with ease.

Bake: Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, uncovered.

Microwave: Halve the squash or cut into quarters. Place in covered glass dish with a small amount of water covering the bottom of the dish and microwave for 10 to 12 minutes, until tender.

Boil: Peel and cut into chunks and boil 7 to 9 minutes.

Steam: Peel and cube squash and steam for 8 to 10 minutes.
 

Five candidates are running for three open spots on Outpost's Board of Directors. The election runs the month of October and all current Outpost owners can vote, either online or by stopping at a Customer Service Desk for a ballot. Between now and the end of October, we'll be publishing each candidate's statement here on the Sounding Board blog. You may also find all five statements here.

Every time I walk into Outpost I feel a sense of family. As an environmentally conscious adult this is important to me and I know a lot of hard work and integrity is needed to accomplish that. I feel that as consumers we need to honor and support establishments that align with our personal convictions; especially those that make every effort to care about the communities they are a part of. Outpost has accomplished this and for that they need to be recognized. It is our duty to give back to the community wherever possible. I wish to give back to Outpost what it has given me. As a board member, I will work to maintain and improve Outpost Natural Foods to the best of my ability.

I have served on the Board for the Milwaukee chapter of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) for the past six years as their newsletter editor and webmaster. In the position, our chapter has received numerous awards detailing our exceptional standards to communication. The chapter’s website, newsletter and member correspondence was an important part of the recognition we received. As a board member, I am part of financial discussions that entail loss in membership, new ways to promote the organization, and positioning ourselves to be relevant to a changing market place. With the help of Alderman Terry Witkowski, I was one of the founding members of the Wilson Park Neighborhood Association. Currently, we organize a seasonal newsletter and promote neighborhood gatherings. In 2000, I graduated from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (MIAD) with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design. I used the skills from that degree to become a freelance graphic designer and have serviced small to medium sized businesses ever since. Currently I have my own LLC and also work as a graphic specialist for a company in New Berlin, WI.

Five candidates are running for three open spots on Outpost's Board of Directors. The election runs the month of October and all current Outpost owners can vote, either online or by stopping at a Customer Service Desk for a ballot. Between now and the end of October, we'll be publishing each candidate's statement here on the Sounding Board blog. You may also find all five statements here.

Serving on the Outpost board would allow me to expand the scope of my work as a food advocate. I believe in the power of food to transform and build communities. Over the course of human history, great civilizations and cultures developed anywhere people could grow, cultivate and share food. This is no coincidence. However, as we have become more disconnected from our food, our communities have also become increasingly fragmented. Co-ops give consumers and the communities they serve an active, ownership role in repairing these disconnections and fragmentations, while also bending the cost curve toward a more just food system.

I am a former professional chef and current anti-hunger and food systems professional with over 10 years of experience in non-profit operations, specializing in advocacy, public affairs, government relations and community relations. Prior to relocating to Milwaukee, I worked at The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, leading the organization’s anti-hunger initiative which convened community organizations, government and the public to have more coordinated discussions and plans to address hunger, nutrition and food access. As part of that work, I was the principal co-author on “Hungry No More: A Blueprint to End Hunger in L.A.” The blueprint was adopted by city, county and school districts as its framework for its hunger work. I currently work as the Resource Development Specialist at Feeding America, the nation’s largest anti-hunger charity. In this role, I help our 201 member food banks leverage federal and state nutrition program dollars. I am also responsible for developing the strategic legislative and regulatory policy platform to improve local administration of the Food Stamps program across all fifty states. I have the honor of being a fellow in the 2012 cohort for Independent Sector’s American Express NGen Program. I also serve on the steering committee for the Farm Foundation’s Dialogue Project for a 21st Century Agriculture and also serve as a national advisor on the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Hunger Partnership. I graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY with a degree in Film. I am also fluent in Mandarin and conversant in Spanish.

Five candidates are running for three open spots on Outpost's Board of Directors. The election runs the month of October and all current Outpost owners can vote, either online or by stopping at a Customer Service Desk for a ballot. Between now and the end of October, we'll be publishing each candidate's statement here on the Sounding Board blog. You may also find all five statements here.

"The word 'pride' is what I most closely associate with my service on the Outpost Board of Directors. Pride in the mission of providing local and/or organic food to foster a healthier community. Pride in my ownership in a solid and successful organization. Pride in the cooperative which shares power evenly among all of us who are owners. Pride in the staff whose spirit of compromise kept the good ship Outpost afloat during the recent financial crisis. And finally, pride in the ethical and transparent manner in which Outpost conducts its business at all levels. In a nutshell, that’s my 'Why.'

"I was a criminal prosecutor for a long time and decided that enough was ENOUGH. It’s time to be out in the community and devote more time to positive stuff. What could be better than being part of the Outpost community? I was elected to my first term of the Outpost Board in 2009. Over the past few years, I have developed a passionate interest in urban agriculture, organic farming, local commerce and most importantly, co-operative business models. I believe the co-op model is even more important now than before the financial disaster we have all experienced. On another front, I am on my fourth rotation as a community columnist for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. This allows me to do something a bit more constructive than shouting at the TV or radio when the news drives me crazy. This assignment also guarantees that I remain plugged into what’s happening. My long history of volunteerism in a variety of organizations in Milwaukee is my offering to Outpost, which in part, defines my values: community organizing, fund-raising, education, legislative advocacy and re-imagining the systems with which severely disadvantaged children are adopted into the community. I am proud of this history, as well as the legal skills which I bring to the table at Outpost. Most of all, I believe it is important to work on the building blocks for a better food world for my kids and grandkids. For me, Outpost is a haven from foods tainted by pesticides and genetic mutations, from confined animal feedlots and their attendant animal cruelty, and from the uninvited infusion of antibiotics into my personal food chain. Thank you for considering me for another term on the Outpost Board."
 

This time of year always brings to mind my sweet Norwegian grandmother, Helen. Grandma would use the last of the ripening tomatoes and red peppers to make her famous Indian Relish – not famous to anyone else, but very famous and special to her family.

This is not exactly a Norwegian recipe and certainly not the only recipe for Indian Relish. In fact, I doubt that any two recipes for this relish actually are alike. It seems sacrilegious to alter this recipe in any way, but in good health I reduced the sodium from 3 tablespoons to. In her original recipe (pictured here) she also noted the use of a food chopper – although I don’t ever remember seeing her use one! I hope you take the time on a cloudy, cool fall day to make this heart warming dish.

Indian Relish

This delicious relish can accompany for meat loaf, chicken or fish and is excellent served over polenta or served as a side dish.

Makes 8 pints

12 large tomatoes, chopped

12 apples, peeled and chopped (any variety will do but Grandma always used McIntosh)

7 medium onions, chopped

2 red bell peppers, chopped

2 tablespoons salt

1 pint white vinegar

3 cups sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Place tomatoes, apples and onions in a large deep pot and add all remaining ingredients, stir well to combine. Bring to a boil and cook on a low rolling boil for 30 minutes. Do not cover with a lid.
    
2. After 30 minutes reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour or until thick. Stir often to avoid scorching. The simmering flavors of this relish smells like ‘home sweet home.’
    
3. Pack in jars and seal. I have stored this in jars in the refrigerator and notably it doesn’t last long. It can also be frozen.

Per serving: 127 calories, trace fat, 32g carbohydrates, 1g protein, 405mg sodium, 3g fiber

(I calculated this using 1/2 cup as a serving size)

This recipe is an inflammation fighter! The pepper, cloves, cinnamon and ginger are several of the most delicious and potent anti-inflammatory spices. I think they take center stage in this recipe – but 46% of your vitamin C for day is also nothing to sneeze.

(incumbent)

Five candidates are running for three open spots on Outpost's Board of Directors. The election runs the month of October and all current Outpost owners can vote, either online or by stopping at a Customer Service Desk for a ballot. Between now and the end of October, we'll be publishing each candidate's statement here on the Sounding Board blog. You may also find all five statements here.

"I have been a Director on the Outpost Board for nine years and am seeking to continue to serve you. I have thought deeply about why I should run again. I wanted to make sure I would continue to be of value to an organization that I feel so strongly about. I find the Outpost to be one of a few opportunities for me to make this world a better place because I was here. My passion coincides with so many of the interests and endeavors that the Outpost has undertaken, including health, environment, community, integrity, cooperation and several more.

"I have been an attorney for over twenty years and served on the Outpost Board for nine years. I have learned how to review a situation and then work with others to reach a resolution in a democratic manner. I have realized the importance of supporting a decision as a whole even when my opinions differed from the majority. I have learned humility, appreciating that I may not always know best. That sounds so simple, but in actuality, can be very challenging. I have found that with experience comes knowledge and that is what I try to share with my service to the owners."