Natural Enquirer April 2020

Y O U R

C O M M U N I T Y

THE

N A T U R A L

F O O D S

NATURAL

A Pu b l i cat i o n o f t h e S kag i t Va l l e y Fo o d Co - o p

M A R K E T

ENQUIRER April - June 2020

Your Board of Directors & New General Manager Tony White

Greetings from Your New GM Hello to all!

I am the new face at your favorite place. I am taking over for Todd Wood, your General Manager of over forty years. Yes, I hail from Back East! The accent you’ll hear around the store comes from growing up south of Boston on Cape Cod. My wife, Joan, and I relocated here from Portland, Oregon, where we had been residing in our floating home on the Columbia River for the last four years. It was a magical place to live, and we knew it would take something special to get us to move. The chance to work at Skagit was just that opportunity. The welcome to the area by so many has felt wonderful. We especially enjoy the enthusiastic responses that come after telling them what my new job is. The

love for Skagit Valley Food Co-op from the communities in the area is very evident. We have bought a home in Anacortes, and we are super excited to have landed in such a beautiful place. Our family consists of four grown children and seven grandkids. All, except for one son in Colorado, live in New England. We are looking forward to having them come visit us.

While living in Portland, I worked for National Co+op Grocers (a member owned co-op that Skagit is an owner of) as an advisor for

co-ops across the West Coast.

I assisted general managers and store staff develop plans to improve the operational performance of their co-op. It was great to have had the opportunity to work with some many amazing member owned co-ops in the West. However, during those four years, I realized how much I missed being involved with the daily routine of running a co-op.

Running a co-op involves daily challenges, but there are also constant interactions with staff and members, two things I enjoy very (continued on page 13)

in this issue

Board Elections ∙ pg 2

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6

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14

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Spring Workshops ∙ pg 4 The Liver: Our Third Brain ∙ pg 7 Community Outreach Index ∙ pg 9 New in the Co-op ∙ pg 11

A Shift in the Weather

Honoring a Lifetime of Sustainable Agriculture

Feed Your Food & Flowers: Our Down to Earth Menu

from the board

Board Winter Retreat

Patronage Refund

The Skagit Valley Co-op Board typically “retreats” once a year in the fall to review last year’s successes, prepare for the next year’s challenges, and plan strategically for the longer term future.

This year, we added a winter retreat on Sunday the 16th of February.

Part of our motivation for a second retreat was putting the final touches on our change in leadership: Todd’s retirement and handing over the keys after 41 years to Tony, our new General Manager.

Tony and the Board needed some time to become more familiar with each other on a personal level, as well as comparing expectations on a business level.

Spending a day with Tony confirmed that our choice of new management will continue the Co-op on a positive trajectory, guided by a collaboration of his hands, his new Board, and the capable staff he inherited. Our time together was a successful start to building a great GM-Board relationship.

Other agenda items, which took up various parts of the day, included: Confirming our 2025 Vision: our last visioning efforts were for 2020 and, here we are. We had decided awhile back to now set our sights on 2025. Over the last 4 months a 2025 Visioning committee has been working diligently.

The Visioning committee presented a final draft for in depth Board discussion.

After a few tweaks the Board adopted the 2025 Vision. Stay tuned for the published version coming soon.

Establishing Policy Governance: there is much written about Policy Governance and if you are curious, please Google. After much consideration and crafting, the Co-op Board, with help from an experienced consultant, has recently adopted Policy Governance. Briefly, with the GM transition, the Board felt it important to set more specific expectations of the GM, including increased reporting, as well as more accurately defined Board expectations.

Additional miscellaneous housekeeping items were discussed and decisions made, and, finally, we were each given the opportunity to share our perspectives on moving our amazing and successful community anchor forward.

This great day of business analysis and camaraderie culminated in a great meal together at Third Street Cafe.

The Co-op Board is happy to announce a Patronage Refund to Co-op member-owners based on their 2019 purchases. More details will be included in the patronage refund letter.

Member & Community Engagement Comittee Kick-Off Meeting May 20, 2020 • 6pm • Room 309 Come join a conversation with your Co-op’s Member & Community Engagement Committee as we look to create deeper connection with the community and explore ways to better engage and serve our members.

In this initial meeting, we’ll be discussing the very important topic of: Co-op Parking! As a thriving business, the Co-op parking lot is a bustling place, and we want to share solutions we’ve explored and implemented, along with other ways to make it a safer, more accessible space.

All are welcome to attend!

Please RSVP at skagitfoodcoop.com/event by May 15.

Refreshments will be served.

Skagit Valley Food Co-op Mission Statement The Skagit Valley Food Co-op is a not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to provide good food at a fair price. As stated in the Co-op By-Laws: “The Co-op shall promote member welfare by utilizing their united funds and their united efforts for the purchase and distribution of commodities in accordance with the following criteria: A. Maintaining the non-for-profit status of the Co-op;

B. Offering high quality products which contribute to good nutrition;

C. Supporting a low impact, non-harmful approach to the environment; D. Supporting local suppliers and producers; E. A commitment to building a cooperative economy and supporting others who share that commitment;

F. A commitment to educational programs relevant to members and non-members in the community.”

The Skagit Valley Food Co-op Natural Enquirer is a quarterly publication of the Skagit Valley Food Co-op. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and may not reflect Co-op policy. No articles are meant to be used for diagnosis or treatment of illness. The Co-op does not endorse the products or services of advertisers.

Editor: Nicole Vander Meulen | Layout & Design: Emily Zimmerman Staff Contributors: Contributors: nancylee bouscher, Ben Goe, Jenny Sandbo, Jay Williams, & Tony White | Board of Trustees: Brad Claypool, Kristen Ekstran, Mike Hackett, Casey Schoenberger, Rob Smith, Wayne Rushing & Tom Theisen Copyright 2020: Reprints with permission

2 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020

What to Know About Patronage Refunds: • Patronage refund letters will be mailed later in April.

• PLEASE USE YOUR REFUND! You must redeem your refund by July 29, 2020. Otherwise, your store credit becomes taxable for the Co-op, and you forfeit your refund.

• A refund is not guaranteed each year: the Co-op must profit, and the Board must decide refunds are financially viable.

• The amount will vary from year to year, as needs and profits do.

• The more you spend the more you get back. The same percentage is applied to everyone’s purchases.

• A percentage of the refund is withheld from distribution and stays in the Co-op. It belongs to the members as a group, to further build the Co-op and promote our practices.

• The refund is not taxable income for those who receive it.

Thank you for supporting the Co-op and making refunds possible.

It’s great to keep more of our money right here in the community.

Board Elections

Two incumbent candidates and one non-incumbent candidate are running for two Board of Trustee positions. Their candidate statements and the ballot are on the following pages. Candidates were asked to address questions regarding their desire to serve, the Co-op’s connection to community, challenges facing the Co-op, the Board’s role in addressing those challenges, and skill and experience they would bring to the position. All terms are for three years. Active member-owners may vote for two Board of Trustee candidates.

CASEY SCHOENBERGER Incumbent Board Candidate

Why would you like to serve on the Board of Directors? This is obviously an exciting and crucial time for our Co-op as we welcome a new leader into our General Manager role after 41 years of continuity at that position. There was great importance in making the right decisions to find our way forward, not only with a retiring GM, but a rapidly changing grocery industry. Quite frankly, the stakes of screwing up felt very high. By the end of the process and entering the New Year, the realization came over me that not only are we going to keep this train on the tracks, but our Co-op is going to be better. I would like to continue to serve on the Board to be an active part of this exciting future.

How would you strengthen the Co-op’s connection to our community?

Community engagement is a topic we spend a lot of energy on as a Board. I serve as chair of our new Member and Community Engagement Committee (MCEC). We have studied other Co-op’s successful methods to engage the membership and community in a meaningful way. It’s not easy. Some people just want to shop at a great grocery store and many just don’t have the time to do any more than that. And that’s fine! But we also know there are members who want to play an active part in helping the Co-op achieve its vision. Beginning in May, we will be holding monthly MCEC meetings to explore this further with you all.

Challenges facing the Co-op now and in the future: We are constantly discussing the changing nature in the way people buy their groceries. Natural foods are now available in stores we wouldn’t have imagined. As a Board member, I need to make sure our Co-op remains your best option when deciding where to shop. We need to do business according to our mission and continue to separate ourselves with our values, but we also need to remain economically accessible to all people.

What skill or experience do you bring to the Board? I’ve hit my word limit for this candidate statement, so it’s clearly not brevity. I like to think I am thoughtful and fair and I make decisions on this Board with the entire membership in mind.

MIKE HACKETT

Skagit Valley Food Co-op’s Annual Member-Owner Meeting

Incumbent Board Candidate

The primary duty of the Skagit Valley Food Co-op Board of Trustees is to support and guide its overall mission while nurturing the cooperative culture we cultivated over four decades. I wish to help us continue to grow sustainably in the “Magic Skagit.” I currently serve as an active, engaged, informed, and dedicated Board member.

I am passionate in giving back to our wonderful Co-op. How? It is through my life experience, skills, familiarity with all parts of our local food system. I am completing a first term on the Board, and I wish to serve one more term. I am commited to sustainable growth without sacrificing our unique qualities. The Co-op is, to me, and to many members, our safe harbor.

The “cooperative movement” is growing worldwide. I belong to North Coast Credit Union, Skagit Farmers, and REI (co-ops). Skagit Valley Food Co-op is the anchor business in downtown Mount Vernon. I hope to continue lending my experience, skills, and passion for its sustainability (to keep on keeping on), in the midst of our changing world.

Important challenges face our Co-op: leaving a net-zero carbon footprint; staying profitable in the midst of corporate supermarket competition; food security; empowering employee growth—personally and professionally. I’ll continue to address these challenges through my experiences and networking expertise: • A career with WSU Extension as a Sustainable Agriculture Field Faculty educator. I know the farmers who supply us with nutritious, organic, local produce.

• Five years as an Organic Food Program Certification Field Inspector: protecting organic integrity.

• A refund is not guaranteed each year: the Co-op must profit, and the Board must decide refunds are financially viable.

• Memberships on nonprofit Boards of Directors: Tilth Producers of Washington, Skagit Habitat for Humanity.

• I actively participate in our local food system. My wife Peggy and I own and operate a small farm. I also work with Growing Veterans (certified organic) Farm as Mentor & Peer Supporter to fellow veterans.

• I am approachable: I care about all people. I’m a willing team member. I actively listen to everyone’s opinions, ideas, and criticism. I care deeply about our employees: an informed, intelligent, progressive “family.” I know firsthand as a former produce department employee.

It’s surprising that member voting turnout is very low—less than 1%! Imagine the outcome of a national election decided by a 1% voter turnout! Consider all candidates carefully, then please vote.

Your vote counts. I humbly ask for your vote. I commit to continue representing you as we grow together, “cooperatively.” Thank you.

With respect, Mike Hackett.



Wednesday, May 13 • 6pm • Room 309 Join us for an informative evening with your fellow Skagit Valley Food Co-op member-owners, Board of Directors, and new General Manager. Hear the latest news and updates from the Co-op Board and General Manager.

Light Refreshments will be served.

BRITTA ESCHETE Board Candidate

My name is Britta Eschete, and I have been invited and encouraged to run for a 2020-2023 position on the Skagit Co-op Board. Below are answers to the questions asked of potential candidates.

Participating as an active Board member is something I've aspired to do for years, initially from when Barbara Kehoe was on staff, in early 2000, shortly after moving to Mount Vernon with my daughter. Now, Noelle is 25, and I'm part of a multigenerational family and grandma to two future-co-op-members, Reina and Davina. I'm interested in exploring ways to steward connections between current and future members, local and regional farms and suppliers, and expanding my own awareness of business and sustainability.

I would strengthen the Co-op’s connection to community by identifying creative and meaningful ways for members to be aware of opportunities they have for involvement. That's where the Co-op has a unique angle that should be celebrated and expanded — we all have the opportunity to have a voice at the table — early on in conversation.

Challenges facing the Co-op now and in the future: I'd still like to advocate for "working together" with the nearby co-ops — we are so fortunate to literally be surrounded by co-ops in Washington State — are there ways we can highlight what other locations are doing in the newsletter, adopt solutions to minimize packaging waste that other co-op's utilize, and perhaps develop a mentorship program for students interested in business and sustainability. The Board can help facilitate this by being accessible to general members, visiting other coop locations and inviting staff/members to visit our location — maybe a co-op passport program. My role in this — when traveling, I love to visit co-ops and see what they are doing and what local foods are available in that particular area.

Skills and Experience I'd bring to the Board: For ten years I worked at a fabulous non-profit organization called People For Puget Sound — it's what led to my move to Mount Vernon from Bremerton, WA. When the organization closed, I was devastated — and it took some time to figure out "next steps" and a lot of patience. For the past 9 years, I've worked at WWU in Bellingham, most recently (the past four years) in the Career Services Center which I thoroughly enjoy – I'd bring experience mentoring youth, working with employers, and experience as a longtime volunteer — primarily at the Lincoln Theatre, RiverSong Farm, the Mount Vernon Police Department, and most recently, the Skagit River Poetry Foundation.

Thank you for considering my request, and it would be a pleasure and honor to serve on the Board of Directors. I ask for your vote, and please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have at pugetsoundvoices@gmail.com

Ballot for the 2020 Board of Trustees Cast your vote for this year's candidates!

Eligible member-owners may vote for two Board of Trustee Candidates.

Board of Trustee Candidates:

Casey Schoenberger Incumbent

Mike Hackett Incumbent

Britta Eschete

Ballots must be received by Wednesday, May 13, 2020!

How to Submit Your Ballot:

• Write your Name and Member Number on the outside of an envelope • Enclose ballot in the envelope and return to the ballot box in the Co-op, OR located at the Board of Director’s Information Board by the grocery registers

• Mail ballot with your Name and Member Number to: Skagit Valley Food Co-op, 202 S 1st Street, Mount Vernon, WA 98273, Attn: Ballot

Voting Eligibility, Verification & Confidentiality: You must be an active member to vote in the Board election. An active member is current in equity payments, has made a purchase in the Co-op in the last 12 months, and has a current address on file. Member name and number are required to verify eligibility, and are confidential. Ballots will not be counted without verification. Ballots will be accepted until 5:55pm PST, Wednesday, May 13, 2020. One ballot per active household.

Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020

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Co-op Workshops

Co-op Workshops are held on the Co-op’s third floor (Suite 309) and are free—unless otherwise noted. Please pre-register for these classes online at skagitfoodcoop.com/event. You can also pre-register for classes with Leigha at 360-336-5087x140 or community@skagitfoodcoop.com. You may enter the building through the double glass doors on the southeast end of the building to access the elevator or stairs. Or, come in through the Deli mezzanine and take the stairs to the third floor.

Some workshops may be cancelled due to public health concerns around COVID-19. Please call to double-check.

Better, Deeper Sleep

GMOs & You

Have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting out of bed? Learn what’s keeping you from getting a good night’s rest and get simple solutions using an east-west approach of Ayurveda & habit science.

Learn why GMOs are not the harmless creations agribusiness companies want us to believe, how they can impact your health, and how to detox from their effects.

Monday, April 6, 6:30pm • Isabel Castro

Cultivating Peace

Tuesday, April 7, 6:30pm • Reiki Master Valerie Rose

Turmoil in the world, turmoil in our hearts. Practice creating a peaceful presence with a Reiki meditation and a simple breath exercise.

Neurological Integration System Therapy

Thursday, April 9, 6:30pm • Jean Christensen, LMT Learn about the Neurological Integration System Therapy technique: NIS is a system of non-invasive healthcare that uses the brain-nervous system connection to optimize function and repair of the body.

Wednesday, May 6, 6:00pm • Regina Zwilling

Sleep Apnea in Adults & Children

Thursday, May 7, 6:30pm • Dr. Janette Carroll

An interactive discussion on sleep apnea: why it happens along with indications, symptoms, how to prescreen and treat it.

Blissborn: Childbirth with Hypnosis

Saturday, May 9, 1:00pm • Kathleen Boehm

Birth Hypnosis Training for expectant mothers and their partners for a relaxed, calm, satisfying birth for mom and baby: shortens labor, reduces pain, and decreases complications. Come see how this can work for you.

Midwives and doctors welcome.

Self-Hypnosis

MELT for Hands & Feet

Learn how self-hypnosis can help you relax and focus on the important things in life. You’ll use self-hypnosis tools to focus in on a goal and achieve a positive outcome.

Discover how the connective tissue in your body gets dehydrated, the common aches and pains it can cause, and how to rehydrate for vibrant health and less pain and tension in your hands, feet, neck, and low back brought on by everyday stress, overuse, exercise routines, and age.

Saturday, April 11, 1:00pm • Kathleen Boehm

Basic Building Science: Improving Home Energy Efficiency Monday, April 13, 6:30pm • Skagit Housing Authority

Are you having trouble heating your whole home, keeping your energy bills down, or finding out why those frigid drafts are blowing through your home? Learn the basics of building science and energy efficiency for smarter energy usage, more effective home improvement projects, and DIY tips to slash energy bills.

Happiness Principle: The Simple Keys a Happy & Healthy Life Wednesday, April 15, 6:00pm • Regina Zwilling

Learn why more money, more stuff, and more technology are not making us happier. Get simple hacks to start incorporating now to feel happier (and healthier) every day!

Natural Approaches to Seasonal Allergies

Wednesday, January 15, 6:30pm • Alethea Fleming, ND Join local naturopathic physician Dr. Alethea Fleming for simple, strong steps to help reduce your allergy symptoms.

Essential Remedies: Summer Skincare

Tuesday, April 21, 6:30pm • Michelle Mahler Free, optional supply fee

Learn how to use essential oils for summer: sun protection, hydration, bug repellent, and more! Discover the healing effects of oils available in the Co-op and how to blend them for healing. Optional $10-15 fee to make and take an organic roll-on.

Upper Extremity Function & Dysfunction

Tuesday, April 28, 6:30 pm • Chris Roche, MS, OTR/L, CHT

From acute trauma to repetitive stress, injuries to the upper extremity limit our ability to engage in the things that are important to us. Come learn how exercises and therapy can improve your quality of life.

Living Your Life Full Spectrum

Wednesday, April 29, 6:30pm • Susan Pole

Walk away with three tools that can help you achieve your goals. You’ll have greater clarity on what your goals are and feel more confident in your ability to reach them.

Grumpy Old Yogis

Saturday, May 2, 1:00pm • Eddie the Uncommon Yogi

This one-hour class is a gentle yoga class for grumpy old men—ladies welcome. Bring your own mat, chairs will be available.

Mama's Many Moods: Exploring the Emotions of Motherhood Monday, May 4, 6:30pm • Morghan Milagrosa

Explore the emotional experience of motherhood and examine the cultural context of becoming and being a mother. From extreme highs to extreme lows, and the moments in between, you’ll walk the circuitous route of the deepest love (and frustration) women have ever known.

4 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020

Monday, May 11, 6:30pm • Caryn Boyd Diel, LMT, MS

Neurological Integration System Therapy

Tuesday, May 12, 6:30pm • Jean Christensen, LMT See April 9th Description

Essential Remedies: Anxiety & Pain Relief Thursday, May 14, 6:30pm • Michelle Mahler

Learn how essential oil remedies can help relieve stress, arthritis, muscle, joint, nerve pain, insomnia, PTSD, ADHD, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, nightmares, sleep disorders, headaches & migraines.

Community Building Through Foster Care Tuesday, May 19, 6:30pm • Youthnet

Interested in becoming a foster parent? Meet Youthnet staff for a presentation and Q&A. You will learn about Skagit's current foster care issues, and what it looks like to be a foster parent.

Own Your Power...Go Solar!

Thursday, May 21, 6:30pm • Banner Power Solutions

As Northwest Power Solutions Experts, the Banner Power Solutions team will be on-hand to answer questions about solar for the home, business, or farm. Learn how solar power, generators, and retrofit lighting work and can cut down your energy bill; and how to lower the cost of your solar project through State and Federal incentives.

Love Your Liver

Wednesday, May 27, 6:30pm • Karl Mincin

If the gut is our second brain, the liver is our third – a major metabolic director that processes the good and bad substances. Learn about the liver’s role in health, functional testing, safe and effective detox and support protocols.

Cannabis & You

Thursday, May 28, 6:30pm • Michael Scott

Learn about the endocannabinoid system and its relationship with cannabis, and how this plant medicine can impact your health. Michael is the founder of Project Positive Change and has years of experience researching cannabis: www.projectpc.org

Stress Relief with Hypnosis

Saturday, June 6, 1:00pm • Kathleen Boehm

Decrease stress and increase your quality of life by bringing your brain and body back into balance with hypnosis.

Better Health & Sleep with Myofunctional Therapy Monday, June 8, 6:30pm • Katie Gaston & Amy Rasar

Learn what Orofacial Myofunctional disorders (OMDs) are and how they can affect health. Myofunctional is a noninvasive modality that gets to the root cause of many of these issues.

Wednesday, June 10, 6:30pm • Nutrigold

Tokens For Tomorrow

Neurological Integration System Therapy

Secret Harbor

Teasing Fact from Fiction: Navigating the Supplement Facts Label What’s really on the label? Learn what to look for in dietary supplements, from 3rd party proof to clean-manufactured ingredients. You’ll gain a better understanding of how to read supplement facts labels and make educated and empowered purchases.

Tuesday, June 16, 6:30pm • Jean Christensen, LMT See April 9th Description

Anti-aging Protocols for Young & Old

Wednesday, June 17, 6:00pm • Regina Zwilling

Get the latest science around how we age along with the nutritional, lifestyle, and supplementation strategies you can start using immediately to keep yourself youthful and vital at any age.

Eat & Sleep Your Way to Better Mental Health

Monday, June 22, 6:30pm • Dr. Alethea Fleming, ND

Learn practical ways to start improving your state of mind with better selfcare. Discuss what really works and what is realistic when approaching common anxiety and depression.

Growing Tomatoes & Basil in a Cool Climate Sunday, June 28, 10:00am Nick Guilford, Sunseed Farm

Join us for a rare chance to learn how to grow these warm-season favorites: which varieties are best for our area, from cherry tomatoes to heirlooms along with best practices for growing basil and more! Space is limited.

Please pre-register.

Meet the 2nd Quarter Tokens for Tomorrow groups! With Tokens for Tomorrow, every time you bring in a reusable shopping bag, we honor your commitment to reducing waste with a token worth 5¢ that you can give back to one of these local organizations.

For over 70 years, Secret Harbor has been serving young people in Skagit, Snohomish, King, Whatcom and Island Counties who have experienced trauma due to abuse and neglect. Their mission is to save children and youth in crisis by building healthy relationships, promoting support, and developing successful connections to families and communities.

As a non-profit organization, they offer community-based residential treatment, therapeutic foster care, and in-home family support services.

YMCA Oasis

The YMCA Oasis Teen Shelter provides emergency shelter, case management, outreach, educational workshops, and referral to needed services as well as providing basic needs for runaway and homeless youth ages 13-17. The mission of the YMCA Oasis Teen Shelter is to meet the needs of the youth it serves with the goal of finding a safe and secure housing placement for runaway and homeless youth while making the proper connections and referrals to relevant youth based services in Skagit County and beyond.

Anacortes Middle School Garden to Kitchen Anacortes Middle School’s Garden to Kitchen program takes over 180 students from seed to table as they focus on gardening, cooking, environmental stewardship and nutrition. After school classes draw in additional elementary, middle school students and seniors.

Donations will be used to upgrade equipment, get adequate refrigeration, replace tools, and improve the garden watering system.

Transition Fidalgo

The Co-op welcomes community use of its classroom space.

While we do choose which workshops to host with discretion, the Co-op enjoys hosting a diverse selection of wellness, nutrition, and holistic living classes. Classes hosted at the Co-op do not necessarily reflect the beliefs or opinions of Co-op Board members, staff, and/or all owner-members.

Transition Fidalgo & Friends (TF&F) is volunteer based organization working to strengthen our community’s resilience by developing positive, everyday solutions to the challenges of climate change, energy uncertainty, and economic instability.

TF&F holds several community events to inspire change: monthly suppers, talks, films, skill-share workshops, gardening classes and by sharing your ideas.

REGULAR HOURS Regular hours may be impacted by COVID-19.

Please check our website for current hours.

Co-op:

M-Sat 8am-9pm Sun 9am-9pm

Third Street Cafe:

M-F 11am-Close Sat 9am-Close Sun 9am-9pm

C·SQUARE: Memorial Day:

7am-7pm Daily

Tokens for Tomorrow Recap October – December 2019

29,512

Tokens collected at the registers and paper bags saved.

$1,476

Dollar amount given to local organizations.

OPEN

Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020

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from wellness

A Shift in the Weather by nancylee bouscher It is said that our genius is also our madness. In some circles that might translate to your superpower is also your Achilles’ heel, meaning that the part of us that fuels us forward in life, has the potential to bring us down.

For me, this rings true when I think about my optimistic curiosity. “Why?” was one of my first words, and I have never stopped asking it. Working at the Co-op is an ideal place for someone who likes to question and ponder.

Being curious has allowed me to treat most customers with suspended judgment, eager to understand what they are after, I play twenty questions trying to find the supplement they bought here years ago when all they remember is that it had a photo of a flower on the bottle. Wondering about their lives, I find all customers a fascinating puzzle, whether they are cheerful and smiling or brooding and stoic.

Years ago, when I was new to Wellness, I approached a woman in the hair care area. We’ll call her Coral, because she’s tough and beautiful— especially when she wears her coral colored coat. We had a quick exchange where I tried to understand her request, and she grew more and more irritated with my lack of comprehension. She finally dismissed me with an angry swipe of her hand and a bit of disrespect. I walked away, a bit frazzled, yes, but more than that, curious as to what was happening in her life. Most folks don’t get that upset about shampoo.

Moments later, I walked by Coral as she was paying at the registers and averted my eyes because once bitten, twice shy. But, to my surprise, she physically reached out to me, and apologized sincerely as she looked into my eyes. She acknowledged that she had been rude and shared that she had a terrible headache—a plague I relate to deeply. I forgave her immediately, and that began one of the most rewarding relationships I have with a customer. She showed me that curiosity works best aside authenticity. By postponing judgment, I left open a place in my heart for hope. Hope allowed something to shift.

In an average year, we have about 750,000 transactions run through our registers. Many of those shoppers come to the Co-op with a question.

They are fueled by a “what if?” What if I start a juice cleanse? What if I find something healthy my kid will eat? What if I can sleep better?

While each pocket of the Co-op offers an adventure of unknowns, I realize the Wellness Department holds many mysteries, and folks bring a lot of their curiosities to us. More specifically, I would say herbal supplements intrigue people the most. Yes, we have extractions in liquid and powders, syrups and salves, but to really know a plant and see how she might help you, I think sipping a homebrewed tea, or a more potent herbal infusion, is a beautifully pensive way to grow that relationship.

The bulk section has dried herbs, tea blends, and spices. While confusing initially, with some patience and willingness to learn, you might find your best plant ally for pennies on the dollar. You can purchase a tablespoon or a pound. Bring your own clean, empty spice jars or buy some here (any cashier can help you weigh them while they are empty) and indulge your whims—as long as you label them. Really. The Wellness Department does have resource books you can borrow to read up on plants while you are here, and Mercantile has many books for sale, waiting to come live on your kitchen table and be adorned with years of drips and dog-eared pages.

Perhaps Nettles will calm your allergy, Lemon Balm might help you focus, or Peppermint could ease your menstrual cramps. You’ll never know unless you try.

At this rate, why not try to grow your own remedies, too? Yes, the convenience of prepared bulk or bottled herbs has its place and I’m grateful we have these options available to us.

Jay, in the garden center, has great insight on what plants you may be able to grow in your garden or even in a pot on your porch. Then you can help the plant thrive in gratitude for what she has done for you.

Perhaps one day, you’ll offer a cup of your own special tea blend to a friend, introducing them to a new remedy.

Recently, Coral came into the department just to say hi, like she does. I seek her out, and always find our quick interactions leave me with something more meaningful than just chatting about natural deodorant options (our selection is impressive though). Over the years, we have had talks about everything from addiction to art to toners and yes, shampoo.

Today, we chatted about allergies and then, out of blue, she asked me what I thought “hope” means. In that second, my mind flashed to that word tattooed onto a friend’s arm. She had gotten it done when her son was addicted to heroin and she was at a loss of what to do. She felt entirely powerless, and yet, she knew she could also have hope.

I said to Coral something like, “hope is being curious about the potential for things to get better” and surprised both of us at how something as lofty as hope could be broken down into a choice, into a tangible action. There have been times when I have been accused of being too hopeful, too nice, too optimistic—that maybe hope is more of my madness than my genius. Often, those people do not know the dark places I am capable of visiting with “what if” and how at times I have to force myself to look for a silver lining when, really, I have very little hope of finding anything other than a storm cloud. In those moments, I step outside and sing quiet songs to my red maple and count the birds that fly over me. My cats jump on the railing and meow for attention. My dog picks up her ball and looks at me with expectation.

I take a second to be hopeful that something will shift, and then I make a cup of tea. Sipping the tea won’t chase away the cloud, I know that. But it can shift my perception of the cloud. It lets me be curious about what that storm might wash away, and what will bloom in its place. Alexander Pope may say otherwise, but I say hope springs internal.

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6 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020

Semi-Substainable Goods

REUSABLE BOWL COVERS

Say goodbye to plastic wrap! These reusable, washable bowl covers are easily washable, BPA-free, and come in multiple sizes to keep your food fresh and your footprint small.

Slippy

COFFEE SLEEVES

Get your hands on a reusable coffee sleeve—an easy alternative to single-use cardboard sleeves. The yarn of one Slippy is made out of one plastic bottle collected from the coast.

The Liver: Our Third Brain

by Karl Mincin, Functional Medicine Nutritionist

Drawing and Painting for Children and Teens

Register now at BellinghamArt com or phone us at 360.738.8379

Want to get to the root of your health condition or take your already good health up a notch? You thought the gut was important, wait until you learn about the liver!

If the gut is our second brain, the liver is our third! In fact, since the liver is a key part of the digestive system, most all gut conditions and digestive disorders are directly or indirectly impacted by liver conditions – along with over a dozen other conditions mentioned below.

The liver is a major metabolic director.

It's well known as a filter and detoxifier, but did you know it also processes every nutrient that we consume and every substance that the body produces including hormones, and cholesterol?

The liver’s job is huge! After absorption from the gut, the first stop before entering the blood stream is the liver.

Here is where smart liverbrain function kicks in.

As a thinking organ, the liver determines what to do with every substance we consume, essentially asking: is this friend or foe? What should I do with it? Store it? Detoxify it? Convert it into a more biologically active form? Or, ship it on through and allow it to pass into circulation toward its target tissue destination?

B Vitamins from our food or supplements are NOT in a biologically usable, active form.

The liver is responsible for the co-enzyme conversion. A sluggish liver, which 80% of us walk around with, is precisely why we can be deficient in the very nutrients we consume plenty of, which I see often. Or, why we can have a hormonal imbalance in spite of hormone producing glands, such as ovaries or thyroid, making enough giving the appearance that blood levels are “normal.” If everything is so-called normal and you still don’t feel right, look to the liver!

In my functional nutrition practice, I give a lot of attention to liver health and see very good results even in apparently unrelated health conditions, especially hormonal issues, PCOS, menstrual disorders, peri-menopausal issues, thyroid conditions, skin problems such as acne, allergies, asthma, diabetes & other dysglycemias, high cholesterol and heart disease, arthritis and other inflammatory conditions, autoimmune diseases, and Etcetera-itis!

If ever there was a root cause, the liver is a big one, literally our body's largest, and second smartest, organ, and for good reason!

This article is a condensation of Part 1 of Karl’s 4-part Liver Health series that includes assessing liver function, liver deliverance (avoidance and detoxification), and loving your liver. To learn more, attend Karl’s May 27th workshop “Love Your Liver” at the Co-op!

Karl Mincin is a functional medicine nutritionist and natural health educator in practice locally for 34 years. He is available at 360.336.2616 www.Nutrition-Testing.com Instagram @MincinNutritionist Facebook @NutritionTesting1.

EARTH DAY SALE. 20% OFF ALL BULK ITEMS!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22

Limited to stock on hand. Excludes special orders, water & olive bar.

Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020 7

vendor spotlight

CLEAN Cause CLEAN Cause is an Austin-based beverage company with an amazing giveback program! CLEAN Cause beverages are a sparkling, organic, Yerba Mate with 160mg of Better Caffeine™ for longer lasting, sustained energy without the crash or jitters of coffee or energy drinks. Their mission is to support recovery from alcohol and drug addiction by creating a sustainable source of funding for recovery efforts by giving 50% of profits to fund their “CLEAN Kickstarts” initiative. These sober living scholarships afford individuals coming out of rehab, homelessness, or incarceration the opportunity to focus on establishing a recovery routine and finding employment. CLEAN Cause gives back locally with "Give Where You Swig" to allocate scholarships across the country in correlation with sales. Todate, CLEAN has awarded over 1,153 CLEAN Kickstarts scholarships valued at $576,500.

CLEAN Cause was founded by Wes Hurt, an entrepreneur, person in recovery, and man on a mission. He was inspired to launch CLEAN Cause to create a sustainable source of funding to support recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. Now, Wes and his team are scaling CLEAN Cause across the United States, including the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, with aspirations of one day spreading the brand globally to support recovery across the world. You can help by fueling up with CLEAN Cause or shooting an email to hello@cleancause.com to recommend a sober living house or learn more about sober living scholarships.

CELEBRATE

AT THE CO-OP!

ONE FREE TREE PER CUSTOMER

Wednesday, APRIL 22 DOUGLAS FIR OREGON WHITE OAK

RED ALDER DOUGLAS SPIREA

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Stamback

Coaching and Neurofeedback

call me to see if this is a good fit

360.708.8169 www.KaraStamback.com 8 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020

CLEAN Cause Sparkling Yerba Mate

The Co-op Partners with Ninkasi for 3rd Annual

2019 Community Outreach Index

Fundraiser · Summer 2020 It’s becoming an annual tradition in Downtown Mount Vernon to raise a glass to the Lincoln Theatre! For the third consecutive year, we are partnering with Ninkasi Brewing to support the Skagit County arts and cultural community with our month long April fundraiser: Drinkin’ for the Lincoln. All you have to do is drink great beer!

As part of their Beer is Love Program, Ninkasi Brewing will donate $1 to our friends at the historic Lincoln Theatre for every pint of Ninkasi beer sold at Third Street Cafe and every 6-pack of Ninkasi sold in the Co-op. The fundraiser was originally scheduled for April, but has been postponed. We'll announce new dates later this spring.

Drinkin' funds will go to support the Theatre’s mission to entertain, inform, and inspire the community through cinema, live performance, and educational programs while preserving the theatre as a living treasure right here in

135

Free clases, workshops, and community events hosted by the Co-op.

drinkin' totals: 2018

2019

172

278

PINTS:

415

922

FUNDS RAISED:

$587

$1,200

6-PACKS:

$60,200

Dollar amount given to charitable organizations, including cash donations, food donations, and register donations from Co-op shoppers.

2 YEAR TOTAL: 450 6-PACKS

1,337 PINTS

FUNDS RAISED: $1,787

62

Pairs of Roma rain boots given to children in need during the month of December through Roma’s buy-one-give-one program.

110,483

Tokens collected at the register through our Tokens for Tomorrow Program. It’s the same number of shopping bags diverted from the waste stream because you, our shoppers, brought in your reusable shopping bags.

375

Lincoln Theatre Staff receiving their check.

Free trees given away on Earth Day.

Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020 9

Photos: Courtesy of 4% Friday recipients

4% Friday Community Shopping Day

Every time you shop at the Co-op, you help support our local economy and community. 4% Friday is another easy way to do your weekly shopping and contribute to organizations you care about. You shop, and together we give 4% of the Co-op's sales on the 4th Friday of each month to a non-profit community organization.

Together we gave: December

$2,489

Skagit Adult Day Program

January

$2,446 Immigrant Resources & Immediate Support

February

$2,788 Page Ahead Literacy Program

North Cascades Institute Mountain School April 24

The North Cascades Institute’s mission is to inspire and empower environmental stewardship for all through transformative educational experiences in nature. The Institute was founded in 1986 as a conservation organization aimed at protecting the North Cascades ecosystem through education. NCI believes people will protect what they love. When people spend time in the natural world, they begin to see the more-than-human world as kin rather than a “resource” to be exploited. NCI helps people of all ages and backgrounds experience and enjoy the mountains, rivers, forests, wildlife, and people of the Pacific Northwest.

Mountain School is NCI’s 29-year-old residential education program that brings fifth graders to North Cascades National Park. 4% Friday funds will contribute to the equity imperative of Mountain School by subsidizing tuition for Skagit County elementary schools with high percentages of low-income students.

Family Promise May 22

The mission of Family Promise is to come together as a community to support homeless families as they work to provide their children with a loving home.

4% Friday funds will be used to support the general operations of the shelter and continue to improve the quality of the sustainable loving programs that Family Promise teaches its guests. Funds would help Family Promise meet the unique needs of each family and increase engagement.

Sedro-Woolley Farm to School June 26

The mission of Sedro Woolley F2S is to grow healthier, informed, and empowered eaters by integrating hands-on, food-based learning at all grade levels.

Funds will be used to support gardens throughout the school district, providing basic materials to be shared by several schools.

When individual school garden projects are ready, they can access an agreed-upon share of the materials. The garden team members like the idea of working together as a collective while tailoring each school garden to the unique aspects of individual schools and communities.

The school district has agreed to provide a dedicated space for bulk materials, and the garden team is excited to purchase soil, mulch, and other needed supplies to get and stay growing!

10 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020

new & notable

Flavors from Around the Globe Sauce it Up!

Drink it Up!

Maya Kaimal Simmer Sauces. Thick, creamy, richly flavored sauces turn your choice of veggies and protein into a satisfying Indian entrée. The Co-op is now stocking all 9 varieties of simmer sauces, including Coconut Korma, Butter Masala, New Spicy Vindaloo and New Vegan Tikka Masala. Located in Aisle 6.

Sky Valley International Sauces. Sambal Oelek, Korean BBQ, Taco Sauce, Hoisin, and Chile Sauce (just to name a few).

Free from MSG and artificial ingredients, Sky Valley & Organicville make delicious flavors that support your vegan/glutenfree/low sugar lifestyle. Look for them in Aisle 6 and above the Meat Dept freezer.

Hoplark Sparkling Hop Tea. Brewed like craft beer, but without the alcohol, these sparkling beverages are made with brewed tea leaves and herbs, then dry-hopped for craft-brew flavor. Very low calorie, they are perfect for Parch-March, Sober-October (or whenever you might be taking a break from alcohol) and for low carb diets. In the grocery chill case.

Maya Kaimal Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce

ea

Rebbl Sparkling Tonics. Organic and ethically-sourced herbs and spices are blended with sparkling water and 6 grams of plant-based prebiotics for a quenching beverage that has half the sugar of kombucha, contains absolutely no alcohol, and supports digestive health. In the grocery chill case.

P

m

Clean Cause Sparkling Yerba Mate. Yerba Mate with a mission. Clean Cause was developed to create a sustainable source of funding for addiction recovery efforts in the U.S. In fact, 50% of profits go to supporting addiction recovery and reintegration. Made with Organic Yerba Mate, each can contains n 160 mg of jitter-free caffeine Ca us and only 30 calories. In the eY er ba M ate grocery chill case.

Cl

Primal Kitchen Alfredo Sauce & Vodka Sauce. Keto & Paleo people are going to love these decadent, flavorful sauces. Made with avocado oil and cashew butter, they are completely dairy-free and vegan, too. A Paleo & Keto-approved compliment to zucchini, baked chicken, or your favorite pasta indulgence.

Located in Aisle 6.

ri

by Jenny Sandbo

al

Kic

h en

Vo d k a S a u

ce

Snack it Up!

Indian Life Snacks. Crunchy, savory, salty, traditional Indian snacks fried in Non-GMO sunflower oil and authentically seasoned. Look for Dal Mix, Masala Peas, Hot Punjabi Mix and (our favorite) thick-crunchy Masala Chips. Made in Vancouver, B.C. Stocked in the chip aisle.

Patagonia Provisions Smoked Mussels. Plump, sweet mussels are smoked over Spanish bay wood and packed in olive oil and a briney broth. Responsibly cultivated and harvested by a cooperative of family-owned aqua culture farms off the coast of Spain. Protein rich, they are great for hiking, camping, hors d’oevres and happy hour snacks! In the Meat Dept.

Rebbl Sparkling Probiotic Tonic

Patagonia Provisions Smoked Oysters

Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020 11

12 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020

(continued from page 1)

Greetings From Your New GM much. I bring with me 22 years of co-op experience, most of those as the Operations Director of Hanover Co-op in the Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire.

While at Hanover, I managed four stores, a commissary kitchen, and a gas station.

In my time there, I also earned a Master’s Degree in Co-operative Management from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I truly believe that the world would be a better place with more co-ops!

I am so happy to bring my experience and co-op passion to Skagit. I feel privileged to be the new GM of Skagit Valley Food Co-op. We have a great place that is healthy and vibrant, and I intend to keep it that way. The staff is amazing and thrives on doing great work and serving our member/owners. As wonderful as our Co-op is, we still have room to improve the experience for both our members and staff. I plan to work with both stakeholder groups on doing just that. Over the next few months, I will be collaborating with staff, members, shoppers, and the Board to address issues and seek new opportunities in our store as well as C-SQUARE & Third Street Cafe. My overall plan is to make your Co-op even better than it already is! This will take hard work, as well as time. Before I take on too many new things, I still have a lot to learn about how things currently work here. I look forward to learning much through my future interactions with you all.

So, when you see a new face or hear that Back East accent, please say hi! I look forward to meeting you all.

— Tony White

staff profile

Estrella Pineda

IT/POS Co-op Employee Since May 2014

Favorite Customer Moment: This is a hard one to choose from after having so many wonderful interactions with customers throughout the years, but I would say that one of my favorite customer interactions was about five years ago when I was a cashier. I had a regular customer, Randy, who would come in every Saturday morning (always one of the first at opening). Kelsey Y. and I would open together and would wait to see whose register he would choose to go through, and we had both memorized his member number!

I would look forward to those weekly Saturday morning chats with Randy.

It’s been about 4 years since I stopped cashiering, but I run into Randy every now and then and catch up. Customer interactions like these are for sure one of the perks of working at the Co-op!

Favorite Item in the Co-op: My favorite item in the Co-op is our own organic ice cream. They are all so good, especially the Coffee Cookie Crumble!

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Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020 13

Honoring a Lifetime of Sustainable Agriculture

by Ben Goe

There’s a lot that I love about my job. I get to source some of the coolest, freshest, and most local produce to be had. I also work with a lot of great people. We have customers who really appreciate what we are doing and tell us so. And I am privileged to be involved in our weird, wonderful, vibrant local agricultural scene without having to actually farm anything.

Every year, we have a lunch meeting with a group of our key farms to discuss what went well, what could use work, and what changes farms have planned – to their lives, farms, crop lists, and so on. People from other co-ops frequently ask me about this meeting. In fact, it’s often one of the few things they know about our store, and I’ve only recently started to understand why they find it so interesting: Skagit Valley farmers are remarkably supportive of one another.

There’s no fighting at our meeting. Farmers offer to share responsibility for crops, they sign up as primary or secondary growers, commiserate and offer advice, laugh, set up equipment sharing, and so on.

Anne Shwartz of Blue Heron Farm in Rockport has always been a key player at these meetings, and I think the biggest news at the meeting this year was that she is stepping back significantly after a lifetime of farming the upper Skagit Valley. With this big piece of news, I wanted to take some time to recognize and appreciate Anne, as she has done for us so many times over the years.

It’s hard to overstate Anne’s importance to our regional food systems, state agriculture, and even the establishment, implementation, and definition of the National Organic Standards. She has always been one of the Food Co-op’s biggest cheerleaders and supporters, and she helped me develop what we have today in our produce department.

Anne moved to Washington from New Jersey in 1975. She had been offered a full ride at Rutgers in their agriculture program, but declined the scholarship to pursue her interest in veterinary science at Washington State University. She earned a degree in animal and dairy sciences with hopes of getting into WSU's highly-competitive post-grad Veterinary Program. Although not selected for the program, she had learned an incredible amount about food systems and had noticed a lack of sustainability in farming practices; she saw monoculture wheat farms stripping the land, ill treatment of animals, and a lack of foresight and planning. So, Anne forged her own path instead—a lifelong pursuit of sustainable, organic agriculture, which brought her here.

She moved to Sedro-Woolley and worked for a dairy farmer at Northern State, learning how to handle trucks, tractors, and other aspects of farming. She joined what was then known as the Tilth Producers’ Cooperative, which later became Washington Tilth. In 1979, she joined up with Cascadian Farm, and started farming her own land in Rockport. She played a very important role at Cascadian with her knowledge of farm equipment and practices. For 15 years, the local fire department consisted of Anne and her husband along with one or two other volunteers at a time. She has volunteered on countless advisory committees, helped get the Pullman and Moscow Food Co-ops

Anne Shwartz of Blue Heron Farm

off the ground, mentored countless young idealists, and provided delicious, healthy food to many people.

Anne will continue to provide us with a few of her favorite crops. We will see some bamboo shoots, baby greens, raspberries, blueberries, and parsley with the familiar Blue Heron Farm tag. But also be on the lookout for a new tag. Long Hearing Farm will be providing some of the crops that Blue Heron has provided in the past, and is run by Anne’s student and farm hand Elizabeth on Anne’s land. I wish Anne the best in her semi-retirement, and offer my sincere thanks for all that she has done for so many people. Thank you, thank you.

IN-SEASON PRODUCE APRIL

MAY

JUNE

∙ Rhubarb — from Living Rain Farm

∙ Asparagus — from Living Rain Farm and Canales Produce

∙ Spicy mixed greens — from Blue Heron Farm

∙ Shiitake and Lion's Mane mushrooms — from Cascadia Mushrooms

∙ Wild harvested Morel mushrooms — from Organic Antics

∙ Leeks, collard greens, and red cabbage raab — from Ralph's Greenhouse

∙ Radishes — from Ralph's Greenhouse

∙ June bearing strawberries: Totem, Puget, Rainier, and Shuksan varieties — from Hedlin Farm

∙ Microgreens — from Dahlia Depot and Tops & Bottoms

∙ Sunflower sprouts — from Moondance Farm

∙ Radishes — from Hedlin Family Farms

∙ Clover sprouts — from Moondance Farm

∙ Microgreens — from Dahlia Depot and Tops & Bottoms

∙ Bunched spinach and leek scapes — from Ralph's Greenhouse

∙ Sunflower greens — from Moondance Farm

14 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020

∙ Red leaf, green leaf, and romaine lettuce — from Skagit Flats Farm ∙ Salad mix — from Moondance Farm and Well Fed Farm ∙ Bamboo shoots — from Blue Heron Farms ∙ Red, green, and Lacinato kale — from Ralph's Greenhouse and Well Fed Farms

Classifieds

Dependable Housesitter Available Call Marlee Mountain: 360-317-3353 Please leave a message.

For Rent Quiet cozy treatment space available in popular established MV wellness center. Perfect for massage or bodywork. Available 2-4 days a week.

All utilities included.

For more info: Barb 360-336-6809 or Jayne 360-708-0804 Elder Care Help.

Do you have a parent or loved one who needs help with: Paying monthly bills? Managing medical payments and insurance? Balancing their checkbook?

Maintaining important records?

Care you can trust! Annie Walker, BA, ATA Balanced Bookkeeping and Accounting Services 856-5474. balacctsvc@cnw.com Professional References.

Ad Rates & Sizes Contact

The Natural Enquirer at nicole@skagitfoodcoop.com or (360) 336 5087 ext. 136.

Or visit our website at www.skagitfoodcoop.com /learn/stay-connected We offer discounts for prepayment.

All first-time ads MUST be paid in advance.

The ad deadline for the next issue (July 2020) is Friday, May 22.

Gift Cards…

Always the Right Choice Use at the Co-op, C·SQUARE, or at

Third Street Cafe

Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020 15

Feed Your Food & Flowers: Our Down to Earth Menu

by Garden Jay

You need food. Your plants need food. You need healthy food. So do they, especially the ones which will one day be your healthy food. We can help you with that.

After yielding to temptation and loading up at our seed racks, continue down the aisle towards the Deli and you're met with a tidy but probably less inspiring display of our garden dry goods: soils, fertilizers, organic pest controls, small hand tools and the like. All useful, sure, but less fun than the seeds—and reminders that this gardening thing is work!

Anyway, this is where you’ll find your garden’s buffet table. There’s a wall of neat brown boxes facing the seeds, 15 varieties of mostly-organic fertilizers and soil conditioners with retro illustrations that give clues to what's inside or what they're for. These are from Down To Earth Distributors in Eugene, Oregon, a "green lifestyle" company that manufactures or distributes a majority of our dry goods and fertilizers.

If you're reading this I presume you can read a box, but today I’ll give a short blurb on each that you can further investigate on the Google from the comfort of your home. While you’re researching, educate yourself on the N-P-K numbers found on most packaged fertilizers (the three hyphenated numbers following the name) if you don’t know them already; it will really help you decipher this article! I apologize that I don't have space to go into them in depth here, but quick 'n’ dirty: Nitrogen (N, the first number) is for green growth, Phosphorous (P, the second) for roots and flowers and Potassium/potash (K, the third) for overall plant strength and vigor.

Different plants have different needs and our selection covers most of them.

Alright, here we go! The mixes first, and the first three are our bestsellers: ACID MIX 4-3-6. Put on your tie-dye and apply these groovy granules to your blueberries and other acid-loving plants like rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and most evergreens. Apply in early spring for strong green growth, then again when blooms appear. Contains cottonseed and fish bone meals, langbeinite, rock phosphates, humates, and kelp meal.

ROSE & FLOWER 4-8-4. Balanced N and K but higher P for bigger, more abundant blooms on your roses and most other flowering plants including bulbs, annuals, and perennials. Fish bone meal, blood meal, langbeinite, alfalfa meal, seabird guano, rock phosphate, humates, and kelp meal. Organic.

STARTER MIX 3-3-3. Such good stuff for your babies! Milder than most of the mixes so as not to burn delicate sprouts, and with that mycorrhizae stuff to provide jet fuel for the developing roots. Alfalfa meal, fish bone meal, langbeinite, oyster shell, basalt, feather meal, humates, kelp meal, and endomycorrhizal fungi. Organic.

VEGAN MIX 3-2-2. No ground-up critters or their by-products in this mix! A mild, allpurpose feed that you can feel good about and get great results while you're at it.

Contains soybean meal, neem seed meal, alfalfa meal, rock phosphate, langbeinite, greensand, humates, and kelp meal.

Organic, naturally.

Besides the blends, these single ingredients allow you to create your own custom mix(es), enhance one you're already using or enjoy them on their own with an adult beverage (kidding, please don’t): ALFALFA MEAL 2.5-0.5-2.5.

Soil conditioner with trace elements and natural growth stimulants. For flowering shrubs, especially roses, and often used with the Rose & Flower fertilizer to supplement what's already there. Many rose growers swear by it and it's safe to use lots of it, so why not? Useful compost bioactivator, too. Organic.

ALL PURPOSE 4-6-2. The name says it—if you don't want to fuss and just need something that's organic and works for pretty much everything, here it is. Maybe the rest of this article is suddenly pointless! Fish bone meal, blood meal, feather meal, alfalfa meal, rock phosphate, langbeinite, humates, and kelp meal.

AZOMITE 0-0-0.2. Mined from an extinct volcano in Utah, azomite is called "the A to Z of trace minerals"—over 70, in fact. Trace minerals, vital to soil health, get used up by plants and washed away, especially in light soils, so it's good to add them back now and then. Also good in compost and even potting soil, helping your plants unlock the nutrition in fertilizers and the soil itself.

Organic.

VEGETABLE GARDEN 4-4-4. A relatively new product that's getting rave reviews, perfect NPK balance that works for leafy greens and tomatoes alike. Fish bone meal, alfalfa meal, feather meal, langbeinite, basalt, potassium sulfate, Dolomite lime, and kelp meal. Organic.

FEATHER MEAL 12-0-0. Very high nitrogen as organic ingredients go, great for your leafy greens like lettuce, spinach, and kale and there's no pesky phosphorous to make them bolt (flower). It releases slowly and is best added to the soil before you plant, not so much during active growth. Organic.

BIO-FISH 7-7-2. A richer blend for heavy feeders like corn, cole crops, and tomatoes, and it feeds the soil while it feeds your plants. Fish bone meal, fish meal, feather meal, sulfate of potash, alfalfa meal, humates, and kelp meal. Organic.

FISH BONE MEAL 4-12-0. Phosphorous is an essential plant nutrient for root growth, buds, and blooms, and this is my preferred source. I use it in the fall, mostly, for garlic and flower bulbs to help them root strongly, and for the flower bulbs to grow bigger and stronger buds and blooms.

Don't overdo phosphorous—I add a little to each individual planting hole, but I don't broadcast it on the whole area. Organic.

BIO-LIVE 5-4-2. New to us last year, I tried it and was impressed. It contains most of the usual suspects— fish bone meal, fish meal, alfalfa meal, langbeinite, humates, and kelp meal plus crab meal, shrimp meal, and our special guest stars: mycorrhizal fungi and beneficial bacteria! Yum. The myco stuff attaches to roots almost like a prosthesis to take up more water and nutrients, making for more vigorous plant growth. Awesome and organic.

KELP MEAL 1-0.1-2. A general tonic for your plants with a misleadingly low N-P-K rating, but it's the K (potash/potassium) that's readily available and makes for stronger, almost unusually healthy growth. It's kind of magical, really, though I've never

16 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • April - June 2020

The Co-op's selection of Down to Earth fertilizer.

met anyone who can explain it very well. Organic.

NEEM SEED MEAL 6-1-2. For foliage plants including leafy greens, with high nitrogen content and low phosphorous so blooming isn't encouraged. I've sold neem products for years (and still do) as safe, organic insecticides and fungicides but it's great fertilizer, too, and one of our few boxed ingredients that can be steeped to make a foliar tea to spray directly on leaves to feed the plant. Organic.

OYSTER SHELL. A rich source of calcium that sweetens acid soil and enables better nutrient uptake and, maybe my favorite thing: helps prevent blossom end rot on tomatoes! Organic.

There we have it, folks... the whole dirty business. Come see me at the Co-op if you have questions, need to correct my information or tell me how much you appreciate my informative articles! Ha. garden@skagitfoodcoop.com works, too.