Natural Enquirer July 2019

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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

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Co-op Seeks 4% Friday Applicants For 2020 The Million Waves Project (pictured) is our 4% Friday Community Shopping Day recipient for July. The Anacortesbased o rg a n i z at i o n brings together two unacceptable global situations and offers a practical and sustainable solution: it collects, cleans, and recycles plastic from the ocean to create 3D printed prosthetics for people in need, for just $45 each.

The Board of Directors is currently accepting non-sectarian, non-partisan charitable applicants for the Co-op’s 4% Friday Community Shopping Day Program in 2020. Groups chosen, one per month for the calendar year, receive 4% of the day’s gross receipts at the Skagit Valley Food Co-op.

Photo: Million Waves Project

These community groups are selected for their service to the community in the following areas: local community service, organic food, natural health, environmentally friendly and

sustainable agricultural practices, human rights, environmental preservation, and other areas that reflect “like-minded” mission statements. The Board also hopes to select at least one organization

in this issue

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From the Board ∙ pg 2

with a focus on youth. 4% Friday applications are due September 30, 2019 and can be downloaded from our website: www.skagitfoodcoop.com.

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Summer Workshops ∙ pg 4 Intermediate Disturbance ∙ pg 7 Local Impact Index ∙ pg 9 New in the Co-op ∙ pg 11 Fair Trade Bananas ∙ pg 14

Diggin' It with Garden Jay

The Ways we Change

100% Green Power

from the board

Member Engagement Please Use Your Event Summary Patronage!

On April 18, 2019, thirty-two people attended the Skagit Valley Food Co-op Member Engagement Event, hosted by the Board of Directors, to explore meaningful ways to connect with the Co-op membership, and how we might reboot the “Member and Community Engagement Committee.”

Facilitator Holly O’Neil, who works with several food co-ops in our region, explained that people have a diverse array of needs when they join a co-op, and that it needs to be easy (and enjoyable) for people to engage at whatever level they choose to be involved. Holly also noted that systems need to be efficient, without being too cumbersome or expensive for staff to manage.

The group reflected on the methods that the Co-op currently uses to engage members, and how those might be improved. Themes included:

Provide more information to members and shoppers.

Example: “Offer a ‘Welcome to the Co-op’ for new members. This would give a quick overview of what the Co-op is all about and the various offerings.”

Create more opportunities for input and respond to it.

Example: “Conduct surveys/interviews in the Latino community to understand barriers to joining, shopping, etc. to improve equity & diversity among members and make the Co-op feel welcome.”

Increase outreach to broaden community and demographic.

Example: “Seek out teachers to give classes that might attract other members of the community that are not Co-op members.”

Tell about the ways the Co-op benefits the community.

Example: “Seek out teachers to give classes that might attract other members of the community that are not Co-op members.”

Make meetings fun!

Example: “I think it is really important to make it fun to come to meetings.”

The Board of Directors thanked everyone for attending this important event, and shared that the Board will be working over the next few months to reflect on the feedback, offer suggestions to management, and reboot a new Member and Community Engagement Committee!

Kristen Ekstran

Rob Smith

Wayne Rushing

Board Election Results

In case you missed it: the Co-op Board announced a Patronage Refund to Co-op member-owners based on their 2018 purchases.

Approximately $150,000 in refunds were distributed to about 8,500 member-owners earlier this year. This is a friendly reminder that if you received a refund to please use it! You must redeem your refund by July 29, 2019. Otherwise, your store credit becomes taxable for the Co-op, and you forfeit your refund. Using your refund is easy: simply let the cashier know that you’d like to use your patronage refund toward your purchase while you’re checking out.

2025 Vision Survey In 2012, your Co-op Board initiated a visioning process: what might the Co-op be like in the year 2020? With your help, the final product was our 2020 Vision Statement, a valuable tool we continue to use as a guide in our strategic planning. Looking to the future has always helped us stay on track in the present, and now, as we're nearing 2020, we need to continue to look to the future for strategic planning purposes.

And once again, we want your input as we create a vision for the Skagit Valley Food Co-op of 2025. To begin this process, we're presenting you with a short list of questions, essential to moving forward. To answer these questions, it will be most helpful if you imagine the future you, inside the Co-op Building on a single day in the year 2025: On this day, as you walk into the Co-op, what do you see, hear, smell, and feel?

On this day, what draws you to the Co-op? What keeps you coming back?

On this day, what role is the Co-op playing in our community and our world?

Please visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VXPV5KX to answer these questions and help shape the Co-op's future. We’ll also be sending the survey link out through the e-news in July! We greatly appreciate your input and your ongoing support of the Co-op.

What’s New at Third Street Cafe The chefs and kitchen staff at Third Street Cafe worked diligently this spring to update our dinner menu with new made-from-scratch dishes featuring the best mix of seasonality and flavor. Our new items include sustainable seafood, Non-GMO Project Verified beef, and more vegetarian and vegan options than before! Oh, and there are new handmade pizzas and pastas, too. If you haven’t visited us at Third Street Cafe recently, summer is a great time to come check out what else the Co-op has to offer our community. (continued on page 8)

Thank You to everyone who voted in the 2019 Board of Directors

Election. We are happy to welcome back Kristen Ekstran and Rob Smith to the Board of Trustees, along with Wayne Rushing, the new Voting Staff Board Representative.

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.”

2 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019

Ricotta Stuffed Chicken 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: nancylee bouscher, Rosemary Carter, Ben Goe, Jenny Sandbo, Jay Williams, and Todd Wood | Board of Trustees: Brad Claypool, Kristen Ekstran, Mike Hackett, Casey Schoenberger, Rob Smith, Wayne Rushing & Tom Theisen Copyright 2019: Reprints with permission

diggin’ it with garden jay

The Vegetators: Sunseed Feeds Your Need

by Garden Jay Around the first of March our vegetable starts begin to trickle in, harbingers of winter’s end, spring's promise, and summer's bounty. A couple of racks angle towards you on the left as you approach our main doors: most of the brassicas (cabbage family) including kale, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, collards, and arugula are first on the scene, keeping company with peas, beets, chard, the first lettuces, onions and leeks, perennial herbs, and other little green things that don’t mind the still-cool weather. You may not be ready to plant yet, and that’s okay! ...the season is only beginning, and we’ll have most of these hardy babies into mid-May. At the end of April, the first tomatoes flood in on new racks and claim two more precious parking spots out front, along with peppers, eggplants, tomatillos, squash, cucumbers, beans, corn, nasturtiums, sunflowers, ground cherries, and several types and sizes of basil.

The plants come from Sunseed Farm near Acme, supplier of 99.5% of our growable edibles, 100% certified organic.

Owner and founder Nick Guilford began growing and selling his fresh produce to stores and farmers' markets beginning in 1997, adding vegetable starts in 2000. The starts, he says, are now about 70% of his business.

The farm is sited on the South Fork of the Nooksack River, four acres and eight greenhouses tended by Nick and his partner Margaret Gerard, and a small seasonal staff.

Together they grow and sell over 300 different items to cooks and gardeners in Skagit and Whatcom Counties. Nick worked on other organic farms before establishing Sunseed, and Margaret studied sustainable agriculture at Evergreen State College. They strive to live lightly on the land and work to support and improve their natural landscape, planting native trees, establishing beneficial insect-supporting habitat, and living in an off-grid, solar powered home.

“We have been organic since the beginning, not as a marketing choice but because we believe deeply that the process of growing food needs to be healthy for people, the soil, and our whole ecological system. We see the health of people and the health of the land as being inextricably linked.”

We're down with that, and we’re proud to be Sunseed's biggest customer, remarkable considering our garden center’s tiny footprint! It's the rapid turnover: their wide selection of beautifully grown, region-appropriate plants

Photo by: Margaret Gerard & Nick Guilford

sell quickly, as you may know if you come in after a busy weekend and we're out of that particular thing you were after. Their tomato starts vie with their snap peas as our best-selling plants, and Sunseed's offerings as a whole account for more than half of our spring plant sales.

Deliveries continue into early summer with starts for your fall and winter garden, but by mid-July we've pretty much seen the last of Nick and Margaret for the year.

This is when they tend to their other business, making weekly appearances at the Bellingham Farmers Market with their fresh produce.

Nick is a busy man who doesn't really do interviews, but I've pestered him about it for a few years now, and he finally agreed to answer a few questions via email about what he does and why he does it. I see the man in person every week but what, you think we have time for an interview while frantically swapping out loaded racks for the empties along that gray wall? You're waiting for your cilantro, fercryinoutloud, and you've got a ferry to catch! 'Bye, Nick.

After getting background info I needed to begin this thing, I asked him how he chooses what to grow and if there's any room to expand the selection even further.

His reply contained breaking news: “Our lineup has evolved over the years based on crops that we have first-hand experience with in the field, as well as what customers and buyers ask for. We have a genuine desire to see gardeners get substantial, nutritious yields out of their home gardens. Our longtime experience growing produce for farmers’ markets has been invaluable in finding varieties that really stand out in terms of vigor, flavor, reliability, and high yields. We do have the capacity to add more varieties, and plan to offer more micro-batch varieties next season that will rotate through at just a week or two each.”

Micro batches? More things for us to run out of quickly, yay! ...and another reason for you to shop early and often next year, right?

Growing organically has challenges not faced by conventional farms when it comes to pest, disease, and weed control, so I asked: what do you do about all that? No magical solutions, but his approach is very much “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

“Primarily we use preventative measures to avoid getting to the point where we need to do something more drastic. Years ago we were having fungal issues in a number of our greenhouses. As we geared up for a new season knowing we needed to solve this issue, we purchased several organic fungicide sprays to have on hand as a last resort, but we focused on improving our air circulation and humidity level first. We never broke the seal on any of those bottles and haven’t had any of those problems in the 12 years since.”

Insect control? Mostly crop rotation and row cover. Weeds? Mechanical and hand cultivation. He's a strong advocate of the stirrup or hula hoe. No magic, no Roundup. Hard work, because farming is.

Next up: tomatoes. I first asked if he was willing to share his growing secrets but instead of replying directly, he referred me to his website.

That was a really good answer: get thee to www. sunseedfarm.com/tomatopruning and get educated!

Not directly related, but while you're there you should also check out www. sunseedfarm.com/plantingcalendar for an awesome chart showing the proper outdoor planting times in our area for everything he grows. You should bookmark this page or print it out.

Of course I had to ask him to name a few of his favorite varieties, tomatoes and otherwise, and what he loves about them. “Sungold!” tomatoes earned an exclamation point, and I think a majority of our tomato-growing customers would agree with him. I'm one of the few heretics who thinks they're merely okay and gets annoyed that they crack so easily, but even I will admit they're very sweet and maybe the most prolific tomato you can grow in our climate. Nick and I do agree on Big Beef, which he says “sounds like kind of a boring Midwest tomato variety, but really is pretty great.” Productive, beautiful, tastes great? Oh yeah! Non-tomato choices: red butter lettuce, Denali cauliflower, and Marathon broccoli (the latter two both late varieties) are amazing and in his opinion, underappreciated. We sell enough of them, though, that I think some of you appreciate them very much.

By the time you read this our last Sunseed racks will be emptying out; to everything there is a season and all that. The plants you bought from us this spring should be feeding you soon if they haven't already. We– and Nick and Margaret– thank you for your support this year. Bon appétit, good people! Eat all your vegetables, or there'll be no dessert!

Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019

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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 Nicole at 360-336-5087x136 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.

Forgiveness and Reiki, A Powerful Path of Liberation with Valerie Rose Tuesday, July 9, 6:30pm

Holding onto past hurts and regrets burdens us and our relationships. Reiki is divinely guided life energy, balancing and healing body, mind, and spirit; experience its transformational power as you release pain of the past and experience gratitude in the present.

Neurological Integration System Therapy with Jean Christensen, LMT Wednesday, July 10, 6:30 pm

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.

Planning Ahead for Natural Burial with Jodie Buller Wednesday, July 31, 6:30pm

Green burial is a beautiful, meaningful way to return to the earth when you die. This class offers pre-planning ideas and de-mystifies natural burial practices with practical stepby-step instructions.

Happiness through Meditation with Dr. Nayak Polissar Thursday, August 1, 6:30pm

Uncover the why and how of meditation and how it can take you into deeper realms of your being, where you can discover the positive and happy person that you really are. The class includes several meditation techniques and practice. Nayak has taught meditation globally and leads the Sri Chinmoy Meditation Center in Seattle: www.seattle-meditation.org

Cohousing - Fostering Sustainability and Resiliency through Community with Skagit Cohousing

Neurological Integration System Therapy with Jean Christensen, LMT

People are talking about cohousing. Why? Because it’s an antidote to our culture’s loss of connection and community. In this workshop, learn how Skagit Cohousing is developing a cohousing community to foster sustainability and resiliency here in Skagit County with its new project.

See July 10 Description.

Thursday, July 11, 6:30pm

Chi Nei Tsang & Digestive Health with Caryn Boyd Diel Monday, July 15, 6:30pm

Chi Nei Tsang is an ancient healing method from China which is used to restore balance to the digestive organs. Caryn has been teaching and practicing Chi Nei Tsang for over 20 years and just published a book about its history: "The Mountain Path.” She will share an overview of CNT and a self-care method.

Essential Remedies: Aromatherapy Blending for Mind, Body & Spirit with Michelle Mahler Tuesday, July 16, 6:30pm

Learn how to blend and use a topical therapy massage oil to affect all levels of your being and smell great at the same time, using Michelle’s guide to common essential oils, notes, and recipes. Kids 5+ welcome! Optional $10 supply fee to make a roll-on.

Happiness Principle with Regina Zwilling Wednesday, July 17, 6:00pm

Get the simple keys to living a happy and healthy life!

Learn why more money, more stuff, and more technology are not making us happier. Regina will share simple daily habits to help you feel happier (and healthier) every day!

Own Your Own Power...Go Solar! with Banner Power Solutions Thursday, July 18, 6:30pm

Learn how solar power can cut down your energy bill; and how to lower the cost of your solar project through State and Federal incentives for home, business, or farm.

Nutrition Testing Workshop with Karl Mincin Monday, July 22, 6:30 pm

From simple at-home self-test monitoring to state-of-theart lab testing, learn how to more accurately evaluate your nutritional status and balance your body chemistry. You’ll perform quick tests in class that provide instant feedback; get a partial nutrition physical examination; and take home self-test nutrition questionnaires.

Connection & Belonging: An Intro to Family Constellations with Verena Giebels Thursday, July 25, 6:30pm

The connection we have as families with our ancestors is often beyond our consciousness. Learn how unresolved issues can travel through generations; how they’re brought to light in Family Constellations; and how to receive strength from your ancestors. Verena Giebels, LMP, CCSP was certified as a Facilitator for Family Constellations in 2004 by the Human Systems Institute.

4 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019

Monday, August 12, 6:30pm

Community Building through Foster Care with Youthnet Tuesday, August 13, 6:30pm

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.

From Fatigued to Fantastic with Regina Zwilling Wednesday, August 14, 6:00pm

Manage your hormones for greater energy and vitality. Learn how your adrenals get drained, your hormones get out of balance, and how this leads to weight gain and zaps your energy. You will leave with a plan to restore your adrenal health and balance your hormones to feel great again!

What’s in Your Mouth with Dr. Janette Carroll, DDS & Kristen Reisnour, RDF Monday, August 19, 6:30pm

Research has shown certain bacteria in the mouth can cause a wide range of health catastrophes throughout the whole body. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, gum disease and sleep apnea! Come hear how all of these medical conditions are linked together.

Essential Remedies: Summer Skincare & First Aid with Essential Oils with Michelle Mahler Tuesday, August 20, 6:30pm • Free, optional supply fee

Learn how to use diluted essential oils for cuts and scrapes, eczema, psoriasis, wrinkles & scars, sore muscles and joints, hydrating skin and hair, sunscreen, sunburns, bug bites and repellent and much more!

Discuss the healing effects of ingredients available in the Co-op and how to put them together for your best healing blend. Optional $1015 fee to make and take an organic roll-on.

The First Year: Conquer Constipation, Reflux, & Colic Naturally! with Dr. Cheryl Schmitt Wednesday, September 4, 6:30pm

Colic, constipation, and reflux seem to be increasing for babies, and finding natural relief can be a struggle. Learn why your child may be experiencing symptoms and tips for restoring optimum health. Dr. Cheryl is a wife and a mom of four, and holds additional certifications in pediatric care and the Webster technique.

Cannabis & You with Michael Scott Thursday, September 5, 6:30 pm

Learn about the endocannabinoid system; its relationship with cannabis; and how cannabis can benefit your health. Explore what researchers, scientists, and doctors have discovered about adding this plant medicine into your life. Driven by life threatening illness, Michael has spent years traveling and documenting hundreds of hours of interviews with the world’s top cannabis researchers and doctors.

Transforming Adverse Conditions into Spiritual Growth with Kadampa Meditation Monday, September 9, 6:30pm

Adverse conditions abound; things do not go as we wish, and we’re often disappointed. Depending on interpretation, these can be painful, meaningless experiences or opportunities for growth. Join as the instructor shares Buddhist advice on transforming adverse conditions into personal growth.

Tokens For Tomorrow

Experience Abundance with ThetaHealing® with Valerie Rose Tuesday, September 10, 6:30pm

Where would you like to experience abundance in your life? In relationships?

Health? Finances? Creativity? Unconscious beliefs and past experiences can hold you back from enjoying your birthright of abundance. Experience the transformational energy of ThetaHealing® to explore and release limiting beliefs, and replace them with your vision of an abundant life.

Meet the 3rd 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.

Long Live the Kings: Save Salmon to Save Orcas

Understanding Hypothyroidism with Dr. Alethea Fleming, ND Wednesday, September 11, 6:30pm

Join local naturopathic physician Dr. Alethea Fleming for an informative, interesting, and good-humored look at what it means to have low thyroid function, how to best assess it, and understanding treatment options.

Neurological Integration System Therapy with Jean Christensen, LMT Thursday, September 12, 6:30pm See July 10 Description.

Planning Ahead for Natural Burial with Jodie Buller Monday, September 16, 6:30pm See July 31 Description.

Essential Remedies: Pain Relief & Immunity with Michelle Mahler

Tuesday, September 17, 6:30pm • Free, optional supply fee

Have you been wondering how to choose, purchase, store, and blend quality essential oils? Come learn simple and safe application methods of plant medicine with essential oils to boost immunity naturally. There will be an open discussion and take-home notes! Optional $10 fee to make and take a blend.

Own Your Power...Go Solar! with Banner Power Solutions Thursday, September 19, 6:30pm See July 18 Description.

Digestion, Sleep, & Stress with Isabel Castro Monday, September 23, 6:30pm

Stress inhibits digestion and disrupts sleep. The good news is that your body and mind are wired for resiliency. In this experiential class, you'll explore simple ways to turn down the stress while optimizing digestion and sleep.

Going Carbon-Neutral is Easier than You Think with NW Center for Sustainability Tuesday, September 24, 6:30pm

Climate change reports are becoming more urgent, and reducing greenhouse gases is a huge focus. How can you, your family, or your organization make a difference? Dr. Steve Hoffman, Executive Director of NW Center will lead discussion on how to reduce your footprint and move toward carbon-neutrality.

The Power of Breath with Regina Zwilling Wednesday, September 25, 6:00pm

Our breath is the most underutilized tool to destress, think clearer, sleep better, and so much more! Learn why breathing correctly is so critical to our overall health and wellbeing. Regina will lead you through two powerful breathing techniques to use immediately: one for calming and one for energy.

Introduction to Yi Ren Qigong with Stephanie Prima Thursday, September 26, 6:30pm

Emotions, health, and life in general are always changing. Qigong helps balance and harmonize, to flow more smoothly through the change. Learn how Yi Ren® Qigong blends ancient Chinese self-healing techniques with modern science to access and develop the body’s bio-energetic ‘Qi’ system for greater health, vitality, and self-awareness. All movements can be done in standing or seated position.

Blissborn: Natural Childbirth with Birth Hypnosis with Kathleen Boehm, RN Saturday, September 28, 1:00pm

Learn how hypnosis can help you have a more comfortable birth experience. With Blissborn you can have fewer complications as well as a shorter labor. Discover how this amazing technique helps you tap into your natural abilities to give birth in a more comfortable way.

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.

Long Live the Kings’ mission is to restore wild salmon and steelhead, and support sustainable fishing in the Pacific Northwest. LLTK envisions a Northwest with a growing human population, a thriving economy, a healthy Puget Sound, and strong and vibrant salmon runs. Since 1986, its efforts have resulted in significant wins for Pacific Northwest salmon. When you choose to donate to Long Live the Kings, you help ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy a Puget Sound that supports salmon, orcas, and all who depend on them.

Northwest Organization for Animal Help (The NOAH Center)

Northwest Organization for Animal Help is dedicated to stopping the euthanasia of healthy, adoptable and treatable homeless dogs and cats. It is committed to high quality spay and neuter programs available for low income residents, family friendly pet adoptions, humane education and volunteer programs through its state-of-the-art facilities and Spay/Neuter Center.

Girls on the Run

The Y is a cause-driven organization focused on three key areas: youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. It believes a strong community can only be achieved by investing in our kids, our health, and our neighbors. Girls on the Run combines training for a 5k running event with healthy living education.

Through interactive activities such as running, playing games, and discussing important issues, participants in the 12-week program learn how to celebrate their unique and real selves.

Children of the Valley

Children of the Valley is a safe, secure after school program that provides a positive, caring, and supportive environment for children of low-income families that values and respects each child’s potential, while offering a variety of cultural enrichment activities as well as academic support. Children of the Valley enjoys creating partnerships and building relationships within the community and cultures of the Skagit Valley.

Tokens for Tomorrow Recap January - March 2019

24,247

Tokens collected at the registers and paper bags saved.

$1,212

Dollar amount given to local organizations.

Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019

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from wellness

The Ways We Change by nancylee bouscher While there are many parts of my job that I appreciate, the one that I embrace with the most glee is our “10/4 Rule.” Basically, it is our secret ingredient to the special awesome sauce that you love—and yes, I’m boldly sharing it here for the whole wide world to steal. This rule is passed on to every one of our 200 employees, and it should be something you decide to also use in your daily life. Here it is: when you are within ten feet of a person, any person, you make friendly eye contact and acknowledge them. A nod, a smile… and yes, eye contact. And if that person ventures into your four-foot bubble, you actually talk to them. With words. I usually say, “You doing good?” or “Finding what ya need?” And then I wait for the reply.

My favorite replies are the ones where folks are not doing good and aren’t finding what they need because I like to help people be better and get what they need. I especially like it when a person says, “I’ve never been in here before” because it means I’ve been granted an opportunity to be the tour guide of a place that I know can be magically delicious. Sadly, I don’t actually remember my own first trip to the Co-op. Sometime in the mid-1990s when Mercantile was tucked into a corner, the entrance was where we get deliveries, and a young guy with the bluest eyes stocked local lettuce with a joy I have never since witnessed.

In our 45 years, there have been some major changes at the Co-op. We’ve evolved from having to hold a dance to raise money to buy a peanut butter grinding machine, to being able to donate more than $2,000 every month to local nonprofits through our 4% Friday Community Shopping Day and Tokens for Tomorrow programs. When we started, everything was done by volunteers (cheers to volunteers!), while last year, we paid over $6 million in

labor expenses. It used to be that folks bringing their own bags was a pleasant surprise—now it’s common, and we have to remind folks to wait until after they pay for items before they use that trusty tote. Because yes, we do have security and theft concerns. Because yes, not all change is easy or pleasant.

Sometimes change is a great new product like Seawitch Botanical’s solid perfumes made in Bellingham in plastic-free tins. Sometimes change is the sad news that companies like Kiss My Face and Nature’s Gate have gone out of business. The smell of that Daily Herbal Shampoo you have loved since your hair was thick and black? Yeah, that’s gone (along with all that thick black hair perhaps). We can feel that loss and welcome a new favorite—like Moon Valley Organics’ new shampoo bars or Bloom Apothecary's wild crafted herbal tea blends. Or we can dig in, refuse to shower, and rage against the folks who discontinued your sacred suds because of a bottom line. Change is inevitable, but how we roll with it—we are in control of that.

Last November, a big change swept through the life of Susan of Arbordoun out on Lopez Island when a fire destroyed the barn and equipment she used to make her deep healing Abundantly Herbal Calendula Cream. Sadly ironic, this cream was the go to for all burns, from stove to sun, including those from radiation burns caused by cancer treatment. The first weeks after we ran out, we had to share this news with people who truly had come to rely on this soothing ointment, and that was really hard. Hard to share bad news with someone who is coping with their own hardship and just seeks a little bit of comfort. We were able to find some other options—and even convinced Eliza and Chris of Island Thyme on Orcas Island to do a special pour for us of an unscented option of their luscious Calendula Comfrey Cream, which we still have available, because hurting people needed it. I am still touched by their kindness in doing this. And six months later, through community support behind Susan, we are once again able to sell Arbordoun’s products—and bonus point!—it’s all in glass containers now.

In the midst of change, it’s hard to know what the blessing might be. When I first started shopping at the Co-op, I was in love with backpacking in deep wilderness, foraging for mushrooms, and searching for moments so still that I could hear the Earth breathe. Over the years, my life and my body changed, and there was a point last year when I didn’t think my body would ever be able to run downhill or even walk upstairs. I remember laying on my bed, smelling like Super Salve’s Arnica Liniment with an ice pack wedged under me and mourning that loss of connecting with the wild weekly and worrying that I would never again be able to go off trail to find bones and bees and blossoms. Then change came again, and I found great allies in plants and people and was granted a new perspective that my 20-something self, stocking up on snacks in that crunchy Skagit Co-op, never would have been able to see.

Sometimes people complain how the Co-op has changed. I still miss that carrot timeline mural and the self-serve fro-yo machine. Yeah, we had one. Folks criticize us for what we do or what we don’t do, what we sell or what we don’t sell. It’s hard to please all of the folks on the other side of the register when you have over 750,000 transactions a year. But it’s not US, it’s WE. It’s you and me and them and WE. Co-op is short for cooperation which is no easy task, but we gather together for a reason: food. As I write this, I am on my couch watching a big piece of green and yellow farm equipment kick up dust in an organic field across the street. My husband told me last year when he saw the gal with a brown ponytail get ready to harvest strawberries, it looked like she was praying to the field before she started. She bent down and touched the ruby red fruit that started as the tiniest seed and changed just a little bit every day until it was ripe and ready.

She reached down and felt the give of its flesh, smelled that sweetness, and knew that it was time. She picked a bucket of them, rinsed them off and then cherished a few bites before she got to work. Change can be deliciously sweet. Get a bite.

For Fun & Sun

Summer is finally here, and it’s time to play! Our top picks for getting out and about this summer, even if it’s just to the backyard:

Mad Hippie ADVANCED SKIN CARE

Some of our top-sellers! Look for the Facial SPF, Cleansing Oil, and Vitamin C Serum to rejuvenate your skin before and after summer sun.

Booda Butter

NEW! ECO BALM

Gently moisturize and soothe from headto-toe on the go—without leaving a trace!

Blissful little bits of Booda Butter are sustainably packaged in an easy-to-use, 100% biodegradable paper push tube.

6 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019

MPowered

SOLAR LIGHTS

Beautifully bright and ridiculously rugged, these lights are ah-mazing for camping and super cute for backyard barbecue nights.

ENO

HAMMOCKS

Small and lightweight enough for backpacking, comfy enough for backyard me-time, ENO hammocks are perfect for everything summer!

Intermediate Disturbance

by Beverly Faxon Rachel, our guide in the Monteverde cloud forest, drew our eyes to the treetops, showing us how hard it was to distinguish each tree’s foliage because of the lofty, intertwining layers of vines and epiphytes—those airy plants that root on other plants, rather than in soil.

Whose leaves were whose?

Sometimes the layers become so thick with moss, leaves, and vines that a tree branch gives way under the weight. But this crashing down isn’t necessarily bad; the opening lets in shafts of light, which encourage the soil to generate new growth.

Such natural change is an “intermediate disturbance”— and whether a breaking branch, or a flood redirecting a river, or even an occasional fire, such disruption can lead to a richness, to fertility, to new growth.

We know about, and rightly fear, too much disturbance. Too much isn’t sustainable—the rupture caused may be too deep to pull back together, may not lead to new growth at all, for a long time, if ever.

The misty, damp forest we visited is facing massive disturbance because climate change threatens the clouds themselves, and the unique ecosystem they create.

I have been seeing the world as buffeted by too much disruption, and perhaps in response, I have been telling myself that it is tranquility I seek.

It was a family joke in our house. Whenever we asked my father what he wanted for his birthday, for Christmas, he replied

Nutritional Testing for Chronic Fatigue

by Karl Mincin, Clinical Nutritionist

“Peace and quiet.” Many of us, as we age, take up more contemplative pursuits. I certainly have. I just spent an entire Sunday bumbling about in my garden and reading in the porch swing.

My voice felt rusty when a friend called. But I am also asking—do we sometimes slow down to the point of stagnation?

My mother-in-law, at the age of 91, calls me with great excitement, her voice full of exclamation points: Have I ever heard of Elton John?

Why yes, I have.

She is going to an Elton John concert!

Inwardly I both marvel and blanch, imagining her—cane in hand, moving slowly, a little off balance, navigating the arena, the lines, the stairs, the crowds.

She called me after. It

For those who suffer from it, it's very real. The body becomes wracked with chronic, relapsing fatigue and aching pain for months, stubbornly refusing to bounce back from adequate rest. While Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is increasingly better clinically defined, it is still a mystery to the health professionals who treat it.

In a review article on CFS, Melvyn Werbach, MD emphasized the importance of testing and therapy to establish adequate nutritional balance in patients. Dr. Werbach has been on the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology, a leading clinical nutritionist, and assistant clinical professor at UCLA School of Medicine who is widely known for his books on nutritional influences of illness.

“It's likely that multiple factors promote the development of CFS,” Dr. Werbach points out, “sometimes with the same factors both causing and being caused by the syndrome.” For example, a complex term called Psycho-Neuro-Immuno-Endocrinology, basically tells us Photo by: Beverly Faxon that the brain bone is connected to the hormone bone. was delightful! And the Adrenal insufficiency and a compromised immune system, most entertaining part was stemming from multiple compromised body systems, the way her daughter had are not uncommon in these folks. CFS and the generally leapt to her feet, both arms milder Adrenal Fatigue Sydrome (AFS) have a number of up, hands stroking the air: symptoms in common. Identifying and addressing the “As if she were waving at top contributors can be immensely helpful in either case.

In three decades of practicing clinical nutrition, I've someone!” observed some recurring themes and common denominators.

My mother-in-law—bold These include several key nutrient deficiencies, which are sailor and swift tennis player often secondary to malabsorption and other digestive in her youth—still welcoming a little disturbance, a little deficiencies. Metabolic toxicity, especially resulting from a interruption, into her life. sluggish, under functioning liver is present in about 80% of And the fertile ground: the patients I see with CFS. This often subclinical condition music, arms waving, a story flies below the radar of conventional medical detection, such as serum liver enzyme levels. Ironically, it also contributes to to tell.

Oh, to know yourself the above-mentioned nutritional deficiencies, which in turn, well enough—what makes compromise the body's detoxification ability.

As I have found in my own practice, Dr. Werbach you bubble, but not explode? What settles your reviews numerous studies linking the cause of CFS with heart, without slowing the nutrient deficiencies of B-vitamins, essential fatty acids, beat too much? What lets mineral elements, amino acids, and other important raw light reach the ground material nutrient building blocks that the body depends on beneath you without for healthy metabolism. Shortages of these nutrients can profoundly affect mood-regulating mechanisms in the brain, knocking you off your feet? disrupt normal cellular function, weaken immune responses, Beverly (Bee) Faxon worked increase muscular pain—and otherwise make a person feel at the Co-op for 35 years, sick and tired. For this reason even marginal imbalances of and still thinks of it as home. these substances should be identified and treated in patients with CFS, recommends Dr. Werbach.

“It is likely that marginal nutritional deficiencies not only contribute to the clinical manifestation of chronic fatigue syndrome, but also are detrimental to the healing process. Therefore, when feasible, they should be identified with objective testing and their resolution should be assured by repeat Essential Points testing following the initiation of ACUPUNCTURE treatment,” he advises.

Several functional assessment tests can help to identify the Elsa Del Toro, L.Ac. nutritional deficiencies linked to Doctoral Candidate, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine CFS in Dr. Werbach's study. These ACUPUNCTURE • HERBS • NUTRITION • TUINA are further discussed in related articles posted on my website.

Personalized Healthcare Patient and Community Education Holistic and Preventive Approach Home Visits

(360) 399-7467 613 W Division Street, Mount Vernon, WA 98273 www.essentialpointsacupuncture.com

Karl Mincin (@MincinNutritionist) is a clinical nutritionist and natural health educator in practice locally for over 30 years. Join him for his Nutrition Testing workshop Monday, July 22nd at 6:30pm.

Contact Karl at 360.336.2616 or www.Nutrition-Testing.com.

Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019

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100% Green Power We’re going green through Puget Sound Energy’s Green Power Program! Earlier this year, as part of our efforts to increase sustainability, we enrolled in Puget Sound Energy’s Green Power Program at the 100% Leadership Level. We are now matching 100% of our electricity usage with clean, renewable energy from the Green Power program.

“As the Co-op continues its efforts to measure our environmental impact and minimize our footprint” said General Manager Todd Wood, “enrolling in Puget Sound Energy’s Green Power Program was the next step after installing our solar panels at C-SQUARE.”

Thanks for Taking a Bite For Skagit

You ate, we gave! Thanks for showing up at Third Street Cafe on May 16th for the 5th Annual Take a Bite for Skagit Foodie Fundraiser.

Together, we donated $868.80 to Community Action of Skagit County's Food Distribution Center to help get fresh produce to local food banks. (continued from page 2)

Through the Green Power program, we are contributing to our region’s environmental and economic health by supporting the development and use of renewable energy projects in the Pacific Northwest. Renewable energy—often referred to as “green power”—is electricity that’s generated by resources that are naturally replenishing like sunlight, flowing streams, and cool breezes. It's also made from biogas, a by-product of modern living commonly released at dairy farms and landfills. These resources will not run out. They also have dramatically lower pollution rates than fossil fuels. Our contributions support several renewable projects right here in Western Washington and across the state, as you’ll see listed below.

The mission of the Green Power program is to provide an easy, affordable way for business and residential customers to expand the use of earth-friendly energy sources. In 2019, PSE estimates that participants will purchase more than 500 million kWh of green power.

That’s enough energy to power 41,500 average homes for one year.

We’re excited for the opportunity to keep our state evergreen through PSE. If you’re interested in joining the program, it’s worth knowing that business customers can participate at rates specific to their situation, and residential customers can purchase 100 percent green power for about $10 to $12 a month based on their actual usage.

Visit PSE.com/greenpower or call 1.800.562.1482 for more information.

Below is a list of some of the projects our contributions support here in Washington State through PSE’s Green Energy program: - LRI LFGTE Facility- Phase 1 – Landfill gas - Nooksack Hydro – Low Impact Hydro - Vander Haak Dairy – Dairy Biogas - Farm Power Rexville – Dairy Biogas - Farm Power Lynden – Dairy Biogas - Van Dyk-S Holsteins – Dairy Biogas - Rainier Biogas – Dairy Biogas - Edaleen Cow Power – Dairy Biogas - Ellensburg Community Solar Project, Phase III & IV-- Solar - Swauk Wind – Wind - White Creek – Wind We also help support other projects in the greater Northwest area like: - Grand View PV Solar Two LLC – Idaho Solar - Mountain Home Solar 1, LLC – Idaho solar

8 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019

Third Street Cafe is Ocean Friendly Third Street Cafe has been committed to reducing plastic waste since we opened in 2016, and we’re happy to announce that we are now officially an Ocean Friendly Restaurant! What is an Ocean Friendly Restaurant, you ask? In response to increased plastic pollution in coastal zones and the ocean, the Surfrider Foundation created the Ocean Friendly Restaurant program, which has taken root all around the country and Canada. The goals of the program are to help reduce plastic waste, eliminate the use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam, a type of plastic that is typically used for inexpensive, disposable products (cups, plates, ‘clamshells’, etc.) and to encourage restaurants to use more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices to help protect the coasts through conservation efforts.

What Makes Third Street Cafe an Ocean Friendly Restaurant?

- No expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam is used.

- Proper recycling practices are followed.

- Only reusable tableware is used for onsite dining, and disposable utensils for takeout food are provided only upon request. (Ours are compostable.)

- No plastic bags offered for takeout or to-go orders.

- Straws are provided only upon request.

The Surfrider Foundation isn’t just for surfers. It’s a community of everyday people who passionately protect our playground – the ocean, waves, and beaches, like the ones you’ll find in and around the Pacific Northwest – that provide us so much joy and beauty.

Visit gosurfrider.org/ofr for more information.

HOURS

Farm Power owners Daryl (left) and Kevin (right) Mass at the Farm Power Rexville Site, a biogas anaerobic manure digester in Skagit Valley.

Third Street Cafe: C⋅SQUARE: Skagit Valley Food Co-op: 4th of July:

M-F: 11am - CLOSE 7am - 7pm Daily Mon-Sat: 8am - 9pm Sun: 9am - 9pm Co-op: 8am - 7pm C•SQUARE: 7am - 4pm Third Street Cafe: 11am - 4pm

Labor Day:

OPEN

Food to Bank On

by Nicole Vander Meulen

FTBO Farmer Mentorship at Bow Hill Blueberries

The average age of an American farmer is 58.

That number has been trending upward for decades—not because farmers are the oldest workers, but because fewer young people are entering the field, opting to pursue other occupations or to move on from multi-generation family farms. Yet, the future of farming and our own regional food system rely on a new generation of farmers stepping up to grow our food. Entering the farming business can be challenging, which is why programs like Sustainable Connections’ Food to Bank On (FTBO) exist: to remove barriers and provide resources for beginning farmers.

Similar to Viva Farms Incubator Programs here in Skagit Valley, Food to Bank On gives new farmers in Whatcom County access to a variety of benefits and tools they need to succeed. The program includes

business planning workshops, mentorships with experienced farms like Bow Hill Blueberries, marketing support, and payment to deliver fresh food to local hunger relief agencies. We have long supported Viva Farms, and 2019 is the third year Skagit Valley Food Co-op has sponsored Whatcom farmers through Food to Bank On, another valuable program you support when you choose to shop at the Co-op.

Food to Bank On has seen great success since it began in 2003: 58 farmers have participated, 83% of whom are still farming today. Farmers have gained wholesale accounts, increased sales, and received grants for equipment that supports sustainability, like solar panels and wind turbines. FTBO sponsorships have reimbursed farmers for over $100,000 of donations to local food banks in Whatcom County; from

2018

berries and plums to zucchini and garlic, Food to Bank On is helping to feed hungry families while simultaneously supporting farmers who are just starting up.

This year is also an important one for Food to Bank On as it has joined forces with Cloud Mountain Farm Center (CMFC) to support farmers even further. Cloud Mountain is a nonprofit teaching farm in Everson committed to building knowledge, experience, and community to expand the local food system. The partnership allows Food to Bank On to streamline the process through Cloud Mountain’s internship and incubator programs. The 8-month internship is a rigorous integrated educational curriculum and work-based learning program, so farmers can get their hands dirty. The incubator program provides farmers access to land, equipment, and infrastructure through a land-based, multigrower project, complete with technical training and assistance.

In Skagit Valley, we know well that farmland is worth preserving, and that we need young farmers and farm workers to keep our food system alive. Together, we’ll continue contributing to the future of food through meaningful partnerships with organizations like Viva Farms, Sustainable Connections, and Cloud Mountain Farm Center, as well as programs like Food to Bank On.

Local Impact Index

481

Number of local producers & farmers we purchased from

42.2

Percentage of products in the Co-op that are local

$6,989,000 Total sales of local products

200+

Number of Co-op, C· <!-- Generator: Adobe Illustrator 22.1.0, SVG Export Plug-In -->

$6M

FR

Let’s

EE

MEDITATE Skagit Valley “If you want real freedom,

Amount paid out to employees

100

Percentage of staff earning a livable wage*

The freedom of the soul, Then dive deep within.”

- Sri Chinmoy

Sri Chinmoy

Dr. Nayak Polissar, a medical researcher, studied meditation with Spiritual Teacher Sri Chimoy for over 40 years.

• Guided visualizations • Chant mantras • Music for meditation

Thursday, August 1 • 6:30-8:30PM Skagit Valley Co-op • Room 309

Admission FREE. More info: 206-322-2600 www.seattle-meditation.org

*According to MIT & NCG Living Wage & Benefits Models

Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019

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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: March

$2,551

Camp Korey Garden Program

April

$2,592 Community Action's Adult Education

May

$2,751 Youthnet's Emerson High School

Million Waves Project July 26

Every year, 28-billion pounds of plastic end up in our ocean AND approximately 40 million people in the developing world are in need of prosthetic limbs, yet only five percent have any prosthetic options. The Million Waves Project brings together these two unacceptable global situations and offers a practical and sustainable solution. They take recycled plastic cleaned from the ocean and turn it into 3D printable material – prosthetic limbs for people in need.

4% Friday funds will be used to purchase 3D printers that will more than double the output/amount of limbs the Million Waves can print.

YMCA Oasis Teen Shelter August 23

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.

The funds from 4% Friday will go directly to support runaway and homeless youth through staff service, daily programs, and meeting the basic needs of the youth it serves. The direct service of the staff is the principle way in which youth are provided the care and support they need during times of emergent care. Shelter staff are available to serve youth in need of emergency shelter and support 365 nights a year.

Children's Council of Skagit Valley September 27

The Children’s Council of Skagit County envisions growing, thriving families, by bringing community members and agencies together to empower and enrich the lives of young children and their families in Skagit County.

4% Friday donations would be used specifically for Kaleidoscope Play and Learns (KPL). KPLs support children’s early learning through interactive everyday activities that build skills and strengthen relationships. With the help of 4% Friday donations, the Children’s Council can renew KPL licenses and buy supplies necessary to ensure the KPL is available to children across the county.

10 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019

vendor spotlight

New & Notable

by Jenny Sandbo

You can be Keto and have your pancakes, too…

Birch Benders Keto Pancake Mix Almond, tigernut, coconut, and cassava blended with buttermilk and eggs. Mix with water and cook in coconut oil. Gluten free, grain free. Two pancakes contains 5 grams net carbs and 9 grams of protein.

Birch Benders Mind Smother your keto collagen, MCT oils, taste and texture of without the sugar.

& Body Magic Syrup. cakes with grass-fed and monk fruit. The maple pancake syrup

Photos: Oregon Country Beef

Photo: Birch Benders

Reduce plastic waste, buy yogurt in glass!

St. Benoit Creamery Organic Yogurt. Pasture-raised whole Jersey cow’s milk is naturally cultured and packed in glass jars to reduce plastic waste. Jersey cow’s milk is highly digestible, as it contains the A2 beta casein protein. No fillers, no fake flavors, just creamy and delectable.

Photo: St. Benoit

Samish Bay Cheese Organic Greek Yogurt. Thick and rich Greek-style yogurt made from organic grass-fed milk raised in the fields around the Bow-Edison area. Made by hand in small batches and packed in glass.

Expanded selection of bulk spices Bring your own jars and stock your pantry with beautiful flavors for grilling season!

Lemon Curry, Vindaloo Curry, Turmeric Savory Seasoning Blend, Ranch Dressing Mix, Sal De Fleur, Alder Smoked Salt, Steak & Chop Run, and Broth Powder (Low Salt Veg or No-Chicken). Just to name a few. Cheers!

What’s Happening to the Wine Aisle?

Reorganizing and refreshing! That’s what!

by Jenny Sandbo

If you’ve been in our wine department lately, you may have noticed that we’ve updated the organization of our regional bins and added a lot of fresh selections. For example, if you stand in front of the West Coast section, you’ll see that all the Sauvignon Blancs are on the same shelf, as are the Chardonnays, Merlots, and so forth. Also new in the West Coast section is a shelf just for rosé.

Similarly, in the Southern Hemisphere section, we have organized the wine first by country then by varietal. So, for example, you will find our selection of very delightful Argentinean Malbecs all on the same shelf. In the Chilean section, we have added a lovely assortment of rosé and white wines.

South Africa is a region known for producing rich, fruity white wines and robust reds, so we’ve expanded our selection to showcase what that region has to offer.

In the European set, we’ve added a shelf to highlight some of the cool climate grapes grown in Germany and Austria: Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Gruner Veltliner.

We’ve expanded our selection of French wines to include rosé. The wines of Italy are

Oregon Country Beef

At the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, we believe the treatment of animals is connected to the health of our planet, the quality of our food, and our overall well-being. How farm animals are raised is something we pay close attention to, and we have a strict set of standards when it comes to animal welfare. We also understand that some people have made the decision to stop eating meat altogether for a variety of reasons.

While honoring that decision, we also want to provide our omnivorous shoppers the most humane choices, which is why we proudly partner with Oregon Country Beef to provide sustainable beef that’s been NonGMO Project Verified.

At the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, we believe the treatment of animals is connected to the health of our planet, the quality of our food, and our overall well-being. How farm animals are raised is something we pay close attention to, and we have a strict set of standards when it comes to animal welfare. We also understand that some people have made the decision to stop eating meat altogether for a variety of reasons.

While honoring that decision, we also want to provide our omnivorous shoppers the most humane choices, which is why we proudly partner with Oregon Country Beef to provide sustainable beef that’s been Non-GMO Project Verified.ased right from the farmer.

Oregon Country Beef ranchers use a fully traceable model to ensure their cattle are raised without antibiotics or added hormones on sustainable rangelands. Each rancher also has individual environmental goals that are consistent with Co-op standards for environmental sustainability, and cows graze in a healthy manner that allows plants to regrow and minimizes impact on water resources.

You can find Oregon Country Beef in the Meat Department and on the Third Street Cafe menu.

also organized so that varietals are shelved together. We hope this makes it easier for you to find the delicious and earthy wines Italy is so well known for, like Montepulciano, Sangiovese, and Nero D’Avola.

While we are reorganizing and refreshing our selection, we have also taken care to ensure that we have a range of prices to please every wine lover. For those looking for a wine to cook with (a glass for you, a glass for the pot!), we have a shelf in the West Coast set we’ve labeled “value wines” where prices range from $4.99-7.99. Visiting Chile, you’ll find that prices range from $6.99-12.99 and Argentinean wines start at $7.99.

For those looking for a something very special, we have that, too. Visit the region you are interested in and you’ll find limited releases and high-end selections on the top two shelves. We also have a carefully curated selection of natural wines, known for long-fermentation on native yeasts which produces wines that are uniquely complex.

Those can be found in the section labeled “Organic.”

Our aim with this reorganization is to serve our wine loving customers better, whether you are well-versed in the wine world, or just enjoy a nice glass (or two) at the end of the day.

Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019

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12 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019

staff profile

Celebrating 30 Years in the Valley

Colton Staker

Cashier Co-op Employee Since June 2017 Favorite Customer Moment: I love all of the experiences with the kids who come through. They have the best jokes, and they’re fun to give stickers to. They’re also really happy when you give them a free piece of fruit!

Favorite Item in the Co-op: Tofu. Cashew. Spread. It’s so good, and it goes with every-thing. You could probably even eat it with an apple if you wanted to.

Outstanding Customer Service Celebration (a shout-out from a shopper who took our customer experience survey): Colton was very friendly and when I forgot my cucumber he ran after me before I headed out the door. That reminds me of the less complicated times when people cared if you left something behind and made an effort.

In corporate type stores they just don’t care… it’s getting everyone in and out, and the money in the drawer. The Co-op has a small town grocery feel.

I really like that. I also feel I’m getting healthier food choices without added chemicals and processing.

Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019

13

A First-Hand Look at Fair Trade Bananas in Colombia

by Ben Goe

Last October I participated in a survey for National Co+op Grocers about bananas—how many we sell, how much we charge, where we source them, and so on. I hadn’t given the survey another thought until our General Manager Todd nonchalantly asked me how hard it would be for me to break away from my obligations for a week. I had entirely forgotten that as a prize for participating in the survey, three stores would be selected to send a representative on a trip to Colombia. I hadn’t for a moment thought that we’d be selected, or that I would have this fantastic opportunity. Yet on March 22nd, I found myself on a midnight flight to Colombia, on the first leg of a journey to spend a week touring Fair Trade banana plantations, projects, and farms.

It was a long flight, with layovers in Houston and Panama City. Twenty hours later I stepped into a hotel in Medellin to meet my travel companions for the week.

Thankfully, I’d at least met one of them before, Chris Dick of NCG. He’d been at Organicology in Portland, an organic produce trade show hosted every other year by Organically Grown Company, one of our major suppliers. Otherwise, we were a group of strangers: another representative from

NCG, two folks from Fairtrade America, and two other produce managers from coops in the Midwest and New York areas respectively.

Most of the next day was spent travelling to Santa Marta, a coastal city on the Caribbean Sea close to many of the banana growing regions. We went over the very full itinerary and had an initial presentation about the Fair Trade system and its impacts in Colombia, which I’ll write more about in the future.

On that Monday, we finally got to visit some banana farms. Farms and plantations range from just a few acres to hundreds of acres, and we visited a wide variety. Bananas are an interesting crop. Banana trees aren’t actually a tree but an herbaceous perennial.

The Cavendish variety that we see most often grows to about 16 feet tall, and each plant produces a single stem of bananas. They aren’t strong plants and often blow down during wind storms.

The stalk is composed of layers of leaves and is soft to the touch. Each plant has two generations of offspring growing, the sons and grandsons, of which the farmer selects the one best situated in regards to sunlight. When the stem of bananas is cut the mature plant begins to die, and the son starts to grow.

Bananas are in constant production; each plant takes about 9 months to mature and produce, and they don’t follow a seasonal cycle.

None of the picking, washing, selection, or packing of bananas is automated—it’s all done by hand. The bunches are cut and carried back to the washing shed, either one at a time by hand or ten at a time on zip-line like cables.

They are graded, cut into bunches, washed, and packed into boxes, all by Ben cutting bananas in Colombia hand. Each bunch

Ben Goe with Eurofrontera Farm worker Manuel Francisco Moreno

of bananas fills about ¾ of a case. It’s extremely labor intensive.

Bananas are a very important crop for Colombia, their third largest agricultural export behind coffee and flowers, and an important food source. All of the bananas that don’t make the grade for export are sold domestically.

I want to mention two common Colombian methods of banana preparation. One is very simple, a ripe banana sliced in half lengthwise and then grilled or fried. You’ll see this served alongside beans and rice, meat and arepas (a flat, fried masa-dough cake, much thicker than a tortilla).

The other preparation that fascinated me was mashed green bananas. Plantains aren’t eaten as much in Colombia as in many other banana and plantain producing countries. Instead, green bananas are used. To make this mash, take 4 very green bananas and cut the tops off, exposing the flesh, then cut a shallow slit down the length. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the bananas for about 15 or 20 minutes, until soft. Use a knife and fork to separate the fruit from the peel and put into a pan with 5 tablespoons of milk and 2 tablespoons of butter, and place over low heat. Mash with a fork or potato masher until very smooth, then season with salt and pepper to taste. It’s incredible—like the smoothest mashed potatoes you can imagine. They are commonly served with cheese curds melted over the top, or mixed with sautéed tomatoes and onions.

I had a wonderful time and learned a lot. Colombia is a beautiful country with a complicated and violent past, but it seems to be healing now. The sale of Fair

14 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019

Trade products is helping with its restoration, funding improvements to farming methods and providing opportunities to people who

July

don’t have many otherwise.

I look forward to delving deeper into the intricacies of the Fair Trade system and sharing the specifics of how it’s helping people in Colombia.

ORGANIC PRODUCE

∙ Bing Cherries — from PDQ Farms ∙ Benton & Rainier cherries, apricots, yellow, white, & donut peaches, nectarines — from Brownfied Orchards

August

∙ Peaches, Gala, Gingergold, & Zestar apples, Bartlett pears, Star Crimson pears — from

Brownfield Orchards ∙ Blueberries — from Bow Hill Blueberries

September

∙ Honeycrips apples and early Fujis — from Brownfield Orchards ∙ Jupiter grapes — from Sauk Farm ∙ Heirloom melons, Japanese & Italian eggplant — from Edible Acres ∙ Blueberries — from Hunter's Moon

All Summer

∙ Bunched spinach, juice carrots, green & red

cabbage, dandelion greens, purple, green, & Lacinato kale — from Ralph's Greenhouse ∙ Sunflower sprouts, salad mix, snap peas, Napa cabbage, Fava beans, Japanese eggplant, tomatillos, lemon cucumbers — from Moondance Farm

∙ Bagged arugula, spicy mix, parsley, rainbow chard, baby & pickling dill, braising greens, blueberries, raspberries — from Blue Heron Farm

∙ Snap peas, red & green butter lettuce, English cucumbers, iceberg lettuce, assorted Chilies — — from Hedlin Family Farm

∙ Green onions, bunched & bulk red, chiogga, & gold beets, bunched carrots, assorted

potatoes, kale — from Highwater Farm ∙ Red & green leaf lettuce, & Romaine, zucchini, yellow wax beans — from Skagit Flats ∙ Roma tomatoes, broccoli, assorted Chilies, garlic, eggplant, shallots — from Boldly Grown Farms

Classifieds Dependable House & Dogsitter

Available any time.

Call Marlee Mountain: 360-317-3353

Summer Art Camps for Children and Teens

Weekly, July1 - August 1 Register now at BellinghamArt com or phone us at 360.738.8379

Employment of Caretaker of Our Mom Requested.

Furnished living quarters provided for right person. Must be available 5 days a week, in residence. Occasionally, more days may be available. Home and salary provided. No smoking, no pets. For inquiries, please email: jannclan@fidalgo.net Elder Care 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 360-856-5474. 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 deadline for all ads for next issue (July) is Friday, May 24.

Co-op 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 • July - September 2019

15

Chill: Cool Summer Soups

Soup Recipes

Simple Make-Ahead Soups to Eat When the Temperature Rises

by Sarah Stoner Soup and summer might sound like strange bedfellows to a Pacific Northwesterner. Many of us are steeped in winters upon winters of warm comfort found in a bowl of soup.

But then I remember gazpacho. The bowls of garlicky tomato- and cucumber-based soup my dad sampled on summer trips through Spain.

In warm climates, or in summer, many cultures consume cold soups.

My memory unfolds. The cool Korean soup my friend made for us in her kitchen one hot summer day in college. Naengmyeon. Thin noodles, julienned cucumbers. Light and cool.

Topped with cold slices of boiled egg. Oh and the tangy iced broth—like a savory lover’s version of cold lemonade.

There’s vichyssoise in France. A chilled purée of leeks, onions, potatoes, cream, and chicken stock. Tarator in the Mediterranean—walnuts, garlic, yogurt and cucumber. Borscht from the Ukraine, eaten hot or cold and always made of beets—with a cold borscht variety in sour cream, buttermilk or kefir base. There’s salmorejo, gazpacho’s richer cousin, typically topped with salty prosciutto or Iberian ham. And ajoblanco, another Spanish cold soup, made of bread, crushed almonds, garlic, water and olive oil.

Say okroshka out loud and you can hear its Russian roots—a mix of raw vegetables (crunchy ones like cucumbers, radishes, spring onions), boiled potato and protein (like egg, beef, sausage, or ham) with kvass, a non-alcoholic drink from fermented rye bread. Sorrel soup, with its origins in Eastern Europe, sounds a little more doable considering our cultural pantry: the cold version is made from water, sorrel leaves, and salt. Variations on the same soup include spinach, chard, nettle and sometimes dandelion, goutweed, or ramsons (wild garlic), with or in place of sorrel. Egg, potato, carrot, parsley root, and rice sometimes make their way into sorrel soup, also known as shchav or green borschtor.

Considering the wide range of cold soups served across the globe, they do share common features. Regardless of country or culture—cold soups tend to be lighter than winter soups. They typically contain less fat and meat per serving.

Some are purely vegetable based or use light meat or fish stocks.

Stay cool this summer. Dish up a cold bowl of soup, grab a hunk of bread, park yourself in the shade of a tree—and chill out.

Skagit writer and eater Sarah Stoner is a fan of notcooking for summer. Fresh, cool and simple does it! sarahjstoner@hotmail.com

These three recipes for soups you can serve chilled all come from Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Express: 404 Inspired Seasonal Dishes You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less. Each of the 404 recipes are listed as short no-fuss paragraphs. The book also offers indexed lists, with categories to love like: ‘Recipes That Barely Disturb the Kitchen,’ ‘The Best Recipes for Picnics’ and ‘The Best Do-Ahead Recipes for Potlucks.’

Zucchini & Dill Soup

Add fresh ricotta, sour cream or yogurt while pureeing, for richness.

Grate a couple of zucchini. Cook a chopped onion in butter until softened, then add the zucchini and stir until softened, five minutes or so. Add vegetable or chicken stock and bring to a boil; simmer for about five minutes, then puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and lots of fresh chopped dill.

Peanut Soup

Leftover shredded chicken is terrific here.

In a food processor, combine half an onion, a couple garlic cloves, and a stalk of celery; pulse until a thick paste forms. Cook the paste in butter, stirring, for about three minutes. Add one-half cup of peanut butter (or more), one cup of heavy cream, and about four cups of stock; stir (you might have to whisk) to combine; bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer; season with salt, pepper and a little cayenne. Serve, garnished with chopped peanuts and parsley or cilantro.

Cauliflower Soup

You might substitute truffle oil for the olive oil here, if you have it.

Cut a cauliflower into small florets, then boil them in salted water until tender, about five minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking water. Put the cauliflower into a blender with a bit of the cooking water and some cream or half-and-half and blend to a smooth puree; add sufficient stock to make six cups. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with chopped chives.

July 13 August 17

i

bike farm ∙ i

to

SATURDAY AUGUST 3RD

9AM- NOON

Join us for our annual tour of local farms!

VISIT SKAGITFOODCOOP.COM FOR DETAILS

You're invited!

Swing by the Co-op's Garden Center to connect with local producers, enjoy free samples, and have fun in the sun!

Visit www.skagitfoodcoop.com for details

16 Skagit Valley Food Co-op • The Natural Enquirer • July - September 2019