October 2021 Natural Enquirer

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 publication of the skagit valley food co-op

M A R K E T

ENQUIRER october - december 2021

A Creative Space

Photo by Kristian Boose, Beer & Wine Manager

When we reopened the Deli Mezzanine seating earlier this year, we also reinstated the Co-op’s monthly art show.

Each month, we feature a local artist, so you can enjoy delicious food and drink with a view. As you well know, the Co-op community is talented, spirited, and eclectic, especially when it comes to art, and the same is true for Co-op employees.

So, in celebration of art and National Co-op Month, we’ll be featuring work from our very own creative crew! Be sure to pop upstairs next time you’re in and get ready to be inspired and delighted by the work of the Skagit Valley Food Co-op staff, whose friendly faces you probably never realized belong to artists.

in this issue

page

page

3

Soup Season ∙ pg 4

6

page

11

Tokens for Tomorrow ∙ pg 5 A Love Letter to Dr. Bronner's Chocolate ∙ pg 7 In-Season Produce ∙ pg 9 Annie's Holiday Baking Mixes ∙ pg 14

Fully Contained Communities

Surprise My Mama

Vendor Spotlight: Three Sisters Apothecary

from the general manager

from the board

Community Conversation:

Co-op Update with

General Manager Tony White

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

12pm • via Zoom

Legacy: how you are remembered, what you leave behind. The Skagit Valley Food Co-op’s legacy already has a firm foundation from nearly 50 years of offering healthy food choices, our longstanding relationships with local farmers, and our economic impact as one of Skagit County’s largest employers. Our anchorage in Downtown Mount Vernon is solid. We have also contributed over $400,000 to countless local and regional non-profits with like-minded missions. The Skagit Valley Food Co-op legacy has been made possible by a loyal customer base, hard-working staff and dedicated leadership. So, we thank you, them, “us”.

The Board has always looked toward the future for meaningful ways the Co-op can further cement its legacy, and in 2020, COVID inspired us with ideas and initiatives, new and old, to hone in on. Food security and availability quickly became a higher priority of discussion. You, our member-owners, were called upon to donate your patronage dividends to fight hunger, and you did. Together, we donated $10,000 to the Skagit Food Distribution Center (SFDC), the hub for all of our area’s food banks. We kicked off our virtual Community Conversation Series with SFDC’s Food Manager Cole Bitzenburg to discuss local food resiliency in times of change. With food insecurity on the rise, our 2021 4% Friday selection committee focused on healthy food for all, and a majority of this year’s 4% Friday groups feed the people who need it most.

A lot has changed in the last year! Come join a conversation with your Co-op’s General Manager Tony White to get an update of all things Co-op.

Please look for the Zoom link in the Co-op’s Weekly E-news and on our website and Facebook event pages.

Get Your Gobble On!

Our work is not finished, and the Board is still asking big questions as part of our strategic plan. How can we parlay our depth of experience in food matters to broaden our influence to help make healthy food more accessible and available to more people? Which role should we play to help solidify healthy long-term food systems and security in our community? Who should we partner with and why?

Big questions with no easy answers, but we believe healthy food is for everyone. The Board is meeting on a regular basis, both as a whole, and in more specific committees, to actively explore opportunities and partnerships, so our Co-op can play an even bigger role in local agriculture and food resiliency. In the meantime, we’re proud to announce our sponsorship of Viva Farms and Washington Farmland Trust's Love the Land, a virtual benefit concert that took place on September 22nd. We donated $5,000 to the event whose fundraising mission is to help protect Skagit Valley farmland to serve as training ground for future food growers, and to connect farmers to land opportunities to grow or transition their businesses.

More local farmland means more food for our community, and that’s a legacy worth investing in.

Autumn is officially here, and we’ll be taking your holiday turkey orders in no time. Here’s how the process will go this year: • Turkey orders start Monday, November 1st.

• You can order your turkey in person at the Meat Department counter or by calling the Meat Department at 360.336.5087 x 128.

• No Deposit Required.

If you missed it last year, we no longer require a $5 deposit.

• Turkeys available for pick-up Sunday, Nov 21st – Wednesday, Nov 24th.

You can pick your turkey up at the Meat Department or go through the checkout registers, and we’ll fetch it for you!

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 Bylaws: 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 not-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: Megan Feichtinger Staff Contributors: Contributors: nancylee bouscher, Ben Goe, Leigha Staffenhagen & Tony White Board of Trustees: Brad Claypool, Kristen Ekstran, Britta Eschete, Casey Schoenberger, Rob Smith, Wayne Rushing, Tim Penninger & Tom Theisen Copyright 2021: Reprints with permission

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skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021

• As always, our turkeys come from Diestel Family Farms in Sonora, CA. All Diestel turkeys are 100% vegetarian fed, raised without antibiotics or growth hormones and contain no preservatives, gluten or artificial ingredients.

Curbside Turkeys

Diestel Turkey order pick-ups will not be available through Co-op Curbside.

However, we will have frozen organic turkeys, smoked turkeys, turkey breasts, and all the dinner fixings available online beginning Nov 1st.

Expanded Curbside Hours

Curbside service will be open 11am-4pm Sunday, November 21st to Saturday, November 27th. Closed on Thanksgiving Day.

FCCs: Could They Forever Change Our Rural Valley?

by Beverly Faxon

In the midst of a difficult agricultural year of drought and heat, many local farmers have carved out time to advocate for the future of farming in Skagit Valley. Others in the valley have joined in, asking for thoughtful future growth, in harmony with decades of planning agreements.

A proposal to create Fully Contained Communities (FCCs) in Skagit County sparked a campaign in opposition, called Right Growth, Right Place: FCCs are Not the Answer. Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland is organizing and acting as the fiscal agent for the campaign, an alliance of concerned citizens and organizations, including, among others, SPF, the Skagit County Farm Bureau, Evergreen Islands, Indivisible and Home Rule Skagit.

What set off the alarm bells? Bill Sygitowicz, a developer with a group named Skagit Partners, LLC, but based in Whatcom County, proposed to the Skagit County Commissioners that they amend our County Comprehensive Plan—those polices that determine how and where growth happens in the County— to allow FCCs to be built in Skagit Valley.

The developer, who has tried, and failed, multiple times to gain County approval to build a large subdivision (called Avalon) in the countryside north of Burlington, changed tactics in 2021. He backed off of asking for permission for a specific development and instead proposed amending the County’s Comprehensive Plan to generally allow the building of large developments on rural lands.

To the disappointment of hundreds of individuals and citizen groups who mobilized with little notice to submit opposing comments, the County Commissioners agreed to consider his proposal and are now examining whether or not to allow FCCs.

What is an FCC?

“Fully Contained Communities” are dense communities of housing, located in rural areas, outside of existing urban growth areas. Although the name suggests an inclusive, self-sufficient village, opponents find this misleading.

Writing in the Skagit Scoop, Margery Hite, former lawyer for county and city governments, summarizes the characteristics of an FCC: “An FCC is a housing development, designed and constructed by private developers, made up of hundreds or even thousands of houses and apartments, with supporting commercial building space, in what is now the countryside. . .

An FCC is not part of a city or town . . [it looks] like a city, [but] without a corresponding government to provide police, fire, road repair, drainage upgrades, or any of the maintenance and repair services that make a city livable. Without city government, the burden of paying for those services will fall to County taxpayers.”

“To the eye,” she adds, “an FCC looks like a huge subdivision.”

For scale, the current proposal projects a development of over 3,600 people (almost four times the population of La Conner).

Only a few counties in Washington State have experimented with creating FCCs. In two of these counties, Snohomish and King, negative experiences led both to ban any future FCCs.

Conflicts with Existing Policies

When Washington State passed the Growth Management Act in the 1990s, the goal was to mandate growth planning and control sprawl.

Decades later, a web of policies and recommendations at the city and county level, as well as from advisory groups, delineate how growth should happen in Skagit County. Among these are the Countywide Planning Polices (CPPs), which are mutually agreed to by both the County and the local municipalities of Burlington, Mount Vernon, Anacortes, Sedro-Woolley, and La Conner. These policies create a county-wide framework guiding how each government writes its own Comprehensive Plan.

It is easy to get tangled in a morass of agencies and acronyms here, but for now, the crucial part is this: all of these policies and guidelines, dating back to the state Growth Management Act, have consistently opposed the creation of FCCs. Kirk Johnson was the senior planner for long range planning in Skagit County, working for the County from 1998 to 2017. He worked closely with County Commissioners, the planning commission, and the public on proposed amendments to the County Comprehensive Plan, development regulations, zoning, and land use.

According to Mr. Johnson, the County does not have the authority to unilaterally change the Comprehensive Plan. Mr. Johnson has written that the County can’t “amend its comprehensive plan and development regulations in a manner inconsistent with the regionally adopted CPPs.” He states that pursuing this course is “a waste of time and resources because it will ultimately be found non-compliant and overturned.”

What is the County’s Position?

Peter Gill, current Long Range Planning Manager for Skagit County, emphasizes that the idea to build FCCs does not originate with the County, but with the developer’s proposal, “It is a petition brought to the county by a

developer that is interested in building a new community. The important part of this is that what we are doing now is more process—it’s not project-based.

This is about starting a dialogue about how to grow.”

The argument for FCCs is the need for housing and the claim that cities can’t or won’t provide housing within existing urban growth areas. Says Mr. Gill, “There is a recognition that a housing problem exists in Skagit County, so this underlying need is one of the things that is driving it from the proponents’ point of view. That is also why the county is interested in discussing it.”

The County Comprehensive Plan calls for 20% of the population growth to be in rural areas while 80% should be in urban growth areas. Mr. Gill states, “We are closer to 30% of growth in the rural areas. When you step back, you can see that the growth is happening. Rural locations are getting population.

It’s happening one way or another. Under this proposal, we would be looking at the polices by which the County would allow a new community to be developed.”

What Farmers Worry About: Drainage, Traffic, and a Farming Legacy

The Co-op’s commitment to sustainable food production and supporting local suppliers prompts us to ask: why do FCCs worry the local farming community?

John Anderson, President of the Board of Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland, explains why SPF views FCCs as an urgent issue, “SPF’s reason for being is to advocate for farmland and for the continued economic viability of farmers in our valley. As farmers we have two main concerns: traffic and drainage.”

Mr. Anderson points out, “Farmers deal with traffic—they need to be able to move equipment and produce in a timely fashion. Dairy and crop farmers need to use our roads, and delays of increasing traffic are costly.

Concentrating the amount of people in an FCC in a rural area would adversely affect neighboring farms.”

Drainage is one of the most worrisome aspects of an FCC. Says Mr. Anderson, “People may not think about it, but drainage is vital to the health of local agriculture. We have drainage districts set up for the past century for this. It is our fear that our existing systems aren’t able to handle something as concentrated as drainage from proposed FCCs. We have concerns about dealing with the runoff from so much impervious surface.”

Uncontrolled runoff can lead to flooding, soil deterioration, erosion, and pollution.

The Skagit County Drainage and Irrigation Districts Consortium was formed in Skagit County in the late 1800s and represents 56,000 acres. Its elected commissioners work to ensure drainage and irrigation infrastructure is maintained. In a letter to the County Commissioners, the Consortium detailed their concerns about the effects of high density FCCs on drainage infrastructure and landowners downstream.

Says Executive Director Jenna Friebel, “As an area is developed, we get more and more runoff, but little capacity to handle it. We have ditches that were built 120 years ago to serve farm drainage that were never intended to manage urban storm water.” (continued on page 13)

skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021 3

Soup Season A crockpot of chili, simmering soup, bubbling bisque. Fall is the season to get cozy and fill your bowl with hearty soups and stews. Whether you’re gathered around the table with friends and family, curled up for football Sunday, or wrapped in your favorite blanket in front of a fire, these recipes are sure to warm your bones.

Black Bean Chili

Servings: 4–6 • Prep time: 1 hour 20 minutes; 15 minutes active.

1 cup dried black beans 4 cups water

2 large carrots, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes 1⁄4 cup quinoa

1 1⁄2 tablespoons chili powder 1 teaspoon salt

• Sort and rinse the black beans. Place in a large pot with the water and bring to a boil, then cover and cook on medium-low for 45 minutes.

• Add the carrots, green pepper, canned tomatoes and juices, quinoa, chili powder and salt. Return to a boil, then reduce to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook for 20 minutes, until the beans and vegetables are tender.

Uncover and simmer for five minutes to thicken slightly. Serve hot.

Three Sisters Soup

Servings: 8–10 • Prep time: 1 hour 10 minutes – 2 hours 10 minutes.

2 pounds of your favorite winter squash (butternut, acorn, kabocha) 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 yellow onion, diced

1⁄4 cup garlic, chopped

2 quarts vegetable stock or water 1⁄2 cup white wine

2 teaspoons dried thyme 1 large bay leaf

Veggie Chili with Beer

Servings: 5 • Prep time: 30 minutes; 15 minutes active.

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 tablespoon chili powder

1⁄2 teaspoon chipotle powder

1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped 1 medium green pepper, chopped 1 large carrot, chopped

1 cup wheat beer, red ale or lager

1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes, pureed 1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1⁄2 teaspoon salt • In a large pot, heat the olive oil. Sauté the onion for 5 minutes over medium heat, until soft.

• Add the chili powder and chipotle and stir until fragrant, then add the peppers, carrot and beer. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to medium-low for 5 minutes.Uncover and add the remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes to combine the flavors and thicken the chili.

Adding beer elevates a simple chili to a rave-worthy one ideal for a weekend gathering with friends.

1 pound fresh or frozen corn kernels

2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained 1⁄2 bunch green onions, sliced Salt and pepper to taste • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds.

Place the squash halves skin-side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet, and then roast until cooked through and soft, anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes. (Approximate cooking times: acorn squash, 30 to 45 minutes; kabocha squash, 40 to 50 minutes; butternut squash, 60 to 90 minutes.)

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

• Scoop the flesh of the squash into a large bowl, saving any liquid. Puree the cooled squash with a blender or food processor, adding some of the reserved liquid if needed.

• In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onions until they begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until the garlic turns light brown in color.

• Add the stock or water, wine, thyme, bay leaf and pureed squash and bring to a simmer. Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

The Three Sisters is an ancient Native American technique for growing corn, squash and beans together in a way that builds on the strengths of each individual plant and enables them to nurture one another. Cooked together, these ingredients make a nutritious soup that celebrates the harvest season.

Hearty Kale and White Bean Stew

Servings: 6 • Prep time: 50 minutes; 20 minutes active.

Three Bean Chili

Servings: 6 • Prep time: 40 minutes.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup onion, diced

1⁄2 cup green bell pepper, diced

7 ounces vegetarian ground meat 1 28-ounce can diced tomato 1 15-ounce can kidney beans 1 15-ounce can red beans

1 15-ounce can pinto beans 1 packet chili seasoning

• In a medium, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the diced onions and pepper and sauté on high heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

• Crumble vegetarian ground meat into the onion mix and brown, as you would with ground beef.

• When cooked through, add beans and tomatoes, and bring to a boil.

Simmer, stirring often, for 30 minutes, or until thick.

Note: If you prefer, substitute ground turkey or beef for the vegetarian meat.

Cornbread flecked with diced jalapeño peppers makes a tasty accompaniment to this hearty chili.

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skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups diced red onion 2 cups diced carrot

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 cups diced peeled butternut squash 2 cups sliced button mushrooms

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

4 cups chopped kale, stems removed 1 12-ounce can white beans

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup shredded Romano cheese (optional) • Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the onions, carrots, garlic, squash and mushrooms and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes.

• Transfer the vegetables to an 8-quart stock pot and add the stock, kale, beans, tomatoes, Dijon mustard, fresh rosemary and red pepper flakes.

Cover the pot and let cook for additional 20 minutes or until the kale is soft. Top with shredded Romano cheese if desired before serving.

Hearty autumn vegetables plus dark green kale makes for a beautiful bowl of stew. Serve with brown bread or rye crackers.

Sausage and Potato Soup

Servings: 6 • Prep time: 30 minutes; 20 minutes active.

1⁄2 pound sweet or hot Italian bulk sausage 1 small onion, diced

• Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and crumble the sausage into the pan. Stir as the sausage starts to sizzle, then add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, until sausage is browned and cooked through.

Add the potatoes, carrot, garlic, chicken broth, tomatoes, kale, oregano, marjoram and salt. If desired, add red pepper flakes.

2 large potatoes, cubed to make 3 cups

• Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes. When the potatoes are tender, serve.

1 clove garlic, crushed

Italian sausage infuses this simple soup with flavor. Choose hot or sweet sausage, depending on your taste for heat.

1 large carrot, chopped

1 14.5-ounce can chicken broth

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

Reprinted by permission from welcometothetable.coop.

Find recipes, plus information about your food and where it comes from at welcometothetable.coop.

1⁄2 bunch kale, sliced

1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

1⁄2 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Meet the 4th 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.

Community Action's Skagit County Food Distribution Center

NAMI Skagit

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

NAMI Skagit is one of nineteen affiliates in Washington. NAMI’s mission is to provide support, education and advocacy for persons living with mental illness, their families, and the community.

Community Action of Skagit County (Community Action) was established locally in 1979 and has since grown and evolved responsively to Skagit County’s needs and social services landscape. The mission of Community Action is to foster and advocate for self-sufficiency among under-resourced people in Skagit County. Community Action helps people improve their lives through education, support, and direct assistance while advocating for just and equitable communities.

Community Action’s Skagit Food Distribution Center (SFDC) addresses food insecurity among marginalized communities by serving as the centralized food distribution center in Skagit County and by providing critical food support to food banks and hot meal programs in the region.

Friendship House

Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland

Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland exists to ensure the economic viability of Skagit County agriculture and its required infrastructure through farmland protection, advocacy, research, education, and public awareness. SPF believes that sustainable farming practices support wildlife, fish, water and land conservation efforts. SPF also believes that farming has been responsible for Skagit Valley being the greatest watershed left in Puget Sound, and that maintaining the agricultural land base will continue to maintain wildlife, fish, water, and open space better than any other land use.

Reuse.

Rinse.

Repeat.

Friendship House believes that by treating all people with respect and kindness, they can help transform their lives into ones of self-sufficiency and abundance.

Friendship House provides two emergency shelters, one transitional house, one permanent low income shared living house, a daily meal service, an innovative employment training program, and many other services to neighbors in need, including showers, laundry, and a giving room for clothing selection to those who may not choose to participate in the shelter program.

Friendship House also manages the newly opened low-barrier Skagit First Step Center in partnership with the City of Burlington and Skagit County.

Every time you reuse your bag, you’re giving back. How many times have you given back? How many times have you reused your bag? Probably too many to count, and we are so grateful for your efforts. Now, how many times have you reused your bag since you washed it last? Chances are, probably too many times to count. So, please remember to wash your bags to help keep everyone’s food safe and clean. And thanks again for reusing your bag! skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021 5

from wellness

Surprise My Mama by nancylee bouscher

They were whimsical and comforting when I made them, but as a new mom they felt more like another chore I might never get to. I didn’t want to carry them back to Washington State, but I didn’t want to throw them out either. So, I anonymously gifted them. On an early morning walk through the bosque trail with that salty smell of desert dew, I placed them in the crook of cottonwood trees like curious birds watching the dog walkers. I sat them on sandy rock piles like meditating crones. I hid them in the sand with small parts poking through to the air. As I did this I was giddy with delight imagining the person who would find my little present and wondering what explanation they would come up with. I hoped they knew I left these trinkets just to make them happy.

Another time, years before that, while living in a ramshackle rental in Bellingham, my housemate, Katie, came home from the Skagit fields with cases of daffodils that could not be sold. They were stacked on our porch over our heads, and each box contained dozens of bouquets of daffies already blooming. We filled baskets with the yellow stems and headed out through the neighborhood. We put them in the shoes people left on the porches, in mailboxes and on windshields. Katie flagged down a garbage man and he stopped in the middle of Electric Avenue, his big hand reaching down from the cab as she stretched up to hand him a bunch of flowers, but he was the only person who took the flowers from us. Everyone else in Whatcom Falls Park didn’t want any free flowers from two crunchy gals cackling to themselves. We went back to hiding them in hedges.

On any occasion that warrants a gift—birthday, Mother’s Day, Christmas—my kids give me beeswax candles from the Co-op. Usually, they get the very pretty ones in special shapes like flowers or bees, that I would never buy myself. I thought I might feel bad about melting them, but they smell so cozy, I gave in.

This is a pattern of gifting that I wholeheartedly encourage because candles are magic, my Co-op is the best place to shop, and I like the consistency of getting the same useful, beautiful gifts from people that love me. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t love a good surprise, but in truth, I like my surprises to be completely anonymous.

Yes, I have found anonymous gifts, too. Painted rocks hidden behind the chips on the Co-op shelves, small candies and stickers left on my desk, random plants left on my porch, and cards mailed with cash to my house during sparse times without a return address. Those unexpected gifts that have no face I can attach to them, except the face of humanity. Your face.

From the geese that fly over the fields as I sip coffee on the couch to the owl that hoots in the cedar tree outside the bedroom window, Nature gives me these spontaneous gifts of beauty every day, every minute. She never lets me down, but I don’t always feel that way about humans. You probably don’t either. We have been sorely disappointed by each other over the last year.

We have drawn lines and picked sides and behaved in ways that would have earned us all some serious time-outs in preschool. No recess and certainly no jump rope.

When someone you know does something good for you, it reflects well on them and strengthens your relationship with them. That’s a great thing: you get that fuzzy feeling and you want to do something nice for them, so you do, and then it’s just like a cuddle fest of good vibes. Yes, of course we need that.

Do that. Buy candles for your mom.

But when something good happens, and you can’t pin it on any specific person, then it feels like the storm clouds have parted and a glorious beam of sunlight is shining on your path for no other reason than You. Are. Fabulous.

Stop and think about the last time you got an anonymous surprise. Hmmm.

Crickets? The problem with humans is that we often get anonymous bad surprises from each other. Someone dents your car in a parking lot, they throw their beer cans in your yard, they steal what is not theirs, and it can feel like “the universe is out to get me.” I know you can all think about an anonymous bad surprise. But don’t. Just keep reading.

As we enter into the dark season when the sun leaves us by four o’clock, more than ever before we have to intentionally be the light. Sure, do good things to create more bonds with the people who know and love your sweet face. But do MORE for the people who will never know it was you who shined a light onto their path. Leave gift cards in thrift store coats, buy a coffee for the car behind you, leave marbles in weed patches, drop a lip balm in your co-worker’s desk and put up small notes of encouragement on the mirrors in public restrooms. And then do more. Pick up garbage that isn’t yours, bake cupcakes for the people who deliver your packages, leave tennis balls at the dog park and send thank you cards, unsigned, to your past teachers. Just do one thing, and see how good it feels to be kind without kudos. It’s next level. And I know we all can agree it’s time we level up...

(But still buy candles for your mom, too.)

Years ago, I lived along the bosque, the forest that grows along the Rio Grande, of South Albuquerque on a street named Entrada Bonita. We lived in a very small casita with a wood stove and a lot of ants. When it came time to leave this place that had housed the best and the worst moments of my thirty years of life, I began to go through the many things I had been schlepping around to see what I could let go of. In one box were many pieces of bisque pottery, figures I had made from clay but had not been fully finished in a kiln.

MOODY MOONLIT NIGHTS 1 Euphoria Spirit Elixir

anima mundi apothecary

A botanical elixir made to boost your mood and bring joy and ecstasy. A spoonful should do the trick.

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Must-haves for a sensationally spooky fall.

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Candles 2 Beeswax big dipper wax works 100% beeswax. 100% magical. Surround your tub with them for a pure and natural candlelit soak.

Moon Bath Bomb 3 Full magic fairy candles

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Organic shea butter and lavender and sage essential oils encase a crystal charged under the full moon, so you can go forth brightly.

4 Books & Stickers Local stickers worth sticking, alongside rhythms and rituals worth sticking to: journals, books, and oracle cards, all on the 2nd floor.

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skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021

A Love Letter to Dr. Bronnerʼs Chocolate

by Leigha Staffenhagen

I am a diehard Dr. Bronner’s fan.

Like, so much so, that if I go to stay the night at a friend’s house, or am planning a trip somewhere, and I forget my little mini Dr. Bronner’s castile soap, I will find the nearest co-op or pharmacy to buy one, even if it means I’m stocking up on another 32oz bottle that I’ll have to lug around.

For me, there really is no substitute.

So, when I found out that my favorite soap brand (let’s be honest, favorite brand, period) was making chocolate, I couldn’t help but be stoked, albeit surprised, by the unexpected pivot from shower to pantry. But once I dug more into the “why” behind Dr. Bronner’s chocolatey endeavor, all the puzzle pieces came together, and it made me love them even more.

If you’re not familiar with Dr. Bronner’s, aside from making some of the best soap, their whole business is centered around what they call their Cosmic Principles. The six principles include working hard, doing right by customers, treating employees like family, being fair to suppliers, treating the earth like home, and funding and fighting for what’s right. And these aren’t just some lofty, fluffy, corporate goals to appease stakeholders. Dr. Bronner’s follows through on their principles, and oftentimes is quite unapologetic about fighting for the causes they believe in. Just take a look at their website, social media, or even the label itself, and I think you’ll agree that they don’t just talk the talk, but they walk the walk, too.

Their newest line of chocolate bars is yet another vehicle for them to promote real, impactful change, in the conventionally destructive methods of cacao and palm oil farming, and in the lives of farmers, too. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one excited, but confused, about the chocolate pivot, considering Dr. Bronner’s published a blog post about why they’re making chocolate in the first place. In the post, they quickly clear up the “why” by explaining that their move to make chocolate is about so much more than just making a tasty, low-glycemic, vegan sweet treat. In fact, the move dates back to 2009, when Dr. Bronner’s helped establish the world’s first certified organic and fair-trade palm oil project in Ghana called Serendipalm.

You’re likely aware of palm oil plantations’ nasty reputation for deforestation and the subsequent destruction of endangered orangutan habitats. By establishing this palm oil project, Dr. Bronner’s was able to help provide around 800 farmers with the resources they needed to move away from conventional farming methods that involved toxic pesticides and led to soil degradation and a heavy carbon footprint. After establishing these dynamic agroforestry practices, Dr. Bronner’s took the momentum they’d built to turn their attention to another commonly destructive industry: chocolate. For years, the chocolate industry has made a profit at the cost of child labor, deforestation, worker exploitation, and even slavery. Fortunately, Fair Trade chocolate is becoming easier to find, thanks in a large part to chocolate cooperatives and concerned consumers. Dr. Bronner’s is now a part of that effort, working directly with farmers by supporting them in transitioning towards regenerative farming practices, while offering them fair, stable wages that allow them to earn an income that’s reliable, regardless of fluctuating market prices.

While supporting a better chocolate industry is reason enough to try Dr. Bronner’s latest concoction, the chocolate itself is pretty darn tasty, too. Currently, we’re carrying their salted dark chocolate, salted almond butter, and smooth coconut praline. If you love a no-frills dark chocolate, the salted bar is the way to go. But if you’re like me, and prefer a bit of sweetness and texture with your dark chocolate, the smooth coconut praline is a must-try. It’s so rich and delightful that I’ve been whittling away at it for the last week.

I’ll leave you with this silly anecdote: when I was doing my shopping one day after work, I was looking for a sweet little treat to enjoy on my drive home. It was then that the sparkly glimmer of the word “MAGIC” caught my eye on the bottom shelf of our chocolate aisle. I’m embarrassed to admit just how giddy I got about finding the elusive Dr. Bronner’s chocolate bar, and I’d like to publicly apologize to the sweet couple looking at chocolate bars, that were likely caught off guard by the girl (me) who was too excited not to share the news with the closest humans who’d listen. I hope I wasn’t too wild-eyed and excitable. But I can’t help it, I’m a brand loyalist. And if you’re at all as passionate about Dr. Bronner’s soap as I am, I hope you have that same giddy, childlike reaction to their chocolate, too.

skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021 7

Jack-O'-Lanterns

by Ben Goe

Halloween has a long and complicated history.

Though celebrated now mostly as a secular holiday, it’s an amalgam of religious holidays from ancient Christianity and Celtic paganism.

Many modern Halloween traditions trace their origins to Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Great Britain: apple-bobbing, dressing in costume, and jack-o'-lanterns.

The origins of the jack-o'-lantern are significantly less complicated than the holiday itself. Though the term had been used as early as the 1660s to describe will-o-wisps, the tradition owes more to an old Irish folk tale.

In the mid-18th century, there were several versions of the tale of Stingy Jack, a cunning but stingy blacksmith. One chill autumn night, Jack meets the Devil in a bar and invites him to have a drink. Over the course of a whisky or two, he convinces the Devil to transform himself into a coin with which he will pay for the drinks. As soon as the Devil changes into a coin, Jack binds it to a silver cross in his pocket, trapping the Devil. Jack agrees to let him loose under the condition that he is to leave him alone for a year.

The Devil hesitated a little—he didn’t remember anything about Jack having a lame leg last year—but those apples looked fine, and he hadn’t eaten yet.

As soon as the Devil was up towards the top with his claw reaching for an apple, Jack pulled out his pocketknife and carved a cross into the bark of the tree, trapping the Devil again. After the Devil was done howling, screaming, cursing, and threatening, Jack offered him a deal—he’d let him down if the Devil would go away and leave him alone forever.

After some more screaming and swearing, the Devil agreed again.

Many years later Jack died an old, rich man (though he’d never been happy). As he approached the pearly gates of Heaven, they slammed shut in his face, and down he fell to the pits of hell. But the Devil remembered Jack, and true to his word, wouldn’t take him into Hell either. The Devil sent him out into the night with a burning coal to light his way, and Jack put this into a hollowed-out turnip. He was cursed to wander the earth forever, and was called Jack of the Lantern, eventually shortened to Jack O’Lantern.

In Ireland, it became tradition to carve turnips, rutabagas, or potatoes into frightening faces, and leave them in doors and windows to frighten away Jack and other malevolent spirits. When Irish immigrants came to America and brought their customs with them, they found turnips to be in short supply. Pumpkins, however, were plentiful, and perfectly suited to carving. As the Irish immigrants spread throughout America, so did the tradition.

Jack does some planning over the course of that year. He has a prize apple tree in his orchard that he won’t ever share the fruit of, and people around the county know of it. Every year he sells the whole crop to the highest bidder, but this year he leaves some hanging. When the Devil comes back for him that fall, he starts talking about what a shame it is that he won’t be able to So, as you’re carving your frightening, friendly, or enjoy the last of his crop. goofy gourd this year, take a moment to think about Even in Hell, the Devil has heard about Jack's the history behind it. And maybe spare a thought for apples. As Jack talks on about them, the crunch, old Stingy Jack. and the delicate scent that hits you a moment later, the Devil starts to think some apples sound pretty good. But Jack refuses to tell the Devil which tree it is, and after a few hours of looking the Devil calls it quits. “Jack, you tell me which tree it is and let me eat my fill. If they’re as good as you say they are, I’ll give you another year.”

Jack hems and haws a bit, scuffs the ground, and finally agrees. He takes the Devil to one of the tallest trees in the orchard and points up to one of the highest branches. On it are seven apples, all of the rest of the branches are bare.

They’re beauties—large, shiny, and bright red.

“You go ahead and climb up, Devil, and help yourself. Those are all that’s left, with my bad leg I can’t get up there anyway.”

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skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021

Dietary Diversity Key to Better Health

by Karl Mincin, Functional Nutritionist

In-Season Produce Savoy and Napa cabbage, radicchio, Guajillo peppers, Frisee, Escarole, green, red, and Lacinato kale, Collard greens, baby blue Hubbard squash, Kabocha squash, Delicata squash, Winter Luxury pie pumpkins from Boldly Grown Farm

Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, Pinova, and Gala apples, red and green D'anjou pears from Brownfield Orchards

Apple cider (not organic) from Cedardale Orchards

Herbs, heirloom tomatoes, fennel from The Crows Farm

Plants are the center of the universe. All eating paths ultimately lead to plants.

The single most important nutritional factor to improving your health is plants. But did you know that it's no longer sufficient to just eat more vegetables? It's really about eating a greater variety of vegetables and other plants. Eating veggies isn't enough! "Eat your fruits & veggies" messaging does not sufficiently address inter-individual variability and has proven insufficient at stemming the tide of chronic disease.

While the minimum recommendation is five servings of produce daily, this is just the beginning. In my practice, I advise nine servings. Ten or even twenty are not too much. We cannot overeat veggies. Recent research reveals that eating thirty different plant foods per week is the best way to achieve optimal health. This may sound like a lot, but consider that plants include not just vegetables, but also fruits, beans, grains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices; it's easier than you might think. Personally, I consume about 20 different plants per day - easily, tastefully and enjoyably! What's a serving? One half cup of most vegetables equals one serving. Leafy greens is one cup. It's not difficult to get four or five servings in a salad or bowl of veggie-loaded soup.

Far more than just the spice of life, there are at least eight solid science reasons why dietary diversity is the key to wellness: • Increase micro & phytonutrient density

• Feed a healthier diversified microbiome • Immune activation • Fatty acid fermentation • Anti-Inflammatory properties • Minimize the development of allergic hypersensitivity by avoiding overexposure to the same food antigens • Improve memory & cognition • Bioactivate vitamin D

How to Achieve Dietary Diversity

We are creatures of habit. It takes effort to break out of a monotonous eating rut and mix it up. “Favorite" can become an unhealthy word. It all begins in the mind. I tell my patients that eating healthier begins with thinking healthier.

Assorted eggplant, assorted melons, pluots, Seckle pears, Golden Delicious apples from Edible Acres

Taylor's Gold Comice pears from Gary Moulton (Bow, WA)

Serrano, Anaheim, Poblano and Jalapeño peppers, assorted bell peppers, jack-o'-lantern pumpkins from Hedlin Family Farms

Slicer cucumbers, Huckleberry, purple, russet, Ozette, Amarosa fingerling, yellow, and red potatoes from Highwater Farm

Bagged baby arugula, bagged spicy mix, bagged kale mix from Long Hearing Farm

Sunflower sprouts, tomatillos, Italian eggplant, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, Galeux de Eysines squash, Marina di Chioggia squash, Black Futsu squash, Jarrahdale squash, spaghetti squash from Moondance Farm

Bunched carrots, bunched beets, green cabbage, red and green dandelion, juicing carrots, leeks, bulk carrots, bulk red beets, parsnips, bunched spinach from Ralph’s Greenhouse

Set a goal, list ways to veg it up. Increase your usual portion of plants.

Batch cook efficiently: if you're cooking one onion for a stir-fry, cook two and subdivide it using half for the stir fry and half for another meal such as beans & greens. Experiment with swaps for some of your favorite meals. The nice thing about our taste buds is that they are like our mind, re-trainable. The more variety in our diets, the more we literally learn to like new foods. One new plant per week is a realistic goal for many. Even if you only add one per month, when you look back over the year, you'll have gotten a dozen new goodies. I'd love to hear your ideas, and I’m available for plenty more veggieloaded, bean-rich, herby-spicy tips!

Dietary Diversity is vital for all of us. It's rather simple: color leads to more color. Color changes mood. Mood changes behavior and impacts whole body-mind health.

Karl Mincin is a Functional Medicine Nutritionist in practice for 36 years. 360.336.2616 Nutrition-Testing.com | Instagram @MincinNutritionist | Facebook @NutritionTesting1

Salad mix, bunched beets, kale, Daikon radish, purple cabbage, green tomatoes, red Kabocha squash, sugar pie pumpkins, Acorn squash, mini spaghetti squash, grey ghost Kabocha squash from Well Fed Farm

skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021 9

DOUBLE DONATION DAY!

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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.

On the 4th Friday of every month, the Co-op donates 4% of the day's sales to a local organization, and Skagit Community Foundation matches our donation!

Photos: Courtesy of 4% Friday recipients

One Community One Family — October 22 One Community One Family’s mission is to provide support at diagnosis to cancer patients in the Skagit Valley Community. They believe most people are not fully prepared for the overwhelming emotional and physical changes, as well as financial hardships, during this time. One Community One Family’s volunteers are dedicated to the long-term success of their grant program through ongoing donations and fundraising efforts.

One Community One Family is awarding grants of $1,000. Grants are based on need, and especially with the fallout of COVID-19, the need is much greater than ever before. 4% Friday funds will be utilized to support two to three grants. That’s two or three families who will be eased a little from their burden during their shocking time of diagnosis and trying to figure out how they are going to make everything work and how to care for their family.

Skagit DVSAS — November 19 The mission of Skagit DVSAS is to end domestic violence and sexual assault in the community through empowerment, advocacy, education, awareness, and action for social change. The agency's vision is for all people to live full, free, expressive, and empowered lives in a safe, vibrant, healthy, and peaceful community. Skagit DVSAS provides a variety of services to victims of abuse, offers extensive prevention and education training to children, youth, and adults in Skagit, and operates the only confidential emergency DV shelter and the only 24-hour hotline for victims of abuse in the county.

Funding from the Co-op’s 4% Friday Community Shopping Day will be used to supplement the agency’s existing hotel voucher funds and emergency financial aid budget. This will ensure that Skagit DVSAS can continue to house survivors and their families when the shelter is at capacity during these trying times.

Anacortes Family Center — December 17 The mission of the Anacortes Family Center is to serve homeless women, children, and families in crisis by providing shelter in addition to comprehensive transformational services to achieve long-lasting personal success and self-sufficiency.

4% Friday Funds will be used to support Anacortes Family Center’s life-saving and life-changing program. This includes case management up to three times per week to help families secure jobs, housing, and process & heal from unique trauma in 60-90 days. This program holds an 86% success rate at getting families out of homelessness. This is done by providing weekly life skills classes for adults and children as well as intensive counseling for traumatized children with contracted children’s therapists.

Together we gave: 10

June

$5,500 Camp Korey

skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021

July

$5,396 Skagit Gleaners

August

$5,380 Food To Go

We make food right, and we make it right here. We’re proud to put the Skagit Valley Food Co-op name on food we handcraft in our kitchens using fresher-than-fresh ingredients: dips and dressings, hummus and hand-cased sausages, soups and salads, pizzas and pastries, and drool-worthy deli sandwiches. Oh, and ice cream and cookies, too. If we made it, you know it’s good.

Every month, we feature some of our all-time favorites from the bakery and deli, as well as must-have seasonal flavors like pumpkin, peppermint, and eggnog!

Here are the festive foods you can look forward to as we head into the holidays:

November

October

December

• Pumpkin and Peanut Brittle •

• White Chocolate Peppermint Bark •

• Candy Cane Cookies •

• Pumpkin Pies •

• Organic Cranberry Relish •

• Housemade Salad Dressings •

• Pumpkin Lattes •

• Autumn Spice Smoothie •

• Merry Cranberry Smoothie •

• Pumpkin Ice Cream •

• Eggnog Ice Cream •

• White Chocolate Candy Cane Ice Cream •

vendor spotlight

Handcrafted Artisan Soap Born from One Mother’s Love

by Leigha Staffenhagen

We won’t lie. We carry an awful lot of soap. Each brand is special in its own way. Some are locally made in the San Juan Islands, others are formulated specifically for certain skin conditions. We carry authentic African black soap bars and aromatic, luxurious soap bars imported from France. Some soap companies are BIPOC-owned and others are womenowned. One of those women-owned companies is Three Sisters Apothecary.

as many organic ingredients as possible, and when they do use palm oil, it’s always sustainably sourced.

Located in Northern California, Three Sisters’ handcrafted soap bars are traditionally made using soap making techniques that date back to the first soap guilds of 7th Century Europe.

All of their products are botanically-based and scented with pure essential oils and the highest quality butters. They utilize

blossom, dark chocolate mint, and rosemary orange, self-care has never been so magical.

Look for the bubbly cauldron, and then do yourself a favor and transform your bathtub into one for a fantastical fall soak.

Three Sisters also keeps Mother Earth in mind while crafting their soap. All of their packaging is plastic-free and made from recycled content they source locally to cut down on their overall carbon footprint. The A family-owned company consisting of two sisters and packaging is 100% recyclable, so you can a daughter, Three Sisters Apothecary was founded out of indulge with a clean, green conscience. necessity, when one of the sisters, Emma, gave birth to We introduced Three Sisters bar soap daughter Sabrina pre-maturely. The story goes that Emma to the Co-op earlier this year, and we (you) began making soaps and salves for her daughter, knowing loved it so much, we decided to bring in even that at just three pounds, her itty-bitty bundle of joy would more of their bath and body concoctions. We need the best care possible to thrive. When Sabrina was three, added their solid shampoo and conditioner the soap operation really took off, and before they knew it, bars to our growing selection of plastic-free Three Sisters was making big batches of soap for friends and hair care as well as their moisturizing hair oil, family. After some encouragement from family, in 1999, Three bath soaks, and body butter. With bewitching Sisters Apothecary was born! scents like mission fig & honey, mandarin

skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021 11

Gift Cards...

Always the right choice!

Ad Rates & Sizes Contact The Natural Enquirer: nicole@skagitfoodcoop.com (360) 336 5087 ext. 136. or visit our website at www.skagitfoodcoop.com

We offer discounts for prepayment. All first-time ads MUST be paid in advance.

The ad deadline for the next issue (January 2022) is Friday, November 19

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skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021

(continued from page 3)

FCCs

Terry Sapp is a third generation farmer east of Sedro-Woolley, and part of the North Cascade Meat Producer’s Cooperative. He works to sustain farming for future generations in Skagit County, and sees careful decisions about population growth and land use as key to farming’s viability: “The argument that we should put forward as a community is that we make our cities and villages better and keep our rural county agriculture.

We know the farmlands, forests, and waters pictured are economic resources—but from another perspective, we can see how they are an additional type of resource for both those who reside here and those who visit—they ground us, they feed us, they provide us not only livelihood, but also refuge. Even while we have grown, we have maintained the character and integrity of our fields of tulips, potatoes, and berries; our sapphire and jade lakes; our forests of tall trees and wild creatures; and a river that tumbles and rushes, designated as “wild and scenic.”

At least 80% of this video celebrates the valley’s wild and rural beauty and opportunities for enjoying that beauty. Notably absent from this idyllic view of a We stop building in the country and make our cities more vital, more valley that nourishes its residents and attracts visitors is suburban sprawl in the civic, more enjoyable urban centers rather than scattering population in countryside. It is this sprawl and an ensuing corrosive impact on the County’s rural semi-dense arrangements out about the landscape.” identity that opponents of FCCs fear.

And he adds, ”If people think that those who are farmers argue to keep Next Steps agriculture sustainable for their personal benefit, I would alert them to the Of the approximately 500 comments submitted before the County’s initial fact that it would be far more profitable to sell the land for development. decision, fewer than ten favored FCCs. The short lead time for written comments We soldier on in part to preserve a resource.” and awkward Monday morning schedule for oral comments, along with the County’s Who Assumes the Costs and Burdens of FCCs? seeming lack of response to the overwhelming opposition, leave some people FCCs are large developments the size of towns, without the structure worried about the County’s responsiveness and transparency going forward.

and services—or the tax base—of a town to support them. Who, or what, County planner Peter Gill says the county is assessing whether or not they will will assume the costs of services? do an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). They plan to release that decision in Kirk Johnson speaks for a number of opponents when he states, October. Either way, there will be “multiple ways for the public to weigh in during “[We don’t] support policies that drain cities of their tax base and place the coming months. The outreach will be far different than any other petition that goes in front the Commission, based on the vast number of comments and the unfunded demands on the County’s rural infrastructure.” interest.”

Unfunded demands include road repair and upkeep, law enforcement, The Right Growth, Right Place alliance intends to do extensive public education and, of course, upgrades and maintenance for drainage and storm runon the issue and to collect petition signatures in opposition to FCCs. off. Opponents point to other needs as well—like schools and firefighting capabilities—that will need to be supported.

FCC opponents believe we need to increase efforts to find solutions with and within our cities. One housing suggestion involves the revitalization and rebuilding Says Mr. Johnson, “It is hard to accurately allocate and then recoup the of the many vacant commercial sites and mall buildings in the Valley, which were costs of a new development. Do existing residents pay for new growth?” themselves often built on paved-over farmland.

Will FCCs Provide “Affordable” Housing?

Says Kirk Johnson, “I grew up in the Bay Area in San Francisco—a place that was Few would deny the need for more housing in Skagit County. One a shopping mall is now residential. It is possible for a community and developers major question that arises is what kind of housing do we need, and will to reimagine a dead mall area. It has happened in Portland and Vancouver. The problem is economic—when do we reach a tipping point where developers are FCCs supply it?

The main argument here for opponents to FCCs is that housing will willing and interested to make it happen?”

Peter Gill states, “The Cascade Mall is an area where we might be able to get most likely serve those with higher incomes, and not those with Skagit’s median income of $67,000 for a household. Opponents fear that instead some significant growth. That would be part of the EIS process—alternative analyses of providing homes for those already living and working in Skagit County, of where we might be able to put growth.” high value homes in an FCC might more likely attract those who currently live and work outside Skagit, making the FCC a bedroom community for Finally, Are We Factoring in Climate Change? large cities on the I-5 corridor.

As we come off a season of fire, drought, and record heat, it seems crucial to evaluate every growth policy decision for its environmental impact, and especially The developer’s proposal lists five other FCCs in Washington, one of how it might either worsen or mitigate climate change effects. Opponents of FCCs which he says has “failed.” Average home prices in Pierce County’s Tehalah point to some of the many ways FCCs are incompatible with wise climate change community are $599,525. In King County FCCs, the averages range from response: Contributing to drainage issues that will increase runoff and flooding; $899,000 to $970,000. removing trees and green space that lessen essential absorption of carbon FCCs are supposed to include a portion of housing that is “affordable”, dioxide; promoting a commuter culture of single family cars; favoring large single but opponents remain skeptical about how, or if, that will work. They also family homes on rural acreage over multi-family houses. question whether it makes sense to site housing for lower income residents In trying to solve our housing issues, paving a way for developers to construct in areas far from necessary services, job opportunities, and mass transit.

FCCs may be like paving over farmland: a permanent action leading to heartache down the road.

Arguing for the Heart of Skagit Valley

Created by the Skagit Valley Chamber Executive Director’s Association For Further Resources: and funded by Skagit County, the website visitskagitvalley.com provides a • This County website will take you to both the developer’s proposal and the visual feast of this valley so many love. written comments. Look for proposal LR 20-24. www.skagitcounty.net/Departments/PlanningAndPermit/2021CPA.html One of its short videos, Find Your Flow, takes us along the Skagit River— • “Fully Contained Communities and Why We Should Be Worried About Them” from mountain waters, through forests, across farming fields, past towns

by Margery Hite at www.Skagitscoop.org and down to the Salish Sea. Watching it, I yearn to visit the Skagit Valley.

• www.rightgrowthrightplace.org And I already live here.

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skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021 13

Holiday Sweets and Treats, Organically!

New Annie’s Homegrown Baking Mixes

by Leigha Staffenhagen

When you think of Annie’s Homegrown, you probably picture a warm bowl of mac and cheese on a cold winter’s day or the cutest little hoppityboppity cheddar bunny snacks. But, after this article, you very well might start imagining ooey-gooey sweet baked goods instead.

We’re excited to add 3 of Annie’s organic baking mixes to our DIY bakery goods lineup: confetti cake, chocolate chip cookies, and double chocolate brownies. Not only are the mixes a sweet and delicious solution for any celebration, they’re USDA Certified Organic and free of artificial flavors, synthetic preservatives, and hydrogenated oils, too.

October is Non-GMO Month, so it’s also worth noting that Annie’s uses only non-GMO ingredients. And when it comes to dairy, Annie’s has verified that all of their milk ingredients are only sourced from cows not treated with synthetic growth hormones.

All of these baking mixes are easy to whip up as-is when your sweet tooth comes knocking, but if you feel like doing something a little extra, you can use them as an easy starting point for other fun and festive desserts for the upcoming holiday season. So, bust out those baking supplies, stock up on some Annie’s Homegrown baking mixes, round up the kiddos, and get ready for a whole season of festive baking!

Easy-Peasy Holiday Sweets

From now until the end of the year, the kitchen is the place to be. It’s where generational gaps are filled with time-honored Thanksgiving recipes and giggling flour-dusted faces. It’s where you learned to crimp pie dough and baste a turkey, all while hearing family stories about the holiday seasons of yesteryear. And maybe, it’s where you’ll share some quality baking time with your own family! Here are some clever recipe ideas that take the guess work out of scratch-baking with a little head-start from Annie’s baking mixes.

Mummy & Spider Cookies

Keep it simple, and festive by simply baking your Annie’s chocolate chip cookies, and drizzling on some sweet glaze to make them look like mummies and spiders for a creepy Halloween treat!

Prepare your chocolate chip cookies according to the package directions, and let them cool. Prepare your cookie glaze by mixing together 1 cup of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of water until well combined.

For a mummy design, using a spoon, lightly drizzle your glaze in a crisscross pattern until you achieve the look you’re going for. Finish them off with googly candy eyes (recipes are online, just google it!) and you’ve got a spooktacular cookie!

Or, if spiders are more your speed, drizzle on some melted chocolate for legs, stick on a peanut butter cup or ball for the body, and attach some googly eyes!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches

If you’re the type that loves ice cream no matter what the season, try making an ice cream sandwich!

Simply prepare you chocolate chip cookies according to the box, and let them cool. Next, scoop up your favorite ice cream onto one cookie, and sandwich it together with another. If you want to get extra fancy and festive, roll the side of your ice cream sandwich in sprinkles, chocolate chips, or small candy pieces.

Crushed candy cane, anyone?

Choose a classic ice cream flavor like Co-op vanilla or chocolate for your sandwich, or keep your eyes peeled for a seasonal flavor of our handmade ice cream like pumpkin, white chocolate peppermint, or eggnog!

Chocolate Brownie Halloween Dirt Cups

Dirt has never tasted so good! With “soil” made of brownies and “topsoil” made of crumbled chocolate cookies, these Halloween dirt cups are a simple dessert that kids will love to help make!

For these dirt cups, you’ll need…

• A tray of Annie’s Homegrown brownies, prepared according to the directions, cooled • Chocolate sandwich cookies – we recommend Newman’s Own! • Chocolate frosting – either store-bought or homemade • Creepy crawly candy toppings – think gummy worms, candy eyeballs, hard-coated candy bones • Clear small cups or containers – small upcycled glass jars, plastic cups, etc.

To make your dirt cups, start by cutting up your brownies into 1-inch pieces and crumbling them into large chunks. Next, place your chocolate cookies in a gallon storage bag, and crush them with a rolling pin or large spoon. Once your ingredients are prepped, create your layers! Grab your small containers and add in your brownie chunks followed by a generous layer of frosting. Repeat these layers till you have about ½ inch of space at the top. Fill in that gap with your crushed cookies, top it all off with your edible creepy crawlies, then dig in!

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skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021

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staff profile

Pumpkin Pie Brownies

Chocolate brownies, but make them fall-out delicious! Annie’s Homegrown brownies are paired with a layer of creamy, sweet, luxurious pumpkin filling that’s bound to rival your favorite Thanksgiving treat. For this recipe, you’ll need…

• A box of Annie’s Homegrown Chocolate brownie mix, including the eggs, oil, and water • 1/2 a can of pumpkin – not pumpkin pie filling • 6 oz cream cheese – softened

Michael Marques

Cashier Operations Manager Co-op Employee Since July 2020

I came to this Co-op in July of 2020. I have a background in co-ops; I worked at the Community Food Co-op in Bellingham for 13 years!

Favorite Customer Moment: I love our Co-op shoppers. Seeing regulars from over the years has been really great. I love the variety of member interactions I get to have here.

• 3 Tablespoons sugar • 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice – you can find it in our Bulk Herbs!

• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips To make your pumpkin brownies, start by preheating the oven to the heat specified on the brownie box. Next, prepare your brownie mix according to the package and toss in the chocolate chips.

In a separate bowl, beat together pumpkin, cream cheese, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice. In a prepared baking dish, pour in half the brownie batter, followed by the pumpkin filling, and then the other half of the brownie batter.

Bake your brownies for the recommended time, with an extra 10-15 minutes to make up for the extra thickness from the pumpkin layer. YUM! (Recipe adapted from The Cookie Rookie)

Favorite Item in the Co-op: I am partial to the Bee Works honey, it goes in everything from salad dressing, to coffee, to figs. The John Masters hair care products in Wellness are also a personal favorite.

Favorite Way to Spend Time Outside of Work: I travel the world with my partner Clint. Spoil my dogs with walks, treats and car rides. I work in my flower garden, garage sale shop, and cook for friends.

Favorite Co-op Ingredients for Home Cooking: Anything fresh caught or picked today. I get to select the best of what we have to offer every day after work. I love our marinated and smoked meats, the lovely housemade pastas and breads, and the varying array of seasonal produce.

Curbside Pick-Up HOLIDAY HOURS November 21–27

Holiday Cake Pops

Sure, you can bake an entire sheet cake for a holiday get-together, but you know what’s more fun, impressive, and basically fool proof? Cake pops! While they may look elegant and unachievable displayed in a case, cake pops are actually really easy to make at home, especially when you have Annie’s Confetti Cake Mix to get you started!

To make your cake pops, all you’ll need is a box of Annie’s cake mix, frosting, candy melts, and whichever sprinkles or other decorations you fancy.

Start by baking your cake according to the directions on the package. Then, crumble up the cake and combine it with about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of frosting. Once well combined, roll your cake/ frosting combo into ping pong-sized balls and pop them onto some lollipop sticks. Prepare your candy melts by microwaving them and once melted, pour them over your cake pops till they’re melted. Before they cool, top your cake pops with sprinkles, small candy bits, or fondant shapes.

For Halloween, you can make your cake pops look like eyeballs, pumpkins, mummies, or Frankenstein. Thanksgiving turkeys are doable with candy corn, or to give them a Christmas-y feel, consider red and green sprinkles and add fondant reindeer ears. If you check out #cakepops on Instagram, you’ll find all the inspiration you could ever need to make party-worthy cake pops!

Order Groceries Online Anytime!

Pick Up at C-SQUARE 11am–4pm CLOSED Thanksgiving Day

skagitfoodcoop.com skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021 15

Outstanding Customer Service at the Co-op We love hearing from you! Passion is the name, and customer service is our game. If you ever have questions or comments you can head to our website to fill out a kudos or online suggestion form, or you can handwrite us a note using the comment cards by the grocery registers. And! Some lucky shoppers randomly get a receipt to take a customer experience survey in exchange for a coupon. Thank you to everyone who’s taken the survey! The survey gives shoppers the opportunity to rant, rave, and praise. We use your responses to improve things like ease of moving through the store, product availability, and overall satisfaction. We also use the survey to recognize our employees with Outstanding Customer Service Awards.

So, excuse us while we toot our own horn, but some things are too good not to share, and it is Co-op Month, after all. We’ve compiled some of the most outstanding feedback to celebrate the Co-op and our hard-working employees:

• I don't want to name one particular person as so many of the workers there • Duncan – Duncan is a very speedy cashier, he remembers my complex coffee order and adds my membership number without me having to say it. deserve to be mentioned and recognized. They do an outstanding job all of the time, especially during this very difficult pandemic.

• The Co-op staff is always friendly. I appreciate that staff members ask about my dog and greet him when I walk him. I appreciate that quality products are • I am a frequent shopper at the Co-op, visiting four to five times a week. The consistently available. quality of all of the products are top notch, fresh, and wonderfully organized and displayed. The real stand-out, however, are the people. The customer service is like no other-it is simply the very best. From the moment one walks • Even though it was late in the day, meat, deli and produce were well stocked. into the Co-op one is warmly greeted. The setting is very welcoming and My cashier treated the older couple ahead of me with respect and good cheer. the displays are fantastic and always interesting (thank you Karin!). Jason, Dale, Michael, Kristian (love his recommendations) Hunter, Kelsey, Galen • I particularly enjoy the Skagit Valley Food Co-op because they carry so many and meat and produce staff, the Mercantile team, and so many more, are wonderful fresh produce items. At this time of the year a large percentage of the very reason I shop at the Co-op. I am very thankful for the perseverance, these items are local and they are REALLY fresh. The produce prices are good dedication, and commitment of the Co-op staff during the pandemic. It is and the staff in that department are really great. I also enjoy the size of the so nice to once again see their smiles. Thank you! store. I like the feel of the store. It's a smaller, local downtown old Mount Vernon store that is a very important part of the community. The Co-op gives back to • Baiyu – Baiyu has been one of my family's favorite cashiers for many years. the community in many ways, including its 4% Friday program. I have been a It is nice to see a familiar face and feel part of a community. member since 2000. I usually go there at least once a week if not more often.

• I’m so thankful for the locally grown fresh produce. Mercantile carries • Kevin – Cheerfully helpful with bagging my groceries. GREAT ATTITUDE! unique things to include unusual awesome gifting items for babies and children to include books. I always look forward to visiting the garden area • I love the Co-op, always. It's kind of like a field trip every time I visit Mt. Vernon, out front to include plant starts, flowers, and many varieties of tomatoes. as I live in a surrounding community. Besides loving the experience, I feel like The employees are so friendly and always helpful when needed. How lucky I'm adding to sustainability of our world in a small way. And the produce is we are to have such a wonderful co-op in our valley. Many thanks! always exceptional, as is the garden center this time of year.

• Megan and Katie – Megan checked us out and was fast, friendly, and • The cheerful staff is a big part of the experience for me. I appreciate that I can accurate. Katie bagged our groceries and was very nice and did a much get through the main check line and the line for espresso drinks so quickly. I better job bagging than we would have done. The staff are like family. was glad that some of my favorite items were on sale.

• This is my favorite place to shop. It is an anchor in our little town. Staff are • We eat mostly organic, and vegan, so this is usually a one store stop for always welcoming and helpful. Perfection. our groceries. In the wellness center, the help is very good for me, as I am new to using some of these natural herbs and medicines, even though my • Dale – Dale is always positive and encouraging. She always makes me feel husband is an MD, retired, and I am a nurse, RN. The use of these things is welcomed when I come to the Food Co-op to shop. She takes an interest in not taught in medical school, or nursing classes! The cleanliness of the store, her customers. She reflects the best of a cooperative spirit. and well stocked. And the fresh fruits and veggies are FRESH and beautifully displayed, easy to find. Their prices are similar, and some times better than the "Big Grocery Store"!

• Skagit Valley Food Co-op is a one shop stop for healthy, fresh & nutritious foods in Skagit County! I can count on the food not being filled with toxic chemicals. The freshness of the food also makes it more tasty and nutritious. *Some comments have been edited for spelling and grammar.

Thank You

10% OFF ing

one shopp trip in October 16

for being a part of the co-op!

We’re glad you’re an owner. Here’s our way of saying thanks.

Member number required for redemption.

Coupon valid for 1 (one) shopping visit at the Co-op. Excludes special orders, staff/board purchases and a few select items. For current (paid in full or paid to date) Skagit Valley Food Co-op owners only. Expires 10/31/2021.

skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • october–december 2021