Looking for a great way to jump start the new year? Check out Vermont Sun! They’re our featured Co-op Connection Business this month and they offer 50% off their enrollment fee to Co-op member-owners!
Vermont Sun has been keeping our community fit since 1985. Whether you’re visiting their facilities in Middlebury or Vergennes, you’ll find their clubs geared up with the essential elements of a great workout. Their fitness equipment vendors are the best in the industry, and their club owners stay current with the latest technology! They offer a wide variety of cardio, strength, and free weight equipment to ensure that you get the best possible workout.
FACILITIES AND PROGRAMMING
Both Vermont Sun locations are open Monday thru Friday 6 am-8 pm, Saturday & Sunday 7:30 am-4 pm. This includes the pool as well! Vermont Sun’s two thousand square foot exercise room features a cushioned hardwood floor and is fully air-conditioned. Their top of the line sound system provides amazing sound quality for all group fitness classes. All group fitness classes are included in most memberships at no extra charge. Find their class schedule on their website.
Their facilities also offer racquetball courts, saunas, and indoor pools for lap swimming, rehab, or recreation.
Need help to ease safely back into a workout routine? Or maybe you’re just looking to set some new fitness and nutrition goals and could use a professional guide? Vermont Sun offers Personal Training services and Nutritional Counseling from a knowledgeable staff of certified, credentialed specialists.
In short, Vermont Sun has everything you need to help make your fitness goals a reality! Stop in and find out for yourself why they are voted the #1 Fitness Center in the region year after year! And don’t forget to tell them you’re a Co-op member-owner!
Are you craving the warmth and comfort of a nourishing, home-cooked soup but find yourself short on time? That’s where Joe’s Kitchen soups come in! This week, we’re excited to feature Joe’s Kitchen in our Member Deals Spotlight, with all their locally made, from-scratch soups available at 20% off for Member-Owners from January 21st to 27th.
From Grandma’s Kitchen to Culinary Excellence
Joe Buley’s journey to founding Joe’s Kitchen at Screamin’ Ridge Farm began in his grandmother’s home in East Randolph, Vermont. He recalls her kitchen as a warm, bustling hub filled with family, friends, and the enticing aroma of a soup pot simmering on the stove. His grandmother’s cooking philosophy balanced flavor and economy, often using whatever ingredients were on hand to create hearty, delicious soups. The key to her creations? The fresh vegetables and herbs she harvested straight from her garden.
Joe’s mother carried on this tradition, teaching him the art of making great-tasting food with fresh, home-grown ingredients. These early lessons shaped Joe’s passion for cooking and laid the foundation for his future career.
Chef-Owner Joe Buley
A Culinary Journey
Joe’s culinary career took him far and wide. He trained at the prestigious École Supérieure de Cuisine Française in Paris (also known as École Ferrandi), where he was the only U.S. citizen in his class. After graduating, Joe honed his skills in culinary hotspots like Brooklyn, San Francisco, San Diego, and Austin before returning with his family to Vermont in 1999. Back home, he served as a chef-instructor at the New England Culinary Institute for nearly a decade.
During this time, Joe began growing his own food, inspired by memories of his grandmother’s garden. What started as a small operation with a single greenhouse and a walk-behind tractor evolved into Screamin’ Ridge Farm—a thriving business known for its winter spinach and a wide variety of summer crops. The farm’s produce was sold at the Montpelier Farmers Market and through seasonal CSA programs.
Bridging the Gap Between Farm and Table
As Joe connected with customers at farmers markets and through the CSA, he noticed a common challenge: people wanted to eat healthy meals but often lacked the time or inspiration to cook from scratch. This realization sparked the idea for Joe’s Kitchen at Screamin’ Ridge Farm, where he could combine his passion for growing ingredients and cooking them into flavorful, ready-to-eat foods.
Joe’s soups are crafted with integrity and a commitment to using local ingredients. When sourcing items not grown on his own farm, Joe partners with neighboring small farms in the Montpelier area. This approach not only supports Vermont’s working landscape but also ensures that his soups have the authentic, fresh flavors reminiscent of his grandmother’s cooking—all without the need for added sugars or excessive salt.
Joe’s crew hard at work at their production kitchen in Montpelier, VT
A Co-op Favorite
At the Co-op, we’re proud to offer a rotating selection of Joe’s Kitchen soups, showcasing the best of Vermont’s seasonal produce. From hearty stews to creamy bisques, there’s a flavor for everyone. Which one will you try next?
Rooted in the family traditions passed down from his grandmother’s kitchen, and combining locally sourced ingredients with time-honored cooking methods, Joe’s Kitchen soups bring together the quality and essence of home-cooked meals with the convenience that busy lives demand.
Co-op Member-Owners, don’t miss your chance to stock up and save 20% on Joe’s Kitchen soups from January 21st to 27th!
We’re casting our Member Deals Spotlight on a local organic creamery that produces delicious award-winning cheeses just a few short miles from the Co-op. Champlain Valley Creamery uses traditional techniques and small-batch pasteurization to produce their cheese entirely by hand in a net-zero solar-powered facility in Middlebury. Member owners can enjoy a 20% discount on Champlain Valley Creamery’s fantastic lineup of cheeses from December 10 – 16 – just in time for those holiday parties!
Champlain Valley Creamery was first established in 2003 by founder and owner Carleton Yoder. With a graduate degree in food science and a background in wine and hard cider making, Yoder was eager to run his own food business. With Vermont’s abundance of amazing local milk, small-scale cheesemaking just made sense. Yoder began his adventures in cheesemaking in a facility in Vergennes, where he focused on two products: Organic Champlain Triple and Old Fashioned Organic Cream Cheese. Both have been awarded well-deserved honors from the prestigious American Cheese Society.
Carleton Yoder
Over the years, the creamery has continued to grow and expand its offerings, eventually moving into a net-zero solar-powered facility on Middlebury’s Exchange Street in 2012. Yoder and his small crew now produce an expanded lineup of cheeses including Queso Fresco (available in original, house-smoked, and pepper varieties), Maple Cream Cheese, a pyramid-shaped triple cream with a layer of ash known as Pyramid Scheme, and, most recently, they began importing Italian truffles to produce the Champlain Truffle Triple.
The Creamery also made a switch last year to using 100% grass-fed organic milk from the Severy Farm in Cornwall. The milk only travels a few short miles from the farm to the creamery, where the cheesemaking begins within hours of arrival. The use of grass-fed milk results in a richer, creamier cheese that displays subtle seasonal changes reflective of the changing diet of the cows as the seasons progress. It’s truly the terroir of Addison County in each decadent bite of cheese.
Yoder is supported by a small crew that is just as dedicated to the craft as he is. They use traditional techniques and small-batch pasteurization to produce their cheeses entirely by hand. A recent visit to their facility found the crew in constant motion, measuring, stirring, monitoring temperatures, and generally putting every bit of the day’s fresh batch of milk to good use. The bulk of the cream and whole milk is used to produce the Organic Champlain Triple, Champlain Truffle Triple, and the two varieties of cream cheese. The part-skim milk is then transformed into each of the three varieties of Queso Fresco, and the whey is drained off to create hand-dipped, basket-strained ricotta that is only available to a few select restaurants in the area. The only remaining by-product is a small amount of whey, which is sent to feed the happy pigs at Hinesburg’s Full Moon Farm, resulting in an operation that is hyper-local with very minimal waste.
According to Yoder, “cheesemaking is hard work but we strive to let the milk, cream, culture, salt, and mold shine through with their amazing flavors.” It’s this minimalist approach and the desire to honor the high-quality local ingredients that make Champlain Valley Creamery’s cheeses stand out – on our shelves and at retailers across the country.
Picture hanging above Yoder’s desk made by his son, Nate
If you’re searching for thoughtfully crafted, eco-friendly toys for the kids on your holiday list, look no further than Maple Landmark, our featured Co-op Connection Business. Based right here in Middlebury, Vermont, Maple Landmark has been making sustainable wooden toys, games, and gifts for over 40 years. Visit their factory store on Exchange Street and show them your Co-op membership card to enjoy 10% off your purchase all year long!
A Vermont Legacy of Craftsmanship
Maple Landmark began humbly in 1979 in founder Mike Rainville’s parents’ basement. Today, the company operates out of a 28,000-square-foot facility, producing nearly all of the items they sell. With a team of over 40 dedicated employees, they supply toys and gifts to stores and catalogs nationwide, while maintaining a delightful factory store for local shoppers. They take great pride in being a local business that supports other local businesses, while operating with sustainability at their core.
Three generations of the Rainville family
A Family Business
Maple Landmark is run by three generations of the Rainville family. Founder Michael Rainville serves as president and CEO, overseeing daily operations. His wife, Jill, manages the office, and his sister, Barbara, leads marketing and helps in the finish room. Their sons, Adam and Andrew, have joined the team as project and communications managers, respectively, contributing to product innovation and outreach efforts. Even Michael’s parents pitch in, with his mother, Pat, supervising finishing and hand-painting, and his father, Claude, helping with packing and lawn care in his spare time. Together, they embody a multigenerational dedication to quality and community.
Sustainably Sourced Materials
The wood Maple Landmark uses is primarily native to Vermont, including rock maple, pine, and cherry—ideal for wooden toys and gifts. By focusing on making smaller items, they are able to utilize downgraded lumber by cutting around defects, and make use of smaller “cast-off” cuts. They are also careful to work exclusively with local suppliers who are thoughtful about how the wood is harvested.
Click here to learn more about the use of lumber for Maple Landmark products.
A Commitment to Zero Waste
An honest concern for preserving our limited natural resources mixed with good old-fashioned Yankee frugality ensure that sustainability is more than a buzzword at Maple Landmark. Instead of sending their residual waste to the landfill, scrap wood becomes free kindling for local families, and wood shavings are donated to area farmers, who use it for cattle bedding. Over-packaging of products is another major source of waste, so Maple Landmark nixes plastic, and ships their products in reused and upcycled packing. Click here to learn more about their extensive and thoughtful recycling and conservation practices.
How It’s Made
Support Local, Shop Thoughtfully
Maple Landmark is more than just a toy company—they’re a pillar of our community, creating beautiful products while protecting the environment. This holiday season, we invite you to visit their factory store located at 1297 Exchange Street in Middlebury, and discover the magic of Vermont-made craftsmanship.
Santa is coming to town!
Santa and his elves will visit Maple Landmark on Saturday, December 14th. Tickets are limited – click here to reserve your spot!
We’re shining this week’s Co-op Spotlight on Elmer Farm — a 90-acre certified organic farm right here in East Middlebury. Member-owners can take 20% off their organic vegetables from November 12–18.
Elmer Farm has deep roots in this community. The land has been farmed since the early 1800s, and today, the team continues that legacy by growing a wide variety of organic vegetables, flowers, and herbs. They farm about eight acres in crops and keep the rest in rotating cover crop to support long-term soil health — a practice that protects the land for future generations.
If you’ve ever driven along Route 116, you’ve probably noticed the farmhouse and flower beds marking the entrance to the farm. What you don’t see from the road are the fields tucked just beyond — fertile sandy loam soils left by glacier retreat, now home to more than 35 types of vegetables and hundreds of seed varieties, including many heirlooms. Everything is grown organically and inspected annually by Vermont Organic Farmers.
Beyond feeding their CSA members and supplying local stores (including us!), Elmer Farm is an important partner in increasing food access in our community. Years back, they joined HOPE, local farmers, ACORN, Middlebury College, and local businesses to build a program connecting surplus farm produce with the HOPE food shelf. What started as an idea around a table has grown into a system that brings thousands of pounds of fresh vegetables to neighbors who need them — while reducing food waste.
At the Co-op, you’ll find Elmer Farm’s organic cabbage (red, green, and napa), kale, onions, squash (butternut and delicata), baby bok choy, radishes, leeks, chard, garlic, turnips, rutabagas, beets, parsnips — and, of course, their standout carrots.Stop by, stock up, and support a farm that helps keep our local food system strong.
As Co-op Month continues, we’re casting our Member Deals Spotlight on cooperatively-owned Aura Cacia. All of their products are 20% off for member-owners from October 15-21.
As part of Frontier Co-op, Aura Cacia shares the same cooperative values that guide us here at the Co-op—care for people, care for the planet, and a commitment to doing business in a way that benefits both.
Aura Cacia believes in the power of positive change—both in personal well-being and in the world we share. Their essential oils, skin care oils, and aromatherapy products are made from simple, pure botanical ingredients that harness nature’s ability to support health and balance.
Every ingredient is carefully and sustainably sourced from growers around the globe. To ensure safety and integrity, every shipment of essential oil is tested to verify its purity and quality. From field to bottle, Aura Cacia’s process reflects a dedication to transparency and trust—so customers can feel confident about what they’re bringing into their homes and putting onto their skin.
A History Rooted in Purpose
Aura Cacia began in 1982 in Weaverville, California, when a small group of aromatherapy enthusiasts set out to share the benefits of essential oils. In 1993, the company joined Frontier Co-op, strengthening its connection to cooperative values and its commitment to ethical sourcing and sustainability.
Since then, Aura Cacia has continued to lead the way in aromatherapy—becoming the first brand to offer a full line of certified organic essential oils in 1995 and later moving its operations to Urbana, Iowa, near Frontier Co-op’s headquarters. Now, more than forty years later, Aura Cacia remains a trusted name in aromatherapy, rooted in purpose and inspired by possibility.
The Positive Change Project
Aura Cacia’s commitment to positive change extends far beyond their products. In 2016, they launched the Positive Change Project, a grant program that supports nonprofit organizations helping women and girls transform their lives.
Since its founding, the program has granted over $1 million to organizations that help women overcome barriers such as domestic violence, housing insecurity, and economic hardship. Past recipients include:
Climb Wyoming, which helps single mothers gain job skills and financial stability.
Calvary Women’s Services, providing trauma-informed healthcare, housing, and life skills education.
Resonance Center, supporting women impacted by the criminal justice system through counseling and mentorship.
Catherine McAuley Center, offering housing, mental health services, and community support for women rebuilding their lives.
Every Aura Cacia purchase helps fund these programs, and serves as small act of support for women striving for independence and well-being.
Discover and Create
Be sure to check out Aura Cacia’s impressive collection of recipes to unleash the full potential of their essential oils. Whether you’re looking for DIY recipes for facial care, body care, or home cleaning products, they’ve got something for you!
Winter weather is just around the corner, so it’s a great time to start thinking about winter tires. We invite you to check out our Co-op Connection Business of the Month – County Tire!Not only can they fix you up with new tires, but they also offer a wide range of automotive services and they have a special deal for Co-op member-owners! Present your member card to receive 10% off parts and 5% off tires! Read on to learn more about the oldest locally-owned tire shop in Addison County:
If you need tire or automotive care, trust County Tire Center, Inc! Located at 33 Seymour Street Middlebury, VT 05753, County Tire Center, Inc. is your trusted source for all of your automotive and tire needs. Owners Steve and Lisa are there to ensure that your visit to County Tire Center, Inc. will not only solve all of your automotive needs but will be one that you will be sure to share with others. They take pride in quality service and the ability to meet customers’ needs in a timely manner.
Servicing customers in the greater Champlain Valley of Vermont and New York, County Tire Center, Inc. has the automotive expertise and friendly, reliable service you need to get you back on the road fast! From tire sales and batteries to shocks, struts, brake, and transmission services, they can handle all of your vehicle needs to keep you running in top shape.
With their years of experience, they offer quality parts and services at the best prices possible. They take pride in their work and strive for great customer satisfaction on each visit. Their goal is to keep your vehicle running in the best possible condition and they will not settle for “good enough.” They went into business in order to bring a higher quality to automotive work in the Middlebury area and intend to have each customer leave happy while offering the most competitive prices in the area.
With their excellent selection of Bridgestone, Firestone, and Nokian tires, they can fit any vehicle make and model. They strive to ensure customer satisfaction and vehicle safety and will do whatever it takes to make sure that you and your vehicle only receive top-quality tires and equipment. They understand that your vehicle is a large investment and they welcome your business in protecting that investment.
If you need general automotive services, computerized tire balancing, general tire service, oil changes, brake service, custom auto detailing or performance tires, consider County Tire Center, Inc. Do you have an electric or hybrid vehicle? County Tire Center, Inc. is an authorized Hybrid/EV repair center offering a wide range of services to keep your hybrid or electric vehicle in top condition. Please feel free to contact them at 802-388-7620 or online to discuss the many options and services offered.
How do they stay small and sell big? It’s simple: years of experience. County Tire Center, Inc. has been in business since 1982. Their mission is to offer you the latest in parts and products, at the best prices with unparalleled service. They pledge their best efforts to make your experience both beneficial and enjoyable. Once you try County Tire, we’re sure you’ll be back for more!
October Member Deals Spotlight: Equal Exchange Celebrating Co-op Month, Fair Trade Month & Non-GMO Month
October is a month dedicated to values that matter—cooperation, fairness, and transparency in our food systems. That’s why we’re shining this weeks Member Deals Spotlight on Equal Exchange—a worker-owned cooperative that’s transforming global trade by working directly with small farmer co-ops. From October 1-7, all Equal Exchange products are 20% off for member-owners!
Equal Exchange was founded in 1986 to challenge the exploitative global trade model that favors large agribusiness and multinational corporations. Instead, they work with small-scale farmers, helping them gain access to international markets on fair terms. Every Equal Exchange product is:
Certified Organic
Fairtrade Certified
Produced by cooperatives
Non-GMO
From coffee and chocolate to avocados and bananas, Equal Exchange creates a trade system that is rooted in equity, environmental sustainability, and community empowerment
Bananas
The banana industry is known for harmful labor practices and environmental degradation. Equal Exchange partners with co-ops in Ecuador and Peru—like AsoGuabo and CEPIBO—where farmers have collective ownership, democratic control, and access to fair prices. This not only sustains their land and livelihoods, but reinvests in local communities. Buying Equal Exchange bananas means supporting a model that respects people and the planet.
Community members of Asoguabo Co-op and Equal Exchange Worker Owners in Ecuador
Avocados
In Michoacán, Mexico, small farmers from co-ops like PRAGOR and PROFOSMI produce organic avocados despite pressure from large industrial agriculture. These farmers face challenges like market access and pricing volatility, but Equal Exchange offers a lifeline through long-term, stable partnerships.
One inspiring example is Las Mujeres Polinizadoras de Tingambato, a women’s beekeeping co-op started with fair trade premiums to empower women through sustainable, income-generating work.
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Equal Exchange visiting the farmers from the PROFOSMI avocado cooperative
Coffee
Coffee is where it all began for Equal Exchange. In 1986, they introduced Café Nica, sourced from Nicaraguan farmers, as the first fairly traded coffee in the U.S. market. Today, Equal Exchange supports coffee farmers worldwide through initiatives like:
Women in Coffee Series – spotlighting women leaders in the coffee supply chain
The Congo Coffee Project – raising awareness and over $100,000 in support of Panzi Hospital, which helps survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Chocolate
The global chocolate industry often relies on child labor, forced labor, and poverty wages. Equal Exchange’s cocoa is grown by small farmer co-ops in Peru, Ecuador, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, under strict Fair Trade and labor standards. Even the sugar in their chocolate bars comes from a small farmer co-op in Paraguay, creating a fully ethical supply chain.
Why It Matters
Equal Exchange proves that business can be a force for good. Their success is built on solidarity—not charity—and their model connects consumers with the people behind their food. Every cup of coffee, bite of chocolate, or slice of avocado toast is a chance to support a system that values dignity, democracy, and sustainability.
As our Eat Local Challenge rolls on, we’re shining a bright Member Deals Spotlight on our friends at Old Road Farm! All of their glorious organic produce is 20% off for member-owners from September 10st – 16th! Read on to learn more about these VT farmers, the diverse experience they bring to this challenging profession, and their commitment to real organic farming:
Meet the Farmers
A transplant from New York, Gabby Tuite came to Vermont to attend the University of Vermont where she received a bachelor’s in Community Development and Applied Economics. While studying at UVM, she took an internship at the Shelburne Farms’ Market Garden where she first got her hands dirty and fell in love with farming. After UVM, Gabby worked at River Berry Farm for two seasons. Here she learned how to grow on a larger scale, taking note of the efficiencies required to run a profitable farm. Between growing seasons, Gabby has worked at the City Market Onion River-Coop as a Produce Buyer and Team Leader giving her insight into marketing and merchandising, supervising employees as well as the local food chain from a buyer’s perspective.
Gabby Tuite and Henry Webb
Henry Webb grew up with large vegetable gardens and has fond early memories of visiting his father working at the UVM dairy barn. Starting in his teens he spent eight seasons working for Last Resort Farm, a Certified Organic vegetable, berry, and hay farm. He learned to maintain and work on the farm’s equipment and infrastructure as well as organic vegetable farming practices. Henry also spent two years at New Village Farm where he worked with a small herd of Normandie cattle producing raw milk and beef. At New Village, he was given the opportunity to manage and expand the farm’s market garden and gained experience producing for a small CSA, a farm stand, and the Shelburne Farmers Market.
About the Farm
Gabby and Henry shared a dream of owning their own farm and first began their adventure in the Fall of 2015 on a quarter-acre plot in the old field below Henry’s childhood home in Monkton, Vermont, mostly growing vegetables for a few area farmer’s markets. In the Fall of 2019, they were able to secure their dream “forever farm” with the help of the Vermont Land Trust. This gorgeous farm is nestled in the fertile river valley of Granville, Vermont, surrounded by National Forest land.
They specialize in growing fresh, high-quality salad greens and seasonal vegetables for local markets with a deep commitment to the highest standards of ecologically sound, regenerative, and innovative vegetable production. Their produce is Certified Organic by VOF and they are also certified by the Real Organic Project, a grassroots, farmer-led movement created to distinguish soil-grown and pasture-raised products under USDA organic. Gabby and Henry share that they choose to be certified by the Real Organic Project (ROP) because their farming practices are inherently tied to the land and the soil that they farm.
Gabby shares that “In Vermont, we are really fortunate to have the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) and its certifying body, Vermont Organic Farmers (VOF), who share that commitment, but on a national level, we agree with the ROP that industrialization has in some ways diluted the intent of the organic label. We really don’t like to be critical of anyone’s farming practices, but there are currently things allowed under national standards that we don’t think fit people’s perception of what an organic farm is and we think that consumers have a right to an informed decision about what they are buying. We see our farm, our land, as not just a medium for production but a deeply complex living system that we ultimately bear the responsibility to steward. ROP is an advocate for that view.”
Here at the Co-op, you can find an abundant array of Old Road Farm’s produce, including spinach, chard, salad mix, arugula, collards, sweet peppers, cauliflower, radishes, patty pan squash, broccolini, watermelon, and scallions, each in their respective seasons. If you find yourself traveling Vermont’s iconic Route 100 through Granville, be sure to stop for a visit at their farmstand, where you can find a colorful mix of all the produce grown at their farm, which includes the usual lineup of goodies you can find at the Co-op, along with eggplant, tomatoes, squash, celery, and more!
It’s that time of year again—the days grow shorter, the evenings turn cool and crisp. Picture a whistling kettle, the warm spice of simmering chai, and a quiet spot to sit, relax, and savor the moment. That’s the experience waiting for you at our September featured Co-op Connection Business, Stone Leaf Teahouse. As a Co-op member-owner, you’ll receive 10% off your order at the teahouse. You can also find Stone Leaf’s premium loose-leaf teas right here in our Bulk Tea department.
The staff at Stone Leaf knows tea inside and out. John, the owner, has traveled to many of the farms where their teas are grown, giving him a firsthand connection to the people and places behind each leaf. That depth of knowledge shows up not just in their teahouse but also online, where you’ll find their handy “Tea Guru” tool to help you discover your perfect match.
About Stone Leaf
Founded in 2009, Stone Leaf Teahouse is tucked into the Marbleworks in Middlebury, where stone walls help keep fresh teas fresh and allow aging teas to mature gracefully. Their mission is simple: connect tea drinkers to the families and gardens that have grown and processed tea for generations.
Each year, they travel to tea regions across China, Taiwan, India, Nepal, and Japan to source directly from growers. By bringing back the best harvests multiple times a year, Stone Leaf ensures that what’s in your cup is as fresh and flavorful as it gets.
Workshops & Learning
Curious to learn more? Stone Leaf offers workshops throughout the year, with opportunities to deepen your understanding of tea culture and traditions.
Explore the Menu
Stone Leaf Teahouse serves an extensive menu of unique teas, many of which are certified organic. View the entire menu here.
