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Business of the Month – REV Fitness for Women

Hey ladies; are you looking to REV up your fitness routine in 2018? Our Co-op Connection Business of the Month for January is REV Fitness and Certified Trainer/Owner, Michele Butler, offers a unique, refreshing twist on the typical gym routine. Located in a beautiful, sunny, women’s-only studio within Middlebury Fitness, REV Fitness aims to inspire women across Addison County to overcome life’s health challenges, with a particular focus on strength and endurance training for weight loss, bone building,  and heart health. Thanks to the Co-op Connection, Co-op member-owners can enjoy 10% off their enrollment fee and 10% off personal training at REV Fitness!

Studio

 

REV Fitness addresses the unique fitness needs of women, particularly those aged 40+. Their REV workout is designed for optimal calorie burn, bone building and cardiovascular endurance and strength. This 30-minute energizing and uncomplicated circuit routine takes the guesswork out of exercise and helps overcome health challenges for women.

What is REV Fitness?

  • A workout routine for women designed for optimal calorie burn and weight loss
  • Strength training to improve bone density & increase metabolism
  • Cardiovascular endurance to improve balance & to reduce the risk of heart disease

A recent visit to this bright, beautiful studio and a great chat with Certified Trainer/Owner, Michele Butler, made it clear why so many women are excited about this unique program. Michele’s passion, knowledge, and enthusiasm are positively contagious. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Springfield College and has been a personal fitness trainer certified by the American College of Sports Medicine for 20 years. Her personal fitness philosophy includes:

  • Discovering your “why”. What motivates, what makes the effort rewarding?
  • Finding something active that you like to do – and doing it frequently
  • Recognizing that there is only now, do your best now
  • Enjoying the journey, acknowledging success and happiness along the way
Michele

Whether your goal is to build strength, increase flexibility, or lose a few unwanted pounds, it begins with the decision to change your lifestyle, and it can begin today. Each personalized program can include cardiovascular, endurance, strength, balance, flexibility, diet and nutrition components. Michele’s services are appropriate for anyone with health challenges such as diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease. Sessions are designed to provide variety and education and to keep fitness routines from becoming routine. Your unique 30-minute circuit workout is waiting for you!

Why Circuit Training?

  • Weight Loss – Ensuring that you’re burning sufficient calories over the course of the day is critical to fighting weight gain. Circuit training is excellent for women as it really helps to rev up your metabolism and increase total calorie expenditure by increasing muscle mass.
  • Bone Building – One in two women will fracture a bone due to Osteoporosis. By the time we’re 70, we have lost about 45% to 50% of our muscle mass. Circuit training encourages bone building because it incorporates weight-bearing exercises with strength-building exercises that can help prevent muscle loss and maintain bone density.
  • Heart Health – Up to 82% of heart disease is preventable in women by adopting healthy habits. Circuit training is great for women over 40 because of its fast-paced nature, promoting cardiovascular benefits that reduce your risk for heart disease.
  • Balance – As we age our balance deteriorates due to lack of physical activity, visual impairment and lack of proprioception (sensors of position and movement in the feet and legs). The rev circuit cardiovascular stations encourage standing exercises that improve muscle strength, balance and coordination.
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Classes:

REV It UP! with Michele –  Every Monday at 5:15 PM & Every Thursday at 12:15 PM. Join fellow REV members for this circuit class that bends the rules and shakes up your usual exercise routine. Experiment with different intensity levels, change your workout format, increase calorie burn, cardiovascular fitness, and strength, all while having fun and challenging yourself. Learn new exercises and fitness facts. Michele provides encouragement and motivation throughout these 30 to 40-minute sessions. Appropriate for all fitness levels. Bring water and a towel, wear sneakers.

Walking Club – Meets Every Friday at Noon. Enjoy the many benefits of walking in the great outdoors. This 50 to 60-minute walk is social and can range from a moderate pace with hill climbs to a gentle stroll. No one is left behind and everyone is encouraged to participate. Meet at REV Fitness at noon on Friday. REV Walking Club welcomes members and non-members alike. So invite a friend! Bring water, and wear a hat, sunglasses and a smile! (Foul weather may cause us to go with Plan B, which is an indoor REV workout!)

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Wellness Workshops and Special Events:

We regularly schedule events that focus on women’s health and wellness covering topics like diet, nutrition, personal care and menopause. These are often free and are open to members as well as non-members to enjoy. Coming up next in our workshop series:

Walk and Talk Workshop:   Join registered dietitian Amy Rice, of Champlain Nutritional Services, and personal trainer, Michele Butler, for a “Talk and a Walk”. Thirty minutes of nutrition and exercise “talk” followed by thirty minutes of “walk and talk”.

Check our website for more upcoming events and please join us!

 

“We’re all about women, their changing needs; their changing bodies. I look forward to meeting you at REV Fitness and inspiring you to do and feel your best every day!” – Michele Butler

 

The True Cost of Food

Should farmers and farm workers be paid a fair and livable wage for their work? It is important for food to be grown and produced in ways that minimize the impact on our personal health and the health of our environment? What is that worth? The average person in our community would likely answer an emphatic yes to those first two questions, though it can be difficult to draw connections between those issues and the price tags on our food. As a mission-driven natural foods Co-op, these are questions we grapple with daily and it can be difficult to strike a balance between offering foods at an attractive price, while still ensuring good environmental, health, and labor practices.

Understanding the true cost of food is key, though the many hidden costs associated with “cheap food” make it challenging to do so. When one considers the externalized costs of cheap food – those that aren’t immediately reflected on a price tag – it becomes evident that, in many ways, cheap foods are much more expensive in the long run. Their impacts are not always obvious or visible, though we pay for the damage through taxpayer dollars spent on subsidies, environmental cleanup, and rising healthcare costs associated with poor diet, adverse farm labor conditions, and exposure to farm pollution. Unfortunately, the market is heavily tipped in favor of those who produce food unsustainably. Consider the impacts:

Environmental Impacts:

  • agricultural runoff is the #1 pollutant of US rivers and waterways, killing wildlife, reducing biodiversity, and contaminating groundwater.
  • The EPA estimates that we could save $15 billion in water treatment spending if we eliminated agricultural pollutants
  • chemical agriculture destroys pollinators and other beneficial insects that are critical to the security of our food supply
  • chemical agriculture results in superweeds and superbugs, which require ever-larger doses of chemicals to deter
  • chemical agriculture degrades and strips precious topsoil at an estimated loss of 24 billion tons of topsoil per year
  • The average food item travels 2,000 miles before arriving on your plate, resulting in significant carbon expenditure

Impacts for farmers and farmworkers:

  • Farmers and ranchers receive, on average, only 15.6 cents of every food dollar that consumers spend on food. According to USDA, off-farm costs including marketing, processing, wholesaling, distribution and retailing account for more than 80 cents of every food dollar spent in the United States.
  • Farmworkers receive an even smaller share of the retail dollar, usually about one-third of what the farmer receives.
  • About 75 percent of the workers on U.S. crop farms were born abroad, mostly in Mexico, and exploitative labor practices among the migrant farmworker community are all too common.
  • Exploitative labor practices (much of it involving child labor abuses) are well documented for many imported products, as well. Particularly with produce, chocolate, and coffee.
  • Low wages in the farming and food service industries cost US taxpayers $153 billion per year in government assistance programs
  • Federal farm subsidies & crop insurance (which prop up the largest 10% of mega-farms and leave smaller, diversified farms in the lurch) cost US taxpayers $20 billion per year

Impacts to Human Health:

  • One in three adults is considered clinically obese, along with one in five kids
  • 24 million Americans are afflicted by type 2 diabetes, with another 79 million people having pre-diabetes.
  • Obesity-related health conditions cost $2 trillion globally and $147 billion in the US each year
  • Antibiotic resistance, much of which is related to the abundance of antibiotics in our food and water supply, costs $55 billion per year in the US
  • Endocrine disrupting chemicals like those found in pesticides & food packaging costs the U.S. more than $340 billion annually due to health care costs and lost wages
  • Loss of productivity due to obesity-related absenteeism ranges between $3.38 billion ($79 per obese individual) and $6.38 billion ($132 per obese individual)

This video produced by the Sustainable Food Trust does a great job of breaking it down:

 

“But, organic, fairly-traded, sustainably produced food seems so expensive!”, you might be saying. Consider this: In the US, we spend less than 9% of total household income on food. This figure has dropped significantly over the last half-century, from 40–50% of household expenditure. In short, we spend less of our income on food than any other people at any time in history. We currently spend more per family on alcohol than we do on fruits and vegetables. Food has never been cheaper and more abundant than it is today, and we, as a society have never been more overfed and undernourished. We can no longer afford to eat this way.

So, what’s the alternative?

Small, diversified, organic farms use less fuel and produce fewer greenhouse gases than their conventional monoculture mega-farm counterparts. They raise animals in appropriate scale and rotationally graze animals to avoid over-grazing and to allow the land to naturally recycle animal wastes, which, in turn, helps build and fortify the soil. They rotate crops and employ beneficial insects to minimize issues with pests and avoid pesticides. They use green manures (cover crops) and compost to fortify and build fertile topsoil. Buying meat & produce from local farmers saves 17 times the fuel costs associated with the typical well-traveled meats, fruits, and veggies from afar.

You can also feel confident that the money spent on local food is having a direct positive impact on your local economy, supporting a local farm family, and helping to preserve the agrarian landscape that we treasure so dearly in Vermont. When your recipe calls for foods that are not grown or produced in Vermont, buying foods bearing fair-trade certification guarantees that exploitative labor practices have been avoided and a premium is being paid to the farmer. Of course, the point-of-purchase price of these foods is higher. It simply costs more (up front) to produce food this way, though it’s far more reflective of the real values associated with producing the food item.

When you’re spending your hard-earned food dollars at your neighborhood food co-op, you’re going one step further to ensure that your local farmers are getting a fair shake and that everyone who handles that food throughout the supply chain is paid fairly.  Co-ops work with significantly more local farmers and producers than their conventional grocery store counterparts and offer more organic and fair trade certified products as a percentage of total grocery sales. Our Co-op works with over 400 local farmers and producers, generating more than $3.5 million in sales to local farmers and producers every year. $1.3 million of that goes directly to Addison County farmers and producers. We also strive to keep costs as low as possible by taking a lower margin on local products. Here’s a breakdown of where your food dollar goes when you spend it at the Co-op:

 

Of course, we recognize that there are many people who would love to be able to purchase 100% local, organic, and/or fairly traded food but their budget simply won’t allow it. We acknowledge that affordable access to healthy foods is a challenge. To that end, we have two programs at our Co-op aimed at addressing this issue:  Food for All and Co-op Basics. Through our Food For All program shoppers who are currently enrolled in SNAP or WIC, Home Heating Assistance, or clients of our local Food Shelves are eligible to enroll in the program and shop with a 10% discount on all items (excluding alcohol, by law). The Co-op Basics program is for all shoppers and offers everyday staples throughout the store that fit your budget. Just look for the purple tags.

Eating Healthy in 2018

What comes to mind when you think of healthy foods? If you asked a dozen people this question, you’d likely get a dozen different answers. In fact, the FDA is in the process of redefining “healthy foods” and recently needed to extend the public comment period on the use of the term “healthy” with regard to labeling of food products in response to the overwhelming volume of feedback. It seems that we have a lot to say on the subject and those of us looking for guidance on how to eat a healthier diet find our heads spinning with often contradictory information about what it means for foods to be healthy.

Because one of our Co-op Ends is to provide the community with healthy foods, it’s a topic that we spend a lot of time thinking about, so when we learned that Michael Pollan would be giving a lecture at Dartmouth College we jumped at the chance to send a few staff to hear what he had to say. When Pollan gives lectures, it’s standing room only. Food and diet book writers quote him constantly, Time Magazine named him one of the most influential figures, and he’s the subject of many a food-related conversation. His broad appeal is probably an indication of how confused we are about food, and how much we love it when people make it very clear to us what we should and shouldn’t eat. He has a way of making it all sound so simple:  eat real food, not too much, mostly plants.

Following Pollan’s simple food rules “could render fad diets irrelevant, positively impact the environment, champion local food producers, and bring the processed food industry to its knees” says Eve Adamson of NCG. So why aren’t we busy toppling the $60 billion diet & weight loss industry and tackling Big Food? Certainly not because we’re busy cooking. The average American spends just 27 minutes a day cooking or preparing food. That’s less than half of the time we spent cooking in 1965. The average adult spends more time watching, scrolling and reading about food on TV and social media than they do cooking their daily meals! In 2015 and 2016, we spent more money at restaurants and bars than at grocery stores. The rise of convenience foods and ready-to-make meal services like Blue Apron points to the notion that we simply feel too busy to shop for and cook healthy meals at home. But, as Pollan points out, this isn’t so much about a lack of time and more about the way we use our time these days. “The phenomenon of Americans working more than ever is a myth”, says Pollan but “the sense that we have less time is real”.

So, what is lost when we as a society decide we’re too busy to cook? We lose skills, we lose confidence, and we lose control of our health. We’re outsourcing food preparation to big businesses and their priorities when feeding us are very different from the priorities we’d set when preparing a meal for our family at home. They’re interested in producing food as cheaply as possible yielding the highest profit possible. They would like us to believe that it’s very complicated so that we’ll leave it up to them. They’re also interested in making you a repeat customer, spending millions of dollars in a conscious effort — taking place in labs and marketing meetings and grocery-store aisles — to get people hooked on foods that are convenient and cheap but, unfortunately, not so healthy.

So, what is a health-conscious shopper to do? Skip the powders, pills, food-like substances, and wacky diets. Resolve to eat real food, not too much, and mostly plants. Reclaim your kitchen and choose to think of cooking as an act of revolution! Also, remember that it’s not an all-or-nothing proposition; even choosing to cook three meals a week at home can make a huge difference. Discard the narrative that you don’t have time, it isn’t fun, and you don’t know what you’re doing. Just keep it simple and enjoy every bite.

Run for the Co-op’s Board of Directors!

It’s election time! Please  — each and every one of you — consider running for MNFC’s Board of Directors.  Spring will be here before we know it (really…it will!) — and among other things, it is the time when the Middlebury Natural Food Co-op member-owners have an opportunity to participate more fully in the democratic practices and overall wellbeing of the Co-op.  We invite all member-owners to consider running for open seats on the Board of Directors. The voting takes place during the month of May. Elected winners are announced at the MNFC Annual Meeting, and new board members begin their term at the June Board of Directors Meeting.  There are four open seats this election season. Please see the information for potential candidates below.

Board of Directors Applications are available at the Co-op or online:

https://middlebury.coop/participate/joining-our-board/

Dear Potential Board Candidate,

 Thank you for your interest in serving on the Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op’s Board of Directors. This election packet provides you with an overview of Board functions and responsibilities to help you make your decision about running for the Board.  Please contact Kate Gridley (kmgridley@gmail.com) or any member of the Board for further information.

All are welcome here.

Here are our values:

MNFC member-owners, customers and the community benefit from:

Healthy Foods

A Vibrant Local Economy

Environmentally Sustainable and Energy-efficient Practices

Cooperative Democratic Ownership

And Learning About These Values

The Board of Directors is the legal representative of the member-owners of MNFC and is therefore responsible for the overall financial wellbeing of the Co-op.  The Board exercises its responsibilities through its relationship with the General Manager, whom it hires and oversees. The Board is made up of 11 directors. Each term of office is three years, and terms are staggered so no more than 4 terms expire each year.

DETAILS:

Time Requirements and Responsibilities for Directors

  • Make a three-year commitment to the Board of Directors.
  • Attend two Board orientation sessions.
  • Attend a workshop for cooperative boards in the first two years of your term (this one-day session is typically held in Brattleboro on a Saturday in January and MNFC pays for travel expenses).
  • Be familiar with MNFC’s by-laws and Board policies.
  • Prepare for and attend monthly Board meetings (6:30-8: 30 pm, currently scheduled for the fourth Wednesday of the month at the Co-op), occasional sub-committee meetings, and a daylong annual retreat (usually February). Monthly time commitment 4-6 hours a month.
  • Attend the Co-op’s Annual Meeting (early June) and Co-op community events.
  • Keep information and materials confidential when appropriate.

Qualifications of Candidates 

  • Be or become a member-owner of the Co-op.

Powers and Duties

  • Monitor the General Manager’s performance (store operations are the sole responsibility of the GM)
  • Monitor financial statements
  • Monitor, revise, create appropriate policies on a yearly basis
  • Communicate with the member-owners
  • Work to perpetuate the cooperative
  • Monitor Board performance

 Brief Explanation of Policy Governance Model

The Board of Directors of MNFC governs using the model of Policy Governance.

The Board develops policies outlining how the Board functions; what authority is delegated to the General Manager; and the limitations within which the General Manager operates. The General Manager communicates with the Board through monthly reports.  In Policy Governance, the General Manager makes all operational decisions while the Board focuses its attention on the strategic direction of the Co-op; engages with member-owners; and monitors management performance.

Compensation

In recognition of the time and commitment required to prepare for and attend meetings, required training and events, directors receive a stipend of $649/year plus a 10% discount on all purchases (except alcohol) at the coop.  Committee chairs and Executive Officers receive additional stipends.

Please apply!  As the MNFC handbook says: Regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, national origin or ancestry, place of birth, disability, and genetic information, you are welcome at the Co-op.  Racism or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated.

 2018 Application for Candidacy for Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op Board of Directors

Spotlight on Blue Ledge Farm

If you’re planning to put together a cheese or charcuterie board for your New Year’s Eve gathering, be sure to pick up some Blue Ledge Camembrie! We’re featuring this divine cheese in our weekly sale from December 28th – January 3rd. Made with fresh Ayrshire cow’s milk, this is a smooth mold-ripened Camembert/Brie hybrid. A buttery slice of bovine heaven! It pairs well with a light red or white wine and is a great match for any type of cured meats. Read on to learn more about the makers of this fine cheese and their sustainable dairy farm in Salisbury, VT:

 

 

Blue Ledge Farm is a first generation, family owned and run goat dairy and cheese-making operation established in 2000 by Hannah Sessions and Greg Bernhardt. Their mission is to create a high quality product built on the cornerstones of respect for consumers, land and animals as well as their local community.

They initially started milking four goats at Blue Ledge Farm, and began processing cheese two years later. Today they milk 125 goats twice daily and produce eleven types of cheese, from very fresh to semi-aged bloomy rind cheeses, to harder cheeses aged three months.

The 150 acres of Blue Ledge Farm consist of woods, hayland, pasture and wetland. Recognizing the ecological value of the wetland ecosystem, they recently preserved the fifty acres of wetland on their farm through the Vermont Land Trust. Their 125 goats spend spring, summer, and fall days browsing in the woods, return to the barn for 4 pm milking, and lounge around in a grass pasture as evening sets. It’s no wonder that they recently became certified as an Animal Welfare Approved Farm!

Sustainable farming practices are top priority at Blue Ledge Farm. They compost their bed-pack manure and apply it to their fields, thereby completing the nutrient cycle from grass to goat and back to grass. In 2008 they built an underground aging facility, or “cave” which is naturally cool and moist, conditions that the cheese likes, and being underground it takes less energy to keep the temperature and humidity at desirable levels. They have partnered with Efficiency Vermont on several projects over the years, from a variable-speed efficient milking machine, to more efficient cooling compressors, to newer fluorescent light bulbs, all in an effort to lower their impact on the environment. At the heart of their operation is the clean-burning EPA-Approved bio-mass furnace, which allows them to heat their home, cheese-house and barn, as well as all of the hot water used in the cheese plant, with locally-produced wood pellets! In 2015 they covered the south facing roof of their barn with solar panels which provide nearly half of the farm’s electricity usage all summer long!

In addition to the Camembrie on Co-op shelves, you’ll also find their lovely fresh Chevres in several flavors, Crottina, Lake’s Edge, Middlebury Blue, La Luna, Mixed Drum, and, when available, Riley’s Coat. Enjoy!

Spotlight on Niman Ranch

We’re shining the Member Deals Spotlight on Niman Ranch this week to celebrate their efforts to provide all-natural meats raised by family farmers committed to sustainable & humane practices. All of their meats will be 20% off for member-owners from December 28th – January 3rd.  Read on to learn more about Niman Ranch, their dedication to sustainable meat, and the small family farmers who make it possible.

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Niman Ranch began in the early 1970’s on an eleven-acre ranch in a small coastal town just north of San Francisco. The cattle were raised using traditional, humane husbandry methods and given wholesome all-natural feeds. Before long, Niman Ranch beef became a favorite in local grocery stores and at San Francisco Bay Area restaurants. Today, the Niman Ranch network has grown to include over 700 independent American farmers & ranchers, who all share Niman Ranch’s dedication to the strictest protocols. Their meats are humanely raised, never given antibiotics or added hormones, and fed only the finest all vegetarian feeds.

Niman Ranch believes that sustainable agriculture is best described as livestock raising and production practices which balance current resource demands without compromising the future of these resources from an environmental, economic, and human perspective. They also believe that sustainability does not end with the farmer and must carry throughout the supply chain. For this reason, they choose to raise livestock in areas where feed sources are locally available to reduce the environmental impact of feed transport. Sustainability at Niman Ranch incorporates sustainable agricultural practices with economic sustainability for the farmers, the ranchers, their customers, and their employees; all of which are an integral part of their overall business philosophy of RAISED WITH CARE.

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The Niman Ranch Top 10 Sustainability Best Practices

  • Pay farmers a premium in accordance to strict raising protocols
  • Establish a floor price for farmers tied to the cost of inputs of feed and fuel
  • Promote agricultural biodiversity by using breeds which thrive in their natural environment
  • Practice genetic diversity to keep breeds healthy over generations
  • Maintain livestock density well below conventional industry standards so as not to overburden the land
  • Raise livestock in geographies where feed is locally available to reduce carbon footprint incurred during transport
  • Mitigate soil erosion and/or loss through maintaining pasture with coverage for livestock, crop rotation, rotational grazing, and responsible waste/manure management
  • Prohibit use of concentrated liquid manure systems
  • Use buffer strips and grassed waterways
  • Provide a robust marketplace for farmers and ranchers and their livestock

Humane Animal Care

All Niman Ranch livestock are humanely raised according to the strictest animal handling protocols. These protocols were written based on the recommendations of animal handling expert Dr. Temple Grandin. Here is a summary:

  • Livestock are raised outdoors or in deeply bedded pens
  • Livestock always have access to fresh, clean water
  • Livestock are able to express their natural behaviors in healthy social groups
  • All farms are gestation crate-free

Click HERE to read in-depth animal-raising protocols

Ensuring Compliance

Niman Ranch follows a 3-step process to ensure full compliance with their protocols.

  1. All of their farmers and ranchers regularly complete affidavits agreeing to follow all protocols
  2. Niman Ranch personally inspects each farm before it is accepted into their program to ensure it meets standards
  3. The Niman Ranch field agents, located throughout the country, regularly visit and inspect the farms and ranches in their network. Niman Ranch has more field agents than sales reps!

Click HERE to read more about their practices and view maps of their farm locations

Click HERE for farmer bios

Click HERE for great recipes

Meet The Farmers

Niman Ranch Meet our Farmers from Niman Ranch on Vimeo.

Spotlight on Krin’s Bakery

Looking to satisfy your holiday sweet tooth? We’re shining our Member Deals Spotlight on Krin’s Bakery this week and member-owners can enjoy 20% off Krin’s full line of local confections from December 21st – 27th! Read on to learn more about this wonderful bakery nestled in the mountains of Huntington, VT.

 

 

Krin’s Bakery is the home of artisan baker Krin Barberi. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, then exploring and working for others, Krin opened her Bakery in 2005.

According to Krin, “We are a community of 7 Huntington women bringing diligence, humor, and really good taste buds to work every day. Our team is devoted to delicious baked goods made in small batches with deep attention to the baking process. We bring pride to our production process, using only “real” ingredients (butter instead of shortening, sugar instead of corn syrup). From ingredient choice to the mixing bowl, from oven to cooling rack, we bring that sense of pride from our kitchen to you.”

Krin is a passionate local foods activist supporting the cause by working with local distributors, markets, producers, and farmers. She takes her inspiration from her rural New England family’s tradition of supporting and participating in the life of her community. She believes that where our food comes from is important and takes pride in using local Vermont ingredients including carrots and zucchini from Full Moon Farm in Hinesburg, Bee Happy Honey from Starksboro, Huntington’s own Maple Wind Farm eggs, and dairy from Middlebury’s Monument Farms.

It is from this deep sense of community and place that Krin continues to bake love and care into each and every treat.

At the Co-op you’ll find Krin’s famous cupcakes, mini cakes, macaroons, and biscotti.

 

Happy New Year! Happy Store!

Happy New Year!  While I reluctantly say goodbye to 2017 (the number happens to include all of my lucky numbers), I am ready for the spaciousness and opportunities this new beginning means.  Not just spaciousness in my personal life or opportunities for significant political changes in Washington D.C., but this new spaciousness in our expanded Coop.

I give myself extra time these days when I am headed in for my big weekly shopping at the Coop. I need time to absorb all the newness – and the deliciousness!  This spaciousness is so much more than I could have imagined.  The meats, the fish, the beer, the wine, the beauty supplies, the dairy and gluten free options – and did I mention the DELI?  I have found Zoodles(!) where the olive oil used to be; beer where the mocha almond drinks used to be and dried mango where the some of the chocolate used to be!  Not to mention the coconut chocolate chews and rice sticks at the checkout –  my family is ever so grateful for that move as it means I don’t forget to purchase these Barnicle family staples.  And there is so much more going on in this space.  The aisles are wide enough to smile at people while you reach for the blueberry hemp granola and did I mention the fresh fish and the expanded lines of turkey meat and chicken?  The store is now, more than ever, a foodie’s delight.  This extra space means so many more choices and very thoughtful merchandising and shelf organizing.  Things are labeled more clearly, the lighting is fabulous and wait  – did I mention the fish?   There are affordable options in almost every food category and I am able to still keep to my budget. Healthy foods have never been more accessible in Addison County.

As I reflect on the last two years on the board and what this expansion means I come back to the staff – to Glenn and his amazing team that has planned and implemented this expansion.  Their leadership, team spirit and fortitude for adaptation while working in a construction zone are commendable.

I have been a member-owner of the Coop since 1998.  At the time I lived down the street and got there by foot with my one-year-old in a stroller that did not fit in that tiny storefront along Washington Street. I’d proudly spend my meager grocery budget on organic produce and bulk items that kept my kitchen smelling delicious and my family’s minds and bodies healthy.  Twenty years later my almost 21-year-old and nearly 18-year-old drive themselves to the Coop to meet friends knowing it’s the best (and healthiest!) lunch in town.  I am very proud of our Coop. We’ve set the bar high as far as food choices for our community and we are now poised to respond to the demand for that food for a few more years.  Did I mention the new spacious seating in the deli area, oh and the fresh fish?

Nadine Canter Barnicle is a Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op Board Member

Spotlight on Vermont Creamery

We’re shining our Member Deals Spotlight on Vermont Creamery this week and offering member-owners a 20% discount on their full line of delicious dairy products from December 14th – 20th. They recently shared some big news with the community, and perhaps you’ve already heard about it, but we wanted to share the full scoop from one of their founders, Allison Hooper. Below you will find Allison’s post from their creamery blog:

With Gratitude for a Bright Future

On March 19th, Bob and I announced to our employees that we are selling our company to Land O’Lakes, the successful farmer-owned cooperative headquartered in Arden Hills, MN. After several years of searching for the right partner, we are thrilled to share this news. We are filled with a myriad of emotions: Delight that we have found a great partner. Elation that our baby Vermont Creamery is a great catch and a good fit for America’s iconic butter-maker. Nostalgia for those naïve twenty-something-year-olds starting an improbable enterprise. Energized to slow down and be present for our families. Relief that we’re leaving behind the stress of owning a business that isn’t so little anymore. Excitement that the future for Vermont Creamery and our team is bright and filled with opportunity.

Why sell now?

Bob and I are entrepreneurs. 34 years ago, back in 1984, we saw something in the future that others didn’t see. We asked: ”Why not make and sell hand-made cheeses from cows and goats milk?” We were undaunted and refreshingly optimistic. In our twenties, the risk seemed minimal as we cobbled together our $2,400 investment to make cheese in an outbuilding on a goat farm. Bob’s penchant for numbers and my intuition that Americans might eat goat cheese and crème fraiche (if they were really hungry!) fueled our passion and drive to succeed. Over the course of 34 years, we developed some scrumptious cheeses and enough customers to flourish as a business. We had just enough grit to clear the big hurdles of making a tasty cheese, keeping cash in the bank and earning a commendable trusting reputation with our customers. Who knew that this little company and America’s appetite for artisanal cheese would blossom as it has?

Today, we have a thriving and promising enterprise. Vermont Creamery cheeses and butters are sold in every state. Daily, we manage ten distinct cheesemaking technologies. Between the creamery and the farm, we employ over 105 people. We buy milk from 14 Vermont producers, 4 in Quebec and 12 in Ontario. We have accomplished a whole lot more than what we set out to do. Here is what makes Bob and I really proud:

  • We make amazing chèvres, crème fraîche, mascarpone, cultured butters, and geotricum rinded goats’ and cows’ milk cheeses;
  • We’ve stimulated a company culture that embraces transparent open-book management and rewards innovation;
  • Through solar energy investments on our dairy barn and improvements at the Creamery, we are hacking away at our carbon footprint;
  • Our B Corp certification requires commitment to higher environmental goals, less waste, and more sharing of our surpluses;
  • Through initiatives like the Vermont Cheese Festival and Cheese Council, we collaboratively lift all boats;
  • By building what we hope will become a model, transparent, environmentally conscious and sustainable goat dairy, we connect our working landscape to the good food we serve up;
  • Bob and I built a business partnership that has endured three decades of mistakes, triumphs, raising thoughtful children, and creating solid financial results;
  • We’ve personally mentored the next generation of Vermont Creamery; boy is their future bright!

Bob and I have had a good run and we know it is time for us to turn over the reigns to a team of terrific managers who have the skills to build upon what we have created. We have been intentional in hiring and developing talent at Vermont Creamery. We have already transitioned our day-to-day management to Adeline Druart, our 14- year French “intern” who came to America to learn to speak English. We promoted her to President nearly 2 years ago. Our leadership team is ready and eager for the opportunities of transition. They have a plan and a clear vision on where they will take Vermont Creamery. Equipped with the resources and expertise of Land O’Lakes, there is nothing they cannot achieve.

Bob and I do not plan to leave Vermont Creamery just yet. We will continue to attend industry events and speak on behalf of the Creamery. We have an inspiring story and love telling it. We will advise the management team through the transition. Most importantly, we will carve out the time to be students of life beyond cheese. There is a lot we’ve yet to explore and our spouses couldn’t be more excited for us to re-join them in the civilian world. Bob and I are both grandparents now, we are eager to spend more of our days at home in Vermont and less of them in distant airports promoting the cheese business.

Our work with cheese is not done. The Hooper Family will retain Ayers Brook Goat Dairy as it shoulders its way to sustainability. Our family is eager to help Miles and Daryll (Allison’s son and daughter-in-law) succeed on the farm. The Hoopers will call on Bob often for his financial counsel. We know that Vermont Creamery customers will still delight in visiting the farm. We look forward to seeing you there. Rolling up our sleeves to connect farmers with land and goats to milk is unfinished Vermont business that needs our attention.

Why Land O’Lakes?

We examined many options for fit and funding the future of Vermont Creamery. Land O’Lakes came with unprecedented enthusiasm. As the iconic company that made the butter which was in my family fridge growing up, Land O’Lakes has the know-how and resources to help Vermont Creamery realize our vision. For Land O’Lakes, they simply love what we do, our products, our leadership team, and our brand promise. And we are thrilled by Land O’Lakes’ desire to take our improbably successful family business to the next level.

Vermonters and our customers all around may feel a sense of uneasiness when a local brand sells to a larger company. We appreciate that sentiment and how this exceptional Vermont community has cheered for and supported us. We trade on the beauty of our landscape, the thoughtfulness of our Vermont practicality, our varied agriculture, and championing of humane causes. Land O’Lakes recognizes these values, shares them deeply and plans to invest significantly in the Creamery in Websterville, Vermont. The management team and all employees have been asked to stay on. Increased wages and improved benefits are scheduled and we intend to hire more production workers.

Land O’Lakes is dedicated to developing a local supply of goats’ milk. About 20 years ago, Bob and I each took short consulting stints to work for Land O’Lakes’ International Division. Our contracts brought cheesemaking, marketing, and business expertise to Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the West Bank and Bulgaria. We are familiar with Land O’Lakes’ values and effectiveness; they understand the sensitivity required in meeting a community where it is and finding synergy to realize a common vision. Bob and I were pleased to be sought out by the Land O’Lakes International Division then and look forward to similar opportunities for Vermont Creamery staff seeking this kind of growth experience.

With Gratitude.

Of all the emotions we’re feeling, gratitude is tops. We are grateful for the friends, fulfillment, and independence that our careers in cheese and farming have bestowed. We are grateful for the customers, new and old, who invigorated our drive to be the best. We are grateful for our conscientious employees who have made this business feel like family. We are grateful for raising six children (three sons each) in a family business that started from scratch. They know about hard work, their privilege, and responsibility to make the world better. We are grateful for our loving spouses, Don and Sandy, who have coached and supported us through this transition. We are grateful, that the future for the business and community we have built has never looked brighter.

Local Stocking Stuffer Ideas

Stumped on stocking stuffers? We’ve got you covered! Here’s a handy guide to the local offerings in several departments at the Co-op!

 

In Grocery

From sweet treats to savory nibbles, the grocery department has a long list of local finds. Look for chocolates from Farmhouse Chocolates & Ice Cream, Daily Chocolate, Middlebury Chocolates, Lake Champlain Chocolates, Nutty Steph’s, and Tavernier Chocolates; caramels from Big Picture Farm and Red Kite Candy; gift-sized honey from Champlain Valley Apiaries and Lemon Fair Honeyworks; jams and chutneys from Blake Hill Preserves and V Smiley Preserves; maple syrup and maple candies from Butternut Mountain Farm, Shaker Maple Farm, Nutty Steph’s, Werner’s, Untapped, and Hillsboro Sugarworks; Meat Sticks from Vermont Smoke & Cure; and reusable sandwich wrap from Bees Wrap.

 

 

In the Bakery:

Whether you’re looking for gluten-free treats or chocolate dipped sweets, the Co-op Bakery has you covered! Look for brownies from Vermont Brownie Company and West Meadow Farm Bakery; macaroons and biscotti from Krin’s Bakery; cookies from the MNFC Deli, Vermont Moonlight Cookies, Vermont Gluten Free, and Three Bears Bakery; and bars from Best Moon Bakery, Red Door Bakery, and OWL Energy Bars.

 

 

 

In Wellness:

DIY spa and body care items make great gifts for just about anyone on your list and the wellness department is well-stocked with local treasures. Look for soaps from Wild Forest Herbals, Chasworth Farm, and Elmore Mountain Farm; bath salts from Wonderland’s Bohemian & Breathing In Wellness; aromatherapy neck, back, and eye pillows from Green Seed Herbals; tinctures, butters, and tonics from Urban Moonshine  & EOS Botanicals; arnica massage oil from Flourish Bodycare; body Butters, creams, and salves from Caroline’s Dream, Green Seed Herbals, Breathing In Wellness, Flourish Body Care, Honey, & The Orange Owl; lip balms from The Orange Owl & Caroline’s Dream; and sparkly nail polish from Nail Pattern Boldness.