Vermont’s Tour de Farms Bike Ride Returns August 6th
Pre-registration is now open for discounted entry
BRISTOL, Vt. – ACORN’s 10th annual Tour de Farms, one of Vermont’s oldest cycling farm tours, will be held Sunday, August 6th in Bristol, Vt. This year’s route will follow 28 miles of rolling hills and backcountry roads through the Champlain Valley’s quintessential pastoral landscape.
The Tour will start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m. at the Rec Club Field, next to Mt. Abraham High School in Bristol, which is 30 miles south of Burlington. The route will feature nine farm stops and 30 farms, food producers and restaurants collaborating to provide riders with fresh samples of the summer bounty from the Champlain Valley.
A Farm Van will enable riders to purchase products directly from the farms without having to worry about how they’ll get them back to their car. The ride will conclude with a celebratory After-Party featuring live music and dancing, local ice cream, foods and beverages.
“The Tour is one of Vermont’s most unique and loved local food and farm experiences,” said Jonathan Corcoran, ACORN’s Executive Director and Tour co-founder. “What makes the Tour special is riding a bike and taking in the beauty around you, while stopping at farms along the way to sample a wonderful variety of locally-grown foods and beverages and meeting the real people who produce them.”
The 2017 Tour runs through the towns of Bristol, New Haven and Monkton and will showcase the wonderful diversity of farms and local foods in this lesser known part of the Champlain Valley. The terrain is hilly with a mix of paved and dirt roads so a mountain bike or road bike with wide tires is recommended. More details can be found at www.acornvt.org/tourdefarms
The Tour de Farms is a rain or shine event and will be capped at 400 riders. Advance registration is now open at https://www.bikereg.com/tourdefarms and will close on July 28th at 5:00 p.m. The advance registration fee is $50 for adults and $25 for students and kids under 18. The on-site registration fee the day of the event is $75 for adults and $50 for students and kids.
The 2017 Tour is sponsored by Earl’s Cyclery and Fitness, AARP Vermont, All Times Sparkling Cider, City Market, Community Bank NA, IPJ Real Estate, Langrock, Sperry & Wool, and Skinny Pancake. Earl’s Cyclery will provide two mechanical support vans for cyclists.
ACORN (Addison County Relocalization Network) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community organization based in Middlebury, Vt. Its mission is to promote the growth and health of local food and agriculture in Vermont’s Champlain Valley. ACORN is working with growers, schools, businesses and community and statewide partners to double the consumption of locally-grown food by 2020. For more information, go to http://www.acornvt.org .
TOUR DE FARMS: To date, over 3,500 people have ridden the Tour. The Tour is ACORN’s top fundraiser of the year, and 25 percent of the proceeds from advanced registration go to participating farms on the Tour. The 2016 Tour was recently featured on Vermont PBS: http://www.vermontpbs.org/clip/4299.
In celebration of Dairy Month, 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 June 8th – 14th. They’ve got some big news to share 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.
For more than 80 years, Monument Farms Dairy has been a fixture of Addison County’s agricultural landscape. The original 28-acre farm in Weybridge, VT was purchased in 1930 by Richard and Marjory James. The farm now spans over 2,300 acres and is run by Richard & Marjory’s grandsons, Peter and Bob James, and their cousin, Jon Rooney. Peter James is the President of Monument Farms and oversees the farming operations, Bob James handles distribution and sales, and Jon Rooney runs the processing plant.
The sprawling farm is divided into two primary sectors – 1,800 acres is devoted to growing feed crops including corn, alfalfa, and grasses for hay, and the remaining acreage houses the cows and the processing plant. They milk over 450 cows per day, yielding 4,000 gallons of raw milk daily. That’s over 35,000 pounds of milk!! Having thier own processing plant allows Monument Farms to process and bottle their 37 products on site and serve as a direct wholesaler of Vermont milk to local outlets. In the earliest days of the dairy, they sold primarily to institutions like the hospital and Middlebury College. Now they’re able to deliver milk to 300 customers over 8 routes ranging from 20 miles south of Addison County, all the way up to Vermont’s northern border. They bottle some of their milk under a special Co-op Milk label just for our Co-op, City Market, and Hunger Mountain!
Monument Farm strives to be environmentally conscientious, believing that to be sustainable, every decision must be made with an eye toward the long-term benefits and impacts to the land. They follow a strict nutrient management plan and strive to exceed the state’s regulations regarding water quality. Best management practices are in place for all aspects of the farm’s waste management systems. The farm continually rotates crops to decrease soil erosion, applies manure based on calculated agronomic rates, and maintains buffers on all fields along waterways.
The farm also utilizes Cow Power! Thanks to an anaerobic digester, they’re able to convert cow manure into methane, which is then used to power generators producing 110 kilowatts-per-hour of electricity to use around the farm. The digested manure is then separated to generate bedding for the milking herd and a more odor-free liquid for field application.
The James and Rooney families take a great deal of pride in producing some of the finest dairy products in the state, ensuring that Vermonters have a long-term supply of fresh local milk. Check out this cool video to learn a bit more about life on the dairy farm:
Several of our staffers took a field trip to Monument Farms Dairy for a tour! Here are some photos of our visit:
June is Dairy Month, and we’re excited to celebrate all aspects of Vermont’s Dairy industry, including the migrant workers who are responsible for anywhere from one-half to two-thirds of the state’s dairy production. Vermont is home to about 1,200 – 1,500 migrant workers, mostly concentrated on dairy farms in Addison and Franklin County. Dairy work is generally considered desirable among migrant worker communities because it offers consistent, year-round work and usually provides some form of housing. However, because dairy work is year-round, there is no legal pathway to citizenship for workers. It is estimated that about 90% of migrant workers are undocumented, though the exact number is unknown.
Unfortunately, Vermont’s migrant dairy workers often face dangerous and unhealthy working and living conditions. In December of 2009, an accident resulting in the tragic death of migrant worker José Obeth Santiz Cruz, who was killed while working on a farm in Fairfield, Vermont when his clothes were caught in a ‘gutter scraper’ without proper safety protections, sparked the birth of an organization intended to support workers enduring human and workers rights abuses. Migrant Justice has documented farmworker stories, struggles, and denial of rights through interviews, surveying hundreds of farmworkers, organizing monthly community meetings, and running a hotline that was launched in June of 2011. In 2014, Migrant Justice farmworker leaders designed and completed a survey with 172 dairy farmworkers across the state of Vermont to collect up-to-date detailed information about the working and living conditions that dairy farmworkers face on a daily basis.
The survey revealed significant injustices faced by Vermont dairy farmworkers, which are in violation not only of existing labor and housing laws but more fundamentally of basic human rights principles. It’s also important to note that migrant farmworkers are excluded from many fundamental rights under the law including the right to the Vermont minimum wage:
The results of their survey, combined with information gathered over several years of open communication with migrant workers through their various programs, led Migrant Justice to launch the Milk with Dignity Campaign. The Milk with Dignity Program brings together farmworkers, farmers, buyers, and consumers to secure dignified working conditions in dairy supply chains. The Program enlists the resources of food industry leaders to provide a premium for milk to participating farmers who agree to work towards compliance with the labor standards in the Milk with Dignity (MD) Code of Conduct. The premium helps offset farms’ costs of compliance with the Code and rewards farms that comply.
Farmworkers converted worker’s rights and housing violations into solutions in the creation of the MD Code of Conduct—defining the human rights essential to a dignified workplace and fair housing. The Code is created by the very workers whose rights it is intended to protect and is further improved upon through an intensive feedback loop from participating farmworkers and farmers in the MD Working Group. The Code sets standards for working conditions relating to wages, health and safety, housing, schedule and rest, non-retaliation, non-discrimination, and other
labor conditions. Their members also noted that some dairy farms already had most of the Code of Conduct’s standards in place, demonstrating that it is both necessary and possible to raise the bar in the industry through this campaign.
Migrant Justice is now inviting corporate buyers of milk to take the lead in the dairy industry by sourcing their dairy through the MD Program to ensure workers’ rights in their supply chains. They were able to secure a commitment from Ben & Jerry’s in June 2015 to be a pioneer in the Milk with Dignity Program and have been working ever since to hash out the details of how to operationalize the Program. To learn more, contact info@milkwithdignity.org or call 802-881-7054.To get involved, contact info@migrantjustice.net or call 802-540-8370.
Henry & Lisa’s Natural Seafood, based in Seattle, Washington is featured in our Member Deals Spotlight fromJune 1st – 6th. During this time, member-owners can enjoy 20% off their full line of sustainable seafood products, so it’s a great time to stock up the freezer! Read on to learn more about the history and mission of this eco-friendly seafood business:
Their Story
Henry & Lisa Lovejoy launched their company in 1999 with the belief that there are many concerned people just like them who care about where their food comes from, care for the environment, and desire a source of all natural premium quality seafood from environmentally sustainable fisheries. Having spent 10 years in the seafood industry traveling the globe and visiting seafood exchanges from Tokyo to Paris, Beijing to Madrid, they witnessed the astounding volume of seafood being sold each day on these exchanges and noticed the size of many of the fish decreasing. Simultaneously, there was more and more news that numerous species were being fished to the point of commercial extinction. It became very evident that the world is harvesting our oceans faster than they can replenish themselves, and these resources need better management.
Henry & Lisa both have a deep respect for and great appreciation of the oceans. As a youngster, Henry was inspired by Jacques Cousteau, spent time volunteering at the New England Aquarium, and learned to scuba dive. Now as avid scuba divers and sea kayakers, whenever they have a chance, they are out exploring the ocean and feeling their love and respect for it grow.
Much has changed since Henry first sat down to write the EcoFish business plan. Today you can find their products in over 3,500 grocery/natural food stores and many restaurants nationwide. But, a lot has stayed the same. They continue to source the finest seafood available from both well-managed wild fisheries and state of the art eco-friendly aquaculture operations.
From how they purchase their seafood, to their 100% recycled packaging, to the renewable energy that powers their office, to the many marine & conservation causes they support, each purchase of Henry & Lisa’s Natural Seafood helps them further their mission.
Their Mission
Provide only the most sustainable, highest quality, healthiest, all natural, most delicious seafood to customers.
Help support sustainable fisheries (wild & aquaculture), and their fishing communities by featuring their sustainable seafood products and adding value to their catch.
Help reverse the decline of marine biodiversity by encouraging a shift in consumer demand away from over-exploited fisheries.
Offer a level of customer service unmatched in the seafood industry.
Accentuate the positive — highlight fishery success stories by increasing demand for these products, creating an incentive for others to adopt sustainable fishing practices.
Support marine conservation efforts through collaboration with conservation, research, and educational organizations worldwide.
Raise consciousness of the threats to the world’s oceans by providing a credible source of environmentally responsible seafood to the rapidly growing consumer demographics seeking environmentally sustainable products.
Set a good example for corporate America by striving for the “Triple Bottom Line” — operate a profitable business that’s also responsible to its community and the environment.
Click here to read more about the EcoFish Approved species offered in their product line and the way in which they are harvested.
Click here to read about the various conservation partners that Henry & Lisa work with to ensure their seafood is certified sustainable.
Our super team at Naylor & Breen and their subcontractors are doing an amazing job keeping the expansion construction on schedule and within budget, while at the same time helping Co-op staff keep the store open and functioning. This has become more challenging since we began construction on the east side (near the bagel bakery) to expand the produce department. We know this has been inconveniencing shoppers, and we are so thankful to all member-owners for keeping our sales numbers up during this time. We apologize for the challenges in the parking areas, especially when the occasional delivery truck is unloading. You’ve probably seen our temporary receiving door the east side near the customer parking lot. This delivery entrance will continue to be in use until construction on the west side of the building is complete.
So, what’s next? The entire west addition (5,000 square feet of space) is scheduled to be complete by the end of August, ready for staff and customers to begin using. This will include expanded departments of meat, cheese, deli and grocery. New equipment will be arriving over the coming months, to be installed over the course of the summer. It’s all very exciting and staff are thrilled with the expanded backroom (north side) that we are already using. September and October will be focused on center store changes: adding an extra aisle, and widening all aisles a little, adding extra cash registers, creating new café seating and installing an extra customer bathroom, too!
We understand what a challenge it may be to brave the parking lot and construction noises to visit your Co-op right now, and we appreciate your efforts. Continuing to shop at the Co-op is THE most important thing members can do to help with this project. Thank you. We will work hard to get this part over with as quickly as possible and to welcome you into your new store!
We’re casting our Co-op Spotlight on Tierra Farm this week to highlight the socially and environmentally responsible practices of this employee-owned business. They provide an array of healthy products to our bulk department that are certified organic, gluten-free, kosher, and GMO-free, all of which are produced in small batches in their solar-powered facility in nearby Valatie, NY. They’re featured in our Member Deals program this week, so member-owners can enjoy 20% off their delicious fair-trade coffee, dried fruits, nuts, nut butters, and other healthy snacks from May 25th – 31st! Read on to learn more about this fantastic small business and their commitment to responsible practices throughout the supply chain:
Tierra Farm is a Certified Organic manufacturer and distributor of nuts, dried fruits, and coffee located 20 miles south of Albany, New York. Their customers consist mainly of cooperatives and independently owned grocery stores that value working with an employee-owned, environmentally conscious company that manufactures its own products.
Tierra Farm started as a diversified organic vegetable farm in the Finger Lakes region of New York. The organic nuts & dried fruit portion of the business started in 1999, as a way to generate income in the slower winter months. That portion of the business has continued to thrive and evolve into a year-round operation, though they still maintain their original farm.
Tierra Farm offers their customers exceptional value through unbeatable quality at prices that are fair both to the consumer and to the farmer. Their products are made without preservatives, added oils or refined sugars, in their own peanut-free facility. They manufacture the products they sell: dry roasting and flavoring nuts and seeds, blending trail mixes, grinding butter, covering nuts and fruits in fair-trade chocolate, and roasting fair trade coffee. Everything is made in small, hand-crafted batches for freshness.
One of their core values has been to cultivate strong relationships with the best organic farmers in the world. They work directly with the farmers from which they source their nuts, seeds, and dried fruit and have worked with some of these farmers for over a decade. Being in direct communication with their farmers allows the preservation of their organic integrity and ensures fair business practices throughout the supply chain.
Tierra Farm handles only Certified Organic products which are grown without synthetic pesticides, genetically modified organisms, or chemical fertilizers. This helps sustain biodiversity, conserves fresh water, and enhances the soil. They generate over 70% of their electricity from solar panels and recycle over 60% of their waste. Their boxes are made from recycled cardboard and their deli cup containers are made from over 50% recycled material – both are recyclable after use. They’re continuously looking for better ways to protect the planet.
Tierra Farm also values the importance of investing in their staff. They have an in-house gym, an in-house chef who cooks daily organic, gluten-free meals for staff – often using fresh produce directly from their farm, a staff masseuse who visits weekly, and they offer many employee health initiatives such as a smoking cessation program that allows their staff to be 100% tobacco-free.
If you’re passing through the Albany area, they invite you to stop into one of their Tierra Coffee Roasters locations for a great cup of coffee and some homemade baked goods. Also be sure to check out the retail store at Tierra Farm’s headquarters in Valatie, NY, where local customers are able to purchase all of their (almost 200) products!
Want a virtual tour of the farm? Check out the video below!
As co-op owners, you elect directors to the Board, who work on your behalf. Most of that work is done at the monthly board meetings, bi-annual board retreats, committee meetings, and several ad hoc meetings each month. On the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm, you will find the Co-op Board of Directors around a table munching on tamari roasted almonds and sliced apples doing what they do best – guiding the health and well-being of this vibrant member-owned Addison County institution. As the Co-op Board President, it’s my job to compile an agenda for each monthly board meeting and post it, along with other reading or reference material, in the form of a board meeting packet. The content is collected from various sources; by the time the board packet is posted to our web-based collaboration tool, it’s a 20-50 page document. Packets are posted the week before board meetings to allow for plenty of study time. Frequently, they contain financial data in spreadsheet form that requires special attention. Here’s an example of a typical Board Meeting Agenda.
Meetings have a consistent flow from month to month and always start with a final agenda check. (Everything here that should be? Anything that shouldn’t?) We always discuss any matters brought to our attention by you either in person or through a conversation with a board member as our second agenda item. Next, we review the previous month’s meeting minutes and make any corrections or clarifications (although Victoria writes such good minutes, this doesn’t take long). Then we vote to accept them for the permanent record.
After these first few tasks, we often turn to monthly policy monitoring chores. Our system of Policy Governance involves adhering to policies that direct the activities of both the board and general manager. This is done through a regular schedule of monitoring to ensure compliance. Learn more about Policy Governance here. (http://www.policygovernance.com/model.htm) If it’s a Governance Policy (GP), we review it and decide whether, as a board, we are in compliance. (We usually are.) If it’s an Executive Limitation (EL), we review the report that Glenn has provided to demonstrate his compliance and decide whether we agree. (We nearly always do.) At around this point, we discuss the monthly “GM Report” for a while. This report is not about policy compliance, but is informative and designed to give the board insight into the “under the hood” workings of our co-op, as well as views of “the big picture”, such as what is happening regionally and nationally in the world of food co-ops and in the market conditions that affect us.
With any luck, we’re halfway through the meeting now and turn to a list of timely or topical agenda items. These might include updates from committee chairs; retreat planning; expansion project details; board training and education; and communication and outreach. The impressive part of a monthly board meeting is the quality and dedication each member brings to his or her commitment to representing the Co-op. By 8:20, we review next steps, tasks, assignments and due dates before we adjourn and head home at 8:30.
Tam Stewart is our current Board President. Do you have any questions about the Board and how we do our work? Write anytime with comments, questions or suggestions: tam@middleburycoop.com.
We’re casting our Co-op Spotlight on Amy’s Kitchen this week to shed some light on a family-owned company that was organic before organic was cool. Member-owners can enjoy 20% off the full line of Amy’s Kitchen products from May 18th – 24th! Read on to learn more about this pioneering company that set out nearly 30 years ago to offer convenient, time-saving foods that didn’t sacrifice health or quality:
Their Story
Amy’s didn’t set out to become the nation’s leading frozen food brand; they simply hoped to create a successful business that would provide convenient and tasty vegetarian meals for people who appreciated good food but were often too busy to cook healthy, organic meals from scratch.
Andy & Rachel Berliner launched the business 1987, the year their daughter Amy was born, using their own house and barn as headquarters. The founding meetings were held in the same room where the couple married and where Amy was born. They began with a humble vegetarian pot pie, followed soon after by pizzas and soups. The business continued to evolve and expand, realizing a need to include gluten-free and dairy-free items for those living with food allergies. Amy has since grown up and started a family of her own. She and her husband, Jace, both play active roles within the company.
Organic Before Organic Was Cool
Amy’s was serving up organic food before there was a national certification program. In fact, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture decided to create standards for organic, they looked to Amy’s for guidance. Together with other industry leaders, they helped pioneer the organic food industry and, more importantly, helped make organic food available to more people. Their commitment to organic ensures that neither farmers nor consumers are exposed to harmful chemicals and pesticides. A proud supporter of GMO labeling initiatives, all of Amy’s dishes are non-GMO. They were also the first to market canned items with non-BPA-lined cans, and they’re happy to see many other food companies following their lead.
Amy’s Kitchen has grown beyond the Berliner’s wildest dreams, going from several family members pitching in anywhere they can, to a wonderful group of employees, farmers, and suppliers. But no matter how big the company grows, one thing will always remain the same—the family spirit that permeates every decision made inside of Amy’s Kitchen. Although they have considerably expanded their production facilities and the number of people they employ, Amy’s remains family-owned and fiercely independent. They choose what’s best for their customers, their farmers, their employees, and the planet. It’s a tall order, but they wouldn’t have it any other way.
We’re casting our Co-op Spotlight this week on a local favorite – Lake Champlain Chocolates!All of their mouth-watering chocolates are 20% off for member-owners from May 11th – 17th, just in time to pick out something sweet for Mothers’ Day! Read on to learn more about this local confectionery that has called Vermont home since 1983:
According to the folks at Lake Champlain Chocolates, Vermont is more than an address; it’s home. It’s where they live, who they are, and how they choose to do business. And from the first truffle in 1983 to the present day, Vermont has inspired the folks at Lake Champlain Chocolates to take a craftsman’s approach to chocolate: creativity, patience, and mastery.
What began as a truffle-making venture has now grown to include a long list of tasty treats from fudge to sea salted caramels and beyond. And with each new product, their original commitment to excellence has remained the same. They have remained true to their mission of seeking out the best and freshest ingredients from local farmers and producers and they’ve been doing it that way long before it was cool. Call it Vermont instinct, but even back in ’83, it just made sense that using local honey, maple syrup, and fresh cream in their Chocolates of Vermont would result in superior flavor. Those same instincts also guided the decision to never add preservatives, extenders, or additives to any of their chocolates.
Lampman Family
Fair Trade:
Beyond labeling individual products as “fair trade” — an ongoing process in itself — the entire company is now certified Fair for Life. Fair for Life is a rigorous third-party certification for social accountability and fair trade. Above and beyond fair trade certification, it looks at a company’s practices as a whole, including the ingredients used in its products. LCC undergoes regular audits to ensure every step of its supply chain is socially legit. Not just the cocoa, but every link they have as a business, including their own employees’ working conditions here in Vermont.
Why? Because of their belief that every person in the process should be treated and compensated fairly. And that means everyone in the supply chain — from the farmers who grow and harvest the cocoa, to those who transport it, transform it into chocolate, process your order, package it, and ensure it arrives ready for you to enjoy.
This certification affirms the following:
A price premium is paid to the cocoa farmers and co-ops.
Certified products originate from fair trade producer operations.
LCC is engaged in long-term partnerships and socially responsible trading practices with its suppliers/purveyors.
LCC respects the labor rights of its own employees, providing good working conditions.
LCC is a good community citizen and practices environmental responsibility.
Blue Bandana Bean-To-Bar:
Blue Bandana is an award-winning line of single-origin craft chocolate bars launched in 2012 by Eric Lampman, head of R&D at Lake Champlain Chocolates and son of founder Jim Lampman. Born from a desire to go deeper into the chocolate-making process, the micro-batch chocolate bars are produced in Vermont using cocoa beans sourced directly from their origin.
With the Blue Bandana line, they’re following a “direct trade” model. As the name implies, there’s no middleman, so the supply chain is that much shorter. This allows them to build one-on-one relationships with farmers and sponsor local initiatives in the communities where the cacao is grown. There’s a direct feedback loop with growers and co-ops, and that makes a huge difference in the quality of the end product.
For LCC as a whole, fair trade still offers the best solution. Going 100% direct trade company-wide would be a real challenge, for a few reasons — sheer quantity, for starters. Bottom line, fair trade and direct trade are both valid ways to do the right thing, make sure farmers get a fair shake, and get to know your supply chain.
Eric Lampman in the Dominican Republic
Uncompromising Quality:
All of the products at Lake Champlain Chocolates are certified Kosher with zero additives or shelf extenders and the goal is to use non-GMO ingredients whenever possible. Of course, their certified organic chocolates are 100% GMO-free as guaranteed by the organic certification.
Factory Tours:
Want to see how their chocolates are made? Take a FREE Factory Tour!
Monday-Friday, 11am-2pm
Tours on the hour
Self-Guided Tours after 3pm
FREE Chocolate Tastings
Saturday & Sunday, 11am to 4pm
750 Pine Street Burlington, VT
Tours fill up quickly in peak months, so call ahead: 802-864-1807
