This week, we’re casting our Co-op Spotlight on Newman’s Own to tip our hat to the man who decided to launch a food business that gives away 100% of its profits to charity. Read on to learn more about how Paul Newman accidentally found himself at the center of a successful food business and the impact of his incredible philanthropy:
Paul Newman’s craft was acting, his passion was auto racing, his love was his family and friends. But his heart and soul were dedicated to helping make the world a better place. His commitment to philanthropy was clear — he used his influence, gave of his financial resources, and personally volunteered to advance humanitarian and social causes around the world. While Paul Newman was a Hollywood star of extraordinary celebrity and a person recognized for exceptional commitment and leadership for philanthropy, he lived his life as an ordinary person, which he always considered himself. He was a man of abundant good humor, generosity, and humility.
Newman’s Own began as a bit of a lark. In 1980, Paul Newman and his pal A.E. Hotchner filled empty wine bottles with his homemade salad dressing to give as gifts for the holidays. After friends and neighbors came clamoring for refills, Paul and “Hotch” were convinced that the special recipe was good enough to be bottled and sold.
Newman’s Own Salad Dressing was officially launched in 1982 and, surprisingly, became an instant success. The first year of profits exceeded $300,000 and Paul declared, “Let’s give it all away to those who need it.” Without ever taking personal compensation, Paul shared his good fortune. It was a unique concept at the time – giving away all after-tax profits, but he believed that helping others was just the right thing to do.
In these thirty years, Paul Newman and the Newman’s Own Foundationhave given over $460 million to thousands of charities. Newman’s Own Foundation is an independent, private foundation formed in 2005 by Paul Newman to sustain the legacy of his philanthropic work. Funded entirely through the profits and royalties of Newman’s Own products, the Foundation does not maintain an endowment, raise funds, or accept donations. The Foundation believes that each of us, through the power of philanthropy, has the potential to make a difference. Since 1982, when Paul Newman first declared, “Let’s give it all away,” more than $460 million has been donated to thousands of nonprofit organizations helping people in need around the world.
Today, Newman’s Own produces over 200 individual products across 20 categories. Always great tasting, always top quality, just the way our founder, Paul Newman, insisted. We’ll always follow his vision for putting quality first. The Newman’s Own business model has remained the same over the years. The enterprise remains true to Paul’s original mission and values, using only all-natural, high-quality foods and donating 100% of profits and royalties to charity. Who would’ve thought that so much good could come from a simple idea? As Paul said, it has been “a heck of a ride.”
Our 40th Anniversary Celebration Continues! Every month, we’ll post another story and photos from some of our long time Co-opers. Here’s another contribution to our historical archive from Jeremy Singley. Jerry and Pauline Singley are long time Co-op members, starting from when we were just a fledgling buying club. They were instrumental in helping acquire and renovate the original Co-op Storefront at the Old Train Depot on Seymour Street. Listen to what Jerry has to say about their history with the Co-op and our metamorphosis into the much larger and successful organization that we’ve become.
Jeremy & Pauline Singley, with Gwen & Emily, 1974
A History with the Co-op from Jeremy Singley
Pauline and I joined the Middlebury Natural Foods Coop in 1974, not long after its debut. At the time the Coop was a sort of bulk foods buying club of like-minded folks. The group met monthly to engage in a friendly auction amongst themselves, each committing to purchase increasing or decreasing portions until their individual orders added up to, say, a whole wheel of cheese or a 50 pound bag of flour. These goods would then be ordered at wholesale rate, and stored in Jane and Marshall Eddy’s barn in Middlebury. Upon arrival the bulk goods were broken down into portions by a revolving body of member volunteers. Cheese wheels, for example, would be reduced to individually wrapped and labeled wedges and stacked in the group’s fridge. Members who had made purchases were encouraged to be timely in picking up their orders.
Over time sub-groups grew up in a number of vicinities, each overseen by a “coordinator.” Pauline and I represented the East Middlebury/Salisbury region, at which time I also became a Coop Board member. By then the group had grown large enough that meetings were no longer necessary. In lieu of meetups, members filled out a monthly “pre-order” form. The total number of members in all the sub-groups combined guaranteed that enough food would be pre-ordered in any given month to support bulk purchases. There were scraps left over of course—a wedge of cheddar, for example—but the selections that were on offer in those early days were goods that would keep until the next order, at which time they could be offered again. Or that was the theory.
Two issues cropped up.
The first was the leftover problem. That didn’t always work out. Plus, members craved a wider selection, but how do you handle, say, lettuce, on a long-term basis. So [Board member?] Charles Adams rented the abandoned train station on Seymour Street and started a “store front.” Now anyone could walk in and buy, not only that orphan cheddar wedge, but a growing list of new direct-sale offerings, displayed in bins and buckets with spunky hand-written labels.
The second problem was the work we coordinators had to do. We were in charge of sending out the order sheets, tallying the members’ orders, bulk ordering, rousting up four or five volunteers and setting up a “breakdown” day—where the bulk goods would be re-packaged to fill the individual member orders—hanging around until all the member orders had been picked up, and then delivering or storing the ones that weren’t.
Train Depot on Seymour Street
When the store front had matured to the point that it offered everything the pre-orders did, and more, available throughout the month, I published a suggestion that we terminate pre-order and just focus on the store. This was not at first a popular idea. Many members enjoyed the camaraderie of the breakdowns and the whole-earth feel of the process. But the majority realized they preferred to be able to buy what they wanted when they wanted. So Charlie, myself and a stalwart crew of volunteers tore into the train station, replacing the floor, improving the lighting, building shelves and, eventually, even installing a walk-in fridge! The budget was tight. We’d begun with a tackle box as our cash exchange. Then one of those old Ka-ching! cash registers turned up from somewhere. I built a checkout counter in my woodshop.
The store grew so fast it was decided a digital cash register was needed to help keep track of the flow. This was a big deal. The board did not have that much to spend. But I had an idea. After checking with my bank, I approached a number of members—mostly respected business owners—and asked if they would counter-sign a loan. They all agreed. The cash register was in.
When the store outgrew the station and moved to its present location (but much smaller than today!) my wooden counter went along. Eventually, so did our kids. In the late 80’s to early 90’s Gwen worked as cashier, stocker, and made intricate illustrated shelf labels. Emily also cashiered and stocked, as well as helping to manage the HABA (health and beauty aids) section, now called the Wellness Department.
My homemade checkout counter worked well for years, even as it was gradually surrounded by multiple factory-made counters and registers. Every time I walked in—as a shopper now, no longer a board member—that counter reminded me of the old days, and I was awed by how far Charlie’s brainchild had grown.
Today marks the start of our Rally For Change to benefit Homeward Bound – Addison County’s Humane Society! When shopping at the Co-op today through May 18th, your cashier will ask you if you’d like to round up to help our furry friends in need. Each time you do, 100% of your contribution will go directly to support Homeward Bound, and we’ll match your donations! Read on to learn more about Homeward Bound and they very important work they do for our community:
Homeward Bound: Addison County’s Humane Society is a private, independent non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the well being of homeless, abandoned, and abused or neglected animals. Founded in 1975, Homeward Bound is happy to have recently celebrated its 40-year anniversary, and since its inception has served over 20,000 animals.
Mission:
To educate the community and improve the lives of animals, alleviate their suffering, and elevate their status in society. We safeguard, rescue, shelter, heal, adopt, and advocate for animals in need, while inspiring community action and compassion on their behalf.
Vision:
We envision a world that is nurturing and compassionate towards all animals
We envision a world where no animal suffers from abuse or neglect
We envision a world in which all people regard companion animals as lifelong, valued family members
At Homeward Bound, we safeguard, rescue, shelter, heal, adopt and advocate for animals in need, while inspiring community action and compassion on their behalf. We serve approximately 650 animals in the shelter every year and provide services and support for an average of 200 community animals annually. We operate programs to help curb pet overpopulation, provide support for low-income pet owners, and address issues of animal neglect and cruelty. We offer humane education on many levels, including a full day summer camp, and we have an ongoing volunteer program with 81 active volunteers.
We will apply any proceeds received from the Middlebury Coop’s Rally for Change week to the costs providing direct animal care and medical services. All of the animals in our shelter receive spay/neuter services, vaccinations as needed, microchip identification, and other necessary medical procedures as recommended by veterinarians. Our 2016 budget for providing for spay/neuter and medical care is $27,000.
We are grateful for support of the Middlebury Coop and to be named as a beneficiary of Rally for Change week.
We’re casting our Co-op Spotlight on Niman Ranch this week to highlight their commitment to offering all-natural meats raised by small family farmers committed to sustainable and humane practices. We all know that words like “natural” and “sustainable” can be applied to foods without any real, tangible, meaningful standards to back them up. In fact, the USDA legally allows the use of the word “natural” on meat and poultry despite the fact that the term isn’t currently well-defined or meaningful, rendering it a deceptive marketing ploy rather than a clear indication of how a meat or poultry product was raised or processed. That’s why we love Niman Ranch. When they throw around words like “natural’, “sustainable”, and “humane”, it actually means something. Here’s how they back it up:
Raised on more than 700 small sustainable family farms and ranches
Raised according to the most humane animal handling protocols in the industry
Raised by farmers who adhere to sustainable agricultural practices.
Never given antibiotics or hormones – ever.
Never fed animal by-products – ever.
What do we mean when we say our animals are raised humanely?
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. Our independent family farmers are required to raise their livestock outdoors or in deeply bedded pens. Their animals have continual access to food and water and spend their entire lives with their litter mates. This allows the animals to express their natural instinctive behaviors and form healthy social groups. Gestation crates and farrowing crates are strictly prohibited.
What does sustainability mean to us?
Sustainability is at the core of our Raised With Care philosophy. We believe that sustainable agriculture is best described as livestock raising and production practices which balance current resource demands without compromising the future of the resources from an environmental, economic, and human perspective. We realize that a sustainable system is not successful unless we also maintain the economic health of all our farmers and ranchers, so our sustainability practices incorporate this understanding into what we call our Top 10 Sustainability Best Practices:
Pay farmers a premium in accordance to our strict raising protocols
Establish a floor price for our farmers tied to the cost of inputs of feed and fuel
Promote agricultural biodiversity by using a wide range of breeds uniquely suited to the specific natural environments in which they are raised
Practice genetic diversity to keep breeds healthy over generations
Maintain livestock density well below conventional industry standards to prevent overburdening the land
Raise livestock in geographies where feed is locally available to reduce the carbon footprint associated with feed transport
Mitigate soil erosion and/or loss through: maintaining pasture with coverage for livestock, crop rotation, rotational grazing and responsible waste/manure management.
Prohibit the use of concentrated liquid manure systems. Manure is managed as a beneficial resource and is never allowed to negatively impact the local environment.
Use buffer strips and grassed waterways
Provide a robust and growing marketplace for our farmers and ranchers livestock
Do animals need antibiotics?
Since our animals are not raised in crowded, unsanitary or stressful conditions, the need for antibiotics to treat sick animals is very low. Our animals never receive antibiotics – ever.
What if an animal gets sick?
Occasionally, one of the animals raised for us becomes sick and cannot get well without antibiotics. Our animal welfare protocols allow for the animal to be treated, but then removed from the Niman Ranch program. It is never sold as Niman Ranch meat.
How can I be sure that all Niman Ranch farmers and ranchers adhere to the protocols?
We follow a 3-step process to ensure full compliance with our strict protocols:
All our farmers and ranchers regularly complete affidavits agreeing to follow all of our protocols.
We personally inspect each farm before it is accepted into our program, to make sure it meets our standards.
Our field agents, located throughout the country, regularly visit and inspect the farms and ranches in our network. We have more field agents than we have sales people.
The farmers and ranchers within our community are true believers in sustainable agriculture and share in our values and vision. They are practicing traditional farming methods because they understand that by raising livestock humanely and sustainably, they will leave an agricultural legacy, ultimately preserving the land for future generations.
Who are the farmers and ranchers of the Niman Ranch community?
Check out this great video below to hear from a sampling of the wonderful farmers and ranchers that are committed to raising animals the Niman Ranch way. You can also see more videos, photos, and read full bios on our webpage.
Green Up Fest 2016 is one for the record books! The weather was beautiful, the crowd was lively, the music was fantastic, and the food was melt-in-your-mouth delicious! We are so grateful to those of you who joined us on Saturday to celebrate both Green Up Day and our 40th Anniversary. We also want to extend our most sincere gratitude to all of the volunteers, the representatives from over 20 local groups responsible for helping keep our community green, and of course, we must thank the The Doughboys for rocking the plaza all day long! If you had to miss it, here’s a recap of How to Have Fun at Green Up Fest:
Get Your Groove On!
2. Strike a Pose!
3. Learn All About the Local Organizations that Help Keep Addison County Green!
4. Get Crafty! Paint a Tile for the New Co-op Bathroom, Then Make a Soapy Creation with Vermont Soap Sudsy Putty!
We’re casting our Member Deals spotlight on Burt’s Bees this week to shed a little light on the wonderful things they’re doing to protect and maintain healthy pollinator populations through their Wild For Bees initiative. Member-owners can enjoy 30% off all Burt’s Bees products this week – just in time for Mother’s Day! Read on to learn about the history of Burt’s Bees, their products, their environmentally-friendly practices, and their efforts to save our pollinators:
It all began in the summer of ’84 when Maine artist Roxanne Quimby met Beekeeper Burt Shavitz. Roxanne was attempting to thumb a ride home and was picked up by Burt, who she immediately recognized as the bearded beekeeper who often sold honey on the roadside out of his iconic bright yellow Datsun pickup. The two hit it off, and before long, Burt was selling beeswax candles alongside his honey. Fast-forward more than 30 years, and Burt’s Bees now offers some 200 different products! Through the years of growth and evolution as a company, Burt’s Bees has remained true to a simple idea: what you put on your body should be made from the best nature has to offer.
In addition to providing earth-friendly health, beauty, and personal care products, Burt’s Bees is also committed to supporting projects and research at the intersection of bee and human health. One such project is the Wild For Bees initiative. Here’s what Burt’s Bees has to say about this series of projects:
We all know that honeybees make a lot more than wax and that they are connected with several critical issues for human and environmental health, including biodiversity, food security, nutrition, and sustainable land use. We rely on bees for nearly 1/3 of our entire food supply. Not to mention all the fibers, spices and medicines the plants they pollinate make possible. A world without bees is unimaginable and we won’t let it happen. We support our buzzing friends with many wonderful projects that promote honeybee health and sustainable agriculture. We are also continually improving our sourcing process, so that eventually each and every one of our ingredients, pollinated or not, will be vetted and accounted for.
Our efforts to support pollinator health have spanned research, education and conservation; over the years, we’ve supported a number of community organizations working for change at the intersection of human and honeybee health, awarded over 30 pollinator health research grants, and worked to drive awareness of the plight of honeybees and how individuals can help.
Of these efforts, our recent focus has been on establishing habitat, providing bees with a much-needed feast. By 2020, Burt’s Bees aims to impact 10,000 acres of healthy honeybee forage. To date, our work and committed funds have already impacted 6,600 acres of pollinator forage. Bur there’s more to do. One campaign helping establish habitat is the Bring Back The Bees program. The goal of this program is to plant 1 billion wildflowers adjacent to farms to provide bees a nutritious and much needed feast, and they need your help to reach this goal:
In addition to their extensive work to raise awareness and support for pollinator health, Burt’s Bees has also taken some impressive steps to ensure that their products and processes are earth-friendly. Here’s what they have to say about their operational footprint:
Have you ever seen a bee’s footprint? Neither have we. All those little gals do is fly from here to there, getting pollen all over everything as they quest for the perfect building material. But they take only what they need—and they leave their environment better than the way they found it.
At Burt’s Bees, we take our cue from nature. We’ve committed ourselves to making the world a little greener, a little cleaner, by doing what bees do best: working hard on natural products that people love.
That’s why, for example, we’ve committed ourselves to a policy of sending zero waste to landfill. With over 350 employees in three facilities, not a single piece of garbage goes to the dump. Not one. Really. How? Each month, our employees diligently volunteer to check over 200 recycling, composting, and waste to energy bins, ensuring everything is sorted properly.
We also encourage you to take advantage of our Recycle on Us Mail Back Program, which keeps the tubes and containers from your favorite Burt’s Bees lip products out of landfills and back into good use.
We’re also serious about energy use. We know that our purchased electricity is the largest contributor to our carbon footprint—so we’ve outfitted our facilities with energy-efficient lighting, resource management software, and efficient production equipment. Our conscientious employees look for ways to save energy and water. And we’re focusing more on the impact of our supply chain, including contract manufacturers.
But we also know that, as our brand has grown, so has our water usage, jeopardizing our 2020 sustainability goals. That’s not good enough for us. In the face of global freshwater scarcity and limited nonrenewable energy sources, it’s more important than ever to take only what we need.
So, until we can be fossil fuel free and water neutral, we’re offsetting our environmental impact in other ways
Purchased Water Restoration Certificates from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, returning millions of gallons of water—the equivalent of our own consumption—to watersheds like the Colorado River.
There’s still much to be done, but we’re determined to get there. Because we’re not just creating a better world for ourselves—we’re also doing it for the little yellow and black pollinators who live in harmony with nature, and to whom we owe so much.
“What’s right isn’t always popular. What’s popular isn’t always right.” Wise words from one of our first catalogs, published over 20 years ago. It’s wisdom that continues to inspire us today, and it’s why we do things a little differently around here. No trash cans at our desks, for example. We like a little yoga with lunch. We speak our minds. We help our neighbors. In short, we practice what we preach.
That’s why we encourage our employees to take time off to go do something good for the world. It’s why, each year, we hold a Culture Day to promote community outreach—in the past we’ve planted urban gardens and built hive boxes for the recovering bee population. We encourage wellness through weekly onsite yoga. And through the Greater Good Team, we strive to maintain environmentally friendly practices within our company and alongside our partners.
We’re basically a bunch of hands-on, tree-hugging, greased elbow do-gooders. It’s kind of what makes our company special. We think the bees would agree.
One of the beautiful, intangible things about supporting local products is the element of human connection. When you have questions about the products, you get to call and speak with an actual human who likely created the products, knows them intimately, and can skillfully answer all of your questions. The alternative often entails calling an 800 number, navigating your way through various electronic menus, listening to bad hold music, and, if you’re lucky, reaching a customer service rep who may or may not be able to answer your questions. We experienced a fine example of this sort of thing recently when we noticed that one of our favorite natural body care product lines was sporting a beautiful new makeover. This prompted us to reach out to founder and creator of Flourish Natural Body Care, Kirsten Connor. She chatted with us from her studio in Woodstock, Vermont, and we got the scoop on the fresh new look, plus lots of other great info about her natural body care products:
MNFC: What inspired your venture into the world of natural body care products?
Kirsten: I started out as a soap maker. I taught myself to make cold process soap and this whole world of scent and color just opened up for me. I was kind of fascinated by the fact that by using one of the most dangerous/caustic substances (lye) and combining it with the right ingredients it could be completely transformed into something wonderful for your skin. Once I had mastered soap, I added on scrubs and balms and then worked up to understanding lotions and cremes. Hair care was definitely the trickiest because being a “purist” I wanted to be able to make it from soap-but after literally hundreds of trials I had to accept that soap and my hair were not a happy combination. When I began to look more closely at cleansers in shampoos I began to understand that there are really good options that are very gentle and biodegradable. Similarly to the relationship between milled soap and cold process soap.
MNFC: Your products have some new ingredients added. Can you tell us about this?
Kirsten: As a formulator, I’ve always subscribed to the theory that “less is more”. I’ve always tried to limit the number of ingredients in a recipe so that they would really have a chance to shine. Like with our body cremes-the star is the cocoa butter so I really want you to be able to feel the silkiness of that when you are putting it on your skin. Since Vermont is such a agricultural state, people who were sampling our products would always ask me if I grow all the lavender, etc. that we use in our products, not realizing that lavender doesn’t grow reliably well here in Vermont. Our really fun scent combinations have always been what makes our products stand out. One day, while planting in my garden, I read a description of angelica-and was startled because the description was exactly how I always described our Rosewood Infusion blend. I began to think about other plants that would reflect the feeling that our different scents gave. I consulted with an herbalist and she and I worked together to choose the plants and find the best way to deliver them in the different products.
MNFC: Your products have a new look! What prompted this packaging change?
Kirsten: This was a big leap for us! After the flood in 2011, when we restarted Flourish, one of the things we were advised to do was to streamline our manufacturing/purchasing etc. and to use the same bottles for our shampoos, conditioners and lotions. Personally, I’m not a fan of plastic. I don’t use it at home for storing our food, etc. When I was reformulating our recipes, the issue came up for me again. Not only did I want to protect the herbal infusions and essential oils that we were including, but I really wanted to limit participating in so much plastic consumption. Of course, glass containers should never be used in the shower but in every other instance, glass is a better choice. You wouldn’t think of compromising your beer or kombucha by storing it in a plastic bottle would you? Not to mention that during the manufacturing process, lotions and cremes are poured into their packaging while hot-so even if the plastic bottle or tube is BPA free, just the heat alone will cause some leaching. And then you are applying that to your skin?
MNFC: What are your considerations when choosing ingredients for your products and how do you go about sourcing them?
Kirsten: All of the herbal elements that we have added are either wildcrafted from our fields or we grow them in our gardens. Since we grow, harvest, preserve, etc. all of these plants we know that they are up to our standards. For everything else, we always choose organic oils and butters for our lotions and for our cleansers and preservatives we follow Ecocert guidelines when choosing ingredients. If you are not familiar, Ecocert is a European organization and the very first organization to develop standards for cosmetic manufacturing. With Ecocert there must be an absence of GMO’s, parabens, I phenoxyethanol, nano particles, silicon, PEG, synthetic perfumes and dyes, and animal derived ingredients. These standards close the loopholes that happen here in the US where a product can be certified organic but still contain a percentage of undesirable ingredients like phenoxyethanol.
MNFC: What is your favorite product that you make? What scent?
Kirsten: This truly does change with the seasons but overall I would say it is the GingerElixir+Arnica Body Oil. We have always been huge users of arnica for our entire family, but it is usually scented with menthol or peppermint-which I do not love. Having rheumatoid arthritis, I use arnica frequently and don’t always want a heavy medicinal smell. So I created this oil, infused with arnica flowers for pain and inflammation relief but with a warm, spicybeautiful ginger scent. So it’s more like a special treat.
MNFC: What is your favorite thing about your job as a creator of natural body care products?
Kirsten: Definitely when people who have tried our products tell me how much they love them!
In May you’ll receive your Co-op Newsletter in paper format in order to provide all member-owners with ballots for voting in our 2016 Election for the MNFC Board of Directors. You’ll find the ballot in this Newsletter, along with instructions on how to vote in this important election. Short bios with information about the candidates are included in this Newsletter’s insert. Remember to come to our Annual Meeting to find out the results!
We’re casting our Co-op spotlight on Lotus Foods this week to bring awareness to the amazing things they’re doing to revolutionize global rice production. Member-owners can enjoy 20% off all Lotus Foods rice products this week, so it’s a great time to try their fair trade certified, non-GMO verified, heirloom, organic, and ecologically-grown rices! Lotus Foods has been a certified B Corp since 2012, and they’re pioneering a brilliant and innovative set of farming practices that address some of the most important challenges we face this century – namely to feed several billion more people with dwindling land and water resources and without further degrading the planet’s environment. Read on to learn all about it!
Rice is a modest little grain with a super important mission – to feed over half of the world’s population. It is the most widely consumed staple food for a large part of the world’s human population, and is third only to maize and sugar cane in worldwide agricultural production. This presents a significant environmental challenge due to the fact that rice is a very water-intensive crop to grow.
Each year, one-quarter to one-third of the fresh water that is withdrawn from surface and ground water sources is used to irrigate rice. That is the most water used for any single human activity. According to the International Water Management Institute, by 2020 (in just 5 years!) one-quarter of irrigated rice areas, which produce 75% of the world’s rice, may be suffering some form of water scarcity. This is because more water is being used than can be replenished.
This means not just less water for rice and essential food security, but also for drinking, sanitation, livestock, and other crops, as well as enough water in streams and rivers to sustain fish and aquatic life. It also means women have to walk further to collect the family’s daily water supply in many parts of the world.
Depending on country and circumstances, women provide 50-90% of labor in growing the world’s rice crop, most of it unpaid or poorly paid. That’s 500 million to as many as one billion women whose productive capacity is harnessed by the ceaseless toil of producing rice to eat and sell. Imagine the creative energy that could be unleashed if they had more time!
The good news is that there are solutions! We invite you to learn about what Lotus Foods is doing to incentivize farmers to produce more rice with less water and less labor for women.
Lotus Foods utilizes and promotes a method of rice production known as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). SRI is an innovative set of farming practices in which rice farmers fundamentally change how they manage their plants, soil and water. They increase their productivity at the same time that they reduce their use of water, seeds and agrochemical inputs, and eliminate continuously flooded conditions.This agricultural method allows rice to be grown using 90% less seed, 30-70% less water, ZERO chemical pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers, yet it still increases yields by 50-100% or more, is drought-resistant, pest-resistant, and it’s revolutionizing the way that rice is farmed. In short, it’sMore Crop Per Drop. Lotus Foods estimates that in 2015 they saved the equivalent of some 528 million (yes MILLION!) gallons of water, which could instead flow back into rivers and lakes, recharge aquifers, and nourish natural habitats! SRI has been largely grassroots driven, fueled by marginalized women and men farmers and the non-profit organizations (NGOs) who advocate for their welfare, like Oxfam, Africare, WWF and many dedicated local NGOs and individuals. The reason these farmers are so excited about SRI is because it represents an opportunity for more food, more money, better health, and more options – in short, for a way out of poverty.
Here’s a little more about the overall mission of Lotus Foods in their own words:
Since 1995, Lotus Foods has pioneered the introduction of exotic rice handcrafted on small family farms in remote areas of the world. Each rice varietal is distinguished by its terroir and treasured for its distinctive cooking quality, taste, texture, aroma, color, and nutritional value. Lotus Foods was founded with the intent and vision to support sustainable global agriculture by promoting production of traditional heirloom rice varieties, many of which may otherwise be extinct, while enabling the small family rice farmer to earn an honorable living.
We believe that sustainability is premised on an ethical framework that includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, universal human rights, respect for diversity, economic justice, and a culture of peace. We believe that eradicating poverty and promoting social and economic justice has to start with agriculture and has to be accomplished in a way that protects and restores the natural resources on which all life depends. At the crux of this challenge is rice, which provides a source of living to two billion people, most earning less than $200 a year.
Most of our rices are already certified organic, while others are in the process of becoming certified, and still others we are working to develop a certifying program in its country of origin. These organic and transitional rices are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, GMOs, or ionizing radiation. All of our rices are fair trade certified and non-GMO verified.
We hope you will help us “Do the Rice Thing with More Crop Per Drop™, a Water Smart, Woman Strong way to grow rice.”
Friday, April 22nd is Earth Day, and in honor of this fine holiday, we’re going bagless! The day will serve as a great reminder that there many ways to bag your groceries, so why not choose the GREEN way? Please bring your baskets, reusable bags, repurposed cardboard boxes, or any grocery tote you prefer. If you forget, no problem; we’ll be giving away free reusable bags while supplies last, and we’ll also have repurposed cardboard boxes available.
Why bother with reusable grocery totes? Here are some interesting facts about disposable shopping bags:
While disposable paper and plastic bags seem awfully convenient, their cost to the environment can be hefty.
Plastic Bags
It is estimated that 5 trillion plastic bags are produced each year. Each plastic bag is used, on average, for about 20 minutes, though it takes a single bag over 1,000 years to completely decompose in a landfill. As it decomposes, it releases greenhouse gases into our atmosphere and releases harmful toxins into our soil and groundwater. Bags that don’t make it to the landfill litter the landscape and pose a significant threat to animal health and well-being; particularly for birds and aquatic life.
Plastic bags are quite commonly mistaken for food by animals, especially when the bags carry food residues, are brightly colored or are animated by the movement of water. A great variety of animals, land and especially marine, can choke to death on bags. If swallowed whole, animals may not be able to digest real food and die a slow death from starvation or infection. Plastic bags are responsible for the death of over a million sea birds and an estimated 100,000 whales, dolphins, turtles, and seals each year.
Americans throw away about 100 billion plastic bags annually. That is equivalent to dumping nearly 12 billion barrels of oil. But, what if you recycle them? That seems like a more environmentally-friendly way to go, right? Unfortunately, it takes 85 times more energy to recycle a plastic bag than it does to create it.
Paper Bags
Perhaps you opt for paper bags, instead of plastic. Those are better for the environment, right? Believe it or not, paper production creates 70% more pollution during production than plastic bags. One must also consider that paper bags are made from trees that could instead be absorbing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere if they weren’t busy becoming bags. The paper bag making process also results in 50 times more water pollutants than making plastic bags, and uses more water during production.
While it’s true that plastic bags are made from crude oil, making a paper bag consumes four times as much energy as making a plastic bag, so the process of making paper bags consumes a good deal of oil as fuel for production, making both paper and plastic bags very oil-intensive products.
You can certainly recycle paper bags, though much like plastic bags, the process for recycling paper bags can be inefficient – often consuming more fuel than it would take to make a brand new bag.
In short, when it comes to the battle over which is greener, neither paper nor plastic have it in the bag.
Here are some great tips for remembering your reusable shopping bags:
Keep your bags in your car or purse so you have them every time you go out.
Make a note on your grocery list to grab the bags before you leave the house.
Get the kids in on it! Have them be the ones to get excited and bring the bags with them when you take them along shopping.
If you only have a couple of easy-to-carry items, and are asked if you would like a bag say ” no, thank you” If you are not asked if you would like a bag say “I don’t need a bag, thank you.” Simple.
If you do forget your reusable bags, check out the hallway area near the customer restroom. This area is often stocked with cardboard boxes from our deliveries, which are handy repurposed grocery totes.
Keep in mind, however, that to get the full greenhouse gas benefit from a reusable bag, it must be reused over 100 times. Reusable bags are energy-intensive to produce, but if your reuse them often over the years, the benefits really add up!
