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Save the Date for Our Empty Bowl Dinner on 11/3

 

Empty Bowls – Over 25 Years of Fighting Hunger

On Saturday, November 3rd, at 6 pm, Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op will host our 27th Empty Bowl Dinner to support our local Food Shelves – CVOEO and HOPE. This will be a small community event, coordinated and attended mainly by very local folks.  You may be surprised to know then, that all over the world, at around the same time, people will be gathering for just the same cause.  If you are interested in volunteering your time to help out at the event, donating a bowl, or making a dessert, please contact Karin Mott at karinmott@middlebury.coop.

“Empty Bowls” is an international project to fight hunger, personalized by artists and arts organizations on a community level.  It was founded by Lisa Blackburn and Art teacher John Hartom in 1990-91 when they joined a drive to raise charitable funds in his Michigan community. Hartom’s idea was to organize a charitable event to give artists and art students a way to make a personal difference. Hartom’s students made ceramic bowls in their high school art classes. The finished products were then used as individual serving pieces for a fund-raising meal of soup and bread. Contributing guests kept the empty bowl.

Today, hundreds of communities hold some version of an Empty Bowls event.  Their efforts support food-related charities around the world and have raised millions of dollars to aid in the fight against hunger.  Although the sponsors of the events may differ widely – from glass blowers to churches to Co-ops like ours, their goals remain the same:

  • Raise as much money as possible to feed the world’s hungry people.
  • Increase awareness of hunger and related issues. Through education, awareness, and action, concerned individuals can change human attitudes that allow hunger to exist.
  • Advocate for arts education. Nurturing the creative process through the arts enhances the possibility of finding new solutions to old problems.

For 25 years, the Co-op has had the pleasure of collaborating with Middlebury Studio School (formerly, Frog Hollow) to help us pull off this event.  Kathy Clarke has been particularly instrumental in coordinating dozens of local potters to create up to 80 bowls for us, each year.  In addition, we have enjoyed the generosity of the Middlebury United Methodist Church, which has provided the venue for this event free of charge.  In fact, virtually every aspect of our event is possible because of the generosity of local businesses, organizations, and individuals, from the local farms that provide soup ingredients to the local musicians that provide entertainment.

According to the U.S. Census, Current Population Survey, 1 in 9 Vermonters are dealing with food insecurity.   This is a number well below the national average, but for 12% of our State’s population, the number is still too high.  Please join us this year for our 26th Empty Bowl dinner and be a part of the effort to illuminate hunger in Addison County.

 

Share The Harvest On Thursday, October 4th

Buy Your Produce on Thursday, 10/4 – The Co-op Will Donate 30% of Produce Sales to Share the Harvest!

On Thursday, October 4th, 2018 generous restaurants, coops, and food stores statewide will participate in Share the Harvest by donating a portion of their day’s sales to the Farm Share Program. NOFA Vermont thanks these participants and all of the people who eat out or shop at participating establishments on this date!

Share the Harvest is a win-win scenario! Here’s how it works:

  1. The public eats out or shops at participating businesses on the Share the Harvest date.
  2. Those generous businesses donate to Farm Share.
  3. The $ goes to our local farmers.
  4. Folks (who might not otherwise be able to afford it) can join a local CSA and receive delicious, healthy local food!

PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES

Donations to the Farm Share Program are always welcomed and are accepted year round. If you would like to contribute to the Farm Share Program, you can do so online or download this form (pdf) to make a donation by mail.

If you own a restaurant, store, brewery, co-op, or other business and would like to be a Share the Harvest participating business, please fill out the form here

Many thanks to our print sponsor for this event:  First Step Print Shop. Please consider using them for your next print job!

NOFA Vermont’s Farm Share Program is a great way that limited-income Vermonters can afford to purchase CSA (community supported agriculture) shares of fresh produce from their local farmers. Donations to the Farm Share Program go into a fund which helps subsidize CSA shares to needy Vermonters. NOFA Vermont believes that all Vermonters should be able to eat local organic food, regardless of their income level, while also making sure farmers get a good wage for their hard work.

Demand for Farm Share Program support is significant and a waiting list for CSA share recipients has been established. The Farm Share Program is funded by individual donations and by the annual Share the Harvest fundraiser.

If you know of a restaurant or food store who would like to participate in Share the Harvest 2018, please contact Becca Weiss at becca@nofavt.org or 802-434-4122 x 20

Extending Your Winter Squash Repertoire

There’s a huge range of choices when it comes to winter squash, but acorn squash remains the most popular, only because that’s what everyone always makes. Join local cookbook author Andrea Chesman to learn about buttercups, butternut, delicata, acorn, red kuri, spaghetti squash, sweet dumpling, and turban squash and taste each one so you can learn which ones you like best. Then make a creamy chowder that has only a small amount of dairy, a winter squash risotto, a winter squash braise with apples, and a yummy baked dessert!

All classes are $30, or FREE for members of the Co-op’s Food For All program. For more information, or to register for classes, please contact Denise Senesac at the Hannaford Career Center by calling (802) 382-1004 or emailing dsenesac@pahcc.org. Please register at least one week in advance. Classes are capped at 12 participants and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. 

Herbs for Aches and Pains

Join herbalist Julie Mitchell of Eco Botanicals to learn which herbs address and relieve the aches and pains that result from living the good life. Plants that are easily grown and propagated (in Vermont) for this use will be emphasized along with general information about using medicinal herbs. We will make medicinal plant preparations such as fomentations, liniments, and salves used topically with a discussion of herbal formulas for treating musculoskeletal overuse and abuse. Recipes will be provided along with a salve to add to your first aid kit.

Julie Mitchell is an herbalist, gardener and teacher, living in Addison County. Her formal education was through the College of Phytotherapy – BSc. degree in Phytotherapy , MSc. degree in Herbal Medicine, both from the University of Wales. Her on-going education in herbal medicine occurs outside her door in Monkton, Vermont. She runs Eos Botanicals, an herbal apothecary providing plant medicines for over 25 years and has a Herbal consultation practice in Burlington and Bristol, VT. eosbotanicals@gmail.com

All classes are $30, or FREE for members of the Co-op’s Food For All program. For more information, or to register for classes, please contact Denise Senesac at the Hannaford Career Center by calling (802) 382-1004 or emailing dsenesac@pahcc.org. Please register at least one week in advance. Classes are capped at 12 participants and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. 

Feeding the Microbiome Within

Join gut health specialist and Certified GAPS™ Practitioner Melanie Christner to learn how to care for the healthy microbiome within, with food & simple helpers for daily nourishment, & healing when the microbiome has gone awry.

 

All classes are $30, or FREE for members of the Co-op’s Food For All program. For more information, or to register for classes, please contact Denise Senesac at the Hannaford Career Center by calling (802) 382-1004 or emailing dsenesac@pahcc.org. Please register at least one week in advance. Classes are capped at 12 participants and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. 

Carbon Conscious Farming

Join local permaculture farmer Jon Turner of Wild Roots Farm to discuss scale-appropriate carbon-conscious farming. Whether you’re a backyard gardener or you’re tending a larger plot of land, Jon will share tips and strategies for utilizing waste as a resource and maximizing potential for soil building and carbon sinking. 

All classes are $30, or FREE for members of the Co-op’s Food For All program. For more information, or to register for classes, please contact Denise Senesac at the Hannaford Career Center by calling (802) 382-1004 or emailing dsenesac@pahcc.org. Please register at least one week in advance. Classes are capped at 12 participants and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. 

An Introduction to Biological Compatibility

This exciting course will allow you to take an in-depth look at how many commonly eaten foods lack compatibility with human biochemistry or physiology. In contrast, many others that are avoided hold the greatest potential to serve as foundation foods for optimal health. At a time when approaches to nutrition vary widely and dietary recommendations range from Paleo to vegan, few perspectives consider the importance of human metabolism in determining which foods are the best fits.

Join John Bagnulo, a nutritional medicine expert with 22 years of teaching and consulting experience, for a discussion on how to choose those foods that offer you and your family the most nourishment with the fewest potential downsides. Topics covered include digestive disorders, inflammation, autoimmunity, and cardiovascular health. Each have pivotal roles played by nutrition and understanding the choices available can significantly alter and/or reverse disease processes.

John’s information is sure to help you question the current dogma that exists regarding safe or ideal cholesterol levels, our ability to digest certain foods, and overall food choices as they relate to various aspects of health.

 

All classes are $30, or FREE for members of the Co-op’s Food For All program. For more information, or to register for classes, please contact Denise Senesac at the Hannaford Career Center by calling (802) 382-1004 or emailing dsenesac@pahcc.org. Please register at least one week in advance. Classes are capped at 12 participants and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. 

Cooking with Apples

We’re nearing peak apple season here in Vermont and Emily Fleming would love to remind you just how versatile this fruit can be! Depending on the variety, apples can range from sweet and floral to tart and astringent. Emily will show you how to use these flavor profiles to make both sweet and savory apple dishes to please every palate. 

 

All classes are $30, or FREE for members of the Co-op’s Food For All program. For more information, or to register for classes, please contact Denise Senesac at the Hannaford Career Center by calling (802) 382-1004 or emailing dsenesac@pahcc.org. Please register at least one week in advance. Classes are capped at 12 participants and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. 

The Truck Load Sale is Coming to Town Saturday, 9/29

The Co-op’s Annual Truck Load Sale is coming to town!  Save the date and grab “the list” in the store or take a sneak peek right HERE.   Line up starting at 8:30 am to claim your share of pantry staples at deeply discounted prices.  All products are available only while supplies last, so be an early bird!.  New to the sale?  Here’s how it works:

1. Pick up your order form in the store any time before the sale.

2. Write the number of cases you wish to purchase next to the item on the order form.

3. Bring your order form to the tent in the back parking lot on Saturday, September 29th. The sale is open from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.

4. A staff member will look over your order form, and give you a ticket for each case that will scan at the registers when you pay.

5. Take your tickets inside the store, feel free to grocery shop, and pay at the register for your purchases. Hold on to your receipt (cashier will clip tickets to it).

6. Return to the tent with your receipt and pick up your order. Staff members will be available to help.

7.Sorry, no mixed cases, no rain checks, and no later pick-ups.

Enjoy!

Take the September Eat Local Challenge at the Co-op!

Co-op Member-Owners – check your receipts!  All September, you can track how much you spend on LOCAL each time you shop at the Co-op.  Choosing local products is always a winning choice for the Vermont Economy, and this September, choosing local could make YOU a winner, too!  Read on to find out how:

 

JOIN THE EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE!

  • All September, check the bottom of your receipts to find out how much LOCAL you’ve purchased.
  • Receipts from LOCAL purchases of $25 or more are eligible to be entered into a drawing for one of six $25 Co-op Gift Cards.
  • Receipts from LOCAL purchases of $50 or more are eligible to be entered into a drawing for one of six $50 Co-op Gift Cards.
  • You may enter as many receipts as you like.

The more LOCAL you purchase, the greater your chances of winning.  Raffle Boxes will be located at the Customer Service Desk near the Registers.  Not sure if you’re buying LOCAL products?  Just look for these signs: