Could your wellness routine use a Spring makeover? Check out Vermont Sun! They’re our featured Co-op Connection Business this month and they offer 50% off their enrollment fee to Co-op member-owners!
Vermont Sun has been keeping our community fit since 1985. Whether you’re visiting their facilities in Middlebury or Vergennes, you’ll find their clubs geared up with the essential elements of a great workout. Their fitness equipment vendors are the best in the industry, and their club owners stay current with the latest technology! They offer a wide variety of cardio, strength, and free weight equipment to ensure that you get the best possible workout.
FACILITIES AND PROGRAMMING
Both Vermont Sun locations are open Monday thru Friday 6 am-8 pm, Saturday & Sunday 7:30 am-4 pm. This includes the pool as well! Vermont Sun’s two thousand square foot exercise room features a cushioned hardwood floor and is fully air-conditioned. Their top of the line sound system provides amazing sound quality for all group fitness classes. All group fitness classes are included in most memberships at no extra charge. Find their class schedule on their website.
Their facilities also offer racquetball courts, saunas, and indoor pools for lap swimming, rehab, or recreation.
Need help to ease safely back into a workout routine? Or maybe you’re just looking to set some new fitness and nutrition goals and could use a professional guide? Vermont Sun offers Personal Training services and Nutritional Counseling from a knowledgeable staff of certified, credentialed specialists.
In short, Vermont Sun has everything you need to help make your fitness goals a reality! Stop in and find out for yourself why they are voted the #1 Fitness Center in the region year after year! And don’t forget to tell them you’re a Co-op member-owner!
Our Member Deals Spotlight shines brightly this week on Klinger’s Bakery! From March 20 – 26th, member-owners can enjoy 20% off their full line of local fresh-baked artisan bread! Read on to learn more about this Burlington-based bakery and their time-honored baking traditions:
Rustic, Healthy, Hearty, Crusty, Chewy, Flavorful…
Just a few words overheard to describe the artisan breads of Klinger’s. Their hearth-baked breads were proudly brought to Vermont in 1993 by the Klingebiel families of Williston, Vermont and Salem, New York.
These flavorful, authentic European-style breads were developed by one of America’s premier artisan bakers. Their bakers have been thoroughly trained in the methods and subtleties of bread baking. The breads are made from starters which are allowed to develop over a thirty-hour period. Visit the bakery and watch their bread crafters at work. Amidst floured tables, you will see them mix the finest ingredients, hand shape loaves, and bake them with care in their French brick oven.
Klinger’s is proud to bring you the rustic, homemade taste of their signature artisan breads. Their goal is to produce breads with character and integrity, to make your mouth water with the aroma of loaves fresh from the oven, and to share the products of their labor with you again and again.
Nestled in the hills of Huntington, VT, Krin’s Bakery has been bringing people together with delicious, handcrafted treats since 2005 – and from February 6-12, Member-Owners can enjoy 20% off Krin’s full line of local confections at the Co-op!
Krin’s Bakery is run by artisan baker Krin Barberi. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, her treats—like chewy cookies, cupcakes piled high with frosting, classic Italian biscotti, and chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons—are made with time-honored recipes and simple, fresh ingredients. Krin’s baked goods are perfect for every occasion—packed in a lunchbox, paired with coffee, or shared at a celebration.
Krin is dedicated to supporting Vermont’s local food system through her work as a baker. She sources ingredients from nearby farms, orchards, and local distributors, recognizing that these partnerships help sustain the small businesses that are vital to the region. Her passion for local food and community stems from her New England upbringing, where food was a way to bring people together. By choosing local whenever possible, Krin ensures that her bakery continues to support and celebrate the community that inspires her work.
We’re casting our Co-op Spotlight on Bob’s Red Mill this week to shed a little light on this employee-owned business that has been offering stone-milled grains for over 40 years. Member-owners can enjoy 20% off all of Bob’s Red Mill products this week (January 2-8). Read on to learn more about their unique business model and their commitment to using traditional stone milling techniques to deliver healthy high-quality grain products to store shelves.
At Bob’s Red Mill, they believe that quality can’t be rushed. That’s why they manufacture their products using time-honored techniques, like grinding whole grains at cool temperatures with a traditional stone mill. Their beautiful stone grinding mills are much like the ones used during early Roman times and unlike the more commonly used high-speed steel rollers, their mills ensure the most nutritious parts of the whole grain remain intact. It was these beautiful antique grinding mills that first inspired founder Bob Moore to start Bob’s Red Mill over 40 years ago.
An Employee-Owned Business
On Bob’s 81st birthday, rather than receiving gifts, he decided to give his greatest gift away – his business! Bob surprised all of his employees by giving them total ownership of Bob’s Red Mill through an employee stock ownership program (ESOP). Bob didn’t extend this gesture as a means to step away from the company he had created so he could ease into a comfortable retirement. He did so because of his firm belief in putting people before profit, and giving due appreciation to the people who’ve made a company strong. Despite hundreds of lucrative offers to buy his company as he approached “retirement age”, Bob chose the rare path of putting people first and gifted his company to his dedicated, hard-working staff.
Milling, Testing, Packaging, & Distributing Under One Roof
The folks at Bob’s Red Mill knew from day one that if they wanted to ensure the best products possible and ensure quality every step of the way that they’d have to be able to do it themselves. Their facilities in Milwaukie, Oregon include the 325,000 sq ft headquarters, laboratory, and manufacturing plant, plus a 127,000 sq ft distribution center! Their gluten-free products are produced and tested in their separate gluten-free-only facilities to ensure product safety.
Bob and his wife Charlee at the Bob’s Red Mill Headquarters
Sourcing the Finest Products From Their Farms to Your Table
At Bob’s Red Mill, the relationship with the final product begins at the source. They maintain personal relationships with farmers across the country and make an effort to visit their farms. Together, they are able to ensure that they’re offering the best product available, while always using best practices.
Are you craving the warmth and comfort of a nourishing, home-cooked soup but find yourself short on time? That’s where Joe’s Kitchen soups come in! This week, we’re excited to feature Joe’s Kitchen in our Member Deals Spotlight, with all their locally made, from-scratch soups available at 20% off for Member-Owners from January 23rd to 29th.
From Grandma’s Kitchen to Culinary Excellence
Joe Buley’s journey to founding Joe’s Kitchen at Screamin’ Ridge Farm began in his grandmother’s home in East Randolph, Vermont. He recalls her kitchen as a warm, bustling hub filled with family, friends, and the enticing aroma of a soup pot simmering on the stove. His grandmother’s cooking philosophy balanced flavor and economy, often using whatever ingredients were on hand to create hearty, delicious soups. The key to her creations? The fresh vegetables and herbs she harvested straight from her garden.
Joe’s mother carried on this tradition, teaching him the art of making great-tasting food with fresh, home-grown ingredients. These early lessons shaped Joe’s passion for cooking and laid the foundation for his future career.
Chef-Owner Joe Buley
A Culinary Journey
Joe’s culinary career took him far and wide. He trained at the prestigious École Supérieure de Cuisine Française in Paris (also known as École Ferrandi), where he was the only U.S. citizen in his class. After graduating, Joe honed his skills in culinary hotspots like Brooklyn, San Francisco, San Diego, and Austin before returning with his family to Vermont in 1999. Back home, he served as a chef-instructor at the New England Culinary Institute for nearly a decade.
During this time, Joe began growing his own food, inspired by memories of his grandmother’s garden. What started as a small operation with a single greenhouse and a walk-behind tractor evolved into Screamin’ Ridge Farm—a thriving business known for its winter spinach and a wide variety of summer crops. The farm’s produce was sold at the Montpelier Farmers Market and through seasonal CSA programs.
Bridging the Gap Between Farm and Table
As Joe connected with customers at farmers markets and through the CSA, he noticed a common challenge: people wanted to eat healthy meals but often lacked the time or inspiration to cook from scratch. This realization sparked the idea for Joe’s Kitchen at Screamin’ Ridge Farm, where he could combine his passion for growing ingredients and cooking them into flavorful, ready-to-eat foods.
Joe’s soups are crafted with integrity and a commitment to using local ingredients. When sourcing items not grown on his own farm, Joe partners with neighboring small farms in the Montpelier area. This approach not only supports Vermont’s working landscape but also ensures that his soups have the authentic, fresh flavors reminiscent of his grandmother’s cooking—all without the need for added sugars or excessive salt.
Joe’s crew hard at work at their production kitchen in Montpelier, VT
A Co-op Favorite
At the Co-op, we’re proud to offer a rotating selection of Joe’s Kitchen soups, showcasing the best of Vermont’s seasonal produce. From hearty stews to creamy bisques, there’s a flavor for everyone. Which one will you try next?
Rooted in the family traditions passed down from his grandmother’s kitchen, and combining locally sourced ingredients with time-honored cooking methods, Joe’s Kitchen soups bring together the quality and essence of home-cooked meals with the convenience that busy lives demand.
Co-op Member-Owners, don’t miss your chance to stock up and save 20% on Joe’s Kitchen soups from January 23rd to 29th!
We’re casting our Member Deals Spotlight on a local organic creamery that produces delicious award-winning cheeses just a few short miles from the Co-op. Champlain Valley Creamery uses traditional techniques and small-batch pasteurization to produce their cheese entirely by hand in a net-zero solar-powered facility in Middlebury. Member owners can enjoy a 20% discount on Champlain Valley Creamery’s fantastic lineup of cheeses from December 12th – 18th – just in time for those holiday parties!
Champlain Valley Creamery was first established in 2003 by founder and owner Carleton Yoder. With a graduate degree in food science and a background in wine and hard cider making, Yoder was eager to run his own food business. With Vermont’s abundance of amazing local milk, small-scale cheesemaking just made sense. Yoder began his adventures in cheesemaking in a facility in Vergennes, where he focused on two products: Organic Champlain Triple and Old Fashioned Organic Cream Cheese. Both have been awarded well-deserved honors from the prestigious American Cheese Society.
Carleton Yoder
Over the years, the creamery has continued to grow and expand its offerings, eventually moving into a net-zero solar-powered facility on Middlebury’s Exchange Street in 2012. Yoder and his small crew now produce an expanded lineup of cheeses including Queso Fresco (available in original, house-smoked, and pepper varieties), Maple Cream Cheese, a pyramid-shaped triple cream with a layer of ash known as Pyramid Scheme, and, most recently, they began importing Italian truffles to produce the Champlain Truffle Triple.
The Creamery also made a switch last year to using 100% grass-fed organic milk from the Severy Farm in Cornwall. The milk only travels a few short miles from the farm to the creamery, where the cheesemaking begins within hours of arrival. The use of grass-fed milk results in a richer, creamier cheese that displays subtle seasonal changes reflective of the changing diet of the cows as the seasons progress. It’s truly the terroir of Addison County in each decadent bite of cheese.
Yoder is supported by a small crew that is just as dedicated to the craft as he is. They use traditional techniques and small-batch pasteurization to produce their cheeses entirely by hand. A recent visit to their facility found the crew in constant motion, measuring, stirring, monitoring temperatures, and generally putting every bit of the day’s fresh batch of milk to good use. The bulk of the cream and whole milk is used to produce the Organic Champlain Triple, Champlain Truffle Triple, and the two varieties of cream cheese. The part-skim milk is then transformed into each of the three varieties of Queso Fresco, and the whey is drained off to create hand-dipped, basket-strained ricotta that is only available to a few select restaurants in the area. The only remaining by-product is a small amount of whey, which is sent to feed the happy pigs at Hinesburg’s Full Moon Farm, resulting in an operation that is hyper-local with very minimal waste.
According to Yoder, “cheesemaking is hard work but we strive to let the milk, cream, culture, salt, and mold shine through with their amazing flavors.” It’s this minimalist approach and the desire to honor the high-quality local ingredients that make Champlain Valley Creamery’s cheeses shine.
Picture hanging above Yoder’s desk made by his son, Nate
If you’re searching for thoughtfully crafted, eco-friendly toys for the kids on your holiday list, look no further than Maple Landmark, our featured Co-op Connection Business. Based right here in Middlebury, Vermont, Maple Landmark has been making sustainable wooden toys, games, and gifts for over 40 years. Visit their factory store on Exchange Street and show them your Co-op membership card to enjoy 10% off your purchase all year long!
A Vermont Legacy of Craftsmanship
Maple Landmark began humbly in 1979 in founder Mike Rainville’s parents’ basement. Today, the company operates out of a 28,000-square-foot facility, producing nearly all of the items they sell. With a team of over 40 dedicated employees, they supply toys and gifts to stores and catalogs nationwide, while maintaining a delightful factory store for local shoppers. They take great pride in being a local business that supports other local businesses, while operating with sustainability at their core.
Three generations of the Rainville family
A Family Business
Maple Landmark is run by three generations of the Rainville family. Founder Michael Rainville serves as president and CEO, overseeing daily operations. His wife, Jill, manages the office, and his sister, Barbara, leads marketing and helps in the finish room. Their sons, Adam and Andrew, have joined the team as project and communications managers, respectively, contributing to product innovation and outreach efforts. Even Michael’s parents pitch in, with his mother, Pat, supervising finishing and hand-painting, and his father, Claude, helping with packing and lawn care in his spare time. Together, they embody a multigenerational dedication to quality and community.
Sustainably Sourced Materials
The wood Maple Landmark uses is primarily native to Vermont, including rock maple, pine, and cherry—ideal for wooden toys and gifts. By focusing on making smaller items, they are able to utilize downgraded lumber by cutting around defects, and make use of smaller “cast-off” cuts. They are also careful to work exclusively with local suppliers who are thoughtful about how the wood is harvested.
Click here to learn more about the use of lumber for Maple Landmark products.
A Commitment to Zero Waste
An honest concern for preserving our limited natural resources mixed with good old-fashioned Yankee frugality ensure that sustainability is more than a buzzword at Maple Landmark. Instead of sending their residual waste to the landfill, scrap wood becomes free kindling for local families, and wood shavings are donated to area farmers, who use it for cattle bedding. Over-packaging of products is another major source of waste, so Maple Landmark nixes plastic, and ships their products in reused and upcycled packing. Click here to learn more about their extensive and thoughtful recycling and conservation practices.
How It’s Made
Support Local, Shop Thoughtfully
Maple Landmark is more than just a toy company—they’re a pillar of our community, creating beautiful products while protecting the environment. This holiday season, we invite you to visit their factory store located at 1297 Exchange Street in Middlebury, and discover the magic of Vermont-made craftsmanship.
Santa is coming to town!
Santa and his elves will visit Maple Landmark on Saturday, December 14th. Tickets are limited – click here to reserve your spot!
We’re casting our Co-op Spotlight this week on a local favorite – Lake Champlain Chocolates!All of their mouth-watering Fairtrade Certified chocolates are 20% off for member-owners from November 21-27. Read on to learn more about this local confectionery that has called Vermont home for 40 years and its commitment to responsible sourcing.
History:
The story of Lake Champlain Chocolates began back in 1983 when founder Jim Lampman dared his pastry chef at Burlington’s Ice House Restaurant to create a better truffle than the ones he had been buying for his staff as holiday gifts. Together they began making the most amazing hand-rolled, creamy truffles and the rest, as they say, is history.
Sourcing Matters:
From the very beginning, long before eating local was cool, Lake Champlain Chocolates has been committed to sourcing Vermont-grown ingredients whenever possible. They knew that using high-quality Vermont honey, maple syrup, and fresh dairy from local farmers and producers would result in superior chocolates.
The goal is to bring you their best. To make high-quality chocolate that amazes with exquisite flavor and creates a moment of pure joy. It’s also why they’ve never added preservatives, extenders, or additives, and why they’ve worked diligently to remove GMOs from all of their chocolates and use organic and Fairtrade certified ingredients whenever possible. With each new product, the goal remains the same – to create something special, and to give you the best experience.
Eric Lampman in the Dominican Republic
A Family Affair:
Lake Champlain Chocolates is a second-generation, family-owned business, just like the generations of Vermont family farmers that provide them with fresh butter, cream, maple syrup, and honey. And just like the generations of cacao farmers in places like the Dominican Republic and Guatemala — with whom they have direct partnerships. Today, Jim’s son and daughter, Eric and Ellen, are defining the future of Lake Champlain Chocolates by developing award-winning organic products and spearheading sustainable sourcing initiatives. Along the way following the Lampman family principles: Dare to do better. Always do it with Passion. And do it your way.
The Lampman Family
Fair Trade:
Making great-tasting chocolate is hard work and the team at Lake Champlain Chocolates believes that every person in this process should be treated and compensated fairly and that their actions should make a positive impact on local and global communities. When you purchase Fairtrade chocolate, more money goes back to the farmers, allowing them to lift themselves out of poverty and build a better life for their families. It also allows these farmers to invest additional Fairtrade premiums in community development, ensures a ban on forced labor and child labor, and encourages environmentally-sustainable farming practices. Go ahead and indulge your sweet tooth and feel good knowing that 100% of the chocolate they use at Lake Champlain Chocolates is Fairtrade certified.
Why Buy Fairtrade Certified Chocolate?
Farmers and workers are justly compensated and have safe working conditions (this includes prohibiting the use of forced labor and child labor).
Farmers are empowered to lift themselves out of poverty and help to build sustainable businesses that positively influence their communities.
Cocoa farmers and co-ops receive an additional premium for investing in community development.
Farming communities develop skills that help them use the free market to their advantage.
Farming villages become better stewards of the environment — using sustainable, environmentally-friendly practices to preserve local habitats and increase biodiversity
B Corp Certification:
Lake Champlain Chocolates joined a growing community of more than 2,500 certified B Corporations worldwide who are united under one common goal – to redefine success in business. Rather than focus solely on profits, certified B Corporations are leaders of a global movement of people using business as a force for good. They meet the highest standards of overall social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability and aspire to use the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. Unlike other certifications that look at individual products, B Corporation evaluates the entire business — assessing the yearly impact on the environment, workers, customers, community, and government. This new type of corporation is purpose-driven to create benefits for all, not just shareholders, working together to be the change we seek in the world.
For Lake Champlain Chocolates these performance standards provide a valuable third-party measurement tool, assuring customers and suppliers that LCC’s business practices meet the highest standards. “Achieving B Corp Certification is the next step towards fulfilling our company’s vision to become the gold standard of chocolate companies in the United States, a respected leader other companies aspire to be,” says Eric Lampman, LCC President. “For more than 35 years, our practices have been guided by one core value – ‘everything must measure up to the chocolate.’ And this includes making a positive impact on our local and global communities by respecting our employees, fostering long-term partnerships with our suppliers, and practicing environmental responsibility.”
We’re casting our Co-op Spotlight on Elmer Farm this week to celebrate this 90-acre organic farm and the farmers who bring it to life. Member-owners can enjoy 20% off their glorious spread of organic vegetables from November 14-20! Read on to learn more about the history and heritage of this farm, which has been providing food for this community since the early 1800s.
Driving into East Middlebury on Route 116, it’s hard to miss the beautiful patch of flowers bordering the white farmhouse at the entryway to Elmer Farm. What you might not see from the road are the amazing fields of vegetables that are grown on this fertile, organic soil. Elmer Farm is a conserved 90-acre farm growing 8 acres of mixed vegetables, flowers, and herbs, all of which are certified organic. Annual inspections and certification by Vermont Organic Farmers (VOF) ensure that the crops are grown responsibly and safely without the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides.
The farm originally belonged to the Elmer family in the early 1800s and has a long heritage of providing food for its community. The receding glaciers bestowed the farm with a wonderful mix of fertile soils and sandy loam, perfectly suited to growing vegetables and grains. It’s on this fruitful land that Elmer Farm now grows more than thirty-five different vegetables, an array of flowers, and culinary herbs. This includes over 200 different seed varieties, many of which are heirlooms. With a goal of maintaining long-term soil health, the crew at Elmer Farm also manages an additional 15 acres of rotating cover crop, keeping one-third of their acreage in production and two-thirds resting.
A number of years ago, representatives from HOPE, Middlebury College, ACORN, and the local business community, along with several local farmers, including Spencer from Elmer Farm and Will Stevens of Golden Russet Farm, got together to discuss the possibility of increasing the amount of locally grown food offered at HOPE’s food shelf. This group recognized that Addison County farmers grow vast amounts of beautiful, healthy organic fruits and vegetables, which are often unavailable or too pricey to those who need it most. They also recognized that these farms often had excess produce available that would not be destined for retail markets, which could instead be diverted to the food shelf. Fast-forward to the present day, and the idea hatched by this group has evolved into an incredibly successful program that is bringing thousands of pounds of healthy, local foods to those in our community who need it most while also diverting a lot of food from the waste stream.
At the Co-op, you can find Elmer Farm’s organic red, green and napa cabbage, kale, onions, butternut and delicata squash, baby bok choy, radishes, leeks, chard, garlic, turnips, rutabagas, beets, parsnips, and, of course, their famous carrots!
Barbara Harding never imagined herself owning a used bookstore, despite a lifelong passion for the written word. But that all changed in 2006, when she noticed a “for sale” sign in the window of Middlebury’s longtime used book store and decided to step in and inquire. By the end of the day, she had made the decision to become its new owner.
Harding’s love for books began in childhood, when she would often walk home with her arms full of treasures from the library or the used bookstore in town. After witnessing the decline of this particular shop over the years, she was passionate about revitalizing it and allowing it to reach its full potential.
“Purchasing this store I wanted to create a space that I would want to shop in,” says Harding. “So this store is really a reflection of me. I know some stores sell merchandise that they know would sell but not so much represented who they were as a person. I don’t think I would enjoy that. Probably make money but not happy money.”
In the 18 years since Harding took ownership of Otter Creek Used Books, she has breathed new life into the business more than once. The store has relocated, and it survived the challenges of a global pandemic that forced an extended unplanned closure, putting its future in jeopardy.
“I am a brick-and-mortar shop,” wrote Harding in a 2011 blog post. “My inventory can be seen inside my door. You have to come in to see what my shelves hold. I liken it to what used bookstores used to be. You know. Before the internet…Would OCUB be more financially secure if I sold online? Sure. Not doing so is my niche. Come inside. See what there is.”
While her model may have created grave uncertainty in the months (and years) after the closures of the pandemic, it’s a niche that has served her well in the long term.
When asked if she has a favorite book in the store, Harding insists that she couldn’t possibly choose just one. She confesses that when certain coveted titles arrive, she tends to keep them in a small stack near her desk so she can enjoy their presence before finally deciding to part with them. Long-time customers often ask to see what’s in her pile, but she jokes that she’s reluctant to share until she’s truly ready for the books to find a new home.
“Owning a used bookstore is everything you think it would be. Should be. But it’s so much more.” She says.
“There is the realization that all the books actually belong to you. To you! You can claim each and every book if you want. But, of course, you don’t because how are you going to keep the store going? So, you have to be able to let go. And know that a sold book is going to a good home. To be reread. Or even sit prettily on a bookshelf.”
Harding’s love for nonfiction led her to add a dedicated Vermont section to the store. Visitors will now find a robust selection of Vermont titles, from Frost to McKibben and everything in between.
Harding regularly posts to the blog on the Otter Creek Used Books website and shares news about pop-up sales on Instagram. Her insights into the treasures housed within the store are often shared on both platforms. If you’ve never visited, now is a great time to stop in for early holiday shopping. There’s something for everyone, and if you’re unsure what to pick, you can always ask the owner herself. Otter Creek Used Books is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Monday and Sunday “by chance.”
