This week’s Member Deals spotlight shines brightly on McKenzie. All McKenzie meats and cheeses are 20% off for member-owners from May 16th – 22nd. Read on to learn more about this Burlington-based company that’s been providing all-natural meats to our community for well over 100 years:
History
In 1885, John married his beloved Nellie an Irish farm girl. In 1898 they immigrated to rural Vermont to fulfill their dream of running their own farm. It flourished and included smokehouses for slow curing country hams. Nellie began giving hams as holiday gifts to neighboring farms. Word got out of their extraordinary quality and flavor. Soon the orders started coming and they never stopped.
Much has changed in this world, but some things are too good to change. Today, the McKenzie folks are still going to extraordinary measures to bring you the best meats made the old-fashioned way – based on John and Nellie’s farm methods for naturally hardwood smoking hams and using pure Vermont maple syrup for authentic flavor. They continue this tradition of bringing you authentic flavors with simple, wholesome food values. Attention to the little details served their family well back then, and that same integrity in their process and product continues to serve as their compass today.
The McKenzie Promise
At McKenzie, they believe in paying attention to all the little details, that meats and cheeses should be crafted with care, that every batch should be sourced from independent farms and trusted purveyors, and that a recipe with natural ingredients is always better than one with artificial ingredients or preservatives. To that end, here is there promise to you:
Is there a special mom in your life who could use a bit of pampering this Mother’s Day? Or maybe you’re looking to shake up your own skin and body care routine? Acure is featured in our Member Deals Spotlight from May 9th – 15th and member-owners can enjoy 20% off their full line of natural body care products this week! Read on to learn more about Acure’s mission and charitable partners:
The team at Acure believes that each and every one of us can make an enormous impact on the world by making small changes in the items we use, the purchases we make, and the way that we approach each day. With that in mind, they offer a lineup of skin, hair, and body care products that are as gentle to your body as they are to the planet.
Acure is made up of skin & hair wellness enthusiasts who believe in the power of purity to uplift the way you feel. They source the highest quality ingredients for your skin, which means no parabens, sulfates, formaldehyde, paraffin, mineral oil or animal testing allowed.
Their mission is to take skin and hair from blah to brilliant by boosting their performance with powerful combinations of amazing ingredients. They hope to steer people toward healthier and more accessible skin care & hair care that will allow them to shine their brightest.
As a company, they also try to make an impact by pursuing a triple bottom line. They believe people and planet are just as important as profits, so they support organizations that share these values. Their charitable partners include:
UNITE FOR HER is a breast cancer nonprofit organization whose mission is to bridge the gap between the medical and wellness communities by providing accessible resources through complementary therapies that supplement medical treatment, caring for the physical, emotional and financial needs of the breast cancer patients they serve. They enhance the lives of patients and empower people of all ages to make healthy lifestyle choices through wellness education and breast cancer awareness.
TURNING GREEN is a student-led movement devoted to education and advocacy around environmentally sustainable and socially responsible choices for individuals, schools, and communities. TG seeks to engage youth in the transition from conventional to conscious, empowering the next generation and mobilizing action to sustain our earth.
In honor of National Shelter Pet Adoption Day on April 30th, we’re shining our Member Deals Spotlight on one of our favorite pet product brands – Wellness! All of their natural pet products are 20% off for member-owners from April 25th – May 1st! During this time, for every purchase of pet food you make, the Co-op will donate the equivalent item to Addison County’s Humane Society – Homeward Bound! Read on to learn more about Wellness and their philosophy of care for creatures great and small:
At Wellness, they know that healthy doesn’t have to be hard. That’s why they offer a simple, holistic approach to pet food that focuses on real ingredients with real benefits. In the 1990s, their dedicated team began working with animal nutrition experts, veterinarians, and scientists to develop a food that would revolutionize the pet food industry. Since then, they have continued to push forward to represent a new generation of natural pet food, supporting their local communities and creating long-term sustainability initiatives along the way.
Quality Ingredients
The team at Wellness recognizes that mealtime is more than just a bowl of food. They’re committed to your pet’s overall wellness and offer thoughtfully prepared recipes that are crafted to be as delicious as they are healthy. They include superior nutrients and probiotics to provide the foundation for whole-body health and wholesome, natural ingredients to satisfy every appetite. Click here to read more about their ingredients.
Rigorous Safety Standards
Their mission is to provide you with wholesome, natural pet food that is the best it can be. They require all suppliers to meet stringent requirements and adhere to the highest standards, exceeding even the strictest requirements from the FDA. They are determined to go further, to do better, and to take as many precautions with your pet’s food as is taken with food for humans.Click here to read more about product safety standards.
Sustainability
Wellness demonstrates their dedication to long-term sustainability by embracing and supporting recycling efforts. Through a unique partnership with upcycling and recycling leader TerraCycle®, they created a program allowing you to recycle your Wellness pet food packaging and providing you the opportunity to donate to your favorite school or nonprofit organization. Join the 230,000+ people currently participating in this program and register to Recycle Your Wellness Packaging. It’s free and only takes a couple of minutes. You can sign up as an individual or sign up to create a recycling hub at your child’s school, your office or your favorite local community organization.
We’re casting our Co-op Spotlight on SunRidge Farms this week! All of their products are 20% off for member-owners from April 18th – 24th. Read on to learn more about their commitment to offering nutritious, ecologically respectful, and sustainable foods for more than 30 years!
The Company
SunRidge Farms is a family-owned business that has been producing high-quality foods for more than 30 years. Their organic and natural food offerings can be found throughout our bulk department and are a reflection of the company’s commitment to a healthier lifestyle – a commitment that extends to the environment, the supply chain, and their community. They carefully source quality ingredients from suppliers who share their values and source organic, non-GMO, and Fair Trade ingredients whenever possible. They choose to offer their products in bulk as a way to demonstrate the value of purchasing foods in a manner that reduces cost and waste. Their facility, located in Royal Oaks, California, is completely solar-powered and their fleet of trucks run on bio-diesel. They also pay an extra $5 per day to their team members who choose to bike to work. These measures add up to a greatly reduced carbon footprint for their company and a lineup of products that you can feel good about.
The Mission
SunRidge Farms is committed to providing the healthiest products to their customers by producing foods without highly processed or refined ingredients. We are dedicated to sourcing Non-GMO (genetically modified) ingredients.
SunRidge Farms is committed to the planet and supports organic farming and sustainable practices.
SunRidge Farms sincerely believes that it is essential to aid in the conservation of ecological diversity, wildlife, and natural terrain in order to preserve our world. Their contributions include substantial donations toward the successful resolution of environmental, social, food-related issues on both local and global levels.
The Vision
SunRidge Farms is committed to offering nutritious, ecologically respectful, and sustainable foods to their communities. Their complete line of certified organic and naturally grown products aids and supports an authentic lifestyle and display a commitment to food safety, ecological integrity, and excellence.
Their Green Commitment is centric to all of their business decisions. The manufacturing facility is solar-powered, and they support sustainable farming practices, energy usage, recycling, and freshness. Their goal is to enhance connections between consumers, retail stores, farmers, and suppliers.
They also embrace the many opportunities to contribute toward ecological diversity, wildlife, and the preservation of natural terrain. Reducing the impacts of global climate change and respecting the earth and its beings are vital to all that they do. Their support includes substantial donations toward environmental, social, food-related, educational and world hunger issues.
We’re shining our Member Deals Spotlight on a company that is on a mission to create the most environmentally friendly kitchen and household products, which are not only good for the environment but good for your cooking and household needs as well. Member-owners can enjoy 20% off our full line of If You Care products from April 11th – 17th. Read on to learn more about why this company is deserving of the Spotlight:
History:
It all began nearly 30 years ago with the first unbleached coffee filters in North America. Unbleached parchment baking paper and baking cups soon followed, making If You Care the first company to offer a line of chlorine-free paper products.
In 2004, the very first aluminum foil made from 100% recycled aluminum was launched. This product featured a 95% energy savings compared to conventional aluminum foil. Then in 2007, heavy-duty aluminum foil for grilling and barbecuing, also from 100% recycled aluminum, and waxed paper, from unbleached paper coated with soybean wax, were launched. By 2009, the brand was launching innovative and unique products every year, including 100% carbon neutral firelighters, made from FSC certified wood and vegetable oil, sandwich and snack bags from unbleached greaseproof paper, all natural sponge cloths and reusable paper towels from cellulose and non-GMO cotton, Fair Trade household gloves among others.
If You Care products are produced with a view to reducing the amount of waste in our waste streams. If possible, nothing should remain after the product has been used and properly disposed of. The packaging is made from unbleached recycled cardboard or paper which should be recycled again.
Mission:
If You Care kitchen and household products are carefully and deliberately crafted to have the least environmental impact and the lightest carbon footprint possible, while at the same time, delivering to the consumer, the highest quality and most effective results. If You Care is the leader in pushing the limits of environmental and social responsibility in its categories. If You Care analyzes the entire life cycle chain in developing products, from raw materials sourcing, to production process, to packaging, to disposal. Every step is considered in assessing environmental and social impacts. If You Care is committed to ethical sourcing. If You Care bases its environmental claims on the best available science, and in accord with national and international standards and regulations. If You Care backs its environmental claims with third-party verification and certification by the leading national and international certifying bodies.
Click HERE to check out great recipes from their webpage at ifyoucare.com
To celebrate sap season in Vermont, we’re shining our Member Deals Spotlight on Shaker Maple Farm! Member-owners can enjoy 20% off their full line of maple syrup products from April 4th – 10th, so it’s a perfect time to stock up on local liquid gold!
Shaker Maple Farm is owned and operated by Steve and Leah Willsey of Starksboro, VT. They have been sugaring for over 30 years and currently boil from 26,500 taps. Many of these taps come from maple trees on their beautiful 300-acre farm in Starksboro and some taps reside on two neighboring properties from whom they buy sap. Last year they were excited to sign a new land lease, adding an additional 250 acres to their sugarbush!
The 2018 season yielded 11,000 gallons of syrup at Shaker Maple farm. The Willsey’s sell about half of their syrup wholesale and the other half is sold in bulk. You can find their syrup at a variety of local grocery stores, co-ops and restaurants. You’ll also notice that their syrup is certified organic, which may lead you to wonder, “isn’t all maple syrup organic?”. The answer might surprise you! Organic certification ensures that:
No pesticides or chemicals were used to manage the forest. Like any crop, a forest can be sprayed to control insects. The same organic standards for field crops apply to maple forest to regulate things like buffer zones and runoff and ensure that no fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or other chemicals were used.
A healthy forest is maintained. Organic standards limit the number of taps allowed in each tree to sustain the health of the tree. Organic certification ensures sustainable management of forestland to promote tree health, biodiversity, and reduce erosion.
No lead, filtering agents, or chemical defoamers. Certified organic maple farms must adhere to strict regulation when it comes to things like lead in equipment and the use of filtering agents and chemical defoamers.
Could your wellness routine use a Spring makeover? Check out Vermont Sun! They’re ourfeatured Co-op Connection Business this month and they offer 10% off 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.
If you’re looking for great group fitness classes, you’ll find over 250 each month, including Yoga, Spinning, Zumba, Body Pump, Arthritis Aqua Aerobics, Senior Fitness classes, Self-defense classes, and more! There’s something for every age group from kids to seniors.
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 New Year’s Resolution 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 Co-op Spotlight is shining brightly on Kimball Brook Farm! Their full line of products is 20% off for member-owners from March 28th – April 3rd. Read on to learn more about one of Vermont’s finest family-owned organic dairy farms:
History
Kimball Brook Farm was first settled by Daniel Kimball in the late 1700s. Daniel and his sons continued running the farm until it was purchased by Edward Danyow in 1960.
The DeVos family purchased the farm in 1967 and on June 1, 1968, John De Vos Sr. and his son John De Vos Jr. moved their complete herd (50 cows), machinery and households from Monroe, New York to the Kimball Brook farm in North Ferrisburgh, Vermont.
John De Vos Jr. and his wife Sue operated the farm for over 30 years raising three sons and one daughter on the farm. The eldest son, John De Vos III (JD) and his wife Cheryl took over the business in 2001, expanding the herd from 80 cows to 200 and added a milking parlor.
In 2003, JD and Cheryl began transitioning the 220 cow farm to an organic operation and Kimball Brook Farm became one of the largest certified organic dairy operations in the State of Vermont. The first shipment of organic milk was in September 2005. In 2010, they began the process of pursuing another dream of opening their own creamery in the former Saputo Cheese plant in Hinesburg. This would allow them to assemble, bottle, and package all of their own products. In June of 2011, they were awarded the VT Dairy Farm of the Year award and by May of 2012, they were celebrating the official opening of Green Mountain Organic Creamery.
At the Co-op, you can find a broad selection of Kimball Brook Farm’s organic products including Whole Milk, Cream, Chocolate Milk, Maple Milk, Mocha & Coffee Flavored Iced Cappuccino, Butter and Iced Teas. Also be sure to check out their newest additions to the lineup: Maple Lemonade, Strawberry Ginger Lemonade, and a line of teas and lemonades with CBD!
The Herd
The herd at Kimball Brook Farm consists of Holsteins, Jerseys and Jersey/Holstein crosses. During the growing season, their cows and heifers(teenagers) can be found happily grazing on the lush grasses their pastures provide. The cows that are being actively milked also get some mixed legumes and grains at the barn to provide them with the extra energy they need to produce rich, organic milk.
The Devos family believes that by maintaining the health of the land and the health of the cows, they can provide fantastic organic milk free of Growth Hormones, GMO’s, Pesticides, Herbicides and Antibiotics for consumers to enjoy.
Check out this fun video showing how Kimball Brook Farm milk gets from the cow to your kitchen table:
A polyculture of corn & sunflowers grown as food for the herd at KBF
Are you gearing up for some spring cleaning? Keep it green with Seventh Generation! They’re basking in the glow of the Co-op Spotlight this week and member-owners can enjoy 20% off their full line ofproducts from March 21st – 27th. Read on to learn more about their energy efficient practices, socially responsible business model, and impressive efforts to bring labeling transparency to the cleaning product industry and tackle climate change:
For over 30 years, Seventh Generation has been committed to the idea that business can be a force for good in the world—that a business can be successful and stand for what’s right. At Seventh Generation, they stand for nurturing the health of the next seven generations through the products they make and the actions they take. From their very first days as a company back in 1998, they have been creating powerful plant-based cleaning solutions for your home & family. Additionally, they aspire to:
nurture nature
transform commerce with honesty, responsibility, and radical transparency
enhance health through education, activism, and innovation
build communities advancing social justice and equality to unleash human potential.
As a mission-driven B-Corps business, Seventh Generation aims to pioneer a more mindful way of doing business. They developed a plan known as the Path to 2020and began by examining their impacts as a business and considering the principles that matter to them as a company: responsible sourcing; using materials from plants, not petroleum; ensuring the health of our planet and the people on it; having an engaged, motivated workforce; and caring for our community. To track their progress toward these goals and present them with total transparency, they post an annual Corporate Consciousness Report, which we invite you to check out.
Come Clean
Did you know that the law does not require ingredient disclosure on cleaning product labels? It’s time to tell the industry to come clean! Seventh Generation firmly believes that you have the right to know what is in the products you buy, which is why they helped launch the #comeclean campaign. Through this campaign, they aim to air the cleaning industry’s dirty laundry. They support state and federal legislation to require manufacturers of both consumer household and industrial cleaning products to disclose all intentionally added ingredients, including fragrance components, on their product labels and on their websites. Food and personal care products are currently required to have content labels, but there are no regulations in place for the ingredient labeling of household cleaning products – especially for the fragrances that scent those products. Chemicals of concern can hide behind the term “fragrance” in ingredient lists on your cleaning products – chemicals that have been linked to serious health effects including allergies, asthma, cancer, and reproductive harm. Want to take action? Click here for the latest updates on these critical pieces of legislation and find out what you can do to get involved.
#Readyfor100
At Seventh Generation, they’re #Readyfor100 not just for our planet’s health—but for human health, too. That’s why they’re shedding light on the fact that negative changes in our environment often result in negative effects on our health—especially for those least responsible: children, communities of color, and the elderly. That’s why they’ve partnered with Sierra Club, who created the #Readyfor100 Campaign as a way to grow revolutionary, grass-roots climate activism here in the U.S.
Like so many of us, Sierra Club realized that we don’t have to wait for big government intervention to stand up for our environment. Climate change may be a global challenge, but our best chance to make a difference is actually at the local level when communities and local leaders come together. Sierra Club has made it easy to take action, so you can tell your leaders that your city is ready. Many have already used their voices, and this 100-city achievement is a shining example of how powerful we can be together.
A huge milestone was recently reached in this collective journey to 100% renewable energy when Cincinnati, Ohio became the 100th city to pledge a switch to 100% renewable electricity by 2035. With your help, cities across the country continue to make the pledge, from Denton, Texas to Santa Barbara, California. With every city that Commits to Clean through 100% renewable energy, we all take another important step toward reducing the negative health effects caused by climate change and the burning of fossil fuels. The solution is here and it not only is attainable—it’s a solution being embraced across the nation because of the power in our collective voice. Learn more and get involved by clicking HERE.
Our Member Deals Spotlight shines brightly on Klinger’s Bread Company! From March 14th – 20th, member-owners can enjoy 20% off their full line of local fresh-baked artisan breads! 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 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.
