Treat yourself to a bit of self-love in a jar with our friends at Juice Amour!They’re our featured Co-op Connection Business this month and they have a sweet deal for Co-op member-owners. Show your member card when you visit Juice Amour and you’ll receive 10% off their full line of organic, raw, fresh-pressed juices, smoothies, chia puddings, and other healthy, seasonal, vegan lunch and dinner offerings! Read on to learn more about one of Middlebury’s best stops for fresh, healthy foods!
Juice Amour is owned and operated by Sheri Bedard and her father David Bedard. It was the strong belief in the health benefits of consuming vegan food and nutrient-dense vegetable and fruit juices that started Juice Amour on its path to your backyard. Creating nutritious, delicious, beautiful, and accessible food for their community is their driving force.
They wake up early to produce local, raw, organic juice and tasty vegan meals on-site every day. According to Sheri, “Every day we wake up passionate in our belief that healthful food should be accessible, taste delicious, look beautiful, help you feel amazing and have as little negative impact on the environment as possible. Every decision we make here is with those philosophies in mind but (lucky for you) all YOU have to do is enjoy the deliciousness that comes from those efforts.”
Sheri Bedard with her Father, David Bedard
Keeping it Local
Getting as much produce from local organic farmers is a core principle of Juice Amour’s mission to make a minimal impact on the earth while supporting this community. They view their support of local organic farmers as an essential step toward minimizing the global impact of their business as well as providing support and income for their neighbors. As often as possible, ingredients will be sourced locally.
Glass and the “Milk Bottle” Concept
To maximize health benefits for you and minimize the impact on our planet they avoid the use of single-use plastic and recycle and reuse the glass jars their juice is delivered in. They ask customers to return their jars (and receive a $.50 deposit) at the location they picked up their juices so that the jars may be commercially washed and reused again and again. This reduces the cost to their clients while minimizing any negative impact of drinking out of plastic as well as maximizing benefits to the community and planet.
Commitment to Organic
Juice Amour is also committed to supporting organic. Organic farming employs methods that minimize the use of toxins while building soil quality and protecting water quality. Additionally, buying organic supports chemical and pesticide-free practices that are healthier for our farmers and for our planet. Lastly, they also feel that organic foods have more intense and delicious flavors – no wonder their juice is so delicious!
Abundant Offerings
In addition to a bounty of fresh organic, raw fruit and veggie juice options, Juice Amour also offers guilt-free raw smoothies, chia puddings, overnight oats, raw nut milk, fresh vegan salads, tacos, soups, and more! Click here to see their full menu.
Their juice cleanses are extremely popular and are a great way to introduce people to juicing while enjoying incredible benefits, ranging from weight loss to improved health. They also know that the true benefit to juicing is accomplished when it is done regularly so they are constantly adding new juices and products to keep things new and fresh. They have 1, 3, and 5-day juice cleanses to meet your cleansing goals.
If you’re looking for vegan-friendly catering for your next event, you’ll be thrilled to hear that Juice Amour offers a tasty catering menu to make your guests swoon!
Sheri and the Juice Amour crew are proud to be based in Middlebury, Vermont in a spacious, vibrant spot on Merchant’s Row right in the heart of downtown! If you haven’t yet visited, there’s no better time than now! Just don’t forget to flash your Co-op card for a sweet 10% discount!
In honor of Dairy Month, which is celebrated each June, we’re shining a bright Spotlight on the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership. To understand the importance of this partnership and the impact it’s having on our local, organic dairy farms, we must first look back to the Fall of 2021, when 135 organic family farms across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and eastern New York received the sudden news that Horizon and Maple Hill Creamery were terminating their purchase contracts, effective in early 2023. To learn more about why these contracts were terminated, click here. This news put these farms, many of whom have been in business for generations, at serious risk of closure unless they find alternate outlets. In early January of 2022, the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership, a first-of-its-kind campaign in partnership with the Maine Organic Farming and Gardening Association (MOFGA), was created to help solve the crisis of disappearing organic family farms in our region.
Nathan Rogers of Rogers Farmstead Creamery in Berlin, VT, pauses to give one of his grass-fed cows a chin scratch
The Partnership, a collaboration of farmers, processors, retailers, activists, and government agencies, invites consumers to pledge to purchase at least one-fourth of their weekly organic dairy purchases from brands that have committed to sourcing their dairy from Northeast organic family farmers. A central goal of the effort is to increase demand for dairy produced in our region, creating market stability to help save at-risk farms and build greater food system resilience for the future.
Strafford Organic Creamery owners Earl Ransom and Amy Huyffer, pictured with their family and their happy, grass-fed cows
We are proud to announce that your Co-op has joined the Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership. To secure the future of organic dairy farming in the northeast, we’re committed to purchasing organic dairy products from brands that source their milk from our region. We’re also encouraging member-owners and the community to become informed about the Partnership and take the pledge to purchase ¼ of your weekly dairy products from Brand Partners. When you commit to buying one-fourth of your weekly dairy items from the brands that support our region’s organic family farms, you become a proud Consumer Partner with all of these farmers.
Why Does This Matter?
Family farms reconnect us to the land and each other. They provide our communities with beautiful open spaces, abundant wildlife habitats, and rural charm. We pick fruit in their fields and orchards and pet their cows at county fairs. Family farms remind us where our food comes from and connect us with the hands that feed us.
When you pledge to buy the products from our region’s organic family farmers, you are not just helping to keep these farms financially viable. You are supporting true environmental and health heroes. Organic farmers foster healthy soils, which are both a founding principle of organic production and key to fighting climate change. Vermont’s organic farms release fewer greenhouse gases than their conventional counterparts, protect our water and other natural resources, are more resilient to extreme weather events, sequester carbon through their management practices, promote biodiversity, and provide greater community food security. Moreover, you are helping to support a fairer, more stable agricultural market, which keeps thousands of small family farms in business and thriving. In fact, organic milk prices are traditionally more stable than the conventional dairy market, so organic farmers often have an easier job of covering production costs. That means they have a better chance of keeping the lights on at the farm and the cows out in the pasture, where they belong.
Mercy Larson of Larson Farm and Creamery in Wells, VT pictured with one of her grass-fed cows
“The Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership celebrates the fact that when it comes to supporting our region’s organic family farmers, it really does take a village,” said Gary Hirshberg, chair of the Partnership and co-founder of Stonyfield Organic. “Everyone has a stake in the long-term financial health of our region’s farms and farm families. The simple act of pledging to purchase one-quarter of dairy items from the brands, processors, and farms that support these family farmers, can help to ensure that farms remain healthy, vibrant, financially viable, and environmentally and climate-positive parts of the northeast region for generations to come.”
The late great Jack Lazor of Butterworks Farm in Westfield, VT pictured with wife, Anne, and daughter Christine, along with her family.
The decline in the number of small family farmers is unfortunately not a new story, as the United States, and especially the northeast, has seen drastic reductions in the number of both farms and acreage over the last decade. From 2012 to 2021 alone, Vermont has lost over 390 individual dairy farms as food production has largely been ceded away from small families, and into large, agri-business operations, through no fault of their own. However, organic family farmers are important contributors to a healthy environment and thriving rural life and are important players in the region’s food system.
Elliot of Rogers Farmstead Creamery in Berlin, VT greets customers at his family’s organic farmstand
The next time you are shopping in the dairy or cheese cases, look for the Northeast Organic Family Farm Seal to identify Partner Brands. When you see the seal, you can be confident that your purchase supports hard-working organic dairy farmers in the Northeast. We will continue to lose our region’s farms without strong consumer support for their products. For more information on the campaign and to take the pledge, click here.
Our Member Deals Spotlight shines brightly on a company with humble roots here in Vermont – American Flatbread! From May 25th – 31st, member-owners can enjoy 20% off American Flatbread’s products (applies only to frozen flatbreads here at the Co-op, not at their fabulous restaurants). Read on to learn more about the history and mission of this locally-born company:
George Schenk, the founder of American Flatbread, founded his business with a firm understanding that food is more than what’s on the plate, which he shares in “The Five Faces of Food” and his simple phrase, “food Remembers the acts of the hands and heart.”
“Food is important. What we eat and how it’s grown intimately affects our health and the well-being of the world,” says Schenk. He created American Flatbread based on the philosophy of food for the greater good, and the company remains committed to building upon that legacy.
American Flatbread was born in Waitsfield, Vermont, but demand for frozen flatbreads soon outgrew the humble kitchens of their flagship location. Rustic Crust, the company that now produces American Flatbread frozen pizzas, took over the reins and says that they’re proud that George entrusted them with his mission and they remain committed to upholding it.
Headquartered in New Hampshire, Rustic Crust continues to work with fresh, all-natural ingredients to bring you the authentic flavor you’ve come to know and love. According to Rustic Crust CEO Brad Sterl, “Our two good-for-you pizza brands make their home in the beautiful New England countryside, and are made by real people and using real ingredients. American Flatbread frozen pizzas feature 100% organically grown wheat crusts and topped with fresh herbs, vegetables, and the finest of cheeses (no rBST growth hormone!). They’re all-natural, with no preservatives, artificial colors or flavors, and handcrafted from scratch and par-baked in wood-fired ovens.
Truly nutritious, light, crisp, and flavorful — convenience without compromise – American Flatbread pizzas are honestly delicious, the best premium frozen pizza bar none, for people who care about pizza and the planet.
Our Member Deals Spotlight is beaming on Red Hen Baking Company this week! Member-owners can enjoy 20% off their full line of freshly baked breads from May 18th – 24th. Read on to learn more about this wonderful local bakery that’s been turning out fresh organic bread 7 days a week for over 20 years!
History
The folks at Red Hen Baking Company are guided by a belief that pure, uncomplicated ingredients and the hands of skilled artisans are the building blocks for great food. Their bakery sprouted from humble beginnings with a staff of 8 on Route 100 in Duxbury, VT back in 1999. They were committed to using organic ingredients since the very beginning and became an established presence in the area’s many cooperative and independent food stores. Their bread was beginning to appear at more and more of the area’s finest restaurants and they became mainstays of the Montpelier and Waitsfield Farmers’ Markets. To this day, these venues still make up the core of their wholesale business.
After 8 years of hard work in Duxbury and a seasoned staff that had grown to over 20 employees (many of whom are still with the bakery today), they had the opportunity to move 5 miles down the road to the neighboring town of Middlesex. It was here that they established their new baking facility in a building constructed especially for their purposes with an attached café in a renovated building that housed the former Camp Meade Diner.
Their café has become known as a local destination and gathering place where people can enjoy not only the bread they’re so well known for, but also their increasingly lauded pastries, sandwiches, and soups. To supplement their own creations, the cafe also features beer, wine, and specialty food from near and far. Next time you’re cruising through Middlesex, be sure to stop in!
Although Red Hen has grown considerably since those early days in Duxbury, they remain dedicated to creating the very best food from the best possible ingredients. You can’t make great food without great flour (or potatoes or seeds or meal, as the case may be), so a great deal of time and energy is spent sourcing the very best of these items. In many cases, the folks at Red Hen are closely acquainted with the farmers and millers that are responsible for producing the raw materials used for baking their breads. In fact, over 90% of all the flour they use comes from two farmers within 150 miles of the bakery. Each year, 430,000 lbs of local wheat go into their breads!
Members of the Red Hen Baking Crew visiting Les Cedres farm in Quebec where some of the organic grain for their bread is grown.
They employ methods that are as old as bread making itself and these processes guide their days at the bakery. This method of slow fermentation produces a complexity of flavor, a chewy texture, helps the bread to keep longer, and even adds to its nutritive value. Each loaf is then formed by hand and baked in a hearth oven. The Red Hen family of breads runs the gamut from dense whole grain varieties to light and airy ciabatta and everything in between.
Red Hen Baker Randy unloading fresh baked baguettes
Giving Back
Like any good hen, the folks at Red Hen feel a responsibility to do what they can to nurture the community that has nurtured them. There is never a shortage of work to be done and there are so many good organizations doing that work, but each year their staff selects a few organizations that they would like to support. Last year they directed over $26,000 to the following organizations doing work both close to home and further afield:
To learn more about Red Hen Baking, check out their web page! You can view their cafe menu, read all about their diverse bread offerings, and find great tips for storing your bread to maximize freshness.
We’re shining a bright Member Deals Spotlight on Farmhouse Chocolates this week! Member-owners can enjoy a 20% discount on all of the delightfully decadent treats from this local Bristol-based chocolatier from March 30th – April 5th! Read on to learn more about the local couple who brings these swoon-worthy chocolates to our Co-op shelves and their deep commitment to ethical sourcing:
Having grown up in a dairy-farming family here in Vermont, co-owner and head chocolatier Erlé LaBounty is described on the Farmhouse Chocolates website as always being more concerned with lunchtime than recess, so it’s no small wonder that he gravitated toward the world of fine food. He’s been crafting delicately balanced, old-world chocolate confections since the tender age of 16! No stranger to epicurean adventures in her own right, his partner and co-owner Eliza LaRocca came to Vermont in 2010 after spending time in Florence, Italy’s specialty food market, Il Mercato Centrale, and leading food and wine tours in Italy, France, and Vermont.
Farmhouse Chocolates co-owners Eliza LaRocca and Erlé LaBounty
Since meeting, the couple has been hard at work hand-crafting chocolates while building a business and a life together. The business has evolved over the years, having started with a focus on hand-rolled truffles, then expanding to include chocolate-covered, burnt-butter salted caramels, and six different varieties of chocolate bars. While the product lineup has evolved, one thing that has remained constant from the onset was their commitment to procuring high-quality, ethically-sourced ingredients. All Farmhouse Chocolates are crafted with certified organic, fair trade, soy-free 70% and 85% chocolates. The majority of their remaining ingredients are certified organic, and the few that are not are thoroughly vetted and certified non-GMO, as well as being soy- and corn syrup-free; and sourced locally as often as possible.
Moreover, while co-packing (choosing to have products packaged at another, larger facility not owned or operated by the company) is something of a food industry standard, Farmhouse Chocolates proudly produces everything in-house in their Bristol, VT facility.
According to the chocolatiers, “our company’s ethos centers on the meeting of responsibility and pleasure. Sourcing organic, fair trade, and local ingredients, we carefully craft dark chocolate confections that emphasize taste, texture, and aesthetics as much as they do sustainability and purity of ingredients; ethics reflected in our environmentally friendly packaging and small batch production.”
If you’d like to try Farmhouse Chocolates’ delicious treats, we’ll have a tasting on Saturday, April 1st from 11-2!
Drip, drip, drip….we can almost hear the maple sap collecting in pails in sugarbushes across Vermont and our Weekly Sale from March 16th – 22nd celebrates sugaring season with a handful of ingredients well suited to a hearty maple-themed breakfast! You’ll find local, organic, dark robust maple syrup quarts from Shaker Maple Farm; organic Bartlett pears; Quaker Hill Granola; local, organic Rogers Farmstead Creamery yogurt; local coffee from Bud’s Beans; and Niman Ranch ham steaks that are just begging for a maple glaze. This recipe pulls together many of those ingredients into a Vermont breakfast spread that also doubles as a decadent dessert when you swap out the yogurt with a scoop of local ice cream!
We’re shining a bright Member Deals Spotlight this week on a fiercely independent family-owned company that manages to maintain its foothold in an industry dominated by mega multi-national food brands. Nature’s Path chose the road less traveled and we’re excited to shine a bright light on their Inclusive-Trade business from March 9th – 15th, during which member-owners can enjoy a 20% discount on their entire line of products. Read on to learn more about the multi-generational family at the helm of Nature’s Path, their commitment to organic integrity, and the mission that drives them to succeed:
In the May 23rd, 2022 episode of his podcast How I Built This, Guy Roz opens his interview with Nature’s Path founder-owners Arran and Ratana Stephens by outlining the unlikely scenario of their success. “There are two companies in America that basically own the morning,” Roz explains. “One is called Kellogs, the other is General Mills. Post is not far behind.” In the organic market, there’s the illusion of much more brand diversity as you travel the cereal aisle, but do not be deceived — most of these organic brands have been purchased over the past 20 years by…you guessed it — Kellogs, General Mills, and Post. In this sea of cereal consolidation floats an unlikely victor – a family-owned brand called Nature’s Path that clings fast to its values and refuses to sell out.
Arran and Ratana met in India in the late 1960s where they were both under the tutelage of the same spiritual guide. Despite being born in Pakistan, India was home for Ratana, and while Arran’s grandmother was also from India, he had grown up on an organic farm outside of Vancouver in Canada. After a particularly formative visit to India at the age of 23, Arran returned to Vancouver inspired to open a vegetarian restaurant called the Golden Lotus. The restaurant was warmly welcomed by the community and was successful from the start.
Nature’s Path Co-founders Arran & Ratana Stephens
In 1968, Arran took a temporary leave from the restaurant to revisit his spiritual mentor for a birthday celebration event. That evening, he and Ratana sat at opposite ends of a crowded dinner table and can recall their eyes locking. Indian women didn’t typically marry Westerners, but with the blessing of their shared mentor, they agreed to marry and returned to Canada in 1969 to run the restaurant together.
Ratana cooked at the Golden Lotus and raised the couple’s four children while Arran managed the business aspect of the restaurant, eventually transitioning it to a cooperative business model so that it could be collectively owned by its employees. Arran then started a natural foods store attached to the restaurant that imported Indian goods and sold organic and natural food items, including muffins made in-house by Ratana. By the 1980s they’d expanded significantly, including annex stores and warehouses, and were enjoying significant success, but when it came time to scale the business and seek additional funding, Arran and Ratana’s relationship with one of their business partners had soured and they were ready to cut ties on the store venture.
Jyoti, Arran, Ratana, and Arjan Stephens of Nature’s Path
Arran continued to manage the cooperative restaurant, while Ratana formally studied finance, and they opened a successful new restaurant called The Woodlands, where in 1985, Arran began making Nature’s Path’s first product – manna bread, sprouting the grain in a bathtub in a bakery in the back of the restaurant. The bread was sold as a frozen product through a network of distributors throughout Canada and the US. Shortly after, Arran expanded the product line to include cereal, leading with manna multi-grain flakes.
A champion for organic integrity from the onset, it was important to Arran that his customers have confidence in the quality of his products. In the mid-80s, the organic program wasn’t yet fully formed, with no third-party label available to designate certified organic products. Arran was involved in the development of the first organic rules and served on the board of the Organic Trade Association during those most formative years. Legend Organic Farm, owned by Arran Stephens, is one of the first to earn the Regenerative Organic Certification® from the Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA). This brings us closer to our goal of building a food movement that helps to heal the soil, land, water, and air.
As business boomed, Arran found that he needed to expand to meet increasing demand and began seeking funding sources. At the largest bank in Canada, he was warned against competing with the likes of Kellogs and General Mills, and this response became the common refrain of each big bank he approached. Finally, in 1989, Canadian Western, a much smaller bank, agreed to invest in the $6 million construction of a new turn-key factory for Nature’s Path, which opened on April 6th, 1990. Arran and Ratana sold the restaurant to focus solely on Nature’s Path.
An awakening was underway in North America at this time and more consumers were looking for products produced without pesticides, herbicides, and artificial additives. By the late ’90s, Nature’s Path was well positioned to ride this whole foods wave, despite sharing crowded shelf space with the giants. They have since expanded beyond cereals, now boasting 150+ products and over 800 employees. For many years, Arran served as Chief Executive Officer managing Sales and Marketing, while Ratana served as Chief Operations Officer focusing on staffing and finance. Four years ago, Arran stepped down as CEO and Ratana stepped into that role. Arran affectionately describes Ratana in Roz’s podcast as “the soul of the company” and the “yin to my yang”.
CEO and Co-Founder Ratana Stephens pictured with daughter Jyoti Stephens, VP of Mission & Strategy
The couple is approached once per week, on average, by their big brand competitors and private equity firms, all eagerly requesting to purchase the business. Despite financial offers that make their heads spin, Ratana and Arran feel that it is important to prioritize the mission-driven aspect of their business and they refuse to compromise their values. Both they and their children feel adamant about maintaining their independence and soul. Three of their kids and four of their grandchildren have taken various roles with the company and succession plans to transfer the business to their children are crystallizing. When asked the secret to his success, Arran points to the old adage that “the harder I work, the luckier I get” and stresses that effort cannot be underrated.” “Effort, common sense, faith, and grace” adds Ratana.
Nature’s Path General Manager Arjan Stephens pictured with his wife, Dr. Rimjhim Stephens.
Arran continues to be a persistent and effective activist fighting for transparency and integrity in our food system, working with the Real Organic Project to advocate for organic integrity in the food system. As we face the disastrous impacts of climate change, Arran recognizes “The greatest input we can add to our farmlands is the wisdom of cultures around the world who have been growing organically for hundreds of generations before chemical agriculture was introduced in the 20th century.”
Arjan on the organic farm with his grandchildren
“At the center and core of Nature’s Path Foods is the goal of creating an agricultural system that aims towards healing the soil, land, water, air, and all of us who rely on these essential and natural elements. All around the world, people are waking up to the direct connection between how we farm locally and the massive collective impact this has on the stability of the global climate. This awareness has led to a will to do something about it. And we welcome the conversation on how we better reach that goal.”
“In the end, organic agriculture is really just good farming. It treats natural soil life, insects, animals, people, air, water and earth with integrity. Our support of the Real Organic Project is not a radical move— it’s simply a clear statement for the preservation of integrity in organic. Together we offer the strong voice needed to stand up against the practices now tearing the fabric of the planet apart. And as the Real Organic Project continues to raise this voice in support of integrity in the face of well-entrenched and well-financed opposition, Nature’s Path hopes that it won’t stand down or give in.”
The mission at Nature’s Path is to always leave the earth better than they found it. Beyond their commitment to organic food and farming, as a triple-bottom-line company, they hold themselves accountable to doing what’s best for people and the planet (click here to read their 6 Sustainability Pillars). Their latest sustainability goal is for all of their packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025. One of the ways they’re working towards this is their recent partnership with Loop – a global reusable packaging program – which is assisting them in creating a circular packaging system including piloting a reusable granola container! Click here to read more about the culture of giving and sustainability initiatives at Nature’s Path!
Looking for healthy snacks to fuel your adventures? We invite you to check out Navitas Organics! They’re basking in the glow of our Member Deals Spotlight from February 23rd – March 1st and all of their organic superfoods are 20% for member-owners! Read on to learn more about Navitas and their commitment to being a force for positive change:
Navitas (Nuh-vee-tus) is Latin for ‘energy’ and their super-nutritious organic superfoods aim to give you the energy you need to live each day to the fullest. What’s more, they work hard to power the positive in all they do: from the careful ways in which they source their products to the work they do to contribute to the greater good. They choose to work with small farmers who use sustainable organic farming methods to grow their superfoods. They operate with a focus on leaving the lightest footprint on the earth as possible. They also contribute to healthy causes by supporting nonprofit initiatives like A Growing Culture.
Path
The Navitas story began during a carefree time where two loyal music fans toured the country in search of adventure and community. Although unacquainted during those years, they would evolve to adopt the true ethos of this lifestyle, embracing everything from the gritty, entrepreneurial spirit to a steadfast appreciation for organic, plant-based foods. Years later, founders Zach and Meghan Adelman would marry, bringing with them the ideals cultivated through their experience with a hopeful vision for the future that placed health and wellness at the very core of their value system. In 2003, the Navitas brand was born as a result of that unique history, longstanding friendships and a shared penchant for wanderlust to exotic regions around the world. Curiosity about ancient cultures and traditional foods led to a special collaboration with a small farmer cooperative in Peru and the discovery of the wondrous health benefits of Maca.
Through this relationship, founder Zach Adelman was introduced to a variety of additional health-enhancing foods that have been sustainably cultivated and consumed around the world for centuries, known to enhance longevity and well-being. This new knowledge sparked an unwavering determination to bring these ancient treasures to North America and integrate them into our modern lifestyle. Navitas is an organic industry leader and has stayed true to its commitment to the discovery of ancient, indigenous foods, vowing to support causes that help reduce environmental burden through ethical agricultural practices.
Culture
Navitas Organics is dedicated to the idea that success isn’t just about profits and promotions. Along with 1,800 leading businesses from 130 industries across the world, they have earned B Corporation certification. Certified B Corporations are for-profit companies certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. Together, Certified B Corporations lead a growing, worldwide movement of people using business as a force for good.
Principles
At the core of their business are the principles they hold true, which are evident in the diverse, playful community atmosphere at Navitas. They are a hardworking, creative, and open-minded group resulting in a company culture that is defined through a collaborative team management approach. Their dedicated employees possess the commitment and determination to help fuel the health-conscious movement sharing in a passion for mindful living, at the heart of which is a robust, nutrient-dense diet. They embrace a culturally diverse team, strive to promote from within and provide mentoring and support to each individual to reach their own true potential. They work hard and play hard, and believe that without a hearty amount of laughter and humor, no amount of success is worthwhile. Through the spirit of generosity, they are committed to developing the finest products in the industry, advocate for the principles they stand for and provide superior service to their valued customers.
Our Co-op Spotlight is shining brightly on Badger! This small, family-owned, family-run, and family-friendly company nestled in the woods of Gilsum, New Hampshire is beyond worthy of the spotlight. They help define what it means to be a socially accountable, environmentally responsible, people-first kind of business. They are featured in our Member Deals Spotlight from February 2nd – 8th and member-owners can enjoy a 20% discount on all of their fabulous body care products! Read on to learn about the ideals, principles, and practices that make their company worthy of such high praise:
Badger was born in 1995 when founder Bill Whyte was working as a carpenter in the cold New Hampshire winters and created an amazing balm that helped soothe and heal his cracked hands. Badger Bill ran the company (as CEO) along with his wife Katie Schwerin (as COO) and their two daughters Rebecca Hamilton and Emily Schwerin-Whyte and it grew to over 100 products and over 90 employees. In 2018 Bill passed the leadership of the company on to Rebecca and Emily making them both CEOs or Collaborative Executive Officers. Click HERE to read more about Badger’s amazing history.
Badger Bill and family
Quality Ingredients and Standards
Badger selects ingredients with great care, using only those that fit their rigorous natural standards for healthy agriculture, minimal processing, sustainable supply chain, and health-giving properties. Every ingredient they use is grown and processed with the highest degree of respect for protecting the environment, the workers, and the natural properties of the plants. Nearly all of Badger’s products are made from 100% USDA Certified Organic food-grade ingredients and they utilize as many fair trade certified ingredients as possible. You can view their impressive growing and processing standards on their web page.
B Corp Status
Badger became a B Corporation in 2011 to help assess and improve their business practices and ensure that they’re always doing what’s right for people and the planet. Badger has been named ‘Best For the World’ in the environmental category from 2015-2019 and again in 2021 by the folks at B Corp. They also earned B Corps ‘Best for the World’ overall in 2019, recognizing their efforts to create a positive impact for workers, the environment, and the community. At the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid, Badger joined a group of over 500 other B corporations in committing to Net Zero by 2030, a full 20 years ahead of the 2050 goals set by the Paris Agreement. That means reaching a perfect equilibrium with the earth—drawing all of their energy from renewable sources, and releasing zero carbon into the atmosphere.
Badger Facility & Ecology Center Gardens
Going Solar
Badger headquarters is powered exclusively by the sun! In July of 2020, as part of their ongoing commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, Badger partnered with fellow B Corp Revision Energy to install a full ground and roof solar array. Their land and buildings are now adorned with a 1,445-panel (524-kilowatt) roof- and ground-mounted solar array, one of the largest in the region. The panels produce enough clean solar energy to power all of their operations—and even send extra electricity back to the grid. These panels will eliminate about 636,000 pounds of carbon pollution every year!
New Solar Panels Powering the Badger Campus in Gilsum, NH
Family-Focused Employee Programs
Badger was awarded the Connect 2016 Philosophy Award for its accommodating employee benefits and exemplary work environment and was named one of the 50 best places to work for new dads by Fatherly. Creating a family-friendly workplace is a high priority at Badger. They aim to be supportive of new parents in their extended work family while considering the well-being of all employees and productivity in the workplace. They offer extended parental leave and a Babies At Work program, which brings together a policy that is best for baby, parent, and business. This policy allows the parent to bring the child to the workplace until it begins crawling, at which time it graduates to Badger’s Calendula Garden Childcare Center. The Center is located just a quarter-mile from the Badger campus and offers high-quality, subsidized childcare for children of their employees. Badger, in a sense, creates its own “village” to support both parent and child!
Calendula Garden Child Care Center
Another exemplary aspect of employee care is their free lunch program. This is a daily organic lunch served during a paid 30-minute break. Every day their fabulous cooks prepare a free, home-cooked lunch for all of the Badgers made from 100% organic and mostly local foods. During the summer months, much of the produce comes right from their Badger Ecology Center regenerative vegetable garden! Read more about Badger’s impressive employee culture here.
Product Certifications
Badger believes that third-party certifications take the guesswork out of claims made on cosmetics and personal care items. This means that they adhere to the standards and guidelines of any third-party agency certifying their products. Their products are certified organic by both the USDA and the NSF, many of the ingredients are Fair Trade certified, and all products are certified gluten-free and certified cruelty-free. As a sunscreen manufacturer, they recognize the responsibility that they hold to help protect coral reefs and delicate marine ecosystems. They have been making reef-safe sunscreens since 2005 and now have one of the first Protect Land + Sea certified sunscreens. Badger sunscreens DO NOT contain any ingredients or contaminants considered harmful to coral reef environments, sea turtles, and other aquatic life. In addition, Badger advocates for bans on coral-harming sunscreen chemicals in places such as Hawaii, Key West, Palau, Aruba, and the US Virgin Islands.
Our Co-op Spotlight is shining brightly on Badger! This small, family-owned, family-run, and family-friendly company nestled in the woods of Gilsum, New Hampshire is beyond worthy of the spotlight. They help define what it means to be a socially accountable, environmentally responsible, people-first kind of business. They are featured in our Member Deals Spotlight from February 2nd – 8th and member-owners can enjoy a 20% discount on all of their fabulous body care products! Read on to learn about the ideals, principles, and practices that make their company worthy of such high praise:
Badger was born in 1995 when founder Bill Whyte was working as a carpenter in the cold New Hampshire winters and created an amazing balm that helped soothe and heal his cracked hands. Badger Bill ran the company (as CEO) along with his wife Katie Schwerin (as COO) and their two daughters Rebecca Hamilton and Emily Schwerin-Whyte and it grew to over 100 products and over 90 employees. In 2018 Bill passed the leadership of the company on to Rebecca and Emily making them both CEOs or Collaborative Executive Officers. Click HERE to read more about Badger’s amazing history.
Badger Bill and family
Quality Ingredients and Standards
Badger selects ingredients with great care, using only those that fit their rigorous natural standards for healthy agriculture, minimal processing, sustainable supply chain, and health-giving properties. Every ingredient they use is grown and processed with the highest degree of respect for protecting the environment, the workers, and the natural properties of the plants. Nearly all of Badger’s products are made from 100% USDA Certified Organic food-grade ingredients and they utilize as many fair trade certified ingredients as possible. You can view their impressive growing and processing standards on their web page.
B Corp Status
Badger became a B Corporation in 2011 to help assess and improve their business practices and ensure that they’re always doing what’s right for people and the planet. Badger has been named ‘Best For the World’ in the environmental category from 2015-2019 and again in 2021 by the folks at B Corp. They also earned B Corps ‘Best for the World’ overall in 2019, recognizing their efforts to create a positive impact for workers, the environment, and the community. At the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid, Badger joined a group of over 500 other B corporations in committing to Net Zero by 2030, a full 20 years ahead of the 2050 goals set by the Paris Agreement. That means reaching a perfect equilibrium with the earth—drawing all of their energy from renewable sources, and releasing zero carbon into the atmosphere.
Badger Facility & Ecology Center Gardens
Going Solar
Badger headquarters is powered exclusively by the sun! In July of 2020, as part of their ongoing commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030, Badger partnered with fellow B Corp Revision Energy to install a full ground and roof solar array. Their land and buildings are now adorned with a 1,445-panel (524-kilowatt) roof- and ground-mounted solar array, one of the largest in the region. The panels produce enough clean solar energy to power all of their operations—and even send extra electricity back to the grid. These panels will eliminate about 636,000 pounds of carbon pollution every year!
New Solar Panels Powering the Badger Campus in Gilsum, NH
Family-Focused Employee Programs
Badger was awarded the Connect 2016 Philosophy Award for its accommodating employee benefits and exemplary work environment and was named one of the 50 best places to work for new dads by Fatherly. Creating a family-friendly workplace is a high priority at Badger. They aim to be supportive of new parents in their extended work family while considering the well-being of all employees and productivity in the workplace. They offer extended parental leave and a Babies At Work program, which brings together a policy that is best for baby, parent, and business. This policy allows the parent to bring the child to the workplace until it begins crawling, at which time it graduates to Badger’s Calendula Garden Childcare Center. The Center is located just a quarter-mile from the Badger campus and offers high-quality, subsidized childcare for children of their employees. Badger, in a sense, creates its own “village” to support both parent and child!
Calendula Garden Child Care Center
Another exemplary aspect of employee care is their free lunch program. This is a daily organic lunch served during a paid 30-minute break. Every day their fabulous cooks prepare a free, home-cooked lunch for all of the Badgers made from 100% organic and mostly local foods. During the summer months, much of the produce comes right from their Badger Ecology Center regenerative vegetable garden! Read more about Badger’s impressive employee culture here.
Product Certifications
Badger believes that third-party certifications take the guesswork out of claims made on cosmetics and personal care items. This means that they adhere to the standards and guidelines of any third-party agency certifying their products. Their products are certified organic by both the USDA and the NSF, many of the ingredients are Fair Trade certified, and all products are certified gluten-free and certified cruelty-free. As a sunscreen manufacturer, they recognize the responsibility that they hold to help protect coral reefs and delicate marine ecosystems. They have been making reef-safe sunscreens since 2005 and now have one of the first Protect Land + Sea certified sunscreens. Badger sunscreens DO NOT contain any ingredients or contaminants considered harmful to coral reef environments, sea turtles, and other aquatic life. In addition, Badger advocates for bans on coral-harming sunscreen chemicals in places such as Hawaii, Key West, Palau, Aruba, and the US Virgin Islands.
