Looking to step up your wellness game in 2019? We’re shining our Member Deals Spotlight on New Chapter this week and all of their supplements are 20% off for member-owners from January 10th – 16th. Read on to learn more about this Brattleboro-based B Corp that has been honoring natural well-being by nurturing body, soul, and Earth for over 35 years:
New Chapter was originally founded in 1982 by Paul and Barbi Schulick out of a passion to promote health through innovative botanical formulations made with 100% real foods and herbs. The company has grown and evolved over the past 36 years, but it still remains firmly rooted in Brattleboro, VT where they proudly employ more than 150 area residents.
Mission
To deliver the wisdom of Nature, thus relieving suffering and promoting optimal health.
To advance the organic mission, nourishing body and soul with the healing intelligence of pure whole foods and herbal supplements.
To nurture and sustain Mother Earth, the source of natural healing.
To honor and reward personal growth, for enlightened teamwork depends on the vitality of every member of the New Chapter® family.
Commitment to Sustainability
At New Chapter, concern for the planet is expressed not only through careful sourcing and formulation principles but also with every action they take as a company. New Chapter is proud to be a Certified B Corporation, which means they define success in holistic terms that encompass not just profit but people and Earth too.
Sustainable Sourcing – They travel the globe to identify and build relationships with supplier partners who share their commitment to sustainable sourcing. Knowing their suppliers and the origins of their crops helps to uphold a supply chain that is both socially responsible and environmentally conscious.
Welfare of People – Throughout the supply chain, from Vermont to India, New Chapter aims to engage partners whose workers are treated with respect and provided with working conditions that are safe, healthy, and balanced.
Climate Friendly Farming – New Chapter is proud to be a part of the growing regenerative agricultural movement. Replacing industrial practices with regenerative ones can reboot plants’ natural cycle of removing carbon from the air by sequestering it in the ground. Along with adherence to organic standards, soil regeneration practices include rotating crops, composting, using cover crops, and avoiding deep tilling. These techniques create healthy, carbon-rich soil that is full of organic matter and holds water like a sponge.
Waste Reduction – New Chapter is able to compost, recycle, or reuse more than 80% of the waste they produce – everything from lunch leftovers and office paper to pallets and shrink-wrap. And they’re now certified Zero Waste to Landfill, which reduces their carbon footprint and uses energy recovery to convert their waste into clean energy.
Giving Back
As environmental stewards focused on human health, New Chapter works to increase accessibility to organic food, farming, and traditional herbal medicine. And as a Certified B Corp, they endeavor to use their business resources to help solve social and environmental problems—in communities around the world where our ingredients come from as well as locally right here in Vermont. Partners include Kindle Farm and the Vermont Food Bank.
Did you know that McDaniel Chiropractic Center is part of the Co-op Connection? Thanks to this fun partnership, Co-op member-owners can enjoy 10% off when visiting McDaniel Chiropractic Center! You can find their full-service clinic at 1330 Exchange Street, Suite 105, in Middlebury. They’re our featured Business of the Month for September, so we wanted to tell you a little more about the wide array of health services they provide. Read on to learn all about them!
McDaniel Chiropractic is more than simply a place to go when you’re experiencing neck or back pain. They offer a 360-degree approach to total body wellness incorporating diet, exercise, ergonomics, lifestyle management, and chiropractic care to help you achieve your health care goals! Unlike conventional medicine, which aims to treat symptoms of injury or illness in a reactionary way, Drs. Jim & Julia McDaniel instead hope to offer tools to help you reduce the risk of pain, injury, and illness in a more proactive manner. Their goal is to help you achieve and maintain optimal health through a tailored, personal wellness program that is targeted to your specific needs.
McDaniel Chiropractic Center Declaration of Health
We believe that health is a state of optimal physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of symptoms or disease.
We believe that the body is self-regulating and self-healing.
We believe that we are, in most cases, genetically programmed for the expression of health.
We believe that a key component of true health care is self-care and personal responsibility.
We believe the body does the healing, not the doctor.
We believe the doctor-patient relationship should be a partnership, not a dictatorship.
We believe doctors should honor and respect individual health care choices.
Looking to give your skin and body care routine a Spring makeover? We’re shining our Member Deals Spotlight on Weleda this week and all of their natural body care products are 20% off for member-owners from May 3rd – 9th. Read on to learn more about this company that has been providing all-natural personal care products for nearly a century!
Heritage
What started in 1921 as a pharmaceutical laboratory, with its own plant garden, is today a world-leading manufacturer of certified natural by NATRUE personal care. Founder, Dr. Rudolf Steiner along with Dr. Ita Wegman and a team of scientists created the first synergistic products orchestrated to reconnect the body with its natural rhythms. For the most active ingredients, they planted the first biodynamic gardens with farming, seed production, and landscape maintenance following the rhythms of nature and the earth. They began delivering glowing, healthy-looking skin and wellbeing in Switzerland, then Germany and eventually North America.
Today, Weleda has partnerships and offices around the globe and, despite their success, they remain a people-and-planet over profits brand. They still cultivate their own biodynamic gardens and work in fair trade agreements with small farmers and gardeners to source the best raw materials. They still strive to make the best non-toxic, cruelty-free, paraben-free, GMO-free, phthalates-free and synthetic fragrance-free products available in the marketplace.
Values
At Weleda, they see beauty in the soil, flowers, plants and the fair-trade partnerships they build that honor the human spirit and respect the natural world. Their purpose is to cultivate beauty. They are committed to supporting your overall wellbeing and beauty, and that of every living being. They strive for each of us to be empowered to cultivate beauty in the world, for ourselves, for our children and the future of our planet. Here are their 7 fundamental principles:
Fair Treatment – Since 1921, Weleda proved that transparency and honest communication works with customers, partners, and suppliers. Our integrity is our foundation worldwide. We are committed to fair trade agreements with our farmers, gardeners, and other suppliers. The result is lasting, reliable relationships with everyone we touch.
Employees as Partners – We have deep gratitude for the people who work for us at every level. Weleda employees own their roles. Their hands-on experience gives them insight into decision-making, operating processes and structures as well as innovation and business advances.
Integrity and Quality – The raw plant, flower, and fruit materials for Weleda products are carefully cultivated and harvested in order to preserve their full effects. Our holistic products are cruelty-free in accordance with NATRUE standards, non-toxic, paraben-free, synthetic fragrance-free, SLS-free, and GMO-free. We believe the Earth is a living organism, as connected to the cosmos as it is to us. Our philosophy, rooted in anthroposophy, honors human beings and nature. That reverence drives us to create the highest quality products possible. Our mission is to give everyone the experience of extraordinary well-being.
Science and Spirit meet in our Research and Development – For Weleda, the human family is the center of our work. Integrating science and philosophy, we research and develop innovative, groundbreaking products and beneficial approaches.
Sustainability – The earth’s resources are limited. Our planet requires protection, for humans, nature and all living beings. Our responsibility is serious. We set demanding environmental standards. To us, sustainability means protecting the environment, biodiversity and the lives of our farmers and gardeners and their families, as well as conserving natural resources.
Ethical and Value-Creating Business Practices – Since our founding, we dedicated ourselves to human development, restoration of health, need for physical well-being and a balanced way of life. This vision determines Weleda’s business orientation and is the guiding light and driving force of all our actions. In every encounter, Weleda participates in cultural initiatives that empower people from our customers to our suppliers and investors.
Cultural Diversity – The Weleda Group embraces cultural and racial diversity as inspiring, powerful and necessary to our evolution. Historically, Weleda grew from separate entrepreneurial initiatives unifying into a corporate group. Today, our reach spreads around the world but our ethical and quality standards, strategies and policies are binding for the entire Weleda Group.
Visit their webpage to learn more about their story, their standards, their products, and their commitment to quality.
Are you sprouting a new family? We invite you to check out our Co-op Connection Business of the Month for May Jumelles Wellness Midwifery! Located in Middlebury’s Historic Star Mill in the Riverside Natural Health Center Suite, Jumelles (pronounced ju-mell) is a woman-centered practice, offering central Vermont families homebirth midwifery care, doula services, lactation counseling, and childbirth education. Thanks to the Co-op Connection, Co-op member-owners can enjoy 2% off their initial prenatal appointment and 2% off a birth tub rental! Read on to learn more:
About the Practitioner:
Chenoa is a Traditional Midwife, a Certified Professional Midwife through North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), Licensed Midwife in the state of Vermont, a certi
fied doula, Certified Lactation Consultant and Emergency Medical Technician. Chenoa has been attending births since 1997. While pursuing her Bachelors of Art at the University of Oregon, she completed training as a birth doula through DONA (Doulas of North America.) Chenoa immediately began a three-year, traditional midwifery program.
Following the midwifery program/apprenticeship, she continued her training through another apprenticeship in a high-volume birth center in Portland, Oregon, specializing in water births. During that time, Chenoa also volunteered with Doula Circle, a program that provided doula services for teen mothers, a commitment that she currently maintains by offering childbirth education and support to families. In 2006, Chenoa moved with her family to Vermont, where she began working as the primary midwife at a group midwifery practice in Addison county. In 2010 Chenoa volunteered as the primary midwife for a busy birth center in Jacmel, Haiti with twin sister Nieve Shere leading to the eventual collaboration between Jumelles Wellness Midwifery and Riverside Natural Health Center in 2013.
Chenoa is certified by the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP & BLS) in cardiopulmonary resuscitation for adults, infants, and newborns. She is a member of the North American Registry of Midwives (NARM), Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA), Vermont Midwives Association (VMA), and National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM)
Chenoa lives on a small farm in Cornwall, Vermont with her husband and three children.
Services Provided:
Home birth midwifery care including prenatal, birth & postpartum
Water birth & birth tub rental
Laboratory work
24/7 on call service for labor & urgent matters
Complete newborn exams & screenings
Lactation consulting & breastfeeding support
VBAC (Vaginal Births after Cesarean)
Childbirth education classes
Doula services
Acupuncture for fertility, pregnancy, birth & postpartum through collaborative care
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 26th – May 2nd! 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.
Are you looking to give your workout routine a spring makeover? We invite you to check out our Co-op Connection Business of the Month — Middlebury Fitness! Flash your Co-op member-owner card and you’ll receive 50% off the enrollment fee, 10% off a short-term membership, and your first class or workout is FREE! Read on to learn more about what this community wellness center has to offer:
Middlebury Fitness is a community health and wellness center founded in 1997 that puts their members needs first.Their facility features a wide variety of the most current strength and cardio equipment by the leading brands in the industry. Is group fitness your thing? They offer a variety of programs and group fitness classes to meet the diverse and ever-changing needs of their member base, ranging from ages 13-93. Click here for their class calendar and descriptions. Other services and amenities include personal training, free equipment orientations, athletic performance training, Dietician consultations, saunas, massage therapy, and more!
The crew at Middlebury Fitness is incredibly proud to be so active in this great community and annually receive recognition and awards for various initiatives. For the past three consecutive years, they have received the United Way of Addison County’s “Partner Award” for an annual event that has raised thousands of dollars for our local friends and families in need. In fact, their recent SPIN UNITED event raised $11,440 for United Way of Addison County. Wow!!
At Middlebury Fitness they understand that you have options when it comes to your health and fitness needs. They aim to meet and exceed their members’ expectations every day and believe they have some of the most attentive, caring, professional and knowledgeable instructors, personal trainers and staff you will find. Their ultimate goal at Midd Fit is to ensure that each of their members achieves their personal fitness goals while experiencing exceptional customer service in a supportive atmosphere of fun and camaraderie.
If you are a current member, they’d like to extend a sincere THANK YOU for being a part of the Midd Fit family! If you are not yet a member, please visit and let Middlebury Fitness guide you through your fitness journey today! And don’t forget to mention that you’re a Co-op member-owner!
Tom’s of Maine is basking in the glow of the Co-op Spotlight this week and all of their wonderful body care products are 20% off for member-owners from March 1st – 7th! This discount is in addition to the everyday low price on many Toms of Maine products offered through our Co-op Basics program, so it’s a great time to stock up and save! Read on to learn more about the philosophy of care for people and planet that the Tom’s of Maine community holds dear:
At Tom’s of Maine, they believe in living for today—and tomorrow! They recognize that decisions have a lasting impact, and they make them thoughtfully. Since 1970, their mission has been to help people live a more natural life. Here are just some of the ways they translate their mission into positive actions:
They’re guided by a Stewardship Model and over 45 years of expertise. Their passion is finding and combining naturally sourced and naturally derived ingredients to create personal care products that really work. And their products come with a product guarantee because your satisfaction is important.
They’re transparent about the ingredients they use. They explain where they come from, what they do, and how they are made so that you can make the right choice for your family and yourself. Click here to explore their ingredients.
They share their profits and time. Tom’s of Maine donates 10% of product sales to nonprofit organizations working to support health, education, and nature. And they encourage employees to use 5% of their paid time to volunteer for their favorite causes. Click here to learn more about how Tom’s of Maine gives back.
Tom and Kate Chappell moved to Maine from Philadelphia in 1968, looking for a healthier, simpler life for their growing family. They discovered the benefits of natural and unprocessed food, and started looking for the same qualities in personal care products. But all they found were labels listing artificial flavors, fragrances, sweeteners, colors and preservatives. So they decided to create their own.
In 1970, with the help of a $5000 loan from a friend, Tom’s of Maine was born. Right from the start, their company was shaped by the Chappell’s entrepreneurial spirit and values. By 1975, they’d introduced the first natural toothpaste on the U.S. market. And because Tom and Kate felt that businesses should give back, they soon found meaningful ways to care for the planet and their communities.
Tom’s of Maine became a part of the Colgate-Palmolive company in 2006. And they’re proud to say that as they’ve grown through the years, their simple, direct approach has never changed. They continue to put their hearts into providing their customers with natural personal care products that work as well as they’d expect.
Our Member Deals Spotlight shines brightly on Urban Moonshine this week and all of their wonderful wellness products are 20% off for member-owners from January 11th – 17th. They offer a wide range of high-quality organic products ranging from digestive bitters for your belly, to tonics that pick you up or simmer you down. With a strong emphasis on ethical sourcing processes and a mission to make herbalism more accessible, we’re happy to shed a little light on this women-run company hailing from Burlington, Vermont. Read on to learn more about them:
Urban Moonshine was founded in 2008 in Jovial King’s kitchen with the goal of making herbal medicine more accessible. They specialize in high quality liquid herbal extracts with a focus on digestive bitters, herbal tonics, and everyday health remedies. Urban Moonshine has grown from a booth at the local farmers’ market to a nationally distributed and recognized brand while staying true to its mission of bringing high-quality, certified organic herbal medicine to more people and changing the way we think about the healing power of plants. They aim to return the use of herbal medicine to daily life, to bring it “out of the cupboard and onto the counter”. They see their herbal products as part of a growing wellness movement, focused on authentic, effective, whole plant solutions. Urban Moonshine is based in beautiful Burlington, VT and is proud to be a woman-run company.
An extremely big moment in the Urban Moonshine story occurred last month: the amazing independent herbal tea company Traditional Medicinals acquired Urban Moonshine! Fundamental to that story is that Traditional Medicinals was co-founded in Sebastopol, CA in the early 70’s by one of Vermont’s most beloved/legendary herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, who was also one of Urban Moonshine founder Jovial’s first herbal teachers! Both companies are on the same path bringing high quality, organic herbal medicine into more people’s lives and they’re thrilled to be able to lean on Traditional Medicinal’s experience to help continue to build Urban Moonshine from the small kitchen to farmers’ market business Jovial started in 2009.
Both botanical wellness companies are aligned with the usage of high-quality organic ingredients, ethical sourcing processes and a mission to make herbalism more accessible by connecting people to the power of plants. Traditional Medicinals and Urban Moonshine will continue to operate separately and retain existing headquarters in Sonoma County, CA and Burlington, VT.
Be sure to check out Urban Moonshine’s blog to stay up to date on the latest in herbal wellness.
Searching for healthful options to treating disease and pain that restore health rather than merely treat symptoms? We invite you to check out our April Co-op Connection Business of the Month- Natural Medicine of Vermont! Card-carrying Co-op member-owners can enjoy 10% off their 1st visit and $5 off subsequent visits!
Natural Medicine of Vermont (NMV) is an integrative naturopathic medical facility whose goal is to provide comprehensive and expert health care services. NMV, located in Middlebury, Vermont, is owned and operated by Dr. Karen Miller-Lane, N.D.,L.Ac.
Dr. Karen Miller-Lane is a Naturopathic Physician licensed in Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture and trained in Craniosacral Therapy. Her expertise lies in providing an integrative, compassionate and individualized approach to women’s health, endocrine, gut and immune support, and to the challenges of chronic disease. She received a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine (2001) and a Masters of Acupuncture (2002) from Bastyr University. She received certification in Craniosacral therapies in 2000. In addition, she spent four years (2008-2010, 2012-2014) studying advanced Chinese medicine and pulse diagnosis with the acupuncturist and scholar Lonnie Jarrett. She also trained with Eileen McKusick, and was certified as a Biofield Tuning practitioner in 2016. These multi-cultural, multi-modal teachings provide a rich foundation for her practice of medicine. Prior to becoming a Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Karen worked in the field of international development and education with a focus on women’s healthcare issues. Currently, she is particularly interested in the developing field of epigenetics and nutrigenomics, as she continues to embody a commitment to being an innovator in the ever emergent field of healthcare in the 21st century. She finds joy in her family, friends, the patients she works with and finding the humor and wonder in everyday situations.
Thanks to her diverse clinical background, Dr. Karen MIller-Lane is able to unite many different complementary practices into one visit. This integrative approach provides the best possible treatment and outcomes natural medicine has to offer. Read on to learn more about these particular approaches from the Natural Medicine of Vermont website:
What Is Naturopathic Medicine?
Naturopathic Medicine is a distinct profession of physicians trained in primary health care who are oriented towards prevention, education and promotion of optimal health rather than just treatment of disease. Naturopathic doctors (ND’s) integrate centuries-old knowledge of traditional, non-toxic therapies with the best of modern medical diagnostic science and standards of care. ND’s complete pre-med education followed by a 4-5 year residential curriculum with 4,500 – 5,000 hours of instruction and extensive, supervised clinical training. ND’s must also pass rigorous state and national board examinations.
Foundation and Guidance for Naturopathic physicians are based on the following principles:
First, Do No Harm
Prevention
The Healing Power of Nature
Treatment of the Whole Person
Treat the Cause
Doctor as Teacher
What Is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a system of medicine based on 3,000 years of history, tradition, and application. It uses very thin needles to stimulate hundreds of different points on the body that lie along channels known as meridians. These points balance, tonify, or reduce excess in the body. At its heart, Acupuncture balances “Qi” or vital energy and treats the whole person. The treatments are generally very relaxing. At least 4-6 weekly treatments are usually required to determine the cause and treat the condition.
Licensed Acupuncturists go through a three-year Masters program that incorporates over 1700 hours of training, followed by national licensing exams.
In 1997, a consensus panel convened by the National Institute of Health (NIH) concluded that “there is clear evidence that needle acupuncture treatment is effective for postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, nausea of pregnancy and post-operative dental pain…also addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma.” Other conditions which Acupuncture treats effectively include menopausal symptoms, chronic pain, diabetic symptoms, fatigue and sleep complaints, digestive problems, depleted immune system, arthritis, stress, anxiety, support for depression, smoking cessation and more.
Biofield Tuning is a unique non-medical therapeutic method that uses sound waves produced by tuning forks in the biomagnetic field, or biofield, that surrounds the human body. Biofield Tuning was developed by pioneering researcher and practitioner Eileen Day McKusick and is based on her 20 years of clinical inquiry into the Biofield Anatomy. It is a simple, non-invasive, and efficient method that can produce profound and powerful outcomes. Biofield Tuning sessions can be experienced in person or at a distance, singularly or in a group, by a certified practitioner.
“Biofield” is the word chosen by a team of National Institute of Health scientists in 1994 to describe the field of energy and information that surrounds and interpenetrates the human body. It is composed of both measurable electromagnetic energy and hypothetical subtle energy, or chi. This structure is also called the Human Energy Field or Aura.
While Western Science has yet to describe and measure subtle energy, other cultures, especially ancient Indian or Vedic cultures describe it extensively. The term “chakra” means wheel in Sanskrit and these spinning energy vortices are seen as structures in the body’s subtle energy anatomy. Not coincidentally, chakras are present where there are large nerve clusters or plexuses within the body itself.
The Biofield Tuning process is designed to locate, identify, and interrupt patterns of sonic imbalance, making it possible for the individual to become “unstuck” and able to move forward in life with a more balanced perspective.
What Is Craniosacral Therapy?
You are probably aware of the many systems that the body is made up of including the respiratory system, digestive system, the cardiovascular system, etc. The body also has a very subtle system unrecognized by science until fairly recently which is known as the craniosacral system. The craniosacral (CS) system consists of the membranes that form the meninges of the brain and spinal cord (down to the sacrum), the bones of the skull to which the membranes attach, other structures related to the meninges, the cerebrospinal fluid, and the structures that produce, contain and resorb the cerebrospinal fluid.
The cornerstone of the CS system is the finding that the bones of the skull are able to move as the cerebrospinal fluid moves through the membranes. While this information is not accepted by all health care professionals, the CS treatment is based on this finding and on the literature that has developed around the research using the CS theories.
Because the CS system is connected to the rest of the body by its connection to the fascia, restriction can affect many other systems, most notably the nervous system, musculoskeletal system, vascular system, endocrine system, etc. Because of these relationships, CS therapy is used to treat many different conditions. In our clinical setting, we have found them to be helpful for headaches, sinus problems, anxiety, general stress, endocrine problems, muscular fatigue or stress, depression, TMJ problems and others.
The treatment is done with the patient fully clothed lying down and is often extremely relaxing. The clinician uses light pressure and sessions often last between 20-40 minutes depending on what is being addressed.
We’re shining our Co-op Spotlight on Garden of Life! Their entire line of products are 30% off for member-owners this week, so if your New Year’s resolution involved boosting your wellness routine, it’s a great time to give them a try! Read on to learn more about their mission to empower extraordinary health!
The Science of Whole Food
Garden of Life is fanatical about food. This may not be the first thing that typically comes to mind for a company that makes vitamins, probiotics, and protein powders, but Garden of Life is different that way. When they set out to create a line of products, they challenged themselves to consider what “good stuff” present in the highest quality foods are typically missing in our diets. Which of these foods have the greatest potential to impact and empower extraordinary health?
Clean is Healthy
As fanatical as they are about what goes into their products, they are equally diligent about what to keep out of them. This means no synthetic chemicals, no GMOs, just true, whole, traceable ingredients. If it’s not found in real food, they don’t want it in their supplements. Their philosophy is to slow it down, make it by hand, grow it in rich organic non-GMO soil with enough sun, air, water and time for it to be its best. Harvest it when ready. Treat it with care. Turn it into a power-packed nutritious food supplement.
The Lebaron Farm in Utah grows, harvests, juices, and dries the greens for the Perfect Food Raw products.
Traceability
Garden of Life aims for their product ingredients to be traceable all the way back to the seed. This means knowing where each and every one of their products comes from, how it’s grown, where it’s grown, and by whom. They believe in having strong personal relationships with their growers and ensuring that the farmers and farm workers that grow the products are well compensated and well cared for. Click here to read all about the farms that grow ingredients for Garden of Life products.
Fourth-generation family farmers growing organic cranberries in Massachusetts for Garden of Life
Certifications
There is a great deal of noise in the marketplace today that makes it difficult to find the clean truth. Independent, unbiased, third-party certification and verification provides the best option for that assurance. However, to attain Certified USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified status, every ingredient must be traced back to its origin, which means tracing back to organic crops and family farms and also how and where it’s manufactured. Developing a fully traceable raw material supply chain is a massive, complex undertaking—especially considering some formulas could have over 100 different ingredients!
It’s no easy task, but it’s totally worth it. Garden of Life is committed to producing Certified USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified supplements. They also use unbiased third parties such as Vegan.org, NSF, Kosher and Informed-Choice whenever possible.
Sustainability
Garden of Life is also a Certified B Corps! They are deeply committed to energy efficient and sustainable practices including LEED Gold Certified facilities, use of renewable energy, recycled bottles, recyclable packaging, and soy-based inks. Click here to read more about the sustainability initiatives at Garden of Life.
