Berkshire Organics' Team Grows

If you shop in the Berkshire Organics Market, you may have noticed some new faces recently. You may observe the people who work in the market are not your average register clerks. They are a professional, educated group who are passionate about being a part of a small, local & organic business that focuses on the local farms, community and food safety.

"Assembling such a dedicated team has taken time and will always be a work in progress", says owner, Aleisha Gibbons. "But we feel very good about the people who are with us for the Fall and Winter season."

Until this summer, Gibbons was running the front counter mostly by herself. "Being the register clerk for the first several years of business really opened my eyes to the importance of customer service. I realized how important of a role the person plays who greets customers, checks them out at the register, and answers questions. They are representing the business and it's important this person is knowledgeable, professional, and courteous at all times, no matter what."  

But don't think for a minute Gibbons is any less hands-on. "Even though I may not be checking customers out at the register as much, I am still at the market six days a week as any owner should be. I have one day a week I work from my home office placing orders, calling farmers and such. Brian is there seven days a week. The produce is always our top priority so we get there early and start sorting through everything to make sure everything is as fresh as possible."

"Owning a market that is open seven days a week is very intense and you have to be dedicated 100% but we love doing it. The loyal customers we have is what makes it all worth it. Seeing the store grow over the last few years has also made the hard work rewarding. We're excited we have finally reached a place where we can add more staff to offer more service and assistance to our customers" says Gibbons.

In the coming weeks we will introduce you to the market team in our newsletter.

Meet Josh - He's Lost 100 lbs  

by Changing His Diet!

Josh Tiska began working at Berkshire Organics over the summer, and we are delighted to have him as a part of our team. Josh wears several different hats at Berkshire Organics. He is our master basket backer on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. He helps owner, Brian Gibbons, with many back of house tasks on Sundays and Mondays and he has also just started working in the store. He's got a strong work ethic, a kind manner, and he is a truly fantastic example of what eating healthfully can do for a person's body. As a result of changing his eating habits, Josh has lost over 100 pounds, and he continues to maintain a healthy weight with healthy food choices.

It all started about 10 years ago, when Josh was in school at MCLA in North Adams. After a lifetime of meat and potatoes and a year of unhealthy eating in the student dining hall, Josh found himself at 255 pounds. Some of his friends were vegetarian or vegan, and Josh began to dabble in a meatless diet. The change didn't happen overnight, but he quickly noticed that when he had been eating a low-fat, vegetarian diet for a few days, he felt fantastic; however when he went back to meat, fats, and processed foods-even in small doses-he felt sick. Deciding that he had had enough of feeling terrible, he made the switch to a completely vegetarian lifestyle, and cut most fats, processed foods, and refined sugars out of his diet altogether. As he began to lose weight, he also started to embrace a more active lifestyle, as well as read a great deal about food and health. He especially recommends "The China Study" by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, "The Engine 2 Diet" by Rip Esselstyn, and "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman for those who are interested in learning more about health and weight loss through vegetarianism and veganism. With the continued combination of a healthy vegetarian diet and increased exercise, Josh has managed to lose over 100 pounds, with the majority of weight loss taking place in just the past year and a half. As he puts it, "At 28, I'm healthier, happier, and 30 pounds lighter than I was in my late teens."  

Josh feels that working at Berkshire Organics is a natural fit for him, and we couldn't agree more. Being surrounded by fresh, local produce and other healthy foods allows for Josh to continue making smart choices about what he eats. Additionally, his inspirational story has motivated a few other staff members to evaluate their food consumption and make some healthier choices. Needless to say, we are thrilled to have a member of our team whose personal story so clearly reflects the benefits of healthy eating.

Who is Showing Their Support for Proposition 37?

By Maya Greene for Berkshire Organics

Over the past few weeks, we've been taking a close look at The California Right to Know Genetically Engineered Food Act. What we found was that there are a lot of really big food and agricultural industries (such as Coca-Cola, Kellogg, and of course, Monsanto) that are spending big bucks to defeat Proposition 37 in November's vote. But we also found a lot of grassroots organizations and food companies that are showing their support for GMO labeling in California and beyond. We wanted to give "props" to those who support Prop 37, and we hope that you use this pie chart (created using information found at Organicconsumersfund.org) to help you make informed decisions as a consumer.

*Several Companies have pledged smaller amounts which have added up to over $500,000. These companies are listed below:

*           Alex Bogusky (author and advocate): $100,000

*           Amy's Kitchen: $100,000

*           Cropp Cooperative Inc (Organic Valley): $50,000

*           Michael S. Funk (President of UNFI): $50,000

*           Nutiva: $50,000

*           Annie's Inc: $50,000

*           Organic Consumers Association: $40,000

*           Michelle Lerach (CA baker & chef): $25,000

*           Presence Marketing, Inc: $20,000

*           Late July Organic Snacks: $12,500

*           Eden, Inc: $10,000

*           Scott Nash (author): $10,000

*           Healthforce, Inc: $10,000

*           Ski Valley Foods: $7,500

*           Edward & Sons Trading Co (Native Forest, Let's Do Organics, Premier Japan, Road's End, Wizard's): $7,200

*           Traditional Medicinals: $5000

*           Turtle Island Foods (Tofurky): $5000

*           Burroughs Family Farms: $5000

*           Mary K. Blasny: $5000

*           And more small donations are coming in daily!