Sustainable Gift Ideas

If you don't have one of our fabulous Delicious Revolution canvas bags--what are you waiting for? We're seeing them all over town.

Or maybe you'd rather have one of our Co-op branded durable "revolutionary" stainless steel pint-size cups. It's BPA-free, stackable, and dishwasher safe. Great for iced tea & coffee, juice, beer, or smoothies. Join us in choosing products that help make our world a better, safer, and healthier place.

Gluten-free Products 

We recently heard from a Co-op member named Bill, who wrote, "Great newsletter, but nothing was said about your supply of 'gluten' products that us celiac people are always looking for." He proposed having a big sign near our gluten-free (GF) products.

Hey Bill, thanks for your interest and your ideas. Instead of a single GF section, our GF products are integrated in every department throughout the store. We have placed shelf tags identifying every GF item so watch for those. 

Another great tool for celiacs and others with gluten sensitivity, is our Co-op Gluten-free Product & Information Guide. It's available on our website and at the service desk in either store.

Every five years, we have the chance to influence the way our food is produced, our land is conserved, and our health is protected. The legislation that addresses these issues is known as the Farm Bill, and in 2012, it's up for renewal. "It isn't really a bill just for farmers," says food journalist Michael Pollan, in this video from Nourish Short Films. "It really should be called the food bill because it is the rules for the food system we all eat by." To view the video and get more information, see the Nourish Life website.

The National Young Farmers' Coalition recently released a study showing that the nation's young and beginning farmers face tremendous barriers in starting a farming career. Building a Future with Farmers: Challenges Faced by Young, American Farmers and a National Strategy to Help Them Succeed surveyed 1,000 farmers across the U.S. and found that access to capital, access to land, and health insurance present the largest obstacles for beginners. Farmers rated farm apprenticeships, local partnerships, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) as the most valuable programs to help beginners. See the full report;  to get more information, see the Young Farmers Coalition website.