GMO Day at Creamery Boosts Labeling and Awareness Efforts

On Wednesday this week, the Creamery Co-op was thrilled to host GMO Awareness Day. Massachusetts Right to Know volunteers staffed information tables and spoke with shoppers  about this important issue concerning our food system and health. The Non-GMO Project provided lots of giveaways including high-quality canvas shopping bags given to shoppers on a first-come, first-served basis. Mass. Right to Know also raffled off a basket containing over $50 worth of Creamery-stocked non-GMO products and a copy of the movie Genetic Roulette. The raffle winner was Jim Feeley of Plainfield, a proud member-owner of the Old Creamery Co-op and a supporter of GMO labeling.

Eight percent of sales from Wednesday are being donated to help with these important efforts.

The Co-op remains a strong advocate of labeling all products that contain genetically modified ingredients. We believe everyone should be able to make an informed choice about what they consume. You can read the Co-op's full GMO policy by clicking HERE.

And What Is the Old Creamery Kitchen Doing About GMOs?

Because food containing genetically engineered ingredients is not currently labeled and we do not have the means to test for GMOs, it is not possible for the Creamery to guarantee that its kitchen's products are absolutely GMO-free. However, we eliminate, as much as possible, the main sources of GMOs: beet sugar, corn, soy, canola, and cottonseed. When possible, we use organic (which, by definition, is non-GMO) or verified non-GMO versions of these ingredients; otherwise the Creamery kitchen doesn't use them at all.   

Here are some of the specific steps we've taken to reduce the possibility of GMOs in our Creamery-made foods:

• We do not use canola, corn, cottonseed, or soy oils in any of our prepared foods or baked goods. We use pure olive oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, and sesame oil.

• We use non-GMO cornstarch.

• We use pure cane sugar and organic dried cane juice (no sugars containing beet sugar).

• We do not use corn syrup in our baked goods (our pecan pies are made with local maple syrup!).

• We use jam made with pure cane sugar and organic peanut butter with no genetically engineered oils or sweeteners.

• We use organic tamari (it is also wheat- and gluten-free).

• We use organic corn and cornmeal.

• We use organic soy products (tofu, tempeh, tempeh bacon).

• We use sour cream that does not contain cornstarch and is rBST-free.

While the deli continues to offer Hellman's mayo for the many customers who choose it, we also have Veganaise as a non-GMO option.

A note on eggs and dairy:

It is cost-prohibitive to use just organic eggs and dairy products. For that reason, it is likely that the dairy and eggs we use come from animals that may have consumed GMO feed.

The Creamery's effort to reduce the presence of GMO foods from our kitchen is an ongoing process. If you have questions or concerns, please be in touch with Emmy, our kitchen manager.

Wheel-View Farm Fall Open House and Cider Weekends
Saturdays and Sundays, November 2, 3, 9, 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

We love Wheel-View Farm! All of the ground beef in our deli is from local, grass-fed beef raised by Carolyn and John Wheeler in nearby Shelburne. We use it for our chili, burritos, lasagna, and other dishes. We also roast Wheelview top round for our roast beef sandwiches and cold cuts.

Take your family for a delightful day trip this weekend or next to this great Old Creamery source for local beef. You can also purchase Wheel-View products at a discount while enjoying your farm visit. Say hello for us.

And after your day at the farm...

It's Time for the Church Auction and Dinner in West Cummington! 

The West Cummington Congregational Church will hold its twelfth annual auction and dinner on Saturday, November 9, at the Parish House at 27 West Main Street, West Cummington. Proceeds of the auction support all the programs and activities of this country church, which is renowned for its music, warmth, and welcoming spirit. Past auctions have provided great deals as well as lots of fun and laughter.

The auction will be preceded by a wonderful dinner prepared by Alice Cozzolino of Old Creamery fame. The whole community is invited. Make your reservations now! Only 90 dinner tickets are for sale. There will be a choice of vegetarian and nonvegetarian dishes. Dinner tickets can be purchased for $25 at the Old Creamery Co-op (413-634-5560) or from Darlene Graham (413-634-8098).
 
Registration for the auction will begin at 4:30 p.m., and dinner will be served at 5:40. The auction will begin at 7 p.m. Preregister for bidding by calling Darlene at 413-634-8098.

It's always a fun fall Hilltown evening!

Kitchen Garden Farm 

Butternut Squash 

Kohlrabi 

Beets: Golden and Chioggia

Broccoli

Spicy Mixed Greens

Napa Cabbage

Baby Bok Choy

Tender Sweet Cabbage

Romaine Lettuce

Sweet Peppers

Tuscan Kale

Bright Lights Chard

Shallots

Sweet Potatoes

Large Bok Choy

Fydenkevez Farm   

Delicata Squash

Acorn Squash

Paddy Flat Farm    

Sweet Dumpling Squash

Watermelon  

Husk Cherries

Scott Farm (Ashfield, Mass.) Apples

Spencer 

Macoun 

Jonagold

Matso

Scott Farm (Dummerston, Vermont) Apples  

Roxbury Russet Baldwin

Northern Spy

Bromely's Seedling

Caville Blanc  

Knobbed Russet 

Honeycrisp

Belle de Boskoop
Lady Apple

Esopus Spaitzenburg

Cox's Orange Pippen  

Holiday Brook Farm

Sunshine Squash

Bunch Beets

Potatoes: Purple Sun and Bintje

Hakurei Turnips

Stay in Touch! We Love to Hear from You!

For questions about Co-op membership, product requests, or suggestions or other feedback, please send a note to info@oldcreamery.coop. We'll make sure your note is sent to the appropriate person and that you get a prompt response.

If you'd like to contact the Co-op's board of directors, simply send your email to board@oldcreamery.coop. Emails sent to this address are received only by the board.

To reach Karen Doherty, the Co-op's general manager, send an email to gm@oldcreamery.coop. Emails sent to this address are received only by Karen.

If you're thinking of becoming a valued volunteer of the Co-op, you can reach Shirley Todd, volunteer coordinator, at volunteer@oldcreamery.coop. There are many opportunities for volunteers. Emails sent to this address go directly to Shirley.

Help us spread the word! Encourage your friends to sign on to receive the Creamery's weekly email newsletter. Better yet, encourage them to become member-owners of the Co-op. You can forward this email to your friends and relatives (for best results, use the "Forward email" link in the white space at the bottom of this page). Rest assured, we won't clog their inboxes and we will respect their privacy. We will not disclose your or their email addresses to anyone else. You can unsubscribe at any time. Thank you for your interest, commitment, and support.  

Your continued patronage supports the ongoing success of our community-owned, values-based cooperative. Thank you for supporting the Old Creamery Co-op as a member-owner, as a shopper, as a friend. We value every contribution to the success of the Old Creamery Co-op.

Please pass this message on to your friends  

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Quick Links

445 Berkshire Trail

Cummington, Massachusetts 01026

413.634.5560