Our monthly summary of how you can make the most of your Whole Grains Council membership.

WGC June 2016 Member Newsletter
Dear Whole Grains Council members,

Long live whole grains... or better yet, live longer with whole grains. That's the message from two new studies that came out this month. Between them, the two studies (which we've summarized on our Health Studies page here and here) examined data from millions of people in more than four dozen different studies, and found evidence showing those who eat the most whole grains live longer, with reduced risks for a slew of chronic diseases. US News & World Report picked up our account of the studies, helping us spread the news widely!

Aren't you glad to know that every time you formulate a whole grain product with "delicious" as your first (or only) goal, you're also increasing the odds that your customers will be buying your products for many extra years? We call that a smart business strategy!
Whole Grains Away From Home
Sept 25-27 in Chicago 
 
"Loved the caliber of the speakers." ... "There is always a ton of good stuff and this year was no different."... "Great mix of science, consumer insight, and culinary topics."

Those are just a few of the kudos from attendees at our 2014 conference, but their comments could just as easily apply to our upcoming Whole Grains Away From Home conference, taking place September 25-27 in Chicago.  We only hold these events every other year, so don't miss out on the top-notch speakers, deal-making, networking, and everything else we're planning - you won't get another chance at this much whole grain info all in one place until 2018!

Many of your fellow WGC members have already registered, telling us they want to hear Compass and Sodexo talk about how to work with large contract feeders... get the latest menu trend data from Datassential... or learn how Chef Ann Cooper's Lessons Learned from the Schoolroom can be applied throughout foodservice. Check out all the conference details here, then register today while there's still room. As always, the first registration from each WGC member company is free, and additional ones are almost half-price. Questions? Contact Cynthia Harriman (cynthia@oldwayspt.org or 617-896-4820).

A big thanks to our conference sponsors to date, for their support:
Project Sponsor: Ardent Mills
Event Sponsors: Barilla, Bob's Red Mill, King Arthur Flour
Benefactor Sponsors: Bay State Milling, General Mills, Lundberg Family Farms, Mars, Nature's Own (Flowers), Quaker, To Your Health Sprouted Flour, United Sorghum Checkoff Program.
What are YOU Doing for Whole Grains Month?  
 
September is Whole Grains Month so now's the time to finalize your company's plans. We encourage all WGC member companies to tie their September promotions to Whole Grains Month, to get the extra "lift" that occurs when we're all spreading a common message for consumers. We'll be highlighting Whole Grains Month activities in both our August and September consumer newsletters, so if you're running a special contest or sweepstakes, a Twitter party, online store discounts, or any other special whole grain deals, tell Kelly Toups by August 1.

If you aren't already subscribing to our Just Ask for Whole Grains consumer newsletter, subscribe today. It comes out just once a month - no clutter in your mailbox - and includes news about consumer attitudes, new health research, recipes (some from our members) as well as member discounts and deals. Check out back issues and sign up here.
Harley's Tip: Let Us Distribute Your Coupons!   

Harley Songin, who heads up our Whole Grain Stamp program and handles WGC member service, offers a monthly tip for taking full advantage of your WGC membership.

June Tip: As part of our Whole Grains Month celebration in September, we'll be bundling whole grain coupons with every order we fulfill on the Oldways webstore. If you want YOUR company and products to be included, contact Kelly Toups at kelly@oldwayspt.org for details. (We are looking for up to 100 coupons per company; coupons must be for at least 25¢ off and be valid until at least 12/31/2016.) We ship out about 25 orders per week (including our popular Mediterranean Diet menu plan books) all across the country, so this is a great way to increase your brand exposure. Most of our customers are shoppers trying to improve their diets - the perfect audience to hear about your healthy whole grain food options.

Contact Harley (harley@oldwayspt.org or 617-896-4832) with any questions about Stamp usage or membership. Remember, your WGC membership entitles you to participate in all our promotions, in addition to using the Whole Grain Stamp on qualifying products.
Free Webinar on Grain Food Innovation

The team at Packaged Facts is offering Whole Grains Council members FREE registration for their upcoming webinar: Innovation with Grains. David Sprinkle, research director at Packaged Facts, will join Kara Nielson, a culinary trendologist, to discuss trends related to heirloom grains, ancient grains, sprouted and high protein whole grains, grain snacks, and gluten-free grain alternatives.

To claim your free registration, click here: http://hubs.ly/H03cyFw0
New Oldways Website 

Last month Oldways - the nonprofit educational organization that founded and manages the WGC - launched its new website dedicated to "inspiring good health through cultural food traditions." Our fresh new design is optimized for desktop or mobile use, with new features that make it easy to search for and find information about the Mediterranean Diet, our Culinaria travel adventures (our next one is to Greece, in November)... resources for health professionals  and so much more. If your company is interested in linking its products to traditional diets around the world, we hope you'll take a look at everything Oldways has to offer.


And, if you like what you see, stay tuned: we'll be introducing an all-new Oldways Whole Grains Council website in just a few months. It will include all the great information you count on - from marketing messages and product lists to recipes and health studies - and the tools you need to use the Whole Grain Stamp, but with interface and graphic improvements that will make everything run even more smoothly, on both desktop and mobile devices.
Cynthia Harriman
Director of Food and Nutrition Strategies
cynthia@oldwayspt.org

Kelly Toups, MLA, RD, LDN
Program Director
kelly@oldwayspt.org 

Harley Songin
Stamp Program Manager
harley@oldwayspt.org

... and from all of the Oldways and Whole Grains Council staff
Oldways is a nonprofit food and nutrition education organization inspiring good health through cultural food traditions and lifestyles. The Oldways Whole Grains Council is only one of our many successful programs. Check out our website to learn more. 
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