Summertime and the eating is local!

Hello Wheatsville friends and fans!

This week:

Celebrate your Independents/ 4th of July (we close early)

Eating local is cool!

Big Green Bus is paying us a visit this Friday!!!

News from the cold departments

Word from your deli and a Swiss meat loaf recipe!

Specials in grocery, bulk and beer

Coffee with the board

Celebrate your Indpendents!

AIBA and The American Independent Business Alliance declare the first week in July each year as Independents Week in celebration of the contribution of locally owned businesses. That's this coming week! (Yep, June is already almost over...)

You can't get much more independently celebratory than with localy grown and produced foods. Our Eat Local challenge continues through July 15th. 

What is the Eat local challenge?

We're inviting you to try to consume 80% of your diet (or 4 out of every 5 meals) from food grown or produced locally.

The challenge will begin June 15th and continue through July 15th. It's an honor-based system; those wishing to participate will simply sign the large poster at the Member Center and try their best.

At Wheatsville, we define local food as food grown or processed in Texas. During the Eat Local America Challenge and throughout the year, we call attention to local food on our shelves by the bright green Locally Made signs. We also have a handy list on our website with links to local producers and the distance they are from Wheatsville. http://wheatsville.coop/local.html

We will be closing at 9PM on Friday, the 4th of July, so get your picnic and party goods before then! (Deli will close at 8:30)

Eat Local Challenge Made Easy in Produce

Make sure to check out your produce section for your local veggie hook-up! Those kind folks over at Buena Tierra continue to amaze with their high quality local organic produce. We currently are selling their zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, golden zucchini, fresh basil, loose beets, red potatoes, eggplants, galia and cantaloupe melons. These are the best melons I've ever tasted, get'em while they last. We also are offering locally grown heirloom tomatoes from Liberty Oaks Farms, and local organic celebrity tomatoes from Walnut Creek Organic Farms (coming in today or tomorrow!). Eating local also means eating in season, so don't forget those Texas peaches, or a bib.

Big Green Bus is coming for a visit

Friday July 27th

from 5-9pm behind the store near the new (in construction mode) offices

In their fourth summer on the road, the Big Green Bus educates Americans about climate change and it's relationship to energy issues, as well as alternative energy. The Big Green Bus Tour promotes the adoption of lifestyle choices that conserve energy and take us farther down the path towards sustainability.

www.thebiggreenbus.org

Our friends at Bark for Peace! are the host for the Austin leg of the 2008 Big Green Bus tour.

Here's the latest from Mike Crissey, our Chill Buyer:

 

THE NAME GAME

Shoppers may have noticed something funny in the tofu and tempeh door of the dairy cooler: WhiteWave tofu has turned into WestSoy tofu. WhiteWave Foods Co. sold its tofu and meat-alternative business to Hain Celestial Group Inc. for an undisclosed amount earlier this month. Melville, NY-based Hain Celestial Group is the biggest U.S. maker of organic products with brands as Celestial Seasonings, Garden of Eatin', HealthValley, and Arrowhead Mills.

The deal marks the first time in its 30-year history that WhiteWave, a subsidiary of Dallas-based based Dean Foods, will no longer sell tofu products. WhiteWave will still have its four dairy products: Silk, Horizon Organic, International Delight and Land O' Lakes.

WHERE HAVE THE GARDENBURGERS GONE?

 

We have had a growing hole in the frozen section – the Gardenburgers. I have been ordering these products but haven't been receiving them. Kellogg Company, which owns the Gardenburger brand, has been upgrading its plant in Clearfield, Utah. The company hoped the project would be done by the end of last month. Kellogg Co. says it will begin production as soon as possible and may try to produce them elsewhere.

 

BOCA BLUES

 

Meanwhile, we may soon face a shortage of Boca Burgers and other products. Kraft Foods, the nation's largest packaged foods company, has told us that they are having problems with production. We may not be able to get these products until mid-July:

Boca Spicy Chicken Patties

Boca Roasted Garlic Burgers

Boca Roasted Onion Burgers

Boca All-American Burgers

 

DID YOU GET YOUR FREE MILK?

 

I don't think I did a good job communicating this, but people who were hanging onto their UPCs and receipts for the Horizon Organics Frequent Buyer milk program should get their envelopes in and their free half-gallons as soon as possible. If you don't remember, the program gave shoppers a free half-gallon of milk after they bought five half-gallons. The deadline to submit the envelopes was the end of May, but we'll give you a free half-gallon if you can return your envelopes before the end of June.

 

 WHITE MOUNTAIN CHANGES PACK SIZES

 

Besides moving to a different part of the store -- in the deli self-serve case in the back of the store -- White Mountain Foods has new pack sizes for their tofu sauces and dips. The sauces and dips -- No-Egg Salad, Cottage Tofu, Hot Tofu Dip, Veggie BBQ and Veg-itas -- will all be 10 oz. tubs, rather than the 8 oz. or 16 oz. tubs White Mountain had used before. The new sizes mean new prices. The No-Egg Salad, Cottage Tofu, Hot Tofu Dip and Veggie BBQ will be $3.99 a tub, while Veg-itas will be $4.39 a tub.

 

FLOODING COULD CAUSE HIGHER MILK, MEAT PRICES

 

The Associated Press reported on Saturday that raging Midwest floodwaters swallowed crops and have sent corn and soybean prices soaring. The AP says the floods engulfed an estimated 2 million or more acres of corn and soybean fields in Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and other key growing states, sending world grain prices skyward on fears of a substantially smaller corn crop. Beef, pork, poultry and even eggs, cheese and milk are expected to get more expensive as livestock owners go out of business or are forced to slaughter more cattle, hogs, turkeys and chickens to cope with rocketing costs for corn-based animal feed, the AP reported. Experts told the AP the trickle-down effect from higher grain prices could be more dramatic later this year, affecting everything from Thanksgiving turkeys to Christmas hams. In Iowa, the No. 1 U.S. corn grower, floods swallowed about 9 percent of corn crops, representing about 1.2 million acres — almost 1.5 percent of the country's anticipated harvest. In Indiana, another 9 percent of corn and soybean crops were flooded, potentially costing farmers up to $840 million in lost earnings. At least two-thirds of the production costs for livestock are feed.

 

 

Your deli cooks so you don't have to!

This week is your last chance to try our June specials, including our salsa of the month, the smoky Blackened Pepper Salsa made with roasted jalapenos and our smoothie of the month, Wildwood Sunrise, a delicious raspberry and orange-flavored treat. Our cold drinks have taken center stage with the Deli's other self-serve beverages, with the cold-brewed Iced Coffee Toddy and organic black China Mist Iced Tea taking their place alongside the ever-popular Iced Yerba Mate to help slake your thirst. Wheatsville's cool, crisp signature large green salads with all-natural Buddy's chicken, baked tofu or fresh mozzarella cheese are in abundance in the self-serve case. And as always, the Deli case is full of all sorts of tasty vegetable, bean and grain salads and entrees awaiting your tastebuds. Come try a sample!

 

 Dairy month is a good time to visit the cheese department and celebrate local!

 When shopping local this month, don't forget to check out your Cheese Dept. for local delicacies!  Pure luck's Award winning goat cheeses make fabulous picnic munchies, as well as fanciful h'orderves at that special party.  Water Oak makes a fantastic goat ricotta so full of flavor you'll want to eat it all by itself!  And the robust flavors of Raw Veldhuizen cheeses please even the pickiest of cheese mongers. (Did you see the cool write- up about the Veldhuizen family in the Chronicle last week? http://tinyurl.com/3rsjzt or http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A638397 )  Also, don't miss Full Quiver Cheese Spreads, P/2 Pestos with Pasta & Co. fresh pastas, and White Mountain Wheat roast for vegans and non-vegans alike!      

 

Our meat department delivers the local goods and a recipe!

So you've committed your self to "The Eat Local Challenge". Now what? Luckily Wheatsville carries a myriad of locally produced foods like produce, dairy, meats, and great locally produced snacks. You can also drive to many of the farms we support for a more hands on approach, and the farmers markets have products you won't see anywhere else. I' (Bryan Butler, the meat buyer) have personally taken on "The Eat Local Challenge" and found it to be alot of fun and very satisfying. This week in the meat department we are supporting the challenge by offering a great local product on sale:

Bastrop Cattle Company's Grass-fed Ground beef  regularly priced @ $6.99lb, now $6.49lb.

 

Here's a great recipe using grassfed groundbeef:

 

Swiss Meat Loaf Recipe

2 pounds of grassfed hamburger
1 1/2 cup diced swiss cheese, local
2 beaten poultry eggs, local
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 cups milk, pastured
1 cup dry bread crumbs

Mix all ingredients and press firmly into a loaf pan. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/4 hours.

Grocery has the staples and more

This is your last week to pick up any of your favorite Co-op Advantage specials on deal for June. If something on special is one of your favorites, stock up now! (More specials coming in JUly!)

Wheatsville loves Root Beer

 Blue Sky Root Beer is our number one canned soda and our other root beers are very popular, too. The New York Times had a nice article recently where their wine tasters set their taste buds loose on Root Beer. Check it out http://tinyurl.com/5qh3w9 or http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/dining/25root.html?em&ex=1214539200&en=479bad281cf8bfd4&ei=5087%0A

Summertime is Beertime!

We're happy to showcase our beer of the week, our friends at  REAL ALE Brewery! 

2008 marks the 12^th Anniversary of Blanco, Texas' Real Ale Brewery! Wheatsville is celebrating until the end of June with a sale! Our everyday low price of $7.49 is marked down to $6.99 on all Real Ale 6-packs. You're invited to a shin-dig this Saturday at the brewery featuring beer, bbq, music and brewery tours. Our very own Beer Buyer, Shane Shelton's band PONG will be part of the festivities. For more information:http://www.realalebrewing.com/

NEW in the BULK aisle!

 

You asked for it, so here it is!- Madhava Organic, Raw Agave Nectar    $4.19/pound

Look for it in the liquid bulk section, yum!

For more information and fun facts about this product, take a look at this link:

http://www.madhavasagave.com/

  

 Coffee with the board

Save the date; Saturday July 5th from 10am-Noon, coffee with the board on our patio! (more next week.) Talk about the store, the weather, your ideas and about the transformation of society while drinking yummy coffee!

Have a great week!

Dan Gillotte

Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy (and exclamation point evangelist(!))

 

 

Eat local challenge is a go!

Hello Wheatsville friends and fans!

Kind of a long post this week with so much stuff we're excited about!

Some short news up front, and then a whole bunch of stuff about our Eat Local Challenge!

Monthly Board meeting June 24th!

Wheatsville Monthly Board Meeting on Tuesday June 24th from 6-9pm at an alternate location The Episcopal Seminary of the Southwest 606 Rathervue place (just off Duval) look to our board agenda http://wheatsville.coop/bodagenda.pdf for more detail. Until the new offices and meeting room are completed this summer, we'll be in alternate spaces. Stay tuned for details prior to each board meeting!

Special news about July's Member Appreciation Day

You love Member Appreciation Day and we love it, too! But, with the state of our parking lot for July, we want to keep from turning Member Appreciation Day into Member AGGRAVATION Day, so we're changing it up for now. Look for a coupon in the Wheatsville Breeze that will be coming your way in early July. The coupon will give you a chance to get a 10% discount off of one shopping trip of your choice between July 14th and July 27th. That way, you still get your discount day, but we don't put undue pressure on the parking lot on one specific day. I don't know if we'll continue this for October's Member Appreciation Day, it will depend on the state of the store and how well this July one goes for all of us.

Recognition for the co-op!

We had a nice write-up in the paper last Thursday. The links last for a week, so hurry on over if you haven;t already seen it. http://tinyurl.com/67gbaq (Yes, I really do know how to juggle.)

We were named Store of the Month in June's Natural Foods Merchandiser http://nfmmag.texterity.com/nfmmag/200806/?pg=74

Eat Local Austin!

Wheatsville is hosting an "Eat Local America" challenge inviting you to try to consume 80% of your diet (or 4 out of every 5 meals) from food grown or produced locally.

The challenge will begin June 15th and continue through July 15th. It's an honor-based system; those wishing to participate will simply sign the large poster at the Member Center and try their best.

At Wheatsville, we define local food as food grown or processed in Texas. During the Eat Local America Challenge and throughout the year, we call attention to local food on our shelves by the bright green Locally Made signs. We also have a handy list on our website with links to local producers and the distance they are from Wheatsville. http://wheatsville.coop/local.html

Why Eat Local?

There are many benefits to eating local food. It's good for the economy, because money from each transaction stays in the region. It connects community members to the people who produce their food, while helping to support endangered family farms.

Plus, since food doesn't travel far from where it's produced, eating local also helps protect the environment by reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Local food is more nutritious and simply tastes better, because it's often harvested or processed the same day it arrives at the co-op.

Although "local" is a buzzword used by many retailers, Wheatsville has for years cultivated truly reciprocal, long-term relationships with local growers and producers, offering its shoppers a convenient connection to fresh and delicious food of the highest quality. Eat Local America celebrates our dedication and commitment to local food for consumers and our suppliers.

National Challenge Underway

Wheatsville is joining nearly 70 other natural food co-ops coast-to-coast in Eat Local America. All are members of National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA) --a business services cooperative representing nearly 110 retail food co-ops nationwide.

Since peak harvest time varies throughout the nation, the challenge duration may vary from a one-week to one-month period, depending where people and stores reside. Most participating co-ops will conduct the challenge based on their region as follows:

    * June 15 - July 15--South, Southwest and California

    * July 15 - Aug 15--Plains, Midwest and Northwest

    * August 15 - Sept 15--Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Ohio Valley and Upper Midwest

Beginning June 1, food lovers can learn about all participating Eat Local America initiatives at www.eatlocalamerica.coop.

Eat Local America is not your typical challenge. Because it is framed around each region's peak harvest times, length and timing varies for each co-op, as does the definition of "local." The Eat Local America challenge celebrates the uniqueness of our regional food supplies, as well as a collective and emerging passion for eating more local, organic foods.

More About Eating Local

Although we're holding this challenge during peak season for fresh produce, we hope to educate our shoppers that it's possible -- and not too difficult -- to eat local food year-round. Fruit and vegetables can be preserved until the next harvest season, via canning, freezing and dehydrating. But don't think local is limited to produce. Wheatsville is the go-to source for local dairy products, including milk and artisan cheese, as well as eggs, meat, poultry, salsa, granola, and baked goods.

Happy Summer!

The Wheatsville Deli case is brimming with delicious treats like our cheesy, veggie Rainbow Chard Enchiladas, organic lacinato kale lightly sauteed with spicy peppers and onions, Portobello mushrooms stuffed with roasted veggies and cheese, and a refreshingly cool Chilled Cucumber Soup. We are excited at our opportunity to bring incredibly delicious local tomatoes into the Deli this season, grown and harvested by East Austin's Urban Roots, "a youth development program that uses sustainable agriculture as means to effect lasting change for youth participants, and to nourish East Austin residents who currently have limited access to healthy foods," so make sure to ask for some on your sandwiches and tacos, and don't forget to grab some fresh and spicy pico de gallo, too!

 

New in the Cheese case!!!!

 

We just got in Queso Fresco and it is a favorite already. This is a great cheese for sprinkling over salads, soups, and enchiladas due to its soft, moist, mild and crumbly nature. Perfect for the hot weather.

 

New to the case is a great flavored cheese from Cabot Vermont, horseradish cheddar.  Cabot Vermont is an awesome company because it is a farmer owned cooperative that has been very successful.  I love companies like this, they keep small family farms in business plus they are well known in the traditional grocery stores.  Supporting Cabot Vermont supports family businesses, and that is what it is all about.  

Our meat department is great for local!

Eat local! The meat department has lots of dinner opportunities that are raised locally. We have Pederson's bacon and sausages from Hamilton Texas. Pederson's pigs are hormone and antibiotic free and also Pederson's is certified humanely treated by certifiedhumane.com. 

We also carry products from Richardson's farm in Rockdale Texas. Their pasture raised pigs are hormone and antibiotic free. Richardson's farm actually feeds their hog's grains and vegetables from their farm, talk about local. 

Of course, we're always proud to promote Buddy's chicken,  which has been a favorite at Wheatsville for 25+ years. Buddy's is produced in Gonzales Texas.

One of the true gems at Wheatsville Co-op is Hugh Fitzsimmon's Thunderheart Bison from the shape ranch near San Antonio Texas. Hugh raises and harvests his animals on the pasture. Hugh sets himself and his product apart from the rest of the bison producers with very honorable and traditional practice. Allowing them to roam freely over 13,000 acres of South Texas grassland, they graze freely, fattening themselves on native grasses and mesquite beans, just as they have for thousands of years. The result is a pure source of protein that is derived from an inherently healthy animal.

Texas obviously has no shortage of beef. Finding the perfect steak still isn't that simple. I think we have a great source for grass-fed local beef with Patty Jacobs with Bastrop Cattle Company. We sell ground beef for all purpose cook of dishes, shoulder roasts for a nice slow dinner, and terrific sirloin steaks for the grill hound in all of us. Here's a great easy recipe to get you started cooking a grass-fed sirloin.

Grilling Bastrop Cattle Company meat will be fast. We do offer different thickness - ½ inch, ¾ inch and 1 inch. Know which one you're dealing with when you cook. I like to rub a little olive oil on the meat prior to cooking.You can also marinate the meat for fifteen minutes in olive oil and red wine. This will give it a slightly heavier flavor.

 

If you are using charcoal or mesquite, build your fire and wait until the flames have died down and you have very hot coals. Place your grill approximately six to eight inches above your coals.

 

Set the piece of meat directly onto the grill and over the coals. Sear on each side approximately two minutes. Then move the meat to a piece of aluminum directly over the fire. Continue to cook until the meat is done to preference. ½ inch thickness is best if you like your steak well done. ¾ inch will give you a medium. 1 inch is best if you want rare.

 

Serve with a fresh salad and grilled vegetables.

 

Of all of these companies we only carry a limited variety of their product lines. If you don't see what you want or know of a particular product you like to have ordered for you just let the Bryan or Mark in the meat department know and we'll do everything we can to help you. Many of these products are shipped to us frozen and we'll be glad to sell them to you in that state for easy moving into your freezer at home.

Let's all do our best to consume locally this next month. 80% is a big number but Wheatsville Co-op is the place that can make it possible. ~Ciao!

 

Drink Local!

BEER OF THE WEEK

 

St. Arnold's LAWNMOWER

A true German-style Kölsch. Originally brewed in Cologne, but now brewed in Texas! This beer is light yet has a sweet malty body that is balanced by a complex, citrus hop character. Multiple additions of German Hallertauer hops and a special Kölsch yeast  yield the slightly fruity, clean flavor of this beer. Fancy Lawnmower Beer is a world class brew yet light enough to be enjoyed by Texans after strenuous activities, like mowing the lawn. Try a 6-pack from Wheatsville for the everday low price of  $7.99

New Iced Tea!

Local Sweethearts: Organic Sweet Leaf Peach Lemonade...Refreshing!!

Have a super great week and go local!!!

Dan Gillotte

Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy!