| Local Connection:Living Rain Farm  John DeVries farms 13 acres of rhubarb and asparagus on Calhoun Road in west Mount Vernon. He started planting in 2005 and became certified organic in 2009. He is a member of Tilth Producers of WA.
We asked: What motivates you to farm? “I’ve always liked nature. Being a part of the natural cycle is satisfying. I enjoy sticking my shovel in my soil and letting the soil run through my fingers. Good soil has a certain “feel” and scent to it. It’s fun to watch things grow (everything except weeds!) and Heck,I just like being outside!”Read more Local Connection:Living Rain Farm … 
We have embarked on greatness!! Imagine this…. Our velvety chocolate ice cream,playing host to toasted almond nutty goodness,pillowed by fluffy soft co-op made marshmallows. Can you see it? Now come and get it…Rock’n Road Ice Cream  Sometimes this Valley is so bursting-with-loveliness that I find myself taking haphazard photos out my car window. My drive in to work,from La Conner to Mount Vernon along McLean Rd,has been a consistent delight. All winter the snow geese and trumpeter swans held court in the clodden soggy fields. All spring the fields have been peeking, then popping with color. The farm workers are out there in the morning fields,reminding me that no dream of color and light and harvest in particular, can happen without the labor and effort of many hands. Thanks be to all of you who are tending the soil in this magnificent place. And remember show up to support the various Farmworker Solidarity marches that happen on May 5th. Also –send in your favorite tulip photos and we’ll keep sharing them…jodie(at)skagitfoodcoop.com Read more Photos from the Morning Commute …
We know. There is a lot to keep track of in food land right now. This one is a biggie though, and will directly impact local agriculture –farmers that you know and food that you enjoy. Please read and share and follow through to send your comments to the FDA. The deadline is May 16th. This post will walk you through it: “This isn’t about the farm bill, it is about the new FDA regulations regarding the production and sale of vegetables. Many of us who are close to the local direct marketing system of agriculture believe that these proposed new regulations will be the legal kiss of death for all small farms growing vegetables and selling them directly to the public.
Below is an alert from the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance which is one of the organizations working on this issue. It includes instructions for online commenting. I would certainly encourage the entire cooperative movement to unite in opposition to this federal power grab that is so threatening to local producers.
Bob Waldrop,Oklahoma Food Cooperative Read more Action Alert:Tell FDA to give farmers more time! …  Try some local honey. Tasty and maybe effective in helping with allergies. It’s a bright,sunshine-y day out there. But alas,for some the cheery aspects of seasonal change are accompanied by allergic reactions to pollen. Fortunately there are plenty of natural remedies for allergies. Visit our Wellness Department and you’ll discover a host of possibilities,including consuming local honey and using Neti Pots with a mild salt solution to relieve nasal congestion. Another option to treat allergies is to eat nettles for a boost of natural antihistamines. The time is ripe to look for fresh,locally harvested nettles in the Produce Department –but be careful as raw nettles can sting the skin and you must boil them before eating! Understanding allergic reactions can help us understand how to deal with them naturally,without pharmaceuticals. Allergies occur when grains of pollen enter nasal passages and latch onto the soft mucous membranes that line our bronchial and nasal passages. Read more Sniffles and Sunshine:Natural Allergy Remedies …  
SATURDAY MAY 4,2013
11:00 am –6:00 pm
Room 309 in the Co-op Building downtown Mount Vernon Yoga instructors from across the Valley offer an entire day of free classes in the upstairs of the Co-op. Come up to the third floor,kick off your shoes and explore a variety of yoga styles in celebration of all that is offered in the Valley. Each class starts on the hour every hour beginning at 11 am. Classes are suitable for all levels (including beginners!). Bring your own mat if you have one–some supplies will be provided. Free &Open to the public. Preregistration not required. Read more Skagit Free Yoga Day 2013 …  Specially Baked Treats from BreadFarm for the holidays!
Breadfarm’s cookie box is the cat’s meow –a medley of sweet and delicious rounds,perfect for parties,and for the cookie monsters in your life. Plus! Edison’s Own Fruitcake,Stollen,and Pan D’Oro… Any cake with a fruit in it,can technically be called a fruit cake –nuts,spices,and spirits optional…fruit cakes are found all over the world…and when made with brandy and stored in alcohol soaked linen,can last for many years… Early Roman recipes included pomegranate seeds,raisins,and pine nuts in a barley mash. Middle ages recipes included honey,spices,and preserved fruits. Read more Breadfarm Holiday Treats …  Locally made health and beauty goodies! Winter is a time when many of us get swept away and can forget to take care of ourselves. This season give the gift of self-care with gentle and locally made health and beauty care products. The Co-op’s Health and Beauty Aids section carries an amazing range of personal care products,including many that are made by local Skagit Valley and Washington State artisans and herbalists. Stop by HABA and find the perfect assortment of gifts for the holidays! Read more Local Gift Basket:Healthy and Beautiful …  Holiday treats from the Pacific Northwest! The holidays are in full swing and it’s time to find gifts for those special someones on your list. Select tasty treats and support local producers by shopping at the Co-op,where we offer many wonderful food and health products made locally in Skagit County,Washington State and the Pacific Northwest. Just look for the “local”tag on the shelf. Keep reading to learn more about the wonderful goodies we’ve selected for this basket. The Rustic Artisan Gift Basket is perfect for a hostess gift,family,friends and foodies! Read more Go Local With Gift Baskets:Rustic Artisan …  Yule Käse brings tidings of cheese comfort and joy! Each year the holidays inspire great cheeses. Such is the case with our latest offering in the Co-op’s Cheese Island –Beechers Handmade Yule Käse. This unique version of Beechers’Flagship Reserve is a Northwest original with a cheddar-like texture and nutty flavor. Take home this tasty winner –this year Yule Käse was honored with 2nd place in the American Cheese Society’s “Cheddar with sweet flavorings, fruits, seasonings, herbs, spices,alcohol/spirits”category. Seasonal Yule Käse exhibits tremendous flavors that take time to create. Complex tastes of honey-kissed caramel with undertones of red berries and earthy saltiness are the result of aging and infusions. The cheese is open-air aged in a clothbound truckle for 13 months and then further aged in red wine and local,unfiltered raw honey from Ballard Bee Honey Company. Firm with a natural rind,this pasteurized cow’s milk cheese makes a lovely addition to the holiday cheese plate or salad (see recipe below for Holiday Salad). It’s sophisticated and fruity flavors pair well with Riesling and Gewurtztraminer white wines,and fans of beer will find it makes a handy companion to Pyramid’s unfiltered Haywire Hefeweizen. Read more Cheese Whisperer:Beechers Yule Käse …  Attract colorful songbirds with wild birdseed cakes from Butterflies &Bear Cubs,a family-run business based in Mount Vernon. These handcrafted decorative feeders appeal to a wide variety of native birds and are made from dried fruit and seeds,including cranberries,millet,sunflower and thistle seeds.
Bound with natural gelatin,these locally made seed cakes provide feathered friends with a boost of protein and fat for the winter months,as well as an opportunity for some quality bird watching. Choose from several holiday themed designs,including snowmen,candy canes and snowflakes. 
 Now available in our Deli to go case –convenient packages of fresh handmade sushi-style Nori Rolls. Pick some up for lunch,dinner or a healthy,protein-packed snack. Now available in a four pack for only $3.99!
Choose from two varieties: - Vegetarian Marinated Tofu with Wasabi Roll,made with avocado,cucumbers and organic carrots
- Smoked Salmon with Sriracha mayonnaise sauce,with cucumbers and organic carrots
Both packages are served with a packet of savory organic wheat-free tamari sauce (a gluten free substitute for soy sauce),as well as pickled ginger and wasabi. If you’re craving a smaller amount of sushi,our fresh nori rolls are also available by the individual piece in the Deli cold case.  Visit our deli to go case and look for a new seasonal offering:the Co-op’s own Organic Cranberry Relish. This zesty relish is made from three simple organic ingredients:whole cranberries,oranges and sugar. Part sweet,part tangy and all delicious,this uncooked gluten free relish is perfect for serving alongside cheese,grilled vegetables,pork dishes as well as that famous Thanksgiving bird!
But don’t stop there,our handmade relish can find a place at any meal. Serve it for breakfast alongside sausage and pancakes. For a festive fun appetizer:mix the relish with cream cheese and toasted nuts and serve with crackers and raw vegetables. It also makes a tasty dessert when added to muffin mix or try spooning over a dish of vanilla or chocolate ice cream. Take home some Fresh Organic Cranberry Relish today and enjoy the flavors of fresh organic seasonal fruit in many ways!  Chunks of orange marbled spicy goodness! Visit the Co-op’s Cheese Island and take home some scrumptious Pistol Point Chipotle Cheddar from Rogue Creamery in Central Point,Oregon. Rogue’s robust natural white cheddar is rich with the smoky sweet flavors of the Southwest. Usually it sells for $19.99/lb,so right now it’s a steal at $9.99/lb! Hurry on over and try it for yourself! This tasty gluten free cheese is made with vegetarian rennet and rBST-free milk from Rogue’s own local dairy,where animals graze on lush pastures for most of the year. Studded with bright orange ground chipotle,the artisan cheese makers hand roll the house blend of chile spice over cheddar curds to create a stunning reddish orange marbled pattern that dazzles on a cheese board. Read more The Cheese Whisperer:Artisan Chipotle Cheddar …  New yumminess from Theo:Salted Toffee Milk Chocolate Theo Chocolate is a rare breed of American chocolate factory. The company creates certified organic,fair trade,gluten free chocolate nearly from scratch:roasting,milling and conching cacao beans into yummy chocolate at their headquarters in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle. Look for an extraordinary range of flavors,including Salted Almond,Coconut Curry and Spicy Chile. Be sure to check out their holiday line and seasonal flavors such as Salted Toffee Milk Chocolate,Gingerbread Spice and Peppermint Stick. Stock up on local Theo chocolate –an incredible variety of bars and their ridiculously tasty organic Sipping Chocolate are now on sale! And why not kick start your day with chocolate…for breakfast. Here’s a quick and easy recipe for a breakfast that’s packed with naturally occuring potassium,iron, fiber and caffeine. I like to use the newest holiday flavor:Salted Toffee Milk Chocolate –it’s a dark 62% cocoa bar. Chocolate Banana Breakfast Sandwich Read more Organic Local Chocolate On Sale and for Breakfast … |
Need help finding Gluten-free options? Look for this label in the Store  |
John DeVries farms 13 acres of rhubarb and asparagus on Calhoun Road in west Mount Vernon. He started planting in 2005 and became certified organic in 2009. He is a member of Tilth Producers of WA.
