Vine
THE
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
BUILD THE SUMMER SALAD OF YOUR DREAMS No matter how you dice, slice, chop, roast, pickle or shred it, the possibilities are endless. Pgs 12-13.
THE
Vine Summer Issue June 2021 - August 2021 pgs. 12-13
Published quarterly by BRIARPATCH FOOD CO-OP
Table of Contents 3-5
Recipes from the Editor
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From the General Manager
The Vine Team
Marketing Manager
8-9 Summer Greens
Rebecca Torpie
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Co-op CAUSE
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Owner Information
Editor Paula O’Brien paulao@briarpatch.coop
pgs. 15-17
Art Director
12-13
Holly Pesta Contributing Photographers and Designers
Seanan Maher, Laura Petersen CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS
Grace Debbeler, Chris Maher, Laura Petersen, Rebecca Torpie, Lauren Scott, Becca Warner, Alan Weisberg
pgs. 18-19
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14
From the Board President
Build the Summer Salad of Your Dreams Sonoran Hotdogs
15-17
Deep Roots — Tracy Pepper envisions a communal garden space that spans cultures
18-19
Forever Farms for the Future
20 Inspiration from Weaver Street Market, a food co-op in North Carolina
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We Have Green Better Days
22 Nevada City Farmers Market
BRIARPATCH FOOD CO-OP
290 Sierra College Drive Grass Valley, CA 95945
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24-25
(530) 272-5333
Co-op HOURS
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2025 Sustainability Goals Cont’d Get in Gear and Hit the Trail Walk on the Wild Side
On our cover:
Every day 7 am - 10 pm Deli 7 am - 9 pm Meat 8 am - 8 pm
pg. 26
Produce mandala designed by Holly Pesta Bunny illustrations by Seanan Maher
Follow us! See the latest photos and videos highlighting the best of BriarPatch! 2
@briarpatchcoop
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Recipes from the Editor
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BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Recipes from the Editor
By Paula O'Brien, Editor Summer’s a great time to go on a Blender Bender! Smoothies, dressings and dips provide green summer goodness that’s perfect any time of day.
Creamy Fresh Herb Dressing Makes 1 ½ cups
This dressing is great on salads, as a dip for veggies, dolloped and swirled into a bowl of gazpacho or the Cucumber Soup. ½ cup each, roughly chopped leaves: fresh cilantro, mint and basil ½ cup soaked cashews or sunflower seeds or ½ avocado 3 Tbsp hemp seeds or extra-virgin olive oil 1 clove garlic Juice of 1 lemon or lime ½ tsp ground coriander 2 – 3 Tbsp water ¼ to ½ tsp salt Soak cashews/sunflower seeds 1 ½ - 2 hours at room temperature. Drain and rinse. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Dressing will keep in refrigerator for three days.
Minty Melon Smoothie 1 serving This smoothie uses melon seeds! Rich in vitamins, minerals and protein, tap into their nutrition by blending with water and straining out and discarding the solids. 2 cups spinach, collards or kale, stemmed ½ cup fresh mint, stemmed 2 cups melon, fresh or frozen (cantaloupe, galia, canary, piel de sapo…) ½ - 1 banana 1 kiwifruit — peeled 1 cup “melon seed water” (see note), or
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your alt-milk of choice, plus more for desired consistency Ice as needed Optional: ½ tsp cinnamon
Note: Blend the seeds and inner “melon goo” with 2 cups water until seeds are broken down. Strain through nut milk bag, very fine strainer or cheesecloth so you remove all seed shrapnel. Also a refreshing drink on its own! Load the ingredients into your blender in the order listed. Blend at high speed until smooth and creamy.
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Spicy Cilantro Sauce Makes about 1 cup Quick and tasty! Serve with veggies as a dip (carrot sticks, cucumbers, red peppers, celery sticks), use in salads or nori rolls. 1 ¼ 1 ¼ 2 1 3
large bunch cilantro sweet onion, diced Juice of 1 lime tsp garam masala (if not available, use cumin) tsp apple cider vinegar dates, pitted and soaked in 4 oz water for a few hours tsp tamari Tbsp almonds, soaked 4 – 8 hours or 4 Tbsp cashews, soaked 4 hours Optional: ½ jalapeño, seeds and membrane removed
Loosely chop cilantro. Blend everything until smooth.
Cucumber Soup Makes about 2 cups
Easy and refreshing, this soup will help you chill on even the hottest days. 4 romaine lettuce leaves, chopped (about 1 ½ tightly packed cups) 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup) 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 /3 cup water 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 crushed garlic clove 1 Tbsp hemp seeds or extra virgin olive oil 1 /8 tsp salt 1/2 ripe avocado, chopped 1 Tbsp minced fresh herbs Additonal avocado chunks, dulse flakes, crushed walnut for toppings Blend romaine, cucumber, celery, water, lemon juice, garlic, hemp seeds or olive oil and salt together until smooth. Add in avocado and blend until incorporated. Add in fresh herbs and pulse briefly (you still want flecks, don’t blend them away). Serving option: Swirl in some salad dressing (like Creamy Fresh Herb Dressing) and put additional avocado chunks on top. Sprinkle on some dulse flakes and crushed walnut. 5
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
BriarPatch’s commitment to a stronger local food system By Chris Maher, General Manager
O
ne of our Board’s Ends Policies directs us to ensure a stronger local food system. We’re constantly working toward this vision with ongoing and short-term initiatives supporting this progress. To us, this means being an integral part of our local agricultural and food production and distribution systems. This is critical to ensuring our customers’ access to local foods, as these offerings are usually among the healthiest for our bodies and our planet. And, our support of other businesses within this system strengthens our local economy and thereby our overall economy. We measure the success of our support of local producers by how much the sales and purchases of these products grow each year and by how many new vendors we add to our list of suppliers. Our efforts to see this number grow help us prioritize purchasing these items over those that do not fit the local designation. It also guides us to back these producers with technical, financial and other forms of support. I am pleased to share that in 2020, local food sales grew in all departments yet again. BriarPatch’s commitment to a stronger local food system goes beyond selling products. The Co-op also provides
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crucial financial support to farmers through initiatives such as: Our Organic Certification Prepayment Program — Helping farmers and local producers achieve USDA Organic Certification if they haven’t already by
Opening our new Auburn store will give us the opportunity to further develop our support of, and evolve the meaning and value of, local in the food system. It will also open a new market to our existing farmers and help foster relationships with those we haven’t yet met. What an exciting opportunity we find before us! fronting certification costs and then deducting the repayment from invoices over time; and Our Loan Guarantee Program — Partnering with California FarmLink, a non-profit organization providing
equipment and operating loans to farmers, BriarPatch vets and recommends local farmers with strong patterns of success selling to the Co-op, and then pays the loan start-up fee. The Co-op guarantees half the borrowed amount, reducing loan interest charged and saving farmers hundreds of dollars. Our Board recently raised the loan guarantee limit to $250,000, helping us meet increased enthusiasm and further strengthen our local food system and security. Success in this work builds sustainability and ongoing regional food security. It is important to note how the resiliency we worked to create through our support of local served us in the pandemic. With the State’s shelter-in-place order, conventional channels for food distribution strained from the surge buying that followed. Our local farmers came to the rescue and the existing systems allowed us to keep our shelves filled with many of the things customers wanted. Opening our new Auburn store will give us the opportunity to further develop our support of, and evolve the meaning and value of, local in the food system. It will also open a new market to our existing farmers and help foster relationships with those we haven’t yet met. What an exciting opportunity we find before us!
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Imagining BriarPatch’s Future By Alan Weisberg, Board President
B
riarPatch’s success over the past decade in meeting the goals outlined in our Ends Policies allows your Board of Directors to increasingly turn its attention to the future path of the Co-op. Prior to the pandemic, the Board held one, and sometimes two retreats per year with our General Manager, other key managers and a facilitator from Columinate, a national consulting group that has served as our advisors on a range of issues, including best governing practices for food co-ops. These retreats really were retreats, i.e. we went away to a comfortable place and spent a day and a half together mixing policy work with some socializing and even a little fun. They played a big part in building the camaraderie the Board now enjoys.
attention remain remarkably high. But, we greatly miss the personal contact, and plan to get together “live” as soon as conditions allow. At the same time we will undoubtedly incorporate some remote work post-COVID, especially as
At a retreat some nearly four years ago, we decided to adopt a “multi-store” approach to BriarPatch’s growth. This in turn led to our action late last year to sign a long-term lease and develop one-third of the former Auburn K-Mart Building into another dynamic BriarPatch store.
At a retreat some nearly four years ago, we decided to adopt a “multistore” approach to BriarPatch’s growth. This in turn led to our action late last year to sign a long-term lease and develop one-third of the former Auburn K-Mart Building into another dynamic BriarPatch store.
we welcome the Auburn community into our co-op community.
Since March of 2020, all full Board and committee meetings have been on Zoom. After a shaky start, we quickly achieved an impressive fluency in conducting our business this way. Board attendance and
Our General Manager and staff will spend a lot of their time in the next year developing and launching the Auburn store. The Board plans to intensify its focus on imagining and planning for the
BriarPatch of the next decade and beyond. Here are topics we will take on in the next several months: • What changes in Board composition and practices are needed as we grow in the years to come? • What is the Co-op’s role in efforts to expand the availability of locallyproduced food in our service area and beyond? • What is our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and how can it be realized? • What is the Board’s role in integrating the Auburn community into the BriarPatch family? • How does BriarPatch further broaden our impact after opening the Auburn store? We will be seeking your ideas as we move forward with our efforts to imagine the Co-op’s future. Lots to think about! We are ready and excited to do this work.
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BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Summer Greens
Arugula
Chard
Cilantro
Though a member of the beet family, it’s a bit like spinach in its bitterness quotient but comes with ribs of many colors. Pro tip: Prepare the stems as you would asparagus.
If cilantro tastes like soap, then you have likely inherited the OR6A2 receptor gene which can detect aldehydes, found in the green and also a by-product of soap. Read on, friends. … Otherwise, lavish it on a range of cuisines, like Mexican, Indian or Eastern European.
Little Gems
Oakleaf Lettuce
Red Butter Lettuce
Small and elegant, if Romaine and Butter lettuce had a baby, this would be it: crispy texture, yet a sweet taste. Perfect in sammies, salads or as a dipping vehicle with your favorite yogurt-based dip.
A mild, sweet and nutty type of butter lettuce. Best used in fresh applications like vessels for summer rolls, tacos or as a bed for grilled fish or stir-fries. Pairs well with bacon, turmeric and citrus.
One of the varieties that can be harvested multiple times from a single plant. A little sweet. Pair it with a light, lemony vinaigrette or go a little edgier and give it a braise with shallot and olive oil.
Sometimes pointy, sometimes round ends, sometimes eaten raw, sometimes eaten sautéed, sometimes called rocket, sometimes called rucola. This peppery member of the cabbage and mustard family is a world-wide fan fave.
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BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
make me feel fine…
Collards
Dandelion Greens
Dino Kale
The “colewort” has deep roots in our socio-cultural history—check it out. Boiling it with bacon is traditional and delicious; however, consider trying a fresh pesto using young leaves.
If you’re less inclined toward their bitter taste, blanch them first. Sauté with leeks, feta and eggs for the perfect flavor balance that just may tip the scales in their favor.
Grown in Tuscany for centuries and also known as Lacinto kale, this hearty, earthy leaf stands up to bean, veggie and sausage soups and stews beautifully. You’ll still get some bite, even after a long simmer.
Tangy Tahini Sauce — Your New Go-To Sauce for Greens!
Redbor Kale Vibrant purple and magenta, this kale is king, growing upright and frilly unlike its more casual cousins. Raw, it will retain its color and makes a lovely slaw. Baked as a chip with a light tinge of nutmeg and salt, it shines.
Makes about 2 cups
1/2 cup water
Versatile and bright, this is a wonderful dressing for salads made with Little Gems or the heartier greens listed here such as Collards, Dino or Redbor Kale. Or, coat those heartier leaves and turn ‘em into baked or dehydrated chips. Also great on steamed or braised greens, or dress your next potato salad with it!
1-2 cloves garlic
1/2-3/4 cup tahini 1/4 cup tamari or shoyu 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Juice of one lemon
Sea salt to taste
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
Handful of herbs/greens, stems removed — such as parsley, cilantro, arugula, basil
Blend ingredients until smooth. Adjust texture using more tahini or water. It’s best fresh but will keep in fridge for up to three days.
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BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
You can donate to a worthy community cause at checkout by just asking your cashier to round up your total payment to the nearest dollar or more. Together, in small ways, we can make a real contribution to our community!
Sacramento LGBT Community Center JUNE
The Sacramento LGBT Community Center works to create a region where LGBTQ+ people thrive. They support the health and wellness of the most marginalized, advocate for equity and justice and work to build a culturally-rich LGBTQ+ community.
“
Being at the Center has given me the courage I never knew I had.”
– Zach, Client, Sacramento LGBT Community Center
Sierra Mental Wellness Group JULY
The mission of Sierra Mental Wellness Group is to provide professional and affordable individual, couple and family counseling, crisis services, adolescent programs and comprehensive mental health assessments.
“
Our philosophy is to provide the best care and treatment we can to any individual or family that needs help.”
– Todd Arvidson, Crisis Services General Manager, Sierra Mental Wellness Group
The Food Bank of Nevada County AUGUST
The Food Bank of Nevada County was established in 1986 to alleviate hunger and food insecurity in Nevada County. They procure nutritious food and distribute it to individuals and families in need.
“
There is no reason why people should have to go without food… [we]’re working to make sure everybody eats.
–Kathleen Shaffer, Board Member, The Food Bank of Nevada County 10
Why Be a Co-op Owner? Owner Appreciation Months
The Co-op announces special months during the year when owners can take 10% off one shopping trip. Check our social media or enews to find out when the next one is.
Opt into E-Receipts
Sign-up: BriarPatch.coop/ereceipt-opt-in
Vote and Become Involved
Vote for the Board of Directors, run for the Board and have a say in the strategic vision of the Co-op.
Be a PatchWorks Volunteer
Receive 15% off up to two shopping trips each month.
Ends Policies
Text Alerts
Text PATCHOWNERINFO to 888-530-1949 to sign up to receive important Co-op text alerts and information.
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
O W N E R S ’ PA G E
Patronage Dividend
Receive a dividend on purchases made in the store in years when the Co-op nets a profit.
BriarPatch Food Co-op exists so that Owners, customers and members of our community have: 1. A successful and vibrant cooperatively-owned business that acts as a leader among local businesses and food co-ops nationally and contributes to environmental stewardship through its business practices.
2. Access to high-quality, healthy products, especially local and organic food. 3. A community center where people experience a sense of connectedness, ownership and fellowship.
Board Members and Meetings Board of Directors Alan Weisberg, Alana Lucia, Mark Fenton, Katie Ivy, Richard Drace, Kwong Chew, Jonathan Collier, Kali Feiereisel, Rachel Berry To contact all the Directors, send an email to: directors@board.briarpatch. coop. For individual Directors: first name and last initial (i.e. alanw@board. briarpatch.coop). Letters may be left at Customer Service.
4. A stronger local food system. 5. A major employer that provides a healthy, fair and considerate workplace for employees. 6. Access to education about food and consumer issues that encourages customers to make healthier food choices.
Upcoming Board Meetings
Board Committees
The upcoming meeting agenda is posted on the store bulletin board at least one week prior to the meeting.
To find out more about the Board’s standing committees, please add the following Committee names to the subject line when you email us at directors@board.briarpatch.coop.
Tuesday, June 29, 2021 Tuesday, July 27, 2021 Tuesday, Aug 31, 2021 For meeting times or additional information, please contact Mary Hunter at maryh@briarpatch.coop.
Board Development Committee Finance Committee Executive Committee Governance Committee
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BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Build the Summer T
he essence of the garden in your bowl. No matter how you dice, slice, chop, roast, pickle or shred it, the possibilities are endless. With a few tips from the pros at Heartwood Eatery, you can build your own fresh from afield signature seasonal combo.
Just toss with olive oil and salt and don’t crowd the pan so they roast, not steam. From the Grill: Corn, Eggplant, Zucchini — what’s your favorite? Herbs! Fresh-torn herbs added to salads are wonderful and add another dimension of flavor. Try dill, cilantro, parsley, tarragon, mint. Basil and parsley like to be treated like a flower — trim the stems and keep in a vase on the counter. Crunch factor = seeds and nuts (plain, roasted or seasoned), croutons, fried shallots Balance = color, texture, flavor, shape, size — Use your artistic eye to create a beautiful masterpiece! Salads-in-a-salad: Add potatoes — roasted or boiled & seasoned, a bean salad or perhaps broccoli or cabbage slaw?
Pictured: Heartwood local organic eatery. Visit them at 237 Commercial St, Nevada City or online at HeartwoodEatery.com. Use farm-direct, local ingredients whenever possible. Let the season and setting guide you!
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Hardy greens like kale take stronger flavors & roasted vegetables Sweet elements — fresh or dried fruit, honeyed nuts Sprouts and Microgreens! Super nutritious and delicious
Kale makes great salads but needs to be sliced very fine, and ideally massaged with dressing or oil and salt.
Proteins — beans (puréed or whole), marinated tempeh, 7-minute egg, cheese, nuts and seeds, chicken, smoked fish
Greens — spicy, bitter, sweet — Remember to wash and dry well! Check out our greens guide on pages 8-9.
Ferments — Krauts and pickled veggies — beets, onions, cucumbers
Roasting vegetables — use high heat to caramelize the sugars.
A Special thanks to Mielle Chenier-Cowan Rose, Kitchen Manager at Heartwood Eatery, for her contributions to this guide!
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Salad of your dreams!
Pictured: The ingredients found in the ‘Over the Rainbow’ bowl at Heartwood Eatery: Mixed Greens, Carrots, Roasted Beets, Daikon Radish, Garbanzo Beans, Toasted Seeds, Avocado, House-made Wakame Kraut, Tempeh, Heartwood Dressing.
BALANCE FLAVORS
The following list of complementary flavors or textures can help. Use these guidelines in a single dish, or consider offering a harmonizing condiment. IF IT’S… Too Sour — add sweet/salty/ creamy Too Sweet — add sour/spicy/salty
Too Bitter — add sweet/creamy Too Salty — add sour, or if you’ve over-salted a soup try to dilute it with a little water. You can also boil a raw potato in it, peeled and quartered, to absorb some of the salt. Discard the potato pieces after about ten minutes. Source: Piece Of My Heart and Veganish by Mielle Chenier-Cowan Rose
Too Spicy — add sweet/creamy 13
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Hot Dogs N
othing says summer quite like hot dogs. We were inspired by the dawgs of Dogos el Miami, a self-described “hot dog joint” south of the border in Sonora, Mexico. Stuffed with cheese, stuffed into a roasted pepper and wrapped in bacon and fried, these aren’t for the faint of heart, but do they have heart & soul!
Makes 4 hot dogs 4 all-beef hot dogs (veggie dogs work too) ½ cup queso fresco cheese, crumbled 4 large Serrano peppers 4 slices bacon (we use thick cut) 4 hot dog buns (we like brioche)
Heat oven to 400º. Place Serranos in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for 3040 minutes, turning with tongs occasionally as the peppers char. Once blistered and blackened, immediately place in bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, rub off skins. Cut a deep slit in each hot dog lengthwise and stuff with cheese. Cut the top off of each pepper and a slit down the side. Stuff a hot dog into each one. Carefully twist 14 a piece of bacon around each
stuffed pepper. Secure the bacon at the ends with toothpicks. Fry each bacon-wrapped dog over medium heat, turning carefully with tongs to cook all sides of the bacon thoroughly. This will take anywhere from 10-20 minutes, depending on your pan and individual stovetop. Mix mayo and hot sauce to taste. Remove toothpicks, bun your dog and adorn with the fixins. Buen provecho!
Toppings Tomatoes, chopped Sweet onions, diced Jalapeños, sliced Mayonnaise Sriracha or dealer’s choice hot sauce
Deep Roots
Tracy Pepper envisions a communal garden space that spans cultures BY LAURA PETERSEN
S
uddenly, she felt the sense of connection and
belonging she was seeking. In the midst of sadness—tending plants, pulling weeds, with the sky overhead— flashes of Tracy Pepper’s grandmother appeared in her mind. As she wrestled with feelings of deep sorrow and devastation, Tracy felt a gap in her Being, like something had been stolen from her.
She couldn’t find the stories of her people, her lineage in Africa. There was no recorded history of her ancestors beyond the slave ships that took them away from the Congo. “For me, the garden is a magical place that brings me back to my roots that can hold me up; it gives me a sense of place and time. In this place, I feel deeply rooted and connected with my grandmother.”’ Tracy is the Director of Color Me Human, a new nonprofit organization working to dismantle systems of oppression
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
From Left to Right: Ana Mendez, Youth Development Coordinator; Tracy Pepper, Director; Daniela Fernández, Program Director
on people of color and the LGBTQ community within Nevada County. The organization is actively pursuing a community garden project called Grandmommy’s Garden, which will honor Tracy’s beloved grandmother—a woman of strength, compassion, and generosity—and all of our grandmothers. “The idea of grandmother is something most folx can relate to. For many of us, Grandmothers represent the matriarchal figure. Truly unconditional love,” reminisces Tracy. 15
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
for visitors. “She always wanted to help folks,” Tracy smiles. A bountiful garden, Grandmommy’s summer garden was abundant with walnuts, pecans, peaches, lemons and apple trees, grapes spilling over the fence, chickens and rows of vegetables. In the kitchen, there were always pies— whole and half-eaten—made with fruit
Submitted photo from Tracy: “The people in the photo are Geneva Keyes (grandmother) and to her right my eldest brother (Mitch). In front from left to right are my older brother (Al, aka Poochie), little ole' me, and my older sister (Lori). All dressed up in their best Sunday-go-to-church clothes.”
Rooted in justice, Grandmommy’s Garden will be a communal garden space centered around cultivating a cross-cultural community. Tracy envisions art and sculptures, benches for people to sit on and a playground where children play while their parents work in the garden.
“Mother Keyes,” as she was known, was a much-respected elder in the community. She and her husband raised 15 children and many grandchildren in the neighborhood. Tracy’s granddaddy was a farmer who was instrumental in building the nearby community Baptist church.
“I want it to be a refuge, where you can be accepted and surrounded by love. We are committed to food justice, education, and the celebration of Black, Indigenous and People of Color community members. We are sowing seeds of humanity and liberation,” Tracy promises.
The year she was born, Tracy moved to Bakersfield with her mother and siblings to live with her widowed grandmother. That was home until she was five.
PLANTING SEEDS
As a young girl, Tracy was often at her Grandmommy’s apron. 16
“I didn’t realize at the time how treasured and valuable that time was,” beams Tracy. Travelers coming from the south to work in the California cottonfields were told to go to Mrs. Keyes’ house if they needed a place to eat or sleep. There was always a pot on the stove and a sleeping porch
from Grandmommy’s plentiful garden. Tracy remembers being just tall enough to peer over the dining room table where her grandmother would roll out dough. Tracy and the other children in the neighborhood were raised by a village of grandmothers. It’s that same communal spirit that she envisions for her community garden project in Nevada County today: a safe, nurturing place where people can comfortably gather, share, lend a hand, heal and harvest the fruits of their labor. “I see Grandmommy’s Garden as a place to celebrate, a beacon to remind people this is where we come from.” Learn more about how you can support this project and get involved: colormehuman.org.
R
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
ooted in justice, Grandmommy’s Garden is a communal garden space centered around cultivating a cross-cultural community. We are committed to food justice, education, and celebration of Black, Indigenous and People of Color community members. With food, justice and love, we are sowing seeds of humanity and liberation. BY COLOR ME HUMAN
Grandmommy’s Garden is an opportunity to bring together many different cultures in service to the land and to one another. A community with “hands in and on land,” as Shelly Covert says. In partnership with C.H.I.R.P. and Sierra Harvest, we’re working to establish a Community Garden by and for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and LGBTQ+ individuals and families. The early inclusion of CHIRP and the input of the Nisenan is vital, and we look forward to working alongside them to respectfully and collaboratively tend their ancestral homelands. By press time for this edition of The Vine, Color Me Human was actively seeking a home base for their garden project, working with folks in the community who have shown an outpouring of support and are volunteering their skills and time to make this dream a reality.
’s a m d n Gra Preheat oven to 350º. Place 1/2 cup butter in a casserole dish. Place casserole dish in the preheating oven until butter is melted. Remove. Mix remaining 1/4 cup butter, peaches, 1/2 cup white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Spread over melted butter in the casserole dish.
Makes 10 servings ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened 1 (15 ounce) can peaches in heavy syrup 1 ½ cups white sugar, divided ½ cup brown sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground nutmeg
¼ 1 1 1
tsp vanilla extract cup milk cup all-purpose flour Tbsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
Mix remaining 1 cup white sugar, milk, flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl to make a smooth batter. Pour over peach mixture. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
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BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Forever Farms for the Future Special to The Vine by Bear Yuba Land Trust and Sierra Harvest
M
onth-to-month leases, unaffordable housing and insufficient infrastructure are barriers to success to small, organic farmers, especially in Nevada County where the real estate market is highly competitive and land values are higher than many rural places throughout the country.
This was the impetus for creating Forever Farms, collaborative partnership between Sierra Harvest, Bear Yuba Land Trust (BYLT), Tahoe Food Hub, BriarPatch Food Co-op and Mountain Bounty Farm. The goal of the program is to protect local farmland and prime soils in order to provide farmers with a sense of permanence in our community through affordable land access.
In 2020, with community support, BYLT acquired 37-acres of land on Birchville Road on the San Juan Ridge, permanently saving an established site of Mountain Bounty Farm from the imminent threat of a land sale. With the first massive community-supported project under their belts, the partners are looking forward to their next project. “We heard the community loud and clear during our campaign to raise money for this first project. Nevada County believes in and relies on our farmers to provide us with healthy, local food. Providing land security for farmers is one way the Forever Farms program can ensure this legacy will continue,” says Land Trust Executive Director Erin Tarr. To ensure that future Forever Farms projects are relevant and serve the community equitably, the partners have created the Forever Farms Advisory Committee. Comprised of farmers, ranchers and community members, the Advisory Committee will meet regularly to help determine future projects and conservation strategies.
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“The Advisory Committee will meet regularly to provide critical feedback to the Forever Farms program,” says
Molly Nakahara, Farm Institute Director at Sierra Harvest. “We want to make sure that our future conservation projects are accessible to all of the farmers in our community, not just a select few.” What’s in store for Forever Farms? The partnership is currently pursuing some big-impact projects. “The hope is that by protecting some of the larger tracts of open farmland in the region, Forever Farms will both honor the commitment that generations of Nevada County farmers have made to growing food and not houses, and provide land-security to the beginning farmers
s raised orever Farm tical farmland F , 0 2 0 2 cri • In to protect $780,000 unty Co in Nevada the first Farm was ty n u o B gram in • Mounta protected by the pro local farm eds 950 nty Farm fe its CSA u o B in ta n ugh • Mou h week thro people eac s 40 Farm grow acres ty n u o B in ated • Mounta on 10 cultiv s p ro c t n differe nds is nt woodla nd e c ja d a f o s ar Yuba La s • 20 acre il cted by Be now prote itat restoration & tra b a h r Trust fo currently stewarding these working lands,” says Nakahara. “We always welcome any input from the community. If there is farmland under threat of development, we want to know about it. With continued community support, we can create a Forever Farm every year!” If you are interested in learning more about the Advisory Committee, or if you’ve got farmland at risk of conversion or are a farmer looking to buy land, reach out to Molly Nakahara, Farm Institute Director at Sierra Harvest or Erin Tarr, Executive Director at Bear Yuba Land Trust. Learn more: sierraharvest.org • bylt.org
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Forever Stewards of the Land — Life at Mountain Bounty Farm
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ast spring, Farmer Grace Debbeler shared with BriarPatch what it’s like to work on the farm and her thoughts about the recent lease agreement signed with Bear Yuba Land Trust and the Forever Farms campaign. BY GRACE DEBBELER Spring on the farm is full of potential. It’s an opportunity for renewal as you take everything you learned from the season prior and simply try to improve. There is palpable energy as you place your first plants in the ground and wait for the magic to happen. This spring, I was filled with the same feeling of possibility. With our lease on our Birchville property through Forever Farms, we’ve also been able to make some other big changes throughout the winter. We’re taking this opportunity to add new infrastructure to shift our entire operation to one site, which has been a goal for many years. We’re developing the barn to allow for coolers and ample space to pack out 950 CSA shares each week. Since good produce comes from healthy and happy plant starts, we’re building a propagation house for all of our baby plants. We’re tearing down old fences and removing invasive species. It’s been a busy winter full of important projects and the season is only beginning!
community as a farmer. Young farmers have tremendous potential to continue the local food movement, yet also expand on how to grow food sustainably in this ever-changing world. I look forward to the next Forever Farms project as an innovative model of land ownership and stewardship. Grace was born and raised in Ohio and is proud of it! Following a degree in Environmental Engineering from Ohio State University, Grace worked as an Environmental Scientist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2017, she moved to Taos, New Mexico to work as a farming apprentice on a small CSA farm. She fell in love with farming and the mountains and then found her way to Mountain Bounty Farm. This is her fourth year with Mountain Bounty Farm where she manages the CSA and wholesale produce sales. Outside of farming, she's usually walking her two pups, kayaking or reading.
We’re exceptionally grateful for the lease at Birchville to allow us to feel like forever-stewards of the land. We look forward to sharing this space with the community, through farm tours for learners of all ages, farm dinners in the field, and harvest festivals full of all the bounty of the season. As a young farmer, the equitable access to farmland for the next generation of farmers is an issue many farmers face starting their careers. The lease and development of Mountain Bounty Farm as a Forever Farm has allowed me to feel secure in my job and my future in this
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BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
What if we start from the premise of doing intentionally good things? BY LAURA PETERSEN
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e’re inspired by Weaver Street Market, a food co-op in North Carolina with four stores and a food house. Weaver Street is leading the way through its program, “Game Changers.” Game Changers is the co-op's new label for a company or brand owned by individuals that identify as BIPOC.
“Our mission includes not just reconstructing the way we onboard vendors but reaching all aspects of our company from the inside out and how we welcome our community in our spaces,” says Allanah Hines, DEI Director. Like many grocery stores, Weaver Street’s purchasing practices have historically overlooked communities of color. The natural food industry at large and the national co-op community are predominately spaces for white people. Products from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) vendors at Weaver Street represented less than 4 percent of the co-op’s total sales, although this demographic makes up 37 percent of North Carolina’s population. After the death of George Floyd last summer, the co-op decided it was time to take a hard look in the mirror at the way it was doing business. It wasn’t easy, and at times uncomfortable. There were difficult conversations internally. But, they knew they had to do something. 20
group of “Champions” was formed, consisting of like-minded workers also dedicated to the mission of social justice and inclusivity.
“Look, we know we’ve done it poorly in the past. We know systemic racism has been part of that. What if we start from the premise of doing intentionally good things?” said James Watts, Weaver Street’s Head Merchandiser. The E.Q.U.I.T.Y. Alliance was formed by and consists of a group of four Black Weaver Street employees. A subsequent
“Our mission includes not just reconstructing the way we onboard vendors but reaching all aspects of our company from the inside out and how we welcome our community in our spaces,” says Allanah Hines, DEI Director. She says a culture shift is happening at Weaver Street. By intentionally seeking out, supporting and partnering with BIPOC farmers and businesses they are helping them thrive through a new loan program and building a broader audience. “It’s humbling for me. It’s the power of enhancing these people. You have to be OK with failure. You can’t stop trying,” says Allanah. We’ll be following Weaver Street and in the coming months, as part of our commitment to do better, we will be actively working to bring more products from BIPOC vendors to the Co-op’s shelves. We’d love your help!
Do you know or use products and brands that you think we should consider? Contact us at briarpatch. coop/get-in-touch
GREEN Better Days
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o many options selecting the perfect green powder to get proper nutrition… where to start? What’s it going to taste like? Is it worth the price? Green powders are dietary supplements you can mix into water and other liquids, fold into nut butter when you make energy balls and even add a pinch to salad dressings! Some powders can contain 25-40 or more different ingredients, while others have just one or two. Spirulina, barley or wheat grass powder and chlorella can give you bioavailable vitamins, minerals, protein and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients.
So, what’s the “best” green powder? The one you’ll use! Newbies should start slow. Most green powders will recommend a serving size, and you should ease into it since a lot of these products can have a “cleansing effect.” Some say wheat grass juice is like “truth serum” — how you feel after drinking it will give you a good gauge for how “clean” your system is. If it’s in need of a scrubdown, you’ll definitely feel it!
They typically have a verdant hue and can taste a *bit* grassy or other kinds of funky. Sweeteners and other add-ins are often used to round out the flavor. Add one to your morning smoothie and it’ll flood your system with nutrients and alkalize your body, giving your day a kick start. Drink it all in one go for the best results.
If you’re interested in finding a green powder or two to add to your routine, stop by BriarPatch and visit the Wellness Department. There’s a great selection, and folks who can help you sort through the options. The Deli also offers freshpressed wheatgrass juice, so Go and Get Your Greens!
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
We Have
PRO TIP: having one of these products on hand can be useful when you’re traveling and it’s hard to find fresh produce.
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BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Saturdays at the
Nevada City Farmers Market By Becca Warner, Market Manager for Nevada City Farmers Market
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Market Match dollars, proving that the NCFM is a critical access point for fresh foods for low-income individuals in the community. Throughout it all, the NCFM remained a place to safely find community connection in prolonged isolation.
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aturday mornings in Nevada City are best spent at the Nevada City Farmers Market in historic downtown. Peaches juicy enough to eat over the sink, plump vineripened tomatoes, fresh-baked bread, and one-of-a-kind artisan-made goods — Nevada County’s best is front and center at this local gem. Each Saturday from May 1st - December 18th, Union Street comes alive through its transformation into a robust marketplace complete with music, activities and over 40 vendors offering food and goods. You can find anything from eggs to locally-milled flour here, making it a one-stop shop for all you’ll need for the week ahead! For over twelve years, community has been at the forefront of this local farmers market. More than a marketplace for the freshest food, the NCFM fosters a bustling community meeting place where families 22
This well-loved farmers market is back for its thirteenth season on Union Street in historic downtown Nevada City: best enjoyed by sauntering down the hill, zigzagging from booth to booth, taking your time to take it all in and then sitting in Robinson Plaza with a coffee and a fresh peach to listen to live music on a warm summer day. There’s no better place to be on Saturday morning than the Nevada City Farmers Market.
Saturdays May 1st – December 18th 8:30 am – 1 pm Union Street, Downtown Nevada City ncfarmersmarket.org (530) 955-9720
and friends gather to dance, laugh and connect. It’s a place where you can be on a first-name basis with the folks who grow and make your food. If you’re looking for the heart of Nevada City, look no further than the Nevada City Farmers Market. The NCFM has become more essential throughout the pandemic. As the country saw supply shortages that left shelves empty, the market was a reliable place to find nourishment. With many people losing their income due to the pandemic, the market saw a dramatic increase in redemption of Supplemental
The NCFM is proud to accept SNAP and Farmers Market Nutrition Program benefits. 211 Connecting Point offers a Market Match for up to $10 for Nevada County residents. Swing by the Market Information Booth at the bottom of Union Street for more information or visit ncfarmersmarket.org/ebt.
You had questions about the Co-op's Sustainability Goals by 2025 and we have answers! BriarPatch is continuously working towards improved sustainability in all areas of our operations. Check out our most recent efforts!
Belly of the Beast
Hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants represent the largest single-source greenhouse gas emission at BriarPatch. Since 2017, we’ve reduced our annual refrigerant use by 58 percent. By 2025, we aim to cut our use an additional 50 percent. At our second store in Auburn, natural refrigerant systems are in the current plan. Hello future!
Now I See the Light!
The Co-op gets 50 percent of its power from the sun, generated onsite by a 295-kilowatt solar carport. We want 100 percent of our power coming from renewable energy, so we’re looking to add additional solar panels and batteries to increase our resiliency during power outages. We’re getting smarter with our energy use, too. In 2020, we completed a LED lighting retrofit for the entire store and parking lot.
Just Say ‘No’ to Food Waste We love food. That’s why we strive to keep 100 percent out of the landfill.
We donate edible food that cannot be sold to local hunger relief agencies like Interfaith Food Ministry, Food Bank of Nevada County and Hospitality House. Food waste that is not fit for donation is picked up by local farmers three times a week to feed animals or build compost. In 2020, we began offering food waste diversion for folks dining at BriarPatch.
Bye-Bye Plastic
We really want to reduce in-house single-use plastic packaging — and acknowledge it is a challenge in the grocery industry. Sadly, less than 9 percent of all plastic is recycled, and an estimated 32 percent ends up in our oceans.
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Sustainability Goals by 2025 Continued
As we work to identify alternatives to single-use plastic, we’re committed to offering the most environmentally-sound packaging available. Look for re-usable bags and containers in our Produce and Bulk Departments and when you check out. We sell and encourage the use of reusable utensils and straws. And of course, bring your own! You can fill up your Klean Kanteen at our free water refill station in our dining area. We replaced plastic wrap on our bulk cheese with biodegradable cellophane made from wood-based fiber. Our Produce Department continues to work with farm-direct partners to identify the most sustainable produce packaging, including paper-based ReadyCycle berry containers. For more information on packaging con– siderations for products sold in the store, please see our Merchandising Policy at briarpatch.coop/merchandising-policy.
Don’t Be Trashy
In 2020, BriarPatch increased our overall waste diversion from 53 percent to 63 percent by decreasing how much material we send to the landfill. How do we do this? Reducing, reusing, recycling and composting! Beyond municipal recycling, we: • reuse and recycle ALL cardboard — our single greatest source of material waste • recycle waxed cardboard through Enviro-Log • recycle single-use gloves through Terracycle • recycle clear plastic film through UNFI 23
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021 24
Get in Gear and Hit the Trail! woof!
Water Power
Beyond GORP
Stay hydrated on your hike! BriarPatch carries a full line of Earth-friendly, refillable water bottles to fit your lifestyle and budget. Another plastic-free option is to grab a Proud Source Water filled with spring water in sustainable, recyclable aluminum bottles. PRO TIP: Great for refilling!
Hikers do love their trail mix. A classic staple since it was first coined by a couple of California surfers in the 1960s, the Co-op has all the fixins in the Bulk Department to make your own version of Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts. Or, grab one of the many varieties of ready-to-eat mixes.
Salty & Sweet Snacking
Get Your Buzz On
Sometimes you just crave something that harkens back to your youth like corn nuts or fruit snacks. Fill up your fanny pack with the healthy version of nostalgic snack foods and nurture that craving, like a mix of cashews and gummy candy or pretzels and chocolate. Dealer’s choice!
Fire up the Jetboil! Add hot water and voilà... you’ll be sipping your favorite Coffee and Mushroom Elixir Mixes from Four Sigmatic in no time. Made with medicinal mushrooms like Reishi, Turkey Tail, Chaga, Lion’s Mane and more! An essential addition to any backpack.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for guided hikes, nature news and trail workdays!
Shake Me Any Way You Want Me
Save Your Skin
If you like to drink your nutrition on the go, try packs of organic, plant-based superfood protein powders shaken with water or juice in your Klean Kanteen. Peanut Butter, Vanilla, Coffee Mushroom, Green Kingdom and more. Now get moving!
Ouch. Sunburn, bug bites and poison oak can ruin an outdoor adventure. Be prepared and get natural relief with your favorite Reef Safe sunscreens, DEET-Free insect repellent and poisonous leaf remedies. PRO TIP: Don't forget the lip balm!
It’s Ok to be a Jerky
Energy Efficient
Lightweight and packed with protein, jerky can really satisfy hunger and cravings on the trail. Old-school Grass-Fed Beef connoisseurs, venison lovers, buffalo-and-cranberry aficionados and Shiitake mushroom eaters can all pick for their palates.
Looking for simple foods designed to promote energy and provide you with essential nutrients lost during physical activity? Lightweight, easy to throw in a pack and eat while on the move, the Co-op carries a broad selection of bars designed to sustain you for a myriad of workout and dietary needs.
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Hiking must-haves from our Communications Specialist and backpacker extraordinaire, Laura Petersen
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BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Walk on the Wild Side BY LAURA PETERSEN
Congratulations to our newly elected Board Members
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hen the snow melts in the high country, the Sierra wildflowers emerge, offering a delightful, colorful show lasting all summer long. Living in Nevada County, we are fortunate to live so close to mountain trails offering an escape from the summer heat and an up-close view of these treasured California native plants.
Above: Castle Peak. Photos submitted by Shane Hanofee, Vice President, Redbud Chapter California Native Plant Society.
Please respect their beauty by staying on the trail to avoid erosion and damage to sensitive species, and never pick the wildflowers (but take lots of photos for your screensaver!). In recent years, record numbers of people have flocked to nature’s wild places and the pressure from increased traffic, trash and noise is having a devastating impact on the environment. Remember, if you pack it in, pack it out, and avoid giving exact GPS locations of wildflower sightings on your social media channels. Let’s keep our wild places wild! Go for a guided wildflower walk, purchase native plants for your backyard and learn more about how you can protect California wildflowers by checking out the Redbud Chapter of the California Native Plant Society: chapters.cnps.org/redbud.
Look for Elephant’s Head at Sagehen.
Little Elephant’s Head & Alpine Mitrewort can be found at Frog Lake Overlook.
Tiling’s Monkeyflower & Flat Topped Broomrape grow at higher elevations like Castle Peak.
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Moss Heather blooms at Squaw Peak.
Find Ranger Buttons at Grouse Ridge.
Rachel Berry
Richard Drace
Mark Fenton
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
You can earn $500 by referring a friend?
More details at Cal-Solar.coop 27
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
o Guidance for exploring e n d -of-life options o T r ai n e d End - o f - l i f e D o u l a s & D e a t h w o r k e r s o Normalizing c o n v e r s a t i o n s a b o u t d e a t h o Non - m e d i c a l h o l i s t i c s u p p o r t o Co - c r e a t e E n d - o f - L i f e c a r e p l a n o Family - l e d Ho m e Fu n e r a l g u i d a n c e o Education and public events 5 0 1 ( c ) ( 3 ) n o n p r o f i t ~ www.fullcirclelivingdyingcollecti ve.com ~ “ L e t’ s h a v e a c o n v e r s a t i o n . ” ( 5 3 0 ) 2 7 0 - 9 8 3 9 a k h i l a @ f u l l c i r c l e l i v i n g d y i n g c o l l e c t i ve.c o m
o Guidance for exploring end-of-life options o Trained End-of-life Doulas & Death workers o Normalizing conversations about death o Non-medical holistic support o Co-create End-of-Life care plan o Family-led Home Funeral guidance o Education and public events
501(c)(3) nonprofit ~ www.fullcirclelivingdyingcollective.com “Let’s have a conversation.” (530)270-9839 akhila@fullcirclelivingdyingcollective.com
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BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
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9:30am-5pm Monday-Saturday & 10am-4pm Sunday
Phone (530) 272-4769 • Toll-Free (888) 784-1722
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BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
Go Home Feeling Good BriarPatch is hiring! Great pay, excellent benefits & employee discount!
13032 BITNEY SPRINGS ROAD NEVADA CITY, CA 95959
Visit briarpatch.coop for more info & to apply.
530-273-7736 TK–8TH GRADE WWW.NCSOTA.ORG
What’s up at the Check out our Virtual Cooking Classes at briarpatch.coop
THURSDAY NIGHT MARKET! 6-9pm Mill St. June 24 - July 29
Sat @Kmart
(530) 470-6161 237 Commercial St, Nevada City HeartwoodEatery.com 30
8am- 12:30p
Tues @Raley’s Thurs
8a- 1p
Downtown Farmers’ Market May 6- June 17, Aug 5- 26
GRASS VALLEY
4- 7pm
BriarPatch Food Co-op | Summer 2021
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Tune in for the Briar Patch Food Co-op Farm & Agricultural Reports at 8:22 am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on Newstalk 830am KNCO. SAVE LAND
BUI TRAILD LS
JOIN US!
Chris Gilbert
Moe Howard Tom Fitzsimmons
Dave Bear
Paul Haas
Spring Sale
20% Off Storewide! Through June 20th, 2021
Fine Oriental Rugs Since 1980
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408 Broad Street Nevada City, CA 95959 (530) 265-9229
www.themagiccarpet.biz TER OUN ENC ATURE N
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BriarPatch Food Co-op 290 Sierra College Drive Grass Valley, CA 95945
Curbside pickup is available Now shop the Co-op from your home computer or mobile phone — It’s easy!
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For more info, visit briarpatch.coop
