natural times
Winter 2018
• 5 Products We Love • New Year, New You • Ask An Expert: Is Chocolate Healthy?
Bag It Forward Donate your 10¢ reusable bag reward & we’ll match it! 1235 Apalachee Pkwy Tallahassee, FL 32301 850.942.2557 Open Daily 8 am - 10 pm
January Recipient:
www.newleafmarket.coop
THANKS TO Managing Editor Brittany Mancuso Roper Layout + Design Diane Bass
Board of Directors Natasha Hartsfield, President Holger Ciupalo Dave Watson Folayan Barnes Carol Lombard Heidi Fox Antoinette Barber Christina Brown Dennis Smith General Manager Steve Kobs Store Manager Pamela Sheard
We would additionally like to thank the loyal members of our co-op!
Learn more & nominate your favorite organization at: www.newleafmarket.coop/about/bag-it-forward
Ringing in the New Year
O wn
Event n o i t cia e r p p er A -27 6 2 y ar Janu
Stay tuned for details... Join today to take advantage of this sale event. Ownership starts at just $25!
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Monday, January 15
Celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. New Leaf will be open normal business hours. Free Wine Tastings Fridays, 5:30-6:30pm Free Beer Tastings Saturdays, 2-3pm 9th Annual Tallahassee Fitness & Food Festival
Saturday, January 27 9:00am - 2:00pm FSU Turnbull Center 555 W Pensacola St Tallahassee, FL 32301 tallyfitnessfest.com
“North Florida’s only event dedicated to health, fitness and beauty information for ALL ages. Over 50 (local and national vendors) will conduct free health screenings, provide free health and fitness information and free product samples. Plus, attendees will be entered to win valuable door prizes awarded every 30 minutes.” Tickets start at $5.00 and children under the age of 12 are free.
44th Annual Tallahassee Marathon & Half Marathon
Sunday, February 4 7:00am - 1:00pm Kleman Plaza 306 S Duval St Tallahassee, FL 32301 tallahasseemarathon.com
“The Tallahassee Marathon began in 1975 with just two participants. From there, it has grown to a first-class event showcasing Florida’s capital city like no other race. The Tallahassee Marathon is an all-volunteer event organized by the Gulf Winds Track Club, a local non-profit dedicated to advancing the sport of running, whether for competition, physical fitness, or pleasure.” The Tallahassee Marathon is a USATF sanctioned event and is a qualifying course for the Boston Marathon.
Mondays: Receive 5% off all health & body care products.
Winter 2018
Valentine’s Day Wednesday, February 14
Love is in the air at New Leaf! From delectable desserts made fresh by our bakery to fine wines, delicious sweets, and high-quality meats and produce, make New Leaf your one-stop-shop for a memorable and sustainable Valentine’s Day. Black History Month Jazz Concert
Thursday, February 22 7:30pm - 9:30pm Foster-Tanner Band Rehearsal Hall famunews.com
Free to the public, the FAMU Music Department will be presenting a “Coffee House” Jazz Concert in celebration of Black History Month. Music, spoken word, and dance will all be featured. For more information, contact Robert Griffin at (850) 412-7144.
Tuesdays & Thursdays: Seniors 55+ receive 5% off entire transaction.
Wednesdays: Students save 5% with valid student ID.
www.NewLeafMarket.coop | Natural Times
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Products We Love
Jessie Barousse
Chocolove Chocolate Bars Starting at $2.99
Love is in the air at New Leaf! Looking to get your sweetie something special this Valentine’s Day? Here are five products that New Leaf employees have fallen head-over-heels for:
Madelon Givens
“Chocolove Dark Chocolate Bars have great flavor and I love the poems on the inside of the wrappers. A special treat for me and my husband.”
Farmer's Daughter Vineyards Late Harvest Bombshell $34.99 “It's just good! I like that it's local, and it makes a great gift. It's got a smooth taste and great flavor. Worth the price because it supports local economy. Chenin Blanc-style whites pair well with white meats, fish, and soft to semi-soft cheeses.”
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Natural Times | New Leaf Market Co-op
Billy Lunsford
Giovanni 2 Chic Blackberry & Coconut Oil Hair Oil Serum $6.79 “Are all other bros complimenting your beard? They're about to be! Giovanni 2 Chic Blackberry & Coconut Oil Hair Oil Serum works great smoothing out & softening my facial hair.”
Winter 2018
5 Products We Love Continued
Stacy Belinski
Looking for ways to connect with the co-op? CO-OP E-NEWSLETTER Sign up at newleafmarket.coop to receive co-op news, sales, and events in your inbox.
Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream ½ pint $1.99 “Organic Valley Heavy Whipping Cream is great in coffee, recipes or whipped as a dessert. Makes great shakes, too. I dilute with water for shakes. The best tasting cream and we have the best price in town!”
BOARD NEWS View Board meeting minutes at newleafmarket.coop for up to date Board news. Questions for the Board? Email: board@ newleafmarket.coop. EVENTS CALENDAR View co-op and community events online at newleafmarket. coop/seminars-events/calendar.
Benjamen Goldberg
BLOG Want more content? Visit our blog for even more articles: newleafmarket.coop/newsroom/ blog.
Fresh Salmon Starting at $10.49/lb “When I cooked this fresh salmon, it maintained its pinkness. That stood out for me because I had gotten salmon from competitors that turned gray upon • $5 off $35 or more, with purchase of any chocolate bar. cooking.” Valid 2/8-2/14
We’re sweet on you!
$5 off your purchase of $35 or more, with the purchase
of any chocolate bar, February 8-14, 2018 Offer valid 2/8/18-2/14/18. Limit one per transaction. Must present coupon at time of purchase. Not to be combined with other promotions, offers or discounts.
Winter 2018
SOCIAL MEDIA Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for sales, specials, and events.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the editor. The opinoins expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the board, management, staff, or owners of New Leaf Market Co-op. Nutrition and health information given is for educational purposes online and is not meant as a substitute for a consultation with a licesend health or dietary practitioner. © 2017-18 New Leaf Market Co-op
www.NewLeafMarket.coop | Natural Times
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Cascades Park by Urbantallahassee, via Wikimedia Commons
New Year, New You Here’s how to stick to those resolutions if you’re a Tallahassee local
The new year means many things to many people. For some, it’s simply another moment in time; no one day is different than the next. For others, the striking of the clock at midnight symbolizes a clean slate; a fresh start. When the ball drops and ears are met with the clinking sounds of champagne flutes colliding, a vast majority of us resolve to make changes, to be 6
Natural Times | New Leaf Market Co-op
better humans, and to live life differently than we did a mere sixty seconds ago. We tell ourselves that this time things will change; this time we’ll stick to our resolutions. Keeping a promise to oneself is difficult. Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you. Is it a coincidence that your coworker brought in your favorite cookies one week after you vowed to cut down on sweets? Probably. Does it still feel like it’s the universe’s way of testing you? Of course it does. Resolving to become a better person is a fantastic choice; it may very well be one of the best decisions you make this year. However, resolutions are hard to stick to when you feel like you have to make them. Change doesn’t happen overnight. In order to turn a resolution into a habit, you’re going to fall now and again. It’s important to remember that, while you have the ability to fall, you also have the ability to get back up again. Utilizing the community around you is a great way to make sure that even if you stumble, someone will be there to catch you. It’s probably a surprise to no one that some of the most common resolutions year after year are to get healthy (lose
Winter 2018
New Year, New You Continued
weight/exercise/eat better), learn a new skill or hobby, and to read more. Fortunately, the city of Tallahassee has plenty to offer to help every person in our community reach his or her goals.
Get Healthy When out-of-town visitors think of Tallahassee, a health and fitness destination may not be the first thing that comes to mind…but perhaps it should be. Tallahassee gives visitors and residents a plethora of opportunities to hike, bike, swim, climb, lift, jump, and stretch. Chain gyms aside, there are a number of fitness studios that fit any and every niche. From a slew of CrossFit boxes and yoga studios to rock climbing, barre, pilates, boxing, spin, MMA, and gymnastics, Tallahassee boasts a wide variety of options for any and every member of the community. If working out indoors isn’t your forte, you certainly have Mother Nature on your side. The Apalachicola National Forest, Florida’s largest national forest, plays host to over 571,000 acres and can be found right here in Florida’s capital city. Residents of Tallahassee are also lucky enough to have a part of the Florida Trail in their own backyard, as well as a multitude of parks sprinkled about the city. When the temperature starts to rise, Tallahassee’s inhabitants can head to Florida State University’s Reservation for some canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, volleyball, and sunbathing. The possibilities are truly endless. As an added bonus, there are many clubs and organizations that will hold you accountable and will do their best to help you reach your health and fitness goals. Obviously, health is about more than just exercise. Fortunately, when it comes to healthy food, Tallahassee exceeds expectations. While you undoubtedly love your favorite neighborhood co-op, sometimes you want someone else to do the cooking. In addition to an array of vegan and vegetarian restaurants, a bounty of healthy fast-food establishments, and weekly farmer’s markets, Tallahassee has a handful of meal prep delivery services that are only a Google-search away and will take the guesswork out of preparing healthy, nutrient-dense meals. There truly has never been a better time to get healthy in the city of Tallahassee.
Learn a New Skill or Hobby We are fortunate to live where we live. Because Tallahassee is home to two universities, opportunities to adopt new hobbies or to learn a new skill are plentiful and affordable. Remember, college is not just for recent high-school graduates or for those seeking out a degree. While all departments may not offer auditing, you can learn a great deal from sitting in on an assortment of college classes. The upside to auditing a class is that it is exponentially more affordable than taking a class for college credit, and you get to learn something new in the process. If you’d rather not sit in a classroom, community organizations are abundant in Tallahassee. From beekeeping and book clubs to breweries and acting troupes, it’s not difficult to find something that, as the cliche goes, makes your soul sing. Who knows? You may even be able to combine getting healthy with a new hobby. This would undoubtedly leave you with more time to…you guessed it…read.
Read More In the past week, how much reading have you done? News articles, emails, and text messages aside, it’s likely that you’ve read less than you would have liked. Sometimes, it’s not time that’s the culprit; it’s simply easier to turn to Netflix and to shut your brain off. Once again, Tallahassee has a way around that pesky little dilemma, even if book clubs aren’t your thing. When you’re in a reading funk, it can help to remove yourself from the distractions of home and to head to a local coffee shop, brewery, park, or bookstore. Midtown Reader, “Tallahassee’s only general-subject, independent bookstore,” not only has a fantastic book selection but has an impressive calendar full of book readings from local and national authors. If you prefer to read on your own terms with a hot beverage at your side, you can take your pick from one of Tallahassee’s many local cafes. Lucky Goat Coffee, Black Dog Cafe, Catalina Cafe, RedEye Coffee, and All Saints Cafe are a few options to get you started. Sticking to your resolutions is a walk in Cascade’s Park when you live in a city like Tallahassee. Good luck on all of your future endeavors and may this year be the year that you stick to your resolutions.
Winter 2018
www.NewLeafMarket.coop | Natural Times
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Where Did The Melons Go?
makes it even tougher. We tend to not have any melon supply from January-May each year on average. Could you offer these products year-round if they weren't organic? If so, why don't you?
At New Leaf, we experience a “melon mania” of sorts; a barrage of questions that flood the store the second organic melons are no longer offered in our produce department. When you have a hankering for a juicy piece of honeydew and it’s not carried at your local co-op grocer, it makes sense that you’d feel a bit aggravated. Other stores carry melons year-round, after all. Why doesn’t New Leaf? Well, while you love produce, it’s possible that New Leaf’s Produce Manager, Jonathan Manning, loves produce even more. He’s here to answer some questions regarding why our produce department makes the conscious choice to not offer certain products throughout the year.
We absolutely could offer them year-round if they were not organic, and this is mostly because it would open up many more markets that are not certified organic to source from. We haven’t in the past because of our fairly strict adherence to the department legacy of keeping everything as close to 100% certified organic as possible. It is definitely something that we as a store are looking into as an option in order to compete with all of the other grocery stores who can’t beat us on quality, but are beating us fairly soundly in grab-n-go cut fruit and vegetables. That being said, our standards are high, and that would absolutely extend into this kind of program. Are there any benefits to eating seasonal produce? Does a piece of fruit or a vegetable taste better if it was grown inseason? We are lucky in that we live in a corner of the nation where we have access to seasonal, local produce options year-round, barring several days in a row of sub-freezing temperatures. Therefore, eating seasonally for us here really corresponds to eating locally since most farmers are pulling out applicable
Why doesn't New Leaf's produce department offer certain products, especially melons, year-round? Great question. It has everything to do with seasonal availability of certain products, especially softer skinned variants like melons and stone fruit. Most of the summer specialties just don’t store very well for very long so alternate supply routes must be found, including sourcing from foreign markets. The first melons we see during the year are Mexican, and the last ones usually are too. As it gets colder and supply dwindles, suppliers head more and more south. Since New Leaf is 99% organic in terms of our product mix, finding certified organic variants of these suppliers 8
Natural Times | New Leaf Market Co-op
Winter 2018
Where Did The Melons Go? Continued
staple crops of whatever season we find ourselves in. Benefits to eating seasonally correspond to those of eating locally (helping your local economy, supporting your local farmer). In addition, eating whatever is in season tends to be cheaper than when it is not because more people are growing it. It takes much less time to get to market, and products are picked much closer to peak freshness than if it had to be shipped across the country. Because of this, seasonal produce tends to taste much fresher because of the limited time it has spent in storage between the field and your dinner table. In regards to eating locally, does New Leaf get any of its seasonal produce from local farms? Could you tell us a bit more about some of your suppliers? New Leaf has been happy to offer products from a number of excellent suppliers over the years, and we try to get whatever is seasonally available to our customers whenever possible. Currently, we are seeing seasonal staples coming to us from McClellan Organics out of Climax, Georgia. We are going to be sourcing from another certified organic farm out of Live Oak, Florida, called Ease Land Organic Farm, so look for high-quality options coming from them soon. We also feature Georgia Pecans from KBH Farms, and Cynthia Connelly from Ladybird Organics provides us with wonderful Satsumas and Meyer Lemons. Look for her luscious Muscadine Grapes in the summertime. Local mushroom growers Play of Sunlight Farms also provide
us with exotic Lion’s Mane and Oyster Mushrooms when available. We also purchase from Orchard Pond Organics as well as receiving lovely in-season produce from The Pita Queen, who also provides us with made-from-scratch pitas, hummus, and other handmade products. I'm still really craving a freshly sliced melon. If it's not in season, what are some good alternatives that I could try? It’s good that you’re craving these things! We are still seeing some organic Mexican product available to us here; we should have it available for as long as it’s available. But in terms of finding alternatives out of season, your best option is to switch things up a bit — in the spring, strawberries are a great alternative. In the winter months, look for clementines and pears! Additionally, there’s a wide variety of packaged, organic fruit juices (watermelon juice, anyone?) that you can snag if you really need to settle that craving. One of the reasons New Leaf has loyal customers is because New Leaf adheres to a strict set of principles. A majority of our customers want our products to be mostly organic and local. Because of our commitment to the community and because of our overall mission, some things have to be sacrificed. We, too, love a good, organic melon. The silver lining? Think about how great that organic melon will taste once it’s back in season!
Winter 2018
www.NewLeafMarket.coop | Natural Times
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Ask An Expert: Is Chocolate Healthy? New Leaf Gets SRSLY Serious About Chocolate
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Natural Times | New Leaf Market Co-op
Winter 2018
It’s about the time of year again; when you’re straddling the line between New Year’s resolutions and Valentine’s Day; between no sweets and all of the sweets. For some, this can become a mind-numbing experience. After all, what’s Valentine’s Day without chocolate? Just another day…
different ways. So say what sounds right to you!
Well, it turns out, that you can have chocolate in moderation without gaining an ounce of guilt (or weight). While we like to think we’re experts on all-things-chocolate due to the fact that our editor might be slightly obsessed with it, we decided to pick the brain of an actual expert, Bob Williamson from SRSLY Chocolate, to learn more about this sweet-tooth staple.
Let’s start with the basics: what is cacao and is cacao cocoa?
What is the difference between cacao beans and cacao nibs? Can both be eaten raw? Cacao beans are the seeds of the cacao tree. The nibs are the 'meat' of the seed with its papery shell removed. Both are edible unroasted and have great flavor.
Are there any benefits to adding chocolate to a healthy diet?
Cacao theobroma is plant that grows in the tropics. We eat the ground seed of the cacao tree in the form of chocolate. One way to look at chocolate is basically as a seed butter. [Cacao vs cocoa] ends up kind of being a 'tomato, tomahto' thing. The word originates from a number of Mesoamerican languages and has been written
Dark chocolate in moderation definitely has a number of health benefits. There are a ton of unique chemicals that can lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, boost serotonin, elevate your mood and reduce the risk of stroke.
What does it mean when a product is 70%, 80%, etc. cacao? Does this affect the taste? Is there a certain percentage someone should seek out if they are trying to reap the health benefits that chocolate has to offer? Cacao percentages refer to the total amount of cacao solids in the bar. Basically, how much of the chocolate bar is made from cacao beans. Darker percentages have more cacao in them and often they can be a little bitter. As a craft-chocolate maker, the way you roast the beans can reduce bitterness. I've tasted 100% bars that would have fooled me for a 70%! They exist; just look for quality makers. Generally, the darker the bar, the more cacao (good stuff) and less sugar (not-so-good stuff). If you are focusing on the health benefits of cacao, the darker the better. Also, consider adding cacao nibs to your diet. They contain no sugar with all of the health benefits of chocolate. They are great in smoothies or added to yogurt, granola, or oatmeal.
Winter 2018
www.NewLeafMarket.coop | Natural Times
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Ask An Expert: Is Chocolate Healthy? Continued
What's your take on white and milk chocolate? If someone is looking to add chocolate to their diet, should they stick with dark chocolate?
Tallahassee and the Gulf Coast is the only other indigenous American plant that also has theobromine. It has been consumed as a tea for thousands of years (still is!)
I love chocolate in all of its forms and they can have a place in everyone's diet! White chocolate has no cacao solids, so it’s not the strongest candidate for a health food (enjoy sparingly). Milk chocolate has more cacao but still quite a bit of sugar (also enjoy sparingly). Dark chocolate, 70% and above, is really a better choice in terms of less sugar and more healthy cacao solids.
Finally, tell us a little bit about SRSLY Chocolate!
If someone is looking for a caffeinated, midday pick-me-up, would a piece of SRSLY Chocolate do the trick? Fun fact about chocolate, it technically doesn't contain caffeine! It contains theobromine! Theobromine is a caffeine analogue. It is still a stimulant but it affects your body a little differently. The energy 'buzz' from theobromine is generally gentler and more focused than caffeine. Some folks who get 'coffee jitters' have a better experience with theobromine. Fun Tallahassee tie in: The yaupon tree that grows all over
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Natural Times | New Leaf Market Co-op
Since we've moved to Austin, Texas, we've experienced a lot of growth. While we're still Floridians at heart, Texas has been very welcoming and we've had the good fortune of expanding our production dramatically. We're pleased to announce that in the spring we'll be opening a new storefront to complement our chocolate factory! There you have it, folks; from the craft-chocolate man himself: there’s no need to nix the chocolate; just be conscious of the kind of chocolate you’re consuming. Now, if you’ll excuse us...a piece (or two) of SRSLY Chocolate’s 77% Lachua Guatemala bar is calling our names (and our stomachs). You can get an array of SRSLY Chocolate products at New Leaf starting at $7.99!
Winter 2018
Food Glossary
Certified The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service and Agriculture Marketing Service evaluate meat products for class, grade, and other quality characteristics. Their findings are then represented on food labels as “Certified,” such as “Certified Angus Beef.” The word “Certified” can also mean a product meets standards defined by a third-party, nongovernmental organization or trade group. In such cases, the USDA requires that the word “Certified” be printed in close proximity to the name of the certifying organization or standard, such as “Fair Trade Certified.”
Food shopping can be confusing, but learning the language doesn't have to be an exercise in frustration. Reprinted by permission from StrongerTogether.coop. Find articles about your food and where it comes from, recipes and a whole lot more at www.strongertogether.coop Artisan/Artisanal Generally, these terms mean that the product was made by hand with great care and highquality ingredients. They are most frequently applied to items like bread, chocolate, cheese, vinegars and jam
Conventional Products that are created via standard practices accepted by the agriculture industry are often called “conventional.” This isn’t an official term, but it implies that the product did not undergo any special production or certification processes, which means it may include pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, or genetically modified traits. It may also have been produced with agribusiness practices like use of synthetic fertilizers and monoculture cultivation
Biodynamic agriculture Based on the work of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, this method of farming is rooted in a holistic understanding of nature. It involves treating the farm and the soil as living organisms that need to be nourished and replenished, as well as used for their resources. Cage-Free Cage-free birds live in large houses in flocks of several thousand. While they might never go outside, they are able to walk around, spread their wings, and lay eggs in nests. There is no regulated definition of this term. Winter 2018
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Food Glossary Continued
(in which land is used exclusively for the constant cultivation of a single crop—a practice that leaves soil depleted of nutrients and often requires synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and/or genetically modified crops for continued use). Fair Trade A market-based approach to reducing poverty and empowering farmers in developing countries by encouraging fair wages and labor conditions and promoting environmental sustainability. TransFair USA is the only third-party certifier of Fair Trade products in the United States, which carry the official “Fair Trade Certified” label. Farmstead Cheese The American Cheese Society classifies a cheese as “farmstead” if it is made with milk from the producer’s herd or flock and crafted on the farm where the animals are raised. Foodshed This term, gaining in popularity, indicates the interconnected nature of a local food system. In the same way a rivershed is comprised of diverse, interdependent plant and animal species, a foodshed is made up of local and regional food producers, their customers, and the retailers (food co-ops, farmers’ markets, and independent grocers) that carry their products, creating an integrated local economy. Free-Range/Free-Roaming The USDA definition of this term applies only to poultry meat (not eggs) and suggests that animals were raised in an unconfined environment. However, the USDA’s requirement that chickens “must be allowed access to the outside” is somewhat vague and does not include any minimum amount of time for outdoor access. “Free-range” labels on beef, pork, and eggs are not regulated. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) To make crops more suitable for industrial farming, many seed companies modify their genetic makeup by implanting traits from other organisms (often across species). The resulting crops offer more durability, 14
Natural Times | New Leaf Market Co-op
volume, and other desirable traits, but there is concern over their safety, both for humans and the environment. Gluten-Free Indicates the absence of gluten, which is composed of two proteins that naturally occur in some grains, including wheat, spelt, and rye, and products derived from these grains. The term is not regulated in the US; products are labeled gluten-free voluntarily by manufacturers to assist people with sensitivities or allergies to gluten. Grass-Fed/Pastured Cattle, sheep, goats, and bison termed “grass-fed” graze on pasture during the growing season and eat a diet of dry grasses (hay or grass silage) during the winter months and in droughts. Grass-Finished/Pasture-Finished An animal is considered “finished” when its natural growth has slowed enough for it to start putting on fat; this is the stage at which animals are slaughtered for meat. Grass-finished animals continue eating grass until they reach this stage, while most meat animals spend the last several months of their lives in feedlots, eating grain. Heirloom Heirloom, or heritage, species are seeds and livestock breeds that have been cultivated over generations. There is no official definition, but it is widely agreed that seeds are naturally pollinated, and a strict interpretation of the term requires that the species be at least fifty years old and not commercially cultivated on an industrial scale. Humane Humane treatment of animals does not have a legal definition. However, the Certified Humane Raised and Handled program’s “Certified Humane” label indicates that the meat comes from animals that were able to engage in natural behavior, given ample space, and provided clean water and a healthy diet free of antibiotics and hormones.
Winter 2018
Food Glossary Continued
Natural/All-Natural This term is defined by the USDA only for meat products, which should be only minimally processed and contain no artificial ingredients or added colors. As defined, the term is broad enough to cover most meats. The label may be added to products at the meat manufacturer’s discretion—the USDA does not investigate every claim. On produce and packaged food labels, “natural” is a marketing term, suggesting that the product was created without the use of artificial ingredients. Because the term is not regulated or verified by a third-party certifier for non-meat products, however, shoppers should be wary of the claim. No Antibiotics Industrial meat companies often add antibiotics to animals’ food to prevent disease caused by cramped and unsanitary conditions, a practice that is raising concern about the emergence of antibiotic-resistant illnesses in people. The USDA allows the label “no antibiotics added” or “raised without antibiotics” on meat or poultry products. However, the use of these terms is not verified by third party certifiers and is largely based on information given by the producers themselves, thus reducing the strength of such labels. The term "antibiotic free" is not defined or approved by the USDA. No Hormones Industrial meat companies use hormones to promote growth and milk production in cattle. The USDA regulates the label “no hormones administered” on beef, and federal law does not allow hormones in raising hogs and poultry. Organic Crops and animals raised organically have not been exposed to synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, genetic modification, growth hormones, or antibiotics. All products labeled “Certified Organic” have been certified by the USDA. However, some farmers classify themselves as “uncertified organic,” meaning they follow organic practices but have not gone through the official process to be certified by the USDA.
Pasteurized/Homogenized Pasteurization is the process of heating foods to kill pathogenetic bacteria. The USDA regulates the use of this word in food labeling and in some cases may require certain foods to be pasteurized. Homogenization, when it refers to milk, is a mechanical process that breaks down the fat globules so that they are uniform in size and distributed evenly throughout the milk. Some milks are pasteurized, but not homogenized—that’s why they have a “plug” of cream at the top. Pesticide-free Labels of “pesticide-free” and “no spraying” indicate that the crops were grown on a farm that is not necessarily organic, but does not apply toxic sprays to produce. Raw Milk Cow's milk that is not processed or pasteurized before being bottled for consumption. Sale of raw milk is illegal in many U.S. states, and cheese made from this type of milk must be aged as a safety precaution. Proponents claim that raw milk has remarkable health benefits. Sustainable This term has no standard definition, but it is generally used to describe food production that does not deplete nonrenewable resources (like petroleum) and is mindful of the well-being of animals, workers, the environment, and the local community. Sustainable agriculture aims to leave the land in the same or better condition than it was found, encouraging a mutually beneficial relationship between the land and its occupants. Vegan Products labeled “vegan” do not contain any animal products, including meat, dairy, and animal byproducts. Vine-Ripened/Tree-Ripened Fruit that has been allowed to ripen on the vine or tree instead of being plucked early to “ripen” via treatment with ethylene gas during long-distance shipments to retail locations.
Winter 2018
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Everyone can shop at New Leaf Market Co-op, and anyone can become an owner.
Join more than 12,000 of your friends and neighbors in owning New Leaf Market Co-op. Although you don’t have to be an owner to shop, we think the benefits of ownership are pretty great. Get owner coupons and discounts, keep more money in our community, and invest in a business that will always be locally-owned. Join us!
Why Join? • Benefits starting with only $25 investment. • Receive new owner bonus coupons when you join. • Save 10% off on all case purchases. • Receive your share of the profits during profitable years with patronage dividends. • Shape the future of your co-op by attending the Annual Meeting and participating in focus groups and surveys. • Vote in our annual Board of Directors elections or run for an open seat on the board. • Enjoy BIG discounts four times a year and Owner Deals sales. Stock up to save!
How it Works • Join in-store or online. • Receive Owner Deals sales and discounts after first equity payment of $25. Remaining $75 is paid in annual installments of $25 • Receive new owner packet bonus coupons. • Provide your owner information to your cashier on each shopping trip to track your patronage. • Fully invested owners receive patronage rebate proportional to the amount you spent at the Co-op during profitable years.
Community Benefits • Create a vibrant local economy that puts people before profits and keeps profits within the community.
New Year, New You
$10 off of $50 or more, more with the purchase of any supplement, January 1-7
• Share the knowledge about health, nutrition, local farmers, and great food with newsletters from New Leaf Market Co-op. • Support local producers while enjoying more than 900 fresh, healthy, and sustainable food items and other products. Offer valid 12/28/17-1/7//18. Limit one per transaction. Must present coupon at time of purchase. Not to be combined with other promotions, offers or discounts.
Ready to Own New Leaf Market Co-op?
Sign up with any cashier during your next shopping trip, or apply online at www.newleafmarket.coop.