Rancho Vignola's 2010 Summer Newsletter

ALBERTA 2011 Kelowna Camrose

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

BRITISH COLUMBIA Vernon

November 4th & 5th Friday: 9am - 7pm Saturday: 9am - 5pm

Vernon Recreation Centre Auditorium

November 11th & 12th Friday: 9am - 7pm Saturday: 9am - 5pm

1800 Parkinson Way Information: 250-470-7897 (Raven Ventures)

4250 Exhibition Drive (Highway #13 - 1/4 mile east of Camrose)

Parkinson Recreation Centre

3310 - 37th Ave (just off Highway 97)

Salmon Arm November 11th & 12th Friday: 9am - 7pm Saturday: 9am - 5pm

Holiday Inn

1090 - 22nd Street NE (on the hill near the RCMP station) Information: 250-832-8563

From the Farm to Your Community

November 12th & 13th Saturday: 10am - 5pm Sunday: 10am - 5pm

Camrose Regional Exhibition

Abbotsford

Airdrie

Windsor Greenhouses

Town and Country Centre

November 18th & 19th Friday: 9am - 5pm Saturday: 9am - 5pm

#18 Ross Road, Abbotsford (access from ‘0’ Avenue) Information: 250-832-8563

Every year we look forward to meeting customers and sharing our passion for great food at Rancho Vignola's annual Harvest Events.

These events are the perfect way to sample our fresh, top quality products and ask questions of our knowledgeable staff.

Make sure to mark these dates on your calender as this 'nutty extravaganza' is an event you won't want to miss.

See you there!

November 18th & 19th Friday: 9am - 7pm Saturday: 9am - 5pm

275 Jensen Drive (Ten minutes drive north of Calgary on Hwy #2)

Harvest Event Online

December 1st to 15th Order at www.ranchovignola.com

For details and any changes, please visit our website or call our toll free line.

2011

www.ranchovignola.com 1-877-NEW-CROP

Harvest Events

Celebrating

30 years of the

Best of the New Crop

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New Crop Price List: Early September Wholesale Order Deadline: September 28th, 2011 Page 16

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Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

It's Been 30 Nutty Years Already!

Welcome to this expanded edition of our annual newsletter. As we celebrate our thirtieth year in business, we can’t help but reflect on the many friends, customers and colleagues who have been instrumental in helping us reach this impressive landmark.

If you’ve ever wondered how this business began, take a close look at this man to the left. He is the late Carl Isaac, the person who first brought our attention to the bountiful harvest of fresh nuts and dried fruit to be found just south of the US border.

Carl Isaac

Returning from a trip to California in the late seventies with a pickup truck full of almonds, walnuts and Medjool dates, Carl visited us at our Vernon store, Sunseed Natural Foods. With our taste buds tantalized, our interest in taking food distribution in a whole new direction was also ignited. Our subsequent twenty year partnership with Carl, with his links to BC and Alberta’s Mennonite communities, brought us new associates and friendships, many which have lasted to this day! Carl sadly passed away in 1999. We will always honour his memory and appreciate the impact he had on our lives, both personally and professionally.

Welcome!

Included in the front page b&w photo collage are Frank Klassen, whose farm in Linden was the location of one of our two Alberta Harvest Events for twenty years; the late Jesse McKay, a close friend and self-appointed ‘Shop Stewardess’ of our Packaging Department; and Jacquie Friesen, Rancho’s Supervisor for many years and now a successful realtor. And in case you don’t recognize the young family at the bottom of the page - the Vignolas circa 1982!

As we move into another harvest season, we welcome new customers and express a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to those of you who have honoured us with your patronage and support for so many years. With the younger generation of family members and loyal and enthusiastic staff now part of the Rancho team, our commitment to searching out quality products continues. Here’s to many more years of ‘the best of the new crop!’

- Richard, Sue, Simon & Natalia Vignola

• We operate seasonally during the Autumn harvest, from September through November.

• We maintain personal relationships with growers and suppliers worldwide.

• We offer ordering opportunities for both wholesale and retail customers.

• ANYONE can order wholesale!

• Wholesale orders must be at least $500 - this is the only requirement!

• Wholesale orders are shipped direct to customers all over Canada • For customers wanting smaller quantities and extras for the holiday season, Rancho Vignola holds annual Harvest Events in communities across BC and Alberta • For customers living outside BC and Alberta, we also hold a Harvest Event Online in early December - the perfect opportunity to try out a few products and have them shipped right to you, without having to place a large wholesale order.

Visit our website for further information - or get in touch directly by email or phone.

We look forward to hearing from you this harvest season, and to bringing you the Best of the New Crop!

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Please note this is an absolutely firm order deadline – any orders received after the deadline will not be guaranteed delivery, and will be dealt with on a first in, first served basis.

Order Shipment:

Order shipment begins early November and continues all month. Sometimes we experience delays of a particular product, due to unforeseen circumstances such as ports being closed due to strikes. Please be aware that our warehouse crew are working diligently to get your orders shipped to you as quickly as possible! We will try to meet your requests for a specific delivery day, but any customers setting up their own sales (or advertising a delivery day to their club members) are advised to err on the side of caution and plan for later in November. Please note: Any special delivery requests must be made at the time of order placement in September.

www.ranchovignola.com

Box 397 Armstrong, BC V0E 1B0 Toll-free: 1-877-639-2767 info@ranchovignola.com

www.ranchovignola.com acebook and

Payment All first-time wholesale customers are required to pre-pay as soon as the order is placed. For existing customers with established credit terms, payment is required within 15 days from receipt of the order. We accept payment by credit card, cheque (one cheque only please!), and money order. Customers using our online ordering system may safely use a credit card online to pay for their order.

Order Deadline is Monday, September 27th.

WELCOME 2 Crop News 3 Annual Donation Day 4 Rancho Staff Profiles 5 The Rancho Calendar 6 Community Involvement 7 Buying Clubs - Your Stories 8 Focus on Figs 11 Rancho Recipes 12 Scenes From Our Harvest Events 14 Rancho Vignola Ordering Policies 15 Harvest Events 2010 16

Follow us on

Wholesale Ordering System The wholesale price list will be available on or before September 10th, and customers can access it either by downloading it in PDF format through our website or by regular mail. Customers with email addresses will receive an announcement when the price list is ready. Please let us know if you also require a paper copy, as we prefer to avoid sending out paper unnecessarily.

Order Minimum: $500 - product available in full cases or 5lb bags

What's Inside

Rancho Vignola is a family owned and operated distributor of fresh crop nuts, dried fruit and quality confection. If you're new to Rancho Vignola, here's a few more things you should know!

WHOLESALE ORDERING How It All Works

witter!

Summer 2010

Order Delivery / Pick-up:

Orders are sent pre-paid by commercial freight carriers or courier service to a freight depot in your nearest town centre. The depot will contact you when your order has arrived, and you may be required to pick up if they do not make residential deliveries to your location. If you live in a remote area not covered by our regular freight carriers, an interline service may be required and the cost of this service covered by you. If in doubt, please discuss this at order time.

If you wish to pick up at our Armstrong warehouse, please let us know when placing your order. You will be contacted when your order is ready.

Shipping Charges CHANGE OF POLICY As of our 2010 season, we have changed our shipping charges to more accurately reflect the actual costs of freight. Please review carefully, as these changes may affect you.

Standard Freight policy: We will cover all freight costs to major centres on our regular shipping routes across central Canada. Customers are responsible for any interline charges incurred for delivery beyond the freight depot.

Smaller towns in all provinces: A small freight charge of

approximately 20¢/lb will be applied for delivery to smaller centres outside of major cities across central Canada. This amount will be calculated at the time of order placement and added to your invoice. Please note that the added charge is still only a fraction of the total freight cost to most regions, the larger portion is covered by us. Again, customers are responsible for pick-up, or for shipping charges beyond the freight depot.

Northern regions and Maritimes: Shipping charges to remote

northern areas and the Maritime provinces will be determined on a caseby-case basis and discussed at the time of order placement.

Summer 2010

Discount for Pre-paid Orders

We are pleased to offer a 2% discount to all customers who pre-pay their wholesale orders (this includes new customers). Pre-payment is required immediately after the order is placed.

Return Policy

Rancho Vignola stands behind all of our products and we will gladly take back anything that is not up to our standards. Please contact us with any concerns immediately after receiving and checking your order, as we cannot accept any product returns later than 30 days after order shipment.

Fundraising with Rancho Vignola!

Many groups use our products in their fundraising campaigns and are very pleased with the results. We are happy to assist with helping you pinpoint popular products and creating your group’s customized retail price list. To receive the fundraising information package, please go to our website or contact us to request a mailed copy. If you wish to organize a fundraiser for this year, please contact us with your information by Friday September 3rd.

Buying Club Referrals - Earn Commission!

We offer 5% commission to existing wholesale customers for referring us to friends, family members, or other contacts who go on to place a wholesale order.

The amount of the commission is determined by the new club’s wholesale order total and is awarded for three consecutive years from the first wholesale order.

Commissions earned are calculated at the end of the season, and are applied as credit toward your next season's order.

PLEASE NOTE: • You must be an existing wholesale customer for at least one year, and continue to place wholesale orders, to be eligible for commission.

• When referring new customers to us you must provide their full name, address, telephone number, and email address before we send out the wholesale price list in early September.

• New customers must have a separate shipping address from their sponsor.

Toll-Free Information Centre Our toll-free line connects you to our information system offering three menu options: • Hear details of this year’s Harvest Events • Request a new customer information package • Leave us a message During the ordering period (September 10th - 27th) you can also leave small orders on the message system, order additions, or request a call back to place your order.

Toll-free nation wide: 1-877-NEW-CROP

www.ranchovignola.com

(1-877-639-2767)

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Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Scenes from Rancho Vignola's Annual

Thirty years ago,

Harvest Events Friendly staff ready to serve!

For Rancho Vignola, the month of November is all about fresh food, and the best way to experience our dedication to quality is by attending one of our annual Harvest Events!

Browsing our product display and tasting our top quality nuts, dried fruit and premium confection makes for a fun and delicious shopping experience!

Products are available in 5lb 2lb and some in 1lb bags. You can also see our great selection of handmade Gourmet Gifts, perfect for that hard-to-buy someone on your Christmas list.

when we first began importing nuts and dried fruit into British Columbia, our products came predominantly from the California harvest. The small amount of tropical fruits and nuts required to round out our product line were purchased through a trusted supplier with direct links to global markets. Over the years, our desire to learn more about the increasingly popular products we were supplying from other continents led us to travel to some exotic locations to make our own personal contacts, which we plan to continue in the years to come.

With extreme weather variations occurring in California and world-wide, diversifying our source countries is proving to be a smart move!

Fortunately, the California harvest has not experienced adverse weather this season. Variable spring weather grounded some of the pollinating bees, but most crops rebounded and are developing in good condition. As always, growers are watchful for changing conditions and will not breathe a sigh of relief until the harvest is in!

Crop News California raisins are currently about ten days behind schedule of their normal growing cycle. This may result in a lower than anticipated harvest which has suppliers panicking a little as world demand for raisins increases and they risk losing market share.

Australian Macadamias: Although a short macadamia crop is predicted, due to hot, dry and dusty conditions around flowering time last spring, the quality of this smooth white nut is great. Have you thought of trying macadamia nuts in curries?

The Australian Government has launched a project to help promote Australian food and is targeting macadamia nuts to the Indian market, the true connoisseurs of curry dishes!

Bring the family or a bunch of friends and make a day of it! Visit us at any of our 6 locations and get to know ‘the best of the new crop!”

Attention to every detail

Smiling faces!

Our new locatinon in V erno

EW! N Certified Organic

Tasty es! sa mpl

Golden Incan Berries These sweet and tangy berries grow in the mineral-rich soils of the Peruvian Andes and are known as the goji berry of South America. Used to combat stress and improve circulation, Incan berries contain a high level of protein and play a crucial role in detoxification. Sprinkle them on your cereal, or add to salads and smoothies, for an extra boost of immune strengthening nutrients!

- the Rec Centre Auditorium!

The Camro se Red HCatRESo! ciety visits us at the

EW! NRancho’s Own Raw Organic 30th Anniversary Nut Mix!

We are pleased to offer another exciting mix custom made in our Armstrong warehouse - a blend of top quality, certified organic nuts including almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, filberts, pecans and walnuts.

Our new mix ensures you get all your favourite raw nuts in one bag!

We are continually sourcing new and exciting products, so look for descriptions in the upcoming wholesale price list, available early September.

See page 16 for information on a Harvest Event near you!

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NEW!

AUSTRALIAN

Unpasteurized Almonds!

We are excited to include raw unpasteurized almonds from Australia in this season’s nut selection. Since these beautiful almonds come from a source country outside of the U.S., they are not subject to the mandatory pasteurization treatment implemented by the California Almond Board a few years ago.

While it’s true that the steam pasteurization method used for our other almonds subjects the nuts to only a very mild heating process which leaves their nutritional integrity intact, there are many people who just don’t want their raw food interfered with beyond harvesting and boxing it!

Their ‘truly raw’ status aside, these almonds from the land of sunshine are truly special.

After tasting the sample sent to us from South Australia by almond grower John Maragozidis, we can state with certainty that you will not be disappointed in the soft crunch and sweet flavour of these beauties!

In his spare time, grower John Maragozidis races his quad in the Australian desert!

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Donation Day Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

2009

Savoury Nut Loaf

We liked this recipe not only because it features nuts (Rancho’s, of course!) but also because it’s easily prepared and provides a nutritious vegetarian option for a main dish.

Verdict? Delicious. Definitely a winner!

Every December, when Rancho Vignola's annual harvest season is drawing to a close, customers, family and friends of all kinds come together one more time. The occasion? Rancho Vignola's annual Food Bank Donation Day! Each year Rancho Vignola donates over $65,000 in fresh nuts and dried fruit to various charities, community groups, and events across British Columbia, Alberta and even worldwide!

Since the very beginning 30 years ago, we have delighted in being able to offer this incredibly nutritious food to so many who might otherwise not have access to it - it is one of the many reasons we love what we do!

We are also fortunate to have so many friends and community members with the same passion for good food, and who enjoy sharing it as much as we do. These are the people who make our annual Food Bank Donation Day so successful. Packaging and organizing all those shipments would be a long and difficult job without them, and we are ever grateful to them for the selfless gift of their time, energy, and laughter every year.

Ingredients:

Directions:

1½ cups of ground nuts* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 medium onion, chopped 4 eggs, lightly beaten ¼ cup milk (optional) 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs 3 medium zucchini, grated 1 medium carrot, grated 1 cup grated tasty cheese

Grease loaf pan or casserole dish. Grind nuts in coffee grinder or food processor. Mix everything really well in a large bowl, then spoon mixture into the loaf pan or casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350ºF for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes before slicing. *Try brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, almonds or whatever you have on hand.

Really good served with a salsa. I have substituted portobello mushrooms for some of the veggies. I have found it cooks well as a casserole in a crockpot.

Add seasonings to taste

Dianne's Granola Recipe 7 cups quick oats 1 cup coconut medium unsweetened (ribbon is also nice) 1 cup sunflower seeds 1 cup pumpkin seeds ¼ cup flax seeds ¼ cup sesame seeds 1 cup bran 1 cup wheat germ 3 cups nuts (almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, macadamias, pecans - whatever you like!)

Here's to the next 30 years of

Recipe of the Year

Submitted by Teresa Steeves of Vernon, BC

sharing the harvest!

Mix the above ingredients together.

Melt on low heat:

¾ cup grape seed oil (or any vegetable oil) ¾ cup honey

Add to dry mix until all is coated.

Breakfast, anyone?

Bake on cookie sheets at 325ºF for 12 minutes or until golden. It usually needs a stirring, then a few more minutes in the oven. When cool, add ½ cup hemp seed and ½ cup flax meal.

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Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Recipes from the

Rancho Kitchen

Meet more of the Rancho team…

We’ve mentioned before how difficult it is for a seasonal business to retain experienced staff who are available to come back every year. We feel extremely fortunate to attract so many workers whose lifestyles enable them to return to Rancho Vignola and help us through each busy harvest season!

Having a pantry stuffed with Rancho goodies makes cooking for any occasion simple and fun! We love it when our customers send us recipes, as its always exciting for us to see our products used in unique and enticing ways.

If you have a ‘must try’ recipe using Rancho Vignola products, visit our website and head to the ‘Recipes’ section.

From there you can easily upload and share your recipes with the ever-growing Rancho community. Each year we choose our favourite recipe from the season's submissions - usually a very difficult decision! The lucky winner receives $100 in credit towards their next Rancho Vignola order!

Jayme

Jayme McKillop Jayme, who has worked for us in previous years, rejoined us last fall in the newly created, full time position of Marketing Coordinator. Jayme’s job requires her to be the public face of Rancho, and includes traveling to search out potential events for us to be involved in. Jayme’s passion for quality food has brought her notoriety as a radio voice, as she offers nutritional snippets and recipes featuring Rancho products on our local Vernon radio station. A mother to nine year old Cyrus, Jayme recently married her long time partner Justin in a dream wedding in Costa Rica. When she’s not in the kitchen cooking up recipes, Jayme’s other passion is music, as she’s a proficient singer/songwriter who performs at many musical events.

Visit Rancho's website for our complete recipe list, organized by product category!

www.ranchovignola.com

Here are some new and delicious recipes we've been enjoying!

Rancho's Super Chewy Fruit & Nut Bars Ingredients: 1 tsp coconut oil 1 cup dried apricots ½ cup spelt flour 2 cups spelt flakes ½ cup chopped dried organic bananas ¼ cup dried organic juice sweetened cranberries ½ cup goji berries (soaked) ¼ cup chia seeds ¼ cup Incan berries* (soaked) ¼ cup peanut butter (made from 1 cup raw organic red skin peanuts) ¼ cup almond milk 2 eggs Dash of vanilla Pinch of cinnamon cup honey ¼ cup ribbon coconut ¼ cup sliced almonds *A new Rancho product!

See page 3 for more info.

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SueSusan Bru

A long time staff member, our ‘other’ Sue is one of those versatile employees who are vital to any successful organization. Stepping in wherever she’s needed, Sue moves with ease from Customer Service and Shipping to overseeing the Packaging Department in the warehouse, as well as clambering on and off the back of Rancho’s float in Armstrong’s annual IPE Parade! Dedicated to her pets (we’re pretty sure she prefers animals to people!), Sue is a committed volunteer with Vernon’s Animal Care Society, a local non-profit group. Sue also enjoys cooking, and is a sports enthusiast, playing baseball with her local team every summer.

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 9” x 11” cookie sheet with the coconut oil.

Peanut butter: place 1 cup of raw organic red skin peanuts on a baking sheet. Bake at 300ºF for 5 minutes or until you smell the peanuts roasting. Remove from the oven and pour into your food processor hot. Blend until smooth - remove from food processor and place in a jar. Set aside until needed.

Jarrett

Jarrett Columbus

Jarrett joined us about three years ago, amazing us with his physical endurance while working during a long fast (not to mention his discipline in not snacking on Rancho’s alluring products!)

Fortunately the fast ended, he began eating, and hasn’t really stopped since then! Jarrett has a particular interest in raw food and food growing communities. He also loves to travel, and is a major asset during our annual Harvest Events in Alberta. Jarrett lives in Vernon with his partner Jenny Rae and their young daughter Isabella.

Mix dried apricots and spelt flour in the food processor. Blend until the mixture is chopped quite fine. Scoop mixture from processor into a big bowl and toss in spelt flakes. Mix evenly using your hands (should have a mealy texture to it). Add in chia seeds, goji berries, cranberries, Incan berries and bananas. Mix well.

In a seperate, smaller bowl, beat eggs, add vanilla, honey, almond milk, cinnamon and peanut butter, then add the wet mixture to the dried. Mix evenly again using your hands. Place mixture onto the cookie sheet and press firmly from edge to edge.

Sprinkle with sliced almonds and coconut.

Terryn Terryn Thachuk

Terryn has been with us over the last few years, mostly in a part-time capacity due to her other business commitments. A knowledgeable and efficient office worker, Terryn takes care of Customer Service and Shipping systems. Terryn’s main passion in life, apart from family, yoga and running marathons, is promoting her impressive line of natural personal care products and awesome cookies (using Rancho ingredients, naturally!) through her business Om Naturale (www.omnaturale.ca.)

Bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes or until the coconut and almonds start to brown. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Slice and serve!

www.ranchovignola.com

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Focus on Figs

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

the

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

RANCHO YEARnutshell

in a

Figs are not only delicious and satisfying - they also come with a good helping of dietary fibre, potassium, iron and calcium, to name just a few of the many health benefits. All this and no saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium means indulge all you want - your body will love you for it!

These recipes come from our California fig supplier Valley Fig Growers - Check out their website at www.valleyfig.com for more delicious and inventive ways to enjoy your dried figs!

Mediterranean Fig Kebabs on Mixed Greens

August - first week: Summer newsletter release September 10: Wholesale price list available

Ingredients:

September 27: Wholesale order deadline October: Product begins arriving at the Rancho warehouse November: Wholesale orders begin shipping

Sherry Marinade ½ cup dry sherry ¼ cup water 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

November 5 - 6: Harvest Event - Vernon November 12 - 13: Harvest Event - Camrose November 12 - 13: Harvest Event - Salmon Arm November 13 - 14: Harvest Event - Kelowna

Citrus Dressing 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons orange juice concentrate 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

November 19 - 20: Harvest Event - Airdrie November 19 - 20: Harvest Event - Abbotsford December 1 - 15: Harvest Event Online March 1 - 15: Spring Clearance Sale

Ingredients:

Look for our new Rancho booth at these community events and you could be the lucky winner of one of our beautiful gift baskets! ner! ket win0 July 16 - 18: Nakusp Music Festival s a b o Ranch ny Tea 201 Peo

July 30 - August 1: Komasket Music Festival

October 22: Armstrong Pumpkin Festival

August 6 - 8: Rare Earth / Our Kids Have Talent

Jayme and Sue B Vernon Sunshine 2010 Festival

August 13 - 15: Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival

February 4 - 14, 2011: Vernon Winter Carnival

September 4: Armstrong IPE Parade

June 12, 2011: Runaway Moon Theatre Annual Peony Tea

September 26: Okanagan Organic Festival Kelowna

June 18, 2011: Vernon Sunshine Festival

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1 cup figs ¼ medium eggplant ½ medium red onion 1 medium red bell pepper

Summer 2010

Trim stems off figs. Combine figs with marinade ingredients in a small saucepan.

Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes.

Slice eggplant into thin wedges, about ¼-inch thick. Cut pepper and onion into 1 ½ -inch squares. Remove figs with slotted spoon, reserving marinade and 2 figs.

For kebabs, alternate eggplant, onion, pepper and figs on skewers. Set aside and prepare dressing. Dice the 2 reserved figs and combine with ¼ cup reserved marinade; add to Citrus Dressing.

Grill or broil kebabs 5 inches from heat source, brushing with remaining marinade and turning every 3 minutes. Grill for 6 to 10 minutes or until eggplant is soft.

Fig and Walnut Hummus

Close your eyes and picture yourself in Greece!

1 cup chopped figs 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup lemon juice 1 teaspoon honey 1 clove garlic 1 teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ cup fresh parsley ½ cup fresh mint leaves ¼ teaspoon cumin ¼ teaspoon allspice Light dusting of Paprika for garnish Pita bread cut into triangles Summer 2010

Toss 8 cups lettuce with remaining dressing; place on 4 plates. Sprinkle with 2 oz. feta cheese and ¼ cup pine nuts then top with kebabs.

In a food processor, chop figs and walnuts together. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients together (except for pita bread) until blended smooth. Fold in figs and walnuts. Place in a serving bowl, dust with Paprika, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Serve with warm or cold pita bread triangles or pita chips. Serves 6-8 people.

www.ranchovignola.com

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Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Rancho Vignola Runaway Moon T Peony Teaparty heatre 2010

! y t n d i a a r n o n I und your commu

Food for Thought Some wholesale customers are also business owners who supplement their goods or services with the inclusion of Rancho products. Bruce and Josée McMorran operate a kayaking resort in the Broughton archipelago off the tip of Vancouver Island, BC. We featured their resort in an earlier newsletter after a memorable visit to their ocean paradise! Here’s Bruce:

Tom Velisek Aspiring Snowboard Cross Olympic athlete

“Josée and I have always favoured organic and healthy foods, and having wholesale business accounts allowed us to buy in bulk, often including friends in our truck sized orders. We were hooked

by Rancho Vignola after a good friend of Sue and Richard’s, Claude Poulin, gave us some samples. Our initial order was around $3000 for about fifteen people, but within five years we were ordering huge amounts of goodies for close to 100 people in the surrounding communities of Cortes, Quadra and Sointula Islands, as well as the town of Campbell River on the main island.” Bruce says he and Josée have always loved how the products sell themselves by their obvious freshness.

Tom Velisek has been traveling the world competing at numerous snowboard cross races for many years. Rancho Vignola has been sponsoring Tom in his sport since 2002, and we are happy to have played a part in helping him aspire to Olympic glory!

Sue sings with Runaway Moo her Balkan choir n Peony Teap arty 2010

Rancho Vignola mee Sam Roberts! ts Salmon Arm Roots + Blues 2009

Tom says: “Rancho has kept me well fueled for my training with the best dried fruit and nuts. It’s their amazing spirit of giving that puts Rancho Vignola a step above other companies and we need more like them in the world. Two Olympic games later and I’m still being nourished by Rancho’s amazing products, including my favourite: organic dried mango! Thanks for all the support - I wish you another thirty years and more!”

Moving on from Cortes Island, Bruce and Josée have now scaled things back to just providing Rancho products for their island community of Sointula. Bruce: “There isn't a day when we don't enjoy some food product from Rancho - mango, hemp seeds, almonds or dates - our world actually tastes better as a result of Rancho Vignola’s commitment to inspire both growers and consumers to care about quality. We have learned over the years that the Vignola family care as much about their relations to their customers as they do about their products.”

n ancho's Gree R ts ep c c a e ng Jaym d! - Armstro Business awarCommerce 2010 Chamber of

United by Food!

Rancho Vignola has always operated on the principle that ‘food is community’. From the families who grow the food to the families who sit together and share it, food creates a human bond which unites us all. Thanks to all of you who share our commitment to search out food with integrity. We intend on bringing in ‘the best of the new crop’ for many more years to come!

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Ladies W Vernonorld Gym 2009 Jayme and C us Armstrong IPEyr20 09

Rancho products are for sharing with friends!

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Summer 2010

Summer 2010

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men in 9 o W ie Airdr event 200 s Busines

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Celebrating As we celebrate Rancho Vignola’s thirtieth anniversary this year, we’re putting the focus on our wholesale customers. Many of you have found us recently (welcome!), while some have been with us since the very beginning all those years ago...

30

years of the Best of the New Crop

Here’s what some of you have to say about discovering 'the best of the new crop!’

Dianne Wells of Armstrong, BC has been ordering from us almost since day one, and is a former colleague who worked with us in those far-off Sunseed days. Dianne says: “My partner Reg and I started buying Vignola nuts in the early 80's. With no electricity at our housing site, the nuts were stashed outside in the winter, bolted tight against hungry critters, and in the summer stored in a mini root cellar dug into a deep hole the size of a garbage bin!”

almonds and walnuts to a more varied and indulgent assortment, including seeds and dried fruit that form the basis for a granola* that has been in constant supply in her kitchen. (*see Page 13 for Dianne’s granola recipe.)

Dianne: “You'd think two aging hippies with diminishing appetites would be buying less, but although I'm baking fewer desserts, I’m using nuts in salads and rice dishes and we are enjoying them as much as ever.” Dianne and her sister Susan take turns in handing out the wholesale price list to interested friends and family members who place orders with them.

Dianne says over the last twenty-five years her order has increased from a basic one case of

‘Hungry critter’ Chiefty parrot friend of photographer Erik Haselhorst.

Wholesale Buying Clubs: What are they and where did they begin?

A buying club is formed when a group of people decide to get together and purchase their favourite products at wholesale prices. This concept had its origins back in the sixties and seventies. Started mainly for economic reasons, bulk-buying was also seen as a left-wing, anti-corporate political statement - an attempt to weed out the middle man and have more control over essential purchases. Some of these ad-hoc buying groups morphed into retail co-operatives, operating successful businesses which not only fed the co-op’s members but also kept them employed at fair wages.

Sunseed - the early days

When Richard first moved to BC in the mid-seventies, he was involved with the Fed-Up Co-op in Vancouver. Fed-Up was a precursor to CRS Workers Co-operative, which had a tradition of selling wholesale directly to the public. In later years, CRS became Horizon Distributors, now the largest Canadian distributor of whole foods.

Richard and I were committed to the bulk buying concept ourselves during the years we ran Sunseed, our natural food store in downtown Vernon. Although at Sunseed we were in fact making our living as the ‘middle men,’ our committed aim was always to reduce the end price to our customers.

We achieved this by operating our store at a lower than average retail profit margin, and by producing our own bulk order sheet (handwritten in those days!) to encourage customers to order in larger quantities. The order sheet Page 8

offered price reductions on bulk sizes and full cases, and its success enabled us to greatly increase our orders with suppliers, quickly catapulting Sunseed into the top retailer category for a store its size!

Direct from the farm...

The success of this venture multiplied when we began including fresh nuts and dried fruit available each fall from the California harvest. The display of beautiful light amber walnuts and juicy dates in full cases at the store’s entrance enticed our customers into buying as much or as little as they wanted! Of course, most customers wanted more of these delightfully fresh products, so we began collecting names of those interested in purchasing full cases each fall. This formed the basis for what has become the mainstay of our nutty business providing quality natural foods fresh from harvest direct Sue and Richard with to people - individuals and groups California organic raisin at wholesale prices. grower Mike McCutcheon.

www.ranchovignola.com

Summer 2010

Fresh walnuts every time...

Jean Hauta of Enderby, BC has a story she likes to tell when asked why she’s so committed to Rancho products. Jean’s parents were visiting from Saskatchewan, and during a kitchen visit, as Jean was preparing a dish with walnuts, her mom absently nibbled on a couple of them. She immediately commented on how fresh and tasty they were compared to those she could buy at home. Jean says: “Mom was amazed when I told her that I had bought them the previous fall (almost 10 months before) and that they had been in the freezer since then!”

After buying Rancho products through a friend for a few years, Jean started her own buying group about ten years ago. Jean: “My own order is actually well over the wholesale minimum ($500), but I order for others so that they can have access to the delicious food.” Jean says her buying group has changed over the years. “It started mostly with co-workers who have now formed their own group, so mine is now mostly friends, family and neighbours.” Jean says her family consumes Rancho’s nuts and/or dried fruit almost every day. Jean: “There’s so many uses! In granola, salads, trail mixes, snacks, cookies - in fact, our current favorite recipe is cookies made with Rancho's Breakfast Mix.”

In the marketing world, word of mouth advertising is considered to be gold standard. This is definitely the case for us, since most of our customers have discovered us ‘through a friend.’ Many of our larger clubs have had to split into smaller groups when the ordering process became too daunting for the one or two club members who typically handle all the coordination.

Bagging sticky raisins!

Don and Mardelle Hansen are Calgary customers who first started purchasing through friends associated with their local Waldorf School twenty-odd years ago. Mardelle says: “After a few years we began purchasing direct from Rancho ourselves, buying thousands of dollars of fresh organic wholesome food every year, which was pretty hard to contain in our house! We have so many friends who are also Rancho customers, people who are as passionate about what they eat as we are. We have encouraged many others to join our buying group so that I would not be the only one separating and bagging all those sticky raisins!”

Mardelle goes on to say: “For a month every fall, our piano is covered with extra bags of goodies which my husband’s music students just cannot resist. The stories of friendships created through great food is a constant conversation piece in our house, and Rancho Vignola is at the top of the story list.”

We also have many health practitioners in our customer base.

Here’s a snippet from Dr. Brenda Gill N.D. of Rossland, BC.

Continued next page...

“I first got involved with ordering nuts, seeds and dried fruit about eight years ago through a friend, and they have proved to be the freshest products I’ve been able to get anywhere! As a naturopathic physician I have recommended Rancho products to many of my patients and friends, since they are such an important part of a healthy and well-balanced diet! Thanks for the great service and supplies!”

Summer 2010

www.ranchovignola.com

Page 9

Celebrating As we celebrate Rancho Vignola’s thirtieth anniversary this year, we’re putting the focus on our wholesale customers. Many of you have found us recently (welcome!), while some have been with us since the very beginning all those years ago...

30

years of the Best of the New Crop

Here’s what some of you have to say about discovering 'the best of the new crop!’

Dianne Wells of Armstrong, BC has been ordering from us almost since day one, and is a former colleague who worked with us in those far-off Sunseed days. Dianne says: “My partner Reg and I started buying Vignola nuts in the early 80's. With no electricity at our housing site, the nuts were stashed outside in the winter, bolted tight against hungry critters, and in the summer stored in a mini root cellar dug into a deep hole the size of a garbage bin!”

almonds and walnuts to a more varied and indulgent assortment, including seeds and dried fruit that form the basis for a granola* that has been in constant supply in her kitchen. (*see Page 13 for Dianne’s granola recipe.)

Dianne: “You'd think two aging hippies with diminishing appetites would be buying less, but although I'm baking fewer desserts, I’m using nuts in salads and rice dishes and we are enjoying them as much as ever.” Dianne and her sister Susan take turns in handing out the wholesale price list to interested friends and family members who place orders with them.

Dianne says over the last twenty-five years her order has increased from a basic one case of

‘Hungry critter’ Chiefty parrot friend of photographer Erik Haselhorst.

Wholesale Buying Clubs: What are they and where did they begin?

A buying club is formed when a group of people decide to get together and purchase their favourite products at wholesale prices. This concept had its origins back in the sixties and seventies. Started mainly for economic reasons, bulk-buying was also seen as a left-wing, anti-corporate political statement - an attempt to weed out the middle man and have more control over essential purchases. Some of these ad-hoc buying groups morphed into retail co-operatives, operating successful businesses which not only fed the co-op’s members but also kept them employed at fair wages.

Sunseed - the early days

When Richard first moved to BC in the mid-seventies, he was involved with the Fed-Up Co-op in Vancouver. Fed-Up was a precursor to CRS Workers Co-operative, which had a tradition of selling wholesale directly to the public. In later years, CRS became Horizon Distributors, now the largest Canadian distributor of whole foods.

Richard and I were committed to the bulk buying concept ourselves during the years we ran Sunseed, our natural food store in downtown Vernon. Although at Sunseed we were in fact making our living as the ‘middle men,’ our committed aim was always to reduce the end price to our customers.

We achieved this by operating our store at a lower than average retail profit margin, and by producing our own bulk order sheet (handwritten in those days!) to encourage customers to order in larger quantities. The order sheet Page 8

offered price reductions on bulk sizes and full cases, and its success enabled us to greatly increase our orders with suppliers, quickly catapulting Sunseed into the top retailer category for a store its size!

Direct from the farm...

The success of this venture multiplied when we began including fresh nuts and dried fruit available each fall from the California harvest. The display of beautiful light amber walnuts and juicy dates in full cases at the store’s entrance enticed our customers into buying as much or as little as they wanted! Of course, most customers wanted more of these delightfully fresh products, so we began collecting names of those interested in purchasing full cases each fall. This formed the basis for what has become the mainstay of our nutty business providing quality natural foods fresh from harvest direct Sue and Richard with to people - individuals and groups California organic raisin at wholesale prices. grower Mike McCutcheon.

www.ranchovignola.com

Summer 2010

Fresh walnuts every time...

Jean Hauta of Enderby, BC has a story she likes to tell when asked why she’s so committed to Rancho products. Jean’s parents were visiting from Saskatchewan, and during a kitchen visit, as Jean was preparing a dish with walnuts, her mom absently nibbled on a couple of them. She immediately commented on how fresh and tasty they were compared to those she could buy at home. Jean says: “Mom was amazed when I told her that I had bought them the previous fall (almost 10 months before) and that they had been in the freezer since then!”

After buying Rancho products through a friend for a few years, Jean started her own buying group about ten years ago. Jean: “My own order is actually well over the wholesale minimum ($500), but I order for others so that they can have access to the delicious food.” Jean says her buying group has changed over the years. “It started mostly with co-workers who have now formed their own group, so mine is now mostly friends, family and neighbours.” Jean says her family consumes Rancho’s nuts and/or dried fruit almost every day. Jean: “There’s so many uses! In granola, salads, trail mixes, snacks, cookies - in fact, our current favorite recipe is cookies made with Rancho's Breakfast Mix.”

In the marketing world, word of mouth advertising is considered to be gold standard. This is definitely the case for us, since most of our customers have discovered us ‘through a friend.’ Many of our larger clubs have had to split into smaller groups when the ordering process became too daunting for the one or two club members who typically handle all the coordination.

Bagging sticky raisins!

Don and Mardelle Hansen are Calgary customers who first started purchasing through friends associated with their local Waldorf School twenty-odd years ago. Mardelle says: “After a few years we began purchasing direct from Rancho ourselves, buying thousands of dollars of fresh organic wholesome food every year, which was pretty hard to contain in our house! We have so many friends who are also Rancho customers, people who are as passionate about what they eat as we are. We have encouraged many others to join our buying group so that I would not be the only one separating and bagging all those sticky raisins!”

Mardelle goes on to say: “For a month every fall, our piano is covered with extra bags of goodies which my husband’s music students just cannot resist. The stories of friendships created through great food is a constant conversation piece in our house, and Rancho Vignola is at the top of the story list.”

We also have many health practitioners in our customer base.

Here’s a snippet from Dr. Brenda Gill N.D. of Rossland, BC.

Continued next page...

“I first got involved with ordering nuts, seeds and dried fruit about eight years ago through a friend, and they have proved to be the freshest products I’ve been able to get anywhere! As a naturopathic physician I have recommended Rancho products to many of my patients and friends, since they are such an important part of a healthy and well-balanced diet! Thanks for the great service and supplies!”

Summer 2010

www.ranchovignola.com

Page 9

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Rancho Vignola Runaway Moon T Peony Teaparty heatre 2010

! y t n d i a a r n o n I und your commu

Food for Thought Some wholesale customers are also business owners who supplement their goods or services with the inclusion of Rancho products. Bruce and Josée McMorran operate a kayaking resort in the Broughton archipelago off the tip of Vancouver Island, BC. We featured their resort in an earlier newsletter after a memorable visit to their ocean paradise! Here’s Bruce:

Tom Velisek Aspiring Snowboard Cross Olympic athlete

“Josée and I have always favoured organic and healthy foods, and having wholesale business accounts allowed us to buy in bulk, often including friends in our truck sized orders. We were hooked

by Rancho Vignola after a good friend of Sue and Richard’s, Claude Poulin, gave us some samples. Our initial order was around $3000 for about fifteen people, but within five years we were ordering huge amounts of goodies for close to 100 people in the surrounding communities of Cortes, Quadra and Sointula Islands, as well as the town of Campbell River on the main island.” Bruce says he and Josée have always loved how the products sell themselves by their obvious freshness.

Tom Velisek has been traveling the world competing at numerous snowboard cross races for many years. Rancho Vignola has been sponsoring Tom in his sport since 2002, and we are happy to have played a part in helping him aspire to Olympic glory!

Sue sings with Runaway Moo her Balkan choir n Peony Teap arty 2010

Rancho Vignola mee Sam Roberts! ts Salmon Arm Roots + Blues 2009

Tom says: “Rancho has kept me well fueled for my training with the best dried fruit and nuts. It’s their amazing spirit of giving that puts Rancho Vignola a step above other companies and we need more like them in the world. Two Olympic games later and I’m still being nourished by Rancho’s amazing products, including my favourite: organic dried mango! Thanks for all the support - I wish you another thirty years and more!”

Moving on from Cortes Island, Bruce and Josée have now scaled things back to just providing Rancho products for their island community of Sointula. Bruce: “There isn't a day when we don't enjoy some food product from Rancho - mango, hemp seeds, almonds or dates - our world actually tastes better as a result of Rancho Vignola’s commitment to inspire both growers and consumers to care about quality. We have learned over the years that the Vignola family care as much about their relations to their customers as they do about their products.”

n ancho's Gree R ts ep c c a e ng Jaym d! - Armstro Business awarCommerce 2010 Chamber of

United by Food!

Rancho Vignola has always operated on the principle that ‘food is community’. From the families who grow the food to the families who sit together and share it, food creates a human bond which unites us all. Thanks to all of you who share our commitment to search out food with integrity. We intend on bringing in ‘the best of the new crop’ for many more years to come!

Page 10

Ladies W Vernonorld Gym 2009 Jayme and C us Armstrong IPEyr20 09

Rancho products are for sharing with friends!

www.ranchovignola.com

Summer 2010

Summer 2010

www.ranchovignola.com

men in 9 o W ie Airdr event 200 s Busines

Page 7

Focus on Figs

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

the

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

RANCHO YEARnutshell

in a

Figs are not only delicious and satisfying - they also come with a good helping of dietary fibre, potassium, iron and calcium, to name just a few of the many health benefits. All this and no saturated fat, cholesterol or sodium means indulge all you want - your body will love you for it!

These recipes come from our California fig supplier Valley Fig Growers - Check out their website at www.valleyfig.com for more delicious and inventive ways to enjoy your dried figs!

Mediterranean Fig Kebabs on Mixed Greens

August - first week: Summer newsletter release September 10: Wholesale price list available

Ingredients:

September 27: Wholesale order deadline October: Product begins arriving at the Rancho warehouse November: Wholesale orders begin shipping

Sherry Marinade ½ cup dry sherry ¼ cup water 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

November 5 - 6: Harvest Event - Vernon November 12 - 13: Harvest Event - Camrose November 12 - 13: Harvest Event - Salmon Arm November 13 - 14: Harvest Event - Kelowna

Citrus Dressing 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons orange juice concentrate 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

November 19 - 20: Harvest Event - Airdrie November 19 - 20: Harvest Event - Abbotsford December 1 - 15: Harvest Event Online March 1 - 15: Spring Clearance Sale

Ingredients:

Look for our new Rancho booth at these community events and you could be the lucky winner of one of our beautiful gift baskets! ner! ket win0 July 16 - 18: Nakusp Music Festival s a b o Ranch ny Tea 201 Peo

July 30 - August 1: Komasket Music Festival

October 22: Armstrong Pumpkin Festival

August 6 - 8: Rare Earth / Our Kids Have Talent

Jayme and Sue B Vernon Sunshine 2010 Festival

August 13 - 15: Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival

February 4 - 14, 2011: Vernon Winter Carnival

September 4: Armstrong IPE Parade

June 12, 2011: Runaway Moon Theatre Annual Peony Tea

September 26: Okanagan Organic Festival Kelowna

June 18, 2011: Vernon Sunshine Festival

Page 6

www.ranchovignola.com

1 cup figs ¼ medium eggplant ½ medium red onion 1 medium red bell pepper

Summer 2010

Trim stems off figs. Combine figs with marinade ingredients in a small saucepan.

Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes.

Slice eggplant into thin wedges, about ¼-inch thick. Cut pepper and onion into 1 ½ -inch squares. Remove figs with slotted spoon, reserving marinade and 2 figs.

For kebabs, alternate eggplant, onion, pepper and figs on skewers. Set aside and prepare dressing. Dice the 2 reserved figs and combine with ¼ cup reserved marinade; add to Citrus Dressing.

Grill or broil kebabs 5 inches from heat source, brushing with remaining marinade and turning every 3 minutes. Grill for 6 to 10 minutes or until eggplant is soft.

Fig and Walnut Hummus

Close your eyes and picture yourself in Greece!

1 cup chopped figs 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup lemon juice 1 teaspoon honey 1 clove garlic 1 teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ cup fresh parsley ½ cup fresh mint leaves ¼ teaspoon cumin ¼ teaspoon allspice Light dusting of Paprika for garnish Pita bread cut into triangles Summer 2010

Toss 8 cups lettuce with remaining dressing; place on 4 plates. Sprinkle with 2 oz. feta cheese and ¼ cup pine nuts then top with kebabs.

In a food processor, chop figs and walnuts together. Scrape into a bowl and set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients together (except for pita bread) until blended smooth. Fold in figs and walnuts. Place in a serving bowl, dust with Paprika, cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Serve with warm or cold pita bread triangles or pita chips. Serves 6-8 people.

www.ranchovignola.com

Page 11

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Recipes from the

Rancho Kitchen

Meet more of the Rancho team…

We’ve mentioned before how difficult it is for a seasonal business to retain experienced staff who are available to come back every year. We feel extremely fortunate to attract so many workers whose lifestyles enable them to return to Rancho Vignola and help us through each busy harvest season!

Having a pantry stuffed with Rancho goodies makes cooking for any occasion simple and fun! We love it when our customers send us recipes, as its always exciting for us to see our products used in unique and enticing ways.

If you have a ‘must try’ recipe using Rancho Vignola products, visit our website and head to the ‘Recipes’ section.

From there you can easily upload and share your recipes with the ever-growing Rancho community. Each year we choose our favourite recipe from the season's submissions - usually a very difficult decision! The lucky winner receives $100 in credit towards their next Rancho Vignola order!

Jayme

Jayme McKillop Jayme, who has worked for us in previous years, rejoined us last fall in the newly created, full time position of Marketing Coordinator. Jayme’s job requires her to be the public face of Rancho, and includes traveling to search out potential events for us to be involved in. Jayme’s passion for quality food has brought her notoriety as a radio voice, as she offers nutritional snippets and recipes featuring Rancho products on our local Vernon radio station. A mother to nine year old Cyrus, Jayme recently married her long time partner Justin in a dream wedding in Costa Rica. When she’s not in the kitchen cooking up recipes, Jayme’s other passion is music, as she’s a proficient singer/songwriter who performs at many musical events.

Visit Rancho's website for our complete recipe list, organized by product category!

www.ranchovignola.com

Here are some new and delicious recipes we've been enjoying!

Rancho's Super Chewy Fruit & Nut Bars Ingredients: 1 tsp coconut oil 1 cup dried apricots ½ cup spelt flour 2 cups spelt flakes ½ cup chopped dried organic bananas ¼ cup dried organic juice sweetened cranberries ½ cup goji berries (soaked) ¼ cup chia seeds ¼ cup Incan berries* (soaked) ¼ cup peanut butter (made from 1 cup raw organic red skin peanuts) ¼ cup almond milk 2 eggs Dash of vanilla Pinch of cinnamon cup honey ¼ cup ribbon coconut ¼ cup sliced almonds *A new Rancho product!

See page 3 for more info.

Page 12

SueSusan Bru

A long time staff member, our ‘other’ Sue is one of those versatile employees who are vital to any successful organization. Stepping in wherever she’s needed, Sue moves with ease from Customer Service and Shipping to overseeing the Packaging Department in the warehouse, as well as clambering on and off the back of Rancho’s float in Armstrong’s annual IPE Parade! Dedicated to her pets (we’re pretty sure she prefers animals to people!), Sue is a committed volunteer with Vernon’s Animal Care Society, a local non-profit group. Sue also enjoys cooking, and is a sports enthusiast, playing baseball with her local team every summer.

Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 9” x 11” cookie sheet with the coconut oil.

Peanut butter: place 1 cup of raw organic red skin peanuts on a baking sheet. Bake at 300ºF for 5 minutes or until you smell the peanuts roasting. Remove from the oven and pour into your food processor hot. Blend until smooth - remove from food processor and place in a jar. Set aside until needed.

Jarrett

Jarrett Columbus

Jarrett joined us about three years ago, amazing us with his physical endurance while working during a long fast (not to mention his discipline in not snacking on Rancho’s alluring products!)

Fortunately the fast ended, he began eating, and hasn’t really stopped since then! Jarrett has a particular interest in raw food and food growing communities. He also loves to travel, and is a major asset during our annual Harvest Events in Alberta. Jarrett lives in Vernon with his partner Jenny Rae and their young daughter Isabella.

Mix dried apricots and spelt flour in the food processor. Blend until the mixture is chopped quite fine. Scoop mixture from processor into a big bowl and toss in spelt flakes. Mix evenly using your hands (should have a mealy texture to it). Add in chia seeds, goji berries, cranberries, Incan berries and bananas. Mix well.

In a seperate, smaller bowl, beat eggs, add vanilla, honey, almond milk, cinnamon and peanut butter, then add the wet mixture to the dried. Mix evenly again using your hands. Place mixture onto the cookie sheet and press firmly from edge to edge.

Sprinkle with sliced almonds and coconut.

Terryn Terryn Thachuk

Terryn has been with us over the last few years, mostly in a part-time capacity due to her other business commitments. A knowledgeable and efficient office worker, Terryn takes care of Customer Service and Shipping systems. Terryn’s main passion in life, apart from family, yoga and running marathons, is promoting her impressive line of natural personal care products and awesome cookies (using Rancho ingredients, naturally!) through her business Om Naturale (www.omnaturale.ca.)

Bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes or until the coconut and almonds start to brown. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Slice and serve!

www.ranchovignola.com

Summer 2010

Summer 2010

www.ranchovignola.com

Page 5

Donation Day Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

2009

Savoury Nut Loaf

We liked this recipe not only because it features nuts (Rancho’s, of course!) but also because it’s easily prepared and provides a nutritious vegetarian option for a main dish.

Verdict? Delicious. Definitely a winner!

Every December, when Rancho Vignola's annual harvest season is drawing to a close, customers, family and friends of all kinds come together one more time. The occasion? Rancho Vignola's annual Food Bank Donation Day! Each year Rancho Vignola donates over $65,000 in fresh nuts and dried fruit to various charities, community groups, and events across British Columbia, Alberta and even worldwide!

Since the very beginning 30 years ago, we have delighted in being able to offer this incredibly nutritious food to so many who might otherwise not have access to it - it is one of the many reasons we love what we do!

We are also fortunate to have so many friends and community members with the same passion for good food, and who enjoy sharing it as much as we do. These are the people who make our annual Food Bank Donation Day so successful. Packaging and organizing all those shipments would be a long and difficult job without them, and we are ever grateful to them for the selfless gift of their time, energy, and laughter every year.

Ingredients:

Directions:

1½ cups of ground nuts* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 clove garlic, crushed 1 medium onion, chopped 4 eggs, lightly beaten ¼ cup milk (optional) 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs 3 medium zucchini, grated 1 medium carrot, grated 1 cup grated tasty cheese

Grease loaf pan or casserole dish. Grind nuts in coffee grinder or food processor. Mix everything really well in a large bowl, then spoon mixture into the loaf pan or casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350ºF for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes before slicing. *Try brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, almonds or whatever you have on hand.

Really good served with a salsa. I have substituted portobello mushrooms for some of the veggies. I have found it cooks well as a casserole in a crockpot.

Add seasonings to taste

Dianne's Granola Recipe 7 cups quick oats 1 cup coconut medium unsweetened (ribbon is also nice) 1 cup sunflower seeds 1 cup pumpkin seeds ¼ cup flax seeds ¼ cup sesame seeds 1 cup bran 1 cup wheat germ 3 cups nuts (almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, macadamias, pecans - whatever you like!)

Here's to the next 30 years of

Recipe of the Year

Submitted by Teresa Steeves of Vernon, BC

sharing the harvest!

Mix the above ingredients together.

Melt on low heat:

¾ cup grape seed oil (or any vegetable oil) ¾ cup honey

Add to dry mix until all is coated.

Breakfast, anyone?

Bake on cookie sheets at 325ºF for 12 minutes or until golden. It usually needs a stirring, then a few more minutes in the oven. When cool, add ½ cup hemp seed and ½ cup flax meal.

Page 4

www.ranchovignola.com

Summer 2010

Summer 2010

www.ranchovignola.com

Page 13

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

Scenes from Rancho Vignola's Annual

Thirty years ago,

Harvest Events Friendly staff ready to serve!

For Rancho Vignola, the month of November is all about fresh food, and the best way to experience our dedication to quality is by attending one of our annual Harvest Events!

Browsing our product display and tasting our top quality nuts, dried fruit and premium confection makes for a fun and delicious shopping experience!

Products are available in 5lb 2lb and some in 1lb bags. You can also see our great selection of handmade Gourmet Gifts, perfect for that hard-to-buy someone on your Christmas list.

when we first began importing nuts and dried fruit into British Columbia, our products came predominantly from the California harvest. The small amount of tropical fruits and nuts required to round out our product line were purchased through a trusted supplier with direct links to global markets. Over the years, our desire to learn more about the increasingly popular products we were supplying from other continents led us to travel to some exotic locations to make our own personal contacts, which we plan to continue in the years to come.

With extreme weather variations occurring in California and world-wide, diversifying our source countries is proving to be a smart move!

Fortunately, the California harvest has not experienced adverse weather this season. Variable spring weather grounded some of the pollinating bees, but most crops rebounded and are developing in good condition. As always, growers are watchful for changing conditions and will not breathe a sigh of relief until the harvest is in!

Crop News California raisins are currently about ten days behind schedule of their normal growing cycle. This may result in a lower than anticipated harvest which has suppliers panicking a little as world demand for raisins increases and they risk losing market share.

Australian Macadamias: Although a short macadamia crop is predicted, due to hot, dry and dusty conditions around flowering time last spring, the quality of this smooth white nut is great. Have you thought of trying macadamia nuts in curries?

The Australian Government has launched a project to help promote Australian food and is targeting macadamia nuts to the Indian market, the true connoisseurs of curry dishes!

Bring the family or a bunch of friends and make a day of it! Visit us at any of our 6 locations and get to know ‘the best of the new crop!”

Attention to every detail

Smiling faces!

Our new locatinon in V erno

EW! N Certified Organic

Tasty es! sa mpl

Golden Incan Berries These sweet and tangy berries grow in the mineral-rich soils of the Peruvian Andes and are known as the goji berry of South America. Used to combat stress and improve circulation, Incan berries contain a high level of protein and play a crucial role in detoxification. Sprinkle them on your cereal, or add to salads and smoothies, for an extra boost of immune strengthening nutrients!

- the Rec Centre Auditorium!

The Camro se Red HCatRESo! ciety visits us at the

EW! NRancho’s Own Raw Organic 30th Anniversary Nut Mix!

We are pleased to offer another exciting mix custom made in our Armstrong warehouse - a blend of top quality, certified organic nuts including almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, filberts, pecans and walnuts.

Our new mix ensures you get all your favourite raw nuts in one bag!

We are continually sourcing new and exciting products, so look for descriptions in the upcoming wholesale price list, available early September.

See page 16 for information on a Harvest Event near you!

Page 14

www.ranchovignola.com

Summer 2010

Summer 2010

www.ranchovignola.com

NEW!

AUSTRALIAN

Unpasteurized Almonds!

We are excited to include raw unpasteurized almonds from Australia in this season’s nut selection. Since these beautiful almonds come from a source country outside of the U.S., they are not subject to the mandatory pasteurization treatment implemented by the California Almond Board a few years ago.

While it’s true that the steam pasteurization method used for our other almonds subjects the nuts to only a very mild heating process which leaves their nutritional integrity intact, there are many people who just don’t want their raw food interfered with beyond harvesting and boxing it!

Their ‘truly raw’ status aside, these almonds from the land of sunshine are truly special.

After tasting the sample sent to us from South Australia by almond grower John Maragozidis, we can state with certainty that you will not be disappointed in the soft crunch and sweet flavour of these beauties!

In his spare time, grower John Maragozidis races his quad in the Australian desert!

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Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

It's Been 30 Nutty Years Already!

Welcome to this expanded edition of our annual newsletter. As we celebrate our thirtieth year in business, we can’t help but reflect on the many friends, customers and colleagues who have been instrumental in helping us reach this impressive landmark.

If you’ve ever wondered how this business began, take a close look at this man to the left. He is the late Carl Isaac, the person who first brought our attention to the bountiful harvest of fresh nuts and dried fruit to be found just south of the US border.

Carl Isaac

Returning from a trip to California in the late seventies with a pickup truck full of almonds, walnuts and Medjool dates, Carl visited us at our Vernon store, Sunseed Natural Foods. With our taste buds tantalized, our interest in taking food distribution in a whole new direction was also ignited. Our subsequent twenty year partnership with Carl, with his links to BC and Alberta’s Mennonite communities, brought us new associates and friendships, many which have lasted to this day! Carl sadly passed away in 1999. We will always honour his memory and appreciate the impact he had on our lives, both personally and professionally.

Welcome!

Included in the front page b&w photo collage are Frank Klassen, whose farm in Linden was the location of one of our two Alberta Harvest Events for twenty years; the late Jesse McKay, a close friend and self-appointed ‘Shop Stewardess’ of our Packaging Department; and Jacquie Friesen, Rancho’s Supervisor for many years and now a successful realtor. And in case you don’t recognize the young family at the bottom of the page - the Vignolas circa 1982!

As we move into another harvest season, we welcome new customers and express a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to those of you who have honoured us with your patronage and support for so many years. With the younger generation of family members and loyal and enthusiastic staff now part of the Rancho team, our commitment to searching out quality products continues. Here’s to many more years of ‘the best of the new crop!’

- Richard, Sue, Simon & Natalia Vignola

• We operate seasonally during the Autumn harvest, from September through November.

• We maintain personal relationships with growers and suppliers worldwide.

• We offer ordering opportunities for both wholesale and retail customers.

• ANYONE can order wholesale!

• Wholesale orders must be at least $500 - this is the only requirement!

• Wholesale orders are shipped direct to customers all over Canada • For customers wanting smaller quantities and extras for the holiday season, Rancho Vignola holds annual Harvest Events in communities across BC and Alberta • For customers living outside BC and Alberta, we also hold a Harvest Event Online in early December - the perfect opportunity to try out a few products and have them shipped right to you, without having to place a large wholesale order.

Visit our website for further information - or get in touch directly by email or phone.

We look forward to hearing from you this harvest season, and to bringing you the Best of the New Crop!

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Please note this is an absolutely firm order deadline – any orders received after the deadline will not be guaranteed delivery, and will be dealt with on a first in, first served basis.

Order Shipment:

Order shipment begins early November and continues all month. Sometimes we experience delays of a particular product, due to unforeseen circumstances such as ports being closed due to strikes. Please be aware that our warehouse crew are working diligently to get your orders shipped to you as quickly as possible! We will try to meet your requests for a specific delivery day, but any customers setting up their own sales (or advertising a delivery day to their club members) are advised to err on the side of caution and plan for later in November. Please note: Any special delivery requests must be made at the time of order placement in September.

www.ranchovignola.com

Box 397 Armstrong, BC V0E 1B0 Toll-free: 1-877-639-2767 info@ranchovignola.com

www.ranchovignola.com acebook and

Payment All first-time wholesale customers are required to pre-pay as soon as the order is placed. For existing customers with established credit terms, payment is required within 15 days from receipt of the order. We accept payment by credit card, cheque (one cheque only please!), and money order. Customers using our online ordering system may safely use a credit card online to pay for their order.

Order Deadline is Monday, September 27th.

WELCOME 2 Crop News 3 Annual Donation Day 4 Rancho Staff Profiles 5 The Rancho Calendar 6 Community Involvement 7 Buying Clubs - Your Stories 8 Focus on Figs 11 Rancho Recipes 12 Scenes From Our Harvest Events 14 Rancho Vignola Ordering Policies 15 Harvest Events 2010 16

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Wholesale Ordering System The wholesale price list will be available on or before September 10th, and customers can access it either by downloading it in PDF format through our website or by regular mail. Customers with email addresses will receive an announcement when the price list is ready. Please let us know if you also require a paper copy, as we prefer to avoid sending out paper unnecessarily.

Order Minimum: $500 - product available in full cases or 5lb bags

What's Inside

Rancho Vignola is a family owned and operated distributor of fresh crop nuts, dried fruit and quality confection. If you're new to Rancho Vignola, here's a few more things you should know!

WHOLESALE ORDERING How It All Works

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Summer 2010

Order Delivery / Pick-up:

Orders are sent pre-paid by commercial freight carriers or courier service to a freight depot in your nearest town centre. The depot will contact you when your order has arrived, and you may be required to pick up if they do not make residential deliveries to your location. If you live in a remote area not covered by our regular freight carriers, an interline service may be required and the cost of this service covered by you. If in doubt, please discuss this at order time.

If you wish to pick up at our Armstrong warehouse, please let us know when placing your order. You will be contacted when your order is ready.

Shipping Charges CHANGE OF POLICY As of our 2010 season, we have changed our shipping charges to more accurately reflect the actual costs of freight. Please review carefully, as these changes may affect you.

Standard Freight policy: We will cover all freight costs to major centres on our regular shipping routes across central Canada. Customers are responsible for any interline charges incurred for delivery beyond the freight depot.

Smaller towns in all provinces: A small freight charge of

approximately 20¢/lb will be applied for delivery to smaller centres outside of major cities across central Canada. This amount will be calculated at the time of order placement and added to your invoice. Please note that the added charge is still only a fraction of the total freight cost to most regions, the larger portion is covered by us. Again, customers are responsible for pick-up, or for shipping charges beyond the freight depot.

Northern regions and Maritimes: Shipping charges to remote

northern areas and the Maritime provinces will be determined on a caseby-case basis and discussed at the time of order placement.

Summer 2010

Discount for Pre-paid Orders

We are pleased to offer a 2% discount to all customers who pre-pay their wholesale orders (this includes new customers). Pre-payment is required immediately after the order is placed.

Return Policy

Rancho Vignola stands behind all of our products and we will gladly take back anything that is not up to our standards. Please contact us with any concerns immediately after receiving and checking your order, as we cannot accept any product returns later than 30 days after order shipment.

Fundraising with Rancho Vignola!

Many groups use our products in their fundraising campaigns and are very pleased with the results. We are happy to assist with helping you pinpoint popular products and creating your group’s customized retail price list. To receive the fundraising information package, please go to our website or contact us to request a mailed copy. If you wish to organize a fundraiser for this year, please contact us with your information by Friday September 3rd.

Buying Club Referrals - Earn Commission!

We offer 5% commission to existing wholesale customers for referring us to friends, family members, or other contacts who go on to place a wholesale order.

The amount of the commission is determined by the new club’s wholesale order total and is awarded for three consecutive years from the first wholesale order.

Commissions earned are calculated at the end of the season, and are applied as credit toward your next season's order.

PLEASE NOTE: • You must be an existing wholesale customer for at least one year, and continue to place wholesale orders, to be eligible for commission.

• When referring new customers to us you must provide their full name, address, telephone number, and email address before we send out the wholesale price list in early September.

• New customers must have a separate shipping address from their sponsor.

Toll-Free Information Centre Our toll-free line connects you to our information system offering three menu options: • Hear details of this year’s Harvest Events • Request a new customer information package • Leave us a message During the ordering period (September 10th - 27th) you can also leave small orders on the message system, order additions, or request a call back to place your order.

Toll-free nation wide: 1-877-NEW-CROP

www.ranchovignola.com

(1-877-639-2767)

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ALBERTA 2011 Kelowna Camrose

Celebrating 30 years of the Best of the New Crop

BRITISH COLUMBIA Vernon

November 4th & 5th Friday: 9am - 7pm Saturday: 9am - 5pm

Vernon Recreation Centre Auditorium

November 11th & 12th Friday: 9am - 7pm Saturday: 9am - 5pm

1800 Parkinson Way Information: 250-470-7897 (Raven Ventures)

4250 Exhibition Drive (Highway #13 - 1/4 mile east of Camrose)

Parkinson Recreation Centre

3310 - 37th Ave (just off Highway 97)

Salmon Arm November 11th & 12th Friday: 9am - 7pm Saturday: 9am - 5pm

Holiday Inn

1090 - 22nd Street NE (on the hill near the RCMP station) Information: 250-832-8563

From the Farm to Your Community

November 12th & 13th Saturday: 10am - 5pm Sunday: 10am - 5pm

Camrose Regional Exhibition

Abbotsford

Airdrie

Windsor Greenhouses

Town and Country Centre

November 18th & 19th Friday: 9am - 5pm Saturday: 9am - 5pm

#18 Ross Road, Abbotsford (access from ‘0’ Avenue) Information: 250-832-8563

Every year we look forward to meeting customers and sharing our passion for great food at Rancho Vignola's annual Harvest Events.

These events are the perfect way to sample our fresh, top quality products and ask questions of our knowledgeable staff.

Make sure to mark these dates on your calender as this 'nutty extravaganza' is an event you won't want to miss.

See you there!

November 18th & 19th Friday: 9am - 7pm Saturday: 9am - 5pm

275 Jensen Drive (Ten minutes drive north of Calgary on Hwy #2)

Harvest Event Online

December 1st to 15th Order at www.ranchovignola.com

For details and any changes, please visit our website or call our toll free line.

2011

www.ranchovignola.com 1-877-NEW-CROP

Harvest Events

Celebrating

30 years of the

Best of the New Crop

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New Crop Price List: Early September Wholesale Order Deadline: September 28th, 2011 Page 16

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Summer 2010

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Summer 2010

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