Natural Enquirer April 2022

Y O U R

C O M M U N I T Y

THE

N A T U R A L

F O O D S

NATURAL

a publication of the skagit valley food co-op

M A R K E T

ENQUIRER april – june 2022

co-op wins business of the year

by Nicole Vander Meulen

Maybe you’ve heard, maybe you haven’t? So, in case you missed it, the Co-op was recently named Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce’s 2021 Business of the Year! This award has us feeling all kinds of feelings: proud, humbled, honored, grateful.

Or, as Tony would say: tickled.

During a video awards ceremony played for Mount Vernon Chamber of Commerce Members on January 26th, Chamber President Andy Mayer

candidly announced the award: “I am not going to make you guess who our Business of the Year is by dangling some clues, because you would figure it out immediately. Our 2021 so very deserving Business of the Year is the Skagit Valley Food Co-op!”

Mayer continued by explaining that while the Co-op hasn’t been immune to the challenges businesses have faced over the last two years, it has continued to be the anchor for

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in this issue From the Board FCC Update

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Sustainability

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downtown business, with values and principles that go beyond the bottom line. He also shared that the Co-op’s role in the community shouldn’t come as a surprise because we have been building on the straightforward promise of serving our members, the Valley, and surrounding areas by providing good food at a good price, for nearly 50 years.

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Spring Fermentation ∙ 9 Vendor Spotlight: Tortillas Con Madre

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Board Elections

Huggin' Trees

Tall Tales of Asparagus

from the board

Board Announces Patronage Refund

The Co-op Board is happy to announce a Patronage Refund to Co-op member-owners based on their 2021 purchases. More details will be included in the patronage refund letter.

What to Know About Patronage Refunds:

• Patronage refund letters will be mailed later in April.

• PLEASE USE YOUR REFUND! You must redeem your refund by July 29, 2022. Otherwise, your store credit becomes taxable for the Co-op, and you forfeit your refund.

• A refund is not guaranteed each year: the Co-op must profit, and the Board must decide refunds are financially viable.

• The amount will vary from year to year, as needs and profits do.

• The more you spend the more you get back. The same percentage is applied to everyone’s purchases.

• A percentage of the refund is withheld from distribution and stays in the Co-op. It belongs to the members as a group, to further build the Co-op and promote our practices.

• The refund is not taxable income for those who receive it.

Thank you for supporting the Co-op and making refunds possible. It’s great to keep more of our money right here in the community.

Skagit Valley Food Co-op's

Annual Member-Owner Meeting Wednesday, May 11 | 6pm • via Zoom

Join us for an informative evening with your fellow Skagit Valley Food Co-op member-owners, Board of Trustees, and General Manager. Hear the latest news and updates from the Co-op Board and General Manager.

Zoom link available at skagitfoodcoop.com

Board Elections

There are two positions open on the Board of Trustees, and one opening for the Voting Staff Representative. Two incumbent Board members are running for the two open board seats, and four employees are running for the Voting Staff position. The information about all candidates and a ballot are included in this issue and are also available online. Candidates were asked to address questions regarding their desire to serve, the Co-op’s connection to community, challenges facing the Co-op, the Board’s role in addressing those challenges, and skill and experience they would bring to the position.

All terms are for three years. Active member-owners may vote for two Board of Trustee candidates, and one Voting Staff Representative.

You may vote using the paper ballot or online at skagitfoodcoop.com/vote2022

candidate statements

Kristen Ekstran

Board of Trustees Candidate (Incumbent) What a term! The start of my term saw the retirement of our long-time General Manager (GM) Todd Wood, the recruitment process for a new manager, and the onboarding of new GM, Tony White. Then before we could hit our stride, COVID struck.

Despite complicated, changing circumstances, Tony and the Board dug in to keep the Co-op moving forward by supporting staff and taking care of our customers. We took risks to spend on updated equipment, remodeling and improving our facilities when there was time and space to do so. I’m in awe of our General Manager, staff, and owner-members who pulled together during such unprecedented challenges.

During the pandemic, we’ve also spent time refining our governance methods. Right before the arrival of a new GM, we shifted to a new form of leadership that allows us to review and evaluate a wide variety of management policies annually. We have worked hard to standardize and improve our policies and oversight, as well as learn the techniques for this style of board governance. This is a key means of holding our General Manager accountable to the outcomes defined in our policies. Related to this, we’ve also strengthened our committee structures. We’ve given more time and attention to board development, strategic planning, and community engagement.

I’m excited about our possibilities as we come out of the pandemic. The current board has lots of energy, motivation, and growing expertise in Co-op management and policy governance. As we look forward to celebrating our 50th year, I’m appreciative of the special role the Co-op plays for community members. We can hold on to our history while exploring new directions.

I want to continue to serve this board, our GM, staff, and owner-members

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New Spring Hours:

7am-9pm

or shop online anytime!

Skagit Valley Food Co-op Mission Statement The Skagit Valley Food Co-op is a not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to provide good food at a fair price. As stated in the Co-op Bylaws: The Co-op shall promote member welfare by utilizing their united funds and their united efforts for the purchase and distribution of commodities in accordance with the following criteria: A. Maintaining the not-for-profit status of the Co-op; B. Offering high quality products which contribute to good nutrition;

C. Supporting a low impact, non-harmful approach to the environment; D. Supporting local suppliers and producers; E. A commitment to building a cooperative economy and supporting others who share that commitment; F. A commitment to educational programs relevant to members and non-members in the community.

The Skagit Valley Food Co-op Natural Enquirer is a quarterly publication of the Skagit Valley Food Co-op. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and may not reflect Co-op policy. No articles are meant to be used for diagnosis or treatment of illness. The Co-op does not endorse the products or services of advertisers.

Editor: Nicole Vander Meulen | Layout & Design: Megan Feichtinger Staff Contributors: Contributors: nancylee bouscher, Ben Goe, Leigha Staffenhagen, Magnolia Mullen, & Tony White Board of Trustees: Brad Claypool, Kristen Ekstran, Britta Eschete, Casey Schoenberger, Rob Smith, Wayne Rushing, Tim Penninger & Tom Theisen Copyright 2022: Reprints with permission

2 skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022

Rob Smith

Board of Trustees Candidate (Incumbent)

The Skagit Valley Food Co-op is a special place. It serves as a vital nexus for member-owners and customers, our local farmers and food producers, and the Skagit Valley community at large. Our Co-op is both a reflection of our exceptional community, as well as a catalyst for change in forging a cooperative and people-centered local economy. Serving on the Board of Trustees for the past six years has allowed me to engage on a deeper level with our cherished Co-op and to give back to this community I value so deeply.

As a Director at Viva Farms, a local non-profit farm business incubator program, and an instructor in Skagit Valley College’s Sustainable Agriculture program, I have been fortunate to participate in the local farming community as a bilingual (English/Spanish) community educator. I engage diverse people around issues of food and farming, social justice, and sustainability, and I have practical experience in business management, strategic planning, budget design, fiscal stewardship, and building community partnerships. I bring this experience and a valued perspective to the table in my Board role.

The past three years in particular have been a challenging time in the history of the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, and I’m proud to have done my part to help.

Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to our Co-op on multiple levels, including the closure and reimagining of the C-SQUARE space, rapid development of an online shopping program, the closure and reopening of the mezzanine, to name but a few. Due to the hard work, tenacity, and dedication of our amazing staff, the Co-op continues to thrive, and I’ve been happy to support them as much as possible.

At the same time, we’ve achieved a lot. In 2019, we successfully conducted a nationwide search and hired a capable and confidence-inspiring General Manager in Tony White, after the retirement of Todd Wood after over 40 years. As chair of the Board Development Committee, I’ve facilitated the adoption of a new system of governance known as Policy Governance that formalizes our systems of stewardship and accountability between the Board and management. We’ve amended our bylaws to be able to have electronic voting systems in place for member-owners and developed a strong strategic vision for the next five years. As we move into the next phase in the pandemic, our Co-op is in a strong financial position, and we’re poised for lasting success as a business and greater impact in our community.

It’s been an honor to serve on the Board, and I humbly ask for your support in serving another term! Thanks!

candidate statements

Cole Corcoran

Voting Staff Representative Candidate I would love to serve on the Board of Trustees to further strengthen the partnership between our community and the Co-op. I feel I understand many of our community's challenges and see how we as a Co-op can work towards a common goal. Additionally, I feel strongly and support the Co-op’s commitment to provide quality and ethically sourced products to our community. As an Employee Board Member, I would strengthen the Co-op’s connection to our community by learning more about our current partners and programs. I would enjoy learning and getting to know new organizations that share the same beliefs and values. During the pandemic, I had the unique opportunity to work within Public Health, by working the front lines of the test and vaccine site. I learned I enjoy working with the public, staff, and volunteers. This time taught me to listen and work as a unified team.

I feel these skills allow me to meet, connect, and communicate with our fellow community members.

As a fellow Skagitonian, I see and feel the political divide within our county.

This in turn is felt within the Co-op, especially noticeable I am sure due to the pandemic. As a board member, I would listen and be open to all members' opinions. I would allow all members to be heard, as well as make sure their wishes are understood. I would support the Co-op in the direction the Board feels is best for the Co-op and our community.

My background and education have given me the ability to provide exceptional guest service. This ability is crucial for every member on the Co-op team. The members are who provide us with insights and purpose, in exchange for quality products and exceptional customer service. I have knowledge in food service safety and the requirements of our county to prepare and serve safe and quality products to our community. I feel my strongest asset is my communication and style. I feel every situation can be handled in the best way possible if all parties communicate and respect each other’s beliefs.

Genaro Gomez

Voting Staff Representative Candidate

Hello, my name is Genaro Gomez, and I am interested in serving on the Skagit Valley Food Co-op Board. I believe that as a long-time employee I have the skills necessary to help the Co-op grow in the right direction.

I have been fortunate to be an employee of the Co-op for the better part of the last 15 years. In that time, I have seen the Co-op grow and grow. It has expanded in ways not many of us had predicted.

Sometimes this growth is lost on me, but any time I mention to someone I’ve met that I work at the Co-op, they tell me just how much they love it and what it means to them to have the Co-op in their lives.

I’d like to serve on the Board because I see it as an opportunity to learn and grow. The Board is a tremendous group of individuals with a wealth of experience. They have done an incredible job of navigating these challenging times. I am excited by the idea of getting to learn from them and helping keep our Co-op on the right track. I moved to the area in 2004 and started at the Co-op in 2007. It took me a little bit of time to feel like I was a member of the community, a large part of that was I was a little shy, and still saw myself as an outsider. However, being a part of the staff at the Co-op made me realize that I was at home. It has always been a welcoming place that has allowed me to thrive by being myself.

I believe I could benefit the Board by providing my unique voice. Everyone at work knows that I wear a lot of different hats, both figuratively and literally.

As a proud Latino, I was touched by our efforts to reach out to that community.

I know I could provide more insight on how to bring them into the fold, to let them know that good food is for everyone in our community.

There are lots of challenges yet to be faced. I can’t say for sure what comes next. Our former General Manager Todd Wood instilled in me that we must always be looking ahead. Our Co-op is a pioneer, and we must look for new ways to set the bar for other grocers in the area and across the country. I believe I can use my knowledge to look for new ideas to keep us ahead of the curve.

I do my best to carry myself with a team-first mentality day in and day out. As a massive baseball fan, I appreciate how baseball is both a team sport and an individual sport. No other sport encapsulates everyday life quite like baseball.

You might have a bad day, or the best day of your life, but there is always tomorrow, and something to learn and do better the next day. I hope you can give me the opportunity to serve on the Board and put in the work to make us the team I know we can be.

Clay Hinton

Voting Staff Representative Candidate I have only been an employee of the Skagit Valley Food Co-op for a little while now, about one year. It happened quickly though, the feeling of belonging here. I became part of an amazing team and found passion in every individual I met. I find myself in love with the Valley. I see myself working in and with the Valley, making it my home.

With that being said, the Co-op is one of the most important functions of the Valley. It brings such a wide variety of people together, strengthening our community and the food systems within it. This is a notion I fell in love with while in college down in Portland. Not while in school per se, but when I got a part-time position at the local co-op washing dishes. From there, six years later, I found myself involving myself with every aspect possible in regard to that co-op. Now, I want that same experience here in the Valley. I want to share my knowledge and experience with others, being part of something important.

My connection to the staff here at the Co-op will allow me to convey the needs of the whole store and all of its employees. On top of providing representation for the employees, I am also interacting with the local farming community every day while placing orders for the produce department.

In addition to all of that, I am a resident of the downtown Mount Vernon community. As a voting board member, I would be doing my very best to give representation to as broad a spectrum of people as possible, making it my mission to involve everyone from these communities, so that we will grow an eclectic and passionate base for our Co-op to flourish.

The involvement of the community and individuals will likely be crucial in order to face some of the coming issues that the Co-op is about to face. The main problem I see us facing every day is the global pandemic and rising supply chain issues. I think that it will be important that the Co-op stays true to its values; protect the environment, support local, and bolster our community in general, to stay ahead of most of these issues. I am directly involved with keeping a lot of these localized networks intact. This way, we can support local suppliers, while also gaining some autonomy from the world at large. So, by staying true to our mission, and with community support, we will be able to handle just about any problem in front of us. I can't wait to face some of these challenges, and I look forward to working with you all.

Galen LeGrand

Voting Staff Representative Candidate

I have held a management position here at the Skagit Valley Food Co-op for 20 years as the Meat Department Manager, and 14 of those years have also been as the Cheese Department Manager. I have watched the Co-op grow tremendously during my time here, and I have enjoyed being part of that growth. I feel that one of the Co-op’s most valuable assets is our employees, and I would be honored to represent my fellow employees on the Board of Trustees. I would strengthen the Co-op’s connection with the community by actively encouraging and promoting the Co-op’s involvement in more community events.

I think one of the Co-op’s biggest challenges is: finding enough employees to fill the positions and then being able to keep those employees long-term.

My role in this would be to speak openly and honestly to the Board about the working conditions, compensation, and employee perception and how those directly affect the employees positively or negatively. So, when the Board holds a vote that will have an impact on the employees, the final outcome will be seen as a positive move that employees will be happy with. With over two decades under my belt as an employee of the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, I would be honored to represent my fellow employees on the Co-op’s Board of Trustees and be their voice.

Ballot for the 2022 Board of Trustees

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR BALLOT:

Cast your vote for this year’s candidates. Eligible member-owners may vote for two Board of Trustee Candidates, and one Voting Staff Representative.

Board of Trustees Candidates

Kristen Ekstran, Incumbent

Rob Smith, Incumbent

Voting Staff Representative

Cole Corcoran

Clay Hinton

Genaro Gomez

Galen LeGrand

• Vote Online -OR• Write your name and member number on the outside of an envelope. Enclose ballot in the envelope and return to the ballot box in the Co-op, located at the Board of Trustee’s Information Board by the grocery registers -OR• Mail ballot with your name and member number to: Skagit Valley Food Co-op, 202 S 1st Street Mount Vernon, WA 98273, Attn: Ballot Voting Eligibility, Verification & Confidentiality: You must be an active member to vote in the Board election. An active member is current in equity payments, has made a purchase in the Co-op in the last 12 months, and has a current address on file. Member name and number are required to verify eligibility and are confidential. Ballots will not be counted without verification. Ballots will be accepted until 5:55pm PST, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. One ballot per active household.

skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022 3

Meet the 2nd Quarter Tokens for Tomorrow groups!

With Tokens for Tomorrow, every time you bring in a reusable shopping bag, we honor your commitment to reducing waste with a token worth 8¢ that you can give back to one of these local organizations.

Underground Writing

Museum of Northwest Art

Underground Writing is a literature-based creative writing program serving migrant, incarcerated, recovery, and other at-need communities in Skagit County. Their mission is to unlock creativity through writing workshops and voice amplification for at-need and underrepresented students, to assist in the restoration of communities, the imagination, and individual lives.

The Museum of Northwest Art collects, preserves, interprets, and exhibits art created in the Pacific Northwest, supports artists, and strives to integrate art into the lives of all people. MoNA's Education Department provides an inclusive environment and stimulating programming that supports the development and expression of all people. The museum is open to everyone of all ages, free of charge.

Camp Fire Samish & Camp Kirby

Family Promise

In a world where so many feel disconnected, Camp Fire connects young people to themselves, each other, supportive adults, and the outdoors.

Since 1923, at Camp Kirby, they’ve worked to inspire and empower youth to discover their spark, develop leadership skills, build character, and thrive in the natural world.

The mission of Family Promise is to come together as a community to support homeless families as they work to provide loving homes for their children.

There are approximately 1,680 homeless children in Skagit County that need Family Promise’s services. They strive to meet that need through their shelter, transitional housing, prevention and diversion programs through case management, and the support of the community. Family Promise of Skagit Valley has served more than 300 families with more than 700 children in their 6+ years of operation.

time you reuse your bag, you’re giving back. How many times have you given back? How many times have you Reuse. Every reused your bag? Probably too many to count, and we are so grateful for your efforts. Now, how many times have you Rinse. reused your bag since you washed it last? Chances are, probably too many times to count. So, please remember to wash Repeat. your bags to help keep everyone’s food safe and clean. And thanks again for reusing your bag!

4 skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022

The Conversation Continues: Update on FCCs

by Beverly Faxon

FCC opponents, such as the members of the Right Growth, Right Place campaign, see the resolution to defer as a step in the right direction, and an acknowledgment by the County of the need to follow the legal process. Yet RGRP’s campaign mission is to “permanently prevent Fully Contained Communities from being built in Skagit County,” and they know their work is not over. The coalition of concerned citizens, organizations, and businesses continues to work toward that goal and is looking at all possible routes to achieve it. See rightgrowthrightplace.

Fully Contained Communities (FCCs) are org for more information. mega housing developments, made up After the Commissioners’ resolution, the of thousands of homes and businesses, constructed in the countryside outside Anacortes City Council joined its sister cities and designated urban growth areas. FCCs are sent a letter, signed by the mayor, to the County not currently allowed by our County and city Commissioners. The Anacortes letter states, “We growth management policies, but an outside should be finding ways to build compact, livable developer requested that the County policy cities that encourage people to live and work in be amended to permit them. Last spring, those communities, not looking to construct new despite over 500 public comments in bedroom communities.” opposition, the County agreed to consider The letter also encourages a “robust and that proposal. inclusive county-wide conversation around A January evening Zoom Co-op Community Conversation drew around 100 engaged participants, wanting to learn about Growth in Skagit Valley: Our Future, Farming and FCCs. Margery Hite, an attorney and a member of the Right Growth, Right Place (RGRP) campaign, discussed Fully Contained Communities and how they would affect Skagit Valley’s farm and forest lands, rural character, infrastructure demands, and quality of life.

Since the January Co-op meeting, new developments have left many wondering where the FCC issue now stands. Most significantly, just days after the Co-op meeting, Skagit County Commissioners passed a resolution that deferred the developer’s proposal to amend the County Comprehensive plan to allow FCCs.

housing needs, infrastructure, and human services” before the scheduled 2025 update of the Comprehensive Plans.

FCCs have been promoted as a tool to help address affordable housing in Skagit Valley, but opponents contend, based on the experience of other counties, that FCCs primarily provide expensive homes for those who commute to jobs elsewhere or move in retirement. The FCC proposal and the opposition generated has helped to bring into sharper focus our countywide need to look at all the options open to us as we try to create true affordable and workforce housing options in the County without compromising our rural lands.

The resolution states that such a proposal must first be sent to the Growth Management Act Steering Committee (GMASC) for all necessary approvals. The GMASC is composed of the mayors of Anacortes, Burlington, Concrete, Hamilton, La Conner, Lyman, Mount Vernon, and Sedro-Woolley, as well as the three County Commissioners.

Housing needs in Skagit County were topmost In the past, the GMASC has been unwilling on the minds of many of the participants in the to allow FCCs in Skagit County.

Co-op Community Conversation, including Since opponents have claimed all along Washington State University’s studio landscape that the County could not act unilaterally on architecture class. This semester, WSU this issue, deferring the developer’s proposal Landscape Architecture students partnered with was seen as an appropriate, long-sought-for Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland, RGRP, and local leaders to reimagine uses for the Cascade acknowledgment on the County’s part.

Mall site in Burlington. Students’ designs were Before the County’s vote to defer, the informed by community housing needs, regional Mount Vernon City Council passed their own ecologies, Skagit Valley’s farming heritage, resolution, opposing FCCs and asking the and the interrelated issues of suburbanization, County to “follow applicable processes,” on agriculture, conservation, and resilience. growth management issues. Sedro-Woolley The Co-op will be hosting the WSU Landscape and La Conner had already passed similar Architecture program for our next Community resolutions.

Conversation! Join us on Wednesday, May 4 to However, the issue is not dead. Over see some of the class' final visions for a reimagined the last decade, the developer has taken Cascade Mall. More details are available below. numerous runs at building FCCs in Skagit County. As of this writing, the FCC proposal has not been removed from the County docket. The County remains vulnerable to repeated efforts to build FCCs.

Community Conversation

Reimagining the Cascade Mall Wednesday, May 4

12pm • via Zoom

The Cascade Mall opened in 1989 and was once a bustling shopping center and destination for family fun. Now, the interior part of the mall is permanently closed and only a few exterior facing tenants remain, along with large swaths of empty parking lots. How else could this space serve our community? The WSU Landscape Architecture program students have some ideas!

Attend our next Community Conversation for a presentation of projects that brings the Cascade Mall back to life as a vibrant mixed-use property. Zoom link will be available at skagitfoodcoop.com.

The WSU Landscape Architecture program, based in Pullman, WA is part of the School of Design & Construction.

skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022 5

from wellness

Huggin' Trees by nancylee bouscher

The flowers of her close cousin, the magnolia tree (Magnolia officinalis), are often used in remedies for seasonal allergies causing sinus pressure and headaches. These become a popular item in Wellness every spring, as do the trees themselves. Skagit is home to many of the eighty-plus varieties that grow well here, although they are not native. Their fabulous show of blooms before leaves makes them especially dramatic in comparison to other great growers. Speaking of Magnolia, have you met the Co-op’s own? She is now the head of our Garden Department, and rumor has it, we should be seeing even more native shrubs and trees available to buy along with your eggs and potatoes.

Photo by Nicole Vander Meulen

When we bought our house in westside Mount Vernon about 17 years back, she sat lower than the road. This gave you a strange feeling that you needed to duck when you walked through the front door, while at the same time also making you feel shorter than you really were. It wasn’t that she shrunk with age, as so many of us will, but more like the road got taller inch by asphalted inch. Like any house built in the fifties, she had a list of needs, but we quickly decided giving her a new foundation with some added height would be a top priority.

We hadn’t lived here very long and found out pretty quickly that raising a house and rebuilding the foundation was a spectacle. It was common for a dusty truck to pull up with the window down and a friendly face of a stranger popping out to comment on our house sitting up on a stack of really big Jenga pieces. We got a whole new perspective, but it came at a cost: trees.

There was the hazelnut tree that had a cluster of trunks and provided pounds of nuts for the neighborhood squirrels (who liked to keep them toasty under the hood of our Trooper), the craggy apple tree whose fruit I do not think I ever saw, and two massive rhododendrons (we know some call them a shrub) that our oldest son mourned the loss of because they were his favorite trees to climb and hide inside to watch the world whiz by.

Since then, we’ve managed to plant some trees and have loved the remaining ones.

And as we come up on the 150th anniversary of National Arbor Day on Friday, April 29th (Washington State also has our own Arbor Day on Wednesday, April 13th, so we get double the fun), my hope is to convince you to plant at least one tree.

One massive tree still growing in our yard is often referred to as a Tulip Tree, or sometimes called a Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), because both her leaves and her blooms are tulip-like. She’s a hardwood from the East and is considered a fast-growing shade tree in the right conditions. Her large, creamy yellow blossoms produce a sweet nectar that humans, honey bees, and hummingbirds enjoy. Herbalists report a wide host of uses from the inner bark and leaves, although it is not a common tree or remedy in our neck of the woods.

Pretty Little Things

I did once meet some of those trees at the Gaia farm and saw some of the famous white squirrels of Brevard, North Carolina (yes, you do want to google that). Thankfully, I didn’t make eye contact with those rodents, and that also made my heart happy because I think in a fight, a squirrel could take me out. Anyway, those hawthorn trees are planted next to ginkgo trees there because the heart also needs the head. Ginkgo is often associated with increasing memory, but I never could get my family to remember where it was planted so they mowed down more than one. Then I tried to keep it in a pot, but I forgot to water it. Maybe I should start by taking it internally, and then see if I can figure out how to keep one alive.

One tree medicine I am fairly good at remembering to take is willow because it treats pain, and it’s hard to forget that you’re in pain. Most folks know that willow contains salicin, and when we ingest that it turns into salicylic acid, a main component of aspirin. Willows love to grow near water, and so, we have over thirty species that are native to this region. They want to take over the world, so they are easily propagated by clipping a branch and putting it into wet ground. And what will we do with all this willow? We’ll weave baskets!

Check out Dunbar Gardens in Mount Vernon to see the basket mastery of Katherine Lewis, and yes, she did used to work at the Co-op.

Seems like all trees are giving trees. Above all else, they give us peace. I’d like someone to invent the word to describe the way sunlight illuminates tree leaves as you lay on the ground and look up into the canopy. The kaleidoscope of colors and shape with overlapping shadows that none of us have watched enough. I’d like to capture that magic in a bottle, and I wouldn’t even charge for it. We’d have a big stack of it in Wellness to give away for free. I’m not afraid to admit that I’m a dendrophile – we do have a word for that – a lover of trees and forests. Let’s go dig some holes and plant some trees and rest in the dream that one day it will be hugged by some Co-op’er. Yes, that means you.

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Breathe in the magic of spring with the scent of lavender, sage, and dried florals.

1 Stay Native Gifts

okanogan highlands lavender farm

Indulge in lovely lavender gifts for home and body, knowing your purchase gives back to OHLF, a non-profit farm in Washington that supports its community through environmental unity and sustainable living.

Sticks 2 Smudge sow the magic Smudging is an ancient spiritual ritual, a cleansing ceremony meant to help rid people, places, or even objects of negative energy. Reset and recharge with these sustainably grown, handpicked smudge sticks.

I’m optimistic my family will buy me another tree for Mother’s Day. Last year we planted a hawthorn tree, and that’s when I learned there are over a thousand types of hawthorn trees. So, when you say, “I want a hawthorn tree for Mother’s Day!” you may not get the exact one you were expecting.

What I was expecting was a Crataegus monogyna (or was it a Crataegus oxyacantha?) because I once laid down under one and a chipmunk came and stared at me. It was the first time, and only time, I ever made eye contact with a chipmunk. It made my heart happy. Turns out hawthorn makes lots of people’s hearts happy as it’s a very common herbal remedy, our best seller being Gaia’s Hawthorn Supreme.

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6 skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022

Eats, Shoots, & Snakelike Leaves: Tall Tales of Asparagus

by Sarah Stoner

“The shoot emerges from the ground like a snub nose green snake headed for sunshine, rising so rapidly you can just about see it grow. If it doesn't get its neck cut off at ground level as it emerges, it will keep growing. Each triangular scale on the spear rolls out into a branch until the snake becomes a four-foot tree with delicate needles.”

-Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life

As a word geek, I love that asparagus came to be called sparrow-grass by the "common folk" hundreds of years ago. Floating blades of bird-like grass make a visual poem for me. But drop the “a” from “asparagus” and you’ll see how that derivative likely came about. The more scholarly version of its name comes from Medieval Latin sparagus—believed to come from the Persian asparag, meaning “sprout” or “shoot.” The vegetable has been cultivated for 2,000 years. Seeing as it’s the year 2022, that’s a long legacy for an edible stalk.

Meticulous cooks peel woody asparagus stalks, then refresh them in an ice bath before steaming them with the peel added back into the cooking water. I am not a meticulous cook. What I love most about asparagus is the simplicity it offers. Steam, bake, sauté, roast, chop up raw and toss in a salad.

I rarely do anything fancy with asparagus. Its simplicity stands on its own. Nutty, crisp, tender-roasted in olive oil, tossed with lemon juice. A little parmesan if I’m feeling decadent. When it comes to heralding spring, the clean flavor of asparagus keeps life simple.

Sarah Stoner grew up in Uganda, Morocco, Belgium, and Thailand and lived in the U.S. for the first time at age 18. Along with her family, Sarah planted herself in the Skagit Valley area where she’s never grown asparagus. Yet. sarahjstoner@hotmail.com

Crown. Shoot. Spear. Asparagus vocabulary is as unique as the plant itself.

As one of the few perennial vegetables—rhubarb and artichoke among them in our temperate climate—you can count on asparagus as one of the first foods to emerge from the earth each spring. It might be the only vegetable that also exists as a houseplant. (I had to see with my own eyes! Photos of its ornamental versions: the fern-y looking Asparagus setaceus and sprengeri—and my new favorite houseplant to covet, Asparagus aethiopicus ‘Meyeri’ its soft and lacy neon green sprigs looking as if they are swaying on an ocean floor.)

Other asparagus magic? Spears can grow up to two inches a day in peak season. It’s one of the few foods acceptable to eat with your hands in polite company. And what asparagus does to your pee? Woowheee.

Of Mediterranean origins, asparagus now covers the globe. The 300 species of this edible and ornamental flowering plant are found in both hemispheres, temperate and tropical—from its European roots to Asia, Africa, the Americas.

The edible vegetable version comes in purple, white and various shades of green—though white asparagus exists only by way of carefully piling dirt on the stalks, so they don’t absorb any sunlight to produce chlorophyll. Who does this dirt piling, how often must it be done, and does the job have a special title?

Ghost Maker? Seattleite-in-Winter? White asparagus is most popular in Europe, where the Germans call it spargel.

Only five percent of total German asparagus production makes it out of the country in peak season, according to a National Geographic author who detailed their visit to western Europe in April and May. Spargelfests include asparagus peeling competitions and the 470-mile “Asparagus Route” in southwestern Germany which passes by fields of ‘white gold’ and the country’s top asparagus cities. Restaurants, cooking classes, museums: all featuring asparagus. A tee-hee thought about asparagus festivals, because I have a little Beavis & Butthead in me, is something my mother pointed out: Imagine what the bathrooms smell like! (She and I are one of the 40 percent who metabolize—and are able to smell—the distinctive sulfur scent, post-asparagus consumption).

Asparagus Frittata

It's spring! Enjoy asparagus with eggs, shallots and Gruyere or Swiss Cheese.

Serves 4.

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter • 1/2 cup sliced shallots • 1 lb asparagus, tough ends snapped off, spears cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths • 6 large eggs • 3/4 cup ricotta or cottage cheese • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives • 1/4 teaspoon diced tarragon • 1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese Heat butter in a 10-inch oven-proof frying pan over medium heat.

Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and turn translucent, about 3 minutes.

Add asparagus and cook for an additional 3 minutes.

Beat the eggs and ricotta cheese together, add salt, stir in the chives and tarragon. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook until almost set, but still runny on top, about 4 to 5 minutes. While cooking, pre-heat the oven broiler.

Sprinkle Gruyere cheese over the eggs and put in the oven to broil until cheese is melted and browned, and the center is set, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Asparagus festivals held around the planet include the U.S.—our East Coast (Michigan), and our West Coast (California)—and the UK, Canada, France, and Germany. In this order, China, Peru, and the U.S. are the world’s top asparagus producers, with Germany fourth. Production in the U.S. concentrates in three states: Michigan, California, and, you got it, our beloved Washington. Somehow, we missed the asparagus festival boat but the Skagit offers its own famous path through fields within a 15-mile triangle: The Tulip Route.

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Gift Cards Always the right choice! skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022 7

Foraging for Edible Plants

by Karl Mincin

Foraging isn’t just for hipsters, hippies, and hip cuisine. It is basic human knowledge that we’ve lost. It is utilizing free food grown from free solar and water. It is eating a healthier and more diverse diet. It is appreciating the ordinary beauty all around us. It is exercise and exposure to the natural world which are powerful antidepressants. It is a reason to use fewer herbicides. It is a reason to leave spaces wild and biodiverse. Foraging isn’t a fad, it’s a smart way to eat, to live, and to use land.

Personally, I am a creation lover. We have been granted every seed-bearing fruit that is good not only for food but medicine. Foraging, even in our own backyard, is beauty and sustenance, form and function, and all of the things mentioned above, including my favorite physical activity, functional productive exercise—all richly rewarded with functional food!

Herbs are the best of both worlds: food and medicine. In many cases, herbs are even a notch better than superfoods. Most have a longer tradition in healing and have been more extensively studied for their versatile therapeutic and medicinal properties.

Lucky for us all, ‘tis the season for local edibles!

Here are some of my personal favorites:

• Dandelion: My favorite weed. It’s absolutely the best liver herb on the planet. Because it supports both Phase 1 & Phase 2 liver detox pathways, it is a better detoxifier than the more popular Milk Thistle. It’s also good for digestion and has well-documented anti-cancer properties. For the untrained palate unaccustomed to bitterness, the young, tender, and light green leaves are the most palatable. The entire plant, including the flower, is edible and the root is stronger, more medicinal. Best in salads, soups, stews, or sautéed.

• Nettle: Nutritive, anti-allergy, anti-histamine. Harvest when the plant is less than two feet tall. Using gloves, pluck leaves only without uprooting the whole plant so it continues to grow. Lightly steam or sauté and use like spinach, or in soups and smoothies. Why not add some dandelion while you’re at it?

• Red Clover: A potent blood purifier that has earned a solid science reputation as a star in the classic Hoxsey formula for cancer treatment. The blossoms have a pleasant flavor and mild sweetness.

• Chickweed: Great in salads, but tasty enough to enjoy all by itself.

• Blackberry Leaf: Astringent, anti-diarrheal, nutritive. Dried leaves are best for tea.

• Raspberry Leaf: Nutritive, galactagogue (promotes breast milk production).

• Oregon Grape: Great digestive aid, liver support, and blood sugar balance.

The root is the strongest part of the plant and due to its Berberine content, has potent antibiotic properties similar to Goldenseal. The berries are bitter and may be mixed with common berries or salal berries. The roots can be used for tea or tincture.

• Salal: Berries make great jam, pies, and sauces.

• Hawthorn (leaf, flower, berry): Best cardiovascular tonic on earth. Eating around the rather large seeds, the berries can be enjoyed. Use the leaves for tea; the flowers can be added to salads or eaten with berries or as-is.

• Flower Sampler: Very springy way to enjoy the blooms of allium, chive, garlic, rose, nasturtium, calendula, plus any of the above.

Keep your herbal eyes open, we’ve only scratched the surface of the wonderful world of wild and edible plants in the great Pacific Northwest!

Karl Mincin is a Functional Medicine Nutritionist in practice for 36 years.

360.336.2616 | Nutrition-Testing.com | Instagram @MincinNutritionist | Facebook @NutritionTesting1 Note: Always use caution when foraging. Do your research and make sure to properly identify your plants before consuming them. Only take what you need from a particular area so that the plant can continue to thrive there for years to come.

8 skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022

Spring Fermentation

by Ben Goe

Local Spring Produce Rhubarb

from Living Rain Farm

Asparagus

from Living Rain Farm & Canales Produce

Shiitake, Oyster, and Lion's Mane mushrooms from Cascadia Mushrooms

Collard and red cabbage raab, leeks, bunched spinach, and leek scapes from Ralph's Greenhouse

Microgreens

from Dahlia Depot & Tops and Bottoms Farm

Wild harvested Morel mushrooms from Organic Antics

Regular readers of my articles know I am interested in food preservation and the minimization of waste. Thus, it should come as no surprise to learn that I’ve delved into more than a few fermentation projects. As I think of the spring crops coming on, my mind drifts immediately to lactobacillales, one of humanity’s oldest friends.

I recently started making kimchi again when I saw some Napa cabbage that was on its way to becoming pig food. I did some research (it had been a number of years), grabbed a food-safe bucket and some ingredients, and got to work. I won’t go into detail (I’ll save that for the fall), but suffice to say my interest in lacto-fermentation was rekindled.

Lactobacillus is a bacteria. It digests sugars and converts them into lactic acid, which produces tart, fruity, funky, and umami flavors. Sour pickles, sauerkraut, sourdough bread, yogurt, and sour beers all rely on lacto-fermentation. To a lesser extent, so do wines, many cheeses, cured sausages, and miso. Lactic acid bacteria are anaerobic, meaning they can flourish without oxygen, and they are highly salt and acid tolerant. There are an untold number of strains, each producing its own nuances of flavor. And they are everywhere.

Back to the season at hand, here in the lush and fecund Skagit Valley, we are blessed with an abundance of early radishes, turnips, and asparagus. These veggies have all the hallmarks that you look for in a pickle. Crisp, not too fibrous, juicy, fresh, and delicious. With just a little preparation, the process is a breeze. The hardest part is waiting.

Rather than a recipe, let’s just talk through the basics. I’d advise starting simple: One kind of vegetable, maybe one or two aromatics or spices, salt, water, lactobacillales.

The first thing to do though is figure out what to ferment in.

Setting up a fermenting vessel can seem challenging. There are airlocks, ceramic crocks, fermenting weights, jar attachments, sealed fermenting bags, and many other implements available. The beauty of lactic fermentation is that it’s very forgiving.

Find a food-safe container that you can more or less seal, and find a ceramic plate or bowl that fits in snugly. Add weights—clean marbles or stones are fine—to press the solid contents underneath the liquid.

There are a few simple rules: 1. Clean your crock and equipment thoroughly.

2. Use filtered or spring water—never tap or distilled water.

3. Use enough salt.

4. Keep everything submerged.

Second, wash your ingredients, but NOT TOO MUCH. We aren’t inoculating the brine, we’re relying on naturally occurring bacteria in the environment. Most of this comes from the produce itself. Run the vegetables briefly under cool water and get rid of any dirt. Trim the greens off of turnips and radishes. You can leave them whole, but it will take longer to ferment. Otherwise, trim the ends off and slice into ¼ to 1/3 inch rounds. For asparagus, trim the bottom and try to pull off the thickest of the fibers. You can cut the spears in half or leave them whole. I’ll also give a quick shout-out to the next round of vegetables that will be in season: raab, garlic and leek scapes, spring onions, and spring garlic are all excellent lacto-fermenting foods.

Next, what are other ingredients you’d like to use? Delicate herbs don’t work well, nor do powdered spices. Garlic, onions, ginger, peppercorns, mustard seeds, rosemary, or bay leaves are fine add-ins. As I said earlier, start simple. With such delicate and fresh produce, there’s a lot to be said for leaving it entirely plain. The fermentation alone produces an abundance of flavor.

Find a bowl or other container that will easily contain all of the vegetables.

Weigh it while empty, and make a note of the weight. Add all of the vegetables, cover completely with water, and weigh again. Calculate 2% of the weight of the vegetables and water, and measure out that much salt (non-iodized!). Drain the water off into another bowl, and dissolve the salt into it. Put the vegetables into your fermenting vessel and then add your dish and weights. Pour the brine over. Press the weighted dish down to make sure everything is submerged, and close it up.

Don’t seal it entirely, you don’t want it to explode. You can use an airlock, a not-quitetightly screwed-on jar lid, or a food-safe bucket with a lid. As long as the contents are submerged there’s very little possibility for contamination. It should be kept at 55° to 75° for a minimum of four days, and typically not more than seven. The best way to know when something is done fermenting is to taste it, so crack it open after four days and see what’s happening. Is it soft enough for you? Is it funky enough?

Call it done when you want, and then call your friends. Tell them to bring jars.

Bunched mustard greens, escarole, and frisee from Boldly Grown Farm

Radishes

from Highwater Farm & Well Fed Farm

Basil and other assorted herbs, edible flowers from The Crows Farm

Sunflower greens and salad mix from Moondance Farm

Spicy mixed greens

from Long Hearing Farm

Baby spinach

from Highwater Farm & Long Hearing Farm

June bearing strawberries: Totem, Rainier, and Shuksan from Hedlin Family Farm

Red leaf, green leaf, and romaine lettuce from Skagit Flats Farm

Bamboo shoots from Blue Heron

Salad mix, and red, green, & Lacinato kale from Well Fed Farm

LOCAL FARM FEATURE

Living Rain Farm Meet the King of Spring!

Farmer, fisher, and our long-time friend, John DeVries digs in every year to bring the bounty of spring to the Co-op: local rhubarb and asparagus.

John farms 13 acres on Calhoun Road in West Mount Vernon, and his motivation to farm is simple: “I’ve always liked nature. Being a part of the natural cycle is satisfying.

I enjoy sticking my shovel in my soil and letting the soil run through my fingers. Good soil has a certain 'feel' and scent to it. It’s fun to watch things grow (everything except weeds!) and heck, I just like being outside!"

skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022 9

You Shop, We Give 4% Every time you shop at the Co-op you help support our local economy and community. 4% Friday is another easy way to do your weekly shopping and contribute to organizations you care about. You shop, and together we give 4% of the Co-op's sales on the 4th Friday of each month to a non-profit community organization.

Salish Sea Deaf School

apr 22

The Salish Sea Deaf School (SSDS) uses innovative teaching practices to provide academic excellence, utilizing an ASL/English bilingual approach to bring opportunities to enhance language competency, student curiosity, and a positive self-identity. SSDS strives to inspire students to reach their fullest potential and “Achieve More.” SSDS embraces each student’s unique strengths and contributions; educating students today to empower them for future success.

Funds from 4% Friday will be used to develop a gardening program for the students and their families that would include building raised beds, learning organic growing practices at school and in the local area, farm visits, and growing harvesting, cooking, and preserving produce. SSDS also plans to support the community by donating produce to the local food bank.

may 27

Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit county

The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County is to enable all young people to reach their full potential, as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The Boys & Girls Club provides youth ages 6-18 with a safe, fun, and positive space to thrive in, where they engage in targeted programs, focusing on the priority outcomes of academic success, healthy lifestyles, good character, and citizenship.

Funds from 4% Friday will go directly towards scholarships for members to attend the club.

Skagit Gleaners

jun 24

Skagit Gleaners' purpose is to provide food, household merchandise, and clothing to frugal, waste conscious, and working families. By rescuing surplus food and product from local businesses, Skagit Gleaners is able to keep items out of overflowing landfills. Skagit Gleaners’ mission is to foster a community of sustainability and stewardship to diverse, working families, while reducing food waste in the community.

Skagit Gleaners will use funds from 4% Friday to purchase imperfect fruits and vegetables from Latinoowned farms. While Skagit Gleaners tries to get more of the surplus food through voluntary grocery rescue efforts, it acknowledges that some businesses do not have the economic elasticity to donate imperfect foods. This would provide Latino-owned businesses an opportunity to thrive, while contributing to the community at large.

Together we gave:

December

$3,341 Anacortes Family Center

10 skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022

January

$2,550 Little Mountain Elementary

February

$2,697 Page Ahead

Sustainability is for Everyone

by Leigha Staffenhagen

Growing up, my parents lovingly called me a tree hugger— both figuratively and literally. As a kid growing up in the suburbs of Lake Stevens in the early 2000s, growth and development, and the resulting deforestation, became just a regular part of everyday life. I still remember with clarity the first time I saw the “woods” being plowed down and leveled for a subdivision. It was 3rd grade, and my elementary school was backed up against a mysterious, beautiful, and what my 9-year-old perceived as a vast and expansive forest.

(Though looking back, I’m sure it was less than a few acres.)

I was never really one to run around and play at recess, usually opting to lean against the chain-link fence, crack open whatever “Series of Unfortunate Events” book I was reading, letting the big beautiful forest provide me shade in the May sunshine. But just like that, one day I heard those evil machines (any Flaming Lips fans?) ripping each of those glorious trees out of the ground, and I was crushed.

In my mind, that first experience of deforestation was the first domino in a long chain reaction that led to more and more woods being replaced with neighborhoods, and gas stations, and ugly grey pavement. I still see this happening twenty years later in my hometown, and that gut-wrenching feeling has never really changed, despite the fact that I understand housing is an issue, and that the more forward-thinking sustainable builders sometimes plant saplings elsewhere to make up for the loss. It’s still heartbreaking to watch, especially with the most recent of these developments not being homes, but a Costco, in what was one of the last semi-rural areas in town.

I can’t say whether anyone else took it seriously, but I know my roommate and I were totally on board for the whole thing. And while our goal of having a kitchen compost bin in our tiny apartment was laughably inaccessible and entirely unsuccessful, we did have success in other areas. I had gotten into the habit of frequenting a local coffee shop (shout out to Cool Beans if you’re a B-ham local), partially because it was my final quarter at Western and felt I had to treat myself just to keep chugging along, but mostly because they had a killer $3 special every Tuesday. But with that came countless disposable coffee cups that in hindsight, I am entirely embarrassed by. So, for my other sustainability swap, I decided I would only allow myself to indulge my coffee shop habit if I had a reusable cup to put my latte in. And if I was too lazy to wash it or forgot it entirely, I’d skip the coffee and deal with a caffeine headache instead. Spoiler alert: I got really good at remembering that cup.

It’s a really small thing, but it’s a swap that’s stuck.

And though I’m just one person, that’s potentially hundreds of cups that won’t be in a landfill. Now imagine if all of us made that one simple swap.

Ditching single-use coffee cups are just the tip of the proverbial sustainability iceberg, though. There are so many really accessible swaps you can make, many of which do not require you to buy some overpriced *thing* that will magically make you perfect at caring for the environment.

As consumers become more and more ecoconscious, there are brands that are trying to take advantage of trend. Don’t be fooled by greenwashing or Instagram influencers making a buck off some product you “need” to become ecoconscious. I’m here to tell you that sustainability Even as a kid, I knew there was nothing I could do is for everyone— it just looks different for each of to stop growth from happening, especially since us, depending on where we’re at in life. For some, my mother wasn’t really on board with my brilliant sustainability is an electric car and a meticulously idea of camping out in one of the trees to prevent cared for, closed-loop permaculture garden. For someone from cutting it down. So instead, I shifted others, it’s mason jars full of grains purchased in my focus to the “eco” things I could do— recycling bulk to reduce costs and packaging waste. For was the first one. And though it feels small, I think me, sustainability feels especially satisfying when that was my first step towards trying to do this it’s scrappy – scrubbing off the label and reusing “sustainability” thing.

Leigha in her Dad's garden, 1998 your jars, teaching yourself how to repair stuff, reThroughout the years, my goal to be eco-friendly growing food scraps, making a meal with whatever has had many different forms. I cut down on my shower time and was mindful you have kickin’ around in the fridge, and taking the extra time to properly of my water use while I brushed my teeth. I’ve mended socks, sweaters, and dispose of difficult-to-recycle items like electronics and plastic packaging. jeans in an attempt to both save money and avoid tossing out things that Also, keep in mind that it’s perfectly okay to keep a to-do list of sustainability still had life in them. I once drove my Volkswagen home full of recycling after swaps that you want to make someday. Just because you aren’t in the place to visiting a friend in Ellensburg, because her apartment complex didn’t offer it, accomplish them now, doesn’t mean you can’t later in life. Growing a garden and I couldn’t stand the thought of her throwing away empty beer cans and is still on my to-do list, and it’s over 20 years in the making. I can’t wait to pull cardboard. I think you get the point. those first carrots out of the ground.

That’s not to say I’ve always made the “right” sustainability choice. I’ve bought No matter where you’re at, the key is simple: try your best to stick to your my share of overpriced plastic water bottles at concerts. I still drive a car from 2007 that’s a total gas guzzler. And I’ve certainly toted too many plastic produce sustainability swaps and have a little grace with yourself when you don’t do it bags over the years. But if there’s anything I’ve learned about sustainability, it’s perfectly. And great news— you’ve already initiated a sustainability swap, even that you don’t have to be perfect at it. If the majority of us made small changes if you don’t realize it. Any guesses? It’s shopping at the Co-op! to our habits, we could make a huge impact, even if we’re imperfect. And When you shop at the Co-op, you’re supporting local makers and producers, chances are we will be imperfect— it’s quite literally in our nature. which does wonders for our local economy. But beyond that, by purchasing That brings me to another anecdote, one very far removed from my days something made down the road versus across the county, or the world, you’re at Hillcrest Elementary. One of my favorite classes at Western was Business minimizing your carbon footprint and reducing the number of pollutants you Sustainability. On the first day of class, our professor Wendy had each of us created to enjoy your salad or bowl of fruit. And as far as we’re concerned, write down 3 sustainability swaps we were going to make for the quarter. local produce just tastes better.

Easy-Peasy Sustainability Swaps Beyond shopping local at the Co-op, here are some other easy swaps to reduce your impact on our beloved Mother Earth.

Single-use produce bags go bagless, use paper bags, invest in reusable mesh bags

Single-use containers of peanut butter, honey, grains, seeds

using clean glass jars in Bulk - we allow containers from home again!

Traditional shampoo shampoo bars

Traditional sponges, makeup sponges, etc bamboo alternatives

Tossing out vegetable scraps

add them to compost or make a vegetable stock

Toxic household cleaners multi-purpose vinegar, castile soap, essential oils

Using the dryer

Conventional produce

hang-drying clothes

organic produce

Paper towels

smaller reusable kitchen towels

Prepackaged meals

make a meal from scratch

skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022 11

The Dancing Camel Yoga Studio

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Ad Rates & Sizes Contact The Natural Enquirer: nicole@skagitfoodcoop.com 360.336.5087 ext. 136 or visit our website at www.skagitfoodcoop.com

We offer discounts for prepayment. All first-time ads MUST be paid in advance.

The ad deadline for the next issue (July 2022) is Friday, May 20.

Co-op Curbside

Skip the trip and be on your way.

Shop online anytime, Pick up Tuesday–Saturday. skagitfoodcoop.com/ coop-curbside

12 skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022

new & notable

Sippable Sunshine

by Leigha Staffenhagen

Spring has sprung! The sun is out, the tulips are blooming, and even if it’s a bit chilly outside still, you’re probably looking forward to sipping a cool, refreshing drink as we creep toward t-shirt season. And wouldn’t you know it, the Co-op is overflowing with new sparkly, squeezy, energy-boosting beverage options to fill your fridge. Spoiler alert: if you don’t already know what cascara is, you’re in for a real treat.

Ingrilli Juice Squeezes

Biotic Cold-Pressed Probiotic Beverages

No need to hop on a plane to enjoy fresh-squeezed Italian citrus juice— just beeline to our juice aisle for a splish-splash of Mediterranean sunshine!

Made from perfectly ripe citrus grown in Sicilian orchards, Ingrilli’s lemon, lime, and ginger squeezes offer a flavorful punch of bright fruit flavor to your cooking, baking, salads, and drink mixers. And did we mention they’re USDA-certified organic and Non-GMO project verified, too?

A family-owned Certified B-Corp, Biotic is on a mission to regenerate living systems, starting with the human microbiome (that’s your gut!).

Specializing in bubbly probiotic beverages sweetened with cold-pressed juice, Biotic’s formula is free of refined sugar or artificial sweeteners, USDA-certified organic, and vegan friendly. Choose from their pineapple, ginger, or red beet sparkling beverages, available in the chilled beverage case.

BeGOAT Cascara Maine Root Sodas

You’ve likely seen Maine Root’s root beer or ginger beer in our drink aisle, and now we’re introducing five new flavors to our lineup! No high-fructose corn syrup here. (Side note: there’s actually no high-fructose corn syrup anywhere in the Co-op.) Instead, Maine Root’s craft sodas are made with 100% organic sugar cane from Brazil and are Fair Trade Certified. Crack into one of their new, refreshing flavors: mandarin orange, sarsaparilla, blueberry, lemonlime, and Mexicane cola (and no, that’s not a typo). Available in 4-packs or chilled single bottles.

Let’s start with what’s likely your first question… what is cascara, anyway?

Simply put, cascara is the soft tissue of the coffee fruit that provides coffee beans their caffeine. And the second question: BeGOAT? G.O.A.T. is one of those new-school acronyms, short for: Greatest of All Time. Think Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, or you­—when you sip on one of these functional beverages packed with micronutrients and antioxidants.

BeGOAT Cascara+ utilizes the whole coffee fruit, including the husk, berry, and bean, to create a well-rounded caffeinated beverage that’s made sustainably, with less waste. Give it a goat with Hibiscus Lime or Strawberry Lemon Ginger.

Also in the chilled beverage case.

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Danielle 360-661-8458 CONNECT TO NATURE • CONNECT TO YOUR FOOD • CONNECT TO YOUR BODY skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022 13

vendor spotlight

Just Like Mom Used to Make It: Tortillas Con Madre

by Leigha Staffenhagen

Slow Cooker Orange Chipotle Beef Tacos

A set it and forget it meal that the whole family will love? We’ll take an extra serving, thanks!

• 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast • 2 tablespoons tomato paste • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 4 cloves garlic, peeled • 2 large seedless oranges, quartered • 12 taco shells or flour tortillas • 3 cups shredded lettuce • 3 medium tomatoes, chopped • 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese If you’ve ever had a dry, papery, packed-with-preservatives tortilla, you know that not all tortillas are created equal. Because when you bite into a burrito or taco gently wrapped in a locally-made, fresh, and perfectly pliable tortilla, it’s another experience entirely. Are you getting hungry yet? If you’re not, you will be, once we introduce you to one of our newest local vendors: Tortillas Con Madre.

With a simple 5-ingredient recipe that started in the family kitchen of Lupita Nava, Tortillas Con Madre is an entirely family-run operation based in Lynden.

“Con Madre” simply translates to “with mother” in Spanish, and for Lupita, sharing her recipes and creating a family biz was all done to honor her mother.

If ever there was a way to honor your mom, sharing your family heritage with the community is a pretty wonderful way to do it.

Recipes for their tortillas have been passed down from one generation to the next, allowing the family to perfect their simple, but high-quality product.

Made without preservatives or artificial flavors and colors, their small-batch tortillas are USDA-Certified Organic, Non-GMO, and vegan-friendly. They’re also packed full of omega-6 and -9, thanks to the pumpkin oil in their recipe.

Along with the pumpkin oil, the only other ingredients you’ll find in these tortillas are wheat flour, water, sea salt, and non-aluminum baking powder.

That’s it. And that’s what makes Tortillas Con Madre so special: their simplicity.

So, next time you’ve got Taco Tuesday on the brain or want to meal prep some breakfast burritos for the week, reach for Tortillas Con Madre’s simple, but incredibly delicious flour tortillas.

And if you’re eager to get cooking for a flavorful fiesta en casa, here are a couple of recipes from our friends at grocery.coop.

Place the beef in a slow cooker. Stir together the tomato paste, chipotle, cumin, oregano and salt in a small bowl, then rub the mixture over the beef. Place garlic cloves and oranges on top of the meat and cover the pot. Turn temperature to high and cook for 4 hours, or on low for 7 to 8 hours.

When the meat shreds when pressed with a fork, turn off the cooker and take out the insert to cool. Use tongs to transfer the meat to a bowl to cool, and shred the beef.

Place a strainer over a small pot and strain the liquids from the cooker into the pot. Squeeze the oranges over the strainer. Bring the juices to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, until reduced to a syrupy consistency.

Pour over the shredded beef and toss to coat. Taste for seasoning; add salt or more chipotle, if desired. Serve with taco shells or warm tortillas, lettuce, chopped tomato and shredded cheese.

Huevos Tortillas

You eat toast for breakfast, so why not tortillas?

• 4 6-inch flour tortillas • cooking spray • 2 cups chopped fresh tomato • 1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped • 2 large scallions, chopped • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped • 1/2 tablespoon cumin • 1 clove garlic, crushed • Lousiana style hot sauce • 4 large eggs • salt and pepper Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray a sheet pan with oil, then place the tortillas on the oil, and spritz the tortillas. Bake the tortillas for 4 minutes, then flip them and bake for 3-4 minutes more. When the tortillas are toasted and crisp. Transfer the tortillas to the paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.

While the tortillas bake, chop the tomatoes, bell pepper, scallions and cilantro and mix in a bowl. Add the cumin, garlic, and hot sauce to taste.

Place a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Let the pan get hot for a minute, then spray or oil it well. Crack each egg and slip into the hot pan, leaving plenty of room so that they don't run together.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until the whites are firm and the yolks are of desired doneness, 3-6 minutes.

To serve, top each tortilla with tomato mixture, then a fried egg.

Serve immediately.

staff profile

Megan Feichtinger

Graphic Designer Co-op Employee Since March 2019 Favorite Customer Moment: I loved getting to know the regulars and looking forward to their weekly visits when I worked as a cashier, and introducing new shoppers to what our beautiful valley has to offer.

Now that I work upstairs in Marketing, I see customers less, but it was fun to hear reactions from customers while I painted the deli windows, or read a thank-you letter sent in from our non-profit donation recipients.

14 skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022

Favorite Item in the Co-op: The produce and houseplants for the unique selection, oatmeal creme pies from the deli, and the jewelry, books, and pretty much everything else upstairs in the Mercantile!

Favorite Way to Spend Time Outside of Work: I enjoy cooking, painting, adventuring with my dog, and visiting coffeeshops to play boardgames with my partner Jeremy (who also works at the Co-op!)

Does it get any better than springtime in Skagit Valley? We think not. Pops of color and bursts of flavor in the form of flowers, local produce, and of course, the sweetest strawberries on Earth.

Dig into some of our Deli's most popular handcrafted items as we say hello to fresh farm greens, blue skies, and long days spent soaking up the warm, yellow sun.

April

• Tulip Sunrise Smoothie • • Spring Beets with Orange Salad • • Spiced Date Rugelach • • Dazzelnut Ice Cream •

May

June

• Hamburger Buns • • Asparagus Antipasto Salad • • Orange Sip-sicle Smoothie • • Lemon Curd Swirl Ice Cream •

• Fresh Baked Shortcakes • • Summer Squash Salad • • Razzbandit Smoothie • • Strawberry Balsamic Basil Ice Cream •

(continued from page 1)

Business of the Year

“That longevity, special character, and diverse offerings are known far and wide. I can’t tell you how often when I meet people from around the State and beyond, they tell me, ‘Oh, Mount Vernon? I love your food co-op!’”

General Manager Tony White accepted the award on behalf of the Co-op and pointed to our proactive approach toward minimizing the risks of COVID-19 transmission in the store, as well as prioritizing our employee stakeholder group as the key for continued success and resiliency. “I would say that the mask policy was likely the policy local businesses most appreciated us for,” White said.

“Local businesses followed suit and often said to their own customers that they were following the co-op’s lead.”

The Co-op was also one of the first businesses in the area to provide staff with bonuses for being front-line workers, along with a premium hero pay wage. As the pandemic continued, and the hero pay ended, the Co-op rolled out a new livable wage model and paid bonuses and profit sharing during 2021.

In closing, Tony praised employees for how they interacted with members and shoppers in such a turbulent time, “2021 required resiliency, fortitude, and compassion, and I believe our staff delivered this consistently day in and day out.”

I agree whole-heartedly.

Recognized by the Mount Vernon business community, this award speaks volumes about the Co-op and how special it truly is. And not all awards are equal: I once worked for a business that made the list of Best Places to Work in Washington, according to Seattle Business Magazine, an impressive accolade and smart recruiting tool.

The workplace boasted Nerf guns, a ping-pong table, an open workspace, a radically fun culture, and other work perks.

Dale snowshoeing her way to the Co-op

It wasn’t until after I was hired and assigned to apply for Seattle Business Magazine’s Best Places that I understood the process. Apply? Turns out, we nominated ourselves, and I want to say we even paid an application fee. So, we won. Again.

Because we paid to play. As the person in charge of marketing our Best Place status, I wasn’t all that eager to shout it from the rooftops.

“Best Ever” felt performative and disingenuous.

I’d compare it to winning a race of one person, and then going about town touting that I was the fastest runner in Skagit Valley. Delusions of grandeur.

None of that is to say that it wasn’t a good place to work (it was), or that I’m not a fast runner (I’m actually not), but the claim of Best Place or Fastest Runner is simply illegitimate, and undeserved.

Plus, if you’ve ever been shot by a Nerf gun while trying to concentrate on ways to say your place of work is the best because it has Nerf guns, you’d quit. I did.

Now, I get to share this hard-earned, welldeserved achievement with everyone I know, the community I live and work in, my hometown. And I’m so very proud—of the award, but mostly of us.

The achievement is ours to share.

I am proud of the Co-op for what it is, and the cooperative values it stands for. It irks me to think of the corporations that profited during the pandemic because they could, because consumers had no other choice than to drive-thru rather than dine-in, to shop conveniently instead of conscientiously. Instead of raking it in, the Co-op held true to its not-for-profit business model and gave back to the people who rely on it most, right here in Skagit Valley.

I’m grateful for the incredible foundation laid out for us over the last four decades, which has allowed us to weather the most unexpected unknowns.

Todd Wood may have retired, in his infamously timely fashion, but his business acumen and vision

Produce Department Manager, Ben

are a large part of the Co-op’s ongoing success.

As is the work of countless others who built the Co-op into a community cornerstone, starting from the ground up.

Beyond that, I am blown away by the dedication of our staff. I am so proud of my co-workers for hanging tough, and it has been tough. The managers coming together to keep things moving forward. The folks on the sales floor and their effort to make the Co-op shopping experience a friendly one. So much wow.

If there were space to give individual shoutouts to every Co-op employee, I would. Because every single person who works here deserves recognition for the work they’ve put in. A cashier smiling at you behind their mask even though the last checkout interaction was disheartening; the friendly response to why a favorite food is still out of stock; a healthy meal on your table at the end of the day—those are achievements. And please tell me you saw the photo of Dale S. snowshoeing to work in December? That’s what we like to call an overachievement, or going the extra mile.

Co-op employees have racked up a lot of extra mileage in the last couple years, but so have you.

Many Co-op shoppers go out of their way to shop here, to support us. Your loyalty and patience are yet another reason we can call ourselves Business of the Year.

So, thank you, for being a community that continues to show up for each other. I am proud to be a small part of it, and even prouder to shout Business of the Year from the rooftops! Because it’s true! After all, it’s owned by the community: a bunch of you’s, and me’s, and we deserve it.

And as we head into the Co-op’s 50th year, I’d say we’re well on our way to Business of the Century.

Ladies of the Co-op on International Women's Day

skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022 15

Garden Center Update

This spring, the Co-op bid a f(r)ond farewell to Jay Williams, our Garden Center Coordinator. He came to us a number of years ago from Seattle, where he and his husband Andy had co-owned and managed a small nursery business. Jay had already been in the industry for years before that venture, and has a wide breadth of horticultural experience.

Jay has been a great asset to the Co-op, with tips, tricks, do’s, don’ts, and an encyclopedic knowledge of all things gardening. In addition to his work in the garden center, he also led some wonderful free workshops for the Co-op community. One of his favorite workshop topics was constructing small self-contained globe terrariums—something to which he has devoted a lot of time. He is excited now to be working for ACE Hardware in Anacortes, where he has the chance to work again with his husband in their garden center. We will miss him, and we wish him well.

And while it is a bittersweet departure, we’re excited to introduce you to the Co-op’s new Garden Center Coordinator: Magnolia Mullen, a woman named after a flower who loves flowers.

Apropos, no?

Magnolia started working at the Co-op in January 2021, after years of shopping here because of the way the Co-op supports local farmers and stocks peak-season produce. She worked alongside Jay for nine months gleaning from his extensive

Photo - Katheryn Moran Photography

knowledge of plant genera and his impressive ability to recite the botanical name of almost any plant you can think of.

But Magnolia is not new to gardening. She grew up in Arlington, where some of her first memories include a deep love of plants, trees, and flowers: “the earwigs that lived in the fragrant lilac tree blooming outside our dining room window, the massive pampas grass and its razor-sharp leaves and soft fronds, the unripe fallen hazelnuts with their tight green jackets, being wary and in awe of the beautiful but toxic foxglove and nightshade growing in the pastures around my home.” All of this to credit for her appreciation and respect for nature.

She’s worked on organic farms, nurseries, and roadside stands in Western Washington, Hawaii, and New Zealand for the last ten years. Now that she’s back in the Pacific Northwest, she plans to grow a new garden from scratch, planting perennials and, of course, herbs and edible flowers galore since she loves to cook.

“Plants are amazing!” was Magnolia’s simple and straightforward response to what she loves about gardening. She loves watching the cycle from seed to plant to fruit back to seed again, and takes a great interest in the contrast between the resilience of some plants, and the fickleness of others.

Earlier this spring when Magnolia was restocking seeds, she witnessed a mother and her very young daughter deciding which seeds to get. The daughter

16 skagit valley food co-op • the natural enquirer • april–june 2022

wanted everything! How happy it made her to see such a young person involved in and excited about eating food the family had grown themselves.

Magnolia is looking forward to meeting even more people who are excited to garden and grow their own food.

Fresh summer zucchini or carrots pulled straight from the earth and hose-rinsed are her favorite plants to eat. And if you ask Magnolia what her favorite flower is, she won’t point to herself.

Instead, daffodils! Because they’re so colorful after our dark, grey months. She also fancies our native red huckleberry, “plants that vary so much in size it’s comical. They feed the birds, they feed us! They are just an all-around adorable plant.”

Magnolia is here, ready to help, and full of her own fun facts and gardening tips. For instance, did you know cultivated carrots were originally white, yellow, and purple—not orange? As for gardening in the upcoming months, she suggests keeping a serious awareness of major weather events. Water deeply, consistently and keep shade cloth on hand in case this year is anything like 2021. Last, but not least, don’t forget to sow successional seeds or plant starts, so you can have more fresh veggies in the fall.

So, next time you’re in the Co-op Garden Center, make sure you say hello to our newest flower.

Magnolia is excited to meet you!