Beaver Creek Ranch

We've been working with Doug and Kathy Anderson from Beaver Creek Ranch since our days over on Gibson Street in 2006. Their ranch is outside of Grantsburg, WI, dangerously close to Minnesota. They farm a variety of animals along with truckloads of certified organic grains. Because they work directly with retail stores, they don't pay the extra cost of certifying each of their animals, saving a little bit of money and helping to keep the costs down. And because we work together in a trusting relationship, we're able to pass on their great products to you at fair prices.

And speaking of prices, we've dropped the price of the Turkey tenderloins this month down to $6.49 for a 1 pound package. The turkey tenderloin is the tender inner part of the turkey breast, delicious white meat. Also on sale are big pork tenderloins.

For your holiday feast we have a few whole frozen turkeys - you have just enough time to thaw and brine them!

Other products from BCR we're proud to carry:

• chorizo sausage - using a recipe from the wife of the warden at San Quentin (where Doug was a prison guard in a previous life!)
• apple brats - pork and sometimes turkey
  
• hot dogs (we've been selling these like crazy, some folks have been bold enough to call them "the best hot dog I've ever had" and only $4.79 a package, too!
  
• chicken breast - one of our top sellers
• ground chicken and ground turkey - versatile basic ingredient for a variety of meals
  
• breakfast sausage links - mmmmmmm
• bacon specially cured in a spinach brine - absolutely delicious and free from chemical additives
• italian sausage great for pasta, pizza and grillin'

Thanks so much, Doug and Kathy, for providing our store and community with such great food with which to nourish our bodies and souls!

Holiday Hours

Hello friends,

this year's holiday hours are as follows:

Winter Solstice (Sunday, December 21st) OPEN NORMAL HOURS 8am-9pm!

Christmas Eve (Wednesday, December 24th) 8-2pm

Christmas Day (Thursday, December 25th) CLOSED

New Years Day (Thursday, January 1st) CLOSED

Beeler's Ham, Nueske's Bacon, and Anderson Farm's Corned Beef

Beeler's Pure Pork

According to Beeler's website, "the Beeler pork tradition started in 1846 when our great-great Grandpa Fred immigrated from Germany to the gently rolling hills of Madison County, Iowa."

"As with all Beeler pork, HELUKA® pork is natural, meaning Beeler pigs are raised without any antibiotics or growth promotants whatsoever, and are never fed animal by-products. Their diets consist of all vegetarian ingredients: corn, soybean meal, vitamins, and minerals."

At Just Local Food, we've had many requests for natural hams, and they are very hard to find locally. A customer recommended Beeler's ham, so we decided to give it a try. We'll have half hams available for Christmas, and several of the quarter hams and steaks. We hope you enjoy this new product for us, which you will find in our refrigerated section.


Nueske's Applewood Smoked Bacon
Wittenberg, WI

Anyone who's tasted or even smelled this bacon knows how good it is (our customers in the store last Saturday know what I mean). Nueske's is especially lean, since most of the fat is rendered during its 24 hours in the smokehouse over an open fire of applewood logs. This bacon is famous nationally, and has been written up in The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and Saveur Magazine. I do need to mention that sodium nitrite is used in the brining process; this is the only meat product we carry that contains it.


Corned Beef on New Year's Day

We have Anderson Farm's natural corned beef brisket, which is uncured and smoked. It can be difficult to find a local, natural corned beef, but this is it. Whenever we've had Lynn Anderson in the store for tastings, the corned beef is a big hit. So, if you're in the mood for a delicious corned beef and cabbage dinner, come and get it.

we need paper bags

Hey there ! If you have any extra paper grocery bags, please bring them in to us. It helps us keep costs down and of course keeps more trees in the earth recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen that we breathe. Thanks!!

New in Frozen

During our move the frozen department went through quite an expansion. We still carry the products we used to like Sno Pac organic frozen vegetables (with new midwest soup mix!), Cascadian Farm juice concentrate, One Sun pizzas, Gourmet Parlor Organic frozen pizzas, Marie's bread and some Ian's organic products like chicken nuggets, french toast sticks and fish sticks.

New to our department I'd like to introduce Happle Gourmet Food Kringles out of Iowa. Here is what they have to say about their Kringles:"Old world skill and care has made Kringle an international favorite. Kringle is a traditional Danish pastry shaped into a ring and filled with a fruit or nut filling. Kringle do not contain any dairy ingredients and are Vegan. They make a delightful breakfast, snack or dessert. They are available in almond and apple."

You will also see the return of Food For Life gluten free breads. We have brown rice and millet bread. We are still carrying the sprouted english muffins as well.

We have added some Amy's quick meals. We have the veggie pot pie, several burritos, indian palak paneer meal and the cheese enchilada meal. Another new and exciting item is Turri's frozen pasta. We are carrying three cheese tortellini, ravioli and gnocchi. This is a conventional product from Michigan. Here is an excerpt from their website: "Anthony and Angeline Turri founded Turri's Italian Foods in 1949 in Detroit. They started by making pasta products for local restaurants and grocery stores. All of their products were based on old family recipes and soon the name Turri became synonymous with quality. As the customer base grew, so did the number of Turri family members who were pressed into service. Instead of playing sports after school, the Turri children Tony, Bernie, Tom, and Mary were making, packing and delivering ravioli. This family tradition has continued through the years so that today the fourth generation of Turri's is making pasta."

Finally we have added a line of conventional pizzas from Milwaukee at great prices. Palermo's Pizza. We carry cheese, supreme, combo and roasted pepper and goat cheese. Here is the Palermo's philosophy: "We will settle for nothing less than the very best. This unyielding standard of quality and excellence are just a few of the values that have been passed down to the current generation by our founder, Gaspare "Papa Palermo" Fallucca. We also strive to be a good corporate citizen as well as an environmentally sensitive company. Over the years, Palermo's has donated both money and pizzas to numerous charitable organizations to aid them in caring for those that they serve, as well a seeking opportunities to reduce our impact on the environment by recycling and conserving energy wherever possible."

Please Ponder the Persimmon

We have organic persimmons in our produce department, and they are a real treat. I wasn’t very familiar with them, but bought one out of curiosity. After some reading, I learned that they are at there best when mushy, and are NOT ready to eat until that point. I’m on my 4th one this week, and the photo shows how beautiful it is when sliced. All you need to do is cut one open, take a spoon and scoop out the yummy inside for your own personal treat, and get happy about how delicious and different and beautiful it is. You can cook with them too – I posted a recipe for Apple Spice Bread (substitute persimmon) in the store, and here are a few links for you. So, if you’re new to the persimmon, or haven’t had a good one in a while, I encourage you to come in and try them.

You may also find that “persimmon” is a fun word to use, such as “Percy, please pass the persimmon, pronto.”

Portuguese Kale and Chorizo Soup

This is hearty and warming soup for lunch or dinner, and makes enough for several meals or lots of leftovers. I was inspired by the “dino” kale and giant leeks in our produce cooler, and thought chorizo would be perfect for the wintery weather. All ingredients are from the store. This recipe was adapted from one by Emeril Lagasse in the book Becoming a Chef.

1 large leek
2 cloves garlic
5 stalks celery
2 zucchini
3 bunches kale
5 large red potatoes
1 cup green split peas (optional)
1 pound chorizo
2 quarts tomatoes (or 28-oz. can)
2 quarts chicken, turkey, or veggie stock or water
Salt
3 bay leaf
¼ t. thyme
Red pepper flakes
Black pepper
Pecorino Romano cheese

Carefully rinse leek, chop, sauté in olive oil in a large stockpot. Add chopped celery, a good pinch of kosher or sea salt, then the chopped garlic, and continue cooking carefully. Brown the chorizo in a separate pan, crumbling to desired size, and add cooked meat to stockpot (leaving the oil behind). Add the tomatoes with their juice and stir, and add the stock or water. Add another pinch of salt if you think it needs it. Add the bay leaf, thyme, and a good sprinkle of red pepper flakes. [Add the green peas, if using, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook about an hour or two until those darn peas are soft enough. They are a nice addition, but seem to take forever to cook!]

Thoroughly rinse the kale, then stem and chop it and add to the pot. Cube the potatoes and add, and check the liquid level; add more liquid if necessary. Bring the pot back to a boil, then reducing to a simmer. Cover and cook at least until the potatoes and kale are tender, adding the chopped zucchini to the pot along the way (zucchini doesn’t take long to cook).

This is the kind of soup that tastes good the first day, but gets much better the next day, when the flavors have more time to blend. Taste and adjust salt, and serve with a fresh grind of black pepper and maybe a good shaving of Romano cheese.

The ULTIMATE Turkey Sandwich?

A memorable sandwich starts with really good bread, and in my opinion, there is nothing better than a loaf from Marie’s Original Bakery (from Marie's, or from our freezer case). Next comes the main ingredient for which the sandwich is named, in this case, turkey, leftover from your Thanksgiving feast. Or, if you finished off your leftovers, you could always cook up some turkey tenderloin, always available in our meat department. A little cheese might be called for, such as a Crystal Ball Farm cheddar (smooth and on the mild side), Vern’s aged cheddar (sharp!), or whatever your favorite is. I like Dijon mustard, just enough for some flavor without overpowering everything. Now, to make it really tasty, put it on a griddle or pan with a little olive oil or butter to get the bread nice and crispy. After the cheese is melted and the bread is golden brown, the sandwich is ready to go. Unless, you choose to indulge yourself with some avocado slices, Becky’s Olive Salsa (this is unbelievably good on a sandwich!), or perhaps go Reuben-esque with some sauerkraut/Powerkraut…
Here’s to making a sandwich you can get excited about!

New Grab-n-Go Products from Romar

Bob and Martha, aka Romar Greenhouse, have added more products to their already diverse line.

New Products include:
Roasted Vegetable Spread Sandwich
Smokin' Macaroni & Cheese 8oz
Lentil Soup 16oz
Chocolate Chip Muffins
Blueberry Muffins
Oatmeal Butterscotch Muffins

Also look forward to:
Scones
Pasta Salad
Potato Salad
and more in the upcoming months

Don't forget to check out their other products as well.
Whole Chickens, Chicken Parts, Smoked Chicken, Dog Treats, and Seasonal Produce.

giving thanks

Well of course the holiday is upon us! We at the store, and the many farmers and food producers we work with, have a big THANKS to give to you. We know you have many choices out there where you can get things to put in your body. We deeply appreciate the support you give us!

(pictured here are actual turkeys living at Coon Creek Family Farm)

Those of you who ordered turkeys will be getting a call, if you haven't already, letting you know when to pick up or when we'll deliver. We ordered a few extra fresh turkeys, so if you've got a last-minute urge to cook up a fresh local turkey, give us a call or stop down and we'll let you know if we have one left for you! We highly encourage you to brine your turkey, Coon Creek has a great sheet on this, or you can try this with cut-up parts, or just search "turkey brine".

Whole turkey alternatives:

• turkey tenderloin is the inner part of a turkey breast. Tender, delicious white meat.
• chicken, we have whole, cutup or how about a smoked chicken?
• pork tenderloin - we have a few large pork tenderloins
  

We also have on hand plenty of delicious, local, non-meaty things to eat. Great local organic cranberries, garlic, squash, greens... Plenty of festive sparkling juices, a wide getting wider selection of great beer, breads... and don't forget the butter!

We'll be closed on Thanksgiving day, but open regular hours the rest of the week - which means you can stop in the store right on up until 9pm the day before should you need something! Call ahead if you'd like: 552-3366.

you asked for it!

Thanks so much for sharing your hopes and dreams for the store with us. In the past month, in addition to moving our store to a great new location, we've been able to respond to many of your requests. The products below are now on our store shelves as a direct result of your comments. Please keep them coming!

So, here's what we have on hand, thanks to you: flour tortillas, mints, tarts, gum, garam masala, peanut butter puffins, powdered milk, buttermilk powder, kashi cereal, ginger chews, nutritional yeast, trash bags, low sodium soaps, baby products, cranberries and even a bike rack! Also, due to lots of requests, we have quite a few gluten free products like snacks, cookies, pasta, crackers, chips, bread, muffins, brownies, chicken nuggets and coming soon - locally produced "cause you're special" gluten free mixes!

Now on to our featured item this week:

just tomatoes

In the quest for simple, clean and supremely healthy snacks we have found nothing to compare to the just tomatoes line of fruits, berries and veggies. On a special shelf you will find these incredibly kid friendly edibles. While not produced locally, these pass through our food policy pretty easily. They are unique, produced by an innovative small family business, we work directly with them, and the ingredients are ridiculously simple.

hearty breads and gluten free, dairy free muffins and brownies!

Hi Friends,

I'd like to invite you to enjoy (this Friday and every Friday) a new regional and organic bread from our friends at the Community Homestead, a intentional community working with special needs adults in baking bread, woodwork, crafts and organic gardening to build abilities, community, co-operation and health.

this week we'll be receiving whole wheat sourdough, crunchy oat and cinnamon raisin breads and gluten-free and dairy-free carrot date muffins and gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate and mocha brownies.

These wholesome foods are hand made, hand kneaded, and made with great love, we're thankful to our friends at Crystal Ball Farms for helping deliver this product (one of our bakeries and our dairy now are just down the street from each other!) with our Friday milk deliveries.

We look forward to sharing these fantastic breads and treats! enjoy!

fresh produce

Now that the downtown farmers market is closed for the season, you may think that there is no more local produce. Well, let us set you straight on that one. We have been cultivating relationships with local farmers for nearly five years, and we can tell you with complete confidence that there is plenty of local produce to be had these days.

One big category of great local fresh produce is squash. On hand today we have: buttercup, butternut, spaghetti, orange kabocha, red kuri, delicata, sugar loaf, sugar dumpling and acorn.

We are also carrying local organic cranberries, organic and heirloom apples, organic hydroponic tomatoes, beautiful red and orange carrots, brussels sprouts, fennel, turnips, rutabaga, beets, broccoli, kale, chard and cabbage.

Our certified organic cranberries come directly from Ruesch Century Farm (100 years in the family!) near Wisconsin Rapids, right in the heart of cranberry country. They built their first cranberry bog in the early 1990's and have added 3 beds since then. They dry rake some of the berries and actually use hand rakes which was the traditional harvesting method for many decades until mechanical pickers were invented. The downside is that it takes much longer to harvest. All the berries are hand sorted, placed in containers by hand, labeled by hand. All very time consuming stuff.

We sell the cranberries in bulk, so feel free to bring your own container to fill with these delicious, seasonal berries.

local and regional energy bars

Low on energy? Don't have time for a full meal? Looking for a great snack for you or your kids? We've got you covered!

Go Macro

In our never-ending quest for high quality products made close to Eau Claire, we've stuck onto two companies here in Wisconsin. Go Macro is a small business in Viola, the heart of organic agriculture.

MacroTreats are macrobiotic desserts and snacks, including a variety of nutritious bars and healthy cookies which are irresistibly delicious. MacroTreats use high fiber, macrobiotic ingredients and contain slow burning, complex carbohydrates. In addition to being vegan, our products do not have any refined sugars or artificial sweeteners. Instead, MacroTreats use organic ingredients, whenever possible, and are grain sweetened with brown rice syrup, which retains nutrients. They contain no preservatives, synthetic additives, hydrogenated oil, refined flour, or artificial flavors/coloring. We carefully prepare MacroTreats to preserve maximum nutritional content and enhance flavor. Above all, MacroTreats are positively delicious!

Oskri

Oskri is another company in Wisconsin that makes their own delicious and simple treats. We carry a variety of coconut bars and sesame bars from them. We're also finding out customers really like the Jalow bars, and I'm including info on them below so you get an idea of what they are all about!

Cranberry Almond Jalow Bar

Ingredients: Chicory Root Extract, Almonds, Cranberries, Rice Crisp, Amaranth, Buck Wheat.

Features: Gluten Free, Lactose Free, Vegan, Kosher, Halal.

Product Description:

Jalow Bars are designed for those who want to limit their sugar intake, they are low in sugar (3 or 4 grams per bar), low in carbs and low in Calories. Such properties make them suitable for diabetics, they are delicious bars made with kids in mind.

The Jalow bars are made with the finest ingredients, with no additives, preservatives or artificial sweeteners. Chicory Root Extract is used as a binder but also increases the fiber content for each bar.

Bulk Coffee from Just Coffee and Farmer TO Farmer!

Hi friends,

please come join us for a cup of coffee at our new store, we'll be happy to introduce you to our new bulk coffee selection (in case you want to bring in your own container, buy any fraction of a pound of coffee or for whatever other reason that keeps your cup fresh!).

currently we're testing four bulk varieties from Farmer to Farmer and Just Coffee.

Farmer To Farmer: FRENCH & MEDIUM ROASTS

Just Coffee: REVOLUTION ROAST & BIKE FUEL

Get Your Turkeys!!

Thanksgiving is coming up, and it's time to think about reserving a locally grown turkey. We have 2 options for you this year:

Coon Creek Family Farm certified organic turkeys are locally raised, and will arrive at our store frozen for pickup or delivery on a few dates before Thanksgiving. If you’ve had them, you know how delicious they are. They are $4.49/lb, in sizes S (10-12#), M (13-15#), L (16-20#), XL (over 20#).

Beaver Creek Ranch is offering free-range fresh turkeys this year; they will be available for pickup at our store on one date before Thanksgiving (probably Nov. 21). They need to be kept at 35-38 degrees F, until you cook it on or before Thanksgiving day. They are $3.89/lb, and are available in L (16-20#) and XL (over 20#).

Quantities are limited, so please stop by the store to sign up for one or more turkeys as soon as you can. Deadline Nov. 17, but you want to get in earlier to ensure your selection. Or, e-mail Laura (at JustLocalFood.com) with your request, and she will either e-mail or call you to confirm your order was received. Include your name, your e-mail & phone number, the turkey type, size, and quantity, and whether you want to pick it up or add it to your delivery.

THANK YOU!

WOW! I don't want to sound too cheesy but... Eau Claire is a great place to live. We're so proud of our new store, and we're so happy to share it with you. The support for our new location is out of this world and beyond our dreams. This post is to say THANKS to YOU all! Large and small. Folks who talked with us about financing. People who scrubbed the floor underneath the shelves. Maybe you brought us a meal. Stopped in to grab a snack. Helped to move product, emptied freezers, organized shelves. Painted. Peeked in and said "hi"...

This is YOUR store, whether you are a shopper or local farmer, we are here to serve you. Please continue to share your thoughts and challenge us to be better. This is a journey, thanks for the fun ride!

Viking Beer Sampling Friday

Once again we will be having a beer sampling.

Stop in and try a few of the beers Viking Brewing has to offer.

And meet Randy and Anne of Viking Brewing Fame.

Friday October 24th
3PM-6PM
at the NEW Just Local Food Cooperative Building (1117 S. Farwell St.)

$4.99 4 packs during the sampling (reg. price $5.49)

a bit about the brewery...
Viking Brewing Company, established in 1994, was the first microbrewery in Northwest Wisconsin. Viking brought back that time-honored tradition of a local, family run brewery that takes pride in brewing unique and outstanding beers; over 22 different styles.

We're there!

Hey! We've moved into our new store!

Thanks so much to our many volunteers - cleaning shelves and floors, painting, moving product, more cleaning, making food for us to eat while cleaning... We couldn't have done this without you.

We can't wait to have you visit us in our beautiful new store. You are going to LOVE it!

And thanks so much to the employees at Johnny's Market for making it a smooth transition for us. We wish you the best!

new hours, new store!

We're busy gearing up for our new storefront, due to open in just over a few days! Thank you ahead of time for your patience and understanding as we make our new store a really great place to shop and work. We just wanted to let you know a few things as we get closer. Plenty more news will follow.

We're moving into Johnny's Market, 1117 South Farwell Street.

We'll be open at our current location up until Sunday, October 19th. We'll be open that Sunday but you'll definitely feel a moving vibe around the store. On Monday October 20th we'll be closed at both locations, making the major move, as all of our product will migrate to Farwell and we'll be setting up our systems. We anticipate having everything over there and open again for business that Tuesday, October 21st! The next few months will be full of tweaking and changes in our new store, and we're saving our official "grand opening" for January 2009. We're putting off the big party so we can listen to your feedback and tweak our operations to meet the growth and excitement of our new spot.

Starting Tuesday October 21, in the new location, our hours will be thoroughly expanded:

Monday through Saturday 8am to 9pm

Sunday 8am to 6pm

fresh produce

Roasting?

Local late season harvest continues! New in this week are purple top beets from Harmony Valley Farm in Viroqua, these awesome roots are certified organic and certified delicious - start your oven.

Also local, and also certified organic, are a wide variety of squash. Acorn, butternut, delicata, red kuri, spaghetti, sugar loaf and sweet dumpling are all in - pumpkins are squash, too. Prices vary from $.79 to $1.19 per pound - a great deal for some great squash.

We also have a variety of potatoes (yellow, red, red fingerling, russet, yellow fingerling) and yams.

Other fresh stuff:

Greens are rolling in on a regular basis. A new box of figs just came in, as well as some late season emerald beauty plums from California. Local pears & grapes. Plenty of mushrooms and garlic too!

beer sampling THURSDAY

beer sampling is over - it was awesome, and he'll be back again soon I'm sure!

Mark from
SAND CREEK BREWING CO.
of Black River Falls, WI
will be sampling BEER
THURSDAY October 9th
from 3-6PM.

Come try a ...
Sand Creek Golden Ale
Sand Creek English Style Special Ale
Wild Ride IPA
Sand Creek Hard Lemonade
Oscar's Chocolate Oatmeal Stout
Pioneer Black River Red

Also,
Sand Creek
six packs for
$6.99
during the sampling.

we're moving!

That's right! The stars have aligned and Just Local Food has found a new home for at least the next 15 years. When we began nearly five years ago, a grocery store selling half a million dollars worth of food and employing 12 people was a distant dream. Only with your help and the overwhelming support of our community could we have dreamed of, then procured, a prime retail outlet from which to feature our food. We're most of the way there.

Now you're probably gonna kill me when I say we won't be announcing our location until next week. But it is only fair to the people who are moving out of the building we'll be moving to. We'll have plenty of time to share the new address and make sure you know how to get there.

HINT: It's at the corner of Farwell and Washington.

For now, some details:

• we'll be saying "goodbye" to our chest freezers and welcoming big open glass doors - you'll be able to see all of our frozen items before making a selection! How novel, and grocery-store like!
• we'll also be saying "goodbye" to our cranky dairy and deli coolers and "hello" to a big walk-in cooler with floor-to-ceiling glass doors, how cool is that!?
  
• we'll have expanded hours, and a parking lot for bikes, strollers and cars
  
• all departments are researching new products, talking to producers and poring over catalogs to find new products to carry in our slightly expanded and more efficient retail space
• we're looking at more than doubling our produce section
• we'll be fully moved in and mostly through the transition before the end of THIS month, October 2008!

We will not be "running down" our inventory before the move, so please continue to shop at our store until we're through the move. And while we will be adding new products and making some changes - don't worry, we are still Just Local Food. We will be paying close attention to our food policy when making our decisions, and doing our best to communicate the facts about the food we sell.

So that's it for now, we're back to the new store layout, supplier calls, responding to customer input and, oh yeah, running our store as-is. Thank you so much for helping us make this dream come true!

“The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution.” ~Cezanne

save raw almonds

We get a lot of requests for almonds, and we do carry some almonds in bulk from California. They can be labeled as "raw", but sadly, the federal government has made it illegal for farmers to sell truly raw almonds. Thankfully, the locally-rooted Cornucopia Institute, along with other consumer and farmer groups around the country, are challenging this insane law. Even though truly raw almonds cannot be (legally) sourced from farms in the USA, you CAN get truly raw almonds from abroad! Before we go buying almonds from China, we'd like to see a grassroots effort to overturn the law succeed. I've included part of an informative article below. Please stop by Cornucopia to learn more about how you can help!


From Cornucopia: “This is yet another example of how government, under the guise of ‘public health,’ is interfering with an individual’s fundamental right to consume the foods of their choice,” noted David G. Cox of Columbus, OH and a legal advisor to The Cornucopia Institute. “The government’s police power does not authorize the USDA to choose for the individual what foods should be in the marketplace.”

Mitch Wallis, another member of the Cornucopia legal team, added that “in one fell swoop, the USDA and its agribusiness-dominated California Almond Board, have taken away all consumer access to a truly ‘raw’ almond. Almonds are, especially in California, perhaps the ‘king of nuts.’ If they can get away with destroying the almond, what does this portend for the future of all nuts and ultimately for all raw and natural foods?”

“It goes against all reason for the USDA to require domestic almonds to be pasteurized while allowing unpasteurized almonds to be imported from abroad,” observed Eli Penberthy, a Seattle, WA-based food and farming analyst with The Cornucopia Institute. “Small-scale and organic farmers in California have lost sales to retailers and consumers who are instead choosing to buy truly raw almonds from Italy and Spain.”

Fatty Boombalatty

We have 10 cases of Fatty Boombalatty
left until next spring. Pick up a six pack while you can.

Off their website...
Fatty Boombalatty: a dangerously drinkable Belgian
Availability: Spring/Summer. ABV: 7.2%.

The conception and naming of this beer happened in one fell swoop. Unsure whether to offer a light session beer or a fun ball-buster as our warm weather seasonal, we decided on a beer that would be “a big, fatty boombalatty” version of a Belgian white. And away we went, taking a recipe for a white beer and ramping up the grain bill by 50%; we dropped the amount of wheat by 75% to keep the beer rough around the edges. We bucked tradition by steering the bitterness in the direction of a pale ale, and coupling hops with coriander in the fermenter. The resulting beer gives you all the bubblegum goodness of a big Belgian, with enough crispness to cut through the sweet profile, thus making you want to sip it again and again. Dangerous, indeed!
furthermorebeer.com
ready.fire.aim

pomegranates, potatoes, peppers plus +

Well the weather is cooling off but our fresh, organic & local produce section is still pretty hot. We just received a van load of a variety of certified organic squash from Larry at Sylvan Hills. Check out the recipe for butternut kuri curry squash soup we sampled at last Saturday's market, available in the store. We have some Wisconsin grown luscious pears in today, along with a box of pluots, more great avocadoes, 80# of fresh sweet potatoes, delicious small green grapes, some huge mangoes and two boxes of organic fair trade bananas.

Pomegranates are weird. Looking, that is. But they pack a nutritious punch. Full of antioxidants ready fight cell damage, their seeds and juice are known for their healing powers. Be like an ancient priestess and adorn yourself with the fruit. Or just eat one and live longer, as the Chinese have long known. Take one home today! Check out this awesome website for everything you need to know about pomegranates!

art in october

“My Little Garden Friends”
The Photography of Kathy Tank

Opening Reception: Thursday, October 16th from 6:30-8:00pm featuring David Tank, author of “River of Hope: My Journey with Kathy in Search of Healing from Lou Gehrig’s Disease”. David will share Kathy’s story and specifically address the dietary and lifestyle changes she had made after being diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

Kathy was known to many in the area as The Garden Tender because of her garden maintenance business. But, as she put it, my love of gardening started when I was still in the womb and my mother chatted tenderly to her daisies and mums. Kathy was a Master Gardener, Master Composter and former co-president of the Otter Creek Garden Club.

In late 2004 she began noticing some muscle weakness and was later diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrigs disease). By June of 2006 she was no longer able to continue her gardening business and working in her own gardens had become a challenge. But she was unwilling to give up. She redirected her energies to photographing her gardens and writing feature articles about gardening for the Eau Claire Leader-Telegrams Home Front magazine.

This collection of photographs depicts Kathys gardens from her point of view; close and intimate. Because she used no pesticides, she had a number of little friends that enjoyed her flowers with her. She was delighted each time that she met someone new among her flowers and enjoyed sharing their pictures with friends and family. She had also begun to share her pictures
with a wider audience and had winning photographs in contests in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Kathy died in November 2007 after complications from a fall. Amazingly, she had been making progress in reversing her ALS, something the experts had told her was impossible. I am confident that she would have appreciated my sharing these portraits of her little garden friends with a larger audience. I hope that you enjoy seeing them as much as she enjoyed taking them.

-David Tank

Kielbasa, Chorizo, and Tiny Chickens

Here's what's new in the meat department:

Randy & Lynn Anderson from Anderson Farm brought in some of their best-selling products, made from 100% grass feed beef. Nitrate-free uncured beef kielbasa, sliced summer sausage (good for snacking or in sandwiches), and beef sticks. Their delicious uncured beef hot dogs are now back in stock, plus we still have a few of their wonderful corned beef brisket awaiting your taste buds.

We have a new product from Beaver Creek Ranch in our freezer, fresh chorizo in bulk 1# packages. It is seasoned with salt, spices, paprika, and garlic. How about making a big steamy pot of lentil and chorizo sausage soup? We’ve got the ingredients right here in the store!

Matt Buvala, who provides our wonderful organic free-range eggs, brought us some small stewing chickens at a great price. They’d be great in soup or stew or even Coq au Vin, if that’s your style. The chickens are $7.99 each, and are in the store for a trial basis. Come and get yours, and let us know if you’d like these to be a regular item.

Here is a link to all kinds of chicken soups and chowders.

Thanks to Dave for the above links and info…

moving update

Well I'm sure you've read the news about the country's financial situation this week. What a time to be getting a loan for a new building! We are working overtime to secure our financing to complete our move. Believe me, we're chomping at the bit to tell you when and where. We do have a sign-up sheet at the store if you'd like to help with our move in any way. Another way you might help is to consider purchasing Class C Preferred Shares in our business. They are available in $100 increments, accrue an optional 5% yearly dividend, and your money will stay and work hard right here in the Chippewa Valley.

Every little bit helps! And thanks to those who have already contributed to our equity fund now over $60,000 strong, and to all of our customers - old & new, that keep us going! See you soon...

calling all kids, walkers, bikers!

Eco-parade "float"

Update: It was a fun time, we handed out hundreds of local apples to smiling adults and kids! Apples instead of candy in a parade? Right on!

Calling all JLF supporters! Just Local Food has been invited to participate in the International Fall Festival parade this Saturday 9/20. We will be riding bikes/trailers, walking & pushing strollers, wearing Just Local Food carrot shirts and Eat Local Challenge shirts and passing out stickers and apples. We're inviting any and all of you to join us if you'd like. We'll have extra t-shirts on hand for you to wear. We'll be parading between a hydrogen powered car and the cute little electric van we hosted at the store a few weeks ago.

Meet us in Wilson Park, the south side on Earl Street between Farwell and Barstow streets sometime between 2 and 3 to join in the fun. Email Aaron for more info.

Carr Valley Cheese & other refrigerated updates

I'm excited to share that we have started working with Carr Valley Cheese. This Cheesemaking operation spans 4 generations dating back 100 years. To say the least, they know how to make darnn good cheese. We're starting with the eight varieties listed below, but look forward to many more making their way through the store in the months to come.

Mammoth Cheddar

Mammoth Cheddar is a very old traditional style of cheese. It is a 74 lb. wheel that is cellar cured. We grow native molds on the surface of the cheese and cure it for 10 months. The flavor is very fresh and delicious with some fruity afternotes. This cheese won 2nd place at the 2006 American Cheese Society Competition.

Black Sheep Truffle

Inspired by the truffled cheese of Italy, Sid has created this award winning sheep milk cheese which is washed in truffle oil and aged over 6 months. Has a sweet unique earthy flavor from the black truffle pieces throughout the cheese. It was awarded 1st Place at the 2006 American Cheese Society Competiton.

Mobay

Sid's whimsically delicious take on the famous French cheese, Morbier. Our version features a layer of sheep milk cheese and a layer of goat milk cheese separated by a layer of grape vine ash and pressed together. The flavor is both delicate and rustic. Taste each layer separately and then together for three different flavor profiles in one great cheese. Mobay took 2nd Place in its class at the 2004 and 2005 American Cheese Society Competition.

Chevre au Lait

Made with 100% goat milk, this gouda style cheese is aged for extra flavor. Excellent table and snacking cheese.

Cocoa Cardona

Chocolate and cheese unite beautifully in this award-winning American Original. Made in 8-lb. wheels, from goat milk, it features our delicious Cardona aged and rubbed with cocoa powder. The cocoa flavor is subtle, the rind a lovely brown, and the end result like nothing you've ever tasted. It took 1st Place at the 2004 and 2nd in 2006 American Cheese Society Competition and Best of Class & Overall Second Runner-Up out of 1,000 entries in the 2005 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest.

Creama Kasa

An incredibly rich and flavorful triple-cream cheese that's like pure heaven. Creama Kasa is made from cow milk. Its flavor is buttery and piquant, and it melts in your mouth. Perfect for spreading on warm, crusty bread.

Wildflower Cheddar

Wildflower Cheddar is a cheese made from the milk of cows that graze on lush spring and summer wildflower pastures.

Also new in refrigerated...

Coon Creek Organic Eggs

Bubbies Pure Kosher Dill Pickles

Organic Valley Neufchatel Cheese Spread

Rosewood Organic Tofu

Elderberry Kitchen Raspberry Poppyseed Dressing

Elderberry Kitchen Raspberry Agave Dressing

Elderberry Kitchen Pasta Salad Dressing

Vote in the Volume One reader Poll!

Head here for the skinny, or vote straight from the lists below by clicking "yay" for your favorites...

UWEC's Fresh Start Farmers Market

Come stop by our booth at UWEC's farmers market Thursday mornings throughout September and October!

Just Local Food and several other local vendors will be on campus (between Zorn Arena and Hibbard Hall) from 7:30-11:30 selling fruits and vegetables, flowers, coffee, breads and cookies, cheeses and yogurts, and many more great ways to start off any Thursday morning!

Help support our local economy! meet some Foodlums! enjoy a cup o' java! Witness the University's moving towards greater sustainability and community connections! see you there...

honey

straight from the farm:

The subject of raw honey could be and has been debated forever. However, we at Honey Hill Apiary would like to make the following statement for you, our customers, about our views on this issue.

We feel that the only true raw honey comes directly from the hive in the form of comb honey. USDA, which is responsible for classifying honey, does not acknowledge the term “raw honey” nor do they put it into any classification. Any honey you see in a jar has been processed in some way. Honey does not have to have bits of wax and various particles floating in it to be healthy for you. All of our honey is produced in Wisconsin. Our honey is warmed to a low temperature, strained (not pressure filtered), and packed into containers. That’s it! We add nothing to our honey, nor do we take anything away from it. All the nutrients are still in every jar of Honey Hill’s honey. Again we feel the only raw honey is comb honey, and we will not attempt to mislead our customers into thinking that they are getting anything other than what the label represents. Thank you for trying our honey and if you ever have any questions, we will always be here. Just give us a call or email.

• All pure honey will granulate in time. Most of the types of honey that are produced in this area will granulate shortly after extraction. One week to one month.
• To turn granulated honey back into liquid honey it must be heated to about 130 degree F. No way around it as that is about the melting point of honey.
• Raw: In its natural condition; not changes by art, manufacture, etc. Not processed, edited. All liquid honey has been removed from its wax comb, which is a change or process.
• Our honey is gravity strained through a cloth, not pressure filtered.
  

now taking resumes

Just Local Food is opening our door to new workers (see the open door there?). We’re looking for enthusiastic individuals with interest and experience in the following ways:

~in store and market customer service shifts
~weekend and evening help
~various departmental and committee work

Part-time positions may grow into a full-time opportunity. After a 90 day training period, workers are invited to become worker/owners or stay on as employees at the co-op.

If interested, please submit a resume ASAP!

To be included on resume:
~Work Experience
~Interests in departments
~Collective/Cooperative / Group involvement
~General availability including number of hours per week and times available (i.e. week days, weekends, day or evening)

Please email , drop off, or mail your resume to:

Just Local Food Cooperative
772 First Avenue
Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54703
715.577.5564

fresh produce

Boy howdy, it's harvest season! We've got cars, trucks and vans pulling up everyday with fresh new items for the store. And with a bunch of students back in town, and folks easing up on vacations, store sales are up and we're turning over the produce more - which means more variety and better quality for you!

In addition to our longtime local partners like Wheatfield Hill (tomatoes, melons...), Sunbow (tomatoes...), Sylvan Hills (garlic, summer squash...), Dragsmith (greens & more...) and Harmony Valley (cucumbers...) we have recently befriended Altruistic Farms, from south of here, near Gilman. Now here's a sweet old fella who has been growing great food for ages, and knows how to do it right, the old fashioned way, what we might call "clean" growing. We're consigning their sweet corn for $2 a dozen right now, and have a few other products from their farm you'll enjoy.

Also on the hotlist for produce this week are Helen's Melons - Wheatfield Hill certified organic watermelons in a variety of sizes and colors - all good. How about some excellent local russett potatoes, pairing quite well with any variety of Larry's (Sylvan Hills) garlic that is now in abundance. Have you had walla walla onions? Not the ones from Texas, but the ones from Chippewa? Expert local grower Jon Behling brought us these whoppers, eat 'em like an apple.

Look for Ron Schaeffer's certified organic local apples later this week - we'll have honeycrisp and soon some connell reds. Now, I've read and heard about some local orchards "going green" but don't confuse less toxic spraying with what Ron does on his certified organic orchard. Of course, spraying fewer chemicals is a good move (most do it to save money, not because they are convinced organic food is important), but it is far from the commitment and shift in orchard care that is required by organic standards. I'm sorry to say, but if you really get down to it with the conventional orchards around here, they are nice, wonderful people but they are spraying some nasty stuff on the fruit and into the environment. Ron proves, every season, that you can grow a great tasting apple without the crap, and he deserves our support. Believe me, it's not easy being the organic orchard in a sea of "conventional" out there on County K. (and how did it get to be that spraying chemicals is conventional?) Yeah, pumpkin cannons are cool, slingshots and mazes are fun, donuts taste great, but when it comes to having an apple you can enjoy, feel good about and feed to your kids, stop by Schaeffers Orchard run or buy some at our store. It makes a difference, and the other orchards are catching on. Keep up the good work, folks!

We're moving soon!

Hey there. I'm sure you've heard that we are moving our store soon. Our landlord (as of April this year), Eau Claire County, gave us until mid-October to vacate our current location along the river here. After scouring downtown Eau Claire for the perfect location, we now have an accepted real estate offer on a building that will close (that's close as in real estate close, not close the store!!!) on September 15. We will be moving in mid-October. Now the question you (and everybody else) have is WHERE IS IT!?!? Well, we're buying a building - ours to keep, adore, improve and expand as we see fit. Considering the bad luck we've had on locations so far (fire, wrecking balls) we really need to keep the location private and secret until we close (real estate close, you know, September 15th!). Believe me, we will be holding a press conference and letting you know where we're moving as soon as we possibly can. Until then, we have a request. You have probably heard rumors about where we're moving - everybody likes to guess and/or make assumptions. It's fun. However, we'd really appreciate it if you kept these rumors and assumptions quiet until we can announce publicly. We say this for a few reasons, the main one is that our real estate offer is contingent upon it being kept quiet until closing. The other is, well, we'd like to be the ones announcing it at the right time. It's gonna be awesome, and we can't wait to share the great news, and our slick new business plan with you, when the time comes!

transitions

Just Local Food is like no other business out there. There's a lot of reasons for that. One is you, our customers. We have the best dang customers around. Supportive, understanding, caring, dedicated... you rule. We wouldn't be here without you. And of course there are the farmers, and Just Local Food just wouldn't exist, quite obviously, without them and the fruits (and meats, and vegetables, and dairy-aires) of their labor. They are great too, but you know that, because you eat their food. The other piece of the JLF puzzle is the "middleperson" - in our case it's workers, and for the most part worker/owners.

We don't spend a lot of time tooting our own worker horns. We're busy, forging new ground, building on successes, making blundering mistakes, picking up the pieces and running again - you know, operating a store, delivery service, a few farmers market stands, educating the public about local food, cooperatives, farm practices... it's hard work. Nobody else is doing it like this. The pay is low, benefits as most workplaces call them are essentially nonexistent (so far). And working in a democratic, cooperative atmosphere is exhausting, if not impossible at some times. (It's pretty cool too, don't get me wrong!)

Over the past few years, we've had the pleasure of working with some awesome, inspirational, hard working folks. And they don't get much better than Joe Ziehr and Ash Clough. Dedicated community folks who put their all into this place, through some pretty rough times to be sure. It is with a lot of sadness that we say good bye to Joe and Ash. But with sadness also comes great wishes toward their futures, as we know they will carry on with their dedication to community, family, and the greater good. Thank you, Joe and Ash, from the bottom of our hearts. You have helped build something great here. We still have a lot to learn from you...

Art in September

Well folks, this is our last art show in our store here on First Avenue.

Just Local Food presents an art exhibit in September featuring:

Lois Images: whimsical photo manipulations by Lois Bravo

“I create my art images by taking a photograph, using Photoshop CS2 to liquefy the colors, and then re-forming the colors into a unique and different ‘Lois Image’ that has no resemblance what-so-ever to the original photo except for the colors, which are usually vivid, intense, and stimulating. My images are surrealistic and primitive in style. They seem to exhibit a startling, dreamlike supernatural quality, an altered awareness that is sometimes subtle, sometime obvious.”

Artist's Opening Reception: Saturday, Sept 6 4:00-5:30pm

Show length: * from Sept 1 – Sept 30

We're closed on Labor Day (Sept. 1)

Just a reminder that Just Local will be closed this Monday for Labor Day. So be sure to come in over the weekend to stock up for your end-of-the-summer cookouts.

We’ve got all kinds of good stuff for the grill. Salmon filets, brats (lamb, pork, turkey apple, bison), sausages (Italian, chorizo), and hot dogs (natural beef, chicken, and bison), ground beef and bison, steaks, pork chops, chicken (parts and whole), lamb chops, racks, ground.

Add some ears of corn, red peppers, eggplant, squash, make a big batch of guacamole or salsa with chips, a potato salad with some yummy little fingerlings or reds, and enjoy it all with some nice cold Wisconsin beer.

Oh yeah...

SALMON has returned to our freezer

We just restocked our freezer with wild-caught Chinook salmon. These salmon are caught off of the Alaskan coast, and processed and frozen at sea, for the ultimate in frozen freshness.

We get these salmon through Beaver Creek Ranch. Doug from Beaver Creek explained to me why the labels occasionally have “Chile” on them. The salmon are NOT from Chile, but some of the processing boats are in international waters (off the Alaskan coast), and are from different countries, including Chile. These boats label the fish they package and freeze with the boat’s country of origin. Mystery solved. Eat salmon.

Here's a nice video to show How to Grill Salmon:
http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/How-to-Grill-Salmon-Video/Detail.aspx

Bison Steak Sale!

We've got a few nice thick bison steaks left, and they're yours for 20% off regular price. If you're already a buffalo fan, or have wanted an excuse to try it, stop down and pick one up for the grill.

Here are some tips on grilling bison:
http://www.bisonbasics.com/recipes/rib_loin/fvrt_stk.html

Grassfed bison steaks are similar to 'select' grade beef steaks in that there is little or no inter-muscular fat, or what is known as 'marbling'. That's why it is very important to get to know your barbecue's cooking temperament. Little or no marbling means that the steak can be cooked very quickly and end up being easily over done if left on the grill just a minute or two too long.

For best results, tender bison steaks should first be seared over high heat for about a minute on each side. Then to avoid over cooking, the steak should be finished over medium/medium-low heat with the barbecue cover closed. For a 3/4 inch thick steak, usually only another 3 to 4 minutes of cooking per side is all that's required for a rare steak. Medium rare will only take a minute or so longer.

Produce 8-21-2008

This week in produce we received four kinds of local garlic: Chesnock Red, Romanian Red, Georgian Crystal and Georgian Fire. Georgian Fire has a good flavor with a moderate to hot spiciness and it is listed as endangered and hard to find according to the Seeds of Diversity Catalogue. Georgian Crystal has a smooth and zesty taste and is also listed as endangered. Chesnock Red is great for cooking or roasting and has purple stripes. Romanian Red has a strong flavor with red and brown cloves. Locally we have also received: blueberries, raspberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, cherries, blackberries, cauliflower, zucchini, patty pans, eggplant, cucumbers, broccoli, sweet corn, cabbage, purple peppers, green peppers, russet potatoes, yellow onion, beets, arugula, heirloom tomatoes, white cherry tomatoes and roma cherry tomatoes. We also have many other delicious fruits and vegetables in produce so come down to the store anf check things out.

delivery vehicles

Hey there. Just a reminder to y'all that our weekly delivery service is still going strong. Those of you that have been with us since the beginning will remember the old postal service step van we powered with biodiesel. Or maybe you saw the Ford Escort powered by vegetable oil. Now we're delivering food around town in a couple of late model Volkswagens that get great mileage. Why VWs?? They are small, efficient, and capable of the task. We know they won't last forever, though, so we're looking to the future to see what we might replace them with. This morning a few nice folks from the NEV car store in LaCrosse brought a Wisconsin-made electric vehicle to our store for a public demonstration. Without a doubt, it is unique, in looks and in how it gets around. We've got a lot of homework to do before we know whether it will work for our delivery service. The purchase price is fairly steep, especially compared to used VW's, but the operating costs per mile are just a few pennies. A crowd of interested locals were there to greet it, along with a few TV crews. You might have seen the story on WQOW, which is one reason why I'm posting this info here. Their headline reported that we've added the van to our route - we haven't - we just hosted the NEV guys from LaCrosse, and will again September 20 if you're interested in seeing it for yourself. Feel free to comment on this post if you have an opinion or ideas on the NEV or our delivery service! And thanks to WQOW for the coverage, the LT for printing an announcement of the visit, and the fellas from LaCrosse who took time out of their day to share this innovative new vehicle with us.

important local food survey

I received this from long-time supporter and UWEC economics professor Eric Jamelske, who kindly asked me to post this to our website. I heartily endorse your participation!

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Economics Department and University of Wisconsin-Extension are asking you to participate in a short 10 minute survey on household food purchasing.

There's even a carrot on a stick for you donkeys out there! Upon completing the survey you can enter a drawing to win one of six prizes totaling $350. (1 - $100 Prize and 5 - $50 Prizes) The survey and more information can be found at this web address.

Click on the link that says take the survey now. Thank you for your participation!

More Details:

In Wisconsin there is a strong push to develop a more robust local/regional food system, for economic development as well as for environmental and health reasons. Recently there has been a great deal of attention surrounding where the food we eat actually comes from, how far it travels and how healthy and nutritious it really is.

The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Economics Department and Chippewa Valley Center for Economic Research and Development (CVCERD) have partnered with UW-Extension Barron/Chippewa Counties on a very timely research project. Our goal is to characterize the landscape of local food production and consumption (Supply & Demand) in West Central Wisconsin.

You are being asked to participate in a survey of households to aid the UWEC-CVCERD and UW-EX in quantifying the purchase of locally raised food by households in the region. Completing this survey will take about 10 minutes of your time and your participation is entirely voluntary.

new in bulk

In our ongoing quest to serve you better and work more directly with family farmers for a wide variety of foods, we have recently found a new source for some of our beans, grains and dried fruit. Ferris Organic Farm in Michigan is both certified organic and Kosher. Read for yourself, a quote pulled directly from their website.

"Our 200 acre farm consists of about 150 tillable acres and has been certified organic since certification began. We have just changed to the Global Organic Alliance organic certifier. All grains, beans,and flour produced here are Kosher and Parve (Congregation Bais Chabad). We have an ‘on farm’ certified organic dry bean and grain cleaning facility, the first one certified organic in the mid-west. We have a modest warehouse building that contains an office, cold room and re-bagging room."

Please note that only some of these beans and grains are grown directly on their farm, such as pintos and raw wheat germ. We have been searching hard for a bulk supplier that can cover many of our needs and bring it all to us in one shipment versus sourcing out many suppliers that would require multiple shipments, thus using more fuel (and increasing delivery costs) to get it to us! Please do let us know however if you can source a more local or regional product for some of the items listed so that we can constantly be aware and proactive. Send requests or suggestions to Jen. I am happy to receive any word on more regional suppliers of any of these items.

New items to the shelves at JLF:

• Pinto beans (Michigan)
  
• Wheat Germ, raw (Michigan)
  
• Red Lentils (Turkey)
  
• Green Lentils (Canada)
  
• French Du Puy Lentils (Canada)
  
• Quinoa (Peru)
  
• Bulghar (Turkey)
  
• Dried Mango slices (Thailand)
  

Sorry folks, they only have the sweetened, unsulphured available to us, we used to carry the unsweetened through a different supplier. Let us know what you think.
Stop in and bulk up!

Produce 8/13/08

This week in produce at Just Local Food we received: apricots, avocados, bananas, green top carrots, cauliflower, celery, black mission figs, ginger, black grapes, red grapes, green grapes, grapefruit, kiwi, lemons, limes, mango, portabella mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, white nectarines, yellow nectarines, red onions, yellow onions, white onions, valencia oranges, white peaches, yellow peaches, red sensation pears, green peppers, plums, pluots, purple potatoes, red potatoes, yellow fingerling potatoes, russet potatoes, yukon potatoes, strawberries and yams. Local this week we have: zucchini, red watermelon, yellow watermelon, cantaloupe, sweet corn, heirloom tomatoes, cherry roma tomatoes, shallots, garlic, Walla Walla onions, crimini mushrooms, white mushrooms, leeks, cucumbers, Mississippi greens, cherries, cabbage, broccoli, beets, basil and beans. This week we are unable to get any salad greens or spinach, the truck that delivers to our main produce distributor tipped over so they don't have any and Dragsmith is sold out of them this week. We should get them back in next week.

Moving Update

We are well on our way to securing a new location for our grocery store in Downtown Eau Claire, and we should be able to announce the spot in the beginning of September. Thanks to our many customers and new investors, we've raised over $60,000 in equity in just the past few months which is enough to leverage the $250,000 needed for our new project. So many thanks to our great farmers that produce the food we sell, and you, our customers for your continued support. We can still use more community investors, just let us know if you are interested!

regional and local products new to the shelves

We have a few new additions to our now twice a week Co-op Partners produce order. Each new item has a story, and since they all come via Co-op (aka the Wedge) they have something special about them...

Mrs. Clarks, a company that was actually Mrs. Clark, is now an Ag Cooperative in Iowa. We have their plain Mayonnaise.

French Nuggets are tasty, good for you and made in the Cities. We have almond and peanut. These are hearty, delicious chocolates that aren't too sweet - I call them vitamins, they do your body good!

SunButter - an alternative to peanut butter, and produced in a truly peanut-free facility. We carry their certified organic variety, made from delicious organic sunflower seeds.

Produce 08/06/08

This week in produce we have; apricots, avocado, bananas, burgundy beans, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Rainier cherries, eggplant, Kadota figs, garlic, ginger, black grapes, red grapes, green grapes, champagne grapes, kiwi, Meyer lemons, limes, mangoes, cantaloupe, watermelon, Portabella mushrooms, Shiitake mushrooms, nectarines, Valencia oranges, peaches, pears, green peppers, Simka plums, Red Raven plums, Dapple Dandy pluots, Flavor Grenade pluots, purple potatoes, red potatoes, yellow Fingerling potatoes, russet potatoes, Yukon potatoes, spinach, Acorn squash, Kabocha squash, Spaghetti squash, strawberries, purple tomatillo, tomatoes and yams. Local this week we have Dragon Langerie beans, Flat Roma beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, dark sweet cherries, Emperor Francis cherries, sweet corn, basil, cucumbers, garlic, leeks, Wissota greens, Mississippi greens, Crimini mushrooms, White Button mushrooms, scapes, shallots, tomatoes and zucchini. The stone fruits have been fantastic this year so far and I am looking forward to getting more local choices on them as well. The local cherries we just started to get are fantastic. We got a new variety this morning called Emperor Francis, they look and taste similar to the Rainier cherries that we have been getting but are better because they are local. So come down and pick out some produce that you don't have in your garden or at the farmers market.