Support farmers while shopping your favorite summer staples! Many of Woodstock’s popular products like ketchup, mustard, and mayo are on sale now. When you buy their products, you support farmers because Woodstock proudly sponsors American Farmland Trust. AFT is dedicated to preserving America’s endangered farmland while also supporting the health of natural resources. Besides stocking up on
It’s dad’s day, so treat him to something special! For Father’s Day, share a delicious meal together or even just a homemade treat. Try one of these recipes or mix and match a few to make your Father’s Day menu complete. Avocado and Egg Brown Rice Bowl This hearty, whole grain dish couldn’t be
Summertime is the perfect time to hit the road for an adventure! But when you’re away from home, it can be hard to eat both healthy and cheap. Here are some quick tips for packing food to make your summer road trip deliciously fun and affordable. Pack Snacks – Stock up on healthy, inexpensive snacks
If you’re looking to eat healthy but have to do it on a tight budget, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are some tips to create a plan to help you spend less, shop smart, and still eat good food. Make a plan Meal planning will not only help you
We are so ready for grilling season, how ’bout you? If you’re ready to cook and relax outside, here are some of our summer favorite recipes to help you grill and chill!
A mushroom is a perfect food for smoking, since it is porous and spongy by nature. The meaty portobello will shrink and become intensely concentrated as it cooks. Just be careful that you don’t overcook.
Slightly spicy, slightly sweet blueberry barbecue sauce is a surprising but delicious complement to pork chops!
Add eye appeal to your salad with a colorful mix of red, blue and white new potatoes, drizzled with a light vinaigrette. Meat, fish or tofu done with a white or red balsamic marinade or glaze will bring a sweeter contrast to your meal.
Tangy and sweet, this festive salad is great for potlucks, picnics or dinner anytime.
Blanching the broccoli and carrots preserves the flavors and health benefits in this bright and tasty salad.
It’s amazing how delicious seasonal, organic vegetables can be with a splash of olive oil and a dash of sea salt when they are caramelized over a bed of bright red coals (or your glistening gas grill!).
Grilled and slightly caramelized marinated vegetables and nutty couscous combine in this delicious Mediterranean salad.
Tofu is like a sponge, soaking up smoke and getting firmer and denser as it sits on the grill. Just keep it on the cool side of the grill and give it plenty of time to get nice and smoky.
Crunchy cornmeal on the outside and Southwestern flavors on the inside, these bean burgers please all kinds of eaters.
Topped with a basil, mint mayonnaise, this is flavorful recipe is a great way to change up your burger.
Spring is the perfect time to clean house, both literally and figuratively! If you’re feeling a bit sluggish coming out of a winter that seemed to last forever, here are some tips to rejuvenate your health. Get outside! – Spending time in the great outdoors, even if you only just sitting, can improve both your
Mother’s Day is coming right up…have you found the perfect gift for Mom yet? If not, here are some quick and easy Mother’s Day gift ideas you can snag right here at the Co-op. Pampering Products – Bubble baths, soaps, and lotions make perfect pampering presents. Gather a few different kinds together and put them
Looking to lighten up your menu? Try one of these fresh spring dishes. Here are our favorite light recipes to add to your weeknight plans. They’re quick, easy, and low in calories! Asian Rice Noodle Salad A quick and flavorful side or turn it into an entree by adding tofu or cooked chicken or
It’s estimated that on a household level, families throw away 14-25% of the food they buy. Imagine saving up to a quarter of your food budget instead of tossing it out! In addition to financial savings, reducing food waste at home is one of the best things you can do to help combat climate change. Food waste
The warmth and sun have returned and what better time to make plans for a delightful spring gathering with friends and family! We’ve pulled together some simple menu ideas that focus on the lighter flavors of spring. Start your spring celebration menu planning here! Strawberry Shortcake Chantilly There’s good reason strawberry shortcake is
Going green can seem like a huge undertaking. It means changing habits and making different choices. That’s why we’ve put together this quick list of easy ways to be more green.
Move away from single-use bags and containers by bringing your own. Don’t have any yet? You’ll find a large selection of bags, jars, and other containers at the Co-op. Plus, for every container or bag you use, you’ll receive a 5¢ credit. Just remember to have your containers weighed at the registers before you fill ‘em. Make sure you also always have your bags by putting them in your car immediately after unpacking your groceries.
Buying in bulk is great for your budget (buy just the amount you need, at the best prices) and for the environment, since there’s less packaging. Buying in bulk also allows you to experiment with new foods. Plus, you’ll find non-food items such as shampoo, dish soap, and cleaners. Remember to put your containers in your reusable bags after you clean them, so you have them to shop next time.
Composted organic matter makes a nutrient-rich soil amendment and it decreases the waste heading to landfills. You could just toss your bits and bobs in a pile in your yard, but a trash can will better contain the mess. No outdoor space? There are special containers available for indoor composting. Make sure to include browns (dead leaves and twigs), greens (food waste and yard clippings), and water in your compost to keep it actively decomposing. And stir often!
The beauty of making your own cleaning products is that you can control the ingredients. Plus, you skip having to deal with packaging when you reuse containers for your home cleansers. White vinegar and baking soda will clean just about everything. Make sure to label homemade cleaners and keep away from children.
Paper towels may be convenient, but they use a lot of resources. The Co-op carries a number of cleaning cloths, but used t-shirts also work. When you switch from paper to cloth, make sure that you have enough on hand to handle your daily messes. Miss the convenience of a paper towel roll? Wind up your cloth towels and stick them on your paper towel holder. Separate cloths from other laundry (a 5-gallon bucket works well). Add vinegar to your rinse water and use BioKleen Oxygen Bleach Plus to cut odor and stains.
Single-use plastic water bottles take up to 1,000 years to decompose. Plus, it takes 1,740 refills of a half-liter reusable water bottle to equal the cost of the water in one 99¢ single-use plastic water bottle. Consider buying an insulated bottle that works for cold and hot beverages. The Co-op carries reusable bottles from Klean Kanteen, Pura, Life Factory, and Kids Basix.
A study by the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems found that conventionally distributed food produces 5 to 17 times more carbon dioxide than local or regional foods. Consider also that most local, value-added food comes in reusable or recyclable packaging. Look for the green local mark on price tags throughout the store to find foods grown or made within 100 miles of Ashland, Wisconsin.
Besides skipping the use of fossil fuels, walking and biking are great forms of exercise. Backpacks and trailers or wagons work well for carrying things. As an incentive for bikers, we offer 10% off one item as part of our participation in the national Bicycle Benefits program.
Packing your lunch allows you to use up leftovers (saving both time and energy). Ditch the plastic wrap by snagging a Bee’s Wrap reusable beeswax food wrap. Lunch gear worth considering that’s availability at the Co-op: Wild Hollow Farm Snack & Lunch Bags , Klean Kanteen Food Canisters, and U Konserv Containers.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that recycling and composting kept approximately 186 million metric tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere in 2013. The caveat is that lack of proper sorting has driven up recycling costs. Need a refresher on how to sort recyclables? Contact your waste company or visit the National Waste & Recycling Association website at www.wasterecycling.org. And before you chuck that chip bag in the trash, check to see if it can be recycled using Terracycle. This company works with many major food manufacturers to create specialty recyclable packaging. You can collect the waste at home and then ship it back to Terracycle. Learn more at www.terracycle.com.
From locally grown, organic food to pasture-raised meats and dairy, many of the products on co-op shelves are getting new attention thanks to research that indicates these food production methods are helping to slow global warming. This makes your local food co-op a tremendous community resource for anyone interested in building a more sustainable food