Staff Stories

Over the last six years she has been working as a deli shift lead, Sandy is amazed at the amount of food the co-op’s little kitchen produces and the large amount of customers it is able to serve daily. Now she feels the deli’s breakfast options, which include breakfast sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, and hot oatmeal, fill a nice niche that was missing before. It pleases Sandy how the co-op seeks to meet more and more needs over time, which relates to the store’s mission of helping to create a healthy community. And when you are tired from getting up at 3:00 a.m. to do your Black Friday shopping, hopefully the deli’s breakfast options can meet your need for food fast! The deli’s drive thru opens at 6:30 a.m. on Black Friday, November 27 to give you that boost you need to do

Quiet and introspective, Gary Johnson, Community Relations Developer at Valley Natural Foods, is always interested in infusing his life with more culture and learning, especially as it relates to utilizing the environment’s resources in sustainable ways to grow food and to craft useful structures.  Sometimes throughout this journey he is surprised with inspiration, often discovered in the most unusual places. Thus, Johnson’s trail into the world of daily tea drinking was a stumble upon of sorts, not as lineal as most. Flipping through the channels a few years ago, Johnson came across a series of documentaries on Twin Cities Public television (PBS) about St. John’s Pottery in Collegeville, Minnesota, which is part of St. John University’s campus.  Fascinated and engrossed with the intricate pottery creations of artist-in-residence, Richard Bresnahan, Johnson immediately wanted to not only visit the studio, but he wanted