October 2020

Ever wonder what happens to the plastic that's placed in VNF recycling containers? What about the plastic used in the transportation of products that end up on our shelves? Valley Natural Foods is proud to partner with Merrick, Inc., a Twin Cities-based business solution company that does more than just the services like plastic recycling and document shredding. Since 1964, Merrick has been empowering adults with disabilities by providing life-enriching activities and meaningful work to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities in the northeastern Twin Cities. Second-life for Single-Use Plastic On top of that, Merrick partners with Trex, an outdoor furniture and decking company that turns Merrick's recycled plastic into composite decking. Every 2 - 3 weeks, Merrick ships an average of 40,000 pounds of plastic to the recycling facility that turns it into composite decking. In fact, every 500-square Trex deck contains

National Cooperative Month is in full-swing and we're thrilled to feature one of our favorite local co-ops today. Peace Coffee is a staple here at Valley Natural Foods. You'll find bags of ground and whole bean varieties on our shelves but also freshly brewed in our Coffee & Juice Bar and inside our handcrafted espresso drinks. Cooperative Coffees Founded in 1996, it wasn't long before Peace Coffee joined the group Cooperative Coffees - a partnership of 20 different coffee-growing co-opers throughout Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, and Rwanda. This cooperative is comprised of 23 community-based roasters in the US and Canada who are committed to building and supporting only fair and sustainable trade relationships to benefit farmers and their exporting co-ops, families, and communities throughout the world. Though Peace Coffee isn't a formal co-op itself (it's actually a B Corporation), it works directly

October is National Co-op Month, but it's also National Fair Trade Month! Throughout the month, we'll be sharing many of the co-op producers and fair-trade products we stock and love. Small Start The remote La Rioja region of Argentina is home to the Famatina Valley, as well as over 500 growers that contribute to Argentina's largest co-operatives and third-largest wine exporter by volume. What started as a small bodega, buying grapes to produce wine, founded by Italian immigrants in 1940, slowly grew as families made La Rioja province their home and began planting their own grapevines. After hundreds of families followed in their footsteps and began building what eventually became La Riojana Co-operative. After becoming the first Argentine winery to become Fairtrade certified in 2006, La Riojana has grown to become the largest Fairtrade wine producer in the world. Since 2006, La Riojana has

Meet the Managers of Valley Natural Foods October is National Cooperative Month and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate all month long. We wouldn't be what we are today without our shoppers and member-owners, we wouldn't be who we are without the leadership of our managers! This month, we'll be introducing all of our store managers and give you a glimpse into who they are, why they love being a part of VNF, and what they love outside of the co-op. Please meet Paul-- our Front-End Manager! __________ How long have you been at Valley Natural Foods? I started at Valley Natural Foods in June 2018 as a Front End Shift Lead.  In 2019 I was promoted to Front End Supervisor, and in 2020 I was promoted to Front End Manager. Why do you love being a part of a co-op? I love being part of a co-op that is

Meet the Managers of Valley Natural Foods October is National Cooperative Month and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate all month long. We wouldn't be what we are today without our shoppers and member-owners, we wouldn't be who we are without the leadership of our managers! This month, we'll be introducing all of our store managers and give you a glimpse into who they are, why they love being a part of VNF, and what they love outside of the co-op. Please meet Renee-- manager of Valley's Own Bakehouse! __________ How long have you been at Valley Natural Foods/Valley's Own Bakehouse? I have been at Valley’s Own Bakehouse for a little over 6 years.  For the first 3 ½ years I was the Sales Account Coordinator and then I took over the General Manager position after that. Why do you love being a part of a co-op? I

Meet the Managers of Valley Natural Foods October is National Cooperative Month and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate all month long. We wouldn't be what we are today without our shoppers and member-owners, we wouldn't be who we are without the leadership of our managers! This month, we'll be introducing all of our store managers and give you a glimpse into who they are, why they love being a part of VNF, and what they love outside of the co-op. Please meet Otis-- our Meat Manager! __________ How long have you been at Valley Natural Foods? I've been the Meat Manager at Valley Natural Foods for about 13 months. Why do you love being a part of a co-op? I like being a part of the company because it has taught me a lot of new things, and I've been exposed to new products that I didn't know

Meet the Managers of Valley Natural Foods October is National Cooperative Month and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate all month long. We wouldn't be what we are today without our shoppers and member-owners, we wouldn't be who we are without the leadership of our managers! This month, we'll be introducing all of our store managers and give you a glimpse into who they are, why they love being a part of VNF, and what they love outside of the co-op. Please meet Marco -- our Deli Manager! __________ How long have you been at Valley Natural Foods? This is my third month as Valley Natural Foods' Deli Manager. Why do you love being a part of a co-op? I love being a part of the co-op because we provide a means to healthy and clean eating. We support growth in our communities and we aid in keeping our

Meet the Managers of Valley Natural Foods October is National Cooperative Month and we couldn't be more excited to celebrate all month long. We wouldn't be what we are today without our shoppers and member-owners, we wouldn't be who we are without the leadership of our managers! This month, we'll be introducing all of our store managers and give you a glimpse into who they are, why they love being a part of VNF, and what they love outside of the co-op. To kick off our month of "Meet The Managers" we're excited to introduce you to Steve - our fearless store manager! __________ How long have you been at Valley Natural Foods? 7 ½ years. I started out as the grocery manager for two years before becoming VNF's store manager.  Why do you love being a part of a co-op? We are member-owned, member-governed, and operate for the benefit of our