North Farm News
 October 2001

Published bimonthly by North Farm Cooperative for its customers/members. To submit original articles or provide feedback, please
e-mail the Editor, Norma Woods.

In This Issue:

Thank You for Your Loyal Support 

Mainstream vs. North Farm

July Board Meeting Notes

Big West Chapter Resignation

Are Organic Foods Really More Expensive?

Questions and Answers on Cooperatives

Great Turnout for Willy St. Co-op Annual Meeting

Retained Earnings, Explained

Xxcxpt fro Onx Kxy

Why I Support and Belong to Co-ops

The Co-op Cookbook

Co-op Members' Responsibilities

New Flavors, Products, Brands

Happy Anniversary

North Farm Staff Picks Favorite Products

Gluten-Free Products for Good Health

Pantry Values: Stock Up and Save

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Thank You for Your Loyal Support of 
North Farm Cooperative
by Mark Slagh, General Manager

As the General Manager at North Farm I’ve been impressed by two of our strengths: the loyalty of our member-owners and the personal dedication of our staff. Many of your employees have been working here for years and are owners through the Warehouse Chapter.

They’re also customers of North Farm, serving their own families the same food you order and therefore inconvenienced by the same out-of-stocks, mispicks and other order issues you face. So why do the problems persist? 

Having served on the North Farm Board of Directors since 1997, I’ve been keenly aware of the struggles North Farm has faced and, like you, have been disappointed with service levels and financial results of the last several years. They have indicated fundamental problems with our business which I now understand from a very up-close and personal perspective. I’d like to share our plans to solve those problems and move ahead together.

Been There, Done That
North Farm is not a failing business, but rather an under-performing one. Our deliveries of over $100 million in food over the past four years indicate we have been serving you, yet have been unable to cover our costs while doing so. This isn’t because we haven’t charged enough for food, but rather we haven’t delivered on our plans. The clearest example is the failure of the Magic Mill East retail store in 1998, costing over $1 million. 

The Michigan Federation of Food Cooperatives Peoples’ Wherehouse, which closed its doors in 1992, was failing, and I know the difference between it and North Farm first hand. Through years of neglect the product line had stagnated, sales had declined, facilities had aged and staff was unwilling to adapt to changing customer demands. Serving on their final Board, I faced the unpleasant task of shutting it down. Fortunately, every member was able to maintain access to natural foods through consolidation with North Farm.
 
North Farm, by contrast, has a dynamic product line, steady sales and the ability and willingness to respond to your needs. We’re competing with much larger, better-financed companies while maintaining our commitment to serve small groups of consumers throughout our 13-state membership area, delivering orders as small as $500. While we are struggling financially and still have persistent service issues, we will regain our sound financial base and resolve once and for all our service concerns.

A Mature Approach
We’re excited about the changes under way at the warehouse, and we want to reassure you that you can trust North Farm (even though we’ve turned 30). We’re refocusing our efforts on listening to what you want, rather than what suppliers want to sell. This is a fundamental shift back to being a business responsive to our owners. Therefore, communication with you will be more important than ever.

As we mentioned in the Renewal Equity letter, reducing out-of-stocks is a top priority. Our losses over the last several years made it impossible to keep up with credit terms from our suppliers, and we’ve negotiated temporary credit extensions to get product flowing again. Long term, reinvestment by our cooperative members will assure product availability. You’ve already noticed fewer short-dated and expired products since we’ve improved computer tracking of shelf life.

Order accuracy has been slowly improving as we reorganize the warehouse and retrain our staff. The addition of portable scanners to the receiving and picking processes will further assure you receive the products you order. Totes have already reduced shipping damage and packaging costs. We’ve completed the reorganization of grocery items, separated eaches from cases, are resetting the freezer and next will reset the cooler. 

Delivery time consistency is improving since we’ve begun to encourage individuals to join existing clubs. While this may increase the work of coordinators, we urge you to share the load among your members so deliveries can be more cost-effective for all of us. We also now require new candidate co-ops to share existing delivery locations until they establish a track record. We hope you will welcome new members, as they help us share the cost of operations.

All these changes reflect our renewed dedication to you, our member-owners. We strive to become your best source of natural foods. Count on us to bring you the most affordable GMO-free, organic and natural products we can find.

Innovations
Tailgate Market is a new program to bring you special deals and introduce new products. Some suppliers will be providing us with short-dated, discounted products with limited shelf-life. We’ll immediately relay them to you, to give you the chance to enjoy the savings. In addition, new products will be introduced to allow you to see the actual item and buy it in a small quantity.

NF Web will allow each member to place individual orders from our Product Web pages through a “shopping cart”. Planned for release this fall, it has been under test for months. You will soon be able to both view prices and quantities available, and order any time it’s convenient for you. NF Report will then allow your coordinator to consolidate the individual orders and print member invoices.

New Products and Discontinues have been handled internally at North Farm without much member participation. Next year, look for a new feature on our Web site where new products can be nominated and their merits discussed by all members. We’ll present exciting new items from suppliers, too, and “read the mail” to see what you think. 

The way we load trucks is much the same as it has been for 20 years, although many large buying clubs have splintered into smaller groups. This means several delivery stops on each pallet in the truck, causing aggravating order confusion. We can see a way to solve this problem, with a new Pallet Stacker™ we plan to patent. This will enable us to handle several orders on one pallet without ever mixing orders together.

Depot Deliveries have been a successful trial, and in growing areas we will set up more of them. These locations, staffed by North Farm, allow members more flexibility in delivery times and give new co-ops a chance to learn from an experienced co-oper. 

More fresh produce, offered through our Produce Subscription Service, is in the works for next year as well. We’ll shop for the freshest organic fruits and vegetables, and put together assortments. Since we can control neither what is ripe nor when, we plan to offer a “box-a-month” of citrus, roots, greens and/or fruits. 

We’re developing relationships with Ozark Cooperative Warehouse in Arkansas and Tucson Cooperative Warehouse in Arizona. Joint purchases and freight hauling, backup for inventory, cross-training and shared computer systems are being considered. This Cooperation Among Cooperatives can rival consolidation in mutual benefits.

Never Stop Trying
One of the most consistent cautions I’ve heard since my arrival has been “Be careful; at North Farm we over promise and under deliver” and “Don’t promise what we may not be able to deliver”. Good advice, but instead of shying away from commitments it’s time for us to deliver!

North Farm was a pioneer and leader in the natural foods industry, and we will be again. Through our Renewal Equity program we continue to invest in natural and organic products to benefit you, your children and your grandchildren.

Renewal Equity will allow: 
• A return to excellent customer service
• Outstanding product selection
• Consistent, dependable deliveries 

We truly hope you will continue to work with us to make North Farm your best source of organic and natural products now and well into the future. 

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New Delivery Qualification Process
by Becky Sonstrom, Sales & Marketing Manager

In an effort to provide more consistent, reliable service to our existing and valued customers, North Farm Cooperative has changed the way we bring on new direct-delivery customers. All new Buying Clubs and Retail Stores requesting direct delivery are thoroughly reviewed prior to being added to an existing truck route. Of particular concern is how the addition of a new stop impacts service levels to existing customers.

Higher Minimum Orders
Current, active clubs will be “grandmothered-in” under the old minimum order requirements and will not need to meet the new minimum order amount. Current, active Buying Clubs are defined as clubs who maintain consistent ordering practices, who have ordered 80% of their potential deliveries in the last 12 months. Please see “For Fast Quality Service”, in the Price List for the new, higher minimum order amounts.
 
Qualification Period 
Those Buying Clubs with a history of irregular ordering may lose their standing on delivery routes and may be served through a depot or shared drop site. These irregularly ordering clubs as well as new clubs will need to meet a qualification period to earn direct-delivery status:
• At least a $750 average order over 6 delivery cycles at a depot or shared drop site. 
• At least a $400 average order over 6 delivery cycles for delivery within a 20-mile radius of the warehouse in Madison, WI.
Exceptions: Clubs with a history of consistent deliveries at or above the new minimums for another distributor may have the qualification period waved.
 
Freight Discount for Higher Orders
Freight charges will continue to be assessed; however, Buying Clubs meeting or exceeding the Order Value as shown on the chart below will have their normal freight charge cut in half.
Please contact Member Services at 1-800-236-5880 with questions regarding this new policy.

Place Your Holiday Orders Early
The holidays will be here soon and there will be a lot of cooking
to do and gifts to buy. Plan ahead and make your life easier by letting North Farm deliver supplies right to your door. Check the Nov-Dec Price List for the special Holiday Insert

Order & Delivery Schedule Changes
   Thanksgiving, Nov. 22: Thursday, Week 3
   Christmas, Dec. 25: Tuesday, Week 4 
   New Year’s Day: Tuesday, Week 1
North Farm Cooperative will be closed for the following holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. This will affect order and delivery days leading up to and after the holidays. Communication about specific changes will be mailed 6 weeks prior to the holiday to coordinators of the affected buying clubs.

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Shopping Cart  Comparisons:
Mainstream vs. North Farm

Just how competitive are prices at North Farm Cooperative? We wanted to see just how we compared, so we took a journey over to a mainstream natural food store in a medium-size metro area and checked prices on a typical shopping cart worth of food. In most cases, North Farm was less expensive and in every instance but one our case/each price, when divided out, was considerably cheaper! We compared equal size products and regular prices, with no discount.

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July Board Meeting Notes
by Dottie Dykstra, Board Administrator

The Board held its summer meeting at the Warehouse on July 13 and 14. Highlights of this meeting include:

New Board Orientation
President Mark Thomas facilitated a 3-hour orientation for three new board members. Several sitting board members also helped answer questions about North Farm and specific director responsibilities.

Board Training
The Board of Directors trains itself every year directly following the GMM. This year the Board chose to further educate itself on equity, capitalization and membership programs. Two representatives from Clifton Gunderson, Ltd. spent Friday afternoon with the Board, discussing these issues and candidly talking about North Farm’s immediate and long-term capital needs. 

Board Reports
Several board members attended the Cooperative Consumer Management Association (CCMA) meeting in Chicago, Illinois on June 8-10. There was a wide variety of co-ops in attendance, with workshops covering nearly every aspect of retail co-op business.

Officer Elections 
Elections were held; new officers selected for the 2001-2002 Board Calendar Year include:

Wendell Nekoranec, President
Mark Thomas, Vice President
Seth Nowak, Treasurer
Tom Nesler, Secretary

The new parliamentarian is Muhammad Kharbush. Also, the Board raised the rate for board officer compensation. This increase is covered in the current board budget.

Resignation
Alan Cina, Midwest Chapter Representative, has resigned effective September 17, 2001. A Call for Candidates will be mailed out to the entire membership, and a special election will be held. The goal is to have a new representative in place before the December 1 Board meeting.

Recapitalization
The Board discussed recapitalization issues in detail, instructing management to research several options available to the Cooperative and report back by August 17, 2001. The Board met by conference call August 20 and amended the current equity policy. For detailed information on the changes to the equity policy, please read the Renewal Equity letter on page 2 of this newsletter, along with articles in the North Farm Board Report and an Owner-to-Owner letter sent to all buying club coordinators and general managers and boards of retail stores.

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Big West Chapter Resignation
by Dottie Dykstra, Board Administrator

Al Koss, Big West Chapter Representative to the North Farm Board of Directors, has given his resignation notice, effective August 28, 2001. He cited health issues as a major reason for his resignation.

The North Farm Board is seeking candidates to fill this vacant position. Candidates may come from the Big West Chapter, although this is not a requirement. The entire voting base of the Big West Chapter will elect the new Board member to fill the remaining portion of Koss’s term, which expires at the GMM on June 1, 2002.

Those members interested in running to fill this term may e-mail Dottie (dottie@northfarm.com) for more information, or go to www.northfarm.com/candidate.htm and complete the form found there.
Please be aware all Candidate Statements of Intent must be mailed to the North Farm Ware-house, postmarked no later than October 19, 2001. Ballots will then be mailed out to all voting members of the Big West Chapter. Instructions will be listed on the ballot; please return the completed ballot by November 9, 2001.

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It's time to dispel the myth that organically grown food is more expensive than conventionally (with pesticides) grown food. As an organic consumer and gardener, I have consistently heard others make this statement when I am extolling the virtues of eating organic food. For some food items this statement is true but for many more it is not. 

Conventional food prices don't reflect hidden costs borne by taxpayers. These may include federal subsidies and other hidden costs such as pesticide regulation and testing; hazardous waste disposal and cleanup; environmental damage, and social costs (health care).

Most people who choose to eat organic food either grow it themselves (which is practically free); buy it from a local co-op, health food store or farmers market; buy directly from a distribution warehouse or a food buying club; join a community supported agriculture program (buy directly from a local farmer); go to a U-Pick farm (where you pick your own and pay per pound); through a catalog; or purchase organic food over the Internet.

If you don't grow it yourself, how can you get the best deal? Buy organic food in bulk (less packaging and waste going into landfills), when it is on sale, locally grown and in season. Organic foods are then comparable in price and often cheaper than conventionally grown foods.

Resources:
List of Coops/Health Food Stores: 
http://www.prairienet.org/co-op/directory/
List of Farmers Markets: 
http://www.ams.usda.gov/
List of National Agricultural Library's CSA's: 
http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa/
Organic Trade Association: www.ota.com
About the author: Over the past 20 years,
Debbie Ortman has been an organic con
sumer and gardener, founder of a food 
buying club, CSA member, and community activist. She has been the National Field Director for Organic Consumers Association and a member of the Minnesota Dept of Agriculture's Organic Advisory Task Force. She is currently a freelance writer and private consultant.

She can be reached at 
Debbie Ortman 3547 Haines Rd.
Hermantown, MN 55811
218-722-2421ddo@cpinternet.com

(Note: None of these products were on sale. I compared prices for "conventional" at a Super One store in Duluth, MN to the price I pay for these items from North Farm Cooperative’s March/April 2001 catalog (www.northfarm.com) where I purchase them through a food buying club; and the Whole Foods Co-op store in Duluth, MN. Organic foods were all certified organic. Prices were checked during the week of 2/12/2001)

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Questions and Answers on Cooperatives
(In honor of October Co-op Month)

Q What is a cooperative?  
A In general, a co-op is a business organized, owned and controlled by the people who use its products or services. A co-op operates for the benefit of its member-owners. It takes advantage of economies of scale, combining buying power and strength in numbers to save money and return profits to its members. All net savings – after bills are paid and money is set aside for operations and improvements – are returned to co-op members. Net savings are also called patronage refunds or dividends.

Q Are credit unions considered cooperatives?
A Yes, as they are member-owned. Credit unions have over 80 million members and assets in excess of $100 billion. More than 12,000 credit unions supply financial services to over 76 million consumers nationwide. Using up-to-date technology, they offer a wide range of services at prices that are usually lower than those of for-profit institutions For example, credit unions usually charge fewer and lower fees and lower loan rates, than do competitors. 

Q How many cooperatives exist in the Untied States?
A More than 48,000 cooperatives in the United States generate over $120 billion in annual economic activity. It is estimated that one-third of all Americans are directly served by at least one type of cooperative.
 
Q Who is considered the Father of American Cooperatives?
A The idea of cooperation in business arrived in America with Ben Franklin. While living in Britain, he had seen the growing role of "mutual" or “cooperative” societies. On returning to the States, he helped form the first mutual insurance company, Philadelphia Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses from Losses by Fire, in 1752. Today it's the oldest co-op in the United States.
 
Q Why are the cooperative principles called the Rochdale Principles, and where is Rochdale?
A  In 1844 as Thoreau was preparing to build a cabin on Walden Pond and the industrial revolution began to urbanize the Western world, 28 workers in northern England formed the first successful cooperative. They were weavers, shoemakers, cabinetmakers, tailors, printers, hatters and engineers. They called themselves the Rochdale Equitable Pioneers Society, taking their name from the town they lived in, Rochdale, which is 12 miles north of Manchester, England. The idea was simple: a group of people could pool their resources to satisfy a common need. From a tiny store on Toad Lane in Rochdale stocked with food staples (flour, sugar, butter and oatmeal) co-op members bought in quantity and sold to each other at low prices—and their idea established the fundamental principles of modern cooperatives. More than 150 years later, the "Rochdale Principles" are shared today by more than 700 million people in nearly 100 countries who take advantage of the cooperative concept.

Q Why are twin pine trees often used with cooperatives?
A The familiar encircled Twin Pines was adopted in 1922 by the Cooperative League of the USA, as the National Cooperative Business Association was then known, as a universal cooperative emblem. The cooperative emblem displays twin pines encircled because the pine tree is an ancient symbol of life and the circle has the endless quality of eternity. Two pines are shown to emphasize the mutual nature of cooperation. The trees and the circle are dark green which is the color of chlorophyll, the life principle in nature, and the color within the circle is golden yellow typifying the sun, the giver of light and life. Over the years, the emblem has been used widely around the world to display a positive identification among cooperators and a sense of common purpose. The National Cooperative Business Association has taken the position that the emblem's proper use by bona fide cooperatives should be unrestricted. For millions of people around the world the twin pines symbol has come to mean one thing—Co-op.

Great Turnout for Willy St. Co-op Annual Meeting

Several hundred members of the Williamson Street Grocery Cooperative participated in their Annual Membership Meeting in August. The event, which drew a crowd to the popular natural food co-op in Madison, Wisconsin, featured a board presentation of the annual budget and election nominations. Following the board report, small groups were formed to share what is good about Willy Street Co-op and what can be improved. At the conclusion of the business meeting, members were treated to veggie burgers and African music.

Willy St. Co-op is located at 1221 Williamson St., Madison, Wisconsin, and is open to members and non-members from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. The next time you’re in the area, you may want to schedule a stop at this natural food co-op; their organic produce and full-service deli are fantastic! Until then, visit www.willystcoop.com to catch a glimpse of what the store is like. You can also view their monthly newsletter online.
 

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Some people talk about non-cooperative firms operating "for profit" while cooperatives operate "at cost." This isn't totally accurate. Most cooperatives generate earnings. They differ from non-cooperative firms in how they allocate and distribute their earnings.

A non-cooperative firm retains its earnings for its own account, or perhaps pays part of them out to shareholders as dividends, based on the amount of stock each investor owns. In a cooperative, earnings are usually allocated among the members on the basis of the amount of business each did with the cooperative during the year. Remember the example of a cooperative that has net earnings of $20,000 during the year and conducts 2 percent of its business with Ms. Jones. She is allocated $400 of those earnings ($20,000 x .02).

Typically, Ms. Jones would receive her allocation, called a patronage refund, partly in cash and the remainder as an addition to her equity account in the cooperative. Permitting their cooperative to accumulate retained patronage refunds is a relatively easy and painless way for members to help finance activities and growth. Also, if certain rules in the Internal Revenue Code are followed, the cooperative may deduct both the cash payouts and the retained patronage refunds from its taxable income. This makes cooperative earnings particularly valuable.
– Source: Co-ops 101 www.rurdev.usda.gov

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Xvxn though this computxr is an old modxl, it works vxry wxll, xxcxpt for only onx kxy. You'd think that with all thx othxr kxys working, onx kxy would hardly bx noticxd. But just onx kxy out of whack sxxms to ruin thx wholx xffort. 

Havx you xvxr said to yoursxlf, “I'm only onx pxrson. No onx will noticx if I don't do my bxst.” But it doxs makx a diffxrxncx, bxcausx to bx xffxctivx, a family, an organization or a businxss nxxds complxtx participation by xvxryonx to thx bxst of his or hxr ability. 

So if you'rx having onx of thosx days whxn you think you just arxn't vxry important and you'rx txmptxd to slack off, rxmxmbxr this old computxr. You arx a kxy pxrson, and whxn you don't do your bxst, nothing xlsx around you works out thx way it's supposxd to. 

Why I Support and Belong to Co-ops
by Tom Nesler, North Farm Board Member 

Occasionally, when I am talking about North Farm or my Buying Club someone asks, “What is a co-op?” I find it interesting people don’t realize there are co-ops all around us. They are unaware of their daily dealings with co-ops and see no difference between co-ops and standard private businesses.

For example, many insurance companies are co-ops in that dividends are returned to the owners of certain life insurance policies. There are housing co-ops and farming co-ops as well as food co-ops. Many producers of organic foods are cooperatives marketing their products collectively. Credit unions are another form of co-op. 

I support and belong to co-ops for the following reasons:

1. Co-ops are more responsive to customer needs. Because the customer (member) is a part owner, the employee/customer relationship is better. Employees treat “their” customers well, and we customers appreciate “our” employees’ efforts.

2. Co-ops are more tied in to the communities they serve. No co-op can move without member approval. Co-ops are always trying to increase membership and member participation so they are naturally focused on their communities. Private businesses depend on local communities as well, yet the connection is more self-serving.

3. Co-ops provide more opportunities for members to make changes to their organization’s goals. Much is said about stockholder ownership, but have you ever been to a stockholder meeting? Most stockholders don’t realize they have power to change things and management does as much as possible to discourage their intervention.

Today, far from being a left-wing, socialist anachronism, co-ops are looked upon as models for private businesses to emulate. Customer relationship management and community relationships are all the rage these days as businesses struggle to compete in the marketplace. Co-ops, on the other hand, have been doing those things since their inception.

So keep this in mind when you visit your local co-op: For all their past history, co-ops represent the wave of the future.

The Co-op Cookbook
Written by Rosemary Fifield

No time for homemade? That’s no longer a problem. With The Co-op Cookbook on hand the question “What’s for supper?” becomes music to the ears of any cook.

Now you can prepare delicious, nutritious meals for your family every night of the week using fresh produce and wholesome ingredients. The Co-op Cookbook includes 100 main-dish recipes, tested and enjoyed by shoppers at the Co-op Food Stores in Hanover and Lebanon, New Hampshire, as part of the “What’s for Supper” program initiated by Rosemary Fifield in 1994.

The book provides: Tips for planning ahead Hints on using your kitchen more efficiently Directions for preparing and using fresh ingredients Ideas for substituting ingredients, including seasonal produce and grains An introduction to the principles of cooperative ownership

Rosemary’s recipes borrow from the world’s favorite traditional cuisines, featuring Italian, Asian and Mexican influences, adapted to please even fussy eaters. All the recipes use familiar, easy-to-find ingredients. Best of all, these scrumptious main-dish recipes can be prepared in half an hour!

Rosemary Fifield is the Education Director at the Co-op Food Stores in Hanover and Lebanon, New Hampshire—one of America’s oldest consumer cooperatives, customer-owned and operated since 1936.

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Co-op Members' Responsibilities

Members have general responsibilities toward their cooperative. Unlike the passive investor in a general business corporation, the member-owner-user of a cooperative must patronize and guide the venture for it to succeed. Employees and advisers need to understand these member obligations and help members fulfill them. 

1. Patronize the cooperative. Members must make a conscious decision to be committed to the cooperative, even when short-term prices or services may be better elsewhere. If members don't want to use the cooperative, the need for it must be re-examined.

2. Be informed about the cooperative. To carry out their other duties, members must know what the cooperative is about; what it can do for them; its purpose, objectives, policies; and the issues it faces. They can obtain information through annual meetings, reports and newsletters, and from talking to the manager, staff, directors and other members. To effectively exercise their right of ownership, a member needs a good understanding of the present situation and projected future operations.

3. Be conscientious when selecting and evaluating directors. Although the cooperative is a user-owner, democratically controlled form of business, members can't make all the decisions directly. They select from among their peers individuals with the best judgment and business management skills to represent them as the cooperative's board of directors. Loyalty, integrity, the ability to make wise business decisions and willingness to serve are necessary characteristics for board members.

4. Provide necessary capital. Members must provide the equity financing their cooperative needs for acquiring inventory, facilities, services and working capital. This is done initially through the purchase of stock or a membership. It continues by permitting the cooperative to retain a portion of the earnings allocated to each member and through the collection of per-unit retains from checks to members for the proceeds of sale from marketing member products. If the cooperative loses money, members have the same obligation to share those losses as they do the earnings.

5. Evaluate performance of the cooperative. Members should examine the annual report and observe whether the cooperative is meeting their needs. If they are dissatisfied with cooperative performance, they should share their concerns with the directors. They should also express support for things the cooperative is doing well. Directors can't effectively represent the members if they don't know the members' true feelings.

Source: Co-ops 101 www.rurdev.usda.gov

New Flavors, Products, Brands
by Sara Procknow, New Products Committee

October new products at North Farm feature several line extensions; listed below are the highlights. 

FOR ORDERS BEGINNING OCTOBER 1

Flavorganics Extracts – We’re bringing on four flavors of extracts from Flavorganics in the 2-ounce size: 12761 Anise, 12763 Caramel, 12762 Coconut and 12764 Rum. These additions will round out our Flavorganics offerings to 14. All products are made with 100% organic ingredients. These new products are on sale at 15% off in October and November.

Nature’s One Soy Formula – New from Nature’s One is 5961 Baby’s Only Soy Toddler Formula OG available in a 12.7-ounce container. This product is made with organic soy. It’s on sale in October at 15% off and joins the Nature’s One 5956 Baby’s Own Organic Toddler Formula OG.

Supplements from UAS – We have brought on three supplements from UAS Labs. Two are Joint Formulas, both made with Glucosamine and Chondroitin. 13275 Joint Formula features 120 capsules and 13273 Joint Formula features 240 capsules. Also new for October is 13271 DDS-Plus Acidophilus Nondairy Powder in a 2.5-oz size.

Traditional Medicinal and Yogi Tea Additions – After careful analysis, we have restructured our tea offerings to be more complete, beginning with this Price List. We have brought on 13 teas from Traditional Medicinals, including their full “Weightless” line. And from Yogi Tea, we’ve added 24 teas, rounding out our existing teas from this great vendor. All of the teas are on sale for this special introduction.

FOR ORDERS BEGINNING NOVEMBER 1

New products for November include several line extensions from Grecian Natural and two new vendors: Wisconsin Pasturelands and Whole Alternatives. Check out the November/December New Product Ingredient Pages for information on these and other new product introductions at North Farm Cooperative. 

Wisconsin Pasturelands Chicken – Make room in your freezer for two new additions: free-range, cageless chicken from Wisconsin Pasturelands. We have brought on their boneless, skinless chicken breast (10879) and a 5-pound average weight whole chicken (10877). On sale in November and December at 10%.


Grecian Natural Olive Oils – We’ve rounded out our Grecian Natural olive oils with several new sizes. Grecian Natural Extra Lite is now available as item 1708 in a 17-ounce bottle, item 1707 in a 25.5-ounce bottle and item 1706 in a gallon tin. And, Grecian’s new Extra Version Olive Oil is infused with healthy Omega-3 in two size bottles: Item 1709 is 17 ounces and item 1712 is 25.5 ounces. All are on sale at 23% in November and December.

Shelton’s Organic Chicken Broths – Two new Shelton’s products are featured as new items in November. Item 12921 is Chicken Broth OG and item 12920 is Chicken Broth FF LS OG. They come 12 to a case in 14.25 ounce cans. They both are on sale at 15% off in November and December.

Whole Alternatives – Just in time for fall snacking is Whole Alternatives 100% organic microwave popcorn. Two styles, 5181 Butter and 5182 Natural No Butter, available by the each in a box of 12/3oz. packages. Or, by the case with 12 boxes to a case. Who says Organic has to be expensive? They are both 10% off in November and December.

As North Farm Cooperative celebrates 30 years in 2001, we also congratulate the following members in reaching anniversary milestones with us through October 2001. We’ll report November and December 2001 milestones in the next Home Shopping Insider.

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North Farm Staff Picks Favorite Products

Ron Collins, Warehouse
“We buy any of the olive oils North Farm sells to use in cooking and salads. The North Farm cheeses are a staple at our house with North Farm Sharp Cheddar (#92) being the favorite. It comes in a convenient 8 oz. package and it’s wonderful sliced for grilled cheese sandwiches, crumbled into salads and shredded into omelets. We also cut Farmers’ Cheese (#352) into cubes for salads.”

Jessica Hull, Receptionist
“I order Bravissimo Cheese Pizza (#14494); it’s really good pizza!”

Janie Ulma, Outlet Store
“I like the A. C. LaRocco Pizza, especially the Greek Sesame (#17431)
with artichoke hearts and feta cheese. Whole Soy makes great nondairy yogurts that are smooth and creamy; Cherry (#1785), Raspberry (#1797), Lemon (#1793) and Vanilla (#1796) are all very good.”

Mike Peterson, Warehouse
“Orangina (#1325) and Sprecher’s Root Beer (#17261) are my two favorite soft drinks. A favorite of many of us in the warehouse is Blue Farm’s Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (#6344) accompanied by Green Mountain Gringo Medium Salsa (C12710). Now I’ve got my family hooked on these treats. When I buy a case of the Sprecher’s Root Beer, I always have to share it with my Dad.” 

Donnie Peterson, Warehouse and former North Farm Driver 
(No relation to Mike Peterson)
“Cloud Nine Cherry Chocolate Candy Bars (#12524) are the BEST! My daughter took one to her Day Care and they ordered a whole case. I’m glad North Farm sells some regular sweets and other regular foods. It’s not all just for vegans and vegetarians.”

Norma Woods, Marketing
“I love all the Green Foods products and not just because they are promoted by Dragan—that perfect specimen of a man who led the Fitness Challenge at our General Membership Meeting. Seriously, we are talking about dark green powders based on dried, nutrient-rich barley grass. Don’t be turned off by the green color and aroma of fresh-cut grass. I drink them all, but Berry Barley Essence has the best flavor if flavor is a main concern for you.” 

Emil Treige, Warehouse 
(and University of Wisconsin student)
“When I drove a truck for North Farm during the summer I drank a lot of Helios Kefir. One quart would last the whole morning. Raspberry (#1237) is my favorite. Honey Dijon Kettle Chips (#15620) are a perfect snack with a wonderful flavor. WestSoy Vanilla Soy Drink (#25026) in half gallons is delicious and very satisfying. I got a short-dated case through the Tailgate Outlet.” 

Jerry Wieser, Warehouse
“I buy a lot of snacks at the Outlet Store to get me through the day. Newman’s is my favorite brand of cookies. I eat a lot of Clif Bars, too.”

Ian Wylie, Warehouse
“Eighty percent of what my wife and I eat is raw fruit and vegetables and we buy from North Farm when-ever we can. We eat lots of no-salt East Wind Nut Butter: Almond (#3401), Cashew (#3412) and Peanut Butter (#12817). We mostly spread the nut butters on Food For Life Ezekiel Bread (#7962).”

Sara Procknow, Marketing
“One of my favorite products is the Naturade AV80 Hair Spray (#8363) - It’s light and holds my style without being stiff or sticky.”

Gillian Pomplun, Purchasing
“I love Naked Juice Green Machine (#10925) and Vegetable Juices because when I am too busy to eat well I feel like I can still get my veggies. Also, Spectrum Essentials Cycle Balance (#4454) is a marvelous product - it helps and I’m sure you all APPRECIATE THAT FACT!”

Denise Denu, Marketing
“North Farm offers great cleaning supplies. I use Earth Friendly Stain & Odor Remover (#11088) because its strong enough to handle pet and food stains but won’t discolor my carpeting. The live enzymes help to neutralize odors too. Citra Solve Concentrate (#8237) is a great- smelling, all-purpose cleaner. Used full strength it will even remove 
stubborn tar and oil off your car.”

Gluten-Free Products for Good Health

Do you have celiac disease, wheat allergy or wheat intolerance?

Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, Inc. has provided a much-needed solution in a big way. We now have a total of 35 gluten-free products, five of which we are featuring in October.

Those who suffer from celiac disease, wheat allergy or wheat intolerance depend on gluten-free foods to maintain their quality of life. Gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley and their derivatives, causes celiac disease sufferers to experience changes in their small intestine and often a loss of their ability to absorb crucial nutrients.

All of Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free products are milled separately from gluten-containing grains and batch-tested in our laboratory using an ELISA testing method to meet the international Codex standard for gluten-free food (in effect 1/01/2001). We call the place where we mill the gluten-free products our “clean room”. 

Based in Milwaukie, Oregon, Bob’s Red Mill is a small company owned by founder Bob Moore and the Bob’s Red Mill employees. It has an extensive offering of organic products; at least 70 varieties are available through North Farm.

All-Purpose GF Baking Flour
This flour blend can be made into delicious homemade baked goods such as cakes, cookies, breads and breakfast items such as muffins, pancakes and waffles. You’re sure to delight everyone with these homemade goodies even if they’re not sensitive to wheat or gluten.

Homemade Wonderful GF Bread Mix
For bread machines or by hand. This moist, flavorful basic loaf of bread is ideal for sandwiches, toast, bread crumbs, French toast and croutons. It can easily be made dairy-free. 

GF Garbanzo and Fava Flour
Perfect for all kinds of baking including breads, cakes, cookies and more. Use it in place of rice flour in any recipe. Bean flours provide protein for superb gluten-free baking. High in iron, protein and fiber.

Mighty Tasty GF Hot Cereal
Contains the perfect blend of brown rice, corn, buckwheat and sorghum. The flavor of this blend of gluten-free whole grains is exceptional. This gluten-free delight gets your energy level up and going and keeps it there all morning long.

GF Sorghum Flour
Millet-like in size, yet wheat-like in flavor, sorghum flour is America’s third leading cereal crop. It is a powerhouse of nutrition with plenty of protein and fiber. Sorghum adds superb wheat-like flavor to cakes, cookies and other gluten-free baking. Try the scone recipe on the package.

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Pantry Values: Stock Up and Save

Pantry Values are pre-orders, published in the Home Shopping Price List, the Home Shopping Insider and e-mailed to buying clubs who request it. Orders can be placed by faxing your order to Customer Service clearly labeled "Pantry Values."

The pre-order deadline may be different from the order date for your regular order. The Pantry Values will be added to your club’s regular order. You can still place an order if you miss the pre-order date, but North Farm will not be able to guarantee quantities on hand. North Farm guarantees all pre-orders placed by the date indicated on the order form.

This program is under review; we will keep you posted on any changes to Pantry Values.

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