Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op / Spring 2013

Board Elections» pg 12

PromiseOur

» pg 3

StoreDowntown

» pg 8

Contents2 I Shop Co-op Because...

3 Our Promise

5 Food Security in Bushiende

7 Earth Day Roanoke

8 Co-op Downtown

9 Local Focus

10 Real Food

11 Board Talk 13 Health & Wellness

14 Events & Classes

WelcomeJohn Bryant Marketing Coordinator

This issue of the Co-optimist focuses on community. The Co-op is a community-owned grocery store with over 3,000 owners and our doors are open every day because of the support we receive from our community. In turn, we know that the service we provide as a grocery store is a benefit to our shoppers, who are also our neighbors. We are excited to now be in the position to take our community commitment to the next level with Heritage Point, our cooperative urban farm. A community cannot survive without food; our purpose for starting Heritage Point is to provide food that is delicious, hyper-local and sold at a fair price to strengthen food security in our valley. You can explore the levels of our commitment with Our Promise on page 3. Across the nation food co-ops are showing everyone that purpose and profits go hand in hand, and separating the two will weaken even the strongest community. Just take a look at the following page and see for yourself how the network of food co-ops of which Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op is a part is supporting local food systems and local economies. Outside the United States, there are of course millions of com-munities that are empowering themselves by uniting for a common goal. Take a closer look into one such community in “Food Security in Bushiende Village” on page 5. Our own Jon Shup shares his experience of working with the Centre for Land, Economy and Rights of Women (CLEAR) in Eastern Uganda. Communities are clearly a local effort for the men, women and children that make up neighborhoods, towns and villages. But as you combine the millions of communities across our country and our world, those relationships paint a larger picture that goes well beyond townships or even nations; community means caring for others, thus empowering everyone, which is at the heart of everything we do.

AdvertisingThe Co-optimist is published four times annually by Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op. For advertising information, please e-mail info@roanokenaturalfoods.coop or call (540) 343-5652.

Roanoke Natural Foods Co-opGrandin Village 1319 Grandin Road, SWRoanoke, VA 24015Phone: (540) 343-5652 Fax: (540) 343-5711

Market Square 1 Market Square, SERoanoke, VA 24011Phone: (540) 904-2733 Fax: (540) 904-2753

StaffGeneral Manager: Bruce PhlegarHuman Resources Coordinator: Elizabeth WilsonFront End Team Leader: Heidi GarrabrantMarketing Coordinator: John BryantCenter Store Coordinator: Lisa BalkomFresh Foods Coordinator: Diana McGuire Accounting Team Leader: Carleen GreenmanWellness Coordinator: Elizabeth GoodDowntown Store Coordinator: Dean EricksonFarm Coordinator: Sean Jordan

Editor John Bryantjohn@roanokenaturalfoods.coop

Design & Layout Joe Burge

Photography Jon Shup & Jim Crawford

Contributors John Bryant Gayle Havens CooleyMary Beth Ladenheim Jon Shup

Board Of DirectorsPresident: Gayle Havens CooleyVice President: Bob CapperTreasurer: Ron McCorkleSecretary: Sandy TaylorStaff Representative: Melissa TaylorSam Eakin Bryan HantmanKerstin PlunkettKrista Stevenson

Content of the newsletter should not be used or construed as medical advice.

On the Cover: Mark and Meagan Delong with their three girls, (left to right) Abbi (2), Karlie (4), and Karis (5) cruising the produce section on Grandin Road. Photo by Jon Shup.

www.roanokenaturalfoods.coop

© 2013 Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op

optimist

1 Co-optimist

Spring 2013 2

3 Co-optimist

Our Promise is an eight-point pledge that Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op will use for consistency and commitment in every product grown and raised at Heritage Point. The eight points of Our Promise can be defined very simply as "pure, sustainable, fair, humane, safe, local, responsible, and honest." However, the commitment Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op is making with Our Promise products grown at Heritage Point runs the full gamut of trustworthy food production. It is the Co-op’s hope that, with the integrity and transpar-ency behind Our Promise, our shoppers will feel safe, confident and educated about the food they purchase from Heritage Point. Digging a little deeper into the commitment behind Our Promise, we unearth a system that is

complex because it emphasizes commitment to not only the food grown at Heritage Point but also the environment, farm staff and livestock, as well as the broader local community and economy. At the same time, Our Promise is simple because the guidelines detailed within this pledge embrace honesty and integrity in every facet of our business. There won’t be any cutting corners at the detriment of our workers, livestock or environment. There is no hierarchy in Our Promise, each pledge is just as important as the one before it or after. Now that it’s spring, there will be a steady supply products from Heritage Point at Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op. Look for the Our Promise commitment on every product grown at Heritage Point.

HERITAGEPOINT

Food with Integrity

When the first products from Roanoke Natural Foods

Co-op’s urban farm Heritage Point hit the shelves in

April, shoppers will notice a unique brand that embodies

the Co-op’s commitment to food integrity.

Spring 2013 4

Salad Mix Triple-Washed

PRODUCT OF ROANOKE, VA USANET WT 8 OZ (227g)

Clockwise from Top Left, Our hens began laying eggs in late March and will soon be supplying the Co-op with deli-cious farm fresh eggs every day, Rhubarb sprouting in the hoop house, Heritage Point Salad Mix on the shelves in April, Assistant Farm Manager Chelsea Graves waters plants in the high tunnel hoop house.

Pure

Humane Responsible

Sustainable

Safe Honest

Fair

Local

We use no synthetic herbicides, insecticides, fungicides or fertilizers on our crops, fields, or livestock. We use no chemically treated or genetically modified seed, plants, or feed.

We treat animals humanely. We use no hormones or antibiotic-laced feed. Animals have consistent access to water, pasture, and shelter, and the space and freedom to engage in normal animal behavior.

We protect the natural environment through efficient use of water and energy, reducing and recycling whenever possible, and the respon-sible disposal of waste. We pledge ourselves to these principles as a basis for ethical food, and invite third-party inspection and verification.

We improve our soil, water, and air quality with sustainable management practices, including cover crops, composting, crop rotations, mulching, diversified plantings, and perennial buffer strips.

We use sanitary processing and packaging meth-ods, without irradiation or artificial preservatives. Harvest, storage and delivery are managed to ensure the freshest product possible. We provide safe, healthy working conditions for all farm staff.

Our labeling and marketing materials are honest. There is no misrepresentation or ambiguity, either by commission or omission, regarding source, quality, or production practice.

We provide fair compensation for all farm staff.

We are locally owned and operated, and contrib-ute to the local economy by buying and selling locally whenever possible. We work with others in our community for civic good. We actively engage with the local agricultural community to support the Our Promise principles, encourage new farms and farmers, and educate the public.

PointPlan

As you may know, one of the seven cooperative principles that every co-op strives to uphold is a Concern for Community. Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op is taking this one step further by opening our urban farm, Heritage Point, in order to make healthy, local food more accessible and affordable to the Roanoke Valley. This is exactly what CLEAR Uganda is doing for Eastern Africa. Last year, I had the opportunity to travel to Uganda where I spent 5 months capturing the essence of community develop-ment efforts there. One organization I worked with was CLEAR, The Centre for Land Equality and Rights of Women. CLEAR is a grassroots women’s rights organization, run by Kenyans and Ugandans, which fights for the rights of women in Eastern Africa seeking to establish “a society where women and men have equal rights of access, control and ownership [of ] land, property, land-based resources and are equitably enjoying their benefits.” Uganda, like many countries in Africa, often faces a severe lack of resources and damaging cultural restraints that make an essential trade like farming very difficult and unproductive.

But Uganda is also home to some of the most caring, intelligent, and resourceful people I have ever met. CLEAR brings these people together to help their neighbors make the most out of their trade and as a result live fuller, healthier lives. One of the ways they accomplish this is by educating the community - especially women - on effective farming tech-niques, empowering them to be more productive farmers. Last year, in the quiet village of Bushiende, CLEAR organized several farming groups as well as researchers, scientists, and experi-enced local farmers at their Annual Food Security Day to spread sustainable farming practices to the surrounding villages. Their ultimate goal is to make access to wholesome food secure, affordable and sustainable by the year 2015. By mobilizing the community, empowering them with ideas, and fighting for equality CLEAR is working toward a secure, healthy future for Ugandans. CLEAR shows us how a little collaboration can go a long way to strengthen a village and improve lives. To learn more about CLEAR visit www.clearwomen.org.

A member of the Miyale Women's Group samples one of her home grown "Bitter Tomatoes".

Jon Shup Marketing Specialist

5 Co-optimist

Food Securityin Bushiende Village

Local farmers show off their wide variety of grains and vegetables for sale.

Spring 2013 6

A demonstrator shows an improved method of growing finger millet, a village staple, in a raised bed.

Locally grown finger millet is a vital food resource for many Ugandans.

7 Co-optimist

Earth Day Roanoke is an annual event held in the Grandin Village to bring awareness to the national celebration of Earth Day and make people think about ways to conserve and preserve our precious natural resources. The Earth Day Roanoke Committee is comprised of over half a dozen commu-nity members, city employees, environ-mentalists and business leaders. I have served on the committee as a Co-op rep-resentative for 3 years. The committee is led by a dynamic duo of polar opposites, Polly Branch and Bill Modica. I sat down with Polly and Bill to discuss this year’s Earth Day Roanoke Celebration.

JB When does the Earth Day committee start working on Earth Day Roanoke?BM In the fall, about 6 months in advance. It is easier now that we know where we’re going to be, we don’t have to hash that out every year. JB Earth Day Roanoke has been in a number of locations around Roanoke, why has it settled back in the Grandin Village for so many years?BM I would say because the welcome that we’ve gotten here has been excep-tional, and the fit has been exceptional. The environmental mindset seems to be compatable and the support of the Co-op has been essential. For us to do our event in cooperation with the Co-op has been a win-win situation for everyone. We held it in different locations on Gran-din, at Grandin Gardens and the court-yard of the church but now we have the

whole community, we have the whole neighborhood behind it.PB We really like it when the neighbors and community members come out and create their own fun. I really like the spontaneous stuff to happen.BM Yeah, Polly’s into the spontaneity. (laughs)JB What are you into Bill?BM I’m into pre-planning! I want every-thing worked out in advance with sketch-es and maps and footnotes. (laughs)JB That’s why you two make a great team. So what can folks expect to see at Earth Day Roanoke 2013?PB We have nearly 60 vendors already signed up so we’ll have everything from local crafters, energy saving demos, envi-ronmental education, community service groups, kids activities, lectures and pres-entations, food vendors, electric cars, live music. So many great groups this year.BM Here’s something really interesting. The Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society is celebrating Astronomy Day and they’re going to come and have telescopes set up so that people can look out at the stars and they’ll have people here to explain what’s going on in the sky.JB Which you can do in the middle of the day?BM In the middle of the day! I asked them, “Don’t you need to do this stuff at night?” They said, No. I guess when you’re looking out into space, I guess it doesn’t matter whether it’s day or night.PB We’ll have bike repairs with Ride Solu-tions. Home energy saving ideas with

rain barrels, bike power, and compost with the Urbiculture Foundation. There’ll also be an organic art Mandala project.JB What is Mandala? Is that sand sculptures?PB Well it doesn’t have to be sand, I’m hoping for whatever organic matter peo-ple bring. Flowers, pinecones, sticks…BM Watch out, that “organic matter” thing can be misinterpreted. (laughs)JB Well when do we start planning for Earth Day 2014?BM In my mind, this thing is a year round event because I start thinking about it right away; it’s always on my mind.PB I always want to expand the festival and expand the committee, too. Get new ideas and more people involved.JB I’m hearing that the partnerships that help create Earth Day are essential.BM And I think it’s important to note that the partnerships that get created around Earth Day continue all year round. The partnerships between the environ-mental groups, and the community organizations, and the neighborhood organizations, they don’t go away the day after Earth Day. They are ongoing, they’re relationships.

Earth DayJohn Bryant Marketing Coordinator

A Community Effort

Earth Day RoanokeGrandin Village, Saturday, April 20, 10am - 4pmFree to All

For more information about Earth Day visit www.earthdayroanoke.com

Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op: Market Square is taking shape and work remains on schedule for the store to open this spring. A lot of work has already been completed including moving the en-trance door, installing a trapdoor to the basement for storage, and finishing the floors in the store. Shelving, coolers, and registers will be in installed in the coming weeks then we will be putting on the finishing touches such as signs, paint and, the most important thing, stocking the shelves with delicious food. Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op: Market Square will have a soft opening of the store a few weeks before we hold the grand opening. Both dates were still to be determined when this issue of the Co-optimist went to print. Sign up to receive our e-newsletter, The Seed, and stay tuned for the latest information about the store’s opening by visiting www.roanokenaturalfoods.coop.

Clockwise from Top, Rock Construction install-ing a trapdoor to the basement storage space, Co-op GM Bruce Phlegar (left) looking over the space with Center in the Square's Dick Robers, (left to right) Jonathan Bacco, Dean Erickson, & Jim Crawford moving in the freezer.

Spring 2013 8

Downtown ExpansionThe Co-op comes to Market Square

CO-OPDOWNTOWN

City Market SaturdaysHistoric City Market Every Saturday, Apr. 6 - Sept. 28 11am - 2:30pm

Community School’s Strawberry FestivalFriday, May 3, 10am - 5:30pmSaturday, May 4, 10am - 5pm

Center in the Square Grand Re-OpeningSaturday, May1810am - 6pm

There something new every Saturday on the City Market. Enjoy live entertainment, cook-ing demonstrations from Downtown chefs, “How-to" Workshops, street performers, family days, and much more. Best of all, it’s all FREE! Brought to you by Haley Toyota and Downtown Roanoke, Inc. www.downtownroanoke.org

The 33rd annual Strawberry Festival brings the community together amid an atmo-sphere of good, old-fashioned, family fun. Live music, lots of kids’ activities and of course strawberries just about anyway you eat them. Shortcakes, Sundaes, Chocolate Dips and Slushees. www.strawberryfestivalroanoke.com

Be a part of the Family Day of Discovery in the newly renovated Center in the Square. Visit the museums and other gal-leries throughout the builidng. There will be lots fun activities for the whole family. Get your all-inclusive tickets in advance, visit www.centerinthesquare.org

DOWNTOWNEVENTS

5 Co-optimist 9 Co-optimist

LOCALFOCUS

LIRA PLUMBING, LLCSolving your family’s plumbing problems safely,correctly and economically, the first time!

www.liraplumbingandheating.comJEFF LIRA 540.204.8526

JEFF LIRA 540-204-8526

The birthplace of many Co-op tomatoes is Yoders' Farm in Rustburg, VA. With snow-dusted mountains on each side of me, I drove to the small town just south of Lynchburg to tour this hydroponic farm in March. When I arrived, the family’s kind smiles and warm greetings made me feel like I belonged there despite being somewhat of a city boy. After a few minutes of greetings, Delvin Yoder, affec-tionately known as "The Tomato Guy", ushered me into the greenhouse where the temperature was a strong 85 degrees, starkly contrasting the brisk 50 right outside the doors. In the orderly jungle of towering plants, Delvin proceeded to educate me on the inner workings of hydroponics – from the reusable coconut husks in which the tomato plants grow, to the solar controlled water-ing system, to the recycling of the excess water for other crops. The highly sustainable process yielded a healthy and delicious result. Two of Delvin’s sons, Gary and Eldon, joined us as well as his grandson, Dawson, who was help-ing Uncle Gary pick “suckers” from the plants while show-ing me how big and red his grandpa’s tomatoes were. As the tour continued, the conversation grew more conceptual as we discussed the community aspect of this type of farming. “Interaction and connectedness is absolutely essential to the human spirit,” Delvin articu-lated. Ever since Delvin’s father, Ernest, started the farm in 1952, the family has built its business on being “a part of the fabric of the community”. Now, four generations later, the Yoders go to great lengths to farm responsibly and sustainably while improving the effectiveness of “village living” by providing opportunities for the community to buy, eat and live locally.

The Yoders are always up for trying something new, so they have recently started experimenting with grafting in order to create a wider variety of hearty, disease resistant tomatoes. They also grow strawberries and pumpkins and open their farm for visitors to pick their own produce. It is a privilege to be doing business with a local, trustworthy, family-owned operation like Yoders' Farm. You can learn more at www.yodersfarm.com.

Yoders' FarmJon Shup Marketing Specialist

Top, Dawson Yoder, a fourth generation up-and-coming farmer, helps uncle Gary pick "suckers" from the hot house tomato plants.

Spring 2013 10

Zingy Green Bean Sauté

Green Beans1 teaspoon olive oil1 pound green beans, trimmed1 pint cherry tomato, halved1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

Vinaigrette3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar6 tablespoons walnut oil1/4 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons minced shallot1 tablespoon brown sugarCracked black pepper

REALFOOD

In a jar or cruet, combine the vinegar, oil, salt, shallot and brown sugar, and shake vigorously to combine. In a large skillet, heat the teaspoon of olive oil over high heat. When hot, add the beans and tomatoes and stir constantly until the beans are tender, slightly shriveled and browned, and tomatoes are soft. Add 4 tablespoons of dressing to the pan and toss over the heat for just a couple of minutes to thicken and coat, then serve the beans immediately, sprinkled with parsley. Refrigerate the remaining 1/4 cup dressing for later use on cooked grains, pasta, veggies or other salads of your choice.

Recipe by Robin Asbell, National Cooperative Grocers Association.

Both common and elegant, green beans are the most popular bean in the United States. Their tender snap and fresh flavor make them an asset to a variety of dishes, as well as enjoyable all by themselves. Try a sauté of green beans and tofu in sesame oil, ginger, and garlic and serve over rice for a quick dinner, or simply steam green beans and top with a pat of butter and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for an easy side dish. For meals and gatherings, don’t forget the homey comfort of a luscious, creamy green bean casserole, topped with crunchy, savory onions.

Information provided by National Cooperative Grocers Association at www.strongertogether.coop

Green Beans

Directions

Free Co+op Kitchen app!

A Snappy Spring Treat

with Balsamic Vinaigrette

The Co+op Kitchen app is a convenient way to bring delicious Co+op Kitchen recipes (videos and written versions) and handy techniques directly into your kitchen. Go to iTunes to download the free app.

BOARDTALK

11 Co-optimist

While we continue to grow in leaps and bounds at Roanoke Natural Foods Coop, the global cooperative village is also grow-ing. For co-ops, growth means something more than merely increasing in size or growth for growth’s sake. Because the co-operative business model is unique amongst business models with its concern for a triple bottom line - financial, social and environmental - cooperators stress that growth for us means intelligent and purposeful growth. To flesh out and explore some aspect of purposeful growth, our consulting cooperative, CDS, organized a seminar titled “Growing Our Co-ops.” This took place on March 3, 2013 at the beautiful North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville. Three of your board members and two top-level managers represented Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op.

Throughout the day we heard from interesting presenters discussing both the theory behind intelligent cooperative growth and exciting practical examples of cooperative growth. Between speakers, we broke out into small groups for table discussions. You’ll be pleased to know that CDS asked our Co-op to give a short presentation about our growth and how we thought it translated into value for our community. The urban farm, Heritage Point, and our downtown expansion generated a lot of interest and excitement from others in attendance. I was proud to see that the way we are choosing to grow Roanoke Natural Foods is being recognized amongst our fellow Co-ops. Thank you so much for your continued support. You are the power behind the growth.

In cooperation,

Gayle Havens CooleyBoard President

2013 Annual Owners' Social & Meeting After a wonderful, well attended 2012 meeting, Schaal’s Meta-morphosis will host Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op’s Owners' Social & Meeting again in 2013. We’re looking forward to spending time with our owners around a meal crafted from many local ingre-dients including food from our own urban farm, Heritage Point. We’re also delighted to have live music from the Cyrus Pace Trio. Our special guest speaker will be Dr. Jim Sears, President of Center in the Square, which houses our new downtown location, Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op: Market Square. Dr. Sears will share information about the upcoming opening of the newly remodeled Center in the Square and the impact he envisions our new store will make in Downtown Roanoke. At the end of the evening, the Board of Directors will announce the results of the 2013 Board Elections. Tickets are $5 and available at the Co-op. Owners may purchase one additional ticket for a guest. Admission includes the meal and one drink, a cash bar will be available throughout the evening.

Sunday, May 5, 2013Social: 5:00pm, Meeting: 6:30pmSchaal’s Metamorphosis, 402 N Jefferson Street, Downtown Roanoke

Spring 2013 12

BOARDELECTIONS

Board Election Ballots are mailed to owners in April and are due back before the Annual Owners' Social on May 5th. For the 2013 Board Election, there are three positions open on the Board of Directors. Below is a brief description of the four candidates up for these positions. Find their complete bios at www.roanokenaturalfoods.coop.

Ian Fortier is an OSW resident and currently provides Front-of-House Direction at Roanoke’s Jefferson Center Foundation.  Ian received his BA in Geography from the University of Vermont and a Masters of Public Administration from James Madison University. With over twenty years of

experience as a nonprofit professional,  his community involve-ment includes employment and volunteering with National Geographic Society, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, Earth Share, American Lung Association, Special Olympics of SWVA, Radford Heritage Foundation, and the Roanoke Arts Commission. He is an advocate of progressive community building, and believes in the locally sourced food movement as a key to happier, healthier, well-informed, and balanced lives.

Kerstin Plunkett (incumbent) is the Food for Thought Program Man-ager for Virginia Western Community College’s Educational Foundation. She is an active community member that enjoys attending local events involving the arts, food, health, education and the environment. Passionate about food,

sustainability and education, Kerstin believes in the mission and vision of our cooperative and the internationally accepted values and principles that unite cooperatives globally. Kerstin’s service on the board for the last three years has made her aware that the Co-op’s place in the community is pertinent and valuable. If re-elected, she will bring consistency and understanding of co-op policy by knowing where we came from and where we are going during this historic growth and transition for our cooperative.

Ron McCorkle (incumbent) is a self-motivating entrepreneur with a successful 20 year track record of small business ownership. Ron has a talent for quickly mastering technology. He is diplomatic and competent with dem-onstrated ability in easily transcending cultural differences. While serving on

the Co-op board, Ron has had a particular interest in the coop-erative principles involving community and social justice. He has received cooperative specific training over the last three years and, if re-elected, intends to continue working toward Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op meeting its mission.

Gayle Havens Cooley (incumbent) attended the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and the University of New Mexico receiving an undergraduate degree in business and accounting and, after graduation, received her CPA license. Serving as board president for the last two years

Gayle has seen the Co-op’s exciting growth as a testament to the Co-op’s ability not only to meet, but also exceed the challenge of the International Cooperative Alliance for all cooperatives to move beyond a marginal position and become “acknowledged leaders in economic, social and environmental sustainability.” Gayle wishes to use the knowledge, training and experience that she has received to help Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op continue as the model of local sustainability and to forge strong alliances with like-minded cooperators.VOTE NOW

Ballots due Sunday, May 5.

Healthy SpringAn Acupuncturist’s View

HEALTH&WELLNESS

It’s no secret that as people start to sense the arrival of spring, they go a little nuts. As an acupuncturist, I believe there’s a physical reason for that. People are directly connected to the natural world. As the world unfurls itself from winter to create new life, we get revved up. Springtime in the acupuncture clinic brings an array of maladies borne of that special recklessness. The resultant pathology depends on the person’s own tendencies. I, for one, used to herald the coming of spring with an injury, literally launching myself into obstruc-tions in my haste to get out in the not-warm-enough-yet weather. In addition to sprains and strains, the typical spring ailment hovers in the head cold/sore throat/allergies/headache range. A simple – but remarkably effective – way to stay well in the spring is to downgrade to a light scarf and hat. People too quickly discard scarves and hats in favor of the weather to come, rather than the weather that is. This leaves vulner-able acupuncture points on the head and neck open to spring’s moody and invasive weather. The system responsible for defending the body from all forms of injury has its root in the stomach "Qi." So one of the best things we can do to stay well is to eat well. When we eat in a non-nourishing way, our defensive qi suffers and we cannot function at our optimum levels. A variety of problems arise. We might have a hard time focusing and creating. Our bodies could fail to fight off illness, or won’t

fully heal. Maybe we chew thoughts over in our minds without ever fully digesting and releasing them. Chinese medicine has its own particular guidelines about what, how, and when to eat. The guidelines are not based on nutrient content, but rather on the idea that everything in the world has a nature: I do, you do, iron does, and so does a chicken. When things interact – which they do whether or not we recognize it – stuff happens, usually in the form of a change. What happens when I eat a spoonful of almond butter depends on the interaction of my overall nature, the almond butter, and the condi-tions we’re in. It is not necessarily the same thing that happens when someone else eats almond butter – even in the same conditions. What this boils down to is that there’s more to eating well than assimilating healthy ingredients. If you gath-ered everything listed in a pancake recipe and ate each ingredient one-by-one, you could not be said to be eating pancakes. Something happens when we combine the right ingredients in the right conditions. Suddenly there are pancakes where before there were none. Eating well means eating regularly – but not constant-ly. It means eating cleanly – but not neurotically. It means feeding your whole body through your stomach – not just pleasing your taste buds. It means feeling incredible.

13 Co-optimist

“Eating well means eating regularly – but not constantly. It means eating cleanly – but not

neurotically. It means feeding your whole body through your stomach – not just pleasing

your taste buds. It means feeling incredible.” Mary Beth Ladenheim, Acupuncturist & Herbalist

Mary Beth Ladenheim is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist. She and her partner Brian Huwe own Valley Classical Acupuncture in Fincastle. Read MB’s blog at http://vcacu.com/blog/ 

Spring 2013 14

CLASSES April - May

EVENTS April - July

Sign up today » Sign up for classes at any register, by calling 540.343.5652 or emailing info@roanokenaturalfoods.coop. Seating is limited.

Heather Millar Quintana is the founder of Happy Healthy Cooks, a program that turns kids and their families on to healthful whole foods because their health depends on it. A Certified Health Coach, Heather guides, moti-vates, and supports her clients to live the healthiest, happiest lives possible. At any given time, you’ll likely find Heather cooking, teaching, mountain biking, belting out a song or a laugh, or busy raising two happy healthy funny sweet boys.

Featured Instructor

Heather Quintana Certified Health Coach

Rhythm of Birth: HolisticChildbirth Preparation Workshop Saturday, May 25, 10am-12pm$10/$5 Owners

Obesity & Weight Loss LectureSaturday, April 20, 10am - 12pm$10/$5 Owners

Happy Healthy VegetariansThursday, May 2 & 9, 5:45pm - 7pm$20/$10 Owners

What is Urbiculture?Friday, May 3, 7pm - 8:30pmFree (Donations Accepted)

Baking for DiabeticsThursday, May 16, 6pm - 8pm$10/$5 Owners

Earth Day RoanokeGrandin Village, Free to AllSaturday, April 20, 10am - 4pm

Days of Service

AprilRoanoke Community Garden AssociationSunday, April 14, 1 - 4pm May Grandin ChillageFriday, May 17, 5pm - 7pm & 7pm - 9pmJune RAM House at First FridaysFriday, June 21, 4:30 - 9pmJuly Wasena Park Clean-UpSunday, July 14, 2pm - 4pm

Certified Doula and Child Birth Mentor Shalene Massie teaches those preparing for birth and parenthood how to cultivate mindfulness, de-velop pain coping practices, and eat mindfully. Keep you and your baby healthy!

Happy Healthy Teens (Middle/High School)Thursday, April 11 & 18, 5:45pm - 7pm$20/$10 OwnersCome hang out and learn how to cook simple and healthy dishes (including vegan and veg-etarian dishes) in this hands-on class, all while meeting new people and learning skills you’ll use for a lifetime! Taught by Certified Health Coach, Heather Quintana.

Dr. Herb Joiner-Bey is a well–known naturopathic physician who will discuss the role of diet and healthy lifestyle choices in addressing the issue of excess weight. Class attendees will receive a free copy of Dr. Bey’s book, The Healing Power of Flax.

Come join other like-minded folks and learn quick and easy recipes to add more nutrition to your vegetarian diet. Hands-on, interactive class taught by Heather Quintana, Certified Health Coach and lover of good food.

Join Co-op board member Ron McCorkle for an overview of urbiculture, which roughly means “having care for cities and city people.”Gain insight into the ideology of being more connected with our environments and the people who live there.

Baker Ember Fulson, from the Happy Belly Deli, will show you how to bake up some sweet treats on the lower side of the glycemic index. A fun, informative class for diabetics and non-diabetics alike!

Enjoy the day with eco- demonstrations, a bike repair station, lectures, movies, chair massages, yoga, live music, and food with local restaurants and vendors plus much more! Children's Activities with Ziggy's Entertainment.

Parking available in the neighborhood and Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church at 1837 Grandin Rd, or consider walking or biking to the festival.

Also, visit the Grandin Village Community Market opening at 8am and stay for a great Earth Day Roanoke Celebration.

For a complete list of vendors and sponsors, visit www.earthdayroanoke.com.

Tickets for the Owners' Social are available at any Co-op Register, $5 each. Owners may purchase one additional guest ticket. See Page 11 for more details.

Ain't no party like the Grandin Block Party. Bring the whole family to the 1300 Block of Grandin Road for free food and fun. Sponsored by the Grandin Village Business Association and the Greater Raleigh Corth Civic League.

Annual Owners' Social & Meeting Schaal's Metamorphosis402 N Jefferson St, RoanokeSunday, May 5, 5:00pm - 8pm

Grandin Village Block Party Sunday, May 19, 2pm - 4:30pmFree to All

Each month, Co-op shoppers are invited to join us in lending a hand and help out an organiza-tion in our community. To sign up to participate in any one of these Days of Service, please email info@roanokenaturalfoods.coop.

Ends Statement

Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op exists to create a vibrant, local and sustainable cooperative community where decisions are grounded in the balance of economic, social and environmental responsibilities.

1319 Grandin Road, Roanoke, VA 24015

540.343.5652

www.roanokenaturalfoods.coop

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT #78

ROANOKE, VA