Homegrown Seven Grains Natural Market is celebrating a quarter-century of growth with its 25th anniversary next month in Tallmadge.

As big box stores have flourished and corporations have purchased small natural and organic food companies over the decades, Gina and David Krieger, owners of the independent Seven Grains, have focused on building relationships with customers and manufacturers to continually offer new varieties of price-conscious, natural and organic foods.

Seven Grains, which opened in 1998 at 92 West Ave., focuses on offering unique, high-quality foods as well as educating customers.

Organic foods had a different reputation when the store opened in the late '90s.

"At the time, organic just kinda had this stigma of naturally being expensive and out of touch and not available to the average person," said Gina Krieger, 59.

"I think we've cut through that stigma," said David Krieger, 56. "You come on in here, it's got an earthy feel to it, it's got a hometown feel, it's even got a farm market feel, it's even got an upscale feel."

The community is invited to celebrate Seven Grains' 25th anniversary with two special events: "All Things Organic and Natural for the Mind and Body" from 12 to 4 p.m. May 6 and "All Things Vegan and Gluten Free" May 13. The events will feature food samplings and demos, organic wine and cocktails, and giveaways including a Blackstone griddle grill. Mini sessions of LED light therapy and hand massages also will be offered.

The Kriegers say their aggressive pricing allows them to compete directly with mass market retailers, including online. Among their recent deals, a 23-ounce Muir Glen organic pasta sauce, which features a premium tomato imported from Italy, was priced at two for $4.

Seven Grains was recently recognized by a national distributor as one of two natural grocers in Ohio named in the top 250 natural independent grocers east of the Mississippi, in terms of sales volume.

At Seven Grains, lots of one-on-one consultations about food supplements and foods happen, either spontaneously or by appointment. On a recent evening, Gina Krieger had a 30-minute talk with a couple about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and what grass-fed beef really means.

Customers know they're going to get answers to their questions in those personalized conversations, she said.

"That's the biggest thing: We're trying to educate people," Gina Krieger said.

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Most of the foods in the store are certified organic. All of Seven Grains' organic and natural foods contain nothing artificial or genetically modified, no high fructose corn syrup, nitrates, hydrogenated oils or anything bromated or irradiated.

On a recent Friday, the smell of cooking nitrate-free bacon for the store's broccoli salad permeated the store. The market's neighborhood feel includes numerous hand-drawn chalkboard signs, including one above a freezer case with Little Red Riding Hood saying "Grandma, what big eyes you have," with the Wolf responding, "All the better to see these gluten-free desserts, my dear."

All of the more than 90 wines that Seven Grains sells are organic, making them the largest section of organic wines in Northeast Ohio, the Kriegers said.

The store's grocery section is separated from its gluten-free/allergen-free section, so gluten-sensitive shoppers have a "safe spot" to shop, Gina Krieger said.

In the prepared foods area, a salad bar featuring organic vegetables was added last year. The prepared food cases have expanded multiple times over the years as demand for grab-and-go foods has grown, with the store about to triple its vegan prepared food selections.

Two ovens run all day preparing scratch-made prepared foods, including entrees, salads, soups and chili grab-and-go items that have taken off in the last five years. Popular premade entrees are barbecue ribs and grilled, seasoned Norwegian salmon.

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"We make everything from scratch but on top of that we're making the ingredients themselves," including high fructose corn syrup-free barbecue sauce for the ribs, Gina said. "We want to make that sure we're using the purest ingredients from beginning to end."

The store, which has 20 employees, also sells deli meats that have no nitrates, antibiotics, hormones or MSG, sliced to order.

As a number of specialty organic or natural brands have gone mainstream over the years, Seven Grains continues to find smaller family companies in the store's quest to continually offer unique products.

"When I see a company get bought out [by a large corporation], I really start to watch the ingredients," said Gina Krieger, who vets all the products that Seven Grains sells.

"There's always a new company or companies popping up," she said. "We find some really, really good products from just smaller companies."

She focuses on forming relationships with companies at trade shows four times a year, where she meets manufacturers face-to-face.

"It goes back to relationships," she said. "You get pricing that is a lot of times better than the big guys."

Constantly adding new products gives Seven Grains an edge, Gina Krieger said. "It's exciting for the customer because every time's an adventure when they come in."

Gina Krieger grew up on a farm outside Buffalo, New York. David Krieger, originally from old North Hampton (now Cuyahoga Falls), grew up in his family's business, Krieger's Health Foods Market in Cuyahoga Falls.

Gina has a background in marketing. David has a produce background, having formerly driven a truck to the Northern Ohio Food Terminal with his father to buy wholesale produce for Krieger's.

At age 23, David Krieger opened his own Krieger's Fresh Market in Brimfield Township before opening the 10,000-square-foot Seven Grains in Tallmadge.

The store, which offers certified organic, 100% grass-fed beef, offers the personal touch, grinding its own meat and cutting its own steaks. Their chicken comes from Amish Country in Southern Ohio and their Norwegian salmon from an importer.

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The Kriegers are proud to get customers from far and wide. The come regularly from as far as Pittsburgh, southern Ohio, Boardman, Ashland, Mentor and Kirtland with coolers to load up on meats.

"This is a really good staff and this is a really great customer base," David Krieger said.

Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.

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Seven Grains celebrates 25 years of natural, organic foods in ... - Akron Beacon Journal

IndexBox, Inc.

NEW YORK, May 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Research firm IndexBox has published a new report on the global fruits and berries market, offering valuable insights and data for industry professionals. Trial access to market data is now available on the IndexBox platform, allowing interested parties to explore the report in greater depth https://www.indexbox.io/store/world-fruits-and-berries-market-analysis-forecast-size-trends-and-insights/

The report provides a detailed forecast for the fruits and berries market, projecting growth until 2030. According to the report, the market is expected to continue growing at a compound annual growth rate of 6.2% over the forecast period. Factors driving this growth include increasing demand for healthy and natural foods, as well as growing consumer interest in exotic and specialty fruits.

Key growth drivers in the fruits and berries market include the rising popularity of plant-based diets, which are often centered around fruits and berries. However, the market also faces challenges related to weather variability, as well as supply chain disruptions.

The report also analyzes the factors affecting demand for fruits and berries, including changing consumer preferences and the impact of food safety regulations. Major consuming industries in the fruits and berries market include the food and beverage industry, as well as the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.

This report provides an in-depth analysis of the industry, focusing on the key fruits and berries by type, the leading countries in production and consumption, and the major end users of these products.

I. Fruits and Berries by Type:

Citrus Fruits:

Oranges

Lemons

Grapefruits

Limes

Pome Fruits:

Apples

Pears

Stone Fruits:

Peaches

Nectarines

Plums

Cherries

Apricots

Berries:

Strawberries

Raspberries

Blueberries

Blackberries

Cranberries

Tropical Fruits:

Bananas

Pineapples

Mangoes

Papayas

Avocadoes

Melons:

Watermelons

Cantaloupes

Honeydews

II. Countries:

China: The largest producer and consumer of fruits and berries globally, with a dominant position in apples, pears, and citrus fruits.

India: A major producer of tropical fruits such as bananas, mangoes, and papayas, and an emerging market for berries.

United States: A key player in the production and consumption of berries, citrus fruits, and apples.

Brazil: A significant producer of citrus fruits, primarily oranges, and tropical fruits like pineapples and mangoes.

European Union: Led by countries like Spain, Italy, and France, the EU is a major producer and consumer of various fruits, including berries, pome fruits, and stone fruits.

Story continues

III. End Users:

Fresh Fruit Consumption: The largest segment of the market, with consumers opting for fruits as healthy snacks or ingredients in recipes.

Food and Beverage Industry: Fruits and berries are utilized as key ingredients in products such as juices, jams, and preserves, as well as in the bakery and confectionery sectors.

Nutraceuticals and Dietary Supplements: The growing demand for natural and organic health products has increased the use of fruits and berries in supplements and functional foods.

Cosmetics and Personal Care: Fruits and berries are used as natural sources of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals in skincare, haircare, and other personal care products.

Foodservice Industry: Restaurants, hotels, and catering businesses incorporate fruits and berries in various dishes and beverages to cater to the growing consumer preference for healthy and natural options.

Key statistics provided in the report include information on market size, market trends, and key players in the industry. The 10 largest manufacturers in the industry include Del Monte Fresh Produce, Dole Food Company, Driscoll's, Chiquita Brands International, and Fresh Del Monte Produce.

For more information about the report or to request trial access to market data, please visit https://www.indexbox.io/store/world-fruits-and-berries-market-analysis-forecast-size-trends-and-insights/

Keywords: fruits and berries, market analysis, forecast, size, trends, insights, global demand

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Fruits and Berries Market Flourishes at 6.2% CAGR, Driven by Health Consciousness, Rising Incomes, and Organic Food Trends - IndexBox - Yahoo Finance

British supermarkets are brimming with packages of coronation cupcakes, hoppy coronation ale and coronation crisps seasoned to taste like king prawn cocktail. There are even Jack Russell-themed cakes in honor of the king and queen consorts rescue dogs, Bluebell and Beth.

The royal couple likely wont eat any of it. King Charles III and Queen Camilla lean heavily on fruit and vegetables, preferably organic and from their own gardens. She loves fish and salads. For breakfast, he requires a selection of six honeys and a special mix of muesli, and to end a meal, a plate of local cheese. To lower his carbon footprint, the king goes vegetarian two days a week, and gives up dairy on another.

But can Britains first green-minded monarch persuade a nation that loves Sunday roast, chips and chicken tikka masala to embrace the locally grown, organic, climate-friendly diet that he follows?

There is undoubtedly power in how a nations leaders and their families eat. Jacqueline Kennedy installed a young French chef from New York in the White House kitchen, ushering in a new frontier of sophisticated dinner-party diplomacy. The Obamas planted a vegetable garden and used it to to promote local food and healthier school lunches. President Trump served a fast food buffet to a championship football team to underscore his fight with Democrats over a government shutdown and to burnish his populist image with what he called great American food.

When it comes to making lasting change in a nations food culture, the king has an edge that American presidents dont, said Jamie Oliver, the English chef and television personality who tackled unhealthy school lunches. He has worked with Charles on a number of projects, and shared a few meals and several lovely cups of tea with him.

People in the public eye come and go, but not the crown, Mr. Oliver said, so hes been very important for progress in the U.K. That consistency and relentlessness has extraordinary value, because his secret weapon isnt just being king its time.

Charles was an early adopter of organic agricultural practices back when it was novel enough to get him a good drubbing from the press and even members of his own family. It didnt help that he was an advocate for talking to plants and playing music to make milking a calmer experience for his cows. He even converted his blue 1970 Aston Martin, a gift on his 21st birthday, to run on bioethanol derived from surplus English white wine and whey left over from making cheese.

But if there is a royal last laugh to be had, he had it. Charles turned 1,100 acres next to Highgrove House, his estate west of London in Gloucestershire, into an organic farm that eventually supplied meat and produce for Duchy Originals, a company he founded in 1990. It has become a multimillion-pound food brand in a lucrative partnership with the upscale grocery chain Waitrose. Profits go to charitable causes, and it is likely that the kings elder son, Prince William, will take over.

Small farmers in Britain see Charles as a champion, and his views on climate change and regenerative farming have made him a hero among some in the agricultural progressive class.

When you shake hands with him you will understand what I mean when I say he has farmers hands, said the chef and cookbook author Romy Gill, who lives about a 20-minute drive from Highgrove House.

Influencing farming practices is one thing. Convincing the dining public is another, as evidenced by the current outrage over a royal recipe for quiche. (More on that below.)

There are, as you can imagine, some slightly different views on the royal family here, said Calum Franklin, a British chef and author who rose to fame as a craftsman of meticulously researched and intricately designed traditional savory pies at the Holborn Dining Room in London.

Mr. Franklin is contributing his own dish to the coronation food madness. He has worked for nearly a year to develop a limited-edition Crown Jewel Celebration Pork Pie in collaboration with the pie maker Dickinson & Morris, which will make 500 of the intricately designed pastries by hand using British-bred pork and breast meat from pheasant, the kings favorite game meat.

To lend it a bit of drama, Mr. Franklin fashioned the top crust after the sovereigns orb, a golden jewel-encrusted globe and cross from 1661 that is presented to each new monarch as a reminder that their power derives from God.

Savory pies have played a pivotal role in British tradition. Pies have been up and down in popularity based on royal banquets, and we can see that through history, Mr. Franklin said. The term humble pie, for example, comes from pies made with umbles, or scraps of meat and offal that fed peasants who were seated far away from royalty at banquets.

Details about what the king and queen consort will eat to celebrate the coronation remain sparse, though people who have cooked for Charles say menus will be simple and seasonal, most likely centering on his favorite protein, British lamb.

The table is also likely to hold cheeses like Stilton and Cornish Brie, honey from Highgrove and, as always, a little pot of the kings custom blend of seasoning, which is heavy on the celery salt.

The royal family is encouraging Britons to cook for a series of street parties throughout coronation weekend. The main event, called the Coronation Big Lunch, will be held on May 7, a day after the new king is crowned.

Menus will include everyday food like sausage rolls, scones and finger sandwiches, but Buckingham Palace has sent out suggested recipes for home cooks, including roasted rack of lamb with an Asian-style marinade, hard-shell shrimp tacos with pineapple salsa, and grilled eggplant with a dressing of mango chutney, yogurt and curry powder.

But the real attention-getter has been the coronation quiche, the official dish selected by the king and queen, and developed in the Buckingham Palace kitchen by the chef Mark Flanagan. (The last time a monarch was crowned, in 1953, the official dish was coronation chicken.)

The new dish, which was quickly nicknamed Quiche Le Reign, is built with spinach, tarragon, broad beans (called favas in the United States) and Cheddar, a nod to the cheesy eggs the king sometimes likes for breakfast. The crust is made with lard thats just one small part of the controversy but the royal chefs advise that store-bought is fine.

As a culinary offering, the dish has drawn mixed reviews. Dame Prue Leith of The Great British Bake Off declared it a really good quiche.

Others pulled no punches. Its about as unimaginative as it gets, said Mr. Franklin, the pie chef.

A huge country full of unique cuisines and THIS is the crap you choose?? one Twitter user commented. Its 2023, not 1973. Are we having vol-au-vents and cheese with pineapple on a stick with it?

The recipes reception quickly devolved into a political beef. The Reform Party called the dish foreign muck, and said pie would be a more patriotic choice. The Socialist Party asked whether the quiche would be available at food banks.

The recipe prompted some to chide Charles and Camilla for suggesting an egg dish in the wake of a national egg shortage brought on by avian flu.

Others simply pointed out that food prices were soaring. Read the room, poshos, one woman tweeted. People cant afford their weekly shop anymore.

Perhaps the crown wont have as much of an impact on British food culture as the green king might have hoped. At least not right away.

Normally, I would say yes, there would be quite an influence, said Darren McGrady, a British chef in Dallas who traveled with and cooked for Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana and other members of the royal family in the 1980s and 90s.

The only thing putting a damper on it right now is the economy, he said. A lot of people are hurting. When it comes to buying food to nourish and fill the belly or buying organic, they are going to choose filling bellies.

Whether the king will remain a vocal advocate for progressive food and agricultural policies is up in the air. His mother maintained a strict political neutrality, and Charles knows he will have to temper his impulses to be outspoken.

Im not that stupid. I do realize its a separate exercise being sovereign, he said in a BBC interview in 2018. The idea that somehow Im going to carry on exactly in the same way is complete nonsense.

Still, people who have seen in him a champion for environmental causes believe he wont go quietly into the royal night.

He is in a completely unique position to change how so many people eat every day, said Alice Waters, the California restaurateur and agricultural reformer, whom Charles once taught to weave a hedgerow. If he didnt talk about regenerative agriculture and climate, I would be shocked.

More here:

The Coronation of King Charles III and the Food That Comes With It - The New York Times

Inflation continued to impact organic fresh produce sales in the first quarter of 2023.Overall dollar sales grew by slightly less than one percent, and volume declined by 3.4 percent from the same year-over-year period.

The data was released by the Organic Produce Network this week and included in its Q1 2023 Organic Produce Performance Report. Overall, the total produce department gained 2.6 percent in dollars for Q1 2023 compared to the same period in 2022 and declined by 1.3 percent in volume. Sales of organic fresh produce totaled nearly $2.4 billion for the first quarter of 2023, while overall volume topped 703 million pounds. Conventional produce dollars rose higher than organic dollars by about two percent and declined in volume by a smaller degree than organic. Current trends show both conventional and organic produce volume shrinking year over year. However, while volume for conventional produce is below 2020 and organics are on par with 2020, both are consistently gaining in dollars.

Ongoing inflation continued to impact organic fresh produce sales in the first quarter of 2023 as overall dollar sales grew by slightly less than 1 percent and volume declined by3.4 percent from the same per year-over-year period, according to theQ1 2023 Organic Produce Performance Reportreleased by Organic Produce Network (OPN) and Category Partners.

Overall, the total produce department gained 2.6 percent in dollars for Q1 2023 compared to the same period in 2022 and declined by 1.3 percent in volume. Sales of organic fresh produce totaled nearly $2.4 billion for the first quarter of 2023, while overall volume topped 703 million pounds. Conventional produce dollars rose higher than organic dollars by about 2 percent and declined in volume by a smaller degree than organic. The average price gap between conventional and organic is now the largest it has been in the last four years.

TheQ1 2023 Organic Produce Performance Reportuses Nielsen IQ syndicated data to track and report the performance of organic fresh produceand specifically the 20 leading organic categories. The report suggests that the rising prices may cause consumers to be more selective in their organic shopping.

In an inflationary period, we see this standard of growth for dollars and decline for volume repeated for most organic and conventional items. When we look at pricing, conventional produce average price per pound grew by 4.3 percent compared to the first quarter of 2022, while organic produce average price per pound rose by 4 percent, said Tom Barnes, CEO of Category Partners. With rising prices, we may be seeing more selective organic shopping from consumers as they substitute conventional items for higher-priced organic items.

Organic tomatoes were the most noticeable example of substitution as their price per pound increased by almost three times the amount of conventional, resulting in a volume decline of 8 percent. Most other categories with large differentials in price increase (compared to conventional) did not see large drops in organic volume.

Organic grapes had an incredible quarter with a 37.3 percent increase in volume and a 40.2 percent increase in dollars.The first quarter is deep into the import season for grapes. Imported organic grapes are closing in on entering the top 20 organic categories in Q1 with $22 million in sales for the quarter this year, which places them in the 22nd spot by dollars. A 40 percent increase in dollars and a 37 percent increase in volume means that import grapes are a category to keep an eye on as we continue to track organic produce sales each quarter.

With rising prices, we may be seeing more selective organic shopping from consumers as they substitute conventional items for higher-priced organic items. Tom Barnes

Prepackaged salads and the berry category (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries) led the quarter as the top organic produce categories in dollars, accounting for nearly 40 percent of all sales.

Current trends show both conventional and organic produce volume shrinking year over year. At the same time, while volume for conventional produce is below 2020 and organics are on par with 2020, both are consistently gaining in dollars. For the first quarter of 2023, half of the leading 20 organic categories posted increases in dollars. Organic onions generated the largest percent increase in dollars at 10 percent, followed by bell peppers, lettuce, and herbs. Inversely, avocados posted the largest decline in dollars, while apples also posted noticeable declines.

In the first quarter of this year, 15 of the leading 20 categories posted declines in volume, with only seven of those 15 categories displaying positive year-over-year dollar growth. Organic apples posted the largest year-over-year decline in volume (by total pounds) of the leading categories, followed by bananas and carrots.

Despite the flat dollar growth and minor decline in volume across the country, OPN Co-founder and CEO Matt Seeley is bullish on the long-term prospects for growth of organic fresh produce. Inflation and supply chain challenges have impacted pricing in the short term; however, organic fresh produce will remain an important component of weekly food shopping as consumers look for healthy, safe, and nutritious products for their families, he said.

TheQ1 2023 Organic Produce Performance Reportcovers total food sales in the US, including all outlets (i.e., supermarkets, mass merchandisers, club stores, dollar stores, convenience stores, and military commissaries) over the months of January, February, and March of this year. The fullQ1 2023 Organic Produce Performance Reportis available on the Organic Produce Network websitehere.

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Inflation continues to take bite out of organic fresh produce sales in ... - Drgnews

WINTER PARK, Fla. A Rollins College senior says it was a recent health scare that pushed her to ask college leaders to add local, organically-grown, pesticide-free produce to menus on campus.

Katherine Hutcheson says she made a 180-degree turn in her eating habits after being diagnosed withpolycystic ovary syndrome.

Eventually, it got to the point where my body was shutting down," she said. "I didnt get my period for three months and I started to faint."

She started eating organic produce and pesticide-free food in hopes that a more natural diet would help her heal. As she started eating healthier, Hutcheson said it became her mission to help her college community access healthier options as well.

I want to empower people to know their local farmers, because we need food to survive at the root of it, she said.

While finding solutions to treat her condition, Hutcheson pitched an idea to serve local organic produce for students while also supporting local farmers at Rollins College.

Its important for us to be eating in a way that supports our health and so I decided, with my relationship with all local farmers working at the farmers market, that I (was going) to meet with the dining services and get them involved, she said.

Rollins Collegeexecutive chef Mark Kaba said after Hutcheson approached the dining team about what the college could do to help her and others, she quickly became a bridge between them and the farms in the area.

I think deep inside I was like, 'OK, this is a big ask, its a big challenge,' said Kaba.

Hutcheson, a psychology major who also teaches yoga at Rollins College, said she hopes sharing her health journey and spreading awareness will make a difference for thousands of Rollins College students.

When you plant that seed of hope it will bloom," she said. "Health and focusing my energy on healing myself has helped me be in the moment and experience the joy of life."

Rollins Dining Services representatives said about 20% of the student body has approached them to request organic foods.

Hutcheson said the goal is to slowly increase the use of local produce and organic foods by 30% at the college in the next couple of years.

Hutcheson no longer has PCOS symptoms and believes eating healthy, meditation and practicing yoga have been key to her healing.

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Rollins College senior's health journey pushed her to take action - News 13 Orlando

Milk and meat are grocery staples and at Sprouts Farmers Market, these items are getting innovative vegan makeovers. Last month, dairy-identical brand Bored Cow made its national retail debut at the grocery chains nearly 400 locations across 23 states.

Whats different about this brand? Instead of exploiting cows to make dairy, Bored Cowthe flagship brand of Tomorrow Foodsuses animal-free whey made by Perfect Day, a California food tech company working to make conventional dairy production methods obsolete with its precision fermentation technology. This base creates a functional vegan milk that steams, froths, and tastes identical to dairy milk.

Tomorrow Farms

Making functional dairy milk without animals in this way is a win for the environment as well. When compared to conventional and organic dairy milk, Bored Cows original flavor uses 96 percent less land, up to 67 percent less water, and emits up to 44 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Sprouts is now stocking Bored Cowwhich is loaded with calcium, B12, and Vitamin Din Original, Chocolate, Vanilla, and Strawberry flavors. We couldnt think of a better partner to bring Bored Cow to brick-and-mortar than Sprouts, Tomorrow Farms CEO Ben Berman said in a statement. We feel Sprouts shoppers are strongly aligned with our mission, and share in our passion for sustainable, plant-powered products.

Whether youre a longtime dairy drinker or a plant-based milk enthusiast, youll be thrilled with the taste, nutrition, and functionality of Bored Cow, Berman said.

Founded in 2002, the first Sprouts Farmers Market store opened in Chandler, Arizona, and the company expanded rapidly in the following years, opening stores in California, Colorado, Texas, and other states. Sprouts mission is to make healthy living affordable and accessible for everyone and its approach to elevating emerging companies is turning it into a hotspot for vegan innovators.

Meati

In addition to adding Bored Cow to its dairy case, Sprouts recently became the debut national retailer for Meati, a Colorado-based innovator in the vegan meat space. In March, Sprouts began stocking Meatis vegan chicken and carne asada steakswhich it makes from mycelium, the fast-growing root systems of mushrooms.

The benefits here are also vast. Instead of raising animals for meat, the company is able to grow the equivalent of hundreds of cows with just a teaspoon of mycelium spores into hundreds in a matter of days at its new Mega Ranch facilitywhere it aims to produce 45 million pounds of mushroom meat annually.

Meati worked with Sprouts to test its vegan meats in select Colorado stores, which proved quite popular, before rolling out nationally.

And Meati is not the only new vegan meat brand at Sprouts. California-based, premium plant-based meat company Abbots Butcher just touched down at Sprouts, bringing its plant-based chorizo and chopped vegan chicken into the retailers refrigerated case.

Launching with Sprouts is an incredibly exciting step for us, Founder & CEO Kerry Song said in a statement. There is an undeniable shift taking place in how consumers are thinking about their food, and they are actively seeking out food made with ingredients that truly nourish their bodies.

Sprouts is a grocer they trust to feed themselves and their families, and we are honored to be a part of that, Song said.

Outside of the milk and meat sections, Sprouts is also supporting vegan food brands in other ways through its Innovation Centers, a display format it includes in its newer stores to showcase a rotation of smaller brands.

RollinGreens

This is where customers can now find Colorado-based brand RollinGreens line of vegan meats (called MEEAT) includes taco grounds, chorizo, salt & pepper beef, and a newly launched fajita chicken.

The Innovation Center is also how GrownAs* Foods got its elevated vegan mac and cheese in front of consumers last month.

We are thrilled to join forces with Sprouts and bring our delicious, plant-based mac and cheese to families across the nation within the chains new Innovation Centers, GrownAs* Foods Chief of Flavor, David Delcourt said in a statement.

This new format is helping to even the playing field within the grocery industry, not only making it possible for smaller brands like GrownAs* to expand their footprint, but also easier for consumers to try new products that align with their core values, Delcourt said.

Tomorrow Farms

And Sprouts support for food innovators comes at a time when retail sales of vegan food surpassed an $8 billion milestone last year, according to a recent report, with dairy-free milks leading the way. And plant-based food is a growth engine for the food sector at large, the report found. While total food and beverage unit sales remained mostly flat last year at just 1 percent, unit growth of plant-based foods is up by 23 percent.

Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.

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How Sprouts Market Became a Launch Pad for the Most Innovative ... - VegNews

Raw milk consumers and sellers are once again asking lawmakers to expand access to the controversial dairy product.

The Northeast Organic Farming Association contends raw milk, or unpasteurized milk, is healthier and tastes better than milk that has been through the sterilization process. They list benefits including high levels of calcium, amino acids and vitamins, as well as "beneficial bacteria" that can "rebalance a digestive system unable to process many foods, and can restore the immune system."

But, regulators are wary of the product.

"Raw milk can contain a variety of disease-causing pathogens, as demonstrated by numerous scientific studies. These studies, along with numerous foodborne outbreaks, clearly demonstrate the risk associated with drinking raw milk," the FDA says on its website.

Currently, Massachusetts dairies can only sell raw milk on their farms, and cannot bring it to farmers markets or do home delivery. On its website NOFA reports there are more than 24 farms in Massachusetts licensed to sell raw milk from their farm stores.

Sen. Anne Gobi of Spencer, who has previously sponsored legislation to expand access to raw milk, filed a bill (S 43) again this session to allow dairy farmers to deliver raw milk directly to consumers and from farm stands.

"We get calls all the time for people who would be consumers in the Boston area who, you know, just can't get the hour or more outside of the city to find a place to buy raw milk," Jocelyn Langer, executive director of NOFA, said at an Agriculture Committee hearing on the bill on Monday. "By allowing for delivery, the Legislature would support food justice and increase the economic viability of small dairies. We want farming to remain a viable business in this state, and for our food security and for the health and happiness that comes from eating fresh nourishing food."

Between 2013 and 2018, 75 outbreaks with 675 illnesses occurred in the U.S. that were linked to unpasteurized milk, according to a recent studypublicized by the CDC. In states where the sale of raw milk was expressly allowed, there was estimated to be 3.2 times greater number of outbreaks, according to the report.

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Raw milk supporters say it's part of 'food justice' debate - WBUR News

May 2, 2023 Chef Jon Dickinson grew up tending and eating tomatoes in his familys lush Santa Cruz garden.

I would eat them all dayyou just cant buy them like that in the store, he says. I got exposed to a farm environment and working with organic foods at an early age.

He was washing dishes and working food prep by his early teens, and cooking professionally by 14.

From there, across decades, hes traveled an arc with long stints at impressive restaurants, all of them in the Santa Cruz area.

When asked which ones he demurs.

That was surprising, but other things he said put it in context: One was personal (Im a shy, quiet, private person); the other was powerfulreflecting the wisdom and humility of more than a half century working at the craft.

My experience is all over the place, and Ive learned a lot over the years from different folks and different styles, he says. Im a good cookbut it doesnt matter how good you are if you dont have a good team around you. Its a collaborative effort on everyones partfrom the dishwasher to the maintenance to bussers.

At one point he adds this, an unprompted follow-up to the point that a chefs resume can be a helpful tool for readers to know what theyre getting into: Theyll experience good food. I can guarantee you that.

(He did tellEdibleoff the record where hes worked, and the list supports yet another something he said: If youve been out to one of the better restaurants in Santa Cruz, youve eaten my food.)

At Trout Farm Inn his food, which will be served starting tomorrow, May 3, feels like a snuggly match fora local institution recently reborn and applying ambition to its food, drink and family-friendly swimming pool program.

Its a menu defined by simple, smart, accessible and comforting grub withlocalat the center of its identity.

Share plates roll through smoked wings to creamy hot artichoke dip to Manilla clams steamed in white wine, garlic, shallot, tomato, butter and fresh herbs (appetizers run $13-$24).

Soups and salads dip into promising things like a smoked trout chowder with fennel, red potato, onion, cream, lemon and dill ($12) and the Trout Farm Caesar with Grana Padano cheese, garlic croutons and anchovies ($14).

Lunch looks lovely, and reminds me why its my favorite meal of the day: three different Trout Farm tacos (short rib, pulled pork or fish), a signature burger, fresh rockfish-and-chips, Kalua pulled pork sliders ($15-$16) and a flexed-up rundown of sandwiches like the big Italian, fried chicken, meatloaf or turkey club, most available as a half with a choice of soup or house salad ($16-$18).

Entrees close the day with oomph. Think braised chicken thigh and leg in a rustic red wine-tomato-herb sauce ($27), whole rainbow trout ($28), short ribs ($34), mushroom cashew cream pasta ($22), mustard-crusted salmon ($32) and more.

The Trout Farm Inn snack bar and pool, which opened briefly last summer, is undergoing repairs and expected to reopen once the hot weather kicks in. The snack bar will have a separate menu, serving up smash burgers, hot dogs and fries.

Dickinson lives in Boulder Creek, just up the mountain from Trout Farm Inn, so hes digging the mellow commute. He sounds that much more fired up, however, for the sparkling new space.

Its really cool to get to work in a brand new building with brand new equipment, he says. Its just gorgeous.

Trout Farm Inns bar-restaurant is open daily 11am-3pm for lunch, 3-5pm with a bar menu and 5pm-close (tentatively around 9 or 10pm) for dinner. | 7701 E. Zayante Road in Felton |(831) 335-4317,thetroutfarm.com.

Mark C. Anderson is a writer, photographer, editor and explorer based in Seaside, California. Reach @MontereyMCA by way of Instagram and Twitter.

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Trout Farm opens Its New Restaurant and Bar - Edible Monterey Bay

Maybe youve heard: A mutated form of parasitic mushrooms called cordyceps is converting billions of humans into hyper-scary, hyper-athletic and hyper-contagious zombies.

Theyre rampaging across the planet, devouring faces and spewing infectious spores.

Thats the fiction at the heart of The Last of Us, a smash hit series on HBO, which is built on scientific fact and then layered with creative liberties and a mass-panic apocalypse.

IRL, cordyceps actually do invade insect hosts after a spore lands on them and deploys its mycelia tendrils. Once the bug is paralyzed or dead, the fungus erupts out of the insect with a fruiting body (what most know as a mushroom), spreading its spores to other insects of the same species.

Like the shows heroes, Joel and Ellie, Watsonville-based chef Dory Ford is one step ahead of the mushroom zombies, which keeps with a theme.

When he captained Monterey Bay Aquariums kitchens, he was ahead of the curve on smart and local sourcing before sustainability was a buzzword. When he moved on to school projects, he helped reinvent student nutrition. When he launched a catering juggernaut called Aqua Terra Culinary, he refinedand even redefinedhow organic food, chic clients and limited food waste could harmonize.

Before millions of HBO viewers started Googling cordyceps, he was well into a fund-raising campaign to begin cultivating them while plunging into mycelium science lessons from other species (hence the name of his new farm-laboratory, MycoSci).

Ford laughs when he first learns that the mushroom hes focused on became the demon protagonist of a deliriously popular show inspired by a video game.

Yeah, we like to get ahead of the game, he says.

Mushrooms like the dark. So maybe this saga should start in a dark place.

When COVID brought its own sort of apocalypse, Ford was forced to close his restaurant and catering operation. The professional passion of his last three and a half decades went poof. It would be fair to say he fell into a zombie-like state.

My entire business modelmy entire lifes workdisappeared, he says. I was not well. What was I gonna do? I cant sit at home and watch Netflix. I have ADHD; my leg bounces up and down.

A psychedelic savior came into the picture organically. A loved one told Ford about 1) her hope to get off prescription antidepressants and 2) her curiosity in psilocybin-based treatments, i.e., the increasingly widespread (and increasingly legal) use of so-called magic mushrooms to relieve everything from anorexia nervosa to post-traumatic stress.

He offered to help and, after some successful therapeutic doses, went looking for more medicine.

COVID-related supply chain chaos, however, meant there was no psilocybin to be found easily. Ford ordered a grow box online and began experimenting with cultivation for personal use.

He deflects any notion of a lightbulb moment; instead, he simply applies his problem-solving skills. Still, that led to some lightbulb-like revelations.

As a chef, you spend years dealing with something caught, killed, picked or cut, he says. By the time you get something, its at the end of its lifespan.

His new task presented a different paradigm.

When you get involved from a farming perspective, youre creating life, he says. The instructions are a little different. You watch something grow, and you give them reverence.

Theres enlightenment that came with that for me: Im OK with things. Im not going to crawl out of my skin. It allows you to carry on, to touch base with like-minded people, to find out youre not alone.

Mycelium author, researcher, entrepreneur and author Paul Stamets likes to talk about how mushrooms can rescue the planet, which sounds hyperbolic but might be an undersell.

He writes and talks about how mycelium can decompose toxic and biological waste and prevent pests like ants and termites from destroying homes and crops. (Stamets has eight patents to prove it.)

He spotlights how it can convert cellulose into usable fuel and how it filters pathogens from polluted streams. He notes how it resists bacteria, which is why many antibiotics can be found in mushrooms. He observes how it can repair habitat post-natural disasters, perhaps on a Last of Us level.

His TED Talk on life-saving mycelium mojo has more than 8.6 million views. The 17-minute talk is fast-moving and fascinating and merits viewing for Good Times readersas does the spellbinding 2019 Fantastic Fungi: The Magic Beneath Us documentary he stars in. Both videos deserve a spot in soil science curriculums everywhere.

I love a challenge, he says to start the TED Talk, and saving the Earth is probably a good one.

Last week, another TED Talk, Could fungi actually be the key to humanitys survival? circulated on TED Recommends mailing lists.

Maybe for the future, if we can learn from fungi, says mushroom researcher and restaurateur David Andrew Quist, we might be able to transform ourselves and our society in ways that are in greater harmony with nature.

The short answer, for Ford is, Hell yes, we can.

One way to get there is by way of taste buds and tummies. So far, this look at shroom superpowers doesnt include their flavor flex. Its a pause to salute all the healthy, tasty and umami-rich elements available from enoki and oyster, morel and maitake, shiitake and porcini and cremini. But not much is known about cordyceps taste profile, at least among most Americans.

That was a theme when Ford hosted his first public tasting event in three years at Elroys Fine Foods in Monterey last week, which featured live mushroom packs of cordyceps. According to Ford, some of the most common reactions are: What is that? Can I touch it? and Thats delicious!

People left surprised and intrigued, he adds.

The last reaction tracks back to the flavor front: What he prepared reflects cordyceps versatility and depth. (As do dishes from MycoSci partner chef Colin Moody, whos crafted everything from cordyceps arancini to cordyceps maple ice cream with cordyceps streusel.)

On April 28, Ford sauted the cordys for 30 seconds, then laid the brilliant orange against a soba noodle salad background of seasonal greens like kale, snap peas, asparagus, baby zucchini, green beans and scallions with a bit of radish, sweet corn for balance and a miso dressingspiked with cordyceps powder.

It does really well with all those Asian-leaning notes, he says.

That makes sense: As opposed to most Westerners, traditional Chinese medicine practitionersand eatersknow cordyceps well, partly because the fungi hail from the high mountains of China, where they grow wild on caterpillars. (MycoSci raises them on a proprietaryand sterilizedsilkworm larvae substrate.)

Their historic applications include combating kidney disease, fatigue and dipping sex drive. Some studies have shown that they offer antioxidants, slow tumors, aid people with type 2 diabetes, soften the effects of arrhythmia heart conditions and slow down inflammation.

In my test run with MycoScis debut productconvenient snack packs of seasoned cordycepsI felt more energized for an afternoon workoutanecdotal evidence, yes, but an experience that syncs with reports that cordyceps improve blood flow.

Interestingly, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs has solid knowledge of the mushroom. It describes a range of specifics on its portal for holistic, alternative and medicinal methods (aka Whole Health).

It is sometimes considered an adaptogen due to its immune-boosting properties Whole Health reports. Small studies have shown and can be beneficial in renal damage for improving quality of life and cellular immunity after chemotherapy treatment, and for supporting liver function for those with hepatitis B.

Cordyceps possess other charms. To start, theyre not a Schedule I controlled substance by the federal government (as is psilocybin). MycoSci stands ready to pivot at least in part toward medicinal psychedelics if and when regulations change When they catch up, as Ford saysbut for now, its the little-mushroom-that-could theyre focused on.

More good news: Cordyceps are relatively easy to grow and fetch a premium price of over $25/pound. The quality of what MycoSci is producing proves impressive enough that, pending negotiations, Far West Fungi is open to buying their entire supply.

The little Cheeto-looking fungi also catch the eye, which helps their visibility at independent grocers where MycoSci mushrooms are increasingly available.

In addition to Elroys, they appear at Far Wests spots in Santa Cruz, the San Francisco Ferry Building and Rainbow Grocery Cooperative in S.F. In MycoSci, Far West CEO Ian Garrone finds a fitting partner for what his family business wants to do.

Were always trying to bring in local, sustainable agriculture, especially with mushrooms, and not a lot of people are doing cordyceps, he says, noting he sells 100 pounds a week, previously all from China. It allows us to support local, provide more niche organic artisan mushrooms, get oxygen in your systemand it has great flavor, a little sweetness, something you can use in food and as a potent medicinal.

MycoScis one full-time employee is grow director Michael Bandy, who studied ecology and evolution at UCSC. He then started cultivating mushrooms in his basement before developing a full-send fungi farm in a 4,500-square-foot facility.

His main charge currently: scaling the cordyceps cultivation effort by tweaking light levels, substrate amounts and more. Hes looking at what he calls a wide spectrum of potential nutrient ingredients, all veganthink nutritional yeast, spirulina and kelp, among many others.

The plan sounds good overall: working on optimizing life force with mindfulness.

Operating and processing as efficiently as possible, he says.

Hes audibly stoked by the challenge and is excited to apply his experience in extractions, tinctures and cultivation, using fancy tools like rotary evaporators and high-precision liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry usually reserved for the likes of pharmaceutical and forensic laboratories.

But as much as anything, he sounds most eager about advancing understanding of a range of shroom species, which gets at the big-picture thoughts running through the mycelium minds of Stamets and Ford.

Bandy articulates a vision of elevating the food and supplement industry in the United States by using science to inform growing and extraction practices and product development, which sounds cutting edge but isnt exactly. That was how many food systems worked before yield and timing took precedence over nutrition and quality.

With our analytical tools, we can learn to grow our mushrooms in a way that will maximize beneficial compounds and nutritional density, he says. This is not new technology. It canand shouldbe applied to our entire ag system.

Put differently: Sleep peacefully, free of zombie-stalked nightmares, knowing the mushrooms will not create the next apocalypse.

Its the mushrooms that will prevent it.

More at mycosci.com. The cordyceps-soba noodle-salad recipe is available at instagram.com/myco.sci

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Upstart Mushroom Farm MycoSci is Growing Big Ideas in ... - Good Times

If Earth Day is all about the environment and ecology you know, healthy organic food? another of Santa Barbaras long-running family-oriented festivals takes an altogether different tack: were talking corn dogs and cotton candy. Were also talking farming, enthralling exhibits, and a full focus on fun. Yes, its the Santa Barbara Fair & Expo, also back in full force for the five-day festival, April 26-30. There will be two stages of non-stop music and performances, including perennially popular magician Frank Thurston and hypnotist James Kellogg, Jr. each of whom will roll out their act a dozen times over the span of the fair. This years main attraction may well be motocross superstar Adam Jones, the 2007 X Games Los Angeles Freestyle Gold Medalist.

Of course, most kids and teens will tend to veer toward the carnival midway, which this year boasts more than 30 rides and attractions, including such scream yourself hoarse diversions as Super Shot Drop Tower, Mega Flip, and something called Turbo Speed (which requires 10 tickets, twice as many as any other ride), along with old chestnuts like the Tilt-a-Whirl which subject graced Bruce Springsteens second album about half a century ago on his. Visit https://earlwarren.com/fair-and-expo for info and tickets.

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Furry Critters, Fat-Filled Food, and Fabulous Fun at the Fair & Expo ... - Montecito Journal