- for coffee, most carry Starbucks and Caribou, and they have organic varieties. The biggest drawback to buying here is that they typically offer *ground* coffee, not whole-bean.
- the frozen-food section likely has at least Amy's, if not other local and/or organic brands
- you didn't mention cheeses, of which Cub carries many from Wisconsin. Again, the organic selection may be a bit -- umm -- lean, but at least there's local food there.
- it's not food, but some Cubs carry Green Forest paper goods and Seventh Generation products.
Thanks for the peek inside the store. Want to try Rainbow next? :-)
I agree that the term “local” has been twisted and applied in ways inconsistent with what it really means — and that, as consumers, we need to ask questions and trust our instincts when it comes to making food choices for ourselves and our children. As the person responsible for marketing Gold’n Plump, I know I have to be able to substantiate what we say—with real facts, not just well-crafted messages.
To that end, our message about being local isn’t a marketing gimmick or new position. It’s a provable and long-standing position for our company. What’s new is that we just recently started to more actively reach out to consumers — asking them to take a stand and get vocal about buying local. Our crusade and conviction about local began more than 20 years ago when parachuting chickens took up the fight keep out-of-state chicken brands out of Minnesota. And since 2005, we’ve implored our family farmers to take up the fight — showcasing their photos and stories to let consumers meet some of the good people behind our chicken.
Yes, local, independent family farmers really do raise our chickens — not a few in quaint little coops but many in modern, climate-controlled barns where they are free to roam, eat and interact as chickens do. And we don’t hide this fact. You can see real chickens in a real barn right now on our Web site.
And while our methods of raising chickens may not be small-scale, the care we provide is no more complicated nor less diligent. Big production doesn’t mean bad or irresponsible, it’s just different.
In the barns, our chickens are protected from weather-induced stresses and external threats like exposure to disease-carrying droppings from wild birds and natural predators. Our chickens are never caged and they’re fed a diet of nutritious feed made of locally purchased corn and other ingredients. And we audit our practices following animal welfare guidelines established by university experts and the National Chicken Council.
Consumers need to have choices, because chicken raised in smaller-scale operations may not be affordable or even accessible to everyone. That’s where Gold’n Plump fits — an affordable, widely available, local and family farm-raised option.
We are proud of our local roots — and about being vocal about it. And we’re not afraid to answer the next question. We encourage anyone with questions to ask, and we’ll answer.
Julie Berling
Director of brand strategy
Gold'n Plump Poultry
Injera or boudeena, is an Ethiopian flat-bread. It's very spongelike, has a sourdough taste to it, and is cooked similar to a huge pancake. You eat it with Ethiopian dishes like stews made from beef, lentils, cabbage, or lamb, etc. It is very delicious! If you are looking for a restaurant to try some Ethiopian dishes, Fasika in St. Paul on Snelling is fabulous!
Kris -- Thank you for the kind comments and the tip about the coffee.
Jason -- Thanks for the kind words and for understanding that even small changes can make big differences.
Liz -- Thanks for raising two important points: Could you post some information about ecologically friendly greenhouses? And do you know if Bushel Boy's facilities conform to those specifications? Also, I would never make the assertion that anything not organic is "doused in pesticides." However, apples regularly appear near the top of every list of fruits and vegetables that receive the most pesticide exposure. (Take a look at this: http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=AP)
Elizabeth -- Thanks for your very well-informed perspectives on big box stores, local food producers, and organic certification. Your input is always especially welcome!
Thanks for addressing the big box store question. The co-ops cannot possibly feed the entire population of the Twin City area! Getting more organic and local foods into the existing grocery store network is important both for consumers and for local producers. A difficulty on the local food side is that small farms may not produce enough for an entire grocery chain. Chain grocers want to offer largely the same product line in most of their stores.
I disagree with the comment about organic being a "very dicey label." The Certified Organic label means that all aspects of production have been inspected for compliance with the organic standards.
As for costs, there are subsidies to help pay for organic certification, and different certifying agencies have different fee scales. Saying that not all sustainable producers choose organic certification is accurate, though in most cases producers probably would benefit by doing so.
I appreciate that SGT is willing to address these questions.
1 - greenhouses do not inherently have huge footprints. Do research into how the greenhouse is run. Because water can be reused and they heat themselves, often food grown in greenhouses can have a smaller footprint than that grown in an open field. Fresh local tomatoes in winter? Yes please.
2 - just because something is not labeled "organic" does not mean it was doused in pesticides. Just as the word "local" is getting overused, "organic" is a very dicey label. Many small/local farmers don't use chemicals. They also don't pay the huge sums of money to be certified.
Another local item you can find at some of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area Cub's is injera, made by the local company Shega Injera on Franklin Ave. in Minneapolis.
Great stuff! I always encourage people to pick one thing and make the change. I think this guide gives the average grocery store shopper actionable buying options... to begin the shift to a more aware way of buying.
Sounds like a great line up
Sounds like a great line up for future meals to come!
A few more items which most
A few more items which most Cubs should carry:
- for coffee, most carry Starbucks and Caribou, and they have organic varieties. The biggest drawback to buying here is that they typically offer *ground* coffee, not whole-bean.
- the frozen-food section likely has at least Amy's, if not other local and/or organic brands
- you didn't mention cheeses, of which Cub carries many from Wisconsin. Again, the organic selection may be a bit -- umm -- lean, but at least there's local food there.
- it's not food, but some Cubs carry Green Forest paper goods and Seventh Generation products.
Thanks for the peek inside the store. Want to try Rainbow next? :-)
I agree that the term “local”
I agree that the term “local” has been twisted and applied in ways inconsistent with what it really means — and that, as consumers, we need to ask questions and trust our instincts when it comes to making food choices for ourselves and our children. As the person responsible for marketing Gold’n Plump, I know I have to be able to substantiate what we say—with real facts, not just well-crafted messages.
To that end, our message about being local isn’t a marketing gimmick or new position. It’s a provable and long-standing position for our company. What’s new is that we just recently started to more actively reach out to consumers — asking them to take a stand and get vocal about buying local. Our crusade and conviction about local began more than 20 years ago when parachuting chickens took up the fight keep out-of-state chicken brands out of Minnesota. And since 2005, we’ve implored our family farmers to take up the fight — showcasing their photos and stories to let consumers meet some of the good people behind our chicken.
Yes, local, independent family farmers really do raise our chickens — not a few in quaint little coops but many in modern, climate-controlled barns where they are free to roam, eat and interact as chickens do. And we don’t hide this fact. You can see real chickens in a real barn right now on our Web site.
And while our methods of raising chickens may not be small-scale, the care we provide is no more complicated nor less diligent. Big production doesn’t mean bad or irresponsible, it’s just different.
In the barns, our chickens are protected from weather-induced stresses and external threats like exposure to disease-carrying droppings from wild birds and natural predators. Our chickens are never caged and they’re fed a diet of nutritious feed made of locally purchased corn and other ingredients. And we audit our practices following animal welfare guidelines established by university experts and the National Chicken Council.
Consumers need to have choices, because chicken raised in smaller-scale operations may not be affordable or even accessible to everyone. That’s where Gold’n Plump fits — an affordable, widely available, local and family farm-raised option.
We are proud of our local roots — and about being vocal about it. And we’re not afraid to answer the next question. We encourage anyone with questions to ask, and we’ll answer.
Julie Berling
Director of brand strategy
Gold'n Plump Poultry
Injera or boudeena, is an
Injera or boudeena, is an Ethiopian flat-bread. It's very spongelike, has a sourdough taste to it, and is cooked similar to a huge pancake. You eat it with Ethiopian dishes like stews made from beef, lentils, cabbage, or lamb, etc. It is very delicious! If you are looking for a restaurant to try some Ethiopian dishes, Fasika in St. Paul on Snelling is fabulous!
Oh, I almost forgot... Katie
Oh, I almost forgot...
Katie -- What the heck is "injera?" This is something I have never heard of! You must fill me in here! ;-)
Kris -- Thank you for the
Kris -- Thank you for the kind comments and the tip about the coffee.
Jason -- Thanks for the kind words and for understanding that even small changes can make big differences.
Liz -- Thanks for raising two important points: Could you post some information about ecologically friendly greenhouses? And do you know if Bushel Boy's facilities conform to those specifications? Also, I would never make the assertion that anything not organic is "doused in pesticides." However, apples regularly appear near the top of every list of fruits and vegetables that receive the most pesticide exposure. (Take a look at this: http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/food.jsp?food=AP)
Elizabeth -- Thanks for your very well-informed perspectives on big box stores, local food producers, and organic certification. Your input is always especially welcome!
Thanks for addressing the big
Thanks for addressing the big box store question. The co-ops cannot possibly feed the entire population of the Twin City area! Getting more organic and local foods into the existing grocery store network is important both for consumers and for local producers. A difficulty on the local food side is that small farms may not produce enough for an entire grocery chain. Chain grocers want to offer largely the same product line in most of their stores.
I disagree with the comment about organic being a "very dicey label." The Certified Organic label means that all aspects of production have been inspected for compliance with the organic standards.
As for costs, there are subsidies to help pay for organic certification, and different certifying agencies have different fee scales. Saying that not all sustainable producers choose organic certification is accurate, though in most cases producers probably would benefit by doing so.
I appreciate that SGT is willing to address these questions.
Elizabeth at Wedge Co-op
I have to take issue with two
I have to take issue with two things:
1 - greenhouses do not inherently have huge footprints. Do research into how the greenhouse is run. Because water can be reused and they heat themselves, often food grown in greenhouses can have a smaller footprint than that grown in an open field. Fresh local tomatoes in winter? Yes please.
2 - just because something is not labeled "organic" does not mean it was doused in pesticides. Just as the word "local" is getting overused, "organic" is a very dicey label. Many small/local farmers don't use chemicals. They also don't pay the huge sums of money to be certified.
Another local item you can
Another local item you can find at some of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area Cub's is injera, made by the local company Shega Injera on Franklin Ave. in Minneapolis.
Great stuff! I always
Great stuff! I always encourage people to pick one thing and make the change. I think this guide gives the average grocery store shopper actionable buying options... to begin the shift to a more aware way of buying.