Saturday, May 30, 2009

Fresh Abundance Weekly News - May 30, 2009

Fresh Abundance - Bringing Local Food to Local People
Boxes
Jacque's Blog
PEACH Blog

One Mother's Thoughts
This week my husband put up the clothesline and a note on the dryer saying that it was unplugged and not available till late fall. I love the smell of clothes fresh off the line. It is nice to know that a warm season of no static cling is here. In looking at companies that promote fabric softeners, I am often amazed how advertisers use my mothering instincts against me. Like all mothers, I want to take good loving care of my children. I want my family to be healthy and happy. As a good mother I have spent years diligently doing laundry, lovingly folding and putting away my kids clothes. When it comes to fabric softener sheets and liquids, the packaging has references to spring breezes and teddy bears. Of course I want fresh smelling clothes and safe feeling stuffys for my kids.

Here is what is actually in fabric softeners: alpha-terpineol, benzyl acetate, camphor, benzyl alcohol, limonene, ethyl acetate, pentane, and chloroform.

Here are some of the effects of these chemicals:
-cause central nervous system disorders, headaches, and loss of muscle
coordination;
-irritate mucous membranes and impair respiratory function;
-cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, or drowsiness;
-cause liver or kidney damage;
-cause skin disorders and allergic reactions;
-cause cancer

I think it would be far more appropriate to replace the teddy bear with a skull and cross bones. If your family has allergies, skin problems, or asthma then toxic laundry products should be first on the list to be booted from your home. Here is a link to another mothers ideas on this. http://mommyfootprint.com/dryer-sheets-fabric-softner-a-household-toxin/. At Fresh Abundance we carry non-toxic enzyme based cleaners that you can use with confidence. If you want your clothes to smell spring fresh just hang them out to dry in the sunshine.

ON THE FARM
If you have time to volunteer anytime this next week it is all hands on deck as we scurry to get the plants in the ground. We need most of the seeds and bedding plants in the ground if we hope to have a crop from them. Be sure to check out the farm video on the farm blog you can link to the blog through the PEACH web site www.peachlocal.com. In addition to helping hands, we are also looking for any gardening supplies including the flimsy plastic pots and ponies from the plants you are currently putting in your landscape and garden. We also need two heavy-duty wheelbarrows, shovels, trowels, garden gloves and kneepads.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Community Roots Market June 14th 11-4 Tell everyone that your LOCAL market will be open EVERY SUNDAY from then on. Come and BUY LOCAL from venders while you enjoy local music and a vibrant market atmosphere.

Barn Dance on the Farm September 26th
We will host our annual, not to be missed because it is so much fun, PEACH fundraiser. Currently we are collecting items for our silent auction that will take place at the event. If you or your business would like to donate an item or service or would like to be a sponsor please contact Brightspirit at 509-435-5210 or Brightspirit@freshabundance.com

DONATIONS
We have collected about $200 of the $1000 needed for the BIG Community Roots Market banner that will hang on Division please be sure to give to the jar at the register or send a check to help us meet this goal. To create a strong market we need to get the market in the minds of regular Spokane folks. The car count on Division past the market is 40,000 a day. We need to get this sign up so everyone in Spokane will know where they can BUY LOCAL!!!

WORK PLACE GIVING
Does the place you work have a program for you to give charitable donations through payroll deductions? Please consider giving to P.E.A.C.H. Even if you don稚 use this form of giving I am trying to get invited to work place events so that I can talk about the work of P.E.A.C.H. If you would like to give to us through your work place giving or host a PEACH info forum at your work site please contact me 435-5210 brightspirit@freshabundance.com

PLANT SALE
We have a great selection of Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplant, Lettuce, Kale, and Basil in stores now! All the proceeds go to support the PEACH Permaculture Farm!

PLANT GIVE AWAY
We have several thousand plants that we are giving away to low-income folks. If you are on food stamps stop by the Division store and we will give you plants so you can grow your own food. We are also looking for community gardens, food pantries, church groups or anyone who works with low-income community members to help us give these food plants away. The more of us that grow food, the stronger our local food shed gets!

Till Next Week - Stay LOCAL,
Eden Brightspirit Hendrix

Saturday, May 23, 2009

PEACH Farm News #08 - May 19, 2009

PEACH Farm News #08, Basil, Deer Fence, Peas coming up, 10 Dwarf fruit trees planted.

Fresh Abundance Weekly News - May 23, 2009

Fresh Abundance
Bringing Local Food to Local People

Boxes
Jacque's Blog
PEACH Blog

If you don't like your reality, change it. - Richard Bandler

Each change that I embrace moves me forward, and each change that we make for Fresh Abundance leads us to success.

As many of you know we have closed our store on the south hill. We originally leased the 25th location to move the small home delivery packing operation out of my living room. We did not expect that the home delivery would grow SO FAST, and after only a year and a half we had no choice but to find a larger space.

We still held a lease for the south store, and so we turned this tiny, off-the-beaten path, in the back of a building, buried in a neighborhood location into a grocery store. The long and short of it is that the space was too small, and could not easily be found. So after struggling for the last year and a half to get enough shoppers to try and pay the bills we are closing it down. Although we are sad to leave the neighborhood, we are excited to focus our energy and resources on what is working well so that we can continue to do the most good in our community. You can continue to support our wonderful community building work by shopping at our Division or Valley stores, by getting home delivery, or by becoming an active member of Fresh Abundance (dues support P.E.A.C.H.).

COMMUNITY ROOTS MARKET
Mark your calendar for June 14th when Community Roots Market goes to a weekly Sunday market. Join us from 11-4 to kick off a great season of supporting LOCAL producers.

P.E.A.C.H. FARM UPDATE
Lots is happening on the farm right now and we are looking for at least 4 volunteers and 2 heavy duty wheelbarrows on the farm for next Saturday between 10-2:30. Come get your hands dirty to help build your community.

HOLIDAY HOURS & DELIVERY SCHEDULE
The Division store will be open from 10-4 on Memorial Day for any last minute shopping needs. Monday deliveries will be made on Tuesday. Tuesday-Friday deliveries are scheduled as normal.

Next week I will return to discuss everyday exposure to toxics by informing you about dryer sheets. You know the ones with teddy bears and spring breezes.

Till Next Week Stay LOCAL,
Eden Brightspirit Hendrix

Friday, May 15, 2009

PEACH Farm News #07 - May 13, 2009

PEACH Farm News #07, Sprinklers, Planting cucumbers, melons, Greenhouse, Fense, Raised Beds.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Bedding Plant Sale & P.E.A.C.H. Farm Tour

Mark your calendar for two sustainability events this weekend brought to you by P.E.A.C.H.-People for Environmental Action & Community Health is a decade old tax-exempt 501c3 non-profit, dedicated to creating a "BUY LOCAL" economy by connecting LOCAL foods & goods with LOCAL people. Join us on the farm, or at the market for all things local.

P.E.A.C.H. Permaculture Farm Tour & PLANT SALE - Saturday May 16th from 10-5 Stop by the farm for a tour of what it takes to set up a permaculture farm. We will have a large selection of Tomato, Eggplant, Pepper and Basil plant varieties for sale. All proceeds from the plant sale go to support P.E.A.C.H. programs.

*Directions to the farm:
Take I-90 to the Evergreen exit
Go South on Evergreen to 32nd Ave
Turn left on 32nd Ave
Go 1/10 of a mile.
You will see the farm on your right.
Turn on Best Rd and park at the Fresh Abundance farm store.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Community Roots Market - Sunday May 17th from 11-4

The Community Roots Farmers Market is always held at Fresh Abundance Division
We're at 2015 N. Division Street

For more information contact Lisa@Freshabundance.com
or call 509-714-9880

Check here for the latest update.

For a printable flyer for the Community Roots Market to place at your work, on your fridge or maybe on your cat? Well then, CLICK HERE.

Children's Activity Center 11-2
Suggest donation to P.E.A.C.H. is $5 for this workshop

Organic Gardening Class 10 AM
Back by popular demand Soil 101 How to care for your soil community and harvest the best tasting veggies.
$10 Suggested Donation

Live LOCAL Music
11-12: Michaelyn (acoustic guitar)
12-2: Drum Circle put on by Community Toots Marker
2-4: The III Kings (family friendly hip hop)

MUSICIANS: Looking for more local musicians to play at the market. Contact Lisa if you would like to come down and play lisa@freshabundance.com

VENDORS:
Hear about what is new at the P.E.A.C.H. farm. Come sign up to be a volunteer! Come by Garden Bedding Plants

Slide Sideways - Original hand screen-printed goods and artwork. Check out the goods at www.slidesideways.etsy.com These folks are the graphic design artist that work with Fresh Abundance & P.E.A.C.H. if you like our new look these are the folks responsible for it. If you need graphic design work you can reach them at wearesliding@gmail.com

Michaelyn & Shawna - Handcrafted apparel, bags, blown glass, and much more.

Susie David's Cattle Company LLC - Will have grilled sausages, frozen low fat ground beef & other cuts, frozen sausages, hot coffee & chocolate for sale.

Kensho Designs - Will be selling handmade market bags and organic cotton clothing.

Arabesque Bakery - Delicious breads, pastries, and savory goodies.

Earth Designed Cosmetics - Handmade lotions and creams.

Artful Spirit
- Drums, recycled art, jewelry, etc. Get a sneak peak at www.sandyartfulspirit.com.

Dancing Chicken Studio - Catherine (Olason) Gregorak and Mark Easton are artists who create with a variety of media in their studio, including paintings, ceramic tile, & sculpture. Check out Mark's art on line www.markeastonart.com

Earth Beads - Handmade jewelry focused on natural stones.

Coffee Social - Coffee Social, your local organic cafe, will be serving really good organic, fair trade coffee and organic tea, and selling whole bean coffee. Coffee Social opened in September just a stone's throw from the Division Street Fresh Abundance and serves up really yummy organic cafe fare, all made in-house from scratch, seven days a week. Stop by and say hi! Located at 113 W Indiana Ave. Take a look online at www.coffeesocial.net.

Patriotic Motors Electric -An electric conversion shop, converting gasoline vehicles to battery electric, will have a booth at the market with information about this exciting topic.

Alma Libre Designs - One of a kind photography, jewelry, and fabric creations.

The French Quarter - Utilizing ingredients from local growers, or fruits and herbs they grow in our own back yards, the French Quarter's goal is to provide the downtown community with locally produced gourmet specialties of the highest quality. Supporting sustainable agriculture and our own hometown is the focus of The French Quarter. Located at 1311 W. Sprague. Check them out at www.myfrenchquarter.com.

AppleRock Farms - Come and see what these local farmers will have available.

Ty - Will be offering his massage services.

Thistledown Shetlands & Wools - Hand spun wool from their own Shetland sheep. Will also have yarn, hats, scarves, and purses for sale. Get a preview at http://www.thistledownshetlands.com

Blue Button Apparel - Organic and Fair Trade bags that have been screen printed.

Tresia - Artist selling pottery, dolls, paintings and other fun things.

Shutterfly Kisses - Photographer showing and selling photos. Check out her website at www.yourphotographystudio.com

Babelicious Handmade sugar scrubs and bath soaks.

Cyrielle Handmade jewelry.

Polly & Ester One of a kind jewelry, crafts, art, and soaps.

Glass Gods Hand blown glass art

Chrysalis Farm Bedding Plants & local seeds

Earth Beads Handmade jewelry focused on natural stones.

Alma Libre Designs One of a kind photography, jewelry, hula hoops, and fabric creations.

Delovely Beads Handmade gemstone and glass bead jewelry.

Urban Stitches Handmade dog apparel.

Tresia Artist selling pottery, dolls, paintings and other fun things.

Alex & Ariel Handmade jewelry

STAY TUNED MORE WILL BE ADDED:)
Check here for the latest update.

Fresh Abundance Weekly News - May 9th, 2009

Fresh Abundance
Bringing Local Food to Local People


Boxes
Jacque's Blog
PEACH Blog

Community Roots Market

One Mothers Thought's
Milk 101: The Skinny on Pasteurization, Homogenization, and Dating of Milk

This week we added Spokane Family Farm's HTST Pasteurized Non Homogenized milk to our product line. The animals feed is conventionally grown, but all sourced locally. Spokane Family Farm's milk is available for home delivery or in-store at $4.29/gallon and $2.79/half gallon. Because there are so many milk options on the market, this seemed like the perfect time to explore our options.

PASTEURIZATION
Pasteurization is not intended to kill all pathogenic micro-organisms so even pasteurized milk has beneficial buggies.

HTST (Pasteurization) requires heating milk to 145 degrees for half an hour. This milk has a shorter date stamp. Organic Valley stamps this milk 18 days from the day it is bottled. This one works well for cheese making but people tend not to buy it because they are looking for the longest dated milk.

UHT (Ultra Pasteurization) requires using heat and pressure to reach 280 degrees for a few minutes. This milk has a longer date stamped on the carton. Organic Valley stamps a date 56 days from the day it was bottled.

UHT (Flash Pasteurization) kills the most stuff. This is the milk you will find in aseptic containers sitting on the grocery shelf.

Raw Milk is not pasteurized or homogenized at all; it is straight from the cow or goat, cooled quickly, and date stamped (9 days for raw cows milk, 21 days for raw goats milk). Raw milk does not go rotten, it just sours, which has been used for its human health effects since humans have been using milk.

HOMOGENIZATION
Fat is less dense than water so cream (fat) floats above the watery part of the milk, naturally. Homogenization forces the cream (fat) to stay combined with the watery part by exposing the milk to high pressure, turbulence, and shock waves. When milk is homogenized, it MUST be pasteurized, as it goes rancid very quickly. On the other hand, HTST Pasteurized milk does not NEED to be homogenized because it won't separate as the enzymes are not destroyed as much because only light pasteurization is used. Spokane Family Farm's milk falls into this category. It is Pasteurized Non Homogenized, and can still be used for cheese making. UHT Ultra Pasteurized milk is ALWAYS homogenized to mix in the unsightly dead sludge that would form at the bottom of the carton without homogenization (out of sight out of mind). Making cheese with UHT Ultra Pasteurized milk will not work as there are not enough live enzymes remaining to grow.

If you want to learn more about homogenization and pasteurization, check out wikipedia. If you would like me to cover a specific product or chemical, send me an email brightspirit@freshabundance.com

At Fresh Abundance, we would rather carry HTST Organic Valley milk but our members have continuously requested the longest dated milk, so we currently carry the "bad" UHT Organic Valley milk. Tell us what you want, we care. As for me and my kids, we have moved to the local stuff only. I find it telling that you can't make cheese with UHT milk because basically, it is too dead. I try to limit how much "dead food" I eat, which to me means seriously altered or nutrient deprived food. I believe the movement back to live food is the next back to the past movment that will hit our food habits. Our bodies are alive so our food should be too. I love the idea that I share my body with millions of helpful buggies that work hard to keep me healthy.

EVENTS CALENDAR
May 16th from 11-4 Help us raise funds by visiting the PEACH Farm and get your garden bedding plants. This is a great family outing. Get a peak at the cutting edge permaculture farming happening right here in Spokane. The farm is located at 3324 S. Best Rd. Phone 924-7774. Take I-90 East to Evergreen Exit, head south to 32nd Ave, take a left, go 1/2 mile farm is on the right.

May 17th 10 AM Organic Gardening Class
Offered at Community Roots Market and back by popular demand, Soils 101: How
to care for your soil community and harvest the best tasting veggies. $10
Suggested Donation

May 17th from 11-4 Community Roots Market
your All Things LOCAL market
Click on this link to find out who will be vending at the market

PEACH BEDDING PLANTS
Starting Monday, May 11, P.E.A.C.H. bedding plants will be for available at all of our stores. These plants are a fundraiser for our tax exempt non-profit P.E.A.C.H.-People for Environmental Action & Community Health. These plants were tended by kids from Juvenile Justice who got in trouble and had to do community service, and also by folks participating in our states welfare to work program. We provide a work site, respect and education on how to grow food for these low-income members of our community.

All our plants are non-GMO, chemical free and raised with love.

$3 per pot or pony

WEEKLY PRODUCE SALES

Organic Fancy Lemons $1.99/Pound
Organic Red Leaf & Green Leaf Lettuce $1.69/Each
Organic Gold Pineapple $1.59/Pound
Organic Red & Green Cabbage $.99/Pound

As you might have noticed we are now sending out a paper copy of the weekly news. We will have more info in the weekly paper copy then the email version but you are free to opt out of paper weekly news if that feel right to you. To opt out please send an email to Sheri, our member care specialist at orders@freshabundance.com

Till Next Week Stay LOCAL,
Eden Brightspirit Hendrix

Thursday, May 7, 2009

PEACH Farm News #06 - May 6, 2009

PEACH Farm News #06, Pea planting, Rain, Greenhouse, Fense, Raised Beds and Key Holes.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Fresh Abundance Weekly News - May 2nd 2009

Fresh Abundance - Bringing Local Food to Local People
Boxes
Jacque's Blog
PEACH Blog

I'm feeling wild and crazy today so let's see if you can ride the wave with me.

I was at a P.E.A.C.H. board meeting this last week, and Angie (mom and board member since 2000) stretched from her tired day as we covered the necessary agenda items. Neither of us was too enthused as we were missing two board members, and both of us had worked too many hours in the last week. Somehow we stumbled on the topic of Mt. Dew, and I off handedly referred to how toxic it was. She, my good friend and long time champion against toxics, said "What are you talking about?" My biology educated self went on to explain that brominated vegetable oil was banned in 100 countries, and that our kids here in the U.S. swill the cloudy drink like water. She was alarmed, and she admitted (gasp) folks that she loved and swilled Gatorade, which also contains brominated vegetable oil. Angie was mad at me, and she asked why I had not informed her of this fact.

-- If you want more information on how Brominated Vegetable oil, this is a good article.

I lounged on the sofa and wondered how many other toxics I had not informed her of. We had worked hard in the early P.E.A.C.H. years to educate moms about the toxics they were unknowingly exposing their precious children to. But five years ago we decided to work on the solution, and to quit pushing the problem.

Although I am confident that the work of Fresh Abundance and P.E.A.C.H. must be focused on the positive solution, I also understand that information is powerful, and that understanding the problem may be helpful to making healthful choices. I guess this is my long-winded way of asking you if you want more information on how toxic some common everyday habits are. I could let you know on a regular basis, which forms of everyday exposure are maybe not so helpful to creating good health and I could answer specific toxic questions you may have. If you want more education in my weekly news please respond and let me know. I do not want to preach the gospel of toxics, but I don't want you left in the dark either. Email me at Brightspirit@freshabundance.com

P.E.A.C.H. Permaculture Farm Update
We have a class of 25 fourth graders coming on Monday to help plant peas. It is fun to watch the antics of children as they learn about soil life and get their hands in the soil. We hope to have bedding plants available by the beginning of June due to cold weather that has set the plants back but we are nursing them along.

Beyond Green
Have you seen the obscene green paint at the Division location?? Tart apple is the color's name, and it only seemed fitting for our Fresh store. A member came in and commented that we have gone beyond green. I started thinking about this and realized that the work of Fresh Abundance and P.E.A.C.H. is indeed beyond green. Starting Monday we will have a paper version of the weekly news that will go out with each order and/or can be picked up at the stores called Beyond Green!

BUY LOCAL & Save Money
We now have a NEW way for you to SAVE money!!! As a Fresh Abundance member current on your dues you will now get 3% off your in-store purchases if you pay with cash. This is yet another way for you to keep your money LOCAL. Every time you use your debit card not only does it cost your LOCAL business money, it sends those expensive service fees out of state. Debit and credit cards are easy but they hurt our LOCAL economy. If you can make it work, good old-fashioned green backs keep the money LOCAL and save you $ every time! Spend less to get more for your community.

We now have LOCAL Wiggle Worm, worm castings. They come in 30pound bags for $27. To have this delivered with your order, simply request a bag in the order notes. We will not post this new product on the website as we have a limited supply and it will go fast.

Weekly Produce Sales That's right, we are officially beginning to offer weekly produce sales. This week enjoy:+Organic California 1 Pound Strawberries $4.79 each
+LOCAL Organic Fuji Apples $1.29/pound
+LOCAL Organic Bakers Potatoes $ .99/pound
+Organic California Asparagus $5.79/pound

Veggie Facts
Asparagus is the vegetable that kicks off our local season. Although we currently have California Asparagus, we will have some local soon. Here are some interesting things to know about this gourmet spear. Asparagus is a member of the Lily family. Asparagus spears grow from a crown that is planted about a foot deep in sandy soils. Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grow 10" in a 24-hour period. Each crown will send spears up for about 6-7 weeks during the spring and early summer. The outdoor temperature determines how much time will be between each picking...early in the season, there may be 4-5 days between pickings and as the days and nights get warmer, a particular field may have to be picked every 24 hours. After harvesting is done the spears grow into ferns, which produce red berries and the food and nutrients necessary for a healthy and productive crop the next season. An asparagus planting is usually not harvested for the first 3 years after the crowns are planted allowing the crown to develop a strong fibrous root system. A well cared for asparagus planting will generally produce for about 15 years without being replanted. The larger the diameter, the better the quality! Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food which in high in Folic Acid and is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin. Asparagus has No Fat, contains No Cholesterol and is low in Sodium.

Opportunities For Giving
I believe that we need to always ask for what we want. So I will keep asking for a 200K loan to Fresh Abundance for development. Invest green in any amount to help us reach this goal. I hope every time you see this you smile and remember to ask for you want in your own life. We are what we believe so believe BIG.

Policies & Housekeeping In an effort to serve you better we are going back to the policy that Monday orders, additions, and cancellations must be in by 9am Sunday. We will make sure that we have the boxes posted by noon on Saturday.

We want to Welcome Sheri to our FA Team. Sheri is taking over for Lindsey as your member care staff. We are sadly saying goodbye to Lindsey who is off to establish herself as a massage therapist.

Mark Your Calendar
Next Community Roots Market Sunday May 17 from noon till four. Community Roots Market will go to being a weekly, indoor/outdoor year-round market starting June 14th.

+Organic Gardening Class: Soils 101. How to care for your soil community so that you can grow the best tasting veggies
+Raw Food Preparation Class: Food preparation and tasting including entrees, salads, soups, desserts and more.
+Live Blood Analysis: (LBA) reveals more vital health information than dozens of tests from medical laboratories, with all information in the proper context.

Till next week, BUY LOCAL

Eden Brightspirit Hendrix