Saturday, July 11, 1:00-4:00 p.m.

• Grilled Brats, side and lemonade for $2.00 – come enjoy Valley Natural Foods’ very own homemade brats!
• German Grill demonstration – Learn why this grill is one if the best out there for all you who love to grill.
• Flagpole Dedication and Honoring of Local Servicemen & Women
• Chair Massage, Aromatherapy and Stress-Relieving Tips
• Free yoga class by Isis Yoga at 1 p.m.
• Kick-off 5-2-1-0 program – Let’s help our kids develop healthy habits for a lifetime!

Sunday, July 12, 1:00-4:00 p.m.

• Brunch for sale in the deli (starts at 11 a.m.)
• Fire It Up grilling tips, recipes and free samples
• Outdoor dog wash while you wait in the Walser RV – bring your dogs and let someone else do the dirty work! Dogs will be washed with all-natural pet products by a young Valley Natural Foods staff member and her friend who are volunteering to raise funds for their entry into the RELAY for LIFE, on behalf of a family member.

Stop by our Demo Kiosk on Tuesday, June 30th and enjoy a piece of made-from-scratch cake from our own deli. That’s right, we are serving free cake in celebration of our Cooperative Excellence! Cake will be served between 11:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Come celebrate the excellence with us.

For more information on the recent awards Valley Natural Foods has won, please visit:

This is Our Co-op of Excellence

and

Our Excellence Continues

In addition to Valley Natural Foods’ general manager Susan McGaughey accepting the Howard Bowers Fund Award of Cooperative Excellence (please see This is Our Co-op of Excellence), Valley Natural Foods’ marketing and communications team Charli Mills, Josie Biocca and Susie Hessburg received two Excellence in Communications awards at a recent Cooperative Communicators Association Institute. Awards received were:

To learn more about CCA, please visit www.communicators.coop. If any of you are involved in co-op communications, CCA is worth checking out! CCA is a unique organization of professionals who communicate for cooperatives.

Hey Kids—Get Healthy this Summer with 5-2-1-0!

The wellness department is sponsoring the 5-2-1-0 program at Valley Natural Foods this summer. It is free for kids of all ages. Stop by the wellness department to pick up detailed information and the program’s Star Chart for participation. Then get ready to commit to 4-weeks to better health:

• July 11-17, Week 1: Eat 5 fruits and veggies a day

• July 18-24, Week 2: Limit 2 hours of screen time a day

• July 25-30, Week 3: Get 1 hour exercise a day

• July 30-Aug. 7, Week 4: 0 sugary drinks a day

Each week participants can stop by the wellness department for that week’s information and a FREE Fruit Coupon. There will be demonstrations at the demo kiosk each week to reinforce the week’s healthy habit. At the end of the 4-week program, kids who participated can return their Star Chart to the wellness department for a free jump rope and a chance to enter a drawing for a family membership to the MN Zoo. It’s healthy, fun and free!

 Howard Bowers Fund Award of Cooperative Excellence recognizes a retail cooperative that has made significant progress in meeting the needs of members through growth in net sales and earnings, initiation of new and innovative programs, and expansion of member services.

Thursday, June 11 2009, Susan McGaughey, general manager of Valley Natural Foods, was honored among her peers in Pittsburg, PA with the Howard Bowers Fund Award of Excellence. This prestigious, national recognition honors the passion of our members, the vision of our board, the leadership of our general manager, the innovations of our management team, the dedication of our staff, the consumer loyalty of our shoppers and the co-op’s amazing story of success. Even in a recession Valley Natural Foods continues to thrive.

The most recent group of people to experience First Line Therapy had a great deal of fun getting to know each other and learning about an energizing lifestyle that includes an anti-inflammatory diet, daily exercise and regular stress-relief. Many participants were excited to find they could build healthy muscle and decrease fat stores by following their individualized eating plans. It was helpful to actually receive recipes and do some cooking and preparing First LineTherapy meals and snacks together. Practicing stress-relief techniques together in the classes and developing an individual exercise plan also helped participants to make these healthy habits a reality in their lives.

This particular program is not medically based so cannot claim to diagnose, prescribe or treat any medical or emotional condition. Participants are encouraged to review blood lipid tests from their health practitioners, but this is purely for educational purposes and to observe benefits they may have experienced from the program.  No blood tests will be carried out here at Valley Natural Foods. People with questions can feel free to contact Eileen Johnson, RN, at ejohnson@valleynaturalfoods.com. You too can achieve a healthy lifestyle!