Triangular shaped bits of deliciousness are hand-made a mere 10 minutes from the steps of Valley Natural Foods. These French inspired chocolates, called French Nuggets, are a local innovation created by Burnsville resident Feriedon Golchin.

Feriedon suggests pairing this chocolatey treat with a fine cheese. The co-op’s cheese buyer Lilly reccomends a sharp cheddar such as Widmer Cheddar (made in Theresa, WI).

Try all three varieties:  Almond Heaven (GF), Peanut Delight (GF), and Oatmeal Dream. These aren’t just a gourmet party snack, they’re also a gluten-free and energizing treat.

On the website, they say: “French Nugget  is made from a centuries-old technique of whole food preparation using a small amount of honey as a natural preservative while the natural sugar in raisins provides sweetness to dark chocolate. Foods prepared in this manner retain the most vitamins, minerals and antioxidants without compromising great flavor.”

Read more about French Nugget on their website or check out the local profile in This is Living Naturally Feb/March 2009 issue.

Superman won’t be recognized here unless he loses the tights and dons some overalls.   

Edible Twin Cities is honoring Local Food Heroes this fall and is calling for nominees. As you’re shopping and eating local with Eat Local, America! throughout the month of August, you’re probably discovering great products, farms or artisans. These are your local heros!

Edible Twin Cities defines heroes as:

“Local Food Heroes are those people and businesses that have made a significant contribution to our local food community.”

You can nominate under the following categories: Farm/Farmer, Chef/Restaurant, Food Artisan, Beverage Artisan, and Non-Profit Organization. You have until August 28.  Finalists will be announced in Edible Twin Cities fall issue and online in mid-September.

Nominate your Local Food Heroes here.

Bubba’s Natural has been with Valley Natural Foods for a while, but there’s a new label in town. “Down in the Valley” is the new label for Valley Natural Foods’ meat department. It is also expanding to other departments, so watch for it.

An article in The is Living Naturally says:

The colorful label represents the co-op co-partnering with farmers and food producers to bring you, the co-op shopper, the best quality and freshest, local product from the farmer to your market, Valley Natural Foods.

Read the full article in This is Living Naturally (pdf) go to page 12. You can sign up to receive This is Living Naturally, the co-op newsletter, to your inbox bimonthly by signing up for Healthy Updates or stop in the store for a free copy.

Our flag pole is off the grid! The electrical grid, that is.

We just installed a solar-powered light for our new flag pole. With a energy saving LED light bulb and solar panels, it not only saves money, it’s green! This is just one step in our efforts to Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

What are we doing at Valley Natural Foods to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle? Orlando Haripal, fresh foods manager, is heading up the RRR program that looks at just that.

“We want to do what we can to help with the environment, not just as a co-op but as a business in the community,” Orlando explains. “I’m reaching out to members and vendors who are interested in reducing, reusing and recycling.”

What types of efforts are we looking at? Well, Orlando says he is working on getting vendors to take their boxes back, especially produce boxes that cannot be recycled here because of the wax lining. He is also excited about the possibility of implementing the use of compost. “We’ll start out composting on a small scale to see how it works and then build it from there,” he adds.

Orlando and other management staff are also meeting with community garden organizers about the possibility of a converting the co-op’s garden near the patio into a food-producing garden with additional educational programs to accompany it.

Although Valley Natural Foods is working towards RRR-ing, there are already green habits currently in play. Here are just a few:

Plastic bag and basic recycling, free drinking water with ceramic cups; the Green Stamp Program to reuse shopping bags; flooring in wellness and deli is made of recycled tires; opportunity to reuse your bottles and containers for any of our bulk items; leftover deli food is donated to Dakota Woodlands; bruised/expired produce that cannot be sold to customers is sold to employees at discount.

Illegal organic milk is reportedly saturating the market and Midwest organic farmers are not standing for it.

According to a news release from Cornucopia Institute, in early July organic farmers and supporters from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa rallied in Wisconsin to convince Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to take immediate action against illegal organic milk . They expressed their fears and opinions on factory farm and labeling practices that are threatening their livelihood as well as the organic label.

Secretary Vilsack’s comments indicate that the farmers may have been successful in their mission. “We are focusing on rules that will level the playing field so that small and medium size producers have a fair shot,” said Vilsack, sparking applause from the crowd. “We are, as you are, asking questions about how producers can make so little and how others who are in the chain can make so much,” added Vilsack.

Small organic family farms are threatened to the point where they cannot retain their vendors, and are forced to use food stamps, reported several of the farmers at the demonstration.

Conrnicopia reports that food cooperatives were also present and making their voice heard:

One of the strongest supporters of the development of organic food and agriculture has been the nation’s 270 natural food cooperatives. Michelle Schry, the manager at People’s Food Co-op in Lacrosse, WI came to the rally to show their solidarity with struggling family dairy farmers. “Whatever we can do to support you, we will do,” Schry told the crowd. “We want that (organic) label to be protected as much as you do.”

Read the whole Cornucopia Article: Organic Dairy Farmers’ Rally — USDA Secretary Asked to Vigorously Enforce Organic Laws

Or at least they were.

Revolution Foods stopped by Valley Natural Foods on Monday to hand out snacks to co-op shoppers. They are on a cross-country school bus ride to spread the joy of their back-to-school organic treats.

 Their Mission:

We believe that all children deserve access to healthy, wholesome foods where they need it the most – in their schools. Our organic lunchbox snacks and sandwich builders make it easy to nourish your kids with yummy, balanced nutrition. And when you purchase our products, you’re helping us nourish even more kids through our School Lunch Program, making every bite matter for all kids.

When shopping for the lunch box, try some of the Revolution Foods products. Keep up with Revolution foods on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/revolutionfoodsand don’t forget to friend Valley Natural Foods.