The thought of a family going without enough food during Thanksgiving and the subsequent festive season is a difficult one, and it often prompts people to donate to food shelves in the winter months.  Summer, however, is also a time when families can find themselves very much in need, especially with children out of school during the day.  Here’s a reminder that 360 Communities, a network of food shelves with five locations in Dakota County (Apple Valley, Burnsville, Lakeville, Farmington and Rosemount), gladly accepts donations all summer long.

Lead Director of Engagement Doreen L’Allier is excited to fill the facility’s new coolers with milk, eggs and produce from now on. Donations of produce allow children the chance to experience new foods that they might not sample otherwise, and Valley Natural Foods is proud to do their part by donating culled produce and any uncollected harvests from the community garden twice a week during the summer.  Anyone who wants to do the same can make a drop-off from 10a.m. to 4p.m. Monday through Friday at the emergency food shelf location in Burnsville. Volunteers are happy to coordinate alternative drop-off times, too.  For more information on 360 Communities follow this link or contact Doreen L’Allier at dlallier@360communities.org.  Particular items such as canned fruit, tuna, chicken, pancake mix, syrup, peanut butter and jelly, canned peas, juice boxes and personal hygiene items such as shampoo and toothpaste can be dropped off in Valley Natural Foods’ donation barrels, located near the store’s exit.

Can a tree growing at the side of the road change the lives of Togolese workers?

Olowo-n’djo Tchala thinks so, and he may be right. From a childhood of poverty in West Africa, Mr. Tchala has worked his way to his own American dream–building a company with the mission of improving the lives of his countrymen and women back home in Togo.

Tchala is founder of Alaffia, an Olympia, WA based producer of ‘Sustainable Skin Care’ products, made from the nut butter of the Shea tree, which is not farmed, but grows wild across sub-Saharan Africa. Alaffia products are fair trade products distributed across the US, using not only profits, but corporate structure and community programs to give back to Togo.

Valley Natural Foods customers and the general public will have a chance to meet Tchala, learn about Alaffia’s African  shea butter cooperative along with the benefits of shea butter on Tuesday, July 26th at 6:30 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. Sign up for this FREE event at customer service or call 952-891-1212 ext. 221.

Because Alaffia’s shea butter is unrefined and handcrafted, it is unrivaled for its skin protective, regenerative and moisturizing properties. Major cosmetic companies are using only refined shea butter that has been altered to remove the natural shea scent and color. In the process, most of the effective properties are also lost. Alaffia’s unrefined shea butter is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and emollients. Shea butter nourishes the skin with Vitamins A, E and F.  Vitamins A and E help maintain the skin and keep it clear and healthy.  They are particularly helpful for sun damaged skin as they help prevent premature wrinkles and facial lines.

Although unrefined shea butter is the main ingredient in its products, Alaffia feels it is equally important to provide its customers with the benefits of other unique indigenous ingredients. Each and every ingredient, whether it be from seeds, leaves or fruit, is sustainably harvested from wild trees or grown by small farmers under organic and fair trade guidelines.

Be sure to check out Alaffia’s various facial care lines including the  antioxidant face care set, daily toning essentials and intensive facial moisturizers, all available at Valley Natural Foods. Save $2.00 off any Alaffia facial care product with this online coupon!

The antioxidant face care set (cleanser, toner, face cream) contains a powerful combination of shea butter, virgin coconut oil and Rooibos tea extract which work in synergy to improve skin firmness, elasticity, and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

The daily toning essentials set (cleanser, toner, face cream) is for all skin types.  Besides shea butter, boabab fruit extract, proven to tighten and tone skin, and melon seed oil, which contains high amounts of skin-protecting omega-3 fatty acids,  are the key ingredients in this line.

The intensive moisturizers, intended for dry skin, contain shea butter and specific herbal oils such as baobab leaf and neem leaf extracts to tighten and tone skin, encouraging skin cell regeneration. These creams can be used alone or with the lighter creams for more intensive results.

And of course, be sure to sign up for this unique Alaffia event on July 26th! Try some free samples from Alaffia’s various lines. You don’t want to miss out!

Kids – 5-2-1-0 Week 2 Activities (July 6th- 12th) begin today!

This Week’s Theme: Limit Your Screen Time to 2 hours

Stop by the wellness department to get Week 2 information and your FREE Fruit Coupon. Out of town or didn’t have time to start the program last week? No worries—get started this week—go to Wellness to pick up your STAR Chart and coupon! It’s not too late to get your kids eating healthy this summer!
Parents—make sure your kids continue to keep track of their progress toward each week’s goal! Bring in your completed STAR Chart on July 27th to get your prize.

The FREE fruit of the week is a Yellow Nectarine.
Get healthy with these 5-2-1-0 online coupons:
Get Healthy! 5-2-1-0 COUPON! $1.00 off one container BLACKBERRIES, RASPBERRIES, STRAWBERRIES or BLACKBERRIES
Get Healthy! 5-2-1-0 COUPON $1.00 off final purchase price, any variety BULK BERGIN NUT AND FRUIT MIX
For a list of this week’s activities–see last week’s blog.

Also, get prepared for next week! Sign up for these fun FREE Events now by calling 952-891-1212 ext. 221.
Discover more about these fun activities by viewing our 5-2-1-0 programming sheet.

WEEK 3: July 13th-July 19th
Get 1 hour of exercise each day!

-FREE- Yoga4Kids, four 1/2 hour sessions
Thursday, July 14th, 2011
11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Instructor: Jenn Holm, Yoga4You

Transpiration Demonstration Class!
Tuesday, July 19th, 2011
1:00-2:00 p.m.
Instructor: Shari Mayer
$5.00/non-members, $3.00/members (Fundraiser for the Dakota County Master Gardeners)

Tips from Valley Natural Foods RN, Eileen Johnson, on how to get 1 hour of exercise a day:

• Exercise is so very important for healthy growth and development, both physically and mentally. Physical activity will help your children feel
  great, keep a healthy weight, build bones and maintain strong muscles and heart.
• Take walks with your family. County parks offer interesting walking and biking paths and fun activities for all ages.
• The YMCA and other health clubs have great exercise classes and facilities for the whole family.
• Click  for more 5210 Healthy Living Tips on  how to get 1 hour of exercise a day
• Read Eileen’s entire 5-2-1-0 article on page 12 of  the June/July 2011 issue  This Is Living Naturally magazine.

The fresh garden flavors of summer are here, finally!

We started off with a wet, cold May and June but everything is starting to become more green and bountiful in July.

Look for early summer greens in the produce department including  rainbow chard, spinach, kale, and  mustard. Also, don’t miss placing other green veggies such as sugar snap peas and green beans in your side dishes too!

However, how do you make these flavorful greens exciting to eat? To find out, come to the Garden Fresh Flavors Greens Class Demo this Saturday, July 9th near the hotbar in Valley Natural Foods  from noon-3pm. Cooking instructor, Michele Licata, will be sampling some of her tasty and inspiring summer dining recipes featured in her July 15th Garden Fresh Flavors: Green Class. Sign-up for this class at the customer service counter or by calling 952-891-1212 ext. 221 for details.  Cost is $35 for members and $38 for non-members.

Save $3.00 on this Michele Licata Class or another others in her Garden Fresh Flavors Series this summer at Valley Natural Foods–including her Peas n’ Beans class this Friday.

Keep in mind that Michele’s classes are chalk full of food, recipes and lots of sampling! Come hungry and be prepared to eat hearty! Fun recipes include Pea and Lettuce Soup, Chard with Green Olives, Currants and Goat Cheese and Spanikopita (spinach pie). You will definitely get your money’s worth of food and lots of food for thought. See an entire listing of all her classes in the June-September edition of Valley Natural Foods’ Education Booklet, available online.

Just as a reminder–it is recommended that you include these cruciferous  green vegetables into your diet 2-3 times a week because of the fantastic health benefits they offer such as providing many antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer nutrients. They are excellent sources of a multitude of vitamins including A, C, K, beta-carotene, iron and omega-3 fatty acids.

So if you are looking for something green and leafy, don’t reach for the iceberg lettuce. Eating more leafy greens such as those mentioned above will definitely give you more vitamins, minerals  and bang for your buck!

 5-2-1-0 Week 1 Activities (June 29th-July 5th) begin today!

Stop by the wellness department to get your kids started. Be sure to pickup your FREE Fruit Coupon and STAR Chart.
This week’s free fruit is KIWI!

Get healthy with these 5-2-1-0 online coupons:

Get Healthy! 5-2-1-0 COUPON! $.75 off final purchase price Any Variety GRAPES
Get Healthy! 5-2-1-0 COUPON $.75 off 2 lb Package BUNNY LOVE PEELED CARROTS

This week’s goal is to eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day. Be sure to have your kids keep track of their progress toward this goal on their STAR Chart.

For a list of this week’s activities–see last week’s blog.

Also, get prepared for next week! Sign up for these fun FREE Events now by calling 952-891-1212 ext. 221.

Discover more about these fun activities by viewing our 5-2-1-0 programming sheet.

WEEK 2: July 6th-July 12th
Limit 2 hours of screen time a day

-FREE- Poetry and Garden Games Class
Thursday, July 7th, 2011
10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Instructor: Susan Budig

-FREE- Fun Reading Event at the Co-op: If I Were a Farmer: Nancy’s Adventure
Monday, July 11th, 2011
1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Instructor: Gordon Fredrickson

For more info on Gordon Fredrickson visit: http://www.gordonfredrickson.com/

Tips from Valley Natural Foods RN, Eileen Johnson, on how to limit screen time to 2 hours a day:

• A study of preschoolers showed how the risk for obesity can increase by 6% for every hour of television watched each day. Those odds can
  jump an additional 31% if that child has a television in his or her room.
• Keep reading materials and family board games readily accessible for all family members.
• Make family trips to libraries and museums in your area.  Make up, then videotape or write down, stories together as a family.
• Click  for more 5210 Healthy Living Tips on  how to limit your screen time to 2 hours or less a day

Read Eileen’s entire 5-2-1-0 article on page 12 of  the June/July 2011 issue  This Is Living Naturally magazine.

The first-ever 2011 Eat Local Farm Tour, sponsored by the Twin Cities food co-ops,  is one day only,  Saturday, July 30th!

We invite you to experience first-hand what is involved in a local, sustainable farming business by touring Minnesota farms, meeting directly with local producers.

A detailed guidebook complete with the maps, hours and tour activities of all the participating farms, is now available for download!  FREE Printed guidebooks will be available in-store at Valley Natural Foods  starting on July 1st.

The 2011 Eat Local Farm Tour highlights 11  Minnesota farms in four geographic regions within a 100 mile radius, north, west, southeast, and southwest of the Twin Cities. All tours will be self-guided, meaning tour goers must provide their own means of transportation, whether by car or bicycle. This gives you the convenience, creativity, and freedom to design your own road trip and visit the farms that you are most interested in. The only cost will be time and gas!

The tour kickoff the Twin Cities food co-ops’ August Eat Local America! Initiative presented by the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA).  Eat Local America! is a widespread celebration of local, seasonal and storied food that hopes to cultivate an agricultural renaissance. The tours are sponsored by nine of the Twin Cities area food co-ops: Eastside, Lakewinds, Linden Hills, Mississippi Market, River Market, Seward, St. Peter, Valley Natural Foods and The Wedge.

Read more about the farm tour on page 6 of the  June/ July 2011 This is Living Naturally Magazine.

 It’s  time to teach your kids healthy habits this summer with Valley Natural Foods!

Don’t miss our fun,  5-2-1-0 Events starting on June 29th.

Also don’t forget to pick up your STAR CHART to mark your progress in the program along with your FREE Fruit Coupon. Read our 5-2-1-0 blog from last week for more details on this process.

If you have a couple kids home from school this summer, and need fun activities to entertain them, 5-2-1-0 can help! From yoga sessions, reading events, planting, poetry, and playdough, we have a wide variety of things that your kids can do while you shop!

Here is a preview of the 1st Week, June 29th- July 5th Events:

Week 1:
Eat 5 Fruits & Vegetables

Seeding Indoors Class
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
1:00-2:00 p.m.
Instructor: Shari Mayer
$5.00/non-members, $3.00/members
(Fundraiser for the Dakota County Master Gardeners)
During this hands-on class, let your kids explore the world of seeds and figure out if certain veggies/fruits will grow in Minnesota. Kids will do a hunt for seeds usingvegetables such as cherry tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, avocados, and watermelon. Kids will also get the chance to sow their own seeds and plant them in containers.

FREE Kids Juicing Demo, Thursday, June 30th, 3:00-6:00 p.m at the demo kiosk.

Discover how to create a 100% juice drink, using whole fruits at our demo kiosk. If you are going to serve your kids juice, buy only 100% juice or make your own. Most juice products that you buy labeled “-ade,” “drink,” or “punch” often contain 5% juice or less juice.

Tips from Valley Natural Foods RN, Eileen Johnson on how to make eating 5 fruits and vegetables fun:

• Hold a weekly taste testing event in your home where you all agree on a new vegetable to try. Try preparing it in a couple different ways—grilled, raw, steamed or roasted.
• Allow kids to help prepare fruits andvegetables. Children can wash carrots and peppers, tear lettuce for salads,or peel and slice cucumbers.
• Make a fruit smoothie with fruit and yogurt.
• Wash and chop veggies and fruits, placing them in bags in the refrigerator so they are ready to eat.
• Click here for more 5210 Healthy Living Tips.

Read Eileen’s entire 5-2-1-0 article on page 12 of  the June/July 2011 issue  This Is Living Naturally magazine.

You have the unique opportunity this summer to learn some gardening tricks of the trade from experienced master gardeners!

It is really inexpensive too! For only $5.00 (for members) and $8.00 (for non-members), you can gather tons of knowledge and advice to make your gardens successful this year. Sign up at customer service or by calling 952-891-1212 ext. 221.

Another great thing is that for every class you attend, the entire cost of the class will be donated to the Dakota County Master Gardener Program. Why support the Dakota County Master Gardener Program? Well, they have a similar mission to Valley Natural Foods-helping create a healthy community through knowledge of how to cook and grow good food!

About The Dakota County Master Gardeners:
The mission of the Master Gardener program is to teach others in the community about horticulture. In Dakota County, there are more than 130 active Master Gardeners who volunteer several thousand hours per year. A love of gardening, a search for knowledge and a desire to share that knowledge with others is central to why people join the Master Gardener program. They remain Master Gardeners to enjoy the friendship of others who share their interests, to gain and share research-based horticultural knowledge and to give back to the community through their volunteer commitment. The Dakota County Master Gardeners teaching at Valley Natural Foods this summer are: Shari Mayer, JoAnne Sabin, John Zweber, and Paul Wood.

Dakota County Master Gardening Classes at Valley Natural Foods:

Lemon Herbs
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Instructor: Shari Mayer
$8.00/non-members, $5.00/members
Explore the fabulous world of herbs with a lemon twist. In this class, you’ll discover the different herbs that have a ‘lemon’ variety available. Learn how to grow them, harvest them, and use them to add zest to your summer cooking.

Emerald Ash Borer
Sunday, June 26th, 2011
11:00-12:00 p.m.
Instructor: Paul Wood
$8.00/non-members, $5.00/members
During this class, learn what you need to know about Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), but
were afraid to ask. This invasive pest arrived in the United States in 2002. If you have ash trees on your property, there is no need to panic, be informed instead. This class will teach you what you need to know about this threat to our ash trees: how to recognize the borer, what to do if you think you have an infected ash, how to protect your ash, and, more importantly, measures you really don’t need to take right now.  Burnsville has a large inventory of ash trees; learn what you can do to slow the spread of EAB in Burnsville!

KIDS’ CLASS: Seeding Indoors
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
1:00-2:00 p.m.
Instructor: Shari Mayer
$5.00/non-members, $3.00/members
(ages 5-10 years)
During this hands-on class, let your kids explore the world of seeds and figure out if certain veggies/fruits will grow in Minnesota. Kids will do a hunt for seeds using vegetables such as cherry tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, avocados, and watermelon. Kids will also get the chance to sow their own seeds and plant them in containers.

Foolproof Ways of Making More Plants
Wednesday, July 13th, 2011
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Instructor: JoAnne Sabin
$8.00/non-members, $5.00/members
Stretch your gardening dollar by propagating perennials and annuals. Learn several propagation techniques that are easy and fun to do.  Learn how to multiply by dividing (seriously, Math teachers, it works!) and how to clone many types of plants by cutting the stems with a pillow pack or Forsythe Pot.  Both are easy and fun to make. Lastly, learn an easy way to start seeds over winter that doesn’t involve grow lights and moveable shelves.  Milk jugs, soil and seeds are the ingredients for the easy way to let nature help you start seeds. 

KIDS’ CLASS: Transpiration Demonstration!
Tuesday, July 19th, 2011
1:00-2:00 p.m.
Instructor: Shari Mayer
$5.00/non-members, $3.00/members
(ages 5-10 years)
One of the most common questions that children ask, especially when it comes to plants and flowers is: ‘What makes them grow?’ There are many factors that help flowers and plants grow. This includes: getting enough sunlight, the process of pollination, and of course, making sure they get enough water, which is called “transpiration.” During this fun, hands-on class, kids will learn all about transpiration through this exciting, easy, hands-on activity using celery or daisies, food coloring and water in containers. Your kids will be amazed at the results!

Cilantro and Company
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Instructor: Shari Mayer
$8.00/non-members, $5.00/members
Love cilantro?  Learn all about the new varieties available on the market, and some close relatives that you might consider for your garden! Learn some new ways to use cilantro, as well as how to maximize your production throughout Minnesota summers. Taste your way through some recipes that are sure to be a hit at your next
get-together.

Bee-Friendly Plants
Thursday, July 28th, 2011
6:30-8:00 p.m.
Instructor: JoAnne Sabin
$8.00/non-members, $5.00/members
Learn how you can help bees by planting flowers and other greens that attract them! For those who are afraid of bees and/or not convinced of their importance in a garden, we will teach you about the amazing benefits they offer. This talk explores common misconceptions about bees and describes their many valuable products, including honey, propolis, and most importantly, pollination. If you’ve been afraid of bees, come learn the real story.

Kids—get ready to commit to a month of better health at Valley Natural Foods!

Valley Natural Foods is happy to offer elementary school aged kids a fun, healthy living program this summer called 5-2-1-0. Starting, June 29th- July 27th, kids can enjoy a jam-packed schedule of events each week, focused on teaching kids the importance of establishing healthy habits.

The program reinforces and encourages kids to incorporate these habits into their daily lifestyle: eating “5” fruits and vegetables, limiting screen time to “2” hours, getting “1” hour of exercise, and encouraging “0” sugary drinks.

 Don’t miss the exciting, FREE 5-2-1-0 creative events, demonstrations, and outdoor activities at Valley Natural Foods during this four week period.  Also, kids can pick-up one FREE piece of fruit each week. Click here for a detailed activity schedule.

To get started in the program, stop by the Wellness department on June 29th, 2011. Here, you can pick-up a star chart to track your child’s weekly progress and attendance at Valley Natural Foods sponsored activities. Bring in your kid’s star chart each week to the Wellness department to track progress. Also, be sure to pick-up your FREE Fruit Punch card. Look for signs to indicate the location for FREE fruit pick-up. At the end of the four week period, if your kids have completed all 5-2-1-0 activities, bring in your star chart to be handsomely rewarded.Sign-up for all classroom events by calling 952-891-1212 ext. 221 or by stopping by customer service.

For general 5-2-1-0 tips and information, visit the 5-2-1-0 website: http://www.mcchildrensalliance.org/5210/

Look for this new product  on the shelves at Valley Natural Foods: Great Prairie Foods 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

To make this product, Great Prairie Foods  (based in Minneapolis) does not use various oils from different countries such as Spain or Italy;  instead all oil comes directly from California, making it as locally grown as it can be in the United States.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil  needs to have acidity levels  of less than one. Great Prairie’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil has an extremely low acidity level–only a .2. Because of this, it does really well when combined with garlic! Extra Virgin Oil is packed with vitamins E, K, and A as well as polyphenols, squalene, oleocanthol, triterpenes and hundreds more micronutrients that make it a very healthy choice.

Stop by our demo kiosk anytime from 11am-3pm  next Thursday, June 23rd to get a taste of this wonderful product!

It is also important to note that Great Prairie isn’t just about food. It is more than that. Founder of Great Prairie Foods, Todd McIntyre, has a deep vision for his company based upon community development, enhancement and promotion of fitness and wellness, production and promotion of athletic and cultural events and operation of multiple-sport venues. Great Prairie, Inc. is in the process of getting non-profit certification in order to develop a capital campaign to drive support and development for these initiatives.

 Profits from the sale of Great Prairie Foods support the future development and programming of the Great Prairie Equestrian Center and the Great Prairie Sports Center in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. The Great Prairie Equestrian Center will be a multiple-season, multi-sport facility as well as the regional training center for USA Pentathlon and the United States Equestrian Federation.  The design plan will incorporate lost Minnesota equine architecture-namely the original Hippodrome at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and the stable buildings once located at Fort Snelling.
 
The Great Prairie Sports Center will be the regional training center for USA Swimming, USA Diving, USA Water Polo and USA Synchro.  It will also provide training opportunities for USA Cycling, USA Triathlon and USA Volleyball.  Both venues will be LEED certified as well as an Environmental Learning Center that promotes sustainable design, renewable energy and water management. 

Many other sporting events, sponsored by Great Prairie Foods will support the development of these facilities. For a complete listing of by Great Prairie events, visit  www.greatprairiesports.com.  Valley Natural Foods is helping sponsor Great Prairie’s Dakota Dash presented by FamilyHealth Medical Clinic  at the Dakota County Fairgrounds (Farmington, MN) on Sunday, August 14th at 8am.