Author: Evan Friedley

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Produce

And the time to plant is quickly arriving.  In our area, potato planting happens mid-April, as soon as the soil warms and 1-2 weeks before the last frost date.  The ideal potato-planting soil is loose, well-drained and slightly acidic.  At least six hours of sunlight are needed. The day before you plant, cut the larger potatoes into pieces with one “eye” (dormant bud) per piece.  Let the pieces dry overnight.  Small potatoes (1-1.5” diameter) can be planted whole. Dig a shallow trench (6-8 inches) and mix compost into the bottom of it.  Replace some of the soil, in order to set the potato pieces 3-6 inches deep, with the eye facing up. Plant each piece 12 inches from each other, and if you’re planting more than one row, keep 30-36 inches between the rows.  Cover the potatoes with the soil you took

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Community Outreach

Article submitted by: Eileen Johnson, RN, at Valley Natural Foods Are you ready for Valley Natural Foods' Run for Hope 5K on May 3, 2014? Click here to register by March 31 to be guaranteed a t-shirt in your size, along with getting a swag bag of cool healthy goodies and a commemorative bib!  Have you thought about taking it on but weren’t sure how to get ready for it? Running/walking a 5K (3.1miles) is a great way to start the exercise season and/or try out a longer run or walk if you have never done any long distance before. Here are some great training tips: Optimal nutrition is crucial when you start any new exercise program. This is definitely the time to be eating 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Exercise increases metabolism of the cells, in other words they

By
Education, Produce

A friend of mine visited the horticultural building at the State Fair a few years ago and struck up a conversation about growing grapes. After discussing site selection, varieties, soil conditions, trellis construction, pruning and trimming, the woman leaned over the counter and said: “Just stick them in the ground. They’re weeds. They’ll grow.” A perfect message, it turns out. The vines will grow easily and will produce grapes, yes, without much effort or knowledge. With a little info and preparation, however, the homeowner can achieve ‘commercial production’, maximizing outputs on limited space. To give some scope: “commercial production” = 60 clusters/vine growing across an 8-ft span = 1 ½ gallons of grape juice = 1 gallon of wine. What you need is a bit of land you intend to stay connected with for a few years, the ability to sustain delayed gratification,

By
Community, Community Outreach

When Jerry Braun was volunteering at 360 Communities’ Burnsville food shelf earlier this year, there was a young woman that came in with her two kids.  Apparently, she had been living in her car.  Sensing the urgency of the situation, Braun immediately asked her what she needed and gathered as much food as he could along with some mittens and other items for the kids.  As he talked about the situation, one could tell how much Braun cares about the families that come to 360 Communities. His caring nature is evident when he mentions that he derives simple satisfaction from just getting a hug from the people he helps.  Braun relays that there is often the misconception with food shelves that people are abusing the system.  However, in his eyes, if a family is struggling and they are hungry, they just

By
Product Pick of the Week

Thought you've seen (and perhaps tasted) it all with the Caramel Sea Salt food trend? Looks like the folks at Dang Foods Company have created their own amazing version using the ever-popular flavor fusion in their Toasted Coconut Chips. As if their original flavor was not good enough (because it is, and incredibly awesome) Dang Foods had to go ahead and make a Caramel Sea Salt version too. Yes, more coconut obsession, right on our shelves. Staff here at Valley Natural Foods have become addicted to this light, delightfully crunchy snack, so of course it won top votes for our weekly Staff Pick of the Week. Some of us sprinkle it atop yogurt and others just love to eat right out of the bag. Dang Foods even has an awesome Coconut Chip Cookbook to view online, where they share their favorite main dish, side and

By
Community

In the past, residents of Burnsville, Sheryl Haugland and her husband Ross, always passed Valley Natural Foods and maybe stopped in once or twice, but their eating habits were not the best and they didn’t think much about it. It wasn’t until Ross realized that his chronic headaches were related to eating too many processed foods, did the couple seek out some alternatives, one being shopping regularly at Valley Natural Foods.  The couple committed to making a healthy lifestyle change as a family.  They began by purchasing sprouted grain bread in their desire to stay away from white flour and that led to experimenting and cooking with many other fresh organic foods.  Sheryl indicates that organic food not only tastes better than conventionally grown goods, but it makes her feel better too, giving her more energy and mental clarity to make

By
Local Profile, Local Vendor

Open your pantry and pull out 11 ingredients from your shelves: oats, honey, applesauce, dry milk, bananas, raisins, orange juice, almonds, eggs, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix all together, pour into pan, bake, cut and refrigerate. Make enough for one thousand bars. Do your bars stand up to Five Friends Food Fresh Bar? It took twin brothers, Will Handke and Ross Pomeroy (different last names, but twins none-the-less), dozens and dozens of batches before they devised the right combination for flavor and texture. They also kept in mind freshness, portability and food safety as regulated by the state of Minnesota. Fresh Bar maintains the nutritional values of what makes a great snack bar. Fresh Bar Quest “I was sitting in zoology class and feeling hungry, but I didn’t want to eat the [snack bar] in my backpack,” says Pomeroy, co-owner and manufacturer of Five Friends Food that

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Staff Stories

Quiet and introspective, Gary Johnson, Community Relations Developer at Valley Natural Foods, is always interested in infusing his life with more culture and learning, especially as it relates to utilizing the environment’s resources in sustainable ways to grow food and to craft useful structures.  Sometimes throughout this journey he is surprised with inspiration, often discovered in the most unusual places. Thus, Johnson’s trail into the world of daily tea drinking was a stumble upon of sorts, not as lineal as most. Flipping through the channels a few years ago, Johnson came across a series of documentaries on Twin Cities Public television (PBS) about St. John’s Pottery in Collegeville, Minnesota, which is part of St. John University’s campus.  Fascinated and engrossed with the intricate pottery creations of artist-in-residence, Richard Bresnahan, Johnson immediately wanted to not only visit the studio, but he wanted

By
Education

Click to discover everything that is happening during our Teas The Season event January 20 - 26, 2014 at Valley Natural Foods! Those that like to drink hot tea often speak a language unbeknownst to most non tea-drinking folk.  Ian, who works in Valley Natural Foods’ deli, rattled off the words Gunpowder green, oolong, China pu-erh, Darjeeling and Earl Gray as his favorites, making the diversity and plethora of the teas available immediately apparent. Perhaps one needs a tea connoisseur degree to keep up! Ian has a leg up on most as his knowledge of tea goes back to his childhood. His Mom loved to have "tea time" every day, at what she referred to as “11zies.”  In fact, Ian drank so much tea as a child and teen that he thought it was a normal thing that every kid did. As an

13750 Co Rd 11, Burnsville, MN 55337

Call us during store hours at: 952-891-1212

Valley Natural Foods Co-op works in partnership with the South Metro community to support health and well-being through education and expertise in local, sustainable food and wellness services.

Store Hours:

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Daily

Coffee & Juice Bar In-Store Hours 8:00 a.m. –7:00 p.m. daily

Coffee & Juice Bar Drive-Thru Window 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, December 24 – 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. (early closing)

Wednesday, December 25 – Closed for Christmas Day

Tuesday, December 31 – 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (early closing)

Wednesday, Jan 1 – 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. New Year’s Day Hours

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