The Weblog
This page contains news, event information, and other items added by the market managers, including the weekly availability email. Be sure to check back regularly!
News: Market Closed for Spring Break and Upcoming Events
Suwanee Whole Life Co-op
Our Website: suwanee.locallygrown.net
Pick Up Location: 4942 Austin Park Avenue, Buford GA 30518 on Tuesdays
Like Us on Facebook: Suwanee Whole Life Co-op
Have a question for other co-op members? Submit questions on our Google Group Discussion Board: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/suwanee-whole-life-co-op
Market Closed April 7th (PLEASE READ)
Due to Spring Break the market will be closed on April 7th. Please consider doubling THIS WEEK since we will not have pick up the following week.
Raw Jersey Cow Milk from Cedar Rock Dairy
Closing the market is tough on the cows because they have to be milked regardless so Sam from Cedar Rock Dairy (Raw Jersey Cow Milk) will have a milk pick up on Tuesday, April 7th from 1:30pm to 2:30pm at the back of the warehouse in the loading area. Sam promised me his delivery guy Benny will be on time and he will riding with him to make sure.
You will have to pre-order milk from Cedar Rock Dairy this weekend if you want it on 4/7. You will see additional listings for milk on the market site this weekend. It will be marked (PRE-ORDER) and this is a pre-paid preorder so payment is expected by Tuesday 3/31. This will be for both milk in glass and plastic. We will not take last minute orders so please plan accordingly.
Sam will also be accepting jars returns that day as well. I will give Sam all the jars that were returned the week prior. Please do not bring jars to my house.
Thank you again Sam for offering to do this!
Produce Boxes – Because the warehouse will be closed on April 7th we can’t have boxes delivered and we are looking for an alternative location.
I don’t feel comfortable with boxes left outside the warehouse unattended either.
Unfortunately, no one volunteered their garage or covered area for April 7th and we don’t have another pick up location. Nature’s Garden will offer home delivery that week and they will send you a separate email.
Market News
Message from Great Harvest Bread Company:
We hope everyone enjoyed their FREE loaf of Honey Whole Wheat this week! If you liked it please consider ordering on the market website.
Great Harvest is a “from-scratch”, whole grain bakery. Our products are so “from-scratch” that we even grind our own wheat. We buy the highest quality Non GMO Montana wheat, grind it into flour using a real stone mill, then bake with it within 24 hours. That fresh ground, whole grain flour has more nutritional value and great taste than you’ll find in any other bread in a grocery store.
We use no preservatives and nothing artificial. Our premiere bread, Honey Whole Wheat, contains just five ingredients; stone ground Montana wheat, light amber honey from local hives in south Georgia, salt, yeast and filtered water.
We need at least a total of 20 loaves of any of our breads ordered on a weekly basis for us to deliver to the market location in Buford.
Thank you for supporting your local bakeries and businesses.
Erika and Ray Boland
New Items this week:
Jerusalem Artichokes – B&B
Gluten Free Breads – Great Harvest Bread Company
Skin Care – Buffalo Gal Grassfed Beauty
Sweet Pea Garden:
Sweet Pea Garden has not left the market. Mel will be back either this week or the week after Spring Break.
Feedback Survey
Wow! We had a great response rate and I really appreciate your honest feedback. I’m still compiling the results and if you haven’t already responded to the survey you still can. I will close out the survey this Sunday. After I compile the data I will let you know about upcoming changes we will make to the market. You will definitely see some new products coming soon based on the survey.
Group Buy:
Butter & FCLO group buy order will be available for pick up this Tuesday. If you can’t pick up this week we will keep it for you until you can. Group buy items will NOT be donated.
HELP! We need Volunteers!!
We need volunteers next TUESDAY!
THANK YOU Kelly, Pam, Chuck, Brenda, and Angelynn for helping on Tuesday! You guys are truly a blessing! We couldn’t have a co-op without volunteers and we appreciate you all so much!
If you are interested in volunteering, I have created a volunteer sign up on Signup Genius. I am asking for volunteers to sign up for 1 hour shifts from 2p to 6:45 pm. No packing is involved just need someone to be there to assist other members. You are welcome to bring your kids as long as they are supervised. Here is the link to the sign up http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A44AEA623A7FA7-volunteer
The link is also posted on the About page on our website.
Thank you in advance for your support!
Upcoming Group Buys
Below is a list of upcoming co-op group buys to help with planning and budgeting. All dates are subject to change.
Grass Fed Cheese – 4/10 – 4/12 (Sorry this keeps changing. There are a few items currently out of stock and we want to make sure it’s available before you order)
Vital Choice (Wild Caught Seafood Only) – 4/10 – 4/12
Unrefined Maple Syrup – Grade B- 4/17/15 – 4/19/15
Sorghum Syrup – TBD Spring 2015
Upcoming Local Events
Grow Your Own-The 4th Annual Real Local Food Festival
Dabrielle from My Daily Bread and Maryanne from Heirloom Living Market will be at this event!
The local food movement continues to grow in popularity as people become more health conscious and more attuned to where their food is originating. If you have a desire to grow your own food or lessen your impact on the environment by purchasing locally grown produce, ground flour, and eggs, the Environmental and Heritage Center (EHC) invites you to its fourth annual “Grow Your Own – The Real Local Food” festival on Sunday, March 29, 2015, from 1 pm until 5 pm.
The festival will include speaker sessions, guided plant hikes, and demonstrations conducted by local farmers and community gardeners. (Tentative Schedule)
1:30pm-2pm The Gwinnett County Extension will provide tips for new gardeners on how to prepare a garden for the growing season and what soil to use.
2pm-3pm Anne-Marie Bilella with Bella Vista Farm will take visitors outside on a wild edible and medicinal plant hike around the EHC forest and will share information on how to grow these useful plants at home.
3pm-4pm Pilar Quintero from Rancho Alegre, a Dacula based farm, will share the story of her agricultural enterprise, which includes a small dairy operation, chickens, hogs and sheep.
4pm-4:30pm Victor Gann of Blacksmith Farms in Lawrenceville will give a presentation on the financial and health benefits of growing your own food.
Ned Jung of J&J Culinary Sensations will prepare delicious food for sale using organic, locally grown products.
Our Daily Bread will give on-site demonstrations of grinding grain into flour and will have its flour, breads and fresh preserves for sale.
Other festival participants include beekeepers (Dances with Bees; Gwinnett County Beekeepers), Heirloom Living Market, and Golden Farms. Honey, beeswax products, vegetables, herbs, breads, eggs and other products will also be available for purchase.
The festival includes activities for the “wee” gardeners. Golden Farms will bring live chickens, including baby chicks, to the campus for visitors to enjoy. Chicken and bee crafts, seed planting, face painting and worm composting discoveries will excite children to dig in the dirt as temperatures get warmer. The EHC will also offer special children’s gardening classes from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. for ages 5 to 12
Know where your food comes from and support your community and the Earth at the same time. Program fees for the event are $5 for ages 13 and older, $3 for ages 3 to 12 and free for children two and younger and EHC members. For more information and the schedule of speaker sessions and events, visit www.gwinnettEHC.org.
Forsyth County Master Gardener Plant Sale – April 10-11
Annuals, Perennials, Trees, Shrubs & Vegetables
Mel from Sweet Pea Garden will be at this event! Stop by and say hi!
The annual Forsyth County Master Gardener Plant Sale offers a wide variety of southern plants, unique garden accents and more.
Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer any questions or offer expert advice on planting, growing & caring for your plants.
FRIDAY, APRIL 10
8:00am-5:00pm
SATURDAY, APRIL 11
8:00am – 4:00pm
LOCATION:
The Barn @ Cumming Fairgrounds
235 Castleberry Road
Cumming, GA 30040
RAIN OR SHINE!
Covered Venue -inside heated barn on fairgrounds
[Free + Online] Food As Medicine Summit
From the nutrient depleted soils of mono-cropped farms, to the overly processed and packaged foods that fill our supermarkets, to the body ailments that are more common today than even before; we must face the fact that our food system is broken. However, rather than dwelling on what’s not working, many of us are asking how we can upgrade the choices we’re making in our daily lives to improve our personal health and the health of the planet…
Join this first time online gathering of world renowned experts, best selling authors, and beloved teachers as they share their journeys and wisdom around using Food As Medicine. Gain valuable insight and inspiration for getting maximum medicinal value from everyday ingredients, boosting the nutritive properties of your food through traditional techniques, foraging for wild edibles and medicinal plants, boosting your immunity and digestion, and supporting a sustainable food system — all while creating a deeper connection with yourself, your diet…and the earth, itself.
Food As Medicine Summit is an opportunity to learn how to:
- Create a nourished kitchen using new & traditional foods & recipes
- Make herbal concoctions for digestion, anxiety, immunity & more
- Boost the nutritive properties of your food with fermentation
- Figure out what foods work best for your own body
- Understand modern homesteading principles
- Forage for wild mushrooms & other edibles
- Wild-craft medicine from local plants
- Ferment just about anything
Register at http://ashevillage.org/food-as-medicine-summit/
We thank you for your interest and support of our efforts to bring you the healthiest, the freshest and the most delicious locally-produced foods possible!