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

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!

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

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

Group Buy: Pastured Butter

I am happy to welcome Ginny and Jimmy Franks of Southern Swiss Dairy to our family of local farmers! We will be getting our pastured butter from them going forward. I’ve had their butter and it is delicious! Can’t wait until we can get spring and summer butter – it’s a beautiful shade of dark yellow due to the abundance of green grass on the pasture.

Southern Swiss Dairy is a family operated and owned dairy located in Waynesboro, GA. They raise Brown Swiss cows on pasture. Their milk is low vat pasteurized and not homogenized. They use 40% butterfat cream to make their butters.

The largest size Southern Swiss sells their butter is 1 lb (hand packed in wax paper). Unsalted and Salted (sea salt) will be listed. Since they are a smaller dairy we are limited on how many pounds are available. Don’t forget to order early!!

Fermented Cod Liver Oil Info Details

GREEN PASTURE INFO:
Here’s some information about Fermented Cod Liver Oil and its health benefits:

Why choose Green Pasture Products?

•Whole Food Form
•Wild, as Provided by Nature
•Natural fatty acid complex, nothing removed or changed
•Full, deep range of Vitamins A, D, E, K; CoQ enzymes; and other Quinones
•Non-industrialized & Historical Processing Methods
•Clean, Pure, and Extensive Third Party Tested (NO PCBs, Lead, Mercury, Arsenic or other Heavy Metals)
•Family owned business
Why is FCLO better than regular fish oil? •Green Pasture uses wild caught cod in and around the Arctic region (A substantial amount of today’s cod liver oil is produced from farmed fish)
•FCLO higher in nutrients than regular fish oil
•Double the amounts of vitamin A and D as regular cod liver oil
•Goes rancid less quickly
•No synthetic vitamins added
•Most salmon oil has one-fifth the potency of cod liver oil
•1/2 TBS of FCLO provides the amount of elongated omega-3 fatty acids found in twelve 1,000 mg fish oil capsules

What are the benefits of Fermented Cod Liver Oil?
•Rich in Vitamins A & D which are crucial nutrients that are lacking in most modern diets
•Vitamin A- vital for a healthy immune system and healthy vision and is important for proper development in children
•Vitamin D- improves insulin function, protective effect against multiple sclerosis,
•May help prevent flu (lack of vitamin D synthesis during the winter as one explanation for high rates of influenza infection during cold season)
•In women, higher levels of vitamin D from cod liver oil improve bone mineral density
•EPA- Eicosapentaenoic acid (Omega 3 Fatty Acid) anti-inflammatory and necessary for prostaglandin production
•DHA -docasahexaenoic acid, a nutrient absolutely vital for a healthy brain and nervous system
•Fights inflammation associated with heart disease and heals the lining of the arteries
•Reduces the size of atheromas clogging arteries and improves blood vessel function
•Studies have shown cod liver oil can protect against diseases like cancer and leukemia
•Effective in treating arthritis
•Helps maintain soft skin and minimize wrinkles

How does it benefit my child’s health?
From conception through adolescence, cod liver oil can provide developing children with what they need to thrive. Mothers who take cod liver oil during pregnancy and nursing protect their children from disease while providing them with important nutrients and fatty acids. For growing children, cod liver oil is important for healthy bones and teeth, as well as preventing common problems like ADHD. It’s also an excellent treatment for diaper rash and other skin conditions if used topically.

Synergy of Butter Oil and Cod Liver Oil
Research shows that butter oil and cod liver oil, taken together, provide complementary factors leading to proper essential fatty acid balance. High-vitamin butter oil contains arachidonic acid (AA), an omega-6 fatty acid, while cod liver oil is rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an omega-3. Moreover, the saturated fatty acids in the butter oil promote efficient utilization of the unsaturated fatty acids in the cod liver oil. Finally, butter oil contains a broad and deep range of important quinones including Vitamin K, E and CoQ enzymes while cod liver oil is rich in Vitamin A and D.

Green Pasture’s High-Vitamin Butter Oil is extracted from dairy milk produced by Guernsey and Devon cows (high butterfat producers) that graze exclusively on irrigated grass in the northern Great Plains. This specific combination of climate and irrigation produces a rapidly growing specialized forage, ensuring optimal levels of Activator X as discovered by Dr. Price. Activator X and other nutrients are then further concentrated by putting the butterfat through a specialized low-temperature centrifuge process

Here is a link to an article about the benefit of cod liver oil and why it’s best taken with a high vitamin butter oil http://www.westonaprice.org/cod-liver-oil .

I’ve been taking FLCO since October 2011 and I can honestly say that I have seen an improvement in my own health. My hair and nails are stronger than they’ve ever been. My hair hasn’t been this thick since my last pregnancy 6 years ago. My skin feels and looks better. I usually have small bumps on my upper arms and they have virtually disappeared. My hormone level seems more even and no mood swings. One member told me her vision has improved since taking FCLO. My son thinks it’s helped him learn how to read! He loves it and actually requests it. My daughter, on the other hand, takes it only because she knows it’s good for her.

I have heard and seen several testimonies about FCLO increasing HDL (the good cholesterol) and have experienced it myself. My doctor has been tracking my HDL (and LDL) for the past 5 years and noticed that my HDL has been going up since 2011. The only significant dietary change I have made is adding FCLO to my diet. One of my closest friends has been taking the infused coconut oil that includes fclo and skate oils. Her HDL skyrocketed almost 50 points and her LDL lowered. Ironically we have the same doctor and she is now very interested in Fermented Cod Liver Oil.

Last year, my dentist told me I had a small “soft spot” on one of my molars that he wanted to keep an eye on. I doubled up on my fish oil and at my next visit he said it was no longer there! I have been told by others that using this product can help re-mineralize your teeth and reverse tooth decay and now I believe it.

My neighbor just started taking FCLO recently. She is also a breast cancer survivor for almost 14 years but has suffered from lymphedema (swelling in arms and hands). She told me shortly after taking fermented cod liver oil blend gel she has seen a significant reduction in her swelling and sense of well being she hasn’t felt in years!

If you have a testimony you’d like to share, please email me. I’d love to know how others in our co-op have seen the benefits of taking this wonderful product!

Nora’s recommendations:
I have personally tried every flavor and type of FCLO that Green Pasture carries. There are 2 that my entire family takes and we switch it up for variety- FCLO/HVBO Blend Gel- Cinnamon Tingle Flavor and Infused Coconut Oil- Carob Banana flavor.

I recommend shaking up the FCLO Blend Gels then storing it in the fridge upside down. It’s easier to scoop out that way. None of the products need refrigeration but I do only for this product. The infused coconut oils tend to harden up in the fridge so I just keep it on the counter.

My family has “family fish oil time” right after dinner. We take it with a little orange juice or something acidic to cleanse our palate.

Suggested Dosage:
FCLO/HVBO Blend Gel- Adults 1 teaspoon, children 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon depending on age

Infused Coconut Oils- Adults 1 tablespoon, children 1/4 to 1/2 tablespoon depending on age.

For other FCLO products see sources below for recommended dosage.

Dosage sources:
http://holisticsquid.com/how-much-cod-liver-oil-do-i-need/

http://www.westonaprice.org/cod-liver-oil/cod-liver-oil-basics

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!

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

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 – 3/20/15 – 3/22/15

Vital Choice (Wild Caught Seafood Only) – 3/27/15 – 3/29/15

Unrefined Maple Syrup – Grade B- 4/17/15 – 4/19/15

Sorghum Syrup – TBD Spring 2015

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!