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Being the Bag Monster

May Produce Parable
By Adam Calder

Wheatsfield Cooperative recently wrapped up a week-long series of events to celebrate Earth Day in April. Throughout that week, if one was lucky enough, they might have had a run in with the Bag Monster.

The Bag Monster is a project conceived by the ChicoBag company. ChicoBags are reusable grocery bags that fold up nicely into themselves to form a neat little pouch, and we offer a variety of them at Wheatsfield. The inventor of ChicoBags, Andy Keller, used to go to farmers markets with a giant ball made entirely of 500 single use plastic bags that represented the average number of plastic bags a United States citizen uses in a year. One day he decided to wear the bags, and the Bag Monster came into being, spreading knowledge and awareness about the dangers and drawbacks of single use plastic bags.

I was lucky enough to be the Bag Monster for one morning during our Earth Week celebrations. It was an exciting experience for me, and I had a great time spending the day walking around our cooperative thanking people who brought in reusable bags and educating those who did not.

The reactions I had from our customers were quite varied. Some people laughed, others gasped, some cried and I actually went and stood in the parking lot and waited for one shopper to leave the store completely before I re-entered as she informed me my costume was “totally freaking her out.” Then again, that was rather the point of the whole demonstration. People should be freaked out by the thought of one person using that many bags, especially when you consider there are about 311 million people in this country and each of them is, on average, using that many bags a year. That adds up to 155,500,000,000, or 155 billion bags. (This amount of bags, tied end to end, would wrap around the Earth’s equator 776 times.)

Not everyone was afraid of the Bag Monster, and I had a great experience with a mother and her two young children. The children were intimidated at first, but I talked to them and, with the help of his mother, had the little boy read the sign I was holding to his little sister. The sign said “1 year, 1 shopper, 500 bags” and once the boy had sounded it all out, the girl asked “why are you wearing those bags?” I explained to her that the 500 bags her brother had just read about were the ones I was wearing, and that every person who takes and uses single use plastic bags is making their own bag monster at home.

Some people really didn’t get the point of the Bag Monster, or if they did understand they felt like they were an exception and not part of the problem. One woman even bragged to me, saying “I have five kids, I go through WAY more than 500 plastic bags a year.” Still others had reusable grocery bags, but for some reason insist on putting ALL their produce in single use produce bags. Those produce bags are every bit as single use, plastic and non-degradable as the grocery bags, but for some reason if a bag doesn’t have handles, people act like it is ok to take as many as you want. A much better approach would be to take only what you need, and most produce does not need to go in a bag. If it does need a bag, we sell reusable cotton bags that are actually better for storing produce and maintaining its freshness and quality. If you look in old cookbooks, they talk about keeping lettuce in crisper bags, which were essentially slightly damp cotton bags. There is some wisdom there, those cotton bags can be used over and over, and you can wash them so they are still sanitary. The plastic produce bags were never designed for storing produce, just for temporary transportation, so keeping produce in produce bags in your refrigerator is actually a bad idea.

I also heard many people try to justify or defend their copious plastic bag usage by telling me things like “well, I re-use my plastic bags as garbage bags.” While re-using is a great part to the three tenants of good recycling, it is the second step, not the last. Reducing your consumption is the first step.

It is up to each of us to take it upon ourselves personally to not use single use plastic bags. If we all did this, then the Bag Monster would die as would all the Bag Monsters out there growing in most of the homes across the United States.

April Produce Parable

Economical or Local, What’s Your Priority?
By Adam Calder

Every day consumers wield amazing power. With each purchase we have the chance to make the world a better place for ourselves, or for everyone. Although it may not seem like it matters, every time you spend your money you are casting a vote of approval for whatever product or service you buy. Some might ask ‘Does it make a difference where you spend your money, or what you spend it on?’

Yes, it does matter. A few weeks ago, my roommate Bronwyn and I were out shopping for a new chest deep freezer. We looked on the internet for the least expensive deal we could find on a freezer, and we found a perfect one for sale at Lowe’s with free delivery. Bronwyn thought it might be a good idea to check and see if there were any small, family owned appliance stores in Ames to see if they offered a comparable product for a similar price, and I agreed. We ended up at Harris T.V. and Appliance on Lincoln Way. They had the same exact model of freezer that we had seen at Lowe’s, but for $120 more and they charged a delivery fee.

At first glance, it might seem like an easy decision to make. Most folks would buy the exact same freezer for less money at Lowe’s. We showed the store owner the price we had from Lowe’s, and he told us the price they are selling their freezers for is less than the wholesale cost he paid for his freezers from the manufacturer. He explained how Lowe’s can buy in huge volumes, get a volume buying deal because of it and pass those savings on in the form of a very low, competitive price.

We then asked if he was aware that Lowe’s did not charge a delivery fee, where as the appliance store charges $40, he became visibly uncomfortable that we were putting him on the spot like that. He began nervously rubbing the back of his neck, and said he could waive the delivery fee if we purchased the freezer, but that he couldn’t budge on the price. He did offer up the information that while Lowe’s did have cheap prices, you were on your own after you bought it. His appliance store, on the other hand, would bring a loaner freezer should your freezer ever break. This way, you wouldn’t lose any of your frozen food while the technicians from the appliance store worked on your freezer.

After our exchange with the owner, he slowly walked back to the front of the showroom to let Bronwyn and I talk. In front of us was a difficult decision: do we buy the Lowe’s appliance to save $120 of our hard earned money, or do we stand by our convictions and buy the product from a family owned local business and not the large international corporation?

It was hard. I mean it was really, really hard to decide what to do! Ultimately, we decided having a business like his in Ames was more important to us than the money. We approached the counter and Bronwyn said “We’ll take it!” The store owner looked slightly dumbfounded, and began hastily pulling together the paperwork to make the transaction. I paid, arranged a delivery time (sans the delivery fee) and then Bronwyn and I made our way towards the door. As we walked out, the owner said “Thanks for shopping…here….” like he still wasn’t quite sure what had just happened had really happened.

I’ve never felt so good buying a freezer! Even though it was very, very difficult to part with my money, it made me feel like a million bucks to be able to help support a family owned part of my community where one can get intimate service from people who genuinely care about what they do, experienced answers to questions and high quality products. High quality goods and services, friendly and knowledgeable staff who care about their community and their customers, why that sounds just like Wheatsfield.

Local Aspargus Early Crop

Pictured above is Curtis Nixt of Iowa Asparagus, LLC.

Local asparagus is in, thanks to the early spring! It is moving quickly. What is your favorite way to prepare asparagus? Here are a few ideas from TasteSpotting.

A (micro) Green St. Patrick's Day

March 2012 Produce Parable
by Adam Calder, Produce Manager

There isn’t actually much in March that is green other than the shamrocks and cabbage associated with St. Patrick’s Day, so this year why not add a little more green with some fresh, certified organic and locally grown micro-greens from Organic Greens LLC in Kalona.

This is a new product for the Wheatsfield Cooperative Produce Department, although these sprouts have been available to other cooperatives and restaurants in the Kalona area since 1998. We only recently were thrilled to find out that James Nisly, the owner of Organic Greens LLC, had finally figured out the complicated logistics of shipping his greens to us and was ready to send us our first shipment.

If you are not sure what a micro green is, then you will want to check them out the next time you are in the produce department because they are delectable! A micro-green is really just an immature plant, not so little that it’s a baby but not quite a grown up either. They tend to be more succulent and delicate than their adult contemporaries and yet still taste great.

We will initially stock daikon radish, sunflower, snow pea and salad micro-greens in 5 ounce containers that will retail for $4.99 each. Since we are excited about this great new product, we are going to have them sell at an introductory price of $4.49 each. Also, our deli manager Michelle is going to make some new sandwiches and wraps that incorporate these delicious micro-greens, so look for them in our grab-and-go case.

If you still need some more ideas for a greener St. Patrick’s Day, then check out the frozen wheatgrass juice we sell which is also from Organic Greens LLC. We have actually carried this product for several years as the logistics for that product are not as complicated as those for fresh produce. These products come in one ounce containers, and twelve come in a box so you can have a shot of wheatgrass juice every morning for almost two weeks from just one box! If you have never had fresh wheatgrass juice, it can be a little overwhelming as it is quite sweet and concentrated in flavor. Dropping one of these frozen wheatgrass juice portions into a glass of grape juice is quite tasty and is also a great way to bring some extra nutrients into your diet.

Be sure to look for these great local, organic products the next time you are shopping at Wheatsfield. Don’t forget that this is just the beginning as spring and summer are right around the corner, and with them comes an influx of awesome local produce!

Produce and Wellness

February Produce Parable
By Adam Calder, Produce Manager

I’m writing this on the heels of our last Wellness Wednesday, which was a big success. Our wellness and marketing departments deserve a hand for all their hard work that went into putting together another great wellness event.

I like to think that people come in on these special days thinking about a healthy lifestyle, and it is really great that Wheatsfield is the place they go when they are thinking of better health. Our wellness department is staffed with knowledgeable, caring individuals who really know their way around their well-stocked department, full of products designed for you to conveniently and quickly fit some healthy nutrition into your hectic schedule. They are there to listen to your questions, and then use all of their experience to help you find just what you are looking for.

Luckily for our customers, that great experience does not have to end in the wellness department. Our produce department is staffed from open to close with a produce staff member who is there to address your needs. We are there not just to help you find absolutely fantastic tasting food, but to help you live a healthier lifestyle. Don’t know the difference between a jewel yam, garnet yam or sweet potato? Ask a produce staff member, and they would be happy to tell you. Haven’t a clue how to eat collard greens? Ask us and we will tell you how to cook some up for dinner. Looking for a food high in potassium? Put down that banana, because a produce staff member can tell you that a potato actually has more potassium per serving than a banana.

The produce department even has its fair share of products that are designed to be convenient, quick ways to add some healthy nutrition to your life. These products were formulated by generations of selective breeding so we now have today many familiar food items that are easy to eat on the go. Produce like carrots, apples, celery and oranges are all good for you, portable and tasty.

It is great we have so many convenient options at our cooperative to live a healthy lifestyle if you are in a hurry and options for people with a little more time to devote to their health. Some things are not as easy as an apple, like making a fresh salad or tomato sauce from scratch. Some things, like sharing a home-made meal with your family, are just so good they are worth slowing down a bit to be able to incorporate them into your life. Making meals out of produce might seem like a large commitment of time and effort, but ultimately that effort is going to serve you and your loved ones. This is effort well placed and deserved.

So the next time you are thinking of your health needs, don’t forget to think about your next dinner at home. Need an antioxidant boost? Chop some mustard greens into your salad because they are full of antioxidants vitamins A, C and E. Are you on a high-protein diet? Toss an avocado and some mushrooms (both high in protein) into that salad but don’t forget to add in a bunch of diced green onions as they help your body metabolize protein.

Here at Wheatsfield Cooperative, we have got your health needs covered, no matter what pace you live your life. Stop in and introduce a little wellness into your life.

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LOCAL SPOTLIGHT

Snus Hill Winery

Madrid, IA
Miles to the Co-op: 17.8

In 1999 John & Diane Larson planted the first acre of Frontenac and Marechal Foch grapes, 4 generations after their Swedish ancestors purchased a hill top of moraine soils left from the receding glaciers.