Sound Consumer archive
October 2009

The acid alkaline balance

by Dr. Candace McNaughton, N.D.

Foods can be categorized as carbohydrates, proteins and fats, but they also can be classified by how we process them. Our bodies transform nearly all foods into acids or alkaline bases, and we need a balance to be healthy.

October is co-op month

Join us for a delicious, seasonal meal and an interesting keynote address at our Fall Membership Meeting on October 27. Our speaker, Jon Bansen, comes to us from CROPP/Organic Valley, a farmer-owned cooperative that provides milk and dairy products to PCC.

More floating feedlots off Washington's coast?

by Anne Mosness

Beneath sun-dappled waves that lap our shores and connect us to other nations and people are the detritus and pollutants of our modern age. Oceans are 70 percent of our planet, life-sustaining and increasingly at risk.

A brighter future, one banana at a time

by Diana Crane, PCC Director of Sustainability

Buyers of GROW bananas at PCC are rewarded with great taste and quality, and the satisfaction of helping the communities where the bananas are grown.

Recipes from the October issue

Spicy Sautéed Greens with Walnuts and Cranberries · Becky’s Braised Greens · Ume Plum Braised Greens

What's new in store — October 2009

We have all kinds of new products making their way to our stores this month including locally grown apples, delicious coconut novelties, fresh pickles, leg warmers for little ones and toys made from recycled milk containers.

Notes from the Cellar

Coda: Allegro Vivace

by Jeff Cox, Beer and Wine Merchandiser

Ah, October. Sigh ... Over here on the dark side of the hill, we’re hard-pressed to regard the coming of autumn as anything less than a passing — of light, warmth and a generally more sunny way of being in the world.

Seasonal produce

Rent's Due Ranch

If you’ve enjoyed local, organic leaf lettuce, green beans, broccoli and berries from our produce department, chances are you’ve already sampled plenty of goodness from Rent’s Due Ranch in Stanwood, Wash. This certified organic farm on nearly 50 acres of rich soil has supplied PCC Natural Markets with fresh produce since 1990.

Saving farmland with conservation easements, part II

Last month we discussed the benefits of buying conservation easements. The PCC Farmland Trust buys easements in lieu of purchasing property because they are less expensive and help ensure the land will be protected from future non-agricultural development. This month we continue to explore this idea, focusing on the trust’s pioneering work using easements for organic farming.