Sound Consumer archive
April 2010
Green cleaning
by Eli Penberthy, Associate Editor
Growing up in my house, spring cleaning was a yearly tradition anticipated more than any holiday — for several days each April, my Norwegian-born mother and grandmother would clean and organize every closet, wash and iron all the curtains, scour every tile and appliance, and dust every nook and cranny until the entire house gleamed.
New NPA Standards for cleaning products
As an organic consumer, you make sure your food is free of chemicals, pesticides and other harmful ingredients — but do you take the same level of care when choosing cleaning products for your home? Soon, a new standard for household cleaners will make it a lot easier.
Agave: considering the issues
by Karen Lamphere, M.S., C.N.
Agave syrup (or nectar) is an increasingly popular sweetener used in drinks, nutrition bars and some desserts. It’s also increasingly controversial. Agave syrup has about the same number of calories per teaspoon as white sugar but its lower glycemic index doesn’t cause as great a rise in blood sugar.
Supporting biodiversity with heirlooms
by Bill Thorness
Josh Kirschenbaum stopped in the middle of the field, bent over a tangle of leaves, pulled a bit at the vines, and uncovered a deep-green globe freckled with yellow dots. That Moon and Stars watermelon, an heirloom variety, was one of 1,200 vegetable and fruit varieties growing on the Territorial Seed Company trial farm.
Recipes from the April issue
Yogurt, fresh & light, lends creaminess to your cooking and baking: Herb Yogurt Dip for Raw Vegetables · Mango Lentil Curry Wrap with Mint Cooling Sauce · Johnny Cakes · Tropical Blueberry Smoothie · Creamy Tahini Sauce · Creamy Cauliflower Leek Soup
What's new in store — April 2010
Discover the first local flavors of spring with Washington-grown asparagus and salad mix, a new line of hemp milk and coconut water, delicious artisan flatbreads from the PCC Deli, and more.
Notes from the Cellar
Styx and Stones, sort of
by Jeff Cox, Beer and Wine Merchandiser
It’s the stuff that keeps songwriters in business. I put the glass to my nose and the heady weave of fruit, earth and garrigues pushes the first emotional domino. Like a freight train, that sad, lonesome feeling that’s been hanging in the shadows for a couple days feels like it’s going to leap right through my chest.
Grace Harbor Farms
Tim and Grace Lukens and their son, David, run Grace Harbor Farms, a small dairy not far from the Canadian border. PCC shoppers may best know them as the makers of a luscious, cream-top yogurt crafted from the golden whole milk of Guernsey cows.
The beginning farmer: Turning challenge into opportunity
by Melissa Campbell, Stewardship and Land Associate
Having successfully cleared the major hurdle most new farmers face — securing land — Orting Valley farmer and owner of Crying Rock Farms, Joel Blais, now is wrestling with the realities of what it means to be a small-scale organic pork producer. Joel shared the following reflections about his biggest challenges.
Letters to editor
Shopping for quality food · Green medicine · Gluten-free is easy · Agave concerns · Non-homogenized, slow-pasteurized milk · Dave’s bread · Soy in Vegenaise · BPA in receipt paper
News bites
More farms in Washington · Non-GMO #1 · GE alfalfa comments · USDA defines pasturing · Prison term for false organic marketing · Bob’s Red Mill gift · Monsanto “faked” data, insider claims · India defers first GM food crop · Sauerkraut as good as Viagra · Soda linked to pancreatic cancer
Your co-op
Notice of annual member dinner meeting · Make your voice heard — please vote · Meet the candidates and enjoy great PCC food · Board report