Local Food

Warmer weather means more time spent outside, and what better way to spend your evenings than behind a grill cooking up some smoky, sweet, mouthwatering meals for family and friends? Last Thursday, City Market class participants gathered at the Intervale Center down by the Winooski River for a Grilling Fundamentals class. The class was taught by our very own Executive Chef, Michael Clauss. From managing his own catering business to running restaurant kitchens, Michael had tons of tips and tricks to share with the group.

Spring has sprung and it’s time for another round of Co-op Seedling Grants! Now in its fifth year, this grant program has previously been supported through the generosity of our Members in the form of uncashed Patronage Refund Checks. However, we anticipate that it will take several years for the Co-op to return to profitability after opening the South End store in November 2017.

The weekend of February 17^th marked the 36^th Annual NOFA-VT Winter Conference! There was an abundance of inspirational, innovative, speakers, workshops and activities throughout the weekend, not to mention a delicious lunch both days with highlights from a variety of Vermont farms. During lunch on Saturday, we heard from a number of state legislators and representatives including Senator Bernie Sanders, Congressman Welch and Governor Scott.

Did you know that the apple is the official state fruit of Vermont? According to the Vermont Tree Fruit Growers Association, our little state produces around 1,000,000 bushels of apples annually which equates to about 40 million pounds. While over fifty percent of apples produced are McIntosh, more than 150 varieties are grown on roughly twenty apple orchards throughout the state.

Here at the Co-op we’re all about supporting local farmers and producers. While the variety on offer fluctuates throughout the year, you’d be surprised at how easy it is to incorporate local products into your diet even during the harshest of winter months. That’s why we started our We ♥ Local Recipe Contest, now in its eighth year running!

First off, we wanted to wish our entire City Market community a Happy New Year! For many, the start of the New Year is a time to reflect, reset, and form intentions for the year ahead. It is a time to move past the extra one, two, or five cookies you regretted eating during the holidays, and look forward to healthier options.

With the Super Bowl right around the corner, here are some healthy alternatives to your favorite comfort foods, snacks, and dips so you are able to enjoy the game and still feel good about your 2018 goals.

December 4^th marked the first class in our brand new Community Teaching Kitchen at our South End store located on Flynn Avenue! 

The Community Teaching Kitchen is located on the second floor of the South End store, right next to our Community Room! If you didn’t get a chance, check out our blog post about the Community Teaching Kitchen, here.

Throughout the growing season, City Market hosts Crop Mobs at area farms. These volunteer work parties give our Member Workers an opportunity to get their hands dirty and learn more about the farms where we’re purchasing our food from. Last month, we helped with weeding at Pitchfork Farm in the Intervale and just this past Saturday, on an uncharacteristically hot fall day, we harvested potatoes at Jericho Settlers Farm in Richmond.

In September, we celebrated National Honey Month, and we have a lot to thank our hard-working bees for. Much of our food system is dependent on the labor honey bees provide; as honey bees search for nectar for themselves, they also collect and transfer pollen as they move from plant to plant. This process of cross-pollination is critical for our food system, as it is what actually allows the plants (that we want to eat!) to reproduce. Human or technical replication of what the bees do for us naturally is not as efficient, labor-intensive, and very expensive.  

Throughout the year, City Market staff members make the rounds to visit our local producers and get a behind the scenes look at their operations. With over 2,700 Local and Made in Vermont products, we have plenty of incredible vendors to choose from. This past week, a group of us visited Miskell’s Premium Organics in Charlotte and Besteyfield Farms at their new space in Hinesburg.