by Vicki Reich It’s hard to believe that in two short weeks from the time I’m writing this we will be gathered in Hood River for the Annual Provender Educational Conference. The months of hard work many of us have put into the conference will start to pay off as we educate and inspire each other. This year marks my twelfth conference and the second conference I’ve coordinated. Every year I feel the same way Troy did after his first [Read More]
by Jenica Caudill This year’s conference is in less than two weeks and your elected Provender Board has been B-U-S-Y. In keeping with this year’s conference theme, Minding Our Mission, Finding Our Future, outside of conference planning, our time has been heavily occupied with building an effective strategic plan. As the landscape of our industry and the needs of our members continue to change and grow, the board has been reflecting on what Provender has done well over the last [Read More]
Provender holds elections for our Board of Directors yearly and it’s that time of year. A designated person from each member organization will be receiving an electronic ballot soon. The Nominating Committee has diligently and carefully screened these candidates. This is the candidates’ opportunity to speak to you about their interest in serving on the board. These statements will also appear on the ballot. Mark DiMaggio – Red Duck Foods Please share a little bit about yourself and [Read More]
by Carolee Colter With unemployment reaching historic lows, people have a lot of choice in where they go to work. A lot of my clients in the natural foods industry are telling me they can’t find applicants to fill jobs, and the employee surveys I conduct reflect a lot of complaints about the impacts of understaffing and high turnover. Staff retention is becoming a hotter issue all the time. To explore one strategy to retain staff—flexible work arrangements—I turned to [Read More]
By Fair World Project Fair trade labels are everywhere now: on your coffee and your tea, on your t-shirt, and your toothpaste. Yet on each of those products, the label means something a little different, even if it is the same label—and there are so many different labels to be found on store shelves. Our new report, Fairness for Farmers: A Report Assessing the Fair Trade Movement and the Role of Certification, breaks down what each of the most common [Read More]
by Mountain Rose Herbs As fall approaches our gardens start bursting with sun-kissed fruits and veggies. Preserving these gems of summer now is a wonderful way to bring a kiss of summer into your kitchen during the deep cold months of winter. One of our favorite ways to keep a taste of summer throughout the year is to make pickles! Try this delightfully herby and spicy recipe for pickling your garden favorites. Some of our favorite veggies to pickle are [Read More]
By Amy Pereira BS, CHNC, RYT-200 In this article we’ll examine the reasons why Scientific Aromatherapy is such a respected and vital part of European medical protocol, how organic farming impacts essential oil chemistry, the shortcomings of so-called pure or therapeutic “grades” as well as how organic essential oils can play a safe and invaluable role in supporting both human and environmental health and well-being. Americans are becoming ever more familiar with household uses of essential oils, yet the [Read More]
Harvest time! Fresh harvests are crucial for producing the highest quality products, as we work quickly to lock in the flavors of our regional harvests. Gorgeous Chester Blackberries from our friends at Ayer’s Creek make excellent fruit spread with sweet and rich flavor. Fresh tomatoes from Inaba become salsas and tomato sauces unlike any other. This time of year we keep working as long as it takes to make sure every ingredient is processed at peak freshness and quality. Our [Read More]