by Vicki Reich, Executive Director I haven’t had time to think about much besides planning to make this year’s conference the “best one ever” (as the board and staff like to say at the end of every conference). There is so much good stuff happening this year, I think we have a shot at that prediction coming true. You might have picked up bits and pieces about our plans through the e-News or the Members-Only Facebook page, but I thought [Read More]
by Rachel Mitrani, Provender Board President Happy almost summer to The Provender Community! The message from the board is a great tradition in the Provender Journal. It is my opportunity as your Provender Board member to share my thoughts, feelings and insights regarding anything relevant to our community. This is my 5th year on the Board of Directors and my 2nd year as Board President. It has been a great privilege to have the opportunity to serve this wonderful [Read More]
by Carolee Colter and Brittany Baird, CDS Consulting A growing body of research shows that cognitive biases creep into everyone’s decisions, even if we consciously strive to be fair. One of the most insidious forms is “confirmation bias,” in which people look for data that confirm their opinion and ignore data that contradict it. Confirmation bias has a detrimental impact on hiring decisions, causing us to rush to snap judgments without realizing we have done so, and then taking [Read More]
by Michelle O’Connor, Moxie Consulting The morning starts the same in many delis I visit. There is a clipboard or a whiteboard over in the corner of the department, and written upon it is THE LIST. The list is comprised of recipes that need to be completed that day. Every morning the staff gather around THE LIST and talk about what they did last night and what they are going to do this weekend, all while drinking their morning [Read More]
by Katherine DiMatteo How did dirt get so popular? Sure, as a child you probably ate dirt as I did which was probably not nutritious but fun. Today health and soil (not dirt) are linked and the subject of discussion by farmers, politicians, brands, agriculture and environmental organizations, the media, and maybe even some of the general public. Why? Science has caught up with logic – healthy soils produce healthy plants that are healthy for people and animals. And, by [Read More]
By Mountain Rose Herbs There are very few things that are as refreshing as a tart, ice-cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day. Not those powdered mixes that contains preservatives, colorants, and artificial sweeteners, but real, fresh-squeezed lemonade. The refreshing balance of bright acidity, light tartness, and a kiss of sweetness can’t be accomplished any other way. The key to finding that perfect balance is to use a simple syrup, as it ensures that your sweetener is evenly [Read More]
By Alex Johnson, Maple Valley The maple woods in late winter are still and quiet. Heavy snow that has fallen through the barren branches of tall maple trees covers the forest floor like a downy blanket. It muffles the sound of crunching footsteps, protecting the atmospheric peace. At times, one can hear the distant call of a horned owl or the soft thud of snow falling from tree branches warmed by the midday sun. A vast network of blue tubing [Read More]
Sweet Creek Foods of Elmira, Oregon has just produced another season of our delicious Albacore Tuna. This tuna is really something special. Starting with troll caught tuna off the Oregon coast, we hand pack each jar using the finest loins. Our tuna is then cooked only once, insuring lots of heart friendly omega 3 oils. We are proud to guarantee this is of the highest quality tuna that you’ll ever eat. It’s great to use in salads, sandwiches, casseroles or [Read More]