Provender News

It’s a good thing I’m such a procrastinator!  Because I waited until the last minute to write this column, I can include some congratulations to all our members who will be positively effected by the new Farm Bill.  If you haven’t had a chance to read about the increase in organic research funding, the increased oversight of the integrity of imported organics, or the removal of hemp and hemp products from the Controlled Substances Act, among many other positive changes [Read More]

by Meg Kennedy Hello all my fellow Provendarians, This is a brief note from you board of directors to give you an overview of what we’ve accomplished in 2018. At our January in person meeting we conducted our annual Board of Director’s training to onboard our newly elected directors, give a refresher to the rest of us and pass our many years of expertise onto our membership. These annual trainings are open to all members to come learn about Provender’s [Read More]

By Dana Geffner, Fair World Project As of this spring, you can buy fair trade melons in the U.S. Good news? Unfortunately, no. Those melons come from multinational Fyffes’ Suragroh plantation in Honduras, the site of ongoing, unresolved labor disputes for more than a decade. Despite this ongoing, internationally reported situation, Fair Trade USA (FTUSA) went ahead and applied their label—and considerable marketing clout—to melons grown by workers suffering systematic human and labor rights abuses. That’s exactly what you choose [Read More]

In September 2018, Coconut Bliss launched a formal corporate social responsibility project inspired by the book Drawdown. As a woman-led company, we were particularly inspired to work with women in our supply chain, leading to better lives for them and their families, but as importantly, to help reverse climate change. As Paul Hawken wrote in Drawdown, “Due to existing inequalities, women and girls are disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, from disease to natural disaster. Enhancing the well-being [Read More]

Fall harvest is complete and we’ve packed all that fresh, ripe Northwest grown produce into our delicious, shelf-stable recipes ready to take home and enjoy! Looking ahead, we’re beginning our hand-packing of the finest tuna from the Oregon Coast, provided by our local fishermen. We use younger fish, which have less mercury accumulation compared to larger, older fish. By using younger fish caught from the Oregon Coast, we minimize our exposure to heavy metals while maintaining access to natural heart-healthy [Read More]

by Sprague Pest Solutions It’s the other rat. The rat that prefers to stay high in the shadows. The one that may never touch the ground its entire life. What rat is this? Meet the roof rat. Roof rat concerns are on the rise in every place on the I-5 corridor, from Washington State to Southern California. Facility and property managers bring attention to this threat, and take pro-active steps to combat the threat. “Roof rat populations have been [Read More]

By Amy Pereira BS, CHNC, RYT-200 Although essential oils are often used to clean homes and workplaces and to freshen the air around us, their use is surely not limited to these purposes.  Essential oils are frequently applied topically for first aid, skin/body care and overall health benefits.  They are also commonly inhaled (by way of diffuser, nasal stick, steam bath, palm diffusion or directly from open bottles) to reap the benefits that essential oils and their phytochemicals can impart [Read More]

by The Rising Stars Leadership Team The Times They are A-Changing If you’ve been to the Provender conference or worked in the natural products movement these past few decades, you’ve more than likely heard of the Rising Stars leadership training program. Over the past few months you may have also heard that we are retiring our old model and wondering what’s next for Allen, Carolee and I. Well for starters we aren’t retiring from training actually far from it. We [Read More]

Even the most devoted environmental warrior has a carbon footprint. Most of us are contributing to greenhouse gasses from our energy usage, driving and other travel. By partnering with Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) to offer the registrants an option to offset their emissions, this year Provender helped to mitigate the impact of the conference from a climate change perspective. BEF is a nonprofit organization that encourage businesses and organizations to reduce their carbon footprint wherever possible.  Yet even with these [Read More]

By Mountain Rose Herbs For those looking to go gluten-free (or reduce their carb intake), these smoky, Southwestern-inspired spaghetti squash bowls are for you! The earthiness of the Mexican Seasoning blend melds perfectly with the smoke and subtle spice of the Mesquite Seasoning. The coconut aminos and mushrooms add the perfect amount of umami to make this dish a savory delight. Ingredients 1 small spaghetti squash 1 small head of cauliflower 4 oz. fresh mushrooms 3 Tbsp. organic olive oil, [Read More]