Wheatsville Co-op Austin, TX

[Dan gillotte <dangillotte AT gmail.com>]

Hi Wheatsville friends and fans!

Are you our Facebook friend www.facebook.com/wheatsville 
You can also become a fan of Wheatsville Popcorn Tofu and Wheatsville Frito Pie!

Our monthly board meeting is next Tuesday from 6-9pm in the meeting room at our World headquarters 3105 Guadalupe! Agenda here.

In this e-mail
Good news!
Box o' Wine
>From the Deli
Meat and seafood for you
Staff Top 10 picks!
Flan and sausage
Citrus and salad
Grocery Aisle news
New Cheese

Some GOOD NEWS!
Bob's Red Mill gets new owners!
Our friend Bob of Bob's Red Mill has finalized the conversion of his
company to an employee-owned one! I was really impressed with their
operation when I visited a few years ago and am even MORE excited about
this awesome company now that it's employee-owned! See the story here.

Cows get put out to pasture (in a good way).
There
has been a lot of controversy over Organic milk pasture standards over
the past few years and we weren't sure how the new standards would
actually play out, but I am glad to announce GOOD NEWS in this area!
Specifically, the new rules require that dairy cows and other ruminants
be out on pasture for the entire growing season, but for not less than
120 days. It also requires that the animals receive at least 30% of
their feed, or dry matter intake (DMI), from pasturing. In addition,
organic livestock will be required to have access to the outdoors
year-round with the exception of temporary confinement due to
mitigating and documentable environmental or health considerations. 

You can read a press release from a, organics watchdog group called the Cornucopia Institute's take on it here.

This isn't your Grandma's Boxed Wine!
Wine bottles cost a
fortune to make,  they’re heavy, fragile, and there odd shape makes
shipping them is incredibly inefficient, especially in environmental
terms. That’s where Three Thieves Bandit box wines come in. The Bandit
is the first breakout line of American boxed wines. Cheap and
Earth-friendly packaging keep the price low, and superstar winemaker
Joel Gott (a name you can trust on any bottle) keeps the juice
delicious. Boxed wine packaging amounts to just 4% of its total weight,
compared to 70% for traditional bottles. That all adds up to a smaller
carbon footprint. Better yet the wines are great and because they are
cheaper to ship they are a better deal, $9.99  for  one and a third of
what you would get from a regular bottle of wine. We have four flavors
from the winery, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Sangria.
Try one today!


From the Deli
 
The weather’s been changing faster than
ever, so we’ve been staying prepared to keep you warmed up and
nourished during these cold mornings, and cooled off and refreshed in
the sunny afternoons! From hot soups and chili to cold salads and
smoothies, our meals run the gamut to fit your changing tastes!
February’s salsa of the month – the newly revamped and better than ever
Ancho Bomb – is a winner, with the smoky taste of ancho chiles melding
with sweet roasted red bell peppers and fresh orange juice! It’s a
gorgeous sunset-red salsa that would be great spooned over simple
chicken or fish, and tastes great with chips or over some rice and
beans, too!
Our super-tasty smoothie of the month is Chocolate-Covered Strawberry,
blending strawberries with cacao nibs, and a hint of vanilla! Triple
yum, and all that frozen goodness for just $4.99!
Prefer
something warm? Well you’re in luck! Our famous Frito Pies, made with
our vegan Tempeh Chili, are on Owner Special this month – at just $3.99
this is one of the cheapest and most filling meals around! Add some
jalapenos for extra heat or some cheese if you’re feeling the need!
Also on sale for owners in the Deli this month are both sizes of our
organic, fair-trade and much-loved Latte! Sidle up to our Deli
Counter’s coffee bar and save 50 cents on this delicious drink! Need
something to pair with your fabulous morning coffee? Well, our
locally-made Sweetish Hill Cinnamon Rolls are also on Owner Special,
and they are amazing! And amazingly huge! These tender, light rolls are
swirled with cinnamon sugar for a just-sweet-enough chew and would most
certainly hold up to repeated latte-dunking!
As if that’s not enough, we also have Boar’s Head Oven-Roasted Chicken
and Boar’s Head Provolone on sale this month, so stock up your fridge!
 
From Bryan, the Butcher
Looking
for a sustainable, eco-friendly seafood options for observation of
Lent? Swing by the new seafood counter, where we support the Monterey
bay aquarium Seafood watch list. A majority of our seafood is wild
caught, and is good alternative or best choice according to the seafood
watch list.
 
Wild Arctic Cod fillets $14.79 lb
Wild Coho Salmon fillets $16.99 lb or Steaks $15.99 lb
Wild Sockeye salmon fillets $16.99 lb
Wild Sablefish/black cod $18.99 lb
Wild Halibut $20.99 lb
Wild Mahi-Mahi $12.99 lb

Wild Yellow fin Tuna $10.99 lb
 
Quick to fix prepared options:
Almond Crusted trout $14.49 lb
Cajun Catfish $7.29 lb
 
Check out this month’s specials:
Shelton’s turkey breakfast links on sale for $3.99 ea reg. 5.29 ea.

Shelton’s turkey breakfast patties on sale for $3.99 ea reg. 5.29 ea.
Shelton’s turkey Italian sausage $3.99 ea reg. $5.29 ea.
Niman Ranch Top Sirloin full cut Steak $8.49 lb reg. $8.99 lb
Niman Ranch Top Sirloin Ambassador Steak $8.99lb reg. $9.49lb

 
-SPECIAL-SPECIALS-
Organic Prairie All Beef Hamburger patties, regular $6.99 now  $5.99 while supply lasts
Wild Catch Coconut shrimp $8.29 lb regular now $6.99 while supply lasts.
 
 
Check out our “Staff Top Ten Picks” posted throughout the store, we work here and shop here!!!

Look for the green signs in front of the products. 
 
From Greg Flores, Cheese Buyer
 
In House Made Chorizo - "I eat it like my mama made it!"
Barbara's Jalapeno Cheese Puffs - "I dare you to try to not eat the whole bag."

Maradol Papaya - "A great way to start the morning and to keep your
digestive system on track. Great dusted with chile powder and lime."
Chile
Ancho - "wonder why your Mexican dishes did not taste that authentic.
It was most likely because you were not using this chile."
Lucy Layla Farms  Drinkable Yogurt - "Delicious and great for the person on the go."
Immaculate Biscuits in a can - "Finally buiscits in a can that tastes good. Great for Bees and Gees."
Pure Luck Farms Hopelessly Blue - "What can i say that has not already been said. Great with a hefeweizen ."

Brazos Valley Brie - "Not just a local Brie, but a great local Brie."
9  El Milagro Tortillas Blancas - "Who needs silverware when you have tortillas?"
Wheatsville Bakery Case -  "I call it the resolution breaker. Danishes, cookies and cakes. OH MY!!"

 
From Miranda Robinson, Health Team Clerk
 
Dr.
Christopher’s Complete Tissue & Bone Formula – Broken bones?
Strained muscles?  Dr. C’s special blend of organic & wild-crafted
herbs treats whatever ails you and speeds the healing process.
Climb On! Crème – This locally-produced intensive repair cream keeps my
hands moisturized through cold windy bike rides and smells wonderful.
Ancient
Secrets Nasal Cleansing Pot – A neti pot is a must-have for any
Austinite suffering from seasonal allergies.  This one has a great
design and is shatter-resistant.
Way Back When Milk – Local, minimally processed, and Deeeeelish.
Old
Rasputin Imperial Stout - $hane keeps our beer cooler stocked with so
many choices but I keep going back for this rich and flavorful favorite.
New Wave Enviro 10-Stage Water Filter – Easy to install, effective, and an excellent investment.
La Loo’s Goat’s Milk Frozen Yogurt – The Cajeta de Leche is my favorite
- rich and creamy but not too heavy, it’s a pint of heaven.
Organic Dark Chocolate Covered Cocoa-Dusted Almonds from our Bulk Dept. – A delicious and satisfying treat.
Our Seafood Case – Bryan takes sustainability seriously and fills his case with tasty fish we can enjoy guilt-free.
Our
Produce Department – We have The Best produce department in town! 
Ralph does an amazing job of bringing us so many local and organic
fruits & veggies – I rarely shop anywhere else!
 
From Olivia Pepper, Grocery Stocker

Maple-coated deluxe nuts mix -Delicious luxury treat, sweetened with just maple syrup.
Unsulphered papaya spears-An old childhood favorite, tastes great and assists digestion.

Frontier licorice sticks-Licorice sticks (I chew on them as-is) have
been used traditionally as a lung tonic and oral health aid.
Vegan queso-The only queso I like, anywhere.
Plant Spirits Apothecary tinctures-Local, lovingly harvested and crafted herbs can't be beat.
Postcards-Cheapest and most unique postcards around - send one to someone you love.
Honeybee Gardens Powdercolors-Gorgeous, lush, cruelty-free colors to be used with whimsical abandon
Texas Olive Ranch olive oil-I first had it at farmer's market and fell in love - glad our romance can continue.

Buddha's Brew Kombucha-Lovely local kombucha magic - less carbonated but more alive!
Innocent Chocolate-It is so, so good. I promise.

News from the refrigerator!
Are you a Flan Fan?
If
you are, I’ve got fantastic news for you- we’re now stocking Signature
Flan, a rich, creamy dessert made in Bedford, Texas!  Packaged in
single serving sized containers, these flans are the perfect quick
dessert, made with simple, recognizable ingredients.  Just slide a
butter knife around the outside edge, put a bowl face down over the top
and flip it over.  Or, you could just do what I do and eat the flan
first and save the delicious caramelized sugar for the last bites. 
Awesome!  We currently offer Coffee and Cinnamon flavors (Vanilla is
coming soon!), each 4.5 oz container is $2.99.  

Field Roast Grain Meat Sausages!
Have you tried the Field Roast
sausage yet? It really is an incredible vegan artisan sausage made out
of "grain meat". Check out their bog post about making it here.
 
The land of Produce!
Late Season Citrus
I
hope everyone has been taking advantage of what has been a great citrus
season so far this year. Right now we have amazingly juicy and sweet
royal mandarins and honey (murcott) tangerines. Also, the cara cara
pink navel oranges have been customer and staff favorites, these have a
delicious flavor and look great in salads. Also in stock are organic
Rio Star grapefruit, organic navel organges, Texas Valencia oranges
(loose and in bags for juicing), organic minneola tangelos, organic
meyer lemons, organic lemons, and key limes. Citrus season will only be
continuing for a few more weeks, so eat them while we got’em.
 
Organic Girl Greens and Salad Kits
Organic Girl is
a small company out of Salinas, California that specializes in organic
salad greens and salad kits, with a focus on sustainability and
environmental stewardship. Their products are excellent, and if you
haven’t tried them, you’re missing out! We have expanded our selection
of their products to include salad greens, baby romaine and baby
spinach. We also carry their Caesar Salad and Berries and Balsamic
salad kits, both of which are completely organic. The Caesar dressing
rivals homemade! We have a coupon on the shelf for $.55 off of these
salad kits and greens. Try them out!
 
In The Grocery Aisle
Pacific Organic Soups:
Wheatsville
now has the new, smaller size of Pacific Organic Soups in aseptic
containers instead of cans. The familiar flavors of Creamy Butternut
Squash, Roasted Pepper and Tomato, French Onion, Cashew Carrot and
Creamy Tomato now come in a 16 oz size for your no-leftovers enjoyment.
All five flavors are all on sale for just $1.89 this month. No can
opener required. We do have the Pacific Canned Soups with meat on sale
too. http://www.pacificfoods.com/ Justin Merrifield, Grocery Buyer

New vegan cheese! and some other cool cheeses!
I am excited to tell you that I just placed my first order for Daiya shredded vegan Cheddar and shredded  vegan Mozzarella!! 
They will retail for $4.99 per 8 oz bag. Also Keep your eyes open for 
Woolrich Goat Brie and Goat Mozzarella. They will be arriving early
next week.

Have a great week!

Dan Gillotte
Wheatsville GM and e-mail guy