Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://specialtyfoodmagazine.epubxp.com/i/139333
Find PARTNERS at Summer Fancy Food Show • Booth #4112 FA M I LY O W N E D S I M P LY D E L I C I O U S Gluten Free Crackers Sweet? W NE M ITE or Savory? ® Gourmet Cookie Crisps PARTNERS, A Tasteful Choice Company • 800-632-7477 • www.partnerscrackers.com Summer Fancy Food Show Booth 4112 natural selections the co-op will lose money in its first year, break even in the second year and turn a significant profit by the third year. Roanoke Natural Foods has carried products from local farmers for years, so why take this extra step? Jordan sees it as an opportunity for people to experience firsthand where their food is coming from. "It's easy for me to tell you it comes from Farmer John, but it's impossible for me to extend an invitation to someone else's farm," he says. At Heritage Point, co-op members, who all own a share of the farm, are welcome to take a look at the cleanliness of the packaging facility and tour the henhouses to see how much room and fresh air the birds have. Everyone who works at the store, including the cashiers, spends time at the farm so they can talk intelligently to customers about Heritage Point's products. At least two other co-ops in the U.S. are also sourcing from their own farms, including The Wedge Natural Food Co-op in Minneapolis and Weavers Way Co-op in Philadelphia. Weavers Way actually has three farms yielding artichokes, asparagus, beans, beets, bok choy, cauliflower and on and on, covering just about every letter of the alphabet. Yet another farm is getting underway at the West Georgia Farmer's Cooperative in Hamilton, Ga. In light of the cavalcade of food scares in recent years, Jordan observes, "The most trustworthy food is what you can grow yourselves. There is no intermediary here." At least two other co-ops in the U.S. are also sourcing from their own farms, including The Wedge Natural Food Co-op in Minneapolis and Weavers Way Co-op in Philadelphia. Summer Fancy Food Show Booth 4130 86 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com