As we come to the end of the year, here's a question: Do you know where your food comes from? It’s a simple inquiry, and you’d think it would have a simple answer (“The store!” Right?) but we know that the world is more complex than that.

One of our jobs in the grocery business is to work to identify and trace sources of food. The kinds of food and beverages that we buy say a lot about what we value, and about the state of our health.

The conversation about food is never-ending at Bloomingfoods. We care, of course, about other things too, but food is the common denominator, a measure of many other social and political factors.

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Four new food co-ops have recently joined Principle Six. They include: Eastside Co-op, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Three Rivers Co-op, Knoxville, Tennessee; Viroqua Food Co-op, Viroqua, Wisconsin; Weavers Way Co-op, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“Principle Six is an alignment tool—a way to deepen the conversation about food and justice,” says Sean Doyle, general manager of Seward Co-op Grocery and Deli, now the home base of the project. Aaron Reser, the recently hired national P6 coordinator, has her desk at Seward Co-op. Aaron has been traveling to the P6 co-ops, helping launch the program and make it more visible in our stores. She recently coordinated a Twin Cities P6 meeting that included tours of both Eastside and Seward Co-ops.

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Popcorn, Indiana is voluntarily recalling a limited number of ready-to-eat bags of select flavors of Popcorn, Indiana-brand popcorn products made on or after August 8th, 2012 because of possible contamination by Listeria monocytogenes.

All recalled products were distributed to various retailers, vendors, distribution centers, and consumers through the Internet on or after August 8th, 2012 with Best By dates of February 4th, 2013 through March 12th, 2013.

Recalled products were packaged in red bags of various sizes.

Consumers can identify an impacted product by checking the Best By date located in the front, top right corner of the package and the Bag UPC (Code) located in the nutritional panel found on the back, bottom left corner of the package.

Please return any product you have purchased for a full refund.

A list of recalled flavors and corresponding bag sizes, Bag UPC (Code) and Best By dates are available on the Popcorn, Indiana website.

Join us for a special dinner, book signing, and conversation about food and mood.

Bloomingfoods presents and evening with Dr. Drew Ramsey, author of The Happiness Diet.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012, 5:30-7:30
Bloomingfoods NWS Community Room
316 West 6th St, Bloomington, Ind.

$35 for dinner and a signed copy of The Happiness Diet
$15 for dinner only - Dinner prepared by Bloomingfoods

Space is limited. Contact Jean Kautt by phone (812-339-4442 x204) or by email to reserve your spot.

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“If you want to save money, always shop at full price.” I think I first heard this paradoxical maxim from a friend of my mother’s—certainty from a wise elder. It throws into relief an old truth hidden in today’s consumer society. Most of our money disappears not because we pay too much for what we need but because we buy stuff we don’t need and can’t or shouldn’t use. What better time to do that than at a screaming “Sale!”? Go to any supermarket and look at the cart in front of you; could it even apply to your own?

Food prices are rising steeply.  As someone remarked on this year’s heat wave, “Welcome to the rest of our lives.” All is not well with the Earth. As we get sticker shock, it is tempting to whisper, “I can’t afford to shop at the co-op.” But supermarket food isn’t cheaper; you just pay less for it. The land, oppressed labor, and your health pay the difference. It’s a good time to remember that we chose not to live that way but instead to align our practice with our values.

Rising prices are an invitation to practice mindfulness. As you enter the co-op, breathe and enjoy being with friends, in a place where it is a joy to work. Then think of creative ways to fill your needs rather than our impulses. The key to this, for me, is the bulk section. Two pounds of dried chick peas or lentils and the same amount of rice or bulgur or millet costs a few dollars and buys a great deal of food. Invest in a crock pot (not expensive), soak the beans overnight, and you don’t have to mind them while they cook. It’s elapsed time but not your time, and it provides a staple for days.

There are also expensive things in the bulk section that are still cheap to you because you don’t need much. Curry powder—or in another mood, tarragon and rosemary—will transform a dish.

Produce offers another chance to be selective. Things like carrots and kale are wonderfully nutritious, and they won’t break the bank. The more expensive foods like mushrooms are well worth buying in small quantity as seasoning. Shallots cost more than onions, but I happen to prefer them, and since their flavor is more intense (and less is more), I don’t feel guilty about it.

Organic meat is indeed more expensive. It’s a reminder that historically meat has been a luxury or a seasoning. Supermarket meat comes from CAFOs (feedlots), which are cruel to animals and are a greater cause of global warming than cars and planes combined.  Whether or not you are a vegetarian or a vegan, it makes sense mostly to eat low on the food chain.

Yes, in the co-op as in any grocery, there are also things in bottles and boxes. I try to keep these to a minimum. Look for what’s on sale—provided you need it! And be proud of belonging to a community that treats its employees, its famers, its members and the Earth with the care and honor they deserve.

This article was contributed by member-owner David Keppel.

The photo here is of the bulk department on the upper level of our original store, up the alley off Kirkwood Avenue. It is easy and economical to pack and purchase bulk products in the quantity you need.

Terre Foods Co-op, in partnership with Bloomingfoods, Clabber Girl and the Local Growers Guild, will host a panel discussion on the topic “Local Food: If It's Local, Why Is It So Hard To Find?” This free event, open to the public, will take place on Thursday, December 8th, at Clabber Girl on the corner of Wabash and 9th Street in Terre Haute, Indiana, starting at 6:30 PM.

The panelists include:
Bob Baesler – owner, Baesler’s Market
Gary Morris – president, Clabber Girl
George Huntington – general manager, Bloomingfoods
Ellen Michel – board member, Local Growers Guild

The discussion, moderated by Andrew Conner of Terre Foods, will explore relationships with local food sources, the challenges of establishing a reliable distribution system, and the emerging commitment to locally-grown food from providers, sellers, and consumers.

A presentation of local and seasonal food from Alan Simmerman of Bloomingfoods will be offered at 6:30 PM, with the panel discussion following at 7:00 PM.
This event is free and open to the public. 

“America’s Food System: A Cause for Concern, a Time for Action”

It seems unimaginable that in the richest country on earth, millions of people don't have enough to eat, wonder where their next meal may come from, or pay for other life essentials like housing, utilities, or medicine before they buy food. What would our nation and even our community look like if there were enough food for all, food that promoted health instead of detracting from it?

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Join Nathan Harman and Rhonda Baird to learn how to transition from summer to fall in the garden. Just as summer crops are planted in spring, fall crops are planted in summer. This workshop will focus on caring for the garden in the high heat of summer, planting foods that will be harvested through the coming cool, and seed-saving techniques.

Summer is the hay-day of the garden and we all hope to have yields galore. But weeds, insects and drying sun also have an impact. Learn how mulch, shade cloth, row cover and other techniques can be used to keep summer crops vibrant and give fall crops a running start.

This is an all-day workshop. Bring a sack lunch. Snacks and beverages provided.

Sunday, August 7, 9am-5pm
Green Acres Neighborhood Garden
2601 E. Dekist Street

Suggested donation: $5 to $15
Workshop space is limited
To register, call Ann Kreilkamp at 812-334-1987
or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

There’s nothing like the taste of an Indiana tomato in the dead of winter.

If you love locally grown produce, and are running out of room in your freezer, come discover the joys of canning. Experts from Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard will demonstrate the boiling-water-bath process, and answer your questions about canning.

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Bloomingfoods is co-sponsoring the film Queen of the Sun with the Ryder Film Series this month. From the director of "The Real Dirt on Farmer John," the film asks what the collapse of bee colonies around the world can tell us about our agricultural practices and attitudes.

Roger Ebert calls this “a remarkable documentary that is also one of the most beautiful nature films I’ve seen.”

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