You might have heard that Fountain of Youth Organics is closing at the end of May. (May 31 to be exact so skedaddle if you need anything!) Like most big moves, lots of factors led to the ultimate decision to say “Sayonara” to our Brockport location…some of them are super valid – others not so much. They pretty much run the gamut from “the Wegman’s effect” to “I am incredibly tired.”  But after 2 1/2 years of selfless dedication to FoYO….and nearly 4 years of rehabbing the space we occupy…I’ve come to feel all warm and fuzzy about YOU! So for all of you who are lamenting the loss of brands like Murray Farms Chicken, Berle Farms Yogurt, Champlain Valley Milling, Emmy’s Organics, and countless other brands that are LOCAL and ORGANIC and JUST PLAIN AWESOME then fear not! There’s a way you can still enjoy them – and pay less in the process!

Enter: Wholeshare!

Wholeshare is a website that helps you get access to good quality, affordable local food by organizing group purchases. Consumers face two main problems when it comes to local and sustainable food. The first is that good quality food is often hard to find. The second problem is that when you do find it, it’s often at premium prices. That pricing discrepancy often encourages people to go with more conventional options.

Wholeshare solves both these problems by allowing people to order food online as part of a group. By shopping as a group, everyone increases their purchasing power. Your group places larger orders than you could on your own and as a result, it becomes worthwhile for farmers and other local food produces to come delivery directly to you and your group. Also, because you’re able to go direct to the source you cut out costly portions of your supply chain, which means you save money without shortchanging the producers.

BEST PART? Wholeshare uses Regional Access as their source…the SAME COMPANY that I use (or used to use…hard to remember to conjugate in the past tense.) Your local Wholeshare Coordinator is Mellisa Coon and her vitals can be found here: http://www.wholeshare.com/join/2313

and here:

brockportwholeshare@gmail.com

I mean…what could be easier? Go online, join, have access to all the amazing products that Regional Access has to offer (literally thousands!), click, then arrange for pick up with Melissa. You may never have to enter a grocery store again! Think of what you could do with all your extra time! Write the Great American Novel, Go Back to School, Catch Up on Lost Episodes of “Lost”, Learn To Knit. Well…you get the idea…

(And FYI: Looking for vitamins, supplements, and personal care products? Just visit our online store at www.foyorganics.com and save 25% all the time!)

Remember, if you ever start feeling really homesick for Fountain of Youth Organics then just imagine me saying “Ummm….really? You’re going to EAT that? Do you know what’s IN that???” Your welcome

 

 

The other day I posted a Facebook update to my Fountain of Youth Organics page. It went something like this: “If every household spent $10 a week on local products, it would amount to $72 million weekly for the farming and food sector of New York State. Ummmm…heck yeah I have local products!!!”

Now let me tell you I agonize over these status messages. I check the spelling, the grammar…I futz over the content – the perceived injustice, the imagined offense to any of my “friends”. I don’t expect much from Facebook. I’m thrilled if I get a few “likes”. I’m pretty pumped if I get a comment or two; I’m over the moon if it goes viral! But this particular post resonated with the masses (or at least the teeny-tiny percentage of people who follow me) and it racked up over 600 likes.

That got me thinking. Six hundred people liked the idea of spending $10 each week on a locally-grown product. Six hundred. But did they DO anything about it? Did they step away from the computer and seek out a local business? Did they cancel their on-line order at Amazon and opt, instead, to visit their local bookstore? Did they choose the carrot at the  market whose silt stubbornly clings to its roots? The same dirt that’s under the fingernails of the farmer who sold it to you? Those 600 people could have scored an impressive $6,000.00 win for the eat local/buy local movement. That is, if they acted on the “hell yes!” passion that prompted them to click “like” or “share”.

Social media gives us a false sense of action. We troll Twitter looking for the 140-character comment that sums up exactly what we’d say if we were (insert adjective here: wittier, smarter, snarkier, funnier). On Facebook, we like; on Pinterest, we pin. We link on LinkedIn, we vote on Reddit, we share on YouTube and we comment on blogs. Oh God how we comment! And we mistake this flurry of clicking for actually standing up and doing something. We mistake it, in fact, for caring.

I’m a child of the ’70′s. We managed to survive, some might say thrive, without a solid wireless connection. We were pre-cell phone (no Siri!), pre-PC, pre-GPS, pre-MTV. And when we got pissed off we did something. At the very least we followed the people who were doing something. I remember walking out of our small high school in protest, along with 400-ish other students, in a show of solidarity for our teachers, whose pay’d been cut. Now, I see teacher-friends of mine take to the ‘net to share their discontent over union issues, or misgivings with their district. And do you know what happens? They get “likes”. They get “you go girl”. Do they inspire their students to march in protest? Probably not. Both are too busy searching for that comment (where did I see that?) to re-tweet.  Ooh that’ll show ‘em!

How about this: the next time you’re tempted to like, share, post, or send, think about what might happen if you, instead, decide to act. You see, I “like” the idea that you agree it’s important to wield your dollar-spending muscle locally. But I’d “like” it better if you actually put your money where your mouse is. 

 

 

 

Here we are. Again. It’s been one year since we’ve been exactly here. Families have gathered; Thanks have been given. Christmas – or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa – is a few weeks away. Your to-do list gets longer. Your should-do list gets filed under “April”.

If you have time to read this then you are either:

1. Done with your holiday shopping;

2. Took advantage of Cyber Monday and are just awaiting a few more boxes to be delivered;

3. In denial.

While I’m not one to wait until the bitter end, I do have a tendency to dilly-dally just long enough to make shopping a chore and not the joy it should be during this most festive of seasons. (I mean…everyone looks happy in those Target ads, those Abercrombie posters.)

It’s easy to shop for your kids, your husband, your partner, your sister. They drop obvious hints or just cut to the chase and tell you what they want. But your babysitter, your boss, your great-aunt who still remembers your birthday with $3 tucked in a card? They require a bit of thought…a bit of time spent perusing catalogs and store aisles when time is exactly what you don’t have alot of! Sound familiar? Then consider this my little gift to you. A round-up of our most popular items – and not just during the holidays, these things consistently sell even during the barren wasteland of retail: July. They’re easy on the budget and sure to please even the most persnickety. If they don’t, then they’re just asking to be moved to your Christmas Card-only list.

Local items are always a hit. People who live close to home recognize them and those who live far away welcome a culinary reminder of the place they left behind. And for the dietetically-challenged (either by choice or by chance) – the 100-mile dieters, the vegans, the allergic, the just-plain-picky – you really can’t go wrong.

Squash Seed Oils from Wholehearted Foods. Grown in Brockport, loved everywhere. Choose from Butternut, Acorn, Kabocha, Pumpkin, and Delicata. These are addicting and will quickly replace Olive Oil as your go to drizzle. From $10.95 to $12.95.

Karma Sauce – from Pittsford! In flavors like Good Karma (mild), Bad Karma (hot) Smokey Karma (BBQ) and Curry Karma (uh…it’s Curry flavored) there’s a heat index level for all of your friends. And really, who doesn’t want a little good karma during the holidays?! $7.95.

Flour City Pasta is made in Fairport from stone-ground, local grains. This is about as artisanal as it gets and comes in every flavor and flavor combination that you can possibly think of! Try the seasonal Pumpkin Pasta served with browned butter and fried sage. About $7.99.

Seneca Lake Culinary Salt. Mined deep below Seneca Lake this is a true culinary flake salt…for serious foodies! In Rosemary, Lemon, and Grapevine Smoked Salt. From $8.99 – $14.99.

Tranquility Herbals. If you love tea then you’ll love this brand from Albion, NY! From tonics to tisanes you’ll find a flavor that will become your all-time favorite. Try our private label Masala Chai (MY all time favorite!) Prices range from $6.99 to $11.99.

Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters from the bucolic rolling hills of the Southern Tier. We love their Harvest Spice Blend and their Scandanavian Winter Blend…perfect for a snowy morning. $11.49.

Hill n’ Hollow Blueberry Vinegar hails from Pavilion, NY and is just about the tastiest thing this side of the Erie Canal. Dress your salads, swirl into bean soup, or drizzle over goat cheese. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without blueberry vinegar! $5.50 – $8.50.

Emmy’s Organics Chocolate Sauce – it’s vegan. It’s raw. It’s gluten-free. It’s organic. And it’s local! A true chocolate flavor that starts out as intense and finishes clean. $7.99 and worth every penny!

Got a hipster in your midst? Then you know that gift-giving ranks right alongside oral surgery. The following items will be adored by the too-cool-for-school, the my-palate-is-very-refined, and the go-ahead-and-try-to-surprise-me-I-dare-ya types. (Seriously, you should get new friends.) Unless otherwise noted, all hail from Brooklyn, NY…where else?!

Early Bird Granola uses maple syrup, sea salt, and olive oil so every crunch/salty/sweet cluster sings with slow-roasted flavor. Try their “Jubilee” with dried cherries and pistachios for a red-and-green addition to your breakfast table this Christmas. $7.99 – $8.79.

Granola Lab – if you’re looking for a less-sweet alternative to traditional granola then Granola Lab is a notable nosh. We love Cranberry Cashew but with flavors like Maple Orange, Gingersnapping, and Activation Energy (with real ground coffee beans!) you’ll love them all. $11.99.

Spoonable Caramel Sauce. Mmmm. I can’t help but be over-the-moon about these sauces! Peppered-Orange Caramel; Spicy Caramel (tastes like toffee!); Salty Caramel; Chewy Sesame Caramel. $10.99.

Brooklyn Brine makes a mean pickle. Try Whiskey Sour Dill Pickles or Spicy Maple Bourbon Pickles. Our in-the-know customers recognize them from places like Murray’s Cheese and Smorgasbord in the borough. $ 7.99 – $9.99.

Tickle Sauce will tickle your fancy in flavors like Tiny Tickle (mild) and Tangy Tickle (Sweet-hot mustard) made by Julia Tickle. Yes, that’s her real name! $8.50.

Jenkins Jellies Hellfire Pepper Jelly (this one’s from L.A….home to hipsters-with-a-tan so it makes our list by default). It’s a consistent favorite and comes in 4 “hot damn” flavors: Hellfire Pepper, Guava Brava, Passionfruit Fire, and Fiery Fig. $10.99.

Seriously obsessed product junkies love our skincare selections. All organic, vegan, and cruelty-free and perfect for girly-girls. You know who you are.

Acure Organics has serums, masks, lotions, and shampoos and $1.00 from each sale goes to cancer research (a cure organics?! Get it?!) $9.99 – $27.99.

Bubble & Bee is a great little company with amazing products. We love their lotion sticks…they’re waterless so there’s no evaporation issues. That means they last a long, long time! Coconut-Lime, Pomegranate Kiss, Lavender-Orange. $7.99 and stocking-stuffer sized!

South Wedge Soap is made in…the South Wedge neighborhood of Rochester, NY! An all-botanical soap that is vegan friendly. Mango and Shea Butters blend with herbs and florals to create beautiful soap and shampoo bars. We love the super exfoliating Rosemary Bar. $4.59.

Nanny Naturals from Holley, NY – just a stone’s throw away! Did you know that Goat Milk and Human Skin share a nearly identical pH? Let these lovely soaps, lotions, and body butters prove it to you! $4.00 – $8.00.

17th Century Suds uses 3 ingredients in their super pure products: Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, and the pure essence of Lavender, Peppermint, or Lemongrass. $6.99.

Still at a loss? Don’t forget the ever-popular FoYO gift card…let them choose their own #$@%in’ gift. Or let us get creative and throw together a little something. Need it shipped? We do that! Eight bucks gets it there; spend $50 or more and shipping’s on us. So come see us at 46 Main Street in Brockport, NY. We’re open most days from 11 until 6 (check our website for the deets). Or give us a call at 585.637.3696. From us….to you….Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Yule. There. That about covers it.

I live with a puppy. And by “puppy” I mean 56 pounds of awkward PDA…of length-of-your-face wet dog kisses… of “Who me?” whilst incriminating evidence lay at his Sasquatch-like feet. The concept of manners has been elusive – more of a general idea than a practice – but we’re getting there. It helps that he’s sweet-natured and photogenic (see graphic). Keaton has a good life. He feasts on organic, gluten-free, grain-free kibble, and infrequent snacks that contain no coloring, artificial flavors, or sharp edges. And he lives on a farm. When he found us he pretty much hit the dog Trifecta.
As a Chocolate Lab/Australian Shepard mix he’s a work dog; Keaton is happiest when there’s a task at hand. Give him a command, a job, something-to-do and he is ALL OVER THAT…with 56-pound puppy enthusiasm. Since he’s young, he’s still learning right (I do not go near the road) from wrong (I can eat the cat). Like I said, we’re getting there.
Recently Keaton spotted himself in a full-length mirror. The reflection of his own image was puzzling and he reacted as you might expect a puppy would if he came across his mirror opposite. Keaton barked. Keaton cocked his head to one side. Keaton leapt like a “5-Hour Energy”-fueled gazelle. Then he barked some more. Finally, he looked at me as if to say, “This? This is how you repay my unbridled love and enthusiasm? A replacement who mocks my every move?”
Since his first sighting, Keaton pauses in front of the mirror throughout the day, just to make sure that this phantom dog still exists. The barking, head-cocking, leaping, accusatory looks ensue until I can convince him that 1. he is staring at his reflection or 2. he gets bored. This is a fun game (for him) but it makes me wonder…how many of us approach our image in a mirror with the same combination of trepidation and puzzlement? What do we really see? Who is looking back at us?
It’s no surprise that the supplement industry has seen record sales increases in the past few years thanks, in part, to the onslaught of television doctors dispensing wellness advice like tic tacs. Lose weight, increase metabolism, turn back the clock – there’s a pill for that. And in this quick-fix world we live in, that sounds pretty good…simple even. But scratch the surface and you’ll find that our outward appearance mirrors our inner health. It’s a crazy, fragile, cellular dance that separates human from canine but it is an undeniable truth that clear eyes and a shiny coat are pretty good indicators of optimal health whether you’re talking about your over zealous puppy or your overworked self!
So. What to do? Well, the obvious first. Chips, cookies, candy: cut them out. You don’t need them. Get over it. The rest is pretty easy considering that sugar affects our brains much like cocaine. Practice mindful eating. Adopt a thoughtful, measured approach to mealtime. Give thanks for the food you have and say a prayer for those who, by no fault of their own, go to bed hungry.
Keaton knows that the image in a mirror can be scary but even a dog can tell that a healthy body just works better. There is, after all, so much leaping to be done.

Recently, there’s been a hullabaloo over the fact that our United States Congress proclaimed Pizza as vegetable on school lunch trays. And people, rightly so, reacted. Some with a “What?” and others with a “Typical!” But before we succumb to hysteria, let’s make sure we’re all talking about the same slice of pizza. Public school lunches across the country have suffered for years from sub-standard ingredients with few sourcing options (can you spell “Government Contract” Billy?) So in an effort to leave no child behind (None. Not a single one.) politicians have stepped in where nutritionists fear to tread. First, the facts:

- This recommendation affects public schools only. Private school students can continue feasting on foie gras.* Cuz that’s what they do in private schools, right?
- Pizza, per se, has not been declared a vegetable. Rather, pizza SAUCE, as in tomato sauce, has been declared a vegetable.

Look beyond the absurdity and you’ll find statistics that are even more disturbing. Tomatoes and tomato-based products are one of the “Dirty Dozen”, twelve crops that contain the highest pesticide toxins – residues that are classified as either known or probable carcinogens, neurotoxins, and hormone disruptors. But hey, Mangia!
Now I don’t mean to hate on pizza. I love pizza. A good wood-fired, artisanal-crusted pie with organic sun-dried tomatoes, local spinach, and sustainably farmed goat cheese makes my heart flutter. Throw on some imported capers and a smattering of EVOO and I’ve been known to cry. But that’s not what we’re feeding our schoolchildren. I’m not positive that school cafeteria pizza could even be classified as “food”. The ingredient list of enriched flour crust (read: highly processed), cheese (read: hormone-laden cheese with added emulsifiers and fillers to make it stringy), pepperoni (read: Ugh…let’s not go down that road), and the afore-mentioned tomato sauce reads more like a horror novel than a food label.
So what’s a parent to do? You’re super busy or money is tight and you depend on school-provided lunches. And besides…your kid kinda likes the way that pizza tastes. Two words: damage control. Send an emergency pack of organic carrots and hummus as a go-with. Organic pineapple slices as a pizza chaser can aid in digestion. And never underestimate the power of a thermos of pure, filtered water. But don’t be fooled. If pizza is a vegetable can the classification of Pop Tarts as fruit be far behind? You betcha. And that is a slippery slope.
*Just kidding about the foie gras. Everyone knows private school lunches commit just as many heinous crimes against digestion as their public counterparts.

November creeps in slowly. Any leaves left on the trees make their gentle, silent descent. (How can something that falls so quietly make such a racket when piled en masse?) Next, an early morning sheen of frost greets you as brittle-brisk air stings your eyes. Overcast days give way to rain. By month’s end, November’s drizzle will be replaced by something lighter. Whiter. Inch by inch, November creeps in slowly.

Early November is lovely. “The Holidays” loom but not oppressively so. Thanksgiving, although celebrated in different countries under different guises, has not been hijacked by Christmas or Hanukkah (or Boxing Day, Kwanzaa, Winter Solstice, et al) so its original intent – to gather, to give thanks – still feels uniquely American and blessedly in tact. The flavors of fall parade in full force: cranberries so plump and tart they mock their summer cousins; primal, earthy chestnuts; an array of winter squashes whose names drip like honey – Buttercup, Sweet Dumpling, Delicata.

The bounty of November is undeniable. Our larders are full, our hearts grateful. So, Give thanks…then give back – shop locally this holiday season. From organic cranberry-walnut relish to organic pomegranate salt scrubs, Fountain of Youth Organics has a highly-edited inventory of carefully chosen products. More importantly, we take the guesswork out of shopping for organic products. Frankly, we have no tolerance for “organic-in-name-only” items if they don’t also prescribe to gender equity, fair-trade, or women-empowerment. In other words, if it’s on our shelves then it’s the good stuff. And I, for one, am thankful that our customers have embraced this philosophy as well. So, thank you…we’ll see you soon!

Thanksgiving comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.
~Edward Sandford Martin

I may be drawn and quartered for making this statement four days before Halloween but…I was never a big fan of trick-or-treating. I loved dressing up. My Mom is an accomplished seamstress so I wore some pretty convincing costumes. I liked the make-up, the assumed personality, the drama. The thing I found distasteful was the whole asking-for-candy part. I scared easy. Still do.
A shy kid whose social discomfort was compounded by my 1960′s Catholic school upbringing, I couldn’t get past approaching a stranger’s door (thou shalt not trespass)*, eye-ing the much longed for peanut butter cup (thou shalt not covet), but having to settle for the Dum Dum lollipop. Later that evening I’d sneak into my sisters’ room and snatch her Bit O’ Honey (thou shalt not steal) because, let’s face it, she was way better at trick-or-treating than I was. When I was caught I’d lie, bold-faced, to my parents (Thou shalt honor your father and mother). So, for me Halloween was a moral mine field.
It’s true. Sugar is a big problem in this country in all its forms – from refined white to high fructose corn syrup to malted barley extract. The USDA reports that the average American consumes between 150 and 170 pounds of sugar per year. “Not me,” you say? Well for every person who claims to eat only 5 pounds of sugar in a year, there is another person who consumes 295 pounds a year. (That person, FYI, is either running around like a maniac right now or slumped over a desk…such are the highs and lows of sugar addiction.) If you’re a numbers person then you’ll dig this: 170 pounds of sugar breaks down to 1/2 pound of sugar each day. One-half pound of sugar = 60 teaspoons. Each day.
But its Halloween and you have to eat something gooey and chocolaty right? Yes. And no. I don’t want to be the Sugar Police (although there are some who might suggest that I am indeed the lead Gendarme). But it IS Halloween which means it’s nearly Thanksgiving with a host of other winter holidays to follow. So I’ll strike a deal with you. Eat some sugar. Some. One foil-wrapped chocolate bar (snack size please!) won’t kill you. Two is marginal and three is pushing it. Avoid needlessly sweetening your food; cut the sugar out of tea and coffee, on top of cereal or sprinkled on fruit. Be aware of the sugar that’s added to your food without your permission (read those side-of-the-box nutritional labels!). Demand whole, single-ingredient foods from organic sources. That way…a little ol’ piece of Halloween candy won’t hurt you.
Unless you’re committed to going off the grid it’ll be difficult, at best, to avoid all the “stuff” from known carcinogens to probable toxins that we’re exposed to everyday. Life is sweet. And salty. And piquant. And bitter…and the best we can do is enjoy it all in moderation. Because a life without a little sweetness is scary indeed.
*”Thou shalt not trespass” is not one of the Ten Commandments. Inclusion in this text was purely for artistic reasons (i.e. poetic license). Sister Mary Evangelista, wherever you are, rest easy.

It’s Hot. Here in the northeast our summers are short and our patience is long but…like I said…it’s Hot. We’re not talking “warm” or “toasty”. We’re talking about the type of Heat most often referenced in the bible; earth-scorching, fires of hell-type Heat. And to make matters worse, Heat has brought with him his BFF: Humidity. What a pair, those two. They sneak in the back gate, turn the grass yellow, cast a sticky sheen on every conceivable surface, and render a good hair day nothing more than a pipe dream.

You’d think after surviving one of the coldest, snowiest winters on record we’d be a bit more tolerant of this Heat Wave. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about human nature then it’s our need to grouse, complain, mutter…about the weather. Just as we curse the endless flakes that fall from the sky in January, so too do we shake our fists at the unrelenting sun in July.

It’s important to be sun-safe. Remember to hydrate with non-caffeinated beverages. And since we usually don’t feel thirsty until we are dehydrated, drink enough and drink often. A chilled herbal tea made with FoYO’s organic blends (White Tea & Pomegranate is especially nice) is perfect for a sultry afternoon. Other ways to stay cool when the thermometer is climbing:
Wear cool, loose clothing (like cotton or linen);
Carry a battery-powered, hand-held fan;
Exercise in the early morning or later in the evening;
Keep lotions in the refrigerator! They’re a perfect tonic for hot, tired feet;
Eat smaller meals and avoid hot, spicy foods;
Don’t forget Fido! Make sure your pets have water readily available;
And please – check on elderly family, friends, and neighbors! They are particularly sensitive to the heat.

The best way I know to beat the heat? I suggest you head down to the nearest air-conditioned, local library and embrace your inner Harper Lee. While away the afternoon and take a second peek (or a first crack if it wasn’t required reading as a teenager) at To Kill a Mockingbird:

“Maycomb was a tired old town, even in 1932 when I first knew it. Somehow, it was hotter then. Men’s stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three o’clock naps. And by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frosting from sweating and sweet talcum.”

Now that’s hot! Happy Summer!

When our daughter was eight years old, we bought her a label maker for her birthday. In the days, weeks, and months that followed she labeled everything in sight. If it didn’t complain, jump out-of-the-way, or bite back, it had a sticky label on it. It’s why – 15 years later – we have a label that says “I Love Daddy!!!” stuck to our bathroom door. Considering the amount of humidity, splashing water, and general merry-making that take place in that room, I’m always surprised to see that sucker is still hanging on tight. Not even the edges are curled.(Kudos to the 3M Company although I’ve a hunch that what makes that label sticky is also what makes it toxic!)
We need labels, signs, and stickers. On their best days they’re informative; on their worst they’re intrusive and isolating. But without them we might all be running around willy-nilly, venturing down dead-end roads, U-turns, and Cul-de-Sacs.* But sometimes labels can be a wee bit…inaccurate. To wit:
While perusing the meat case of a large local grocery chain I spied a package of Ground Beef with this label: “100% Certified Beef”. (See Note Below.) Huh? Certified what? That its beef and not…a beef derivative? Or worse yet, Mechanically Separated Beef (which, fyi, as of 2004 was deemed unsafe for human consumption. Not so for mechanically separated pork or chicken.) Oy.
Speaking of chicken, let’s shift our gaze to the poultry department. Most packages of chicken, turkey, duck, (and pork) claim “No hormones added.” However, the USDA prohibits the use of hormones in hogs or poultry therefore this claim must be followed by the statement “Federal regulations prohibit the use of hormones.” So the label is only stating that they’re complying with US government standards but it doesn’t mean that the bird – or pig – was humanely raised, received antibiotics, was allowed ample access to the outside, or fed a non-GMO diet.
It’s exhausting, all this label-reading. But it doesn’t have to be. The next time you’re at the market look for these labels:
100% Organic
Organic (95% of ingredients must be organically grown or sourced.)
Certified Naturally Grown
Non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms)
Certified Humanely Raised & Handled
Integrated Pest Management
Pesticide Free
Sustainably Farmed
Fair Trade
Food Alliance Certified
The list goes on, of course, and only you can decide how comfortable you are with your food being fiddled with. Arm yourself with information before entering the grocery store. And if, by chance, on your next shopping expedition you happen to stumble across a vintage label maker, snatch it up! The eight-year-old in your life will thank you for it.
Note: “Certified” implies that the beef has been officially evaluated for class, grade, or quality characteristics (i.e. Certified Angus Beef). This classification MUST follow the word “certified”.
*This statement was not intended to offend anyone who has ever lived, or currently lives in a Cul-de-Sac. All comments or letters of inquiry should be addressed to 1960.

Where has the time gone? It’s nearly June. JUNE! That makes 2011 half over. That means those New Year’s Resolutions – the books you haven’t read, the diet you didn’t start, the job you swore you’d quit – are due and payable in six measly months! If you’re like me – and you’ve suddenly realized that your calendar is getting thinner by the minute – then you either lament the lost days or you devise a plan for the remainder of the year. Since I’m much more inclined to join Team Plan than Team Lament (although a good, sturdy lament – preferably on a drizzly day – is good for the soul every now and again), I perused FoYO’s online calendar and found it…shall we say…a wee bit skimpy. So – to make the most of what lies ahead, we’ve added several events – from our popular Speaker Series to our Meet the Farmer sampling demos. Visit foyorganics.com and click on our Calendar or scroll through the list below. From workshops to product demos to goofy one-time-only events (pay particular attention to August 8!) you’ll find something to make every day count. So now let us welcome June because…time’s a wastin’!

May 24 – 29: Stop in to FoYO all week for free samples of WOW Cookies! Wheat & Gluten Free…a huge hit at last week’s Gluten Free Food Fair. Pick up a box today!

June 18: Our Meet the Farmer Series begins with Bob VanWuyckhuyse from Lee Farms in Kent. Bob is the singular supplier of all certified organic beef for FoYO. He’ll be here to talk about organic farming, keeping food dollars local, and the importance of knowing where your food comes from.
Cost: This is a free event. FoYO Members receive 10% off all Lee Farms beef today.

June 21: Celebrate the first day of summer – and the longest day of the year with FoYO’s Summer Solstice Sale! We’re staying open late to welcome the return of summer. All purchases made after 6:00 p.m. will be marked 10% off!

July 2: Celebrate the beginning of the Tour de France with a sale at FoYO! Save 10% on all Compagnie de Provence products: Organic hand cream and soaps that are a fav of actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Really, check out her goop.com newsletter to find out why!

August 8: FoYO is 6 months old and to celebrate our 1/2 Birthday we’re offering a store-wide sale of 15% off all private label Fountain of Youth Organics products! All FoYO vitamins, supplements, Private-blend Chai, and Honey discounted for one day only. Sing “Happy Birthday” at the checkout and receive a FREE Coconut Macaroon (they’re vegan, gluten-free, and raw…and delicious!)

August 21: Earth Overshoot Day. Nothing to celebrate…more of an awareness/cautionary tale: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/earth_overshoot_day/

September 8: TBA but…it has a little something to do with hypnosis
Cost: $5.00; Free to FoYO Members.

September 17: Join us for our popular Meet the Farmer Series with Jaime Brennan from Tranquility Herbals. Jaime blends FoYO’s signature Masala Chai and will be on hand to discuss medicinal and culinary teas. Taste our Chai, receive free recipes, ask Jaime anything…she’s one smart cookie!
Cost: This is a free event; FoYO Members receive 15% off all teas and tea accessories.

October 4*: Alternative Fuel Day! Walk, bike, skateboard, or drive your smart car to FoYO and receive 10% off your total order!
*Alternative Fuel Day is really October 3 but we’re closed Mondays…so by executive order (which is essentially…me) we’re scooting AFD over by 24 hours.

November 5: Start your holiday shopping early at Fountain of Youth Organics! Michelle Roberts will be here with her sweet ceramic Messenger Birds & watercolor prints. Truly unique, original, and heartfelt gift ideas for family, friends, or yourself!
Cost: This is a free event; FoYO Members receive 10% off all Michelle Roberts Design products.

The calendar is ever-evolving so check often and plan to attend one of our events!