Photos by MAALIS

Photos by MAALIS

Join the Co-op’s Board of Directors and Management Team for a facilitated workshop to kick off our vision process! Creating a shared vision gives the Co-op a strong foundation to build on and lays the groundwork for strategic planning. Vision work involves permission to dream big. It is a place imagining what’s possible for our store without limitations. 

Come offer your ideas and collaborate with your fellow Co-op owners!

February 24th, 4-7pm

1078 Gallery (820 Broadway)

The Co-op Kitchen will provide a meze table featuring fresh, local vegetables with Point Reyes Bleu Cheese Dip and Spinach Cilantro Hummus, specialty cheeses from Rumiano and Sierra Nevada Cheese Company, olives, vegan and smoked turkey wraps, dolmas,…Read More

Nutritional yeast is great, isn’t it? I know I love to dump it on my popping-corn, buttered toast, and anything else that could use a savory kick.  Until a co-worker raised the issue, though, I’d never even thought about why the yeast is described as “nutritional”.  Turns out, that tasty topping is actually jam-packed with good stuff! Let’s take a look:
 
Nutritional yeast is a strain of the fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae [“sugar mold”].  The yeast is grown on particularly sugary plants: The Lewis Labs brand carried in our Wellness department is grown on Eastern European sugar beets; the Red Star brand carried in Bulk is grown on a mixture of sugar-cane and beet molasses. The fungus is allowed to ferment in the sugar-filled drums…Read More

Through a game of Telephone (from a customer to a cashier to me) came the shocking news that the reverse osmosis (RO) filtering used by our bulk water dispenser sends more water down the drain than it dispenses.  I had always considered the store’s bulk water the most environmentally friendly H2O option for our customers who choose to purchase water, so I set out on a hunt for information.  Which, when it comes to sustainability, never ends with the clear answers I’m hoping for…

To start, there are different water efficacies for RO filters.  A common range is between 4 and 20 gallons of “backwash” per gallon of filtered water!  The good news is the co-op’s filter doesn’t use 4 gallons per gallon.  The not-so-good news is that,…Read More

Matt Slem is a homebrewer, beer enthusiast, and cashier at Chico Natural Foods Co-op.  He is Senior at CSU Chico studying Nutrition and Food Science with a concentration in Food Service Administration as well.  Any beer recommendations, pairings, or questions and comments can be sent to mslem@mail.csuchico.edu.

Photos by MAALIS

    As we all likely know by now, Prop 37, despite huge statewide and national support and the passionate and heroic efforts of many people, was, disappointingly, defeated at the ballot box this past November. We here at Chico Natural Foods Co-op have been public supporters of Prop 37, and in addition to front-of-store signage showing that support, hosted tables and education events to help get the word out.  
    That being said, one of the dilemmas we faced throughout the campaign, and continue to face moving forward is the status of many of the organic brands owned by larger parent corporations that donated money to the defeat of Prop 37, since we currently carry a number of items, from a handful of brands, which fit that…Read More

Photos by MAALIS

We love to have variety during our teatime snacks.  Season to season there are always a few favorites worth repeating (and sharing).  As fall is upon us, the apples are crisp and the last sweet peppers are being plucked from the garden. We often find ourselves entering the late afternoon with grumbling bellies and the need for a little rest before we prepare for dinner. In order to not spoil our evening meal, I try to have something light and healthy on hand for the little ones. So here you have it, folks—Bjorn and Ula’s favorite fall time snacks. Simple, healthy, and fun (with a tiny bit of fancy).

Ula gobbled up this treat at lightning speed. After an adult slices up the apples, it’s time for the little ones to sprinkle on…Read More

We had so much fun discovering new local treats last month, that I had to share a few of our very favorites with you. My very favorite local goodies are tucked neatly into rows and colorful heaping piles in the produce section, but there are also many local, packaged goodies on the shelf that I previously hadn’t given much thought to.

Here are a few of our favorites:

See you soon for some delicious and cozy Fall favorites!

Ps. You must try the Sacred chocolate bar (vegan/sugar free). I have to admit… at about $6 a bar, even the cute heart shape wasn’t enough to get me to fork over the cash for this treat. However, one afternoon as I was checking out with some groceries, Bjorn wandered over to the chocolate tower, picked up…Read More

Photos by MAALIS

Photos by MAALIS

After much anticipation, our reusable bags came to life last week.  Roplast welcomed us to their facility to see the bags take shape.

Roplast produces a range of bags for businesses nationwide.  We’re lucky that they’re just down the street in Oroville because they’re good neighbors.  Roplast’s mission is “to provide high quality film and bags that fulfill the packaging needs of our many customers in an environmentally responsible manner.”  In the plastic business, being environmentally responsible makes economic sense.  Plastic costs about 40¢ per pound; a figure that adds up when you’re looking at plastic in quantities like this:

As our tour guide, Camille, put it: “It’s too valuable to throw away!” 

Roplast’s commitment…Read More

Photos by MAALIS