Whole Foods Markets

After posting yesterday, Stacey sent me this article. I don’t know where she found it but it really gives you an idea of how Whole Foods is pro-active and the positive approach they take to doing business. Very much UNLIKE companies such as Wal-Mart who seem to do just the opposite, as in putting the small guy out of business. Lot’s of folks complain about the prices at Whole Foods, but doing business like they do ain’t cheap and the effect on the community is priceless.

ATLANTA (May 23, 2008) – Whole Foods Market recently provided more than $500,000 in low-interest loans to three Georgia producers. Sweet Water Growers, Via Elisa Fresh Pasta and Harris Family Heritage Beef all will use this loan money to grow their businesses right here in Georgia.

The Local Producer Loan Program at Whole Foods Market makes $10 million available annually for low-interest loans to small, local producers. An extension of Whole Food Market’s efforts to expand the availability of quality, local, differentiated products for customers, the loan program supports the communities in which the company does business. This program also strengthens Whole Foods Market’s partnership with local producers and therefore reinforces the value of environmental sustainability.

Harris Family Heritage Beef at White Oak Pastures (http://www.whiteoakpastures.com/), Georgia’s leading grassfed beef producer, was able to complete a long-awaited on-farm facility designed to process beef according to rigorous humane animal treatment standards and to minimize environmental impact with its loan.

“Having this plant on our farm means we will never again have to load cattle that were born and raised here onto an 18-wheeler,” said Will Harris, founder and owner of White Oak Pastures. “It is more humane for the animals and without a doubt better for the environment to have a closed production loop on the farm.”

Prior to completion of the 5,329 square-foot facility, White Oak Pastures transported its cattle to a processing plant 100 miles away from the farm in Bluffton, a journey that stresses the animals and contributes to global warming by expending fossil fuels in transport. The on-farm facility will allow White Oak Pastures to significantly expand production and distribution of its beef. Whole Foods Market started carrying the company’s fresh steaks, roasts, and ground beef at its butcher counters in 2007.

Another local farm and family-run business dedicated to bringing fresh culinary herbs and specialty greens of the highest quality to the South United States, Sweetwater Growers, Inc. (http://www.sweetwatergrowers.com/), just received a loan, which enabled the addition of two new greenhouses in order to grow more fresh micro greens, basil and other herbs.

“We currently produce 100 cases of the living products right now and will be able to produce 400 cases once construction on the new greenhouses has been completed,” says James Dault of Sweetwater Growers Inc. “Whole Foods Market has increased their orders with us by 50% since last year, and I hope they continue to grow with me.”

Via Elisa Fresh Pasta (http://www.viaelisa.com/), a genuine fresh pasta shop in Atlanta, received a loan that will pay for a pasta cutter that enables increased efficiency and productivity. Previously, the company cut all of its pasta manually but will now be able to provide additional product with the use of this new machine. Via Elisa uses 100% organic flours, 100% organic semolina, eggs from free-range hens and luxurious cheeses imported directly from Italy and can now provide customers and outlets such as Whole Foods with a larger supply of authentic, homemade Italian pasta.

“Via Elisa has been a Whole Foods Market local vendor for four years and during that time, more and more stores are carrying our products,” says Elisa Gambino, owner of Via Elisa Fresh Pasta. “This demand was too much for our tabletop cutting machine, and the loan from Whole Foods made it possible to purchase a new and much faster cutting machine. The increased speed without an increase in labor costs helped us offset the recent increase in egg and flour prices without changing our exceptional ingredients. Thanks to Whole Foods, we are now faster and more efficient!”

“The Whole Foods Market Local Producer Loan Program was set up specifically to assist farmers like Will and James, and specialty producers like Elisa” said Joey Herndon, vice president of purchasing, Whole Foods Market South Region. “By offering support to their expansions, we are able to strengthen our relationships with local producers and support the development of specific products.”

The loan program minimizes fees, interest rates and paperwork for independent local producers, however, loan recipients must meet the following requirements:

• • Meet Whole Foods Market’s Quality Standards
  • Use funds for expansion (e.g., buy more animals or new equipment, expand crops) and not operating expenses
  • Meet Whole Foods Market’s Animal Compassion Standards (for meat and dairy producers)
  • Have a viable business plan and adequate cash flow to service debt

Here in Georgia, three recent recipients of the local loan program include White Oak Pastures, Sweetwater Growers and Via Elisa Fresh Pasta.

Whole Foods Markets

After posting yesterday, Stacey sent me this article. I don’t know where she found it but it really gives you an idea of how Whole Foods is pro-active and the positive approach they take to doing business. Very much UNLIKE companies such as Wal-Mart who seem to do just the opposite, as in putting the small guy out of business. Lot’s of folks complain about the prices at Whole Foods, but doing business like they do ain’t cheap and the effect on the community is priceless.

ATLANTA (May 23, 2008) – Whole Foods Market recently provided more than $500,000 in low-interest loans to three Georgia producers. Sweet Water Growers, Via Elisa Fresh Pasta and Harris Family Heritage Beef all will use this loan money to grow their businesses right here in Georgia.

The Local Producer Loan Program at Whole Foods Market makes $10 million available annually for low-interest loans to small, local producers. An extension of Whole Food Market’s efforts to expand the availability of quality, local, differentiated products for customers, the loan program supports the communities in which the company does business. This program also strengthens Whole Foods Market’s partnership with local producers and therefore reinforces the value of environmental sustainability.

Harris Family Heritage Beef at White Oak Pastures (http://www.whiteoakpastures.com/), Georgia’s leading grassfed beef producer, was able to complete a long-awaited on-farm facility designed to process beef according to rigorous humane animal treatment standards and to minimize environmental impact with its loan.

“Having this plant on our farm means we will never again have to load cattle that were born and raised here onto an 18-wheeler,” said Will Harris, founder and owner of White Oak Pastures. “It is more humane for the animals and without a doubt better for the environment to have a closed production loop on the farm.”

Prior to completion of the 5,329 square-foot facility, White Oak Pastures transported its cattle to a processing plant 100 miles away from the farm in Bluffton, a journey that stresses the animals and contributes to global warming by expending fossil fuels in transport. The on-farm facility will allow White Oak Pastures to significantly expand production and distribution of its beef. Whole Foods Market started carrying the company’s fresh steaks, roasts, and ground beef at its butcher counters in 2007.

Another local farm and family-run business dedicated to bringing fresh culinary herbs and specialty greens of the highest quality to the South United States, Sweetwater Growers, Inc. (http://www.sweetwatergrowers.com/), just received a loan, which enabled the addition of two new greenhouses in order to grow more fresh micro greens, basil and other herbs.

“We currently produce 100 cases of the living products right now and will be able to produce 400 cases once construction on the new greenhouses has been completed,” says James Dault of Sweetwater Growers Inc. “Whole Foods Market has increased their orders with us by 50% since last year, and I hope they continue to grow with me.”

Via Elisa Fresh Pasta (http://www.viaelisa.com/), a genuine fresh pasta shop in Atlanta, received a loan that will pay for a pasta cutter that enables increased efficiency and productivity. Previously, the company cut all of its pasta manually but will now be able to provide additional product with the use of this new machine. Via Elisa uses 100% organic flours, 100% organic semolina, eggs from free-range hens and luxurious cheeses imported directly from Italy and can now provide customers and outlets such as Whole Foods with a larger supply of authentic, homemade Italian pasta.

“Via Elisa has been a Whole Foods Market local vendor for four years and during that time, more and more stores are carrying our products,” says Elisa Gambino, owner of Via Elisa Fresh Pasta. “This demand was too much for our tabletop cutting machine, and the loan from Whole Foods made it possible to purchase a new and much faster cutting machine. The increased speed without an increase in labor costs helped us offset the recent increase in egg and flour prices without changing our exceptional ingredients. Thanks to Whole Foods, we are now faster and more efficient!”

“The Whole Foods Market Local Producer Loan Program was set up specifically to assist farmers like Will and James, and specialty producers like Elisa” said Joey Herndon, vice president of purchasing, Whole Foods Market South Region. “By offering support to their expansions, we are able to strengthen our relationships with local producers and support the development of specific products.”

The loan program minimizes fees, interest rates and paperwork for independent local producers, however, loan recipients must meet the following requirements:

• • Meet Whole Foods Market’s Quality Standards
  • Use funds for expansion (e.g., buy more animals or new equipment, expand crops) and not operating expenses
  • Meet Whole Foods Market’s Animal Compassion Standards (for meat and dairy producers)
  • Have a viable business plan and adequate cash flow to service debt

Here in Georgia, three recent recipients of the local loan program include White Oak Pastures, Sweetwater Growers and Via Elisa Fresh Pasta.

More on The Order of Myths

Margaret Brown is the film maker responsible for the film “The Order of Myths”. She is from Mobile, Alabama and worked with about 400 hours of footage to put the documentary together. She has another documentary out about Townes Van Zandt, “Be here to love me: A Film About Townes Van Zandt”, which I plan on getting. It’s at amazon. com. Here is a short interview with her and some other sites that have written about the film. Check them out for more info and thoughts on “The Order of Myths”.

http://blog.spout.com/2008/03/12/sxsw-2008-interview-margaret-brown-of-the-order-of-myths/

http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/27/review-the-order-of-myths/

http://www.indiewire.com/movies/2008/07/review_carnival.html

Going Forward, Kicking and Screaming

I grew up in beautiful downtown Mobile, Alabama. I’m in love with the place. I haven’t always been in love with the folks that live there or some of their attitudes, but I have always loved the city. I think I have felt sorry for Mobile, it has been stuck in neutral for a long, long time.

When I was 12 years old we moved to the Garden District, downtown. When I was 16 I went to work at a clothing store on Royal Street that had been operating in the Port City for a long time. I watched it happen, I know what I’m talking about. This would have been 1978ish and downtown Mobile was fast becoming a waste land. Other than lawyers, banks and businesses that catered to the state docks, not much else was happening there. Mobile was a town of “old money” and the old money liked things just the way they were.

Now days with the help of new blood and some forward thinking people like David Bronner , (just click on his name and see read about some of the great things he has done for Mobile and the whole state of Alabama) Mobile has started to get itself together and started making some progress moving into the future. It didn’t hurt that hurricane Katrina wiped out so much of the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans. Many people and businesses have relocated to Mobile. That, along with some really large companies setting up plants in the area, Mobile is getting a very needed financial boost. And from what I read in the news paper this morning it seems attitudes are moving into the future as well.

Last night at the beautiful Saenger Theater, in beautiful downtown Mobile the documentary “The Order of the Myths” was screened. A film about the Mystic Societies and history of Mobiles Mardi Gras. Finally, all got a chance to see it. It has been on the film festival circuit for about a year now and is finally hitting some theaters. Much has been written about this film and the word controversial is always brought up. The folks back home have been worried that it was all about race and the unfortunate segregation of the Mardi Gras organizations.

Well I must tell you how happy I was to wake up this morning and read in the Mobile news paper that, The Order of Myths received a standing ovation after the reels stopped rolling last night. 1762 people attended and there was a Q and A session afterwards. From what I can get from the news paper folks were generally happy with it and I’m not surprised. Like I have said before, we’re southern not stupid. We get it, we know like every place on earth Mobile has problems and they need fixing. I’m just happy to see we are moving ahead, forward, into the future even if there is some kicking and screaming.

After all the negative I had heard from folks, even though they had not seen the film, I was moved to tears when I read this line. It was a comment about the Q and A session, it read “Some audience members used the question period to state their appreciation for the film - and their love of Mobile Mardi Gras.” These are the people that are gonna make Mobile a better place, people that can love it and know it’s got some growing to do.

Funeral Crasher’s

I am starting a new “dinner club” if you will. It’s gonna be called the “Dead peoples Food Dinner Club”. I’m sure you know where I’m going with this, asking yourself why haven’t I thought of this before. Well it takes a special way of thinking to come up with ideas like this and I guess I’m just a special kind of thinker.

THE COOLEST GUY I KNOW - A PERSONAL HERO IF YOU WILL

It started about a year ago. Stacey and I went to Mississippi for a funeral on her dads side of the family. After the service we hightailed it back to the airport to catch a flight home. There were later flights that we could have gotten that day, but for some stupid reason I thought we needed to hurry home. As it turned out the flights were delayed and one thing led to another, we didn’t get home early at all. After all this I got to thinking about what if we would have stayed for the dinner that was at the local church, what had I missed by trying to hurry home. I talked to my father in law and questioned him about the food they had at the church. His report made me cry. Then it made me mad. How stupid of me, I should know better, the food is always gonna be good at a country church funeral party. So that’s when I got to thinkin I need to stick around next time, hell spend the night if I have to, cause the food I missed was probably some of the best southern cooking you can get you hands on. Nothing makes an old lady do her best cooking like a dead person. God bless em.

So lately I have been calling my mom and dad, my in-laws, aunts and uncles, just about anyone I can think of to see if anyone had died and if so where is the funeral. I’ve had a little luck, a distant cousin I really didn’t know died and the funeral was in Tennessee, in a rural area. I knew this would be good for a true southern meal, and I was right. I didn’t care that I didn’t know a soul there and I don’t think anyone gave me a second thought. Just dress nice, show up and know the dead persons name and your in like flint.

Problem is people I know just don’t die often enough and it’s against the law to really help them along, if ya know what I mean. So here’s what I’m proposing, start searching the small town newspapers. The obits are always easy to find in these small town papers and there is always enough information on the deceased to get you in the door and a spot at the buffet line. I bet we won’t even have to get on airplanes, I bet there are probably funerals almost everyday, in some remote area that is in driving distance.

This could be big. We could make 4 and 5 day vacations out of this idea. Hit the road, the two lane road, maybe even the dirt road, grab the local paper and find yourself a dead person. Put on a nice shirt, comb you hair, go to the wake, find some angle to work on how you knew the dead person and enjoy a great, southern country meal.

So are ya with me. Who’s in? Let me know cause I’m ready to roll.

Pig in the ground

I say that, but that’s not the way it is. There is a pig and there is the ground. We cook the pig, but not in the ground. Lot’s of folks do cook pigs in a hole, in the ground. Very Latin American. I dig it, LOL, really it makes sense. I have come up with an above ground method that mimics the hole in the ground method. I have practiced it three time and always ended up with good pig. So when a the Chef and another friend started talking bout cooking a pig we made a date and divided up the chores.

First thing you do is get a Chef, get ya a pretty one like this guy if you can!

So I go to Home Depot and buy about 40 cement blocks. I use a couple $9 sheets of corrugated metal and I need two, six foot pieces of re-barb. I need a rack as well. I either buy some fence material or go by a junk store and buy the racks out of an old refrigerator. Tom Waits would use an old wire box-spring from some old bed outta some old boardinghouse. In East Saint Louis. Under a bridge. You get it, you know what I mean, right? I need a roll of wire as well and wire cutters. I need tin snips for the sheet metal.

So I lay the blocks out to fit the pig, about a foot larger then the pig, going both ways. I line the floor of this box with sheet metal, cut to fit. I line one, maybe two walls of the box also. The pig is either wrapped in the fence and wired to the re-barb which is longer then the box so the re-barb sits on the top row of blocks and allows you to flip the pig. If you use racks instead of wire fence you want to splay the pig between two racks. Then you wire the racks together and then wire the re-bard to the racks. You should remove a block from each side, from the bottom row. This will allow air to move through and stoke your colas. Use a small piece of sheet metal to block each hole to control the heat.

So now you just start your fire, one pile of coals on each end of box. Once coals are ready place pig on the fire, cover with a piece of sheet metal or tin foil and cook to internal temp of about 160 degrees.

Don’t forget to invite lot’s of people to help consume the pig.

Pig Art and Pig Parts

When I was working with the nice lady on the High Museum Wine Auction a few months back, we had a seminar at Restaurant Eugene. This soiree started next door at Holeman Finch Public House. That’s the name of the new place Linton and Gina Hopkins, of Restaurant Eugene have opened along with a few of Atlanta’s best barchef’s. The bartenders are owners and operators. It’s a really cool joint, very causal, very good food and drink. They specialize in the pig. They also specialize in the Cocktail. At the seminar that day they ordered a painting for the restaurant. I sat down with one of the bartenders and we came up with an idea for their painting. I did it, they loved it and it hangs proudly in the modern glass, steel and wood dining room.

The day we were there for the seminar on pork, they had hung candied bacon from the small tree’s in the restaurant. I was talking to this guy and we decided to try some. Tasted like candied bacon. Tasted GOOOOOOD. They were not yet open, but as soon as they did Stacey and I went to pig out. They cure their own meat and mix speciality cocktails. The meat hangs in the glass walls that have been designed just for that and for storing wine. It’s a neat visual and a great use of space.

We went early the night of the Tom Waits concert here in Atlanta. We sat at the bar and let Greg do his thing with drinks. Our only input was vodka and not to sweet for me and bourbon and ginger for the Little Lady. Holeman Finch practice mixing drinks with the same philosophy as the best chefs these days. They use fresh ingredients, they use local when they can and they are seasonal. The drinks were great, he made each of us two different cocktails.

Like I said they are a pig joint if you will, and you should. They did have oysters from Alabama. We started with a salad of mixed greens, topped with fried oysters. I think it had blue cheese on it, very little blue cheese, it was a really good salad. The oysters we fried up just right. We also had a bone marrow dish. It was a split bone with the marrow and crispy bread crumb’s and butter toasted on top of the bone. It was good also, but as with most marrow dishes, there’s never enough. We had scallops, George Banks scallops. Canadian scallops, good. We also had pork belly. Berkshire hogs raised on a farm less then one hour out of Atlanta. The belly was served on top of grits, roasted cipolini, and B & B pickles. The pickles are made next door at Restaurant Eugene. It’s the best stuff, in season, done up real simple. You can’t beat it.

Go eat at Holeman Finch, have some food. They claim the grilled cheese is one of the best eats on the menu. Have a cocktail, the Brown Derby was an awesome concoction. Tony Seichrist is one of the chefs and he’s good. I think he just spent time in Italy learning about curing meat. So there ya go!