American Cheddar has never been the same …

by aventura, March 11, 2010 | Permalink

American cheddar has never been the same since the Kehler brothers finished the state-of-the-art aging cave in the rolling hillside of their Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, Vt. Just witness their unique collaboration with cheddar juggernaut Cabot, which ages 35-pound wheels there wrapped English-style in breathable cloth bandages rubbed in lard, not the typical wax. The result, after 10 to 12 months, is a far more artisanal creation than the typical Cabot supermarket brick. More akin to a British farmhouse style, this stunningly complex cheese is more earthy than “sharp,” with flavors of mushroom, nuts and toffee, with an occasional blue veining near the rind and tiny protein crystals in the center that add extra sparks to the densely creamy paste.

Cabot Clothbound cheddar by Jasper Hill, $23.99 a pound at local Whole Foods Markets.

– Craig LaBan, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Can a banana a day keep depression away?

by aventura, January 25, 2010 | Permalink

Believe it or not, eating a banana every day facilitates both cross talk among your brain and the effect of certain neurotransmitters (like serotonin and its precursors). These two effects may mean that eating a banana a day helps keep the therapist away by preventing recurring minor depression. Plus, besides coffee, bananas are our largest source of anti-oxidants. You read that right!

Our Whole Trade Bananas are sourced from growers with a commitment to producing top quality bananas with transparent and responsible environmental and social practices. One of our primary suppliers is EARTH University, a nonprofit university in Costa Rica dedicated to advancing education, entrepreneurship, and sustainable agriculture in the tropics. EARTH University bananas are grown on a Rainforest Alliance certified farm.

At EARTH, students from around the world study a range of subjects related to sustainable development and environmental preservation. Graduates return to their home countries to share their knowledge of innovative agricultural techniques and ethical business practices.

For more than twenty years, EARTH’s farm managers, faculty, students, and graduates, have been experimenting on the on-campus banana farm. The result is commercial banana production that has a significantly reduced impact on the environment, and which strives to have a positive impact on the lives of its employees and their communities.

Ana Laurent Guzman lives in San Luis de Guácimo, Costa Rica and has worked at EARTH’s banana farm for 6 years. When asked what it means to work at EARTH, Ana answered: “It’s very important because the quality of life that this job gives us is very good. We have many benefits and advantages for us and for our families, and the treatment we receive as workers is very good. In brief I can say I’m proud to work at EARTH.”

All of EARTH’s profits from the sale of its bananas support the school and provide much needed student scholarships. For more information please visit www.earth-brand.org

Liberty City Outreach: Feeding Those Most In Need

by aventura, December 1, 2009 | Permalink

Considering how streamlined our processes for receiving and distribution in a store are, you would think that coordinating a few daily donations would be a cake-walk. Far from it.

In spite of the numerous organizations in our surrounding areas in need of food donations, and the many food pantries that have seen their doors close the past year due to lack of funds; organizing an effective donation process remains a constant challenge.

Often the food pantries in greatest need have the least support. No trucks to pick-up goods, insufficient refrigeration to maintain perishables, and most frequently; not enough volunteers (or at least steady ones) to maintain consistency within the programs themselves.

Pair those difficulties with the on-site storage challenges our stores face and you can see why many donation programs fall apart. In order to effectively carry out a successful donation program a high level of communication and daily coordination is required between multiple departments. Factor in the sanitation requirements that need to be maintained, and the constant struggle for adequate space in smaller stores and you have quite a task ahead of you.

Fortunately, the team members at Whole Foods Market Aventura have found a way to overcome these obstacles and work together efficiently.

Last spring our Receiving TM, Stefania Sgarrini arrived each morning to the same disturbing scene. Rolling lugs and shopping carts filled to the brim with produce trimmings and bruised fruits and vegetables earmarked for donation, but rarely picked up by food banks.  At the time our Aventura location had tried unsuccessfully to work with several local food pantries, but due to their dependence upon volunteers their pick-up times were often sporadic, frequently forcing us to dispose of perishables in order to maintain strict sanitation codes.

About the same time our Store Team Leader; Evan Schmiedehaus was approached by the food pantry at Liberty City Outreach. Established by the Apostolic Revival Center 39 years ago, this operation is currently spearheaded by Director Judy Holmes. Holmes, a former Carroll City Middle School teacher and Miami-Dade police officer who knew firsthand the desperate needs of many local families and was not above begging surrounding businesses to assist in her cause.

Funded by a small United Way grant and dependent mainly on USDA in-kind donations, Liberty City Outreach Center’s shoe-string budget often left them desperate and barely able to meet the needs of the locals constantly knocking on their doors. With more and more families out of work, and seniors unable to stretch their social security any further, they reached out to Whole Foods Market Aventura for help.

Knowing the challenges of working with food pantries, not to mention one staffed entirely by volunteers, we began small. We started by requesting a designated ‘staging area’ for donations. Being an older, smaller location, storage space is tough to find and highly coveted. Being persistent paid off though and we began with four small plastic bins stuck high on a shelf; labeled for cans, glass, boxes, and cleaning supplies. Little by little TM’s began to take notice and the boxes began to get filled with random items.

In the past six months, this program has grown exponentially. Internally our TL’s have been instrumental in designating space in their receiving areas for staging of these donated items. From our first set of four sad little boxes alone on a high shelf, we now have several U-boats picked up seven days a week, filled with fresh Produce, Dairy and Dry Goods.

On average, we currently donate between 4K – 5K lbs per week to Liberty City Outreach. In addition to canned goods, shelf stable items and toiletries; their donations usually includes up to 3 U-Boats per week of Dairy items, including fresh milk and eggs which the FDA does not currently provide them with.

The response from Liberty City Outreach has been tremendous. Judy Holmes says “We are now able to feed between 1,900 and 2,000 families per month with a higher quality of food than we have ever received before. Families are now receiving fresh vegetables and fruits twice per week”- dietary components that many would be forced to go without otherwise.

Although originally started as a part of the Apostolic Revival Center; Dr. Gilbert S. Smith, Pastor and First Lady Geneva O. Smith have ensured that everyone in need is eligible to receive food. Director Judy Holmes explains; “As per USDA guidelines, there are no requirements for proof of income, we deny no one. It would be unfair to judge who should receive and who should not. If they are waiting on these lines, they need it.”

In spite of being officially ‘retired’ and not paid for her work at Liberty City Outreach, Judy often keeps a full-time schedule filled with coordinating, receiving and distributing donations. And while she will beg unabashedly for food donations, she is much more humble about any extra bells and whistles the center requires. A perfect illustration of this was her response to my question about a contact number and recorded info for anyone interested in their services. Accustomed to working frugally, Judy instantly responded ‘Oh no dear. We don’t have money for any extras like an answering machine’.

While she would never ask for them, those ‘extras’ Judy describes are needed, desperately. Short on refrigeration space, and working with broken-down rolling carts – Judy’s one ‘wish list’ request was an electric typewriter. I told her quite honestly that I wasn’t even sure I could find one, but what about a used computer and printer. Her response, “Oh my, this must be a dream”.

Recently several TM’s spent a day at Liberty City Outreach. Many spent the morning packing bags and boxes with fresh groceries and canned goods to be handed out that afternoon. Seeing the long line of people waiting in the heat, including many elderly recipients, Whole Body ATL Dawn Johnson was especially touched. “This was a very humbling experience, and made me realize how many people are in need and how much more I want to help out, especially the elderly.”

To find out more about how you can help, contact Judy Holmes at #305-696-3612 from 10am -5pm Mondays and Fridays, (or

Choosing Your Turkey

by aventura, November 13, 2009 | Permalink

Choosing a turkey used to be pretty simple. Figure out how many people were coming to dinner and get the biggest bird possible to feed the crowd. Now it can be pretty daunting. Here’s some advice to help you decide what’s the right turkey choice for you.

The biggest difference for almost any turkey you choose at Whole Foods Market is that they are fresh. Our birds are harvested close to the time of being sold. You may not realize that the FDA allows birds to be harvested in February, kept at 27°F for months and then sold as fresh in November. That’s not what we sell here, but people who are buying our fresh birds for the first time aren’t used to getting turkeys that are really fresh.

Now, you may see ice on our fresh birds because we chill them below 30°F to keep them safe and fresh, but they aren’t frozen. That said, we do offer some value options of frozen turkey, and they are from this year’s harvest, not holdovers from last year like some frozen turkeys sold elsewhere.

So, your first choice is frozen turkey or fresh turkey. Well, actually, your first choice is if you buy your bird from us at all. It’s important to know that all of our turkeys are raised according to our strict quality standards requiring no antibiotics ever, an all-vegetarian diet, no added solutions or injections, and complete traceability to the farm. We think this makes our turkeys a better choice.

Now, what about all those other options: Kosher, Organic, Heritage, Pre-brined, etc? We put together this handy chart to help you figure out what is important to you:

It just makes sense that the more care and time that goes into raising the turkeys, the more they will cost. We bring you a range of options so you can choose a turkey that matches your values and budget.

Oh yeah, one more critically important note! Now that you’ve chosen your turkey, please remember that fresh turkeys cook faster than older ones. You need to plan your feast so the turkey is ready at the same time as the mashed potatoes and dressing!

Enjoy your special dinner!

Students get a fresh taste of Whole Foods Market and Chef Allen’s Restaurant!

by aventura, October 29, 2009 | Permalink

Recently we hosted 35 fourth and fifth grade accelerated students from Crestview Elementary School as part of the American Institute of Food & Wine “Days of Taste” program. The AIWF “Days of Taste” program is a discovery-based program for children to learn about food and how it weaves its way through daily life from the farm to the table.

The children discussed how cheese is made and the many different types we offer!

 

 

 

 

The children began their day with a tour of Whole Foods Market Aventura led by myself and our own local celebrity, Chef Allen. We discussed topics such as organic farming, the importance of buying local and healthy lunchbox options.

The children listen as Chef Allen explains the role our senses play in our enjoyment of food.

 

 

Then the children paired up into teams and shopped for fresh produce and grocery staples which we donated. They then took these items back to Chef Allen’s restaurant where they discusses the five senses involved with foods and assisted Chef Allen in preparing the lunch.

THANK YOU Whole Foods Market!

Thanks to Dan & Phyllis at AIWF for their coordination efforts and to Chef Allen for his enthusiasm and wonderful lunch for the children. They all enjoyed being ‘chef’s for a day’ and are looking forward to another visit soon!

 

 

 

 

 

Whole Foods Market Aventura Scores a Hole-in-One for KIDS IN DISTRESS!

by aventura, October 27, 2009 | Permalink

On October 9th, Whole Foods Market Aventura proudly sponsored the Hallandale Beach Golf Tournament at the Diplomat Golf Course, which raised $13,000 to benefit Kids In Distress; a local community-supported agency providing services for the prevention and treatment of child abuse in South Florida.

Although temperatures were well over 90 degrees, players from throughout the community came out to support the cause; including four of our own team members! 

We were happy to provide players with lunches, beverages and fresh fruit to keep them hydrated throughout the daylong tournament. One player was so appreciative, they sent an email: “Keep it simple and fun - you achieved that. The boxed lunches were great … they tasted good and were socially responsible. Whole Foods - way  to go! I loved that!”

We had a great time participating and our team members are already looking forward to next year’s event!

Kids In Distress is a community-supported agency providing services for the prevention and treatment of child abuse in South Florida. KID’s programs offer a continuum of care and essential services to child victims and children and families at risk for abuse and neglect. KID’s is a local agency open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help children and families in crisis with emergency shelters, and counseling. Services include crisis intervention, foster care and adoption, therapeutic preschool, complete behavioral health services, intensive in-home family preservation services, parent education, domestic violence services, substance abuse treatment, kinship support, supervised visitation, access to medical care and rehabilitative therapies. For additional information, visit: http://www.kidsindistress.org/

Oktoberfest: It was the best of times, it was the ‘wurst’ of times!

by aventura, October 1, 2009 | Permalink

International Coastal Clean-Up Day!

by aventura, September 23, 2009 | Permalink

Each year on the third Saturday in September, hundreds of thousands of volunteers comb lakes, rivers and beaches around the world for litter. Last year nearly 400,000 people from 100 countries and 42 US States removed 6.8 million pounds of trash from our waterways.

To honor International Coastal Clean-Up Day, on Saturday October 19th about 30 volunteers; including Team Members from Whole Foods Market Aventura and students from St Thomas Aquinas University, participated in our own community beach clean-up at Hallandale Beach Boulevard & A1A.

International Coastal Clean-Up Volunteers

At our initial glance, the beach seemed to be very clean with no visible litter…

Hallandale Beach - looks pretty clean, but is it?

We broke up into teams of 3-4 people and were given sheets to tally everything we picked up. Did I mention we had to count and tally everything? As we began walking the beach we found that the sand was not as clean as we originally had judged. Actually, in a matter of 3 hours the collective teams picked up over 10K cigarette butts alone. Scary when you consider we were covering a 1.5 mile stretch, a minute fraction of our states coastline.

Many smokers think cigarette butts are small and will break down, but used butts are actually quite toxic. They take up to 15 years to breakdown - but that doesn’t mean they actually biodegrade. Instead, they become tiny filter particles, which clog up ecosystems with even more plastics and man-made junk. Of course, before they break down, butts can also pose risk to animals who mistake them for food.

An estimated 1.7 billion pounds of cigarette butts gum up the world’s waterways a year, delivering nicotine, heavy metals, benzene and other carcinogens, along with plastic fibers. All that nasty stuff in those filters can also enter our drinking water supplies, where it can be tricky to remove (think of second-hand pollution).

A sea-creature crusted lighter pushed in by the tide.

The second item of we consistently found was small bits of plastic. With each wave the tide pushed in endless streams of small plastic bits and Styrofoam. For many Whole Foods Market Team Members who had recently viewed a news clip about the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch‘, the sight was numbing. As Floridians, we are quite proud of our beaches; and many of us were shocked and saddened to see the extent of plastic pollution in our local waterways.

Bits of plastic & Styrofoam flow in with the tide.

These bits of plastic are actually toxic killers. When plastic bottles and trash slowly degrade, they turn into increasingly smaller bits of plastic. Seabirds, fish and turtles mistake these bits for for food which they ingest. As the larger animals and marine life eat the smaller animals, this plastic eventually ends up in the human food supply, too.

Within each incoming wave we found endless bits of plastic entangled with seaweed.

We found many bits of plastic entangled within all of the seaweed we came across.

The data which we collected and recorded was submitted to the Ocean Conservancy. Each year they compile a comprehensive report which details how many pounds of trash were picked up around the world, and what types and sources of litter are impacting our waterways. The results of the dedicated work of volunteers around the globe inspires recycling efforts, and shapes policy decisions from the local to the international level.

Check back here in upcoming months when we post the results of this phenomenal global effort!

Looking for Kosher Poultry?

by aventura, September 18, 2009 | Permalink

We got it! That’s right, just in time for the Jewish High Holy Days, we now offer a new line of certified kosher chicken and turkey.

These new products are provided by Kosher Valley™, a new certified kosher brand from Hain Celestial Group (Hain Pure Protein), and are certified by Rabbi Yechiel Babad and the Orthodox Union. Kosher Valley’s antibiotic-free kosher line is one of the first of its kind in the United States.

According to Kosher Valley, many steps in kosher poultry processing are still performed by hand. Specially trained rabbinical inspectors check each bird ensuring that it is of the highest quality and processed in accordance with the kosher standards of cleanliness, purity and wholesomeness. All Kosher Valley poultry is hand-salted, inside and out, to remove blood since meat with blood in it is considered non-kosher. After salting, each bird is soaked three times in icy water to thoroughly cleanse the bird and remove the salt.

Like all poultry sold at our stores, the new Kosher Valley products must also meet our strict standards requiring that the birds are raised on a vegetarian diet with no antibiotics. Looks for kosher poultry in our stores now, including fresh and frozen whole young turkeys, ground turkey, fresh and frozen chicken, and tray packs of both turkey and chicken.

Don’t be an egghead; take a crack at reducing the cost of a satisfying meal.

by aventura, September 17, 2009 | Permalink

Don’t be an egghead; take a crack at reducing the cost of a satisfying meal. In the newest Whole Story Blog post, The Value Guru Cracks the Egg.

The Value Guru Cracks the Egg

by Susannah Simone, September 16th, 2009 | Permalink | Email this