The Latest News from Wheatsville

Vendor of the Month: Tony’s Chocolonely

ABOUT THEIR CHOCOLATE: Tony's Chocolonely is a Dutch confectionery company founded in 2005. With incredibly tasty chocolate, they lead by example to show the world that chocolate can be made differently. By following Tony’s Sourcing Principles for slave-free cocoa, it’s possible to make slave-free chocolate and be commercially successful.

The chocolate supply chain starts with millions of cocoa farmers and ends with billions of consumers. But what about the piece in the middle? This piece is dominated by a handful of chocolate giants (who we call big choco) that profit from keeping the purchase price of cocoa as low as possible. There’s nothing wrong with a profitable business, of course. After all, companies would go bust without it, that’s just common sense. What’s not so great, however, is when that profit comes at all costs. And in this case, profit comes at the cost of exploitation of farmers at the beginning of the supply chain.

Cocoa is grown in places all around the equator like Asia and South America, but more than a whopping 60% of the world's cocoa comes from two mid-sized countries in West Africa: Ghana and Ivory Coast. These two countries are also where the problems in the cocoa industry are at their worst. Most farmers there have only a small plot of land and earn just 78 cents a day from the crops they grow there. That amount isn’t just low by our standards, the living income is set at $2.16 per person, per day for Ghanains and for Ivorians it’s set at $2.49 per person per day. Farmers just aren’t paid enough, even with certification premiums.

Vendor of the Month: Wheatsville Deli

Our September vendor of the month cannot get any more local. We chose to celebrate our very own Wheatsville Deli! Our deli staff serve up the most delicious and nutritious meals in town! Check out our expansive salad bar, mouthwatering hot food options and a wide array of sandwiches that fit all diets. While you are here check out our world-famous Popcorn Tofu that has had Austinites dancing for over 20 years!

Local Vendor of the Month: Lick Honest Ice Cream

To Lick, "honest" simply means they use the purest ingredients they can find in their artisanal ice creams. What doesn’t go into their ice creams is just as important as what does. They never use artificial colors or flavors, high fructose corn syrup or preservatives, ever! They can trace every single ingredient they use to its source. Ice cream shouldn’t just taste good — they believe it should also be good.

Lick Honest Ice Cream takes great pride in witnessing their milk and cream as it journeys from the cow to your scoop. All of the milk and cream used to make their ice creams comes from family owned dairies in Texas and Wisconsin; and everything from the sauces, syrups, cookies, cakes and marshmallows is made by hand in their kitchen. They churn every batch and pack each pint by hand in their kitchen. They roll each waffle cone made from their homemade recipe in their shops every single day.  All in an effort to serve up the freshest, most honest ice creams possible. They are also committed to sustainability by using only compostable cups, spoons and napkins in their shops.

Anthony and Chad opened Lick Honest Ice Creams in the fall of 2011 because they wanted to offer “honest ice creams” to savvy palates in Austin. Both grew up in small rural communities, enjoying homemade ice cream: Anthony from Hallettsville in South Central Texas and Chad from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The two met in New York City in the winter of 2005 and immediately connected (small town minds in the big city). As the years passed and after many train rides to Lancaster, Anthony began to truly appreciate what Chad grew up with…local, small town ice cream shops that made seasonal flavors with locally sourced ingredients: fresh, unique and delicious! With each lick, Anthony wondered what kind of flavors he could craft from the ingredients he grew up eating in Texas. Chad never ate ice cream at a chain, and from 2005 on, Anthony didn’t either.

In New York, Anthony (who had actually moved to the city with hopes of being a writer for a food magazine) worked as a caterer and event planner, where he deepened his love of working with food. He became inspired by the menus and dishes he helped develop and began mentally storing this inspiration for future use.  Eventually, Chad's career took them away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan to the Midwest. There Anthony joined a local bakery and continued to dream of ways to include all of his favorite dishes and desserts into one thing.  As several years passed, the dream of honest ice creams began dancing in their heads. All the while, with each trip to visit Anthony’s family and friends, Chad was falling more and more in love with Austin and becoming inspired by its creative spirit and local flavors.  Finally, the right time came and the decision was made to sell their home and move to Austin.  Thus began the realization of a dream and the building of

Juneteenth and a $5000+ commitment

As we come up on the first federally recognized Juneteenth Holiday, it is important to not only remember and honor the long and turbulent road it has taken to get such recognition, but to also open our eyes and recommit to the work that still needs to be done towards creating a truly transformed society based in equality and respect. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. In one of the most inspiring grassroots efforts of the post-Civil War period, newly freed Black men and women transformed June 19 from a day of unheeded military orders into their own annual rite, “Juneteenth,” beginning one year later in 1866. In 1979, Texas became the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday. 

Here at Wheatsville we use this day to reflect on our mission that was created by our cooperative founders over 45 years ago. Their simple mission was this: The purpose of Wheatsville Co-op is to create a self-reliant, self-empowering community of people that will grow and promote a transformation of society toward cooperation, justice, and non-exploitation. With that in mind they named our store after Wheatville, the first post-civil war Black community in Austin. We feel that we have honored their legacy as best we can but we also believe that we can do better. 

Last year in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, we like countless others were compelled to evaluate our role in systemic racism and inequality. We committed to honoring our namesake and to make a positive impact in fighting racial injustice and advancing inclusion and diversity as a whole. We still have a lot of work to do but we are proud of what we have accomplished. Here is an update on what we have done and where we are headed.

In The Store:
One way we can have the most immediate impact is by amplifying the work of our BIPOC vendors. Following last months featured vendor Alaffia, we have chosen Nubian Heritage a Black-owned business as our Vendor of the Month for June. In their words they are "Guided by the legacy of ancient Nubia, the world's first melting pot, Nubian Heritage remixes global healing traditions into modern wellness solutions." Visit either of our stores to try their high-quality body care products.  

For Pride month, we have for the second year in a row chosen a local organization making a difference in the Austin LGBTQ+ community to be the recipient of our Pride Pin sale. This year we've selected allgo. They are an organization whose mission it is to nurture and celebrate queer people of color by building, educating, and mobilizing communities toward a just and equitable society. 100% of the proceeds go to allgo.

This year we kicked off Black History Month with a very special addition to our timeline at the South Lamar location. Possibly the most important and often overlooked part of our history is our name. In 1976 our coop founders decide to pay homage to Wheatville, the first post-civil war Black community in Austin. Founded by James Wheat, a formally enslaved man from Arkansas, Wheatville had over 300 residents at its peak. Now the story of Wheatville will have a permeant home on our walls. To find out more about this important community visit here.

What we are doing:
As part of our continued commitment to honor the importance of this day, this is Wheatsville’s 2nd year providing Juneteenth as a paid holiday to staff. 

Directors. Managers, Supervisors and our staff led D&I Network have undergone Diversity, Equity and Inclusion training with Dr. Kazique Prince and Jelani Consulting. This training combines individual development in addition to team development within every facet of the business.

We have been recognized by the National Cooperative Grocers as having the third highest percentage of staff diversity in the central corridor region of the United States. We are very proud of this achievement and continue to strive for the highest percentage in our region.

We are actively reaching out to BIPOC organizations that may not know of us. Even though we have successfully raised millions of dollars for local organizations over the years, we realize that not all nonprofits have the same resources to find help, especially those in marginalized communities. We are diligently working to bridge that gap.

Our Commitment:

We are also pleased to announce that we will again be giving direct support to the Black Community this year. Last year we donated $4,000 to organizations that were actively engaged in the work of racial justice and empowering Black communities. This year we are committing to $5,000. This money was raised in part from customer donations to our Co-op Community Fund.  25% of this year’s donations will be benchmarked for the specific use of the staff led D&I Network for direct donations in their name.  

Celebrate in the Community:

Today there is a Juneteenth celebration with a parade starting at 10 am on Chicon, with a festival at Rosewood Park and a Fireworks display to commemorate the night on Boggy Creek. The following links have more information and further lists of Juneteenth events around the Austin area. 

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/central-texas-juneteenth-parade-and-festival-returns-to-austin/269-804f6546-8994-4517-9042-3f52a423d289

https://www.juneteenthcentraltexas.com/parade

https://www.kvue.com/article/life/holidays/list-juneteenth-events-in-austin/269-2c1d4b3c-3563-4de3-9dbc-37f2a13542b4

Happy Juneteenth from Wheatsville Food Co-op!

Vendor of the Month: True Harvest

True Harvest - Locally Grown Fresh Produce. In the Heart of Central Texas. Our growing facility allows us to grow multiple varieties of premium head lettuce and microgreens. Our production greenhouse operation consists of a 58000 square foot facility dedicated to leafy green production, packaging, cold storage, and shipping docks. Not just organic but beyond! Grown in biodegradable materials, non-GMO seeds, organic soil, and no harmful pesticides. Generating a safer and more natural product.

Utilizing a combination of sustainable and organic materials, our automated facility carries our produce from seed to harvest with a zero- waste footprint on the environment.

Vendor of the Month: Nubian Heritage

Humble Beginnings

Nubian Heritage got its start on the streets of Harlem. Fresh out of college and without jobs, Richelieu Dennis and Nyema Tubman set out to bring the healing traditions of African Black Soap and Shea Butter to the community they loved. Short on experience but full of passion and determination, they mined their knowledge of culturally authentic healing traditions to create natural skin and body treatments to share with their families and community. That was back in 1992, and they've held fast to that commitment every day since.

Passionate about sharing the healing possibilities in Nubian Heritage soaps and other products as well as the cultures they come from, Dennis and Tubman were guided by their community's demand for wellness products that spoke to their unique needs. Expanding their reach for the rich healing philosophies of ancient cultures, their passion spread to communities around the globe.

Nubian Heritage Soaps: Legacy and Vision

Guided by the legacy of ancient Nubia, the world's first melting pot, Nubian Heritage remixes global healing traditions into modern wellness solutions. Ancient Nubia was once a center of cultural trade - a place where goods, ideas and customs from across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean came together to influence each other, then spread across the ancient world. That was the inspiration for the young Nubian Heritage owners: to bring together traditional healing practices, cultural wisdom and indigenous ingredients, remix them and create modern natural solutions for skin and hair care.

This was and still is the Nubian Heritage mission: to make cultural exchange the model for transforming the global community.

The journey of Nubian Heritage has been a long one, but it's far from over. What began in Harlem continues globally as individuals and communities are empowered with healing traditions, rituals and philosophies from around the world. Those same Nubian Heritage owners are constantly developing new products and remedies, and our customers are constantly discovering and sharing new paths to wellness.

Meet the Nubian Heritage Owners

Nubian Heritage FoundersNubian Heritage's co-founders Richelieu Dennis, Nyema Tubman and Mary Dennis created a brand over 20 years ago on the streets of Harlem. After graduating from renowned business school Babson College in 1991, Dennis and Tubman were unable to return to their home country of Liberia due to civil war. Fresh out of college and without jobs, the childhood friends partnered with Dennis's mother, Mary, to bring the healing traditions of African Black Soap and Shea Butter to the community they loved.

Passionate about natural products with indigenous ingredients and fascinated by the cultures they come from, the three Nubian Heritage owners began handcrafting shea butter soaps and salves to sell as street vendors. Guided by the legacy of ancient Nubia, the world's first melting pot, Dennis sought to remix healing wisdom and culturally authentic practices into modern wellness solutions that became Nubian Heritage soaps. In daily conversations with the community as a street vendor, he heard and strove to answer the demand for healthy products that spoke to people's unique wellness needs.

Prevent Food Waste by Meal Planning

Many Wheatsville shoppers like to shop with us because Wheatsville makes every effort to be environmentally sustainable. Wheatsville uses sustainable supply products like compostable straws and produce bags, and 100% recycled paper bags. Wheatsville sells local, organic, sustainable foods. And Wheatsville even composts and recycles so well it was a model of success  for Austin Resource Recovery’s waste program for food businesses!

One of the most common reasons we hear that our customers don’t shop with us more is because they feel they can’t afford it. What if I told you there was a way to be more sustainable and reduce your grocery list so that you can shop at Wheatsville more?

Don’t waste food! A study published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics in 2019, found that the average U.S. household wasted 31.9% of its food. The total annual cost of the wasted food at home in the US was estimated to be $240 billion or $1,866 per household. That’s about $35 a week of your money! Equally important to many, that is water, fossil fuels, and fertilizer wasted!

If you don’t know how much food you are wasting, leave any food to throw out in your fridge or freezer until trash day - pile it all up on the counter before taking it out to compost or the trash and you’ll see just how much of your resources you are throwing away.

One of the easiest ways to reduce food waste is to make a meal plan before you shop.  Meal planning can sound intimidating, but it usually takes me about 10 minutes, and clearly avoiding food waste gets a good financial return!

Meal planning only takes a few simple steps, and no special supplies:

Step 1: EXPLORE: the fridge and the pantry and make sure you know what’s there. Tip: this can be combined with cleaning out your fridge and pantry and piling up all your food trash to see what’s wasted this week.

STEP 2: USE FIRST/USE SOON: make a “USE FIRST” list of everything you have that must be used up in the next few days or it will spoil, and a “USE SOON” list of everything that needs to be used up relatively soon, like the freezer and pantry items you’ve had for a suspiciously long time.

Step 3: DRAW OUT THE WEEK: Find a piece of paper. Make a grid of the next week, leaving a spot for breakfast, lunch, dinners, and snacks/deserts for each day. If you and a family member eat different meals, divide that meal’s square into sections for each person, or use a different colored pen for each person.

Step 4: USE FIRST MEALS: put in your first few days of recipes, meals & snacks with stuff from the use first list and items you need to use soon.

Step 4: GET UNSTUCK:  It’s pretty common to run out of ideas. First, make sure you put in any nights you normally eat takeout, leftovers or Wheatsville’s Thursday $5 Grab & Go. If you get stumped on some ingredients, do a google search for the ingredient and “recipe”. You can even leave a blank to scrounge whatever’s around (PB & J for dinner, anyone?).

Step 5: SHOPPING LIST. Make the list of things you need to buy to round out the meals you have planned. It will be shorter than normal!

Step 6: SHOP: Do not buy perishables that aren’t on the list! If your list didn’t say “fruit for snacking”, don’t buy fruit for snacking! Pro tip: if you’re a big impulse purchaser, send someone else from your household who will only get what’s on the list, or use Curbside service to avoid impulse buys. At least the curbside fees help pay local employees, and isn’t just money thrown into the compost.

Don’t think making a meal plan means you have to cook every night or for every meal.
● Always account for leftovers! Don’t be afraid to eat small portions of leftovers as a snack, and always include a “leftover night”  or “leftover lunch” so you’ll use them up.
● If other members of your household cook, include recipes they know how to make, or ask them to plan one based on your Use First/Use Soon lists.
● Including takeout, prepared meals, $5 Dinner Thursdays and frozen pizza in your meal plan is critical as it helps you reduce waste from buying ingredients you won’t use in time.

Using a simple meal planning process can help reduce your food waste, your ecological footprint, and the number of items on your grocery list - which if you didn’t need to lower your grocery budget, you can then spend at the place you really want to shop - Wheatsville!

Stay tuned for my next article on reducing food waste: how to make your fresh produce last longer!

April Vendor of the Month: Alter Eco

You may be all too familiar with the Alter Eco chocolate truffles featured at the Wheatsville checkout stands. These truffles are small but mighty, just like the company they originate from: Alter Eco.

With a history going back to 1998, Alter Eco’s focus on Fair-Trade and Organic certified products has more recently expanded to additional environmental responsibility. As a certified B Corporation (businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance) Alter Eco’s company mission is to pioneer a full circle approach to eating, farming, and doing business – and to inspire others to do the same. Their plan for Full Circle Sustainability is laid out in transparent detail in the Alter Eco 2019 Sustainability report; available online at alterecofoods.com

Here’s the highlights:

RESTORING FORESTS

Transitioning cacao farmers away from monoculture farming to regenerative agriculture, known as “agroforestry”. Agroforestry adds double the amount of trees and up to 15 different species of trees per acre, such as timber trees next to banana trees next to cacao trees. Other crops planted with cacao trees include nitrogen fixing plants (fava beans tamarind), roots (cassava, yucca), fruit trees (mango, plantain) and grains (maize). The outcome of agroforestry is increased biodiversity of insects & animals, restored soil, increased carbon absorption, land that is more drought resistant and absorbs more carbon.

In the fall of 2020, the Alter Eco Foundation was launched to further agroforestry with a $1.5 million investment in transitioning 800 cacao farmers in Ecuador and 100 farmers in the Dominican Republic to dynamic agroforestry.

INVESTING IN FARMERS

Directly working with fair trade certified, small-scale farmers. Alter Eco works with 7 cooperatives worldwide from Ecuador to India to source the ingredients for their chocolates. That’s a total of 24,300 farmers being paid a Fair Trade premium, and Organic premium and an additional Alter Eco premium for their work. Partnered since 2011, Unocace Co-op in Guayaquil, Ecuador provides 41% of the cacao purchased by Alter Eco.

NET ZERO CARBON

Three Steps to Carbon Neutral Footprint:

MEASURE -  Alter Eco rigorously measures its carbon footprint each year. 2019: 3,964 tCO2e

REDUCE - Alter Eco can reduce 33% emissions through implementing new cacao agricultural practices i.e. pod composting, agroforestry.

OFFSET - In 2019 Alter Eco’s yearly offset led to 3,289 planted, 2.6 million trees protected, 16,860 acres protected

ELIMINATE WASTE

Committed to 100% compostable or recyclable non-plastic packaging.
14.7 million compostable truffle wrappers were diverted from landfills in 2019!

Wheatsville proudly carries Alter Eco Fair Trade and Organic certified chocolate truffles, original chocolate bars and new grass-fed milk chocolate bars. Look for new Keto friendly choices from Alter Eco in the near future and stay up to date by visiting their website!