The Latest News from Wheatsville

Local Vendor Spotlight: South Austin People So.A.P.

South Austin People (SoAP) is a company of professional artisans. All of their bodycare products are made fresh, by hand, with no unnecessary chemicals, dyes, or petroleum. SoAP represents the Austin persona perfectly: natural, organic, and locally made.

JohnPaul Fierro, B.S. Chemistry U.T., is the founder of South Austin People. He says, “The products we make are the highest quality that we feel can be produced. We use organic vegetable oils in our soaps, and we are working towards a petroleum free life for as many people as we can help.” JohnPaul has carefully formulated each of the different recipes, and they work diligently to source the best ingredients.

After you’ve tried their handmade soap, they think you’ll never wanted to use mass-produced corporate stuff again. And it’s from right here in South Austin!

Business partners, left, Cecil Winzer (sales, marketing, brand development) and right, founder, JohnPaul Fierro (product formulation and manufacturing).

S.o.A.P. partner Cecil Winzer answered a few questions for us:

How did you get started in the natural soap business?
JohnPaul Fierro started South Austin People in 2004. As a UT chemistry graduate, he was alarmed by all the chemicals and petroleum in most body care products. He set out to produce 100% natural personal care products that everyone would feel safe using.

What has your relationship with Wheatsville been like?
We love Wheatsville! Wheatsville is our #1 retail outlet and we are very proud to work with them. We send customers there all the time and want to support our fellow local businesses.

How does SoAP stay involved in (or connected to) the community in Austin?
We all love Austin and have been living, working and playing here for most of our years. We support several non-profits by donating products for fundraisers. We also love participating in the farmers’ markets and other shows/events around town, they allow us to interact face-to-face with the people that want and love our products.

What’s your personal favorite product that you produce?
Gosh, there are so many! It might be better to tell you how I use our products on a daily basis. I shower and wash my hair with our Liquid Soap. I always use one of our bars on my face, with 10 different vegetable oils, all of our bars are so good for the delicate facial skin. I shave with our Shaving Bar, it gives the best shave I have ever had with no razor burn and no nicks or cuts. I use our Unscented Lotion as my after shave lotion. I use our Peppermint Foot and Body cream on my feet and any other rough areas that need a little extra moisturizing. I use our scented lotion throughout the day on my hands. Finally, if I ever get a little too much sun or some fine lines or blemishes on my face, I erase them with our Meadowfoam Night-Time Anti-Aging cream.

Anything new in the pipeline that we should be looking forward to?
We have been redeveloping our Dirty Paws Dog Shampoo. Look for a brand new label after the New Year and we are planning for this to be our first product to get national distribution. Sorry Austin, but you have to share our products with the rest of the world!

Great for Grilling: Smart Chicken and Niman Ranch Meats

SMART CHICKEN

Smart Chickens are raised in a free range environment by family farmers without the use of antibiotics, hormones or animal by-products. The Organic Line is Third Party certified humane. Tecumseh Farms is committed to environmental stewardship. Their facilities are surrounded by the farms where the grain to feed the chicken is grown, which saves energy on grain-hauling. They’re located close to one of the world’s largest natural aquifers, so their water use, which is already reduced because of the air-chilling, has no adverse affect on area water resources. The combination of environmental stewardship, humane treatment, and a safe product that has superior flavor makes Smart Chicken the premium value.

I had the opportunity to visit some of the Tecumseh Farms Smart Chicken facilities. I saw the land and barns where the organic lines of chickens are raised and the two processing facilities in the Omaha, Nebraska area.

The farms raising certified organic Smart Chicken  are also third party certified humane. The barns are clean and free of odor; the chickens are happy and laid back. Temperature and moisture are monitored and maintained by computers to ensure a comfortable environment for the chickens. The chickens have free access to the outdoors through open doors spaced every couple of feet all along the side of the 750 ft. long barn. We saw some chickens playing outside and some of them had escaped the pen area. It was pretty entertaining.

The non-certified organic line of Smart Chicken is raised on twenty-seven family owned farms. The entire line cannot get third party humane certification since these farms are owned by individual families and have a variety of barn configurations. Regardless, the ideals and standards are the same for all of the farms.

One thing that differentiates Smart Chicken from other larger chicken growers is the farmers’ commitment to proper care and welfare for the animals. Humane treatment not only contributes to a superior product and earns the trust of consumers, but is also just the right thing to do.

The standards that Smart Chicken brings to the table are unsurpassed by other U.S. chicken growers. For example, the CAS system of changing the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to stun the chickens before the processing procedure begins is a practice brought in from Europe.

Air chilling is another practice that separates Smart Chicken from other growers. Instead of using a chlorinated communal bath to lower their temperature, they are cooled by using only cold air. This process is cleaner and keeps additional water weight out of the birds. Since this is a fairly new procedure to the U.S., there are not yet standards for process or labeling.

But the real story is of a company that believes in doing the right things for the right reasons. This progressive company is a leader in their:

• use of technology to produce a clean, superior product
• concern for animal welfare
• providing safe and good quality jobs
• keeping high standards despite costs
• managing shipping costs by placing their farms and facilities strategically.

They believe that by treating animals and people properly they can maintain the highest quality of chicken and can cultivate trust in their product and their company.

NIMAN RANCH

• Niman Ranch raises livestock traditionally, humanely and sustainably to produce the finest tasting meat in the world.
• Niman Ranch works with the largest network of sustainable US family farmers and ranchers - 700 and growing.
• ALL animals are raised outdoors or in deeply bedded pens.
• Livestock raising protocols were developed with the help of animal welfare expert Dr. Temple Grandin, and are the strictest in the industry.
• Niman Ranch offers a complete line of fresh beef, pork, lamb, poulty, cage-free eggs and a variety of smoked and cured meats. Niman ranch is leading the industry in sustainable and humane agricultural practices.

Pay Less for Clean Water

Here’s an earth-friendly AND money-saving idea: start filtering your own water! Filtering your own water reduces the number of plastic and glass bottles that we have to dispose of; even if they avoid the landfill, recycling has a carbon impact on our environment.

New Wave Enviro 10 Stage Water Filter

Estimated Usage

Each filter cleans 1500 gallons of water =
32 glasses of water 365 days per year

Economical

Filter System
$113.99 = 8 cents per gallon

Replacement Filter Cartridge
$63.99 =  4.3 cents per gallon

Raising the Bar (of Soap)

We have a new line of handcrafted soap available for you in your bodycare aisle this week! Pacha Soap is more than just a bar of soap though, they are a social asset. Pacha donates one bar of soap for every bar purchased. Right now we have a box full of donated soap (60 bars) ready to be given to a local charity of our choice. This batch is going to be given to Safe Place.

This attractive and great smelling soap is only $4.99 for a 4oz bar.

Show your Co-op PRIDE

Co-op Economy Reusable Bags

If you are reading this, you probably already know about the positive economic impact that cooperatives have on the community. However, there are a lot of folks that aren’t aware of these benefits. A great way to spread the word is with our new purple reusable Co-op Economy Bags. Each bag measures 14 ½” tall by 14” wide by 8” deep and includes all sorts of facts about the economic benefits of shopping at a co-op. In the coming weeks we will be featuring three more bags in different colors, each with their own unique facts about co-ops. Be sure to collect all four! Each bag is only $2.99!

For more information about how co-ops make a difference CLICK HERE!