July is a love letter to food. The Co-op is stocked with a bounty of sun-kissed fruits and vegetables from our beloved local producers – a farmers market that’s open 7 days a week! Summer-fresh food only comes around once a year, so let’s celebrate local cucumbers, baby tomatoes, apples, carrots, watermelon, and so much more. Watch the fireworks, relax after a family bike ride or a swim, and enjoy July’s delicious gifts!
Southern Take on Grilling
The days are heating up and filling up with summer activities. Grilling out is one way to keep the indoors cool (by not turning on the oven/stove) — and for saving cooking time if you keep it simple. For the hottest months of the year, we suggest following the lead of cooks farther south by adding a bit of spice to your grilling.
Eating hot foods in summer may seem counterintuitive, yet spicy foods are popular in the warmest climates for several reasons. Eating them makes the body sweat, which helps you cool down faster (and stay cool for longer) than even cold foods do. Chilis grow well in hot climates, making them readily available, and spices also helped prevent food spoilage in the days before refrigeration.
The following two dishes— popular in the U.S. Gulf Coast region — are quick to fix on the grill and allow you to kick it up a notch in the spice department (according to your tolerance level, of course).
Grilled Missouri Peaches
Missouri Peaches are here! Iowa and the Midwest produce season has arrived in all its glory. Our produce shelves will be loaded with new crops. Here are a few delicious recipes for some of the local produce you will see this month. Have fun and enjoy the bounty!
Yum, Yum, Pastries!
New to our rotating pastry menu in July: House-made Peanut Butter Granola Bars (if you haven't tried our house-made granola bars, they put all others to shame!), Strawberry Swirl Cake, cupcakes, and 6-inch cakes. Make sure you're signed up for our sales emails for updates on our other seasonal specials!
Your Local Farmers & Their Summer Bounty
Bluebird Farm Brenna & Rogan Stoops Lisbon, IA
Brenna and Rogan Stoops are dedicated, enthusiastic, and environmentally aware farmers who, along with their two children, Mae and Bo, grow certified organic produce. Their beautiful farm shares a property line with a wildlife protection area, which is great for what they do – no over-spray here! They focus on tomatoes, peppers, beans, broccoli, and cauliflower, and in July we will be seeing their broccoli and cherry tomatoes land on our produce shelves! We couldn't be more grateful that they’re sharing their efforts with New Pi Cedar Rapids!
Pheasant Run Farm Eric & Ann Franzenburg Van Horne, IA
Pheasant Run Farm began in 1991 when Eric and Ann Franzenburg returned to Eric's family farm. In addition to the traditional Iowa corn and soybean crops, they raise medicinal and culinary herbs, cut flowers, fruits and vegetables…and three kids – Ellen, Calvin, and Grant – who also double as farm hands! They believe in being good stewards of their farm and believe that sustainably produced food and flowers enrich the soil, keep water supplies clean, and better nourish our bodies. Look for their delicious tomatoes and super crunchy and yummy mini cucumbers this month at your favorite New Pi location. You will never be disappointed in their flavor!
Grocery Choices Matter
We know there are more options than ever before when it comes to deciding where to spend your grocery dollars. But there is one place that is uniquely different: your
Co-op. Yes, YOUR Co-op – you own it!
New Pi is 100% locally-owned by over 35,000 members of our community and 100% of the dollars spent at our stores are reinvested in our local community, not a corporate bank account. We have longstanding relationships with our local growers, whose products you see on our shelves. We have contracts with our local growers that guarantees the sale of their products. This is a huge deal for them, and us! When our sales falter, so do theirs.>>
Your Co-op needs you!
Run for the Board of Directors and help pave the future of your Co-op. Applications are available at all New Pi stores and online at www.newpi.coop.
Applications deadline is July 27, 2018.
Moved? We need your new address!
New Pi Board elections are coming up this fall and we want to ensure you receive your ballot and annual report. Please stop by the store and talk with a cashier!
This Month's Change for Change: Good Neighbor Iowa
What is Good Neighbor Iowa?
Good Neighbor Iowa is a statewide public education campaign out of the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy & Environmental Education. Their program aims to reduce unnecessary urban pesticide use and to transform lawn-culture to encourage appreciation of diverse lawns as a way to protect child health, water quality, pets, pollinators, and biodiversity.
In 2017, 33 schools and 29 child care centers pledged to be pesticide-free outdoors, reducing the harmful side effects of pesticide to over 17,700 children! In addition, 150 parks, 30 institutions, and over 500 private residences have made the pledge to go pesticide-free – that's 4,782 acres!
Next time you shop the Co-op, remember to round up at the register for Good Neighbor Iowa to support healthy lawns!
A New (Organic & Zero-Waste) Way to Brush Your Teeth
Ditch your old toothpaste and try something new. Frau Fowler Tooth Powder is organic, non-GMO, BPA-free, cruelty-free, and only contains the things you need to clean your teeth and naturally freshen your breath. It’s even easy to use! Just touch the bristles of your dry toothbrush into the powder and brush away! It’s available now at all three New Pi locations in a variety of flavors: Citrus Mint, Power Mint, Licorice Mint, and staff favorite Mouth Medic. (And the recyclable, aluminum container lasts longer than a tube of toothpaste!) Give it a go!
This Friday – and every Friday – we're sampling wines out for YOU between the hours of 4-6PM at your very own Co-op! Come by for free tastings:
July 6:NEW Top Ten Wines! July 13: Friday the 13th Wines July 20:French Wines July 27: NEW Top Ten Wines!
July/August Top Ten Wines & Best Cellars
Our wine buyers taste every single wine, bringing only the finest bottles to our shelves – no matter the price. Our tasting group rounds up the cream of the crop for a Top Ten every other month, writing thoughtful descriptions of each so you're sure to take home a winner for your unique palate.
Keep a look out for our Top Ten Wines:
Michel Vattan Sancerre Cuvée Calcaire: Loire Valley, France
Le P’tit Paysan: Monterey, CA
Fidelity Railyard Zinfandel: Alexander Valley, CA
Château Les Tourelles du Barrail: Médoc, France
Lucien Albrecht Riesling 2016: Alsace, France
Can Blau 2015
Garofoli “Farnio” Rosso Piceno: Marche, Italy
Kono Sauvignon Blanc: Marlborough, New Zealand
Squadra Bianco and Rosso: Terre Siciliane, Italy
L’Agnostique Rosé: Languedoc, France
...and Best Cellars:
Sola Meritage 2015: Paso Robles, CA
Le Rosé des Acanthes: Pays du Gard IGP de Tavel: France
Casa Santos Lima Lab Wines: Portugal
Coastal Estates BV Red Blend & Sauvignon Blanc: CA
Remembering Tom Caufield,
Wine Guy Extraordinaire
On April 12, 2018, our great friend and coworker Tom Caufield passed away, surrounded by his family, after a long battle with lymphoma. Many of you knew Tom from the wine aisles at New Pioneer Coralville, and even more knew him through his witty and wacky-in-the-best-of-ways wine descriptions on our shelves in all three stores over the years (not to mention the wonderful wines he picked out to fill your glasses). He was the eponymous Tom of “Tom's Top Ten Wines,” our coverboy for the Bacchus-themed Wine Freak Out tastings for many years (yes, he modeled in a toga for photos of our very own Bacchus), and he hand-selected wines in vineyards all over the world. He was all about Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a Francophile through and through, and a writer, too. He truly blazed his own smart, spirited trail, with a one-of-a-kind presence and mind, and there was no one quite like him.
Tom made many a friend in the wine aisle of New Pi, as well as deep friendships with his co-workers. One of his longtime coworkers, Miss Nik, asked to share some of her memories with us.>>
July 3 will mark Tom Caufield’s 53 birthday. Even though he is no longer with us, we will continue to celebrate the man whom we all had the honor of knowing. On July 3, please raise your favorite glass of wine — quite likely a favorite that Tom directed you to — and toast to Tom, the great memories he shared with us, and all that fantastic wine he brought into our lives!
Happy Birthday, Tom!!
If you have any fond memories to share about Tom, please feel free to add to the comment section in our blog.
Bike, Walk, or Bus
& Save!
Bike, walk, or ride the bus to any New Pioneer Co-op and get a stamp on your card. Fill the card and get $2 off your $10 purchase. It's good for your body, your wallet, and your planet. See you at the Co-op!
Photo courtesy of Fin & Feather.
New Pi's Favorite Summer Adventures Right at Home!
Let’s get moving! There’s no better way to celebrate the summer than to have family fun in the great outdoors! We are so lucky to be in Eastern Iowa – a veritable playground of outdoor awesome that we can share with the kids in our lives. Ready to get the whole family moving? Here are a few of New Pi’s favorite local adventure locales andactivities.>>
Named after an internal staff newsletter started in the mid-'80s by New Pi anchor Patti Zwick, today The Slice serves up all the delicious New Pi happenings packaged in a monthly newsletter conveniently delivered to your inbox.
