It is our mission to educate our employees and shoppers about their world of food. Both stores have handouts and leaflets on a variety of topics from non-toxic household cleaners to the facts about oils. Many of our handouts come and go by the season so be sure to ask if you are looking for something specific.

List of Gluten-free Products for the Arcata Co-op
List of Gluten-free Products for the Eureka Co-op

The Co-op has introduced a “Green Dot” program for all 95-100% certified organic food. Signs in the store instruct shoppers that the best way to avoid eating GMO food is to choose food that has been certified organic. There is a green dot on the shelf pricing for all of these certified organic products.

It is important to note that, all the certification agencies contacted have a “no GMO” policy but some do state that they cannot guarantee products are completely GMO free due to genetic drift. Your patience and input as we work through this new program is very much appreciated.

Targeting in season, local produce each class learns where the produce was originally grown, how it grows and serving ideas. Everyone gets a taste of local, perfectly ripe produce!

When children know about their food they are more likely to try it. When they try it they are more likely to continue eating it. Best of all, the children learn that the farmer down the street works everyday to feed out community.

Whether it is apples in September, butternut squash in December or strawberries in May; each month is a great opportunity to encourage children, and their families, to eat more produce. Eating more produce, coupled with regular activity may be their best defensive against obesity.

• Reduce or eliminate synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.
• Avoid the use of hormones, antibiotics, and genetic engineering.
• Conserve soil and water.
• Provide safe and fair working conditions for on-farm labor.
• Provide healthy and humane care for livestock.
• Protect and enhance wildlife habitat and biodiversity on working farm landscapes.
• Reduce food-related energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions through energy conservation, recycling, minimal packaging, and local sales.

The Klamath/North Coast Bioregion, as defined by the California Environmental Resources Evaluation System, includes all of Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, Mendocino, and Lake counties; plus parts of Siskiyou, Shasta, Glenn, Tehama and Colusa Counties. Going beyond organic certification or “buy local” campaigns, regional sustainability integrates economic, social, and environmental considerations, and rewards local farmers, both conventional and organic, who employ ecological practices.

Whether it’s organic lettuce from Orleans, Tofu Shop tofu from Arcata or the Co-op’s own table wines from Mendocino County, the Trust Your Source logo indicates that the product is not only locally produced but sustainably produced as well.   If you see a product on our shelves that should be labeled as Trust Your Source please let us know.

Binders containing farmer and producer profiles and production methods are available at Customer Service. You can also download vendor information here. Click on the vendor name below.

Advocacy Anchor Here

Food Advocacy
Access the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) directly from our Web site. Click here.

Rushed USDA Changes Could Endanger Food Supply
The regulations proposed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) could significantly weaken restrictions on genetically engineered crops that produce pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals—greatly increasing the likelihood that vaccines, hormones, plastics, and other substances could end up in our nation’s food supply. Demand stronger regulations for these dangerous crops! Click here.

Genetically Engineered Meat
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering legislation that will allow the commercialization of GE animals, opening the way for grocery stores to sell food made from genetically engineered animals. The agency is proposing that these products be sold to you without your knowledge. Visit the Take Action website to voice your concern.

Labeling and Safety Testing of Genetically Engineered Foods
If you want to know when a product has been genetically engineered, contact your representatives and ask them to co-sponsor and support labeling and safety testing of GE foods. Click here.

GMO Beet Sugar
Organic Consumers Association gives opportunities to send messages to big business. Send a message to David Berg, President of the American Crystal Sugar Company, opposing the introduction of GMO/Round-up Ready Beet Sugar into the food source. Click here.

Tell Hershey's to Kiss GM Sugar Goodbye!
Write a letter to Hershey’s urging the company to publicly reject the use of GM sugar in its chocolates and other sweets, or go directly to True Food Now and send an e-letter.

Carcinogen 1,4-Dioxane in Cleaning and Natural Care Products
A study released by the Organic Consumer Association found traces of 1,4-dioxane in 47 of 100 natural cleaning and body care products tested. The Environmental Protection Agency has declared 1,4-dioxane a probable human carcinogen because it causes cancer in lab animals. The International Agency for Research on Cancer claims that there is "inadequate evidence" in humans for the carcinogenicity of 1,4-dioxane.

Scientists do not now know what, if any, cancer risk humans face from years-long use of products containing the chemical. The Food and Drug Administration, which regulates cosmetics, has set no standards for 1,4-dioxane. The agency has periodically tested products for the compound since the late 1970s and says levels of it have substantially declined since then. The FDA says the current levels do not present a hazard to consumers, although they have advised the industry to reduce amounts in cosmetics as much as possible.

Currently there are no set standards or clear guidelines for what makes a non-food product “natural” or “organic”.

A list of products found to contain 1,4-dioxane is available at Customer Service. The Co-op will be researching the issue and will provide more information as it becomes available.

Click here for more OCA information on 1,4-Dioxane.
Click here for more FDA information on 1,4-Dioxane.
Click here for more EPA information on 1,4-Dioxane.

Click on the vendor names below to view their statements:

Aura Cacia
Dr. Bronner's
Earth Friendly Products
Environmentally Sensitive Solutions
The Hain Celestial Group
Nature's Gate
Seventh Generation

Cloned Animal Food
Are you outraged by the announcement by the Food and Drug Administration claiming that food from cloned animals and their offspring is as safe to eat as food from conventionally bred animals and that labeling of products from cloned animals and their offspring will not be mandatory? You are not alone. The Consumers Union shows that 89% of consumers want to know if the meat and milk they buy comes from cloned animals. Both the Center for Food Safety and the Consumers Union are organizing letter-writing campaigns to let Congress know that consumers demand labels identifying cloned food. Click here to join the Center for Food Safety campaign. Click here to join the Consumers Union campaign. You can also tell food companies that you won't eat food from cloned animals by taking the Clone-free Pledge here.

The FDA’s voluntary moratorium on the selling of food from cloned animals (but not their offspring), in effect since 2001, expired this year. There is no information on how many producers abided by it.
Read more...

USDA Recommends That Food From Clones Stay Off the Market
FDA Says Cloned Animals Safe In Food
FDA Opens "Pandora's Box" by Approving Food from Clones

Is Cloned Organic?
The Organic Trade Association, Organic Valley, Organic Consumers Association and The Center for Food Safety issued public statements against allowing cloning in organic production in January 2007. In response, the National Organic Standards Board issued a recommendation to the National Organic Program that cloning be prohibited from organic production. The National Organic Program adopted that recommendation and included it in the Organic Foods Protection Act regulations. Cloning is now among a variety of excluded methods “to influence growth and development by means that are not possible under natural conditions or processes.”

What's in Your Food?
The Co-op is taking your concern one step further by contacting our suppliers to find out their individual policies on cloning. We will post those statements as we receive them. Check back to find out which products are clone free. These are the suppliers we have heard from so far. Click on the name to read their statement.

Horizon Organic
Humboldt Grassfed Beef
Organic Valley

*If you are a supplier and would like to post your statement on our website, please contact Melanie Bettenhausen at 826-8670 ext. 132.