March 27 | 2023 FAIR TRADE + ORGANIC As a slight continuation of last week's newsletter, I wanted to briefly take some time to talk about Organic and Fair Trade items and produce. We see these terms a lot nowadays, but do we really grasp their importance and what they mean? WHAT DOES 'FAIR TRADE' MEAN? If I ever choose to order produce from outside the U.S., my requirements are that it is organic and Fair Trade. "Small-scale farmers and workers are among the most marginalized by the global trade system" ( fairtrade.net ). Put simply, farmers are often paid less than what they are worth by big companies who play middle-man, who then turn around and sell the product for more than what the farmers themselves earned. Fair Trade pays the farmers more than what they need to simply sustain their way of living, ensure that working conditions are safe, and the farmers actually have a say in decisions that are made on their behalf. The goal behind any Fair Trade/Equal Exchange program is always to foster "mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and consumers...[and to create] a more equitable, democratic and sustainable world" ( equalexchange.coop ). Chocolate, coffee, spices, and bulk herbs are some of the Fair Trade items we carry in our store. WHY ORGANIC? "Eating is the single most important thing we can do to stay healthy. If good, clean food isn't worth our money, what is?" -Darin Olien | Nutritionist + Superfood Guru Many people think that eating organic is something to be bought into. While it may seem like a fad or the "thing to do these days", eating organic goes way beyond what shows on the surface. The, hopefully, obvious benefit of eating organic foods is that you know you are not consuming any harmful growth hormones, pesticides, herbicides, etc. that were sprayed on or fed to the food you are eating that will come back to affect your health in the long-run. As far as health is concerned I like to say to myself, "Do I want to pay the farmer now or the doctor later?" Also, conventional (non-organic) farms are responsible for the run-off of harmful chemicals into natural waterways. They are often big agribusinesses that use monoculture practices that cause immense loss of soil and ecological health and undercut the small family farm. If you want to dig deeper into this idea, or just how traditional farming has affected the planet, Wendell Berry's book, The Unsettling of America , is an amazing resource. Darin Olien's book, Superlife , is also a great resource on healthy living, and we have it available for purchase in our store. We feel both of these books should be required reading in all high schools across the globe. ORGANIC VS. ORGANICALLY GROWN The USDA Organic certification is not only lengthy, but it is expensive. Many small family farms choose not to go through the rigamarole of getting a certification, but they do choose to grow/raise their products organically. Some of these farms are Certified Naturally Grown. "Organically grown" uses the same practices as Certified Organic: no chemicals; no hormones; no insecticides or herbicides; just naturally grown/raised produce and meat. FIRST STOP INCENTIVE We would love to be the first place you stop on your weekly shopping trip. When you purchase $150+ in grocery, household, and personal care essentials , you automatically receive 10% off those items . This includes, but is not limited to: produce, meat, dairy, canned goods, coffee, bread, oral care, soaps, shampoos + conditioners, feminine care products, laundry detergent, dish washing products, and more! COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY In order to be more sustainable in our daily operations, we ask that you bring your reusable bag(s) when you shop with us. We have many wonderful bags available for purchase here in the store, all of which give back to the environment with each sale. We have paper bags available for a fee... while they last. THIS WEEK'S LOCAL + SEASONAL PRODUCE VEGETABLES Bradford Farm - organically grown - the warmer weather is bringing the Bradford's greens season to a close; get some while you can. Arugula Lacinato "Dinosaur" Kale ​ Red Russian Kale Salad Mix Swiss Chard Street Fare Farm - Concord, NC - organically grown ​ French Breakfast Radishes (sale!) Green + Purple Kohlrabi Sunflower Shoots Watermelon Radishes (sale!) Organically Grown Microgreens - The Fit Farmer - Concord, NC Organic Baby Bella Mushrooms - PA (arrive Friday) Organic Broccoli - CA Organic Butternut Squash - CA Organic Covington Sweet Potatoes - NC Organic Fair Trade Avocados - Mexico Organic Fair Trade Delicata Squash - Mexico (arrives Friday) Organic Fair Trade Spaghetti Squash - Mexico (arrives Friday) Organic Garlic - CA ​​ Organic Gold Beets - PA Organic Green Bell Peppers - FL ​Organic Green Cabbage - CA Organic Jalapeno Peppers - FL (sale!) Organic Mini Sweet Snacking Peppers - FL Organic Mixed Medley Cherry Tomatoes - FL Organic Murasaki Sweet Potatoes - NC Organically Grown Orange Carrots - NC Organic Purple Top Turnips - NC (arrive Friday) Organic Purple Sweet Potatoes - NC Organic Red Cabbage - FL Organic Red Cherry Tomatoes - FL Organic Red Onions - CA Organic Red Skin Potatoes - WI Organic Russet Potatoes - WI Organic Shallots - CA Organic Shiitake Mushrooms - PA Organic Yellow Gold Potatoes - WI Organic Yellow Onions - CA Organic Zucchini - FL FRUIT Organic Biodynamic Navel Oranges - CA Organic Biodynamic Raisins - CA Organic Blood Oranges - CA ​Organic Fair Trade Bananas - Ecuador (more arrive Friday) Organic Fair Trade Limes - Mexico Organic Fuji Apples - WA Organic Gala Apples - CA Organic Honeycrisp Apples - WA Organic Kiwi - CA Organic Lemons - CA Organic Minneola Tangelo Mandarins - CA Organic Pink Lady Apples - WA Organic Ruby Red Grapefruit - CA Fact of the Week: Big chain grocery stores are able to put their private label on meats, produce, and more. The tricky thing about this is you don't actually know where the food is coming from. A container of mixed greens may say "Distributed by So-and-so Big Name Grocery Chain - Whereverville, USA", but the produce inside may not even be from the U.S. This is how the big box stores get around telling you where the food actually comes from. You never have to worry about that at our market. We know exactly who grew and raised everything we carry, and we always share that information with you on the tags around the store. Better yet, we have the best prices on organic produce than any stores around...plus, our product is fresher due to how local we source our items. Check out our new (in progress) website HERE ​! By shopping with us, you are supporting your local farmers, artisans, and the economy. We thank you. Correne + Frank LaRoche Follow us @thebradfordmarket ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌   ‌