Our journey began in Bogota, Colombia, home of one of our largest Whole Trade® growers, Elite Flowers. Despite working for Whole Foods Market, a mission-driven company with a commitment to supporting all of our stakeholders, it can be easy to discount the powerful positive impact a company can have on its workers, their families and the greater community in which they live. Yet we were lucky enough to see that impact in action with a brief glimpse into the community of Elite Flowers, their Foundation and their Worker’s Fund. Through it all I was inspired, impressed and dutifully full on delicious food (if you are ever in Bogota, you absolutely must try Ajiaco soup!). Elite is a large company with over 4,000 employees and the work they do is changing lives on a daily basis, both inside and out of the greenhouse walls.

The Elite Foundation was initially created to improve the lives of the employees’ children, who were largely left at home to be raised by the older children. The goal was to provide quality education, nutrition and expression through art and community. When we established our Whole Trade relationship with the farm, the foundation became the natural recipient for the 10% premium we pay over the cost of the flowers (pre-shipping) that goes directly into important community programs. As those dollars rolled in, Elite was able to expand their overall services and directly fund 150 new children in the program. But to truly understand the importance and impact of these dollars, we needed to see it in person.

Our first stop was the Chappala School, a nursery and pre-school, supporting children under the age of five who would otherwise be left at home. The school offers a full service program of transportation, healthy meals, art and education, as well as nursery services for their youngest members. The site itself was beautiful and engaging, an expansive property located along a river that was the childhood home of the owner of Elite. The Foundation is coordinated by Mario and Maria Eugenia, people filled with warmth and compassion, who actively convey their dedication in supporting the workers’ families.

Our next stop is Chicala, offering education for students age 5-10. Again, I was impressed to see the beauty of the facility and vegetable gardens as well as the quality and scope of the academic and artistic education. We were lucky enough to catch part of one of their performances, and the children were fantastic!

The Foundation also supports community programs for youth, both those with disabilities, such as the hearing impaired, and prominent at-risk groups like teenage girls. These programs empower the youth with a sense of community and the opportunity to create their own future, whether it is in college, trade or art.

Working in tandem with the Foundation is the Worker’s Fund, a collective supporting the workers in numerous financial ways, including assistance with purchasing a home. This is a program where Whole Trade has also had significant involvement. To date, our customers are directly responsible for helping 77 families buy their first home, many of them with challenging circumstances, such as being single parents or dealing with medical conditions. The sense of pride and accomplishment in these families was overwhelmingly heartfelt, and they eagerly invited us into their homes to share their achievement.

We left Colombia tired yet inspired by what we had seen. Next stop is Quito, Ecuador, where we’ll journey into the high altitude terrain of the Andes mountains to see some of the biggest and boldest roses ever. In the meantime, leave a comment below by Valentine’s Day telling us how flowers made a day better for you or someone you care about and we’ll donate a dollar for every comment to the Elite Flower Foundation as our way of sharing the love.

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Availability and limits may vary by region, so you can contact your store for details. While supplies last. Most of our stores do not provide rain checks for sales like this.

*Due to supply issues, Arizona stores will have organic valencia oranges for the same price, 79 cents per pound, so you won’t miss out on this organic citrus deal!

Navel oranges are delicious from the inside out — from their juice to their zest — and they also make fabulous snacks or lunch additions when eaten out of hand. Best of all, the navel oranges available for our one day sale are organic so you can enjoy them knowing that they were grown in adherence to organic standards!

Here are some ways to enjoy every bit of sweetness from the organic navel oranges on sale today:

Use the sweet, tasty sections of navel oranges to add juicy bursts to recipes:

• Swordfish with Zucchini and Orange
• Beet Salad with Oranges and Romaine
• Orange and Avocado Salad
• Orange and Clove Greek Yogurt Tea Cake
• Coconut Ambrosia
• Festive Jicama Salad

Squeeze juice from the oranges for cocktails, vinaigrettes and more:

• Spiced Iced Tea Punch
• Bok Choy with Carrots and Sesame-Orange Dressing
• Chipotle-Orange Black Beans
• Romantic Rice Bowl
• Yucatan-Style Braised Pork
• Grilled Vegetables with Couscous, Feta and Orange-Balsamic Vinaigrette

Add orange zest to bring citrus zing to pretty much anything:

• Orange Gremolata
• Baked French Toast with Pine Nuts and Apples
• Cranberry and Goji Berry Chutney
• Warm Winter Greens Salad
• Candied Walnuts with Dark Chocolate and Orange Zest
• Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cupcakes with Orange Cream Icing
• Candied Orange Peels

From salads to snacks to desserts, the organic navel oranges from today’s sale can be incorporated into just about any meal. Stop by our stores to pick up your organic navel oranges for 79 cents per pound today and share your favorite recipe ideas with us!

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Small choices you make every day can make a world of difference. This Valentine’s Day, why not look for gifts that give back and really spread the love? Our Whole Trade® Guarantee ensures fair prices are paid for products, better wages and working conditions, and sound environmental practices. When you choose Whole Trade products, you not only show your loved ones that you care, you also use your buying power to create new economic opportunities for workers in the developing world.

These Whole Trade items are perfect for your Valentine… (Whole Trade) guaranteed:

• Change the world with Whole Trade chocolate. Eating or giving chocolate is a whole lot sweeter when you know it’s doing good.
• Beauty and body care with a conscience. Help your valentine feel great from head to toe with Whole Trade body care such as luxurious soaps, rich body lotions or sensuous massage oils.
• Love blossoms with bountiful, beautiful blooms. Pick bouquets or assemble your own lovely creation from our selection of gorgeous Whole Trade flowers like roses, Gerbera daisies and mixed bouquets.

This Valentine’s Day will you make a commitment to ethical trade, the environment and quality products?

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Flowers are a symbol of celebration and emotion; they convey feelings, life and vitality. They add color and warmth to our homes, and at the other end of the supply chain, they provide jobs, homes and community for the people who grow, harvest and package them. For six days in January, a group of Whole Foods Market® team members traveled to South America, visiting farms, meeting growers and seeing firsthand the benefits of our Whole Trade® flower program. It was a wild ride of planes, buses, cars and missing iPads, and through it all we were inspired by the people, the culture and the practices that create some of the most impressive flowers I have ever seen. This will be the first of three posts, with the hope of sharing our journey with you.

Throughout this trip I was continually reminded of how lucky we are, where so much we take for granted is an ambitious dream for others. Our Whole Trade program guarantees fair wages, sound environmental practices and improved working conditions. It also provides a 10% premium over the cost of the flowers (pre-shipping) that goes directly into important community programs. It was through the investment of these premiums that we saw the most visible and enduring impact for the workers. A few extra dollars per case of flowers turns into buying first homes for families, sending children to school, creating art programs, providing necessary medical and dental treatments and an overall elevation of the quality of life far beyond the norm.

Speaking of norms, if you’ve ever traveled with produce people you’ll understand when I talk about the one day we were able to sleep in, until the late hour of 7am! The world of flowers starts early and it’s an engaging combination of art, science, business and community. For those of us outside the produce industry, it was amazing to see the amount of work required behind the scenes to produce even a single flower. Entire greenhouses dedicated to the trials of potential new varieties, varietal buds spliced onto time-tested root stock, water and soil management, and the ongoing preservation of the blooms along every step until they reach our stores.

The timing of our visit was the perfect opportunity to watch the farms preparing for their busiest season of the year, Valentine’s Day. Some of the farms will almost double their staff during the next few weeks just to handle the volume and you can feel the activity building in the air. This year, I encourage everyone to share their love with flowers that support the Whole Trade communities of growers, to give the gift that makes a difference.

Check back tomorrow as we look at the specific community programs of Elite Flowers in Bogota. In the meantime, leave a comment below by Valentine’s Day telling us how flowers made a day better for you or someone you care about and we’ll donate a dollar for every comment to the Elite Flower Foundation as our way of sharing the love.

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Rumor No. 1: Whole Foods Market has been bought by Monsanto.

No! What crazy talk! We’ve never had any affiliation with that company. We are publicly traded; our majority shareholders are listed in documents filed with the SEC and, I promise, Monsanto is not on the list and never has been.

Rumor No. 2: Whole Foods Market made a secret deal with Monsanto to support the deregulation of GMO crops like alfalfa.

Again, no way! This ridiculous rumor started over a year ago in January 2011 because of the Organic Consumer Association’s (OCA) misleading article titled “Whole Foods Caves to Monsanto.” You see, Whole Foods Market and others in the organic food industry met with the US Secretary of Agriculture in support of farmers’ rights to grow Non-GMO crops.  Because we did not take the exact hard-line stance that the OCA did, they accused us of “being in bed with Monsanto,” and the rumor developed from there. Whole Foods Market has no ties to Monsanto and did not have any interaction with the company concerning this or any other issue. For a good description of what really happened, here’s a solid Washington Post story. You can also read our blog response from last year.

Rumor No. 3: Whole Foods Market recently decided to start selling food with GMOs.

Wrong again! As long as GMO crops have been in this country, GMOs have been in the US food supply. The most effective action we can take now is to label the food that DOESN’T include GMOs. That’s why we’ve enrolled our 365 Everyday Value and 365 Organic product line in the Non-GMO Project Verification Program, and have encouraged our branded vendors to do the same – and many, many have. If you want to avoid GMOs, here’s what to look for in our stores:

• Organic products, since USDA organic standards prohibit the use of GMO ingredients.
• Our 365 Everyday Value and 365 Organic store brand food products are sourced to avoid GMO ingredients and many have been verified under the Non-GMO Project verification program. You can find a list of verified products on each of our store web pages.
• Products labeled with the Non-GMO Project Verified label. For a shopping list of Non-GMO Project Verified products carried by your local store, check your store’s webpage or review brands and products on the Non-GMO project website.

Thanks for reading and now back to your regularly scheduled shopping.

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If you follow our blog you know we’ve already shared some Superb Recipes for Game Day as well as some recipes and tips to have a Healthy Game Day and even our produce expert’s “Best Ever” Guacamole. But if you don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen when that great commercial (ahem) play happens, try some of these high-scoring snacks. Like all the products we sell in our stores, they bench the artificial preservatives, flavors and colors. Take a look:

365 Everyday Value® Green Garbanzo Beans

• Green garbanzos (a.k.a. chick peas) that are freshly harvested, then quickly and carefully blanched and frozen
• An excellent source of folic acid and a good source of iron
• A sweeter flavor than traditional garbanzos with the same satisfying, nutty texture
• Use them for making dips, spreads, salads, stuffing, stir-fries and stews. For game day, try them in Green Garbanzo Guacamole or Green Garbanzo Hummus.

EVOL. Flatbreads and Pizzas

• Give each guest their own personal pizza or flatbread or cut them up and serve as entertaining party bites
• Like all EVOL. products, these are made with fresh ingredients, including meats and cheese from animals raised without antibiotics and added growth hormones (rBST)
• Flatbread flavors: BBQ Chicken & Mozzarella, Italian Sausage & Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, Pesto & Portabella and Grilled Chicken & Roasted Veggies
• Pizza flavors: Chicken, Spinach & Ricotta, Meatballs & Mozzarella, Four Cheese & Basil

EVOL. Bowls

• Made with beef from Niman Ranch and chicken from Petaluma Poultry
• Vegetarian, low sodium and low fat options
• Choose from Bean & Cheese Enchilada, Chicken Enchilada, Fire Grilled Steak and Teriyaki Chicken

EVOL. Classic Burritos, Mini Burritos and Premium Burritos and Wraps

• Fresh ingredients all rolled up in a traditionally made tortilla or tasty wrap
• Cheese from the milk of cows not treated with rBST
• Free-range chicken and beef from cattle raised without antibiotics and added growth hormones
• Make a party tray with a little something for everyone by choosing from their wide selection of flavors

Garden of Eatin’ Corn Tortilla Chips

• Non-GMO Project verified and made with organic whole kernel corn
• Pick up the 16-oz “party-size” bag
• Varieties include Yellow, Blue, Red Hot Blues and Blue with No Salt Added

Kettle Brand Potato Chips

• Chips with a bold flavors and a hearty crunch
• Gluten free
• A wide selection of unique flavors including Jalapeño, Honey Dijon, Krinkle Cut Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper and Krinkle Cut Buffalo Bleu

If the gridiron snack attack gets a little too aggressive, these products featuring beneficial probiotics might be the players you need on your defensive team:

Lifeway BioKefir

• A 3.5-oz shot of BioKefir has more than 20 billion units of live and active probiotic activity – twice the amount in other regular Kefir and similar yogurt varieties!
• Each gluten-free variety is specifically designed to support digestion, immunity or heart health
• Sold in four-packs and available in Vanilla, Pomegranate/Blueberry, Blackberry and Cherry flavors

Lifeway Probugs

• Organic, whole milk kefir (a yogurt-style beverage) for kids
• Full of protein and calcium with 10 live and active cultures (the good bacteria) to support digestive health
• Kid-friendly flavors: Strawnana Split, Sublime Slim Lime, Goo Berry Pie and Orange Creamy Crawler in fun, no-spill, no-mess, squishy pouches perfect for small hands

Stonyfield Organic Oikos

• Authentic Greek yogurt recipe makes for a rich flavor and creamy texture with 0% fat
• Fresh, organic milk comes from family farms and organic fruits are hand-picked and prepared the same day
• Five live active cultures: S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus, Bifidus, and L. casei
• You could even use this for a dip! Eight-Layer Mediterranean Dip anyone?

So what’re you eating on game day? Is there a star snack in your food lineup? Oh, and really, who’s playing?

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Availability and limits may vary by region, so you can contact your store for details. While supplies last. Most of our stores do not provide rain checks for sales like this.

*Due to supply issues, Arizona stores will have organic Valencia oranges for the same price, 79 cents per pound, so you won’t miss out on this organic citrus deal!

Navel oranges are chock full of vitamin C, plenty of juicy flavor, and they’re a refreshing addition to most anything, from breakfast to snacks and salads, main dishes and desserts. You can use the juice, the rind, and the inside sections. They’re perfect in a pinch, they’re seedless and they section easily so they’re ideal for plenty of recipes and now’s the time to get ‘em fresh!

Navel oranges are quite unique; once peeled or cut open, you’ll find a little tiny twin attached to the main flesh tucked away at the bottom (or blossom) end. From the outside it looks like a navel (aka belly button). That’s why as children growing up in California, we called them belly button oranges.

You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to liven up recipes just by adding sections of navel oranges. Of course, you can always enjoy them straight out of hand, or tempt yourself with some of our fresh ideas:

• Add to a leafy green salad. Here are some refreshing salad ideas: Orange and Fennel Salad, Sweet Onion Salad with Orange Vinaigrette and Orange and Avocado Salad. Try this recipe for Mixed Greens with Oranges and Pecorino using navel oranges.
• Add to a stir fry made with shrimp or chicken, broccoli and sweet bell peppers; serve over rice or noodles. Here’s a recipe for Orange Chicken with Almonds and Sesame Seeds.
• Add to whole grains and grain pilafs. Try wild rice pilaf with celery, onion, fennel, parsley and sections of fresh navel oranges.
• Add to a favorite fruit salad recipe.
• If you make your own jam or preserves, try it with navel oranges. Here’s a wonderful recipe for Ginger-Scented Orange Marmalade.
• Top sections with yogurt, grated unsweetened coconut and a few dark chocolate chips or layer with pound cake, whipped cream and toasted almond slivers for a parfait or trifle.
• Make salsa with diced orange sections, minced scallions or chives, and diced fresh fennel and red onion. Add a squeeze of lime and a pinch of crushed red pepper, then serve as a topping for grilled chicken or fish, tofu or tempeh.
• Make a marinade with navel orange juice like we did in this recipe for Citrus-Marinated Salmon.
• Stir into prepared coleslaw, or make this recipe for Rainbow Kale Slaw.
• Add slices to party punch or iced tea. Try our Spiced Iced Tea Punch or our Easy Elf Punch for your next party.

Remember, navel oranges can be substituted for other varieties of oranges or tangerines in just about any recipe. Do you have a favorite orange recipe? Share it below. And don’t forget to pick up your organic navel oranges on sale this Friday only.

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Here’s the game-winning plan:

• Fill your roster with budget-friendly recipes like our Slow Cooker White Chili and Creamy Spinach Dip. Our Warm Broccoli Cheese Dip makes an irresistible dip with pita chips and crudités.
• Download coupons before you hit the store.
• Fill your basket with current Sure Deals like salsa, pita chips and wine.
• Look for 365 Everyday Value® products to stretch your dollar without sacrificing quality.
• Shop the bulk aisles to get your fill of nuts, dried fruits and other nibbles. Buy as much or as little as you need.

Game on! How will you celebrate without a big spend?

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When you pick up the items on our Pantry Stock Up list (see below), you’ll be ready to add a few fresh ingredients, herbs and spices to be able to cook 14 of our favorite recipes. We’ve featured all of these recipes individually in these “From Our Pantry” posts on Oats, Soup, Chili and Stew, Brown Rice and Quinoa. This post rounds out the list with a couple of pantry recipes featuring Italian cuisine.

Tuscan Tuna Salad

This tuna salad served atop toasted sourdough bread makes a satisfying lunch or dinner. The beans, tuna and walnuts offer interesting contrasts in texture, while providing fiber, protein and healthy fat. Your Pantry List provides the tuna and cannellini beans, and you’ll add fresh parsley, onion, lemon juice, olive oil, walnuts, seasoning and sourdough bread.

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe, Sundried Tomatoes and White Beans

This quick vegetarian pasta combines the pleasingly bitter taste of broccoli rabe with toasted garlic and bold sun-dried tomatoes. Your Pantry List will supply the pasta, sun-dried tomatoes and cannellini beans and you’ll add garlic, broccoli rabe, olive oil and seasoning.

Here’s the complete Pantry Stock Up List (download the pdf) that gives you all the pantry ingredients needed for these two recipes and 12 more.

• 1 lb black beans
• 1 lb lentils
• 1 lb quinoa
• 2 lbs brown rice
• 3 (32-oz) boxes vegetable broth
• 1 (32-oz) box chicken broth
• 1 lb rolled oats
• 2 cans cannellini beans
• 1 can black beans
• 1 lb orechiette pasta
• 1 lb pasta, your favorite kind
• 1 jar unsweetened applesauce
• 1 (32-oz) box unsweetened soymilk
• 1 (32-oz) box unsweetened almondmilk
• 1 (5-oz) can tuna
• 3 (15-oz) cans diced tomatoes
• 1 package no-oil sundried tomatoes
• 1 jar pasta sauce

We priced these in our 365 Everyday Value® line and the list came in around . We encourage you to visit our bulk department and keep an eye out for sales for even more value.

Do you have a favorite Italian recipe that comes together easily with help from a well-stocked pantry? Please share in the comments.

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Rodrigo, our office avocado buyer and resident expert, is crazy busy right now. Avocadoes are very popular and demand is strong year round but in January demand really takes off. This is due in part to very strong, overlapping availability from Chile and Mexico, both of which are producing excellent fruit. But the main reason demand increases in January is football. For the week of the big game, Rodrigo will book more than double the amount of avocadoes shipped in a normal week. This year supplies are much stronger and the fruit is ripening beautifully.

Mexico is the largest producer of avocadoes in the world. In fact, you would have to combine the production of the next four countries on the list of top producers (including the US) to come close to matching Mexico’s annual output. Next on the list for commercial production is the United States followed by the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Indonesia. Here in the US most of our fruit comes from Mexico, Chile and domestically, when in season. California produces most of the domestic fruit and the season can start as early as December but peak production is later in the spring. Depending on the size of the crop, the US season can last into September.

When selecting avocadoes at your store or farmers market, there are a few simple things to look for to avoid fruit that is over ripe. Touch is the best indicator of ripeness, the fruit should be firm with just a slight give with no overly soft spots. Avocadoes bruise easily when ripe so they should be handled with care. Too soft fruit with wrinkling on the narrow tip is likely overripe and should be avoided. If you can, it’s best to buy firm fruit a few days in advance to avoid the risk of bruising altogether. Put your firm avocadoes in a bowl with citrus or apples — both produce naturally occurring ethylene gas, which speeds the ripening process.

My current “best ever” recipe has gotten a little simpler:

4-5 medium avocadoes (ripe)
1/3 cup cherry tomatoes (grape or regular variety, interior pulp removed and sliced into small pieces)
1/4 small red onion (finely chopped)
1 hot pepper (jalapeño, seeds removed and finely chopped)
Chopped cilantro to taste
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon chili powder (or to taste)
Juice of 1/2 grilled lime (sliced in half and grilled in a skillet or on the barbeque)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients except the avocadoes and set aside for the flavors to merge. Set aside the pits and roughly mash the avocadoes with a fork, taking care to leave whole chunks. Fold in the rest of the ingredients carefully and correct the seasoning to taste. Return the pits to the bowl and serve. Enjoy!

As always I enthusiastically encourage input — if you have a family favorite recipe or special process that works, please share. My guacamole is better than ever but the “’best” is yet to come.

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