Weekend Flash Deals, Jan 24 – Jan 26
Everyone Saves, While Supplies Last, No Further Discounts
2020 CSA Fair
Saturday, February 15, 1-4pm
Wheatsfield Community Room
Stop by our annual CSA Fair to learn more about CSAs, meet local CSA farmers and sign-up for their 2020 offerings.
Farms Attending:
Raccoon Forks Farm, Red Field
Lee’s Greens, Nevada
Thankful Harvest, Holstein
Root to Rise Farm, Ames
What is a CSA?
CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) consumers pay the farmer a lump sum at the beginning of the season and receive a weekly share of vegetables (or other farm products) throughout the growing season.
Weekly Fresh Specials
Everyone Saves!
Wine, Cheese & Chocolate Sale
It’s back! Our “Best Sale Ever.” Shop the Co-op on Friday, February 7 & Saturday, February 8 to save 15% off on Wine, Cheese and Chocolate! Grab what you need to make your Valentine’s Day even more special. We will have plenty of decadent samples in the store both days.
PLUS starting at 10AM, Saturday, Feb. 8 FREE Chocolate bars to the first 300 people through the doors (one per person, while supplies last, non-members save 5%)
January Wellness Savings
Everyone Saves, no further discounts
Top 20 Wellness Products for 2020
It’s been a busy year in the Wellness Department, with several new body care, supplement, and sustainable product lines added to our set.
Read on to see which ones made the list!
Kim McDermott, Wheatsfield’s Wellness Manager
‘Lord, My Hands are so Dry!’
Wild Carrot
This lotion was inspired by the creator of Wild Carrot, who needed something for her overworked farm hands. Chock full of rich ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, and lanolin, this is my new go-to lotion for these long, dry Iowa winters. It soaks in wonderfully, and so far has kept those dreaded skin cracks away!
Solid Shampoo & Conditioners
HiBAR
‘”You want a plastic-free planet, but you also want nice hair, why should it be either/or?”, states HiBAR’s website. They offer one of the first salon-quality solid shampoo AND conditioner bars. These bars are effective and travel friendly, with no sulphates, parabens, phthalates, or silicones. We love these.
Silicone Cooking & Storage Bags
Stasher
Stasher is another company that’s doing great things for the planet by making it easy to cut down on plastic bags. Made from the highest quality silicone (virtually liquid sand), you can store, freeze, and cook in these with no worries about harmful chemicals leaching into your food. From sandwich to stand up, choose from several sizes to fit a variety of uses.
Elderberry Packets
NOW Effer-C
Effer-C makes a nice addition to your seasonal wellness arsenal. Just dissolve these travel-friendly packets in water for a tasty effervescent drink loaded with immune-boosting elderberry, 1,000 mg Vitamin C, zinc, and B vitamins. They also replenish vital electrolytes, and offer a nice sugar free option that is sweetened with stevia and xylitol.
Bee’s Wax Food Wraps
Bee’s Wrap
Finally, a sustainable, reusable alternative to plastic wrap to cover your bowls and wrap leftovers! Bee’s wraps are a pliable wax coated cloth made from organic cotton, sustainably sourced beeswax, jojoba, and tree resin that have natural antibiotic properties. The wraps are pliable and can cover bowls, wrap cheeses, fruits, veggies or breads headed for the fridge. They can be washed in cool water for reuse, will last at least a year, and can be cut into strips and composted once they’ve reached the end of their usefulness.
Magnesium Glycinate Caps
Calm
Calm is the top selling magnesium supplement in natural food stores nationwide. Many adults don’t get enough of this vital mineral from their diet, and notice a difference in their overall health when they add in magnesium. These new calm capsules use magnesium glycinate, a highly absorbable and bioavailable form of magnesium that’s easier on the stomach and gut. Plus they’ve added lavender essential oil and a therapeutically significant amount of lemon balm, which also helps support calm and healthy stress levels.
Damascus Rose Facial Oil
Badger
This lovely smelling facial oil blends jojoba, pomegranate and baobab oils with Damascus rose and other essential oils, creating a wonderful antioxidant blend that works wonderfully to restore dry or delicate skin. Use alone as a serum at bedtime, or after cleansing and before applying a facial cream.
MyMatcha Moisture Stick
Cocokind
A top seller in our bodycare department! This little travel friendly stick can go with you everywhere and moisturizes lips, under eyes, face, hands and any dry patchy areas. Matcha powder is chock full of antioxidants that nourish and protect your skin.
Plant Protein Powder
Plant Fusion
A thoughtfully formulated plant based protein containing pea, artichoke, and sprouted quinoa that mixes easily and has a smooth texture. We like that it’s vegan, GF and dairy free and is manufactured in the company’s own US facility. Added enzymes make it easy to digest. There is no added sugar, and instead is sweetened with natural stevia and lucuma. Plus consumers rank it as one of the best tasting plant protein shakes. Available in natural (no stevia), vanilla bean, and chocolate flavors.
AnxioCalm
Terry Naturally
A clinically studied formula that helps relieve occasional anxiety – without drowsiness or nasty side effects. Non-habit forming and formulated from a special cultivar of Echinacea. Can be used every day or just occasionally when you need extra support. Many reviewers report safe and effective relief with anxiocalm.
Super Mushroom
Natural Factors
A superb, high quality mushroom formula consisting of 6 organic mushrooms- including reishi- and beta glucan complexed with fresh, raw organic vegetables. Natural Factors grows many of the organic vegetables on their own land that is used in their formulas like Super Mushroom. This is a true whole food mushroom supplement that helps support immunity, stamina, and cognitive function.
Shower Salts
Aura Cacia
These new shower salts, formulated with essential oils and dendritic and seas salts, turn an ordinary shower into a spa-like aromatic experience. Just place on the shower floor under the stream of water and prepare to be transported! Available in three uplifting scents.
Smart Floss
Dr. Tung’s
What’s so smart about this floss?? First, the lightly waxed floss is stretchy and expands width-wise, so removes more plaque. Second, because it’s made of a softer material, it’s gentler on your gums (and fingers!). Lastly, the dispenser is made from biodegradable plastic. This has been a customer favorite since we began selling it at the coop.
Gut Connection Formulas
Country Life
Country Life has come out with 7 truly unique formulas that help with immune health by supporting gut health. Each formula contains Epicor, a yeast fermentate clinically proven to act as a prebiotic to support your gut microbiome, thus supporting immune function. Added in with the Epicor are specific ingredients that address individual health issues. Choose the formula that’s right for you – stress, sleep, weight, energy or cognitive health.
Vegan Gummy Multi
Garden of Life
Cheers to Garden of Life, who created the first certified organic vegan multivitamin gummy with no processed sugars. Instead they’re sweetened with fruit juices. Unlike many conventional gummies, there are no artificial colors, flavors, or gelatin. Great tasting, these are for anyone who has a hard time swallowing pills or just wants an alternative to pills. Did we mention how good they taste?
Creamy Cocoa Butter
Inesscents
About as pure as you can get, inesscents is made from 100% organic cocoa butter, shea butter, jojoba oil and sweet almond oil. Smooths rough skin and makes a great hand and foot cream before bed. It’s not often a body care products smells good enough to eat, but don’t be tempted; instead just rub this on all those rough dry spots. Your skin will thank you.
Rose Hydrosol
Aura Cacia
Nothing conveys pampering for your skin like a rose-scented mist. Rose hydrosol is the nutritive plant water that remains after the rose essential oil is distilled. Use this hydrosol as a toner, as a face and body mist, or anytime you just want to experience the simple, pure fragrance of garden roses.
Locally Made Pure Body Wash
Jenuinely Pure
Jeniunely Pure is a family owned company from Ames that produces top quality body care products with minimal and clean ingredients, many of them organic. Their body wash contains ingredients including organic coconut and jojoba oils, glycerin, aloe gel, and essential oils. This is one of the purest body washes we’ve found. No synthetic overpowering scents here, just the subtle natural fragrance from essential oils. In lemon- grapefruit or cherry sandalwood scents.
Local Handmade Bar Soaps
Siberian Soap Co.
Sometimes simple, handcrafted items can bring us genuine pleasure. I count Siberian soaps among those simple pleasures. Siberian Soap Co. is another company located right here in Ames. These artisan soaps are made using the traditional cold process technique. The owner uses only natural ingredients like coconut and olive oils and natural coloring and essential oil fragrances. All of the scents are lovely, but Zen Garden is a standout.
Sleep Powder
YouTheory
A sleep powder that really helps improve sleep quality. It combines several significant ingredients to help support a good night’s sleep. L-Glycine is one of the unique additions and serves to calm overactive brain neurons, thus helping the mind relax. The formula also includes the all important magnesium, plus other relaxing amino acids, L-theanine, and a microdose of melatonin. L-Tryptophan is included and is a precursor to serotonin which helps promote sleep and a positive mood. I like that there is just a small dose of melatonin, and since it’s a powder I can easily adjust the dose.
January Change for Community: Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation
January & February Artist: Lisa Kuehl
Ames resident and featured artist Lisa K. Kuehl is a 1982 graduate of Iowa State University. Lisa earned her B.A. in Graphic Design, but pursued the professional aviation field shortly after graduating. Throughout her days as an art student, Lisa created many works of design and, over the years, saved a great many of them as part of her personal collection.
Lisa is offering these pieces to art collectors and admirers of hand-crafted work as a fundraiser for the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation in Washington, DC. In 2016, Lisa’s husband Connie Rex Younger passed away from pleural mesothelioma. Connie retired from Iowa State University in 1997 where he served as a staff transportation pilot for 21 years and was on staff in the Industrial Education department as Chief Flight Instructor.
Lisa retired from United Airlines in 2006, but remains active with the Boone Area Pilots Association and also is a passionate animal welfare advocate and scrapbooker. She recently co-conducted a class through the ISU Alumni Association OLLI program on creative ways to turn mementos and cherished items into masterpieces through scrapbooking, memory pillows and memory quilts.
If you are interested in any of Lisa’s work, feel free to contact her directly. To learn more about the Meso Foundation visit their site here, additional information will be available at Wheatsfield during the art opening, Friday, January 3 from 5-7pm and throughout the months of January and February. International Rare Disease Awareness Day takes place at the end of February, and since mesothelioma is considered a rare cancer, this wintertime exhibit also aims to draw attention to that fact.
Healthy New Year, Healthy New You!
Stop into the Co-op Saturday, January 11 from 11am-3pm for healthy samples to fit your new year’s resolution goals. Visit with local producers, get a free massage, win giveaways, and more! Taste a rainbow of healthy samples around the Co-op.
11am-3pm:
Wellness Smoothies Samples
Healthy Kale Pesto Sample
Co-op Made Detox Juice Samples
Hotbar Kale Dishes
Paleo Samples
Zero Waste Ideas
Taste a Rainbow Around the Co-op
11am-1pm
Nordic Naturals
Rise Chiropractic
The Pet Bistro
12-2pm
Avenues for Health, Massages
December Produce Parable
Opal Apple
By Adam Calder
In 1999, botanists at the Institute of Experimental Botany in Prague crossed a Topaz Apple with a Golden Delicious Apple, and the resulting apple variety became known as the Opal Apple.
The Opal Apple has naturally occurring low levels of polyphenol oxidase, which means the cut surface of the apple won’t oxidize and turn brown. This non-browning quality makes them ideal for salads or lunchboxes. These apples are golden in color, crisp, juicy and sweet with a floral aroma and tangy flavor.
Opal Apples are the first apples in the United States to be verified with the Non-GMO Program, so you can rest assured the qualities this apple has are a result of traditional plant breeding techniques and not genome manipulation. They are only grown on one orchard in southeast Washington State.
FirstFruits Marketing, the exclusive distributor of Opal Apples, created a Youth Make a Difference initiative that awards grants to youth-led nonprofit groups. These nonprofits must focus on one or more of these four issues: food security, nutrition, agriculture, food politics/education. FirstFruits will donate up to $75,000 in grants in 2019 for the Youth Make a Difference initiative.
We are excited to bring in this new variety of apple at Wheatsfield Cooperative. Come in and try one soon, since only one orchard in the United States grows these apples the supply is limited.
A Word from the Board
Megan Myers, Wheatsfield Board of Directors
In this season of thanksgiving, it’s appropriate to reflect on some of the ways that your local co-op, Wheatsfield, thanks you as part of its growing community of member-owners. The holiday season, though, is also about reciprocity and it is also helpful to think about the ways that you can also thank your co-op.
If you attended the recent October Annual Meeting of the Members, you enjoyed the colorful, festive (and free!) grazing table. Food aside, those in attendance heard General Manager Linda Johnson thank everyone at Torrent Brewing Company that night for being Wheatsfield members. On behalf of the Wheatsfield Board of Directors, I would also like to extend this “thank you” to our member-owners. Thank you for supporting Wheatsfield and fomenting—both within the four walls of the store and beyond—a sense of community centered around education, local products, and environmental responsibility.
Another holiday-inspired “thank you” to Wheatsfield shoppers will take place Saturday, December 14th in-store. Come celebrate the start to Winter with festive samples around the co-op, live music, and holiday giveaways. Get creative at our Do-it-Yourself Evergreens station from 10:00am-1:00pm or bring your sweet-tooth (and your little ones!) to take part in Do-it-Yourself cookie decorating from 1:00pm-3:00pm.
If these Fall and Winter store events are just some examples of how Wheatsfield actively thanks shoppers and member-owners, you’re likely wondering how you can thank your co-op? The answer: It’s easy, and you’re probably already doing some of these things!
For one, you can round up for local charities when you check out at Wheatsfield. In October you helped us to raise $2,886 for ACCESS and in November $3,003 for Habitat for Humanity; these funds will be used to repair their emergency shelter and help build homes in our community. By rounding up at the register, you help Wheatsfield live out its mission to support our community. Another way to say “thank you” to Wheatsfield is by opting to pay with cash, check, or debit card when checking out. You can save Wheatsfield money—at no cost to you—by paying with means other than a credit card since credit cards charge varying processing fees. Another idea to thank Wheatsfield this season is to fill out the survey—sometimes included at the bottom of your receipt—to let us know how we are doing. Your feedback is important!
As a Board Member, Mother, and Ames resident, I am thankful and grateful for Wheatsfield’s presence as a staple in our Ames community. I’m thankful I don’t have to dissuade my kids from wanting to purchase silly toys or candy near the cash register and can instead buy them a healthy organic smoothie; I’m thankful for delicious rotating kombucha flavors; I’m thankful for extra deals for member-owners that make shopping local and organic more affordable; and, more broadly, I’m thankful for this holiday season of reflection and thanksgiving!
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