On this episode of the Co-op Scoop we talk to Nicole Klimek and Heather Lazickas from Seven Roots, a worker-owned agency that is dedicated to providing support to Co-ops, Natural Food Stores and independent grocers across the country. They specialize in everything from operational and organizational support to store planning and design. Nicole once served on our Board of Directors and Seven Roots helped us open the current store!

On this episode of the Co-op Scoop we talk to Sadie Scheffer, founder of Bread SRSLY Gluten-Free Sourdough, about why she was inspired to start baking gluten-free bread, the early days of gluten-free sourdough experiments in her home kitchen and how the company grew from local bike delivery in the Bay Area to shipping bread across the country.

On this episode of the Co-op Scoop we talk to Wynn Austin of Wynn's Kitchen, a San Diego mom and indomitable spirit, driven to create a healthier option for Asian food lovers. In 2016, Wynn embarked on a healing health journey and cut food with damaging ingredients out of her diet. Unfortunately, this included most of the Asian dishes she loved dearly. Her condition improved dramatically, but she desperately missed the Asian flavors she’d left behind.This drove Wynn to scour the nutrition panels of Asian food, discovering that the Asian condiments and sauces she used contained tons of sugar, salt, gluten, and preservatives. She was amazed by the huge void in the marketplace for the flavor-rich Asian condiments she grew up with, without all the harmful stuff. And she knew she couldn’t be the only one. So in her home kitchen, she conjured up the very first batch of her Saté Sauce, made with all-natural ingredients, and most importantly, no MSG, and no added sugar. She took a leap of faith and her business was born.

On this episode of the Co-op Scoop we talk to Billal of Bolani Flatbreads and learn more about what inspired his mother to start making bolanis, how the traditional Afghani flatbread is made, the difficulties of being an entrepreneur in a food-based business and how the family business has evolved over the years.Billal is the son of the founder of Bolani, Nazie, who started making Bolanis in America for her friends. Nazie finally had an opportunity to teach her new culture what true Afghani food was like and started selling them at the local farmers market. It was an immediate success.

Capay Mills a place-based flour mill serving farmers, bakers and chefs in Northern California and beyond. They transform sustainably grown local heirloom grains into uniquely flavorful, fresh, & nutritious flours, rich in character and history. By creating local alternatives to commodity grain, Capay Mills celebrates sustainably grown heritage grains adapted to unique climates and soils. They celebrate flavor, nutrition and education to build transparent, reciprocal connections from farm to loaf.

Canna Joint Relief began its life over 9 years ago in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California where founder and formulator Julie Dennis Fox, lived and started experimenting with cannabis-infused formulations. The Co-op is now selling Canna Joint Relief in our Wellness Department.

Blake and Stephanie Alexandre started dairying in 1988 in Southern California where Stephanie grew up, but Blake knew he wanted to get back to his beloved pastures in Northern California. When the opportunity arose in 1992 to buy an existing operation in Del Norte County, just two hours north of the original Alexandre home farm in Ferndale, they seized it. Blake and Stephanie Alexander farm with their family in Crescent City, California.

Latasha Bisbane & Lisa Elwell, founders of Sinner's Seamoss share why they are passionate about this superfood, their inspiring story of personal experience of healing with it and their commitment to providing an exceptional product for our community.

D.E. Boldt is a small family farm in California's Central Valley, growing organic peaches, plums and nectarines. Their fruit is harvested daily at peak maturity and packed at their farm.

La Familia Counseling Center’s mission is to improve the quality of life for at-risk youth and families of diverse backgrounds by offering multicultural counseling, support and outreach services and programs to help families to overcome adversity, to become empowered and to succeed in their lives.

Pamela is a native Sacramentan born at Mercy Hospital just down the road and has always lived in the Tahoe Park/Tallac Village area of the city. She is recently retired and is now 100% devoted to growing the Puzz E Gata Jamaica brand. One of her favorite past times is traveling to her beloved Mexico and to savor every nuance of her family’s motherland. In 2017, walking the city streets in search of street food and aqua fresca, she stumbled upon a jamaica tea, so fresh and delicious that it incited a memory that transported her back 50 years to her grandmother’s backyard. Her grandmother’s recipe is gone, but she has managed to create her own unique tea based upon her conversations with the women of Mexico and the memory of her grandmother.

A lifelong resident of Yolo County in Northern California, Jim Etters has been involved in farming, ranching and outdoor activities his entire life. Land stewardship is not just a natural career for him ; he says it is a calling.In their native Patwin language, ‘Seka’ means ‘blue,’ and in selecting Seka Hills as the name for their line of premium tribal products, they honor the blue hills that overlook their homeland in Northern California’s Capay Valley. Today their Tribe is known as the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, named for their ancestral village meaning ‘Home by the Spring Water’.

Continuing a legacy of herbalists and natural healers, Fat and the Moon founder Rachel Budde has built her company around providing handcrafted, herbal body care products to those seeking natural and effective alternatives to chemical-filled products. Like a witch over a cauldron, Budde experiments with age-old ingredients and recipes passed down from various healing traditions to craft innovatively simple products that are good for the body and the earth.

Celine Callejon is originally from France and has been living in California for close to 20 years. Celine has been cooking professionally since she graduated from College in the Bay Area and now in the Greater Sacramento area. She has been managing kitchens for 15 years (mostly in senior facilities and corporate dining) to allow for life/work balance. She always wanted to start her own food business and although she knew how to run a kitchen, she was at a loss when it came to starting a business. This is what brought Celine to the Alchemist Program in early 2020. Épicée is her Alchemist/Covid Baby and she’s a very proud parent.

At New Alchemy Distilling, they are passionate about bringing new perspectives to classic spirits. Distiller-owned and operated, they are personally involved in every step from recipe development to distillation and bottling. Their distillery began as an idea in a research laboratory, where the two founders first met, and that idea has since evolved into a small business, engaging additional members of their families. They combine both artistic and highly technical skill sets to develop new approaches to traditional spirits.

The Viet Kieu Sauce Story: During their college years, their mother prepared elaborate meals on the weekends to bribe them to come home for a family meal together. After their mom passed it led the kids to realize that they took her cooking for granted - This is where the story begins.

On becoming Tenderly Rooted, during the summer of 2015, Jenn (Kaben’s wife) posted a picture on her Instagram of their garden produce and tagged it with #tenderlyrooted. It resonated deep within them and they felt that it captured more than just their garden, it captured their state of being as a family.

100 Black Men of Sacramento is a non-profit, 501(c) 3 organization that was formed in 1986 as an affiliate chapter of the 100 Black Men of America. 100 Black men of Sacramento utilizes its diverse talents to create an environment that enables mentees to be motivated to achieve and be empowered to become self-sufficient stakeholders in the economic and social fabric of the community they reside in. They are committed to the intellectual development of youth and the economic empowerment of the Sacramento community based on the following precepts: respect for family, spirituality, justice, and integrity. 100 Black Men of Sacramento has also been chosen for round up at the register at our Co-op for the month of February.100blackmen.org

In 2017, Birgitta and Diana founded Cult Crackers and have been sharing their organic, nutrient dense crackers that can now be found in 300 + stores.

Margaret Coons, founder and CEO of Nuts for Cheese worked as a vegan chef and used the kitchen after hours to create original 100% dairy-free cheese recipes. Margaret started selling her vegan cheeses at the local farmer’s market in London, Ontario, growing a local fan base of vegans and non-vegans alike.@nutsforcheese