A Conversation With Ed Farace

May 1, 2013 by Swarthmore Co-op

Ed Farace has worked for the Swarthmore Co-op as the produce manager since 2010. Ed is a vital part of the Swarthmore Co-op community and has revitalized our produce department with his knowledge and commitment to local, organic, and sustainability. Below is an in-depth profile of Ed’s experiences in the produce biz.   Following in his father and grandfather’s footsteps, Ed’s passion for local produce began at an early age. Ed’s family always grew a wide variety of produce in […]

Categories: Produce • Tags: asparagus, best of the main line, business, carrots, Co-op, community, ed farace, farm, farming, fruit, garden, Local, main line, new jersey, Organic, parsley, Pennsylvania, Produce, produce stand, rainbow, road side, strawberry, sunny harvest, Sustainable, Swarthmore, Swarthmore Co-op, usda, vegetable, veggies, whole foods

Calling All Members

March 29, 2013 by Swarthmore Co-op

Dear Members, We need your help. As you know, membership is a vital part of our Co-op community. You understand the importance of buying local and organic, supporting small farmers, and sustaining our Swarthmore and surrounding communities. But, as we also know, not everyone is sure if a Co-op membership is worth it.   This is where you come in. While we are always trying to get members, we need you to spread the word. Tell your friends and family […]

Categories: Co-Op • Tags: benefits, Co-op, Coop, CSA, Food, food inc, Local, Membership, Organic, philadelphia, Sustainable, Swarthmore

CSA – What Is It & Why It Matters

March 27, 2013 by Swarthmore Co-op

Similar to the models of a co-op, a CSA (or, community supported agriculture) is a commitment between a farmer and a consumer, or more importantly, a community. A community supports a famer by paying for individual shares, allowing the farmer to plan better for his growing season. In return, the farmer supplies community members with their individual shares, or yield, every week. It’s important to remember CSA shares will vary depending on the farm’s location and current season. For example, […]

Categories: Co-Op, Produce • Tags: agriculture, Bread, community, CSA, eggs, fall, farm, farmer, Fresh, Greener Partners, harvest, hillside, Local, meat, philadelphia, philly, Produce, recipe, seasonal, share, shared risk, spring, summer, supported, Swarthmore, yield

I Got Love For Tofu

March 25, 2013 by Swarthmore Co-op

The following blog was written by James, one of our produce department associates.   I have to start by saying that I am not a vegetarian, but a man that is on the lookout for better tasting, body nourishing food.  Historically I know the bad rap that tofu gets such as the “what is it” to the texture or taste. Personally I was one who agreed until I got the guts to try it for myself. At first, the texture […]

Categories: Produce • Tags: bbq, Local, protein, recipe, tofu, Vegan, vegetarian

Caution: Greenwashing Ahead

March 22, 2013 by Swarthmore Co-op

As the local and green movements began to pick up steam a few years ago, “greenwashing” naturally evolved. Greenwashing is a technique used by PR moguls in order to promote their business as environmentally friendly, sometimes rightly so… others not so much. The words below can be seen a lot nowadays in order to describe products. While some of the words below ring true for some products, many brands misuse the words in order to sway us into buying their […]

Categories: Co-Op, Education • Tags: Beef, buzzwords, cage free, eggs, free range, Grass-fed, green, greenwashing, Local, milk, Natural, Organic, pig, pork, sustainability, Sustainable, usda, washing

Pig Abattoir Recap

March 15, 2013 by Swarthmore Co-op

The following blog post was written by Cecilie, one of the Co-op’s Customer Service Associates.   A couple of weeks ago the Co-op hosted a Pop-up Abattoir with Butcher Bryan Mayer. The event featured Bryan guiding attendees through the process of butchering a hog as Bryan broke down half of a carcass into the cuts we all know and love. The class offered a glimpse into how the food on our plates gets created, and a truly enlightening experience into […]

Categories: Education, Meat & Poultry • Tags: abottoir, bacon, belly, bryan mayer, butcher, butchering, carcass, chop, city, class, cuts, DIY, education, ethical, fleisher's, hog, home made, home make, knife, knives, Local, meat, new york, NY, nyc, philadelphia, pig, pork, sausage, shoulder, slaughter, Sustainable, tough cuts

CAFO, What Is It?

March 1, 2013 by Swarthmore Co-op

CAFO is an acronym for concentrated animal feeding system. Meat industry leaders are notorious for using (and therefore abusing) CAFOs. These products infiltrate the market by finding their way into our local supermarkets, into our grocery bags, and unfortunately, into our mouths. Below Marc explains why the Swarthmore Co-op opts not to support companies that us CAFOs. “One of the things I realized when explaining  CAFOs to Laura, was that it is easy to spit out  the words organic, humane, […]

Categories: Education • Tags: Antibiotic, cafo, Co-op, concentrated animal feeding operation, conglomerate, Coop, diet, free, health, Hormone, humane, industry, Joel Salatin, Local, meat, nitrate, Organic, polyface farms, Swarthmore

Farming: An Inside Look

February 15, 2013 by Swarthmore Co-op

Cecilie currently works in customer service at the Swarthmore Co-op. But, little do some know, Cecilie has worked on a few farms in her day. Below she gives us an inside look to her experience of working on two farms in the area. “I spent most of my high school and college education learning the horrors of the industrial food system. First I was a vegetarian, then a pescetarian, and finally by the end of college I ate meat again […]

Categories: Co-Op • Tags: animal, baby lamb, baby sheep, bacon, Beef, cattle, Cow, farm, farming, fruit, humane, humanely raised, Local, local food movement, locavoure, Organic, pescetarian, picture, pig, pork, seasonal, sheep, small farm, Sustainable, sweet stem, tomato, traditional, Vegan, vegetable, vegetarian, WWOF

“Everything You Eat Is A Political Statement”

February 1, 2013 by Swarthmore Co-op

“Part of my job as the General Manager at a food cooperative is spreading the word about what co-ops actually are and how we benefit the economy. This past Monday, I spoke at Penn State Brandywine to do just that.    It was a cold wintery day when I met with Dr. Laura Guertin. I was a bit early so Laura and I had the chance to talk about sustainability as well as how she is getting students involved with […]

Categories: Co-Op, Education • Tags: big box, Brandywine, business, Co-op, co-op certified, college, Coop, Dr. Laura Guertin, education, environment, Food, food cooperative, food justice, Local, Marc BrownGold, Penn State, politics, PSU, small, sustainability, Swarthmore

Things I Learned In Italy

January 23, 2013 by Swarthmore Co-op

Last January began one of the greatest experiences of my life to date as I packed my bags and flew to Rome for four months. I lived in Prati, a 30 minute walk from downtown Rome and a 5 minute walk from Vatican City. While I learned a lot about European business, architecture, and history, the greatest thing I experienced was the relationship between Romans and their food. Below are a few life lessons (or, food lessons, if you may) […]

Categories: Co-Op • Tags: anthony bourdain, biscotti, cappuccino, coffee, culture, espresso, european, europeans, farmers' market, Fresh, gelato, guide, italian, italy, latte, Local, machiato, market, meat, moscatto, open air market, Organic, pizza, prati, Produce, roma, roman, rome, Sustainable, travel, when in rome, wine

The Making of the Chef’s Table

January 14, 2013 by Swarthmore Co-op

Since I started here in August, there are very few things I miss about running a restaurant. But, that being said, something I truly miss is event planning – from menu design and pricing to decorations and execution. When I started here, I found out there would be events that I could help out with – this caught my attention! I was ecstatic when I was asked to sit in on the planning of the Chef’s Table (happening on January […]

Categories: Co-Op • Tags: centerpiece, Chef, chef's table, Co-op, craft, crafty, decor, decoration, event planning, Local, Michaels, pinterest, restaurant, snow globe, Sustainable, Swarthmore, table decoration, wine glass, winter, winter decoration

A Note On Fruits & Veggies

January 8, 2013 by Swarthmore Co-op

“Variety is the spice of life,” wrote William Cowper, so why do we lack it at home in the fruit and vegetable department? I mean, growing up, my family standbys were broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower. Nowadays, throw in the likes of a pomelo, maybe a rambutan, and let’s not forget those great shiitake mushrooms! See, my curiosity always got the best of me, so I read and educated myself on a wide range of fruits and vegetables, including their uses, […]

Categories: Co-Op • Tags: cholesterol, diet, fruit, fruits, health, Local, minerals, mushroom, Natural, nutrients, orange, Organic, Produce, red lettuce, spice, strong, variety, vegetable, vegetarian, veggie, veggies, vitamin c, vitamins