|
Who we buy from is just as important as what we buy. Our search for quality products is a thoughtful process involving careful consideration and evaluation by our department managers and buyers. We purchase goods from local organic farmers, bakers and suppliers whenever possible. We support and value vendor partners that share our vision of sustainable methods, fair labor practices, and social responsibility. Alder Spring Ranch- Tendoy, ID www.alderspring.com Alder Spring Ranch Beef is rich-tasting, healthy, natural beef that has been carefully raised the old fashioned way. Glenn and Caryl Elzinga have been eating their grass fed beef and selling locally to friends and neighbors for nearly a decade. Over the years they have perfected their production and processing methods. They work hard to graze their animals for optimal growth, meat tenderness and flavor. Glenn and Caryl believe Alderspring Grass Fed Beef will be among the best beef you've ever tasted. Couer D' Alene Dressing Company- Coeur D' Alene, ID www.cdadressing.com The Coeur D' Alene Dressing Company has been serving the Pacific Northwest, and states as far away as Massachusetts and Texas since 1996. They specialize in producing the finest gourmet salad dressings, marinades, glazes and dipping sauces you'll ever taste. Cowgirl Chocolate- Moscow, ID www.cowgirlchocolate.com In 1997 this candy company was started with a different approach to making fine chocolate. They added a spicy hot undertone to their rich European chocolate. The warmth from the special spices gave Cowgirl Chocolates its unique flavor. Others have agreed cause Cowgirl Chocolates has won a total of 13 Scovie and Fiery Food Challenge Awards including 2 prestigious Golden Chiles for Best New Product and Candy. Their Caramel Sauce won a 1st Prize Scovie in 2000 and their chocolate truffles won in 2002. Dawson Taylor Coffee Roasters- Boise, ID www.dawsontaylor.com The mission of Dawson Taylor Coffee Roasters is to source the rarest, most intriguing coffees direct from small estates throughout the world. They proudly utilize traditional drum roasters ensuring all of their coffees are hand crafted to perfection. Dawson Taylor's intent is to bring this level of quality to their customers via a true artisan experience. Dawson Taylor Roasters invites you to join them on their journey to reveal the essence of true specialty coffee. Dorothy's LLC Boise, ID www.dorothys.com Dorothy Baumhoff began making jellies many years ago as a way to supply homemade jelly for her six children. The berries she used grew wild in the mountains of Idaho and were hand picked each season. Then, as now, the jellies were made in small batches entirely by hand. Over the next six years while Dorothy battled with breast cancer, she immersed herself into her small business, saying it gives me something to focus on. Always cheerful and thinking of others, she wasted little time dwelling on her illness. To this day her grandchildren remember her as Grandma Jelly, because of the yummy jelly she made. Through word of mouth, the demand for Dorothy's delicious jellies kept growing stronger every year. Over time, Dorothy's products evolved into a full line of fruit syrups, jams, baking mixes (including the fabulous Sawtooth Sourdough pancake mix), fruit butters, and candies. Look for Dorothy's line of products throughout our store. Ferranti's Fresh Pasta- Boise, ID Ubbaldo Ferranti and his wife Sigetta, originally from Rome, now call Boise, their home. It is here where they make their delicious fresh pasta and hand-cut ravioli in a variety of flavors. You should also try some of their home made biscotti for an end of meal delight. Gem Berry Products- Sandpoint, ID Gem Berry is best known for its flavorful jams and syrups that are hand made to capture the natural flavor and fragrant aroma of our two most prolific local berries- the huckleberries that grow wild in the northern Idaho mountains, and raspberries grown on local farms nestled amid our crystal lakes and emerald forests. Gem Berry's award-winning raspberry and raspberry-huckleberry recipes are a local gourmet taste treat. If you like the sweet and piquant taste of huckleberries, you'll love the richly flavored barbecue sauce from Gem Berry. Made with tomato puree, whole wild huckleberries from the mountains of Northern Idaho and a super concoction of spices, this BBQ sauce is comparatively mild and good with any meat, particularly chicken and smokies. Granny's Farm- Meridian, ID Granny's Farm has been growing organic herbs for over 12 years. Look for their gourmet greens and lettuces, heirloom tomatoes and edible flowers in our produce department. Honor Roll Sushi- Boise, ID www.honorrollsushi.com Scott Clapsale comes to the Boise Co-op everyday to deliver his freshly made Sushi. Located in the deli area, you can find a wonderful variety of sushi selections made daily with the freshest ingredients. Check out the Boise Co-op Demo Calendar, on the Boise Co-op Web Page, to find out when Scott will be doing his next sushi demonstration. Kelly's Original Sauces and Marinades- Boise, ID www.idahokelly.com The development of the Kelly's Original Marinade and Seasoning really was a byproduct of entertaining and barbecuing for his friends. Other marinades and seasonings were either too strong, too salty or just did not satisfy Kelly's tastes. Having already gained a reputation for making good BBQ sauce and Salsa, his Marinade and Seasoning developed over the years. Kelly's friends practically forced him to bottle his recipes and allow the world to taste. You can find Kelly's Marinades and Top It All, in a variety of flavors at the Boise Co-op. King's Crown Organic Ranch- Kings Hill, ID www.kingscrownorganic.com For two generations, King's Crown Organic Farm has been producing healthy organic foods. Nate and Annie, along with their two sons, farm and ranch 680 acres of certified organic land along Southern Idaho's Snake River. You will find their fresh organic garlic, red and white onions, sweet corn, tomatoes, russet potatoes and watermelon in our produce department. Look for King's Crown grass-fed organic meat in the Meat Department. M & M Heath Farm- Buhl, ID Mike Heath farms 450 acres of land on the outskirts of Buhl in Southern Idaho. He has been farming organically for over 20 years and every time he picks up new land he transitions it to organic. Currently Mike and Marie Heath live on 18 acres of land that they own and farm, while renting 400 + acres of local farming land. M & M Heath Farms grows a multitude of organic products on the land including potatoes, beans, grain, hay, squash and other typical commodity goods. You will find their products in our produce department throughout the summer months. This productive organic farm creates many jobs for the people of Buhl, ID. Peaceful Belly and Jones Green- Boise, ID Peaceful Belly, through the practices of cover crops, crop rotation, water-conserving irrigation, seed saving, composting, mulching, and raised beds, are building fertility in their soil and also raising healthy veggies. In May-October they provide organic lettuce, Asian greens, arugula, baby turnips, collards, tomatoes and tomato plants, cucumbers, peppers, eggplants, melons, peaches and Asian Pears to The Boise Co-op. Talk about your local vendors, they do all of this wonderful farming right down the street on 3 acres of land in the North End. Pennington Greens- Nampa, ID David and Kay Pennington run this soil farm out in Nampa, ID. 9 years ago they built a metal shed specifically built so they could grow a variety of sprouts. When the F.D.A. placed all kinds of restrictions on the sprout growing business, David decided to change directions a bit. Pennington Greens now grows wheat grass and provides The Boise Co-op with their wheat grass trays and 1 oz. Cups of frozen wheat grass. You will also find their hand-made cards in the greeting card section. They actually make the cards out of the pulp from the wheat grass. Pepper Mendes Salsa and Specialty Foods- Meridian, ID At Pepper Mendes, they are dedicated to delivering great taste and freshness. To this end they grow the produce that goes into their salsa, at their organic practices farm in Meridian, ID. They search the World Wide Web, seeking out rare seeds from across the globe. From these seed they grow the most intoxicating blend of old world tomatoes, garlic, onions, and sweet & hot peppers that deliver the most sensational flavors. Their fresh taste is accomplished by handpicking their produce at the peak of ripeness. Then they slow smoke it, to lock in the flavors. Try their salsa and taste for yourself how quality makes a difference in this world. You will find Pepper Mendes products on aisle 9. Salmon River Chocolate- Boise, ID www.dreamchocolate.com Dream Chocolate evolved from the Salmon River Foods Company, which was spawned by a trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Kay Johnson was burned out by thirty years in the food service industry and decided to sell his business and begin anew. Quite by accident he received a call asking if his new company Salmon River Foods would consider selling chocolate bars. Kay's son Rob was employed by a German company and was frequently flying to Europe and returning with wonderful chocolate as family gifts. Kay wondered how he could produce European style chocolate (no waxes or preservatives) in the US. He found a US supplier of high quality chocolate and with his son's help found a supplier in Germany who would ship to the US. Kay purchased a chocolate factory and began production in April 2002 and the rest as they say is history". What started with one basic milk chocolate bar has grown to include two milks, two darks, two semi-sweets, one white, one bitter-sweet and various adaptations involving coffee, berries, and fresh mint. The base chocolate is shipped from Germany, melted and flavored before being tempered (a process that aligns the crystals in molten chocolate to produce the best texture balance of firm and creamy). It's a high-end process, Kay says. The chocolate is temperamental, and much like wine, there are many different kinds, qualities, and layers of flavor. We try to make ours less sugary and more pure, so that chocolate is the first thing you taste. The chocolate is wonderful, but the real charm of the product line can be found in the names of their chocolates; The PMS Milk Chocolate Bar, The Gift of the Gods, The Gift of The Goddess Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar, The Lover's Baroque Milk and Dark Chocolate to name just a few. Sandee's Candees- Salmon, ID www.spudfudge.safeshopper.com Sandee's Candees is the creative force behind Spud Fudge. Spud Fudge is a creamy homemade cooked fudge that use Potatoes to replace 1/3 of the sugar! Having less sugar offers a creamy texture that melts in your mouth. Spud Fudge comes in a variety of forms and flavors and we carry them here at the Boise Co-op. Snake River Farms- Boise, ID www.snakeriverfarms.com To produce the world's most exquisite beef, Snake River Farms has adopted many aspects of the heritage-steeped Japanese feeding method, including a slow-paced, all-natural production method. Snake River Farms Cattle are fed a natural diet of barley, golden wheat straw, alfalfa hay and Idaho potatoes. SRF American Kobe Beef is grown slowly and naturally, a process that can take up to four times as along as traditional U.S. Beef production that focuses on efficiency over quality. This delicious beef can only be purchased at the Boise Co-op, or served by fine restaurants in Idaho. Recently, The Washington Post assembled a panel of the area's finest meat purveyors, critics, and chefs to review top brands of beef. The panel voted Snake River Farms American Kobe beef the unanimous winner and offered these reviews:Trinity Springs- Paradise, ID www.trinitysprings.com Emerging after 16,000 years underground, through crystal-lined granite fissures, Trinity Springs Water comes up naturally from its 2.2-mile deep protected source within the Idaho batholith. Flawlessly pure with a great natural taste, i'ts bottled at the source in Paradise, Idaho with the utmost care and respect. No pumping or drilling of the source. Trinity Natural Mineral Supplement Water (Yellow Label) Trinity NMS is not treated in any way. The last time this water was exposed to the earth's atmosphere was before the last ice age over 16,000 years ago (per carbon dating). Imagine how pure the earth was back then. Trinity NMS contains natural beneficial minerals such as silica, has a wonderful pure taste and has a high pH of 9.6 to help alkalize and balance the body. Trinity Geothermal Bottled Water (Blue Label) Trinity Geothermal Bottled Water comes from the same deep, protected source as Trinity NMS, but contains 2/3 less minerals through partial distillation. With a crisp, clean taste, Trinity bottled water is a great for choice for all day hydration. For more detailed information about Trinity or its products, visit www.trinitysprings.com or call 1-800-390-5693. Los Pastores Salsas www.lpgourmet.com David & Gina Collins are local Pastors and have been an active ministry in the Treasure Valley for more than 18 years. Although this calling has its’ spiritual rewards, financial help has been hard to come by. One day in 2000 while feeding a group of people struggling with addictions, a statement was made “ Pastor Gina, why don’t you bottle that salsa of yours and sell it?” Almost instantly “ Los Pastores Salsa” (The Pastor’s Salsa) was born! Today this non-profit faith based activity is very popular in the Boise area and is looking to expand its horizons. This unique salsa comes from Gina’s family which is a blend of Hispanic and Italian culture. Its distinctive flavor reflects a true southwestern style that thrills the taste buds! Los Pastores Products are the fund raising arm for RiverWind Fellowship. Through this entrepreneurial endeavor, we are able to carry out our vision and fight against substance abuse and continue on as a church reaching out to our community. Wicked Tomato www.wickedtomato.com The Wicked Tomato Salsa Story Over 20 years ago, Merrick Dodds started making salsa. He shared his salsa with friends and family who not only loved it, but also encouraged him to market this wonderful product. Over the years, Merrick and his wife, Judy, have developed several different and delicious salsas.In the small town of Kuna, Idaho, Merrick and Judy grow their own peppers, mix the ingredients, and bottle these wonderful salsas.They are proud to share these exciting salsas with you! The BBQ Story Rick Morrow has been making his special BBQ sauce for over 20 years. While managing a working cattle and guest ranch in Montana where his wife, Karen, was chef, people from all over the world wanted him to market his delicious sauce. Now, out of the Wicked Tomato kitchen in Kuna, Idaho, Rick and Karen make and bottle their special BBQ sauce. "Wickedly Delicious." Gilbert & Lee Rice |