The Moscow Food Co-op is and always has been fully committed to supporting the local food community on the Palouse.   We have seen a growth in local food purchases and sales nearly every year for the past six years.  We expect 2011 to be the best year ever for local food purchases and sales for the store.   We have implemented annual purchasing agreements for farmers who are willing to grow larger volumes of produce and meet certain delivery, packaging, and pricing requirements.   Farmers who excel at their profession are rewarded with contracts the following year.  It is my hope that this will encourage farmers to continually improve their operations.  For the 2011 growing season we have 15 purchasing agreements in the works for around 150 different crops.

The Moscow Food Co-op as a whole experiences seasonal customer count fluctuations and is subject to the spending habits of members deeply affected by changing economic conditions.  But, because of our loyal member owners and the hard work of Carol Spurling and the folks in the Outreach department, we are seeing an increase in new memberships, higher customer counts, and many new faces on the weekends.

With the rise of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) - particularly soy, corn, and tomatoes - here's how to know what you're really getting in the produce aisle: Start by looking at the PLU code. GMO fruit PLU codes have numbers that begin with the number 8, whereas organically grown fruit PLUs have five numbers beginning with 9. Non-GMO, non-organic fruit PLUs have only four numbers. - from deliciousliving.com

Cold, warm, or mulled.  By the glass or right out of the jug.   These are the ways I delight in the flavor of Wilson Banner Ranch’s Apple Cider.  For the nearly six years that I’ve lived on the Palouse, I’ve celebrated fall with their tasty beverage.  It’s now a Johna tradition.  On a cool, crisp afternoon I interviewed Keri Wilson, who oversees sales, marketing, and educational events for the farm and is also the daughter of the farm’s owners, Joe and Annetta Wilson, at their farm west of Clarkston.