Greenwashing
Q: I noticed that we carry 7th Generation, Mrs. Meyers, Ecover, etc.—all of which are owned by either Unilever or SC Johnson. Why do we support these greenwashed brands?
A: These are brands we have traditionally carried over the years from when they were independently owned until today. We also carry cleaning products from Better Life, Ecos, and Biokleen. Many Owners seem to enjoy these cleaning brands, as evident by their purchasing habits, which is why we sell them. I am wondering what brands you would like to see on our shelves? Have a nice day! -Dean Kallas, Grocery Category Manager
Future Stores
Q: Are there any plans in the future to open stores that are more accessible to Fitchburg/Verona/McFarland/Oregon area? I'd love to shop here, become a member, and support the cause, but it's hard with the distance. Appreciate any insight.
A: I appreciate your interest in and inquiring about our plans to open a south location. We are not planning to open a fourth site in the foreseeable future.
If/when we are in the position to consider a fourth store, I imagine the area you suggested will be considered. Best regards, Anya Firszt, General Manager
Class Registration
Q: I registered 2 kids for the above class and still have not received an email so I could pay. I received a google document that they are registered but I am not sure if they are. I do not want to show up with them next Tuesday and find out we cannot attend.
A: I'm sorry our emails have not been making it into your inbox! I'm guessing they're being filtered into your spam folder.
Please let me know if there is anything else I may help you with. Best regards, Liz Hawley, Education and Outreach Coordinator
Cheesemaking Milk
Q: I am trying to hunt down some milk that works for making cheese. Much of the milk I've tried, even though NOT labeled as "ultra-pasteurized" has been over-heated during processing and therefore, doesn't work for cheesemaking. I'm curious if you have happen to have any knowledge of milk that has not been over-heated. Maybe anecdotally another owner has had this issue? Hoping you can point me in the right direction. Thanks for any help you can offer.
A: Thank you for your question! I have not had any inquiries from others about milk for cheesemaking, but one brand that comes to mind is Kalona SuperNatural. They say that their milk is never ultra-pasteurized, so I wonder if it might work for you? I hope this helps and your cheese turns out well. -Dean Kallas, Grocery Category Manager
Shout Out
Q: Hi, I wanted to give a big shout out to the guy working in the health section at Willy East on Wednesday morning, August 17. He was very knowledgeable about products related to gut and digestive health and hooked me up with an amazing tincture that is doing wonders for me. Thank you!
A: Thanks for reaching out and the kind words for our East general merchandise department manager, Tim Ruddy! He is a very knowledgeable individual and does a wonderful job recommending the best product based upon the customer's needs. Glad to hear that you had excellent service! All the best, Kristina Kuhaupt, Customer Experience Manager
Juice Prices
Q: Wow fresh will juice prices are crazy high—we almost can't afford anymore :( Can you rethink the increase?
A: Hi, sorry to hear that you're unhappy with the price increase on our fresh juices; unfortunately, a couple months ago we audited our recipes and pricing for this product line and found we've been undercharging for this product for a long time. This new pricing reflects what it really costs to make a high-quality, organic, and fresh juice. To be sure we weren't completely off the mark, we also referenced other juice bars in the state and region and found that they are charging on average $8-$13 for a 16oz fresh juice. I hope this sheds some light on the reason for the increase. -Nicholas O'Connor, Prepared Foods Category Manager
Too Much Salt
Q: I have never found anything wrong with deli. Longtime owner. But spinach/polenta dish [Plato's Polenta Pie] = all I could taste was SALT! 6.29.22 Could you please make a corn bread/ chili dish—you used to sometimes "do" this.
A: I had the same experience when I tried it! We have made a couple adjustments to the recipe for Plato's Polenta Pie. The brine on the kalamata olives was a large part of the problem, we are now draining those and thoroughly rinsing them too. The cheese and salt added to the polenta base wasn't helping either, we've reduced salt in there as well! Hopefully this is better the next time you try it!
As for the cornbread and chili, we are still doing this, perhaps you were in on an off day, but we have a vegan chili and a beef chili on the menu right now. We also have vegan cornbread and a separate spicy southwest cornbread that our bakery makes. Hope you get to try these next time you're in! Best regards, Nicholas O'Connor, Prepared Foods Category Manager
Thank You Farmers
Q: I absolutely loved the recent “Thank You Farmers!” piece in the Reader. It was great to see pictures of the farmers, hear quotes from them and take note of their signature crops. What a fantastic appreciation piece!
A: Thank you so much! I loved that article too! It's always great to see the faces behind the produce and get a glimpse of the incredibly hard and important work they do. We love our farmers! Take care, Liz Wermcrantz, Editor
Pre-Orders
Q: We have purchased 25 bags of steel cut oats through the Coop for years. We want to continue to purchase those even though your service is no longer available. Will you be having sales of bulk products in the future—more than once a year? Can we get the vendor contact information for ordering organic steel cut oats?
A: Thank you for your comments and questions about our Bulk steel cut oats. We are still doing preorders, but we have stopped doing special orders for products we do not normally carry. We currently sell organic steel cut oats in Bulk that come in 25 lb bags, so you should be able to continue to preorder these bags from us.
We plan on having two Weekly Rewards promotions per year on most Bulk products, one in the Spring and one in the Fall. These promotions are normally 10% off for Owners. We get our steel cut oats through a distributor, but they are from Heartland Mill. -Dean Kallas, Grocery Category Manager
Solar Group Buys
Q: I remember in past years seeing information about solar group buys to bring down the costs of installing solar panels. I thought the co-op sponsored these but I'm not sure. If so, will you be doing that again? If not, do you know who organized those?
A: About six years ago, we partnered with Legacy Solar Cooperative for our East solar array installation. Kurt Reinhold (email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) is our primary contact at LSC. The purchase of the array for our East location was a cooperative venture with a third party being the recipient of the tax credit. Then, after five years, we purchased the array from LSC at a lesser amount than the original cost, and all the while received payment for the solar power produced (a win-win partnership from my perspective).
We have discussed solar panel installation at our West store, but nothing concrete at this time.
Let me know if you have any more questions. Best regards, Anya Firszt, General Manager