9 a.m. - 3 p.m. :Village Flowers: the first 50 customers receive a free carnation.

9 a.m. – 7 p.m. : Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition (RVCCC) visits the Co-op, offering information about energy solutions and global warming. Scroll down for info about the RVCCC raffle!

9 a.m. – 8 p.m. : The Co-op's local, organic seedling sale kicks off! The sale will last April 21-May 6, and will offer local, organic vegetable seedlings and edible plants from Full Circle Farm. Dennis Dove, local organic grower of the seedlings, will be on-site to answer questions on Earth Day from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon "and let it begin with me." Spirituality and Ecology session presents an interdenominational discussion about the creation of a congregational stewardship committee in places of worship. Location: Raleigh Court Methodist Church.

10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Virginia Farm Bureau: Farmers celebrate Earth Day everyday!  Come out & meet your local Farm Bureau representatives.

11 a.m. – 4 p.m.  Get to know local producers and taste their products at the Co-op! The Co-op is pleased to welcome Café Kelepa, Commonwealth Wines, Dennis Dove, expert organic gardener, Gary's Ripple Chips, Murray Cider Company, and Starr Hill Brewery to the store.

11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Clean Valley Council's Earth Day program for kids: Puppets with Pizzazz, games, and stories. Location: Virginia Heights Baptist Church Courtyard.

12 p.m. – 1 p.m. Slow Foods, Organic Foods: Eating our way to a healthy planet, free talk with nutritionist Jeanie Redick in the C0-op community room. This discussion delves into both the personal and long-term environmental health benefits of the slow foods movement and organic foods. Space is limited to 30. Sign up at the Co-op or email info@roanokenaturalfoods.coop.

11:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Exhibitors at Grandin Gardens, sponsored by Blue Ridge Environmental Network. Connect with local green groups!

2:45PM - Free showing of Kilowatt Ours at Grandin Theatre. In this 35-minute documentary about energy consumption in the southeast, Jeff Barrie takes viewers on a journey from the coal mines of West Virginia to the solar panel fields of Florida, as he discovers solutions to America's energy related problems. Followed by a Q&A.

4:00PM - 8:30PM Live music performed by local musicians of the Southwest Virginia Songwriters Association (SVSA.) Location: Virginia Heights Baptist Church Courtyard.

Seedling Sale

Our organic seedling sale begins Earth Day, Saturday, April 21 and lasts through Sunday, May 6. Dennis Dove, organic grower and expert gardener, will be at the Co-op from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to answer questions and offer planting and growing recommendations. Look for tomatoes, peppers (hot and sweet) and herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil, sage, and parsley all grown using organic growing practices by local farmers!

Support local, win big!

Our next giveaway benefits Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition (RVCCC) in their mission to educate and influence the community as a whole to adopt smart energy practices to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Tickets costs $2 each, and are available at the Co-op. Win one of three prizes:

Guided canoe trip and picnic for 4 people. Explore the upper James River with Wilderness Canoe Company on this trip for four, with a picnic from the Happy Belly Deli. $200 value.

Weekly local fruit share from Good Food, Good People. Savor the tastes of the local growing season with this weekly supply of fresh fruit from local farms from June-September or an average of 16 weeks. $200 value.

Free ice cream cone every week for one year from Pop’s in Grandin Village. Enjoy a free ice cream cone - made with local ice cream - every week until April 2008. $100 value.

Free Co-op events!

As part of our community outreach and educational initiatives, the Co-op presents the following health and environmental programs at our store. All are free and open to the public. Space is limited; to sign up, email us at info@roanokenaturalfoods.coop!

Free Film Series at the Co-op! The Co-op and RVCCC are happy to present a series of environmental films in the Co-op’s community room. These films address a variety of environmental problems and solutions and include: Wednesday, May 16 at 6:30 p.m.: Smart Energy Solutions gives an overview of how organizations and community leaders are coming together in the Roanoke Valley to locally combat global warming. Thursday, May 31 at 6:30 p.m.: The Next Industrial Revolution explores redesigning buildings, processes, and products to work according to nature's rules. Wednesday, June 6 at 6:30 p.m.: The Power of Community tells the story of Cuba's dramatic transition from large, fossil-fuel intensive farming to small, organic farms and urban gardens. Friday, June 22 at 6:30 p.m.: We Are All Smith Islanders demonstrates how global warming is changing the Chesapeake Bay region, using the waning livelihoods of Smith Island watermen as its main example Free Nutrition Talks and Co-op Tours! The Co-op presents free talks presented by nutritionist Jeanie Redick. Each talk is followed by a store tour. Saturday, April 21 from 12noon-1pm: Slow Foods, Organic Foods: Eating our way to a healthy planet delves into both the personal and long-term environmental health benefits of the slow foods movement and organic foods. Tuesday, May 8 from 6:30pm-7:30pm: Good Fat, Bad Fat is a free talk about how to spot the types of fats your body needs and how to avoid unhealthy fats. Tuesday, June 5 from 6:30pm-7:30pm: Why Veggies? explores the components of devising a healthy vegetarian diet, and what the benefits are, with references to Michael Pollan's recent bestseller, The Omnivore's Dilemma.