Saturday, Mar. 22
11 a.m. - 3 p.m. You can't get more delicious comfort food than brownies and ice cream! Try these gluten-free brownies from a mix by Namaste, with a side of local Homestead Creamery vanilla ice cream.

Free "Food for Life" classes

“Food for Life” is a series of free nutrition and cooking classes that introduce you to a delicious, healthy lifestyle designed to keep cancer at bay. Launched in 2001 by The Cancer Project, a program of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the classes were designed by physicians, nutritionists and dieticians to help cancer survivors take advantage of the healing power of foods. Each class includes information about how certain foods and nutrients discourage the growth of cancer, along with demonstrations and samples of healthy, tasty recipes you can make easily at home.

The classes are taught by local registered dietician and Cancer Project instructor Julie Wimmer (right). The classes will be held 4 Saturday mornings (4/26, 5/3, 5/10, and 5/17) from 9:30 – 11:30 am in the Community Room. Originally designed for 8 classes, we’ve condensed the spring series into 4 classes that will still cover all the material of the original series. The accompanying cookbook and nutrition guide is available for purchase at the co-op ($19.95) but is not required for participation. The book is also available online free at the class website (see address below).

Whether you’re a cancer survivor or just want to boost your health, these classes will offer great “food for thought.” Space is limited and these classes fill up quickly, so sign up now: info@roanokenaturalfoods.coop or call us at 343-5652. For more information, see The Cancer Project and “cooking classes” at www.cancerproject.org.

Earth Day celebration

The Greening of the Village It’ll be green in Grandin Village on Saturday, April 19, when we celebrate Earth Day, “Village Green,” from one end of the neighborhood to the other.   All day at Roanoke Natural Foods Co-op (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.), there will be an organic seedling sale of plants from Full Circle Farms of Floyd, and local vendors will be at the store (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) to provide samples and information. You can taste the goodies from a variety of local vendors, such as Homestead Creamery dairy products, Brush Creek Buffalo meat, Better Than Roasted raw nut butters, Café Kelepa fair trade coffee, Bread Craft artisan breads, and more – and you can meet the people who make these products. The kids will love it too! They can have their faces painted by Katherine Devine, and they can even pet the friendly chickens from Malu Aina farm, who provides the co-op with fresh eggs.  From 10 am to 5 pm, you can view and test-drive the new, low-emissions Subaru Forester, which is part of Subaru’s national Sustainable Living Tour. The Subaru folks will be giving away $100 co-op gift certificates to five winners throughout the day, so be sure to see them. Each test-driver will receive a $25 co-op gift certificate as well.  Also, you won’t want to miss the free, short film “Climate of Change,” presented by Roanoke Valley Cool Cities Coalition, at 11 a.m. in the co-op’s Community Room, with a brief discussion to follow. (At noon, across the street, the Grandin Theatre will be showing RVCCC’s “Energy Crossroads,” just as the earlier film concludes. There’s time to see both!)  At 3 p.m., nutritionist Jeanie Redick will present a free talk, “Know Your Food,” also in the co-op’s Community Room. And register to win a mountain bike in the co-op raffle, the proceeds from which will benefit Sharebike, Roanoke’s grass-roots, free community bicycle program. Second prize is a season of fruit shares from Good Food Good People in Floyd, and third prize is a basket of goodies from the co-op.   At Grandin Gardens up the street, you’ll see presentations on gardening, hydroponics, beekeeping, home brewing, voluntary simplicity, bikes, birdhouses – and more! From 11 am to 4 pm, the Blue Ridge Environmental Network will host a variety of environmental exhibitors, who will have displays and information at Raleigh Court United Methodist Church. And there’ll be music, too!  There is much more, so please www.roanokenaturalfoods.coop (or call 343-5652) and www.grandininstitute.org (or call 581-0530) for updated information. Come celebrate the growing green efforts of your community, and join in this important event.

Board Openings

Speak up and join our Board! We currently have three openings for seats on our Board of Directors. If you’d like to apply, please stop by our customer service desk for an application. All applications are due Sunday, March 22.

The election will be held during our General Membership Meeting on Sunday, May 4. Look for more information in our next Seed!