Hello – after a very poor time management regarding ordering produce last week we have our latest offerings out on the floor. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, mangoes, kiwis, grapefruit, apples, pineapples, lemons, shallots, tomatoes (beefsteak and cherry), curly kale, fresh ginger, pears and lapin cherries. Yummy!

Being a new store and all we always have to add new inventory since we started with a  fairly small offering.

This past week we added several new items: Barlean’s Vegan Swirl and Omega Swirl, Fleischmann’s White Organic Vinegar, Tubi’s Organic Licorice Rope, Everland Jamaican Ginger Cooking Sauce, Thai Peanut Cooking Sauce, Black Bean Cooking Sauce, Miso Hot Cooking Sauce, Indian Curry Cooking Sauce, and Thai Curry Cooking Sauce. We have added several new items to our Bulk offering: Stinging Nettle, Alfalfa Leaf, Coriander (whole), Engevita Yeast, Spirulina, pure Organic Stevia Powder  (Now brand) and Highwood Crossing Canola Oil – that is right – the only place where you can bring in your own bottle and have it refilled with organic canola oil grown and pressed in Alberta! Cool!

Sad to say that we will not have a shipment of organic produce for this weekend.

I was feeling very sad about the sales this week and the ordering got away from me. I didn’t order until too late on Thursday. Ergo the order will ship on Monday and we will have it on Tuesday.

Sorry about that.

Though the gay community has taken ownership of the rainbow symbol over the past 3 decades, the relationship of the rainbow and diversity/acceptance goes back to the sixties with the Rainbow Family (and possibly earlier).

I believe that when we create divisions between the inhabitants of the earth we open ourselves up to the possibility of becoming disrespectful and downright violent towards another earthling and even the planet itself.

Over the years I have lost customers over my opinion on certain issues. Probably the one issue that punches people’s buttons the most is the gay/lesbian issue. Most business owners choose to not take sides or to comment on controversial issues. They don’t wish to turn off a customers or potential customer – I see them forsaking their beliefs for profit. I don’t do that.

There is now a rainbow flag flying on Whyte Avenue in Edmonton (I had raised one above the old space for a short period of time several years ago). I am proud that Canada, with all of its shortcomings can be a model that other countries try to emulate on this issue – though we who live here know that we have a long way to go – as in the recent case of Argentina.

Whew! Tammy and I stayed late on Saturday night and moved around quite a bit of it. It looks quite good. More light, better flow and a better feel.

Ruth did a good job of putting things back on the shelves.

Of course we are running out of space but we will work on it.

The produce did not go as well as I thought it would. A little slow. I will place another order on Wednesday to supply people for the weekend. I was planning on ordering twice a week but since I have to order $1,000 to meet the minimum requirements it won’t work.

One of the fellows that is providing input on the produce coolers came by today and I expect an email from him shortly. The other company that I am dealing with will not be able to supply a cooler for about 12 weeks. Whew!

I was very excited to get the produce in but I have a problem buying things only to have them go off.

Another learning experience.

To my surprise the produce arrived at the store yesterday. They shipped the pallet from Vancouver on Tuesday and it arrived less than 24 hours later – speedy.

Tammy and I spent a bit of yesterday setting up the produce area and so today it is all ready for people to purchase.

Apples, grapefruit, avocados, bananas, tomatoes, kiwis, lemons, limes, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew melon, papaya, pears, pineapple, carrots, cauliflower, garlic, onions, potatoes, rutabaga, acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, turnips, mango, strawberries and yam.

One of the reasons I choose to deal with my produce suppliers(Discovery Organics)  is that they bring in Fair Trade Certified produce and on this shipment we have everything FTC product they offer – kiwis, bananas, avocados, and pineapples.

Look forward to seeing you soon.

I was very surprised today when the produce arrived. Overnight from Vancouver - crazy!

I spent the afternoon getting the space ready to display the produce. The quality from Discovery is very good.

 The avocado, bananas, pineapple and kiwis are all Fair Trade Certified.

As more people travel around the globe, the planet undergoing global climate change, and Edmonton becoming warmer bugs are becoming wider spread and more prevalent.

Over the past several years our sales of diatomaceous earth (DE) have increased substantially. People use it specifically on BED BUGS but can be used on many other crawling bugs. Bed bugs are becoming quite a problem for many people – specially for people in apartment buildings because the blood suckers can easily travel from one apartment to another.

DE is one of the more common ‘natural’ tools that people can use to remove or reduce the pests from ones home. I also recommend using your vacuum – several times a day and thoroughly clean things like the bed, sofa, chairs, baseboards, etc. Also – if you have a deep freeze wash, dry (on a clothesline of course) and then freeze the items for at least 24 hours. Continue to wash, vacuum, freeze and use DE for at least a week. You have to be ruthless.

So if you have bed bugs or know someone consider getting some of our DE to use around your home. (our DE is also food grade).

I have also noticed that there is an incredible increase in availability of this product on the internet. There is lots of information out there on how to use it.

Remember – avoid breathing the DE dust.

As most of you know my intentions is to have a full fledged organic food store. The last major section that we need to add is produce. Well we have embarked on the first foray into offering produce.

This weekend we will have a small offering of produce. We do not have coolers yet so that we cannot bring in things that require coolers. 

The items I have ordered are:

Apples, grapefruit, avocados, bananas, tomatoes, kiwis, lemons, limes, cantaloupe, watermelon, honeydew melon, papaya, pears, pineapple, carrots, cauliflower, garlic, onions, potatoes, rutabaga, acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, turnips, mango, strawberries and yam.

Whew! I have always chosen Fair Trade Certified items where available (bananas, avocados, and kiwis). I choose items produced in Canada first then looked for items grown closer to our home – Edmonton.

I went and looked at some second hand produce display tables today and will decide what I will purchase soon. I am working on it!

I was getting a little frustrated not having local eggs in the store yet so I ordered some eggs from one of my suppliers and we now have cartons (half cartons with six large eggs) from Rabbit River Farms. This farm is located in British Columbia.

This coming Saturday (July 10th, 2010) I will be cycling downtown and picking up eggs from Sunshine Organic Farms. This farm is located about 100 kilometres southwest of Edmonton.

These are the same eggs that were sold through Organic Roots when they offered food. These come in cartons of 12. Local, Organic, equitable compensation, direct trade with the farmer, and by bicycle.

So this coming weekend you will be able to pick up organic eggs at Earth’s General Store and you will have a choice of the type of eggs you would like. Enjoy!