Tidal Creek Co-op’s Annual

Celebrate Local Weekend

Enjoy 10% discount on local items all weekend, Friday – Sunday.

Celebrate Local Day

Saturday, May 26, 12-4pm

Join the Co-op community to meet and greet our local producers, growers, and artists.

• Enjoy live, local music by Axiom.

• Sample local products.

Look for local, today and every day at Tidal Creek Co-op!

Check out our June featured vendor – Stoney Mountain Farm, from Burlington, NC. Owners Olga and John Elder produce high-quality, hand-made wool dryer balls and cat toys. Their 60-acre farm is home to 110 sheep, and the Elders are environmental stewards in all of their actions, even in the breed of sheep they raise. The Navajo Churro is a rare breed of sheep, too slow-growing for industrial production, saved in part by farms like Stoney Mountain that choose to raise them. The dryer balls they make are quickly gaining followers – over 8,000 fans on Facebook thus far! And feline fans are lining up for the cat toys, as well. Seriously – cats go crazy for them! What makes the dryer balls so special? They don’t contain any of the harmful chemicals found in dryer sheets – from sheep to finished product, the whole process is chemical free. The unique action of the wool balls in the dryer shortens drying time, softens clothes, and reduces static. It’s the ultimate green alternative to dryer sheets. Stoney Mountain received the 2010 Green America Seal of Approval, and even their packaging is biodegradable! During the month of June, Stoney Mountain’s dryer balls will be $2.00 off and the cat toys will be $3.00 off.

When Scott Granai of Cary, NC, first made the recipe that would become Outta the Park BBQ Sauce, his goal was simple – to use up produce in the refrigerator and make a tasty dinner. What happened with his rack of ribs that day was unexpected. His homemade sauce which used an unlikely combination of fresh ginger and jalapenos resulted in a flavor so remarkable that his wife Beth immediately wrote the recipe down. Having been a natural foods consumer since becoming a mom in 2002, Beth knew this sauce was special. It contained clean, non-GMO and organic ingredients AND it tasted great. “Scott’s sauce was delicious from the first bite,” she said, “and I knew that others with a passion for natural foods would be grateful to have this sauce for get-togethers with family and friends.”

Driven by a spirit of entrepreneurship and a desire to share a BBQ sauce with healthier ingredients, the Granai’s formed their business in the spring of 2009. They currently have 2 flavors: Original and Hot & Spicy, and their sauce is sold at more than 180 natural and specialty foods retailers and co-ops primarily along the east coast. “As our business grows, we are committed to making our sauce as organic and as sustainably grown as possible while still keeping it affordable on store shelves,” said Beth.

For great recipes including Homerun Ribs, BBQ Chicken Pizza, Salmon, Pulled Pork and more, please visit www.OuttaTheParkSauce.com.

Susie Newberry and her family have been growing blueberries along the Cape Fear River in Burgaw, NC for thirteen years. Their land consists of close to one hundred acres, fifty of which is used for farming blueberries. Along with their magnificent blueberry patch they also own chickens, two donkeys, and a horse. The blueberry bushes had been abandoned until their arrival in 1998. Their blueberries are of the Southern Highbush family that consists of three different varieties; each of which has a unique taste and texture. These varieties include the Star blueberry, the Oneal blueberry, and Susie’s favorite, the Reveille blueberry – which is smaller, has a firm texture and excellent flavor. The season of the Southern Highbush blueberries is very short. Typically a season lasts between ten days and two weeks. They ripen earlier than other varieties and are usually ready around the end of May. Newberry’s Blueberries have been available at Tidal Creek Cooperative Food Market every season for seven years. Look for them in the produce section sometime in June!

Look in July for featured artwork by Wilmington artist, Wendy Kowalski. Wendy’s paintings are inspired by nature, music and what she describes as, “this magical waking circus life.” Wendy’s current focus is, “the achievement of transcendence from mundane regularities and self-regulation to the spontaneous, fluid orbiting, often magical and spiritual free-flight of the mind and body.” At Tidal Creek Co-op, her work can be found on greeting cards produced by her company, Think Dot Productions. Think Dot prints cards of Wendy’s art and also the art of several other regional artists. Look for special displays of Wendy’s art on walls at Tidal Creek Co-op very soon. Customers are also encouraged to attend Wendy’s show, entitled Amplify, at WHQR Art Gallery. It will open July 22nd and run through September. More information can be found at www.whqr.org or Wendy’s website www.beecombfreedom.com. For the month of July, all Think Dot cards will be $1.00 off.

Greenland’s Farm located in Bolivia, North Carolina is owned and operated by Henry and Heather Burkert. The couple also shares a landscaping business as licensed architects and has been operating in Wilmington for over thirty years. Between commercial landscaping jobs they diligently work on their farming business. Tidal Creek Co-op has been carrying Heather’s pesticide-free fruits and vegetables for over five years. Some of Heather’s produce that you may have seen at the store includes bok choi, peppers, pears, lemons and a variety of herbs. Along with landscaping and growing delicious produce, they also raise chickens and goats. And that’s not all; they make teas, baked goods, pickled produce, and even create body lotions and scents. Look for the Burkert’s fresh fruits and vegetables available in the Tidal Creek produce section in the coming months.