Category: SunRidge Blog

On the surface, Fair Trade is a social movement: a grassroots movement with a goal. Fair Trade products are made with the people and the planet in mind. Fair Trade Certified explains that those with this certification, “[build] a global model around the concept that economic empowerment and sustainable livelihoods are the basis for a market that works for everyone.”

Fair Trade works to ensure that farmers in developing nations gain improved working and trading conditions. It also works to improve sustainable farming practices and thriving healthy communities.

How Does it Work?

Anything that is Fair Trade Certified has been produced according to these rigorous social, environmental, and economic standards.

One of the most unique aspects about Fair Trade is that when you purchase a Fair Trade Certified item, a portion of that sale is directed to a “community development fund.”  With this fund, Fair Trade farmers and their communities get to vote for what they see is needed most in their community. The money could go to anything from a dental hygiene program, to sustainable farming technique training, to meals for school children. When you purchase Fair Trade, you are empowering an entire community to take initiative to improve their living and working conditions.

The crops with the most focus are coffee, cocoa, wine, sugar, handicrafts, fruit, chocolate and even flowers. About half of the farmers and workers involved in Fair Trade globally, are small scale coffee farmers. When farmers produce at Fair Trade standards, they benefit in a number of ways: one of those ways is income sustainability, which creates a minimum living wage that farmers must receive regardless of market fluctuations.

Fair Trade standards keep the environment at the forefront of their focus. It, “…supports some of the most bio-diverse farming systems in the world. When you visit a Fair Trade coffee grower’s fields, with the forest canopy overhead and the sound of migratory songbirds in the air, it feels like you’re standing in the rainforest.” -Professor Miguel Altieri, Leading expert and author on agroecology.

Fair Trade Cacao

SunRidge Farms®, because of our product line, supplies several Fair Trade chocolate items. Fair Trade cacao is especially important because of the epidemic of child labor involved in much of conventional cacao farming. Believe it or not, if you purchase conventional chocolate, it is likely that there may have been child labor, and even slave labor, involved in its’ production.*

“A Tulane University report on child labor in the cocoa sector in the Ivory Coast and Ghana found that 25 to 50 percent of the children in households in both countries work on cocoa farms. The Ivory Coast, Ghana and other West African countries produce 75 percent of the world’s cocoa, and the Ivory Coast produces 40 percent of that total. The U.S. Department of State in 2009 estimated that there were over 109,000 children working in Ivory Coast’s cocoa industry, and about 10 percent were victims of human trafficking or enslavement. (Oversight  Report on Child Labor) ; (Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor)”-reported by Gina-Marie Cheeseman for the Los Angeles Post

By supporting Fair Trade, you support fair labor practices and contribute directly to the fight against child and slave labor.

Browse our line of Fair Trade chocolate items here.

What to look for?

Fair Trade Certified items are becoming more readily available in stores across the country. You can browse Fair Trade Certified’s Shopping Guide online to find brands with certified Fair Trade items. You can also take the Fair Trade Pledge today, and share it with your friends to encourage them to do the same.

*SunRidge Farms is wholly committed to ethical sourcing of all of our cocoa. We source Fair Trade Cocoa and organic when possible, but regardless of certification, all of the cocoa used in our products has been thoroughly vetted and is sourced from suppliers committed to sustainability, education, and community improvements.

TAKE THE FAIR TRADE PLEDGE TODAY

There’s a Holiday for That?

Yes, yes there is. Take a moment this Friday, July 8th, to seek out the crunchy and heavenly combination of rich, hearty chocolate and perfectly roasted California almonds for National Chocolate with Almonds Day.  Confectioners have been combining the buttery, flavorful tree nut with rich, luscious dark or milk chocolate for years in all their creations.

Who doesn’t love a chocolate covered whole almond or a chocolate bar laced with chopped almond pieces?  What can make this even better?

We’re not just limited to chocolate and almonds themselves…how about adding ghost pepper, sea salt, cinnamon, vanilla, orange, or caramel?  The list goes on…Yummmm!

We’ve been concerned about GMO’s since they were introduced to the food chain about the time we got our start in the food business.  In that time we’ve witnessed the proliferation of these crops and felt the true impact as we had to continue to seek out new farmers and suppliers that maintained organic and conventional methods of growing and harvesting in order to ensure our commitment to the planet and provide Non GMO foods to our customers.   We learned early on, directly from the farmers, that the claims of higher yields and no environmental impacts were not accurate.  That knowledge is now reaching more consumers which is forcing distributors and suppliers to meet their demands for unmodified foods.  The people are speaking – and farmers and businesses are starting to listen.  It behooves all of us to continue to encourage the best farming methods possible; those that positively impact mother earth.

This story from Wired online magazine entitled ‘Not On My Dinner Plate’ touches on this subject in more detail.

https://www.wired.com/1999/09/not-on-my-dinner-plate/

Let’s keep up the pressure and make our communities stronger and healthier by ensuring that Non GMO Foods, and preferably Organic, are the cornerstone of your diet.

 Burying the Lead

It was simply tough times and difficult choices.  A little more than a week before the 2016 United States presidential election, the New York Times ran this story that rocked a number of people.  

Because of its timing, however, the story was lost in the controversy of that contentious election. In journalistic terms, it is called “Burying the Lead.”  All eyes were on Trump versus Clinton. There was little fanfare about a topic that was so critical to everyday lives.  Nevertheless, the overarching theme of the piece written by Danny Hakim on OCT. 29, 2016 resonates with everyone in this country and around the globe on a daily basis.

There are good guys and bad guys, and the source of the evil can almost always be traced back to one overriding factor—money. The story that was mostly lost because of the news cycle is straightforward. The NY Times piece tackles the longstanding myth that large corporate agri-business has tried to sell for decades.  Chiefly, genetic modification here in the US and in Canada really hasn’t aided crop production nor helped to decrease the use of chemical pesticides sprayed and applied to plants.  It turns out, the opposite is true.

GMOs Don’t Actually Increase Food Production

Here in North America, we went in one direction while in Europe they went the other.  In Europe, the use of genetic modification was largely dismissed and repudiated. Hence, there was little enthusiasm for GMOs. Europeans passed on the engineering and many in this country embraced the technology.  Now, two decades later, the unbiased independent scientific data and academic research have reached some compelling and shocking results. The Times article lays out the facts in what reads somewhat like a science fiction detective story.  And yes, there is a villain.  

It is incumbent on all of us to stay well informed.  It is for the good of the Republic, our future, our families, and for our health.  So if you get a chance, take the time and read the New York Times article.

Several hundred years ago, a gentleman farmer from Virginia wrote, “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.”  Thomas Jefferson. Little has changed and knowledge remains power.

John Gregg is a former writer, reporter, anchor, and senior producer for NBC, ESPN, & PBS and the winner of four Emmys for his reporting.

If you ever find yourself traveling in the southern part of the United States, you owe it to yourself to make your way to Albany, Georgia.  Albany prides itself on its 600,000 Pecan tress.  Now, Pecan trees can get up to anywhere from 66 to 121 feet high and they can live for around 200 years.  They are stunningly beautiful and serene.

I am not suggesting chucking out all the antidepressants and heading to Albany to solve all of your problems; however, a picnic under the Pecan trees while listening to the Allman Brothers play “Melissa,” might prove good for the soul.

So what’s so great about pecans you ask?   Well, the first thing is the powerful pecan is heart healthy and contains antioxidants.  To be specific, pecans contain 19 vitamins and minerals and healthy fat, yep, healthy fat.  One of the mineral components is zinc, which is important in producing testosterone in both males and females.  So if you think if you have a shot at the next Olympic games, you might consider a handful of pecans to begin your quest.

OK, so nuts are good for your body, however, here are 16 great reasons that pecans should be part of your diet.

The Big Sixteen: Health Benefits

• Reduce blood pressure

• Reduce stroke risk

• Promote bone health

• Promote teeth health

• Prevent muscle soreness following exercise

• Helping the body to rid waste in the kidneys

• Reducing inflammation

• Helping cells and tissues to grow and repair

• Boosting heart health, reducing heart disease risk

• Promote digestive health

• Promote healthy vision

• Building muscle, aiding in muscle recovery

• Preventing breast cancer

• Reduce cancer risk

• Iron-deficiency anemia

• Weight Loss

Fun Facts

So the little pecan is pretty impressive.  Here are some odd facts about pecans (pecan nerds) that should make you appreciate one of the All Stars of the Nut Family.  Pecan trees only produce nuts every two years.  It takes approximately 78 pecans in the average pecan pie.  One ounce of pecans provides 10% of the recommended daily fiber intake.  Thank you France, pecan pie was created by French people who had settled in New Orleans.  And if you are not doing anything on July 12th, well, it’s time to party because that is…drum roll…National Pecan Pie Day.

I look forward to seeing you across the river and under the shade of the trees, enjoying a piece of pie and of course, cranking out the Allman Brothers.

John Gregg is a former writer, reporter, anchor, and senior producer for NBC, ESPN, & PBS and the winner of four Emmys for his reporting.

Read More Here:

https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical-clinics/cancer-nutrition-services/reducing-cancer-risk.html

https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/3681

It’s National Peanut Month!

Yet again, we find a national holiday for as many food-related items as possible. Bet you didn’t know that March is National Peanut Month.  Catch your breath; I know I just rocked your world.  OK, maybe rocked is too strong a word.   Stunned, shocked, staggered, or even astonished is also probably over the top but we are talking peanuts, folks…peanuts!  Actually, up until 1974 it was just National Peanut Week, but wise men and women came to their senses, recognized the error of their ways and presto changeo, wisdom prevailed throughout the land and they gave the peanut the entire month of March.  31 days to celebrate the peanut.  Take that Mr. Pistachio.

Are Peanuts Healthy?

I’ll cut to the chase and tell you right now that peanuts are great for you. Peanuts are loaded with vitamins and have an abundance of folate, pantothenic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, choline, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin E and rich in minerals like magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese and selenium.  That’s right, the little peanut.  They are sort of like the Superfood of the world of nuts and, actually, peanuts are really from the legume family.  And if you are at the ballpark enjoying the game, well, toss the crackerjacks and focus on the peanuts.  They are far healthier for you.

Did you know?  A great American, Dr. George Washington Carver, developed more than 300 uses for peanuts back in the 1900’s and we aren’t even talking about peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Two United States Presidents were peanut farmers, Thomas Jefferson and Jimmy Carter.  And if you doubt the power of the peanut just chew on this for a moment,  no less than a half-dozen cities in the good old USA are named Peanut.  There is Peanut, California; Lower Peanut, Pennsylvania; Upper Peanut, Pennsylvania; Peanut, Pennsylvania; Peanut, Tennessee; and Peanut, West Virginia.  I have no idea what the nicknames of their high school football teams are but if you know, please contact me.  Rock my peanuts.

I am not saying peanuts are the healthiest food anywhere in the world, but peanuts are loaded with monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that is emphasized in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet.  Studies of diets with a special emphasis on peanuts have shown that the mighty peanut does great wonders for a healthy heart.   Studies have shown that a high monounsaturated diet that emphasized peanuts and peanut butter decreased cardiovascular disease risk by an estimated 21% compared to the average American diet. And you wonder why elephants live so long…

Here’s a couple of “Off The Wall,” Fun Facts About Peanuts.  

1. Chocolate manufacturers use 20 % of the world’s peanuts.  
2. I’m not making this up but a dude named Tom Miller pushed a peanut to the top of Pike’s Peak (14,100 feet) using his nose in 4 days, 23 hours, 47 minutes and 3 seconds.  Why??  We’ll leave that up to your imagination.
3. Georgia is the largest producer of peanuts in the U.S.  Georgia produces almost 1/2 of the total U.S. peanut crop and more than 50% of the crop goes to peanut butter production.  (We rock the world of peanut butter).
4. India & China together produce almost 2/3 of the world peanut crop.  Peanuts contain about 28% protein, 50% oil and 18% carbohydrates.
5. Peanuts are also called goobers, goober peas, pindars, ground nuts, earth nuts, monkey nuts, and grass nuts.
6. One acre of peanut plants yields about 2,860 pounds of peanuts.
7. One acre of peanuts will make 30,000 peanut butter sandwiches.
8. AND NO…elephants don’t eat peanuts.  However, I wonder how they feel about PBJ’s ?

In parting, eat peanuts as they are good for you,  AND seriously, if anyone from one of the towns called Peanut will contact me with the nickname of the HS Football team I’d appreciate it.  My money is on the “Fighting Legumes.”

John Gregg is a former writer, reporter, anchor, and senior producer for NBC, ESPN, & PBS and the winner of four Emmys for his reporting.

This year, in honor of National Banana Bread Day, we wanted to bring you a list of tips to help you modify your favorite recipes to make them a bit healthier, or even just to modify them to whatever your diet requirements are. Whether you want to focus on all natural sugars, going gluten free, or reducing your fat, try out any of these modifications to make your banana bread work for you, and still be delicious.

Going Gluten Free

Whenever trying to substitute a gluten free flour for breads, cakes or scones, make sure to check if your gluten free flour contains a binder. The reason being that most gluten free flours will require additional assistance from some other sort of binder in the absence of gluten. Try using a bit of xantham gum, or a mixture of one part flaxmeal and 2 parts water to help aid your gluten free flour of choice. As far as substitutions, a store bought all purpose gluten free flour can be a simple 1:1 substitution, but other kinds of flours (like oat, or coconut etc.) get a bit more complicated.

Finding a Replacement for Butter

Many banana bread recipes call for about a stick of butter, but are so tasty you might eat half of the loaf right when it comes out of the oven. One great way to cut fat is to use yogurt. Greek yogurt, low-fat, or fat-free yogurt can be used to reduce or replace shortening, oil, butter or sour cream in baked goods and is a great way to make your banana bread healthier.  When a recipe calls for butter, replace half the butter with half as much yogurt. For instance, instead of 1 cup butter, use 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup yogurt. Or you can even try and replace the whole thing with yogurt. Be aware that your baked good may be a bit denser this way. You can use these same ratios to replace butter with apple sauce, or even avocado puree.

Avoiding Processed Sugars

More and more research shows that processed sugars are your body’s kryptonite. The less processed your sugar is, the better for you. One favorite of ours that is sure to make your banana bread healthier is to replace your white sugar with maple syrup. Try replacing 1 cup of white sugar for 3/4 cup maple syrup. You can also replace white sugar with honey by replacing 1 cup of white sugar with 1/2 to 2/3 cup honey. One final great way to naturally sweeten baked goods is to replace white sugar with date puree. To replace a cup of white sugar with dates, mix 1 cup of pitted dates with 1/2 to 1 cup water to make a paste.

Let us know your favorite recipe modification in the comments below!

Join SunRidge Farms in watching ‘Superstore’ on the NBC Network this Thursday, February 23rd, at 8PM.  We’re excited to see our products featured as part of this ongoing sitcom on NBC.  Here’s a quick synopsis of this episode, entitled ‘Wellness Fair’:

When Amy (America Ferrera) sees Mateo (Nico Santos) out on a secret date with Jeff (recurring guest star Michael Bunin), she ignores Garrett’s (Colton Dunn) advice to stay out of it, and ends up throwing multiple relationships – both real and imagined – into chaos.  Meanwhile, Glenn (Mark McKinney) resents Jonah (Ben Feldman) for outshining him during Cloud 9’s Wellness Fair, and Dina (Lauren Ash) tries to prove that Amy faked an illness.  Nichole Bloom also stars.

About the Show

America Ferrera (“Ugly Betty”) and Ben Feldman (“Mad Men,” “A to Z”) star on the hilarious workplace comedy “Superstore” about a unique family of employees at a supersized megastore. “Superstore” centers around Amy (Ferrera), the store’s most stalwart employee as well as the glue holding the place together, and newly hired Jonah (Feldman), a dreamer determined to prove work doesn’t have to be boring. Their fellow associates include the sardonic Garrett (Colton Dunn, “Key & Peele”), the ambitious Mateo (Nico Santos, “Mulaney”) and the sweet teenager, Cheyenne (Nichole Bloom, “Shameless”). Overseeing the store is Glenn (Mark McKinney, “The Kids in the Hall”), the store’s affable, clueless store manager, and Dina (Lauren Ash, “Super Fun Night”), the aggressive assistant manager who enforces Cloud 9 policy with an iron fist.

From the bright-eyed newbies and the seen-it-all veterans to the clueless seasonal hires and the in-it-for-life managers, together they hilariously tackle the day-to-day grind of rabid bargain hunters, riot-causing sales and nap-worthy training sessions. “Superstore” was created and written by Justin Spitzer (“The Office”), who also serves as an executive producer with director Ruben Fleischer (“Gangster Squad”), David Bernad (“Enlightened”) and Gabe Miller & Jonathan Green (“The Office”).

Tune in this Thursday at 8pm EST/PST or watch online at http://www.nbc.com/superstore

Almonds are an amazing nut that are praised for their benefits all over the world. They are the most popular nut in America, and are respected for a wide range of health benefits. You can eat them in a variety of ways: raw, oil roasted, dry roasted, sprouted, glazed and more. They are a staple in trail mixes, snack bars, cereals, and even desserts! In honor of National Almond Day, here are some of the amazing health benefits of almonds.

Health Benefits of Almonds

• Studies show that almonds eaten mid morning can help to regulate your blood sugar levels. Their ample supply of monounsaturated fatty acids help slow down the rate at which your body absorbs glucose.
• They have been found to help lower cholesterol. High cholesterol can lead to the build up of plaque along artery walls leading to dangerous health complications. 
• Almonds are good for your heart! Numerous studies show that almonds can help prevent heart disease and heart attacks. Almonds contain monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants that both work to support heart health. They also contain antioxidant flavonoids that work in combination with vitamin E to reduce inflammation and improve artery health.
• Tired of feely foggy headed? Almonds even support healthy brain function. Almonds contain riboflavin and L-carnitine, which both help improve neurological activity.
• Want radiant skin? Try snacking on almonds.  Almonds have a rich supply of vitamin E and other antioxidants that nourish the skin and help prevent signs of aging.
• They help moderate your diet. Almonds are high in dietary fiber which helps you feel full longer and can aid in goals of weight loss.
• Recent research has shown the importance of maintaining a health pH level in the body. Almonds are one of the only nuts that help balance your body’s pH level by alkalizing your digestive tract.
• Almonds are even good for your teeth and your bone health! Trace minerals in almonds, like magnesium and phosphorus are integral for maintaining strong teeth and bones.
  
  

Browse some of our favorite snacks with almonds here