Category: SunRidge Blog

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Should you be concerned about GMO foods?

Up until a few years ago I had no idea what  Genetically Modified Organisms were and how the food we consume each day may or may not be genetically modified but that it was becoming more and more likely that at least some of what I was eating was, in fact, GMO.  With awareness comes concern.  There are studies that claim to substantiate how safe these foods are; there are an equal number that come to a different conclusion.  Clearly a majority of the ‘safe’ studies have been funded by the biotech companies themselves or groups with a vested interest in having a study that produces a ‘safe’ result.  That’s not all that reassuring.   Natural News has published some information that is helpful in learning more about GMO foods and their safety testing.  It’s well worth reading: http://www.naturalnews.com/031951_GMOs_safety_studies.html

On our end, SunRidge Farms is committed to sourcing non-GMO wherever possible.

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Backpacking and SunRidge Farms

June 1 rolled around on the calendar and thoughts of dusting off the pack and gear have started crossing my mind.  Sierra Nevada snowpack is still at record levels which means that the high country will be a bit tougher to get to but that water will be abundant and wild flowers will be in bloom until the end of July in many spots.  One thing about backpacking, at least for me, is that I’m not a minimalist.  Going ultra light is a fine practice but if I’m only out for 2 or 3 days I’m going to eat like a king.  I like lobster, skirt steak, salmon, or fresh trout for my meals.   A wineskin full of a nice Merlot is a real treat at 8500 feet around a small campfire as part of a gourmet meal.  I know this sounds a bit crazy but meals like this are typical for me in the backwoods.  I don’t cheat myself with my snacks either.  Used to be I would create my own blends of trail mix by trying to come up with ingredients that I would find and that worked OK, but enter SunRidge Farms and I no longer had to be that creative.  Try and find better trail mixes!  Antioxidant Mix (with berries and chocolate), Mountain Rainbow Mix, Hit the Trail Mix, Cranberry Jubilee, and Chocolate Nut Crunch are but a few of the standard mixes found in the bulk bins of both small and larger grocers throughout the country.  You simply must try these snacks!  You’ll find at least one that will become a staple for your treks in the backcountry as well as the journey to your office most other days.   Remember that buying in bulk reduces waste from packaging, allows you to buy only what you need, and saves you money!   SunRidge Farms also produces some of their products in prepackaged bags with lockable seals which makes for convenient storage and carry if you prefer.  For information on the advantages of buying bulk, visit the Bulk is Green council at www.bulkisgreen.org

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Confused by what is Organic or All Natural? You are not alone.

The food industry moves so fast now that it often overwhelms the consumer and front line retail workers. The purchase of a brand by a major food conglomerate and subsequent ingredient change often is missed by the buyers of these products. Trying to ensure that the label is consistent with the true source of the ingredients is a tedious process but absolutely necessary. Manufacturers do a great job of that but don’t necessarily do as great a job of ensuring that this information makes its way to the distributors and/or buyers who may be unaware that the product they’ve been purchasing for years has now changed. Sometimes regulations create a new category or push a product from one category to another. A great article on the issues the industry is struggling with can be found at this link, http://www.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/25950480-41/organic-ingredients-golden-temple-products.html.csp

SunRidge Farms is a manufacturer and distributor of bulk foods and snacks from both the organic and all natural category.  Visit our products section to see our line of prepackaged products available for purchase on the web here, https://www.sunridgefarms.com/products/?c=Our+Products

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Dare to Pair and support Cabrillo College Culinary Arts

Coming up on May 1st is a fantastic event in Santa Cruz that I hope I can take part in.  Previous attendees assure me that it is well worth it.  Dare to Pair is an event put on by Surf City Vintners and Culinary Arts Students from Cabrillo Community College that encompasses wine tasting and appetizers prepared by the students.  Wine tasting in Santa Cruz County is a growing phenomenon due to the quality of vintages and the incredible location.  Check out the details here, https://sites.google.com/a/cabrillo.edu/dare-to-pair/

Oh yeah, besides the fine wine and food, all proceeds benefit the Culinary Arts Program at Cabrillo.  What a way to spend what will likely be a sparkling day here on the coast.  We hope to see you out there.

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Mountain Rainbow Mix and hike in Nisene Marks

I have a new trail mix favorite.  This one will move towards the top of your list too, because it’s that good.  My first sampling of this mix was late last week as I took walk in the redwoods of Nisene Marks, a California State Park located in Aptos, CA.  The park offers 10,000 acres of rugged semi-wilderness, rising from sea level to steep coastal mountains of more than 2,600 feet. The site of logging operations until the 1920s, visitors can still find evidence of logging operations, mill sites and trestles in the park.  There are 30 miles of trails nestled in this second growth forest, which are perfect for hiking, mountain biking, or a leisurely stroll. I had always wanted to visit the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and with a little effort you can hike right to it.  Take Aptos Creek Trail off of the main fireroad at the bottom of the incline and it’s about a half mile in.  There is still evidence of the quake with trees laying on their sides but not much else suggesting a 7.1 shaking that resonates with anyone who was part of it.  More info on Nisene Marks is available here, http://www.santacruzstateparks.org/parks/nisene.   Since I started the hike at the entrance, I had walked a bit over 3 miles before I came to the trailhead so I was hungry.  Grabbing the bag of SunRidge Farms Mountain Rainbow Mix, I tore open the package and began devouring this divine mix of the incredible new Rainbow Drops, peanut butter peanuts, raisins, and more.   Sitting on a moss covered rock, under a large second growth redwood with a gentle mist filtering up through the canyon, I couldn’t help but notice as the sun briefly showed itself and highlighted the spot I was sitting and snacking.  It was peaceful, refreshing, and spiritual.  Those of you who have hiked in the redwoods know what I’m talking about.  Hope to see you on the trails!  Just be sure to bring something tasty along to eat.  That’s where SunRidge Farms comes in!

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Not your average little league ball park concession!

Baseball is in the air….that’s right, baseball!  Not spring, but that’s coming too!   Being at the ball park is something that so many of us look forward to each year and this year is no different.  Even better, our local little league program in Aptos, CA is expanding on it’s ‘Gary and Wes Hunter World Renowned Snack Shack’.  On top of the tri-tip salad, the incredible turkey chili, the incredible hot links, and garlic fries that certainly compete with the best the World Champion SF Giants offer at AT&T park, we can now add SunRidge Farms HealthyGO snacks.  Better nutrition and better snacking is the goal for the kids in this area and ballpark food is often difficult to improve but adding SunRidge Farms products to the mix is a great move.   We may not be able to get rid of the hot dog but we don’t have to compound this with refined sugars or artificial flavors and ingredients.  Even better, for every HealthyGO snack purchased by the fans, the profit goes right back to the league providing a boost in revenue for the kids and helping to ensure a quality program for over 400 kids and their families.

We’d love for your local youth organizations to join us in offering these types of treats for your program.  Give us a call and inquire as to our non-profit pricing on HealthyGO for your snack shack.   HealthyGO snacks come in many varieties of popular trail mixes, candies, and nuts, including the incredible new Rainbow Drops.  The controlled portions ensure a better snacking approach and provide convenience and peace of mind to parents who, like me, face a difficult proposition in getting kids to think about eating better….not to mention ourselves.

We look forward to hearing from you!  www.sunridgefarms.com

PLAY BALL

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Drink milk? Got Penicillin?? Not if it’s organic!

I am sure glad I drink organic milk.  I was a aware of growth hormones that were given to dairy cows and have stayed away from milk that wasn’t organic for that very reason but hadn’t given it much thought otherwise.  Then today, I received an email from a friend that had a report from the Food Safety and Inspection Service arm of the USDA.  This report, the Residue Violators Alert List, which is found on their website at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/Chemistry/index.asp is updated each month and lists the names of the dairy or business and the violations that occurred.  Here are some of the chemicals or drugs found just this last month:  Penicillin, Oxytetracycline, Sulfamethazine, Ampicillin, among others.  In some cases, thresholds of allowable amounts are zero yet there is the detected chemical.  As someone who is sensitive to penicillen, I can’t take the chance that the milk I drink might be contaminated with this antibiotic, but I wouldn’t have known.  Furthermore, violators were found in states across the country including NY, PA, CA, WA, TX.  This is our food supply that is being contaminated, putting families across the country at risk.  I didn’t know…did you??

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Rainbow (Drops) for the Holidays!

Rainbow’s are one of natures most pleasurable phenomenons. Who fails to be charmed whenever the rain and sun give us such a visual delight? The joy the children express is contagious and if that guy on YouTube is any indication, a double rainbow causes hysterics that get to be shared by all. I’ve now experienced the taste of the ‘Rainbow’ and have to say that it’s about time that we were able to add in the other senses and we’ve learned that instead of gold at the end of the rainbow there is this treasure. Introducing Rainbow Drops from SunRidge Farms. These all natural candy coated milk chocolates come in 7 rainbow colors and will quickly disappear in your candy dishes that you put out this holiday season, or anytime else. Since all candies are not made alike and Rainbow Drops are part of the SunRidge Farms product line, you’ll find no artificial colors or flavors, no hydrogenated oils, 0 grams of trans fats, no titanium dioxide, and no preservatives. The candies are even non-GMO! So, visit your favorite grocery store’s bulk section and stock up on Rainbow Drops right now and stimulate all of your senses. Now the joy of the rainbow can be enjoyed day or night ( and without the rain! ). Happy Snacking from SunRidge Farms.

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A Heavenly Place to Be

Fortunately, mother nature provided a ‘white’ Thanksgiving this year in South Lake Tahoe. Fortunately for several reasons, 1) the whole family had made it safely to the Marriott near the gondola at Heavenly in between winter storms and 2) we had brought boards and skis in hope that the slopes would open. Boy, did they ever open. Friday was calm, warm (at least in the morning) and while my younger son got to go to snowboard school for the day, I was able to jump on the gondola about when it opened and soon was truly in ‘heaven’. Within a couple of hours I was done in, jello knees and sweat, sitting at the umbrella bar and munching SunRidge Farms’ All-Natural Antioxidant Mix which is loaded with Berries and Chocolate and sipping a ‘Steve special’ bloody mary. Staring up at the slopes, I couldn’t believe how much it looked like ants crawling over the sparkling white mountains. Like us, the 10 feet of snowfall had come like an early Christmas present and brought anyone and everyone who was already there to the mountain. Everyone was joyous, even the workers. Too early in the season to have built up any frustration and having left the upheaval of the world behind when the gondola doors opened at the summit, the blanket of white seemed to provide a template for what many of us would call a ‘perfect day’. I can only hope that everyone gets a chance to have their ‘perfect day’ this holiday season.

If you go: The new Tamarack Lodge at Heavenly opens in a few weeks at the top of the gondola. It will be spectacular! I understand Steve will be there serving his special cocktails as well. You can get SunRidge Farms bulk products at Raley’s right there at Heavenly Village. The Berries and Chocolate Antioxidant mix is new and absolutely wonderful. A great way to stay fueled up either on the slopes or sitting fireside after a powder filled day.