Over the last decade or so, turmeric has been increasing in popularity in the West largely due to its health benefits. Widely recognized as a superfood, turmeric has potent anti-inflammatory effects as well as significant antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. 

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In 2006, Equal Exchange, the nation’s first fair trade coffee company, began importing organic fair trade bananas into the US from a small-farmer cooperative in Ecuador. The company’s decision to start a banana program was grounded in its founding mission: to make global food trade ethical at all stages of the supply chain.

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The novel coronavirus-Covid-19, reduced yields in 2019 and the ordinary issues storing organic potatoes has led to reduced supplies and higher prices, with a remedy at least several months away, according to several potato distributors.

“The organic storage potato supply is drying up fast across all varieties,” reported Gael Vazquez, director of procurement, Progressive Produce LLC, Los Angeles, CA. “The demand for organic potatoes hit record numbers with the recent events unfolding. I expect there to be a shortage until California really ramps up supply out of the Central Valley sometime in late May/early June.”

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Annake Ramsey is the produce program manager at Organic Valley, the largest farmer-owned organic cooperative in the US. While Organic Valley is most well-known as an organic dairy brand, the company actually started as a produce cooperative. With 69 farmers from 9 states, Organic Valley’s produce program sells 40 varieties of vegetables with an annual volume of over 3 million pounds. Annake joined OPN for a conversation about Organic Valley’s roots in produce, her role as produce program manager, the benefits of a cooperative model for farmers, and more.

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1. Caul-ing All Cheese Lovers: Introducing Cece’s® Organic Cauli & Cheese

2. NOSB Spring Meeting Logistics

3. Davis Food Co-op Best Health Food/Organic Store

4. UNFI Gives Workers a Raise

5. Feinstein Calls on State Department to Expedite H-2A Visas

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