Hummingbird Wholesale

May 11, 2016 by Sarah

We choose our business relationships carefully. The folks at Hummingbird Wholesale live and breath values that align with our own. Headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, they serve their immediate area on down to us folks in Northern California. We are lucky to be within their distribution territory because they bring delicious, organic bulk products at competitive prices. Look for a list of products we carry from them below! Their philosophy about business is to be like a hummingbird. This beautiful and poetic entry from their website describes the metaphor in more detail.

Sustainability at Hummingbird Wholesale

by Julie and Charlie Tilt

What if, like the hummingbird, all people would sip the nectar of the earth without harming the flower? Is it possible? At Hummingbird we know it is possible, and we will never give up until this vision comes to fruition.

We can enjoy the sweetness of the harvest and the delicious nourishment of the earth while remembering to be grateful, and taking only our share. We honor the earth’s abundance through doing good work with the energy we receive from its sustenance. We are focused: with adroit maneuvering we extract the flower’s nectar in a manner that ensures the flower remains for others to be nourished. We share in the delight of its beauty, now and into the future.

We grow ourselves in collaboration with others, in service to the community. Our work at Hummingbird is essentially love in action. We use our willpower, along with positive thought and actions, to move the world into a sustaining momentum. We humbly learn from our mistakes, laugh at ourselves, and respect the different opinions of others. We do this with an attitude of joy and reverence; aware of the mystery and grandeur of the planet we all steward.

The hummingbird is a tiny little creature, and we recognize that the fragility and workings of the complex interaction of humans in nature is dependent on the smallest of things: the birds and the bees and the earthworms. We strive in every action to enhance the existence of all creatures with our caring attention.

We never give up, and remain positive despite any obstacles. We take 100% responsibility for our lives and our future. We feel complete and whole in relationship to our world. Our hearts are filled with love from our good and courageous deeds every day.

At Hummingbird, we model a business continually striving to deepen our understanding of sustainability by improving our systems to reflect these values. We represent positive change for a hopeful future for all beings.

Hummingbird Wholesale

Find these products in our bulk section:

Michigan Tart cherries dry organic

Regional Snack Blend organic

Granola- Bucky’s Raw Hazelnut organic

Granola- Higher Power GRAWnola organic unswtned

Nutritional Yeast organic

NUTS Tamari Almonds organic

NUTS Hazelnuts organic

NUTS Sprouted Mixed Nuts and Seeds organic

Pumpkin Seeds Oregon grown organic

TRAIL MIX – Northwest Blend w/cinnamon organic

Persimmons dry organic

Blueberries dry organic

Pear slices dry organic

Peaches slices dry organic

Bing cherries dry organic seasonal

Produce notes by Tim Kilkenny

January 9, 2016 by The Natural Grocery Company

Cocktail Grapefruits are not just for cocktails even tho’ they are virtuous in that regard! Their deep, super-saturated yellow tender flesh is amazingly buttery for a grapefruit—who would have thought a grapefruit could be so likable. Let Jimmy Cagney (film actor of the mid 20^th Century) smash it in my face: I’m just gonna eat it. For the month of January these gems are on sale for $1.99/lb—IF supplies last! That brings up a sad anticipation: all these cold rains and frosts have “done a job” on satsuma mandarins in particular—it’ll be a short reason for them. Their rinds got waterlogged, swelled those tissues, and rot followed. Large swathes of carrot plantings got swept away in torrential floods; supply went to near nil, and prices shot up.

Meanwhile, it’s still a good idea to cook (tender and ready for a puree) Gold Beets–then blend them seamlessly in with mashed Russet or Gold Potatoes. Yum. This also applies to Parsnips (you’d be surprised), Rutabagas (maybe even more surprised), or Turnips, especially the tender mild white “Tokyo” varietals. Or you can roast some Honeygold potatoes, along with any and all the roots aforementioned, in the pan under the rack which has the turkey and duck parts basting and savor-izing/umami-izing the roots & potatoes below. Don’t be afraid of that fat! For most people in those amounts with those vegetables, it’ll metabolize grandly, actually helping “burn” those potato carbs. Next day, you’ll wake up refreshed and energized, with the joyful ennui of a tasty meal’s memories curling the corners of your mouth.

Health professionals loathe to tell you to take-up drinking wine, if you don’t already, but are happy to say that one-to-two glasses with such a meal, (studies continue to say), would be just swell for you and your moderate drinking guests. This author found Sierra Nevada Brewing Co’s “Celebration Ale”, to cut through the roast-pan gravied aspect of the above roots-meal suggestion, clearing the pallet for a fresh sensation of the next bite, its effervescence and vegetal hops dancing around the Parsnips, and oh, the Brussels Sprouts (forgot to mention those above). That beer will disappear soon, so experience it ASAP if you at all tolerate IPAs.

Silent Spring

January 7, 2016 by Sarah

The book “Silent Spring,” written in 1962 by Rachel Carson (1907-1964) may be one of the most important warnings against the use of agricultural pesticides and herbicides written in the 20th century. She was one of the first to question man’s inclination to control nature and decide who and what dies and when. Through story telling and scientific research, Carson showed that all biological systems are dynamic and that interfering with synthetic chemicals would cause problems elsewhere. The stories told in Carson’s book catalog the complicated consequences of what has become known as conventional farming. Those stories are why we (The Natural Grocery Company) have been committed to buying organic products for decades. We support agricultural practices that foster the brief picture of life painted in her stories before the advent of chemical additions. That life is bucolic, serene, abundant, healthy, green and ever-changing. In the pages leading up to her story, Carson includes the following quote. It is an important one to remember.

“I am pessimistic about the human race because it is too ingenious for its own good. Our approach to nature is to beat it into submission. We would stand a better chance of survival if we accommodated ourselves to this planet and viewed it appreciatively, instead of skeptically and dictatorially.” -E.B. White

From her website (www.rachelcarson.org):

Carson’s passionate concern in Silent Spring is with the future of the planet and all life on Earth. She calls for humans to act responsibly, carefully, and as stewards of the living earth.

Additionally Silent Spring suggested a needed change in how democracies and liberal societies operated so that individuals and groups could question what their governments allowed others to put into the environment. Far from calling for sweeping changes in government policy, Carson believed the federal government was part of the problem. She admonished her readers and audiences to ask “Who Speaks, And Why?” and therein to set the seeds of social revolution. She identified human hubris and financial self-interest as the crux of the problem and asked if we could master ourselves and our appetites to live as though we humans are an equal part of the earth’s systems and not the master of them.

As we step into 2016 (52 years after her publication), it is clear we have come along way in terms of organic agriculture. It is even more clear that we have a long way to go. So thank you for your continued support of organic foods. You choice has a broad ripple effect, like pebbles tossed in a pond.

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Hummingbird Wholesale

Produce notes by Tim Kilkenny

Silent Spring

From her website (www.rachelcarson.org):

Carson’s passionate concern in Silent Spring is with the future of the planet and all life on Earth. She calls for humans to act responsibly, carefully, and as stewards of the living earth.

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