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YMCA VEGGIE VAN

GUEST COLUMN

VEGGIE VAN PARTNERS

WITH Y GARDEN CLUB Since 2011, the YMCA Community Outreach Department has partnered with local organizations to create Healthy Living Hubs. These Hubs are located at New Hope Baptist Church, South End Community Outreach Ministries (SECOM), Baxter Community Center, and Roosevelt Park Ministries. Free weekly exercise classes for adults are offered at the Hubs as well as weekly

Garden Club programs for kids ages 5-12. In the Garden Club programs

kids actively participate in planting, growing, and harvesting crops during the growing season. Students learn about plants, nutrition, and caring for the environment through science demonstrations, crafts, games, and hands-on exploration of the natural world.

Every Garden Club ends with a healthy snack. The Veggie Van is now partnering with the Garden Clubs to provide locally sourced ingredients for snack. Recently, the Garden Clubs learned more about the local foods that

farmers and gardeners can grow in Michigan. Garden Club participants then practiced their cooking skills by creating a fruit and yogurt salad with Honey Crisp apples and celery from the Veggie Van. The Veggie Van is looking forward to providing more local snack options for Garden Club in the weeks and months to come.

Janelle Phillips, Garden Education Specialist

YOUR TRUSTED SOURCE FOR LOCAL FOOD NEWS

IN THIS ISSUE

Pg. 1 Guest Column: Veggie Van

Partners with Y Garden Club

Pg. 2 Feature: New Specialty

Products

Pg. 2 Meet Your Veggie Van Staff:

Ron Wheaton

Pg. 3 Make Your Shopping List

(HINT: Print Page 3!)

ENJOY THIS ISSUE?

Feel free to share this newsletter

with anyone who you think may

find it useful.

QUESTIONS,

COMMENTS, IDEAS?

Contact Sara Vander Zanden,

Healthy Living Agriculture

Manager, at 616.855.9680 or

svanderzanden@grymca.org

YMCA OF GREATER GRAND RAPIDS

475 Lake Michigan Dr. NW

December 2, 2013

grymca.org/outreach

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WEEKLY FEATURE

NEW SPECIALTY PRODUCTS

Although the accumulating snow indicates it’ll be many months before we can

reintroduce Michigan berries, sweet corn, and watermelon, the Veggie Van is

committed to introducing new and exciting products, even in the winter months.

Read below to find out about our new grass-fed cheeses and our holiday baskets

that will make any foodie swoon.

GRASSFIELDS CHEESE:

Grassfields Cheese LLC is located in Coopersville, MI. The farm employs a “grass-based” rotational grazing method that places the health of their cows at the forefront—this means no antibiotics, GMO-

enhanced super-feed, or hormones. They craft their cheeses from certified organic raw-milk, which contains vitamins, minerals, and digestive enzymes (for good gut health!) that typical store-bought, pasteurized cheeses lack. The Veggie Van will feature individually portioned cuts from a classic Lamont Cheddar, robust Gouda, and a mild, low-

fat Edam. Look here for more information on Grassfields.

CRANBERRY RELISH HOLIDAY BASKET:

Used to the wobbly, gelatinous relish that appears in its questionable can-shaped form at so many holiday meals? Bring cranberry relish back to its original, tasty configuration with fresh and bright Michigan cranberries. This Holiday Basket includes:

A recipe card for a simple and delicious relish

Michigan cranberries and

Michigan apples

Fresh oranges

Fresh pineapple

Lemons

SAVORY QUICHE HOLIDAY BASKET:

There are places in the world that define family by the people we eat with—and there’s little more comfort to be found on a cold winter morning than sharing good food with the people we love. This savory quiche basket will provide a warm, hearty, and nutritious meal to share with those that you surround yourself. The basket includes:

A recipe card

Free-range eggs

Organic raw-milk cheese

Locally-grown kale

Mushrooms

MEET YOUR VEGGIE VAN STAFF:

RON WHEATON

Hometown: Cedar Spring, MI

Education: Bachelor of Arts from

Grand Valley State University

Time at the Y: Ron has been

with Y since September 2013. In

addition to assisting on the

Veggie Van, Ron is also the Y’s

Garden Maintenance Specialist for

the association’s community

gardens.

Ron’s Story:

Ron was born in Grand Rapids

and raised in Cedar Springs,

where he graduated high school

in 2007. Since then he has re-

ceived his associate’s degree from

GRCC, volunteered for a year on

the west coast with AmeriCorps,

biked across the country with a

non-profit called Bike & Build, and

is currently pursuing a bachelor’s

degree at Grand Valley where he

studies Sustainable Food Sys-

tems. This past summer he lived

and worked on Earthkeeper, an

organic farm in Kent City. He ex-

ercises solely so he can eat lots of

cookies, buys more books than he

has the time to read, and enjoys

a good nap.

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DECEMBER PRODUCE AVAILABILITY

MAKE YOUR SHOPPING LIST

Michigan Products

Apples .50 or 3/$1

Honey Crisp .75 or 3/$2

Beets 2/$1

Broccoli $2.50/quart

Brussels Sprouts $2.50/pint

Cabbage $2/head

Carrots $2.50/bag

Cauliflower $3 ea.

Celery $1.50

(NEW!) Grassfields

Cheese

$3.50/4 oz.

Cherry Tomatoes

(Heirloom—limited)

$3/pint

Apple Cider $3.50/.5 gal

Collards $2/bunch

Cranberries $2/12oz

Cucumbers .75 or 3/$2

Eggs $3/dozen

Eggplant $1.25 ea.

Garlic .75/head

Green Onions $1/bunch

Honey $8/jar

Kale $2.50/bunch

Kohlrabi $2/bunch

Leeks $.75

Mixed Greens $3/bag

Napa Cabbage $2/head

Onions (red & yellow) .75 ea.

Peppers (red and

green)

$1 ea.

Red Skin Potatoes $2/quart

Squash—Acorn,

butternut, delicata

$2 ea.

Sweet Potatoes .75 ea.

Swiss Chard $2.50/bunch

Tomatoes $1 ea.

Non-Local Produce

Avocados $1.25 ea

Bananas .25 ea

Grapefruit .75

Grapes $4/bag

Lemons $.75

Mangoes $1.25

Mushrooms $2.00

Oranges .75 ea.

Pineapples $2.50

Pomegranate $2.50

Seasonal Menu

Fall Harvest

Quinoa

$4

Butternut

Squash

Risotto

$4

Roasted Red

Pepper

Hummus

$3.75

Traditional

Hummus

$3.75

Applesauce $2.50

Pie Holes $2.50

Holiday Baskets

Cranberry

Relish

$15.00

Savory

Quiche

$15.00