Best of the Fest #3: BlueAvocado (Re)zip

Our third pick for Best of the Fest at the Natural Products Expo West is BlueAvocado’sfamily of (re)zip reusable storage bags. Started in Austin, Texas in 2008, BlueAvocado was founded by Melissa Nathan, Paige Davis, and Amy George, who were driven by their desire to address the growing clutter and environmental problems caused by the use of disposable, non-recyclable, plastic bags and chose to create a stylish, convenient alternative.

BlueAvocado products minimize the use of disposable bags and exemplify the company's commitment to smart solutions for life’s throwaway problems. These storage bags replace disposable plastic baggies used for snacks, sandwiches, travel, and home organization. 

Using one (re)zip at least twice a week can eliminate +100 disposable plastic baggies annually.  Their (re)zips are constructed to be machine washable (just make sure to line dry).  They can also be used as a TSA Compliant Reusable Travel Bag.

The company's vision includes a commitment to empowering consumers to reduce their carbon footprints and invest in the dreams of global women micro-entrepreneurs (1% of the company's sales are donated to a variety of organizations including Kiva.org and Whole Planet Foundation).

The company collaborates closely with a manufacturer in China (the world's largest manufacturer of recycled products) to ensure that environmental, health, safety and labor requirements are met.  BlueAvocado continues to seek out local suppliers as well.  The company partners with BeGreenNow, the carbon offset division of Green Mountain Energy, to verify the carbon footprint calculations that can be found on the label of all BlueAvocado products.

BlueAvocado introduced two new production additions to its (re)zip family of products at the Natural Products Expo West this year: the (re)zip seal and the (re)zip volume.  Both are patent pending innovations featuring a unique leak proof double-lock closure that seals in freshness.

BlueAvocado can be found at a variety of retailers such as: the Container Store, Target, and Whole along with Amazon.com online

Best of the Fest #2: Massel Bouillon Cubes

Massel bouillon cubes, seasoning granules, Concentrated Liquid Stock and gravy mixes are an Australian institution for 30 years (they’re the #1 Bouillon in the Land Down Under) that just happen to also be Vegan!

And here’s the crazy Auh-part using all natural ingredients such as vegetables, herbs, extra virgin olive oil and pure sea salt from the Great Southern Ocean (apparently the cleanest ocean in the world) they are able to make something that tastes exactly like chicken or beef. Whoot whoot!!!

Massel ticks off all the boxes for people with dietary restrictions, lifestyle choices, or religious beliefs that impact what they put in their mouth.  All Massel products are: Gluten-free, All natural ingredients, Vegan, No added MSG, GMO-free ingredients, Cholesterol-free, Preservative-free, Suitable for people with Celiac disease, Kosher certified, Lactose-free, Trans fat-free, less salt.  Whoot whoot again!!!

When Massel’s founder, Frank Massel, made his first batch of stock in 1982, he wanted to make a delicious, healthy, affordable stock that could be used by everyone regardless of dietary restriction, religious belief or lifestyle choice.  But most of all he wanted to make an instant stock that tasted as delicious as his wife’s homemade stock.

He had three founding principles.

1.    Vegetable based products are better and healthier

2.    Vegetable based products are not just for vegans and vegetarians. They’re better for everyone and they can be just as tasty as a meat based equivalent. Tastier even!

3.    Affordable vegetable based products are the way of the future. They make sense for us all for our health, for our planet and for our pockets!

At this year’s Natural Products Expo West Massel was introducing their delicious new Concentrated Liquid Stock (in Chicken, Veggie, and Beef).  Each little pouch of Concentrated Liquid Stock makes two quarts of fresh bouillon, and costs around the same as just one quart of conventional liquid stock.  Uses include: making soups and stews Great, that added Oomph in  marinades, and giving stir fries that Wow factor.  Already the best-selling Concentrated Liquid Stock in Australia, you can now buy this great new product in America in places like Gelson’s and Bristol Farms!  Whoot whoot!!!

Best of the Fest #1: Cappello’s

Today marks the first day of Edible Skinny’s “Best of the Fest” (the Natural Products Expo West that is).  For the next 10 days Edible Skinny will be featuring a different product each day that will rock the socks off your Whole Foods junky, non-GMO loving, organic buying mouth!  (PS: And with 2.600 vendors exhibiting this is most definitely the Best of the Best!)

First up: Cappello’s, a Colorado-based gourmet food company specializing in high-end gluten free, grain free products.

Founded in 2011 by friends Stacey Marcellus and Benjamin Frohlichstein, the inspiration for Cappello’s was born out of Stacey and Ben’s desire to create a totally unique food company, to be the best at what they do, and to legitimize their penchant for asking strangers to taste their pasta.  The company offers three different types of pasta: Fettuccine, Gnocchi, and Lasagna. 

Along with being 100% gluten free all products are freezable and are shipped in a custom eco-cooler.  Cappello’s mission is simple: provide fresh, uniquely delicious options for gourmet food-lovers, healthy eaters and people with dietary restrictions.

 

Their fresh gluten free, grain free pasta is carefully hand-crafted to achieve a texture and taste that is unrivaled among traditional pasta and it shows!  We first tried their pasta before realizing the lack of wheat involved and Kelly and I were both blown away by the perfectly authentic Italian chewy texture (compared to the sogginess that’s rice pasta’s MO…). 

The Fettuccine and Lasagna are made primarily from an almond flour and egg base, while their Gnocchi also includes potato flakes (naturally).  Unlike dry pasta alternatives, their fresh gluten free, grain free pastas cook quickly, in a minute or less, depending on personal preference for bite. 

Serve the pasta immediately, and watch as your friends dig in oblivious to the fact their dish is 100% gluten free (seriously you’d never know!).  Then tell them it’s also low on the glycemic index.

And for the sweet tooth lover, Cappello's has teamed up with Primal Palate to bring to us the world's yummiest gluten free, grain free, chocolate chip cookie dough.

This Paleo friendly cookie dough is made from the highest quality ingredients to craft this delicious, nutrient dense, low glycemic treat.  You can savor it raw, mix it in ice cream or simply cut and bake.  Tres yummm!

So for anyone watching their wheat, but still wanting the warmth of the classic comfort foods pasta and cookie dough, Cappello’s is totally the answer!

Tea is the new Coffee at Gunpowder

With the sky’s the limit goal of “redefining tea for America,” Gunpowder, a creative new tea facility, opened in Venice a few weeks ago. 

Named after the Chinese green tea, this liquid lab’s philosophy is that tea is the new coffee.  The bonus is that the imbiber gets more caffeine, ten times the antioxidants, and none of the acidity of a cup of Starbucks Joe!

The order counter serves drinks such as Iced Gunpowders (cold brewed tea infused with fresh fruit made daily), Gunshot Lattes (made with almond or cow’s milk), and Power On Shots (5-hour energy without the artificial everything fueled by tea) all made from non-coffee based items like chicory and guayusa (a second cousin of yerba mate). There’s also gluten-free vegan baked goods prepared in house by Merce Muse (of Merce and the Muse cafe in Paris).

From the mind of writer/director/photographer Mike Franzini Gunpowder screams Millennials.  Its target audience is everyone who embraces world of being a Slashie.  The back lounge is split like Two-Face’s face: one half work and the other half play.  For those working on their next must have social media company there’s office chairs surrounding a 12-foot communal English Elm table with USB plugs to the right.  And on the left, for those looking to sit back, relax, and get down to finally writing that screenplay there’s Adirondack chairs nestled on real grass with an abstract cloud lamp hovering above. 

All of Gunpowder’s teas are original blends crafted by tastemaker Jeremy Johnson.  Cognizant that a thousand tea choices can be overwhelming, Johnson limits the front of the house to 8 teas at a time.  Each is explained through an interactive iPad stationed right next to it.  “Tea has always been everything and anything.  We’re the opposite: we’re about selectivity,” noted Johnson.

The one thing that they’re not selective about at the moment is time; the lounge is open 24 hours.  So for anyone who’s recently given up coffee (read: me!) and needs that midnight pick-me-up to stay out all night Gunpowder just bestowed that healthy option! Hooray!!!

Korean Natural Farming: It's All in the Microbes

KNF Chicken Coop. Photo by Kat Thomas.

So this is the last post on my trip to Hawai’i and it’s a pretty Auh-Mazing one!

In Hawi I was introduced to the world of Korean Natural Farming (KNF), which involves collecting and culturing indigenous microorganisms (IMO) and reintroducing them into an agro ecosystem, which has been managed by people (aka farms).  In the same way we drink Kombucha to rebuild our

Pighouse at Ho'ea Farms. Photo by Kat Thomas.

gut, IMOs rebuild the soil.  KNF with IMO’s is a smart and clean approach to organic farming that is practiced successfully in over 30 countries, in home gardens and on a commercial scale.
 
Korean Natural Farming is cheap, easy, and effective, a trifecta of awesomeness to a farmer’s ears!  It has helped many Big Island farmers overcome the challenge of dead soil (soil blasted by chemicals for so many decades of sugarcane farming that there wasn’t an earthworm in it).  I myself saw impressive results while replanting some tomato plants in the greenhouse as those feed IMOs perked up after a day, while those feed just water were noticeably more wilted. 

Korean Professor, Han Kyu Cho, is considered the father of Korean Natural Farming (which is also sometimes known as Thai Natural Farming and Asian Natural Farming).  The basic principle behind KNF is to create a farming environment compatible with naturally occurring organisms in the farmland.  Korean Natural Farming recycles nutrients from various herbs or farm waste, and combines them into a foliar spray for fertilization based on different stages of growth of the crop.  Crop enhancement of indigenous microorganisms are more likely to be accepted by the soil than alien beneficial organisms (such as the trademarked Effective Microorganisms).

Indigenous Microorganisms (IMOs) refer to various homemade solid and liquid cultures of beneficial microbes. To culture beneficial IMOs, these are materials are concocted from various local materials such as forest/field plant materials as well as fruit, vegetables and even fish scraps and snails.  Therefore, few, outside or purchased inputs are required.
 

Chicken Raised with KNF. Photo by Kat Thomas.

Mr. Han Kyu Cho formulated and fine-tuned these practices for 40 years and has trained over 18,000 people at the Janong Natural Farming Institute.  One of the people he trained was Dr. Hoon Park, who in 2005 brought the Korean Natural Farming to Hawaii.  A retired M.D. from Hilo, Dr. Park was in South Korea doing missionary work and noticed commercial piggeries with virtually no smell that were using KNF methods.  Dr. Park came back to Hawaii, his home, and began giving classes for free. 

The Korean Natural Farming is unique in that it is not meant to be commercialized, but rather practiced by farmers, with cheap, easily available ingredients, and microbes or mycorrhizae indigenous to each locale or farm.  Mycorrhizae are “fungus roots” and act as an interface between plants and soil.  They grow into the roots of crops and out into the soil, increasing the root system many thousands of times over.  They act symbiotically, converting with enzymes the nutrients of the soil into food the plants can use and taking carbohydrates from the plants and turning it into nutrients the soil can use: “sequestering” carbon in the soil for later use.

Ho'ea Farms KNF Piglets. Photo by Kat Thomas.

Miles of fungal filaments can be present in an ounce of healthy soil.  Mycorrhizal inoculation of soil increases the accumulation of carbon in the soil by depositing glomalin, which in turn, increases soil structure, by binding organic matter to mineral particles in the soil.  Glomalin is a glycoprotein that binds together silt, sand, or clay soil particles. By supergluing the small, loose particles, this gooey protein makes larger granules that protect the soil from eroding through wind and water.  One way to anchor or feed mycorrhizae in the soil is by adding charcoal, specifically charcoal, which is made without fossil fuels (such as Biochar).  Charcoal provides shelter for the mycorrhizae to live in with its myriad of tiny holes.

A healthy fertile soil is a soil alive with a multitude of microorganisms. Research found about 700 kilograms of microorganisms to live in 0.1 hectare of land.  Natural Farming recreate the conditions found in Natural environments such as old growth forests.  Chemical application of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer kill all that precious life in the soil eventually turning it into a compacted lifeless dust bowl.

Greenhouse watered with IMOs. Photo by Kat Thomas.

Korean Natural Farming techniques are also used in regards to livestock such as chickens (like the chicken coop at the farm I was at) and pork (which I viewed at Ho’ea Farms in Hawi). As Mr. Cho said, “a farmer should have parental love towards his crop and livestock. This is a heart of a true farmer.”

The biggest bonus to KNF animal hutches being that there is no pollution, no smell, no flies, no wastewater, disease, or cleaning needed.  In other words, the IMOs on the floor will break down the chicken feces and there is virtually no smell and no need to muck the coop.

When the Chinese were preparing for the Olympics to be held in Beijing in 2008, China, the Chinese army came in, bringing with them their pigs, which they raise to feed themselves.  The population of Beijing was suddenly assaulted by the smell of pig waste and protested violently.  The head of the Chinese army sent two men to South Korea to study Natural Farming, which he had heard about. The men came back and the army immediately started practicing the Natural Farming methods and the smell went away.

With chickens the egg quality will be superior with super sturdy yokes.  With pork, the pigs are more content to laze and root around in such natural bedding.  Also, reportedly, there is no risk of skin diseases compared to pigs raised on other surfaces.

Talk about smart (and clean!) microbes!

Awesome! A Billboard that Creates Water!

A great example of how human ingenuity will save the planet!!! The first billboard that produces potable water for the city of Lima from the air.  Created by the University of Engineering and Technology in Peru.  Awesome!!!

Let's All Do the Chicken Dance!

Araucana Chicken. Photo by Kat Thomas.

While I was on the Big Island I spent copious amounts of time with chickens (which is evident by the amount of fowl photography on my iPhone)!  During my time at the organic farm I was in charge of taking care of this fine feathered friends from watering and feeding them in the morning to opening their hutches for their afternoon walks to making sure they were secure and protected from mongooses at night.

Buff Orpingtons. Photo by Kat Thomas.

In the beginning I was scared I would get pecked by my co-workers, but in reality most of the chicken scattered as soon as they saw this new stranger approaching.  But once they got to know me a little more they were super affectionate and would allow me to give gentle stroking pets on their backs.

Rainbow Eggs. Photo by Kat Thomas.

Chickens are funny birds!  When I would ride the tractor in the fields they would follow me grabbing seeds and bugs that were scattered around in my wake (this is where I learned the true origin of the car racing game “chicken,” instead of running away the hens would stare me down until I was forced to veer away (at which time they would promptly move).  

Rhode Island Red.  Photo by Kat Thomas.

Another crazy thing about chickens: they take baths in dust!  They care for their feathers and skin by digging shallow ditches in the driest dustiest dirt and then toss it onto themselves.  The dirt coats their feathers and settles next to their skin, absorbing excess moisture and oil.  At the end of a dust bath, the dirt is shaken off and the chicken proceeds to preen and groom its feathers back into place.

Photo by Kat Thomas.

At my farm in Hawi there were three main types of chickens:  Araucanas, Rhode Island Reds, and Buff Orpingtons.  All heritage chicken breeds.  All which laid different colored eggs.  When I would collect the eggs the basket would contain what looked like lightly dyed Easter eggs!   Each chicken type had its ins and outs:

Plymouth Rock Chicken.  Photo by Kat Thomas.

ARAUCANA:
Chilean in origin, where they are thought to have been bred by the Araucanian Indians. Super popular at Farmers Markets they are known for their blue/green eggs!  Plumage varies in combinations of black, silver, brown white, and gold. Some Araucanas have tufts or crests, or lack a tail.

RHODE ISLAND RED:
Rhode Island Reds are held in such high esteem that they're the official Rhode Island state bird.  They were once hugely popular on small American farms, but fell out of favor as farms got larger.  Today they’re making quite a heritage fowl comeback.  Rhode Island Reds are known for being the do-everything bird: they lay exceptionally well (brown eggs), are very hardy, and they're valued for their meat (but not at this farm since their chickens were only used for egg production!).

BUFF ORPINGTON:
One of the most popular American farm chickens during the late 1800's and early 1900's.  They are known for their bright gold plumage, excellent egg production (these were usually pinkish brown), and exceptionally tasty meat (but, once again, not at the farm).  These birds are known for their personality, along with their beauty (and their fluffy chicken bottoms!).