Black History Month
February is Black History Month! Why not celebrate by trying out some of the products on our shelves from Black-owned businesses?
Flora manufactures and distributes premium health products prepared with botanicals from sustainable, organic farmlands. Their award-winning supplements blend traditional wisdom and modern science by incorporating full-spectrum plant constituents and utilizing certified organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, soy- free, and kosher materials whenever possible.
Denise Woodard’s life changed when she discovered that her daughter had many dietary restrictions. Frustrated when she searched the grocery aisles for products her daughter could eat, she created her own solution, Partake Foods. Partake Foods strives to be more than a snack company. They want to give their customers the peace of mind to partake in delicious foods without worrying about allergens or dietary restrictions. The company also works with nonprofits like Blessings in a Backpack to give back.
Nadine’s Kitchen
Local artist and chef Grace Love started Nadine’s kitchen (named for her mother) to honor her parents by pairing art and food: I started Nadine’s Kitchen in 2014 as the catalyst for this idea of helping the arts. A for-profit nonprofit. As years went on, I could never qualify for traditional lending and even the programs said to help make it truly difficult. If I was gonna do it, it’d have to be unconventional.
Check out her website at https://www.gracelove.co/nkitchen, where you can also make a donation to help her create a mobile kitchen space.
We carry Grace’s Soul Drop Biscuit Mix at the Co-op, made with love and Finnriver organic whole-wheat flour.
Alaffia
Alaffia grew out of West African soil in 1996, when a young man from Togo met a young woman from rural Washington State. Inspired by a shared calling to do right by the world, they created Alaffia. Founded in 2003, Alaffia continues to redefine the natural products industry through its values of beauty, equality, and empowerment, making safe and efficacious products for hair, face, and body care.
Woodbridge Farm
Woodbridge Farm isn’t quite ready yet to sell to the Co-op, but we look forward to that day. The 24-acre farm is located along a salmon stream in the fertile Chimacum Valley. Woodbridge was purchased in 2018 by Peter Mustin, one of rural Jefferson County’s only Black farmers. As a steward of the land, Peter’s vision for Woodbridge Farm is to cultivate community while caring for the soil, growing good food and flowers, and providing space for Black, Indigenous, and people of color to experience the life-affirming bounty nature provides.
One of the biggest hurdles facing Peter is financing the cleanup of the property to prepare it for farming. Check out his website and donate to help the cleanup at https://www.woodbridgefarm.net.
Jefferson County Antiracist Fund
Another way to celebrate Black History Month might be to donate to JCARF, which funds individual BIPOC needs such as access to wellness treatments or therapies; access to educational opportunities; bills or expenses; emergencies; family support; access to healing or traditional foods; transportation; and access to land.
You can donate at https://www.jcarf.org/about.
Read and Listen to Black History Month
Exploring the experiences of Black Americans is another way to honor Black History Month. Check out these articles, podcasts, and books—including a great sci-fi novel by N.K. Jemisin!
MasterClass, the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world's best across a wide range of subjects, today announced that for the first time ever it will offer free streaming of one of its classes during Black History Month on MasterClass.com and IMDb TV, Amazon's free streaming service.