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[Food For Thought]
is published quarterly by the Massachusetts Specialty Foods Association
(800) 813-5862
www.msfa.net
October 2004
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in this issue....
-- Letter From the President
-- A Foodie - Member Profile
-- Green Plate Special: MSFA Annual Meeting, 2004
-- On the Menu - MSFA Calendar of Events
-- The Food Network: Networking Events
-- Just Desserts! Members in the Spotlight
-- Member Participation
-- Member FYI
-- New Product Announcements
-- The Salt of the Earth - New Members, Renewals and Up= coming Renewals
-- Contact Information
Letter From the President
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![](3D"http://www.mygrandma.com/images/RSGroup.jpg")
Standing left to right, front row: Mimi Santiago, Jennifer Drumm, Traci Grady,
Robin O'Connor, Janese Hunt
Second Row: Randy Rogers, Jeremy Davis, Walter Pansuk, Ed Suleski,
David O'Sullivan
Dear MSFA Members,
There is much good news to share in this October issue of "Food for Thought"! I would like to highlight three items of note:
1. The MSFA warmly welcomes Rogers-Suleski & Associates, LLC, Certified Public Accountants, as our second Corporate Sponsor. The firm is located in Needham, MA, and serves both individuals and companies, focusing on giving quality attention to the needs of clients. Please peruse the following profile on Rogers-Suleski & Assoc. and consider this fine firm for your accounting needs.
2. The MSFA Annual Meeting is fast approaching (Nov. 9), and we can look forward to another fabulous evening at The Lanam Club in Andover. See "Green Plate Special" in this issue of "Food for Thought" for all the details and registration form. A special treat this year will be our keynote speaker - Jane Dornbusch, Food Editor at The Boston Herald. Also, we will be entertained during dinner by the jazz piano of Sean Hurley, MSFA member. Please note that this year we are offering the opportunity for members to reserve space for company displays during the Networking Hour >from 6-7. Set up for the displays is from 5-6PM, and reservations for display space will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis (there are about 20 spaces available.) Be sure to send in your reservation as soon as possible in order to reserve a space for your company's display. The deadline for all reservations is Oct. 30. You will be receiving a formal invitation in the mail as well.
3. Please note the "New Product Announcement" section of this issue for information on the new "A Taste of Massachusetts" gift baskets. These four beautiful baskets are made up exclusively of MSFA members' products and are being sold by Pemberton Farms, MSFA Associate Member. Note the website address for ordering the baskets, and be sure to tell all your friends and family about the baskets for holiday giving and gifts. Many thanks to Pemberton Farms for giving the MSFA a generous donation on every basket sold.
I look forward to seeing all of you at Annual Meeting, 2004!
With warm regards,
Carol Coutrier, President
MSFA
We work closely with business owners to provide tax planning and compliance services for all forms of business operations, including sole proprietorships, corporations, partnerships and limited liability companies. In addition, we perform audits, reviews and compilations of financial statements, as well as accounting and controllership support to growing businesses. Of particular concern to us is to understand our clients' unique situations and to be accessible, attentive and responsive to their needs.
While there are many public accounting firms to choose from, our partners and staff include individuals who have worked outside public accounting, and who therefore understand first-hand the demands of running a business. We are proud that our clients look to us as trusted advisors, not only in the tax and accounting arenas, but also in matters of general business and personal financial matters.
We are proud to be a corporate sponsor of the MSFA, and welcome you to visit our website at www.rogers-suleski.com, or call Ed Suleski at (781) 444-5500 x151, if you would like to learn more about us.
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A Foodie - Member Profile
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Associate Member Profile
MICROBAC LABORATORIES, INC. - A HISTORY OF SOLUTIONS
Microbac has been providing food and water microbiology testing and consultation to clients across the U.S. for more than 30 years. The company's first endeavor was a dairy products laboratory in Pittsburgh that served the Southwest Pennsylvania dairy industry for more than 50 years. That first laboratory is just one of a network of divisions that have expanded to include a range of services to the food, water and environmental industries.
Microbac has grown steadily and strategically, establishing a proven record of accurate results, exceptional service and rapid turnaround. Our laboratories typically perform more than 20,000 tests a day for thousands of clients from coast to coast. We provide independent analyses to private individuals and public municipalities, small manufacturers and Fortune 500 food companies, fruit and produce growers, packing and processing plants, retail and wholesale food retailers, national fast food restaurants and worldwide food service and hospitality companies.
Today's food industry is an essential part of our economy, employing many thousands of workers at all levels. It is vitally interested in the quality and safety of all its products and processes. That's why more and more food industry professionals are turning to Microbac as an essential factor in their production and distribution of quality food items.
For many of our clients, we are the Quality Control department, providing the speed of response and immediacy of communication they would expect from an in-house laboratory - without the cost or hassle of operating it themselves. Highly skilled food chemists, microbiologists, sanitarians and field service technicians can perform a full range of analyses from the routine to the exotic or unusual.
Our business is to assure clients of the quality, purity and content of their food products, and we work hard to achieve that goal. That may mean modifying or even developing tests and methods to satisfy a client's unique requirements, or working through the night to finish tests in response to a client's emergency. It's that kind of experience and integrity that our clients have come to expect from Microbac, after all, their quality is our business.
Microbac is a full service analytical and testing laboratory group that has served some of the biggest names in the food industry. But all our client's testing needs are a priority regardless of their size, so we bring our best resources to bear on each account. We approach each of our client's testing requirements with only the latest methods, the most up-to-date equipment, and the backing that comes with and impressive slate of accreditations and affiliations.
Microbac is a member of the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL), and is certified through its Pittsburgh division with the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). The company maintains memberships with many other organizations, including the Association of Official Analytical Chemists, American Chemical Society, and Institute of Food Technologists. Microbac holds certifications from the USDA-FSIS, FDA, EPA (in many states), The American Oil Chemists Society (for edible fat and gas chromatography analysis), DHS & CDFA (for pesticides), and many others.
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Green Plate Special: MSFA Annual Meeting, 2004
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The Lanam Club, Andover,
MA
NOV. 9, 2004, 6-9 PM
THE LANAM CLUB IN ANDOVER
The MSFA is pleased to welcome Jane Dornbusch, Food Editor of The Boston Herald, as our keynote speaker at the MSFA Annual Meeting, 2004. MSFA members and their guests are cordially invited to attend our Annual Meeting on Tues., Nov. 9, 2003, 6- 9PM, at the Lanam Club in Andover, MA, and to meet and hear our honored guest and keynote speaker.
The Lanam Club has been described as "a unique and splendorous meeting place for business and professional persons and their guests." The house, originally called "Orlando,"was built in 1916, and its beautifully elegant interiors and lovely gardens and terraces have been carefully maintained and preserved. MSFA members will have use of the entire house for the evening.
Several additional special treats are in store for Annual Meeting attendees this year. In addition to enjoying the elegant setting, we will experience the culinary delights of Lanam Club Chef Soren Christiansen. Soren has been a supporter of Massachusetts Specialty Foods for several years and will prepare delicious dishes using our MSFA members' products in the recipes. MSFA Members will have the opportunity to set up company displays that may be viewed by Annual Meeting attendees during the Cocktails and Networking hour >from 6-7 PM.
Reservations for display space will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please send in your registration as soon as possible in order to reserve a space for your company's display.
MSFA Annual Meeting, 2004, Schedule of Events:
5-6 PM - Set up of Company Displays
6-7 PM - Cocktails, Appetizers, Networking, Members' Displays
7-8 PM - Dinner by Lanam Club Chef, Soren Christiansen, featuring MSFA Members' Products. Entertainment by MSFA board member, Sean Hurley , (Hurley's Boston Soda Breads), jazz pianist.
8-9 PM - Annual Meeting, Speakers, Special Guests , Corporate Sponsors and Recognition Ceremony:
Member Presentation - Sean Hurley, Hurley's Boston Soda Breads
Special Guests
=09=09Kent Lage, Assistant Commissioner, Dept. of Agricultural Resources
=09Jane Dornbusch, Food Editor, The Boston Herald - Keynote Speaker
Please send in your check for $45.00 per person along with the RSVP Registration form by October 30, 2004.
Click here for registration form.
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On the Menu - MSFA Calendar of Events
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The Food Network: Networking Events
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Just Desserts! Members in the Spotlight
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MSFA Members Donate Products for "Goody Bags" for "Chefs Harvest Dinners to Benefit the Boston Public Market"
A fundraising dinner, "Chefs Harvest Dinners to Benefit the Boston Public Market" was held on Sept. 21, 2004 at 17 top Boston area restaurants, and MSFA members donated their products for the "goody bags". The bags were placed at each table, one for each guest, as well as for each chef. The products were placed in beautiful organza gift bags with satin pulls, each containing a card with a listing of companies and contact information.
MSFA members who generously donated 200 items each included: Goddess Granola, Sampsons, Carolyn's Gourmet, Carlson Orchards, Notting Hall, the Place for Tea, Regenie's Crunchy Pitas, and Deborah's Kitchen.
Restaurants participating in the fundraiser included:
Caffe Umbra, Boston Clio, Boston
East Coast Grill, Cambridge
Flora, Arlington
Great Bay, Boston
Grill 23 & Bar, Boston
Hamersley's Bistro, Boston
Icarus, Boston
L'espalier, Boston
No. 9 Park, Boston
Oleana, Cambridge
Radius, Boston
Rialto, Cambridge
The Summer Shack, Boston
Tremont 647, Boston
Upstairs on the Square, Cambridge
Via Matta, Boston
Many thanks to the MSFA members who helped make this event a spectacular success!
Whole Foods has approved Goodbaker for sale in the New England stores.
Please make special product requests if you'd like to see Goodbaker mixes at your local WFM. Goodbaker will be exhibiting at the Boston Vegetarian Food Festival.
MSFA Members Exhibit at MA Marketplace
Several MSFA members exhibited and sampled their products at MA Marketplace in July. MA Marketplace was sponsored by The MA Horticultural Society along with the MA Dept. of Ag. Resources and the MSFA.
MSFA members who exhibited at the event included: Deborah's Kitchen, The Warren Farm and Sugarhouse, Goodbaker, Carlson Orchards, Coutts Specialty Foods, Aisha's Termis, .Thoreau Foods, and Best of the Bay State.
MSFA Members Donate Products for MA Marketplace Vendors
MSFA members donated products for the vendors at MA Marketplace in July at Elm Bank Reservation, home of the MA Horticultural Society, and provided welcome refreshments throughout the day. Many thanks to the following MSFA member contributors: Equal Exchange, Carolyn's Gourmet, Stacy's Pita Chip Co., Jacqui Senn's Cookies, Notting Hall, The Place for Tea, and Zoe Foods.
Goddess Granola was featured in the Sept. 4, 2004 edition of The Boston Phoenix
"Noshing & Sipping" section, in an article titled "Goddess Granola A Heavenly Treat".
MSFA members Classic Cakes by Diane and Deborah's Kitchen were two of seven companies >from Nuestra Culinary Ventures awarded contracts for the Democratic National Convention. Congratulations!
Kellies Candies was featured in an article titled "Sweetness and Life" on the front page of the "City and Region" section of the August 30, 2004, Boston Globe.
Carolyn's Gourmet and Cape Cod Provisions were featured in the July, 2004, issue of Gourmet News in conjunction with the Summer Fancy Food Show.
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Franklin County CDC
Invites you to our 25th ANNIVERSARY Open House and Annual Meeting
Friday, November 5, 2004
4:00 to 7:00 pm
At the Venture Center, 324 Wells Street
Greenfield, Massachusetts
4:00 - 7:00 Open House
*Meet and network with CDC clients and fellow community members
* Taste food samples from CDC members
* See and learn about businesses that have worked with the CDC
* Tour the Food Processing Center and Venture Center
* Get updates on our projects
5:30 Annual Meeting, featuring:
*CDC Board of Directors
* Photo Exhibit
*Franklin County Entrepreneurs
* Local Legislators
Free admission with each paid membership
Additional attendees, $5 donation requested
R.S.V.P.: johnw@fccdc.org or 413-774-7204 ext. 100
MSFA Pavilion at the New England Foodservice & Lodging Show
April 10-12, 2005, Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Boston , MA
MSFA members get a discounted space rate to exhibit at the New England Foodservice & Lodging Exposition (NEFS)! We're excited to report the show is 89% sold and we're adding new features every day to draw even MORE qualified foodservice buyers than ever before! NEFS '05 is not the year to miss. If you're interested in reserving space in the MSFA pavilion, or simply want to inquire about NEFS please don't hesitate to call Hilary Manning at 207-842-5563 or email her at hmanning@divcom.com. When you call / email don't forget to ask about:
* Our Key Buyer program
* Expanded StarChefs demonstration / conferences
* New pavilions at NEFS
* Extremely visible New Product Showcase location
* How the NEFS team can help you market your presence in advance to thousands of buyers.
* Sample lists of 2004 attendees
We're excited to continue our work with the MSFA and look forward to a larger MSFA pavilion than ever before!
Setting the Table: Tools and techniques for a sustainable food system
The 2004 Northeast SARE conference will be held in Burlington, Vermont on October 20 and 21, 2004, with a thematic emphasis on regional food systems. There will be workshops on marketing, ecological production, policy and planning, learning from farmers, and sessions on communications in the agricultural community.
A farm tour will precede the conference on October 19. Tours will cover sustainable horticulture, grass-based dairying, small ruminant farmstead cheese, commercial composting, and maple sugaring.
There will also be poster sessions with farmers, researchers, and educators, and the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group will hold a reception and its annual meeting, to which all are welcome.
The keynote speaker for the conference will be Russell Libby, executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, and the closing speaker will be Bill McKibben, author and scholar-in-residence and Middlebury College.
We will also present the Patrick Madden Award, which recognizes outstanding farmers across the nation who have adopted innovative and sustainable practices on their farms.
For more information, visit www.uvm.edu/~nesare/conf.html
Farm direct marketers will "Start a Revolution" in Boston in 2005
In February 2005, more than a thousand farm direct marketers will gather for the annual conference of the North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Association (NAFDMA). The last time this many farmers gathered in Boston, they started a revolution!
The conference will be held on Feb. 11-12, 2005, at the Park Plaza Hotel, which is just a few blocks from the start of the Freedom Trail. It's being held in conjunction with the New England Farmers' Direct Marketing Conference. A trade show with more than 80 vendors will be held in conjunction with the conference; it will be held across the street at the historic Castle at Park Plaza.
The theme of the 20th annual North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Convention is "Start a Revolution." The convention is one of the premiere farm direct marketing events in the world. Past attendees have come from as far as England, Ireland, Japan and Australia. In addition to the conference, the convention will feature pre- and post-conference bus tours and a full-day workshop. The entire event runs from Feb. 7-14, 2005.
The convention rotates to a different part of North America each year; it was last in the Northeast in 1996, when it drew a record 1,400 people to Saratoga Springs, N.Y. This is an opportunity that local farm direct marketers won't want to miss.
The conference will feature nine different tracks; topics include agritourism, business management, retail markets, farmers' markets, local food initiatives and livestock. Another track will take attendees Beyond Fruits & Vegetables, and another will take a close look at Featured Farms. Speakers will feature a mix of local New Englanders and speakers from as far as California, Alberta and the United Kingdom.
The conference will feature several well-known speakers, including: Bruce Baker, jewelry craftsman and salesmanship expert, Craftsbury, Vt.; Chris Fesko, dairy farmer and award-winning videographer, Skaneateles, N.Y.; Marty Jacknis, business management expert and vice president of Calico Cottage Inc., Amityville, N.Y.; John R. Mullin, certified land use planner and director of the Center for Economic Development at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst ; and Susan Wagner, editor of Country Business, St. Charles, Ill.
The pre-conference bus tour will be held Feb. 7-9, 2004. For the first time ever, NAFDMA is offering four different pre-conference bus tour options: Agritourism, On-Farm Retail, Farm Direct Marketing and Farmers' Markets. The farm direct marketing tour will combine different elements of direct marketing; the other three tours will focus on farms or venues specific to the tour title. All will mix in a little tourism, with stops at Yankee Candle Factory in Deerfield, Mass., and Old Sturbridge Village, in Sturbridge, Mass. The increasingly popular pre-conference bus tour (500 people and 11 buses went on the 2004 tour in California) will have a limited number of buses per tour option. Buses will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.
A day of workshops will be held Feb. 10. Workshop topics include: Salesmanship with Bruce Baker; Business Transfers with Attorney Michelle Carron; Business Management Strategies with Marty Jacknis; and School Tours with Chris Fesko and a team from the famed Shelburne Farms in Vermont.
The post-conference bus tour will be held on Feb. 13- 14. The tour will go to New York City for sightseeing and will include a ticket to see The Lion King on Broadway. Stops along the way will be Bishop's Orchards in Guilford, Conn., and Stew Leonard's in Norwalk, Conn.
For convention information, visit www.nafdma.com, e-mail info@nafdma.com or call (413) 529-0386. Registration will be available on-line around Nov. 1. The pre-registration deadline is Jan. 6.
The Boston Vegetarian Society Presents the Ninth Annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival
Saturday, October 23, 2004, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, 1350 Tremont Street, Boston
FREE ADMISSION - FREE VEGGIE FOOD SAMPLING - FREE PARKING
The Boston Vegetarian Society presents the 9th Annual Boston Vegetarian Food Festival on Saturday, October 23, 2004, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. at the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, 1350 Tremont Street, Boston. The longest-running event of its kind in the country, the Festival is FREE to the public. With over 100 exhibitors, the Festival is a full day of fun, good food, and learning! It is a chance to explore and taste free samples of a great variety of delicious, natural vegetarian foods, talk to food exhibitors from all over the country and locally, learn about the latest veg products, and shop at "show special" discounts.
Learn from a stellar line-up of speakers who are top national experts on health and nutrition. Award winning chefs and cookbook authors will teach their recipes and offer free samples of the dishes made. Educational exhibits on compassionate living and environmental friendliness, and a children's activity center will round out the day.
Info: 617-424-8846
Details: www.BostonVeg.org/foodfest
Photos: www.bostonveg.org/foodfest/photos- press.html
(High resolution, suitable for media use)
The Boston Vegetarian Food Festival is FREE to the public and features:
=09*over 100 exhibitors
=09* free food sampling!
=09* grocery and natural foods store exhibits
=09* food producers and new products
=09* cooking demonstrations by noted chefs and cookbook authors
=09* top national speakers
=09* educational exhibits and books
=09* Festival discounted shopping
=09* children's activities
=09* restaurants
=09* exhibitors of products and services which support a vegetarian way of life.
The Boston Vegetarian Society, is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization. The Festival will be held in the Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, 1350 Tremont Street (at New Dudley Street) in Boston, opposite the Roxbury Crossing Orange Line T-stop and local bus lines. There is wheelchair access and ample FREE PARKING.
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Member FYI
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Budgeting and Planning - Laying Out the Roadmap
This time of year, especially if your fiscal year follows the calendar year, many companies are in the midst of putting together their 2005 budget. It is hard to overstate the importance of a well thought-out, aggressive, but realistic budget. After all, the entire enterprise keys off the sales budget - purchasing raw materials, staffing up, trade spending, marketing investments, and capital expenditures are all based on sales expectations. Thus, budgeting and planning are two of the more crucial exercises that, properly done, will serve as a day-to-day roadmap and vital management tool in running your business.
The two basic ways to approach this is "bottoms up" and "top down". Just like it sounds, "bottoms up" means that you itemize expected sales by month by product, by customer and then add planned new business. "Top down" means that you look at the size of your category, its growth and then the market share that you realistically expect to achieve. Taking these two approaches, you can then zero in on your top line sales number for next year.
Ideally, if you have employees and brokers, you should push the budgeting process down to them so that they are co-authors of the plan for which they will be accountable.
As the year begins and you start inserting "actual sales" next to the "budgeted sales" for each customer, you can quickly see where you have the largest variances (positive or negative) so that you can analyze them and understand why.
Prepared by Bob Burke, Natural Products Consulting, 978-975-9902,
BobNPCI@aol.com
www.NPCInstitute.com
www.Bob-Burke.com
Equal Exchange keeps on growing: New jobs, New address, New phone #'s
Dear Friends,
Despite our unorthodox model (or maybe because of it!) our little worker-owned co-op keeps growing, even after 18 years of 30+% annual growth. In fact, we're not quite so little anymore, and have outgrown the building that housed us for the last nine years. As a result Equal Exchange is now the proud owner/occupant of a 70,000 sq. ft. warehouse/office about 25 miles south of Boston, Massachusetts.
Our new address:
Equal Exchange
50 United Drive
West Bridgewater, MA 02379-1026
U.S.A.
My new direct phone number:
774-776-7398
Equal Exchange's new general contact number:
774-776-7400
Our new fax:
508-427-4780
(Yes, that's area code 508, even though it's the same building. Go figure.)
New jobs, too
And we're not just filling this new building with more organic coffee and chocolate bars, but with more employees and future co-op members, too.
For example, right now we're hiring for 4 positions. And over the next 12 months we'll add another 20 positions across almost every department. So please tell any of your friends or relatives who might be interested in employee-ownership and are looking for satisfying work that makes a difference. See our online job board for more information -
www.equalexchange.com/getinvolved/eejobs .htm.%20
You can also be notified of new hiring's (and other news) via our e-mail newsletter that comes out 6 times a year.
You may subscribe at www.equalexchange.com/getinvolved/getinvolved .html
Sincerely,
Rodney North
The Answer Man - information for the public & media
Equal Exchange, Inc. - a worker co-op dedicated to Fair Trade
www.equalexchange.com
Healthy Cookie Company for Sale
We are looking for a buyer for our uniquely healthy and delicious cookie brand. At present, we use a co-packer (commercial bakery) to produce our cookies. This bakery is excellent and the new owner may choose to continue with them (there is no restriction on termination of contract, except 60 day notice, if you should want to move the production to your own bakery or to some other baker). The cookies are sold in market chains, hospitals, coffee houses, and through Amazon.com.
This is a great opportunity for a company or bakery to start or extend their cookie line without paying a tremendous amount of money. We will offer as much support as needed during the first two years after you have bought the brand.
If you are interested, please contact us for more details.
Josephine Ho
FNI Group, LC
T: 508-655-4175
F: 508-655-8816
email: fnigrouplc@comcast.net
Darjeeling Needs Warm Clothing and Books
![](3D"http://www.mygrandma.com/images/darjeeling.jpg")
Residents of Darjeeling, India
Last month I was fortunate to be part of the delegation >from the American Tea Association to travel to India for a personal look at the tea plantations in Darjeeling and Assam. The trip, underwritten in part by the Tea Board of India, was to help offer some insight into the sagging Indian tea industry. This intimate group of 11 was from various companies, but all shared in one passion - tea.
After touring the historical sites in Delhi, it was off to Darjeeling where each day was spent touring a different estate. The experience was phenomenal .. one that will stay in my memory forever. This trip provided me with, not only a glimpse of India, but, more important, an up-close look at life on the tea estates.
The estates are businesses, owned in large part by corporations, but managed by very caring individuals. Although the estates operate year round, plucking takes place nine months out of the year. The bushes lie dormant in the winter. Winters in Darjeeling are very harsh - strong winds, snow, and moisture that just settles into the bones. The estates do provide housing and basic food for the residents, but they don't provide clothing. The homes of the tea pluckers have no central heating systems -- perhaps a small electric or propane heater. Electricity is so fragile, it flickers constantly.
Plucking is only done by women who, on average, earn $1.70 per day - if they meet their required quota. If they exceed their quota and work 7 days, they may earn $14.00 a week. But they do not get paid if they do not pluck; which means there is no income during the harsh winter months. There are jobs on the estates filled by men, but not many. Most men try to find jobs in the villages, with little success. Although estates provide schools for the children, most do not have teachers. A child who wants to attend school must leave home at 5am to walk the 2 or more hours through rugged terrain to reach the main road in the hopes of catching a ride to the nearest school.
Because so many of us make our living selling the tea these women pluck, I feel a responsibility to get involved. Others on this trip feel compelled to take up this cause as well, and together, we might make an impact. If you have good, clean, warm clothing or simple, easy-to-read books and could send them to me, I would be very grateful. I realize this is a lot to ask, but we have so much and they have so little.
Thank you.
Maureen
=09Notting Hall, the Place for Tea - P.O. Box 343, Boston, MA 02137 =09=09=09=09 =09=09781.340.3388
Vertical Form Fill and Seal Machine Available
Carolyn's Gourmet has just installed a "Vertical Form Fill and Seal" machine. I know that in the past several people have shown an interest in using one like that through co-packing. If anyone is in need to use our machine they can call me at 1-978-369-2940 ext.203 and we'll discuss details like price, quantity, timing etc.
Hans Van Putten
Carolyn's Gourmet
News from International Brownie
One of the small businesses that has been with us for a couple years is moving on mid September, therefore we have room and time for another product oriented small business to join us. it's a great location and good size (and price) for some one getting started. Here's what we have!
Our kitchen is approx. 1100sq.ft., two convection ovens, one Vulcan 6 burner/ conventional oven, 2 walk-in freezers, 1 walk-in refrigerator, 80 qt. mixer, 20 qt. mixer, six 6 ft. stainless steel tables, microwave oven, bakers racks and other small wares available to share. Adjacent to our space there is a discount self storage that rents dry storage starting a $35.00/mo for a 5'L x 5'w x 12'h bin.
We are located in Weymouth, 5 min. from route 3 and about 25 min. to Boston. The location is 20 min. to Restaurant Depot(Needham) and 5 min.to B.J.'s, Stop & Shop, & Shaw's for those quick little trips
We are currently charging a flat rate per month, plus a portion of the utilities divided between all the users. And for all those micro- businesses out there, we are also giving daily rates, but all the licensing, insurance and Safe Serve certificate are still required.
Thanks a lot,
Sue Bisignano
International Brownie
781.340.1588
Dadgar Insurance Agency offers Employee Benefits and Health Insurance Options for MSFA Members
Dadgar Insurance Agency, MSFA Corporate Sponsor, is in the process of negotiating with Dadgar Financial Group to provide services for MSFA members in the area of employee benefits and specialty group medical benefits .More information on these Value Added products will appear in the January MSFA newsletter.
BostonChefs.com Presents Flavors of Fall
(Cambridge, Mass, October 8, 2004) BostonChefs.com, Boston's premiere fine dining web portal, is pleased to announce their first annual Flavors of Fall, a fundraising food event celebrating New England's bountiful fall harvest with delicacies from Cambridge's most talented chefs. Hosted at the Regattabar in the Charles Hotel, Cambridge members of BostonChefs.com like Rialto, Henrietta's Table, Chez Henri, Rustic Kitchen, and Harvest will be serving gourmet hors d'oeuvres and delicious confections. These tasty treats will be accompanied by wine and beer from some of BostonChefs.com's favorite purveyors.
Proceeds from the event support Project PlayGroup-a community-based organization that provides an array of child and family services in the City of Cambridge. The event is being co-sponsored by City Square Associates, Inc., a Cambridge-based marketing research and consulting firm.
Details are as follows:
Who: BostonChefs.com and Cambridge's most talented chefs
What: Flavors of Fall fundraiser
When: Monday, November 15th; 5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Where: Regattabar in the Charles Hotel
One Bennett Street, Cambridge, Mass.
Why: To enjoy great food and support Project PlayGroup
Tickets cost $50 per person and include food, wine, and beer.
For more information, visit BostonChefs.com's restaurant news page (
www.BostonChefs.com/rest_news), or call
617.441.8600 for tickets.
About BostonChefs.com
Founded in 1999, BostonChefs.com is an invitation-only
showcase of the area's top chefs and their cuisine.
Whether in search of a great restaurant or leisurely
perusing the gallery of stunning color photos of chefs'
signature dishes, visitors to the site find
BostonChefs.com to be both a fun and functional guide
to fine dining in the Boston area. In addition to the
unique food photography, the site features chef bios,
menus, basic restaurant information, culinary news, and
upcoming events.
About Project PlayGroup
Project PlayGroup is a collaboration between the
Cambridge Center for Families and the Child Care
Resource Center. The program is designed to
strengthen intra-family relationships, build inter-
neighborhood communities, and give those most in need
access to a host of child and family services.
About City Square Associates
Established by BostonChefs.com co-founder Chris
Schiavone, City Square Associates is a consumer
research and organizational development consulting
practice with both local and national clients in the
media and entertainment industries, the financial
services field, and the not-for-profit and public sectors.
Nancy Civetta
Civetta Comunicazioni
Cambridge, MA 02139
T: 617/577-8098
F: 617/876-9233
E:
nancy@civettacom.com
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New Product Announcements
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Taste of Massachusetts Gift Baskets
MSFA members' products are featured exclusively in the 4 new "A Taste of Massachusetts" gift baskets offered by Pemberton Farms. Many thanks to MSFA members Lars Mohlin and Tom Saidnawey of Pemberton Farms, Alison Chateauneuf of Coutts Specialty Foods and Ellen Callaway of Callaway Photo for coordinating this effort.
The baskets are showcased on the Pemberton Farms website and are available just in time for holiday ordering. These beautiful "A Taste of Massachusetts" Baskets offer a wonderful solution for holiday and gift giving and allow you to support your fellow MSFA members at the same time! Spread the word and forward this information to your family and friends! Pemberton Farms is making a generous donation to the MSFA on each basket sold. Thanks so much, Pemberton Farms, for your support of the MSFA!
To view the individual baskets and for ordering information: www.pembertonfarms.com click onto "New England Foods", then "A Taste of Massachusetts" or go to www.pembertonfarms.com/products/dsp_product Links.cfm?pcID=3D30&catID=3D4
MSFA Members and their products represented in the baskets include:
Salt Water Taffy - Boston Box from Cabot's Candy
Sparkling Cider from Carlson Orchards
Sweet and Salty Pecan from Carolyn's Gourmet
Sweet Red Pepper Relish from Coutts Specialty Foods
Genuine Granola from Goddess Granola
Smoothie Booster! from Thoreau Foods
Massachusetts Rubies from Deborah's Kitchen
Red Roasted Peppers Sauce from Ms. Cellaneous
Honey from Reseska Apiaries
Pita Chips from Stacy's Pita Chips
Sweet and Spicy Nuts from Sampsons
Cranberry Bog Frogs from Cape Cod Provisions
Maple Syrup in Maple Leaf Shaped Bottle from The Warren Farm
Italian Almond Crunch from Tre Noci
Cranberry Chutney from Coastal Classics
Creamy American Salad Dressing from Mondi Enterprises
Original Nutritional Dressing from Legere's
Soy Cookies from FNI
Cocolate Dipped Biscotti from Bernadette Baking Corp.
Tea from Notting Hall Teas
Milk Chocolate Covered Cranberries from Cape Cod Provisions
Fudge from Rosa's Candies
Seafood Seasoning from Victoria Gourmet
EQUAL EXCHANGE RAISES THE CHOCOLATE BAR
New Gourmet Organic Fair Trade Certified Chocolate Bars Offer Small Farmers A Better Deal, And Consumers A Feel-Good Indulgence
WEST BRIDGEWATER, MA-September 14th, 2004- Equal Exchange announces today the introduction of their new line of three gourmet, organic, Fair Trade Certified chocolate bars. These bars are distinct for combining the famous Swiss standards for chocolate- making with the most socially and environmentally responsible ingredient-sourcing possible. The result is a win-win-win for chocolate lovers, for small farmers, and for the Earth.
Equal Exchange, already the nation's market leader in Fair Trade specialty coffee, is proud to bring the benefits of the Fair Trade model to thousands of small- scale cocoa farmers in the Dominican Republic and Peru and to small-scale sugar growers in Costa Rica and Paraguay. The chocolate bars also mark the latest development in the quickly growing Fair Trade specialty foods market.
VARITIES - DISTRIBUTION - SRP
Retailers will have three popular varieties of the 3.5 ounce bars to choose from: Milk Chocolate (38% cocoa); Dark Chocolate with Almonds (55% cocoa); and Very Dark Chocolate (71% cocoa).
The chocolate bars will be available to retailers nationwide on October 1st through America's largest distributor of natural foods, United Natural Foods, Inc.
http://www.unfi.com/. Retailers may locate the bars in UFNI's October monthly special catalog. The minimum order is 1 case of 12 bars. The SRP is $2.99.
FAIR TRADE
Thanks to Fair Trade these farmers receive a higher, more reliable price for their crops and gain vital support for their cooperatives - the key to broad-based, sustainable economic development in their communities. The black and white Fair Trade Certified seal - issued by the Oakland based non-profit organization, TransFair USA - that appears on the wrapper also guarantees to consumers that no exploited child labor or slave labor was used on these farms, and that the standards of the International Labor Organization have been upheld. In the U.S., only TransFair USA may certify a product as fairly traded. www.transfairusa.org
Since Equal Exchange helped introduce Fair Trade products to the nation's specialty coffee industry in 1986 Fair Trade has become an established segment of the coffee market, with a reputation for high quality. In recent years more than 200 U.S. coffee companies have adopted the practice, at least in part, and nationwide sales for the Fair Trade coffee category have been growing 60 to 100 percent annually. Successful Fair Trade products have also been introduced in new categories, including premium tea, cocoa, and fresh tropical fruits.
100% ORGANIC INGREDIENTS - GROWTH OF ORGANIC MARKET
100% of the chocolate bars' ingredients, including the top grade cocoa beans, sugar, milk powder, almonds, and vanilla, are certified organic. USDA regulations for organic farming forbid the use of synthetic chemical herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers, or the use of genetically-modified crops. In Latin America, organic farming methods help farmers to maintain safer, non- toxic working and living environments for themselves and their families. Organic cocoa farming also minimizes soil erosion, protects biodiversity and helps to maintain the winter habitat for millions of migratory song-birds. After six years of 17 to 21 percent growth the U.S. organic foods market grew another 20% in 2003, topping $10 billion, according to the Organic Trade Association. This compares to total U.S. food sales growth of only 2 to 4% per year.
www.ota.com/news/press/141.html
To create this line of all-organic chocolate bars, Equal Exchange has expanded its network of farmer cooperative suppliers and relies upon the expertise of a venerable Swiss chocolate manufacturer. The chocolate bars contain no artificial ingredients, emulsifiers, hydrogenated oils, or corn syrup.
To bring out a richer cocoa flavor the Dominican and Peruvian farmers cultivate criollo, forestero, and trinitario cocoa trees and carefully ferment the beans for six to ten days immediately after harvest. Most cocoa destined for mass-market products does not undergo this laborious procedure. The beans are then sun-dried for two to three days and carefully hand- sorted to ensure they have the desired flavor characteristics and are of a consistent high quality.
OFFERING AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO GLOBAL TRADE
America's $13 billion chocolate industry has yet to adopt the Fair Trade system despite the availability of Fair Trade Certified cocoa and the industry's continuing need to resolve the problems around child labor on West African cocoa farms, source of 70% of the world's cocoa.
"We believe that our new line of chocolate bars provides a positive example to others in the industry, and we hope that, through our success, these bars will spur others to follow our Fair Trade model." - Rob Everts, Equal Exchange co-executive director
These chocolate bars offer a unique, empowering model of global trade. They represent the efforts of an employee-owned and controlled cooperative, Equal Exchange, to bring a high quality, competitive product to market and share the benefits of international trade as equitably as possible. Eight small farmer cocoa, sugar and dairy cooperatives in five countries, as well as a worker cooperative in Canada, will participate in the success of these chocolate bars.
Equal Exchange, the pioneer and U.S. market leader in Fair Trade coffee since 1986, is a full service provider of high quality, organic coffee, tea, cocoa powder, hot cocoa mix and chocolate to retailers and food service establishments. Major customers include Kroger, Safeway, Shaw's, Stop & Shop, and Hannaford supermarkets, natural food stores, consumer food cooperatives, caf=E9s and restaurants. 100% of Equal Exchange products are fairly traded, benefiting 27 small farmer cooperatives in 14 countries around the world.
Organic cocoa farmer, Sr. Serpa, with Equal Exchange co-executive director, Rob Everts, in the Rio Apur=EDmac Valley, Peru, August 2004
Contact: Rodney North
rnorth@equalexchange.com
50 United Drive, West Bridgewater, MA 02379 USA
774-776-7398
www.equalexchange.com
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The Salt of the Earth - New Members, Renewals and Up=
coming Renewals
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MSFA Members Who Have
Renewed
Tre Noci Almond Crunch
To 7/05
Aunt Sue Sue's
To 8/05
Goddess Granola
To 6/05
FNI Group, LC
To 8/05
Mondi Enterprises
To 9/05
Coastal Classics
To 9/05
Orleans Packing Company
To 9/05
Aisha's Termis
To 9/05
Victoria Gourmet
To 6/05
Okinawa Sushi Catering
To 10/05
Upcoming Renewals
October
Blooming Batches
Mother's, Inc.
November
Aptech Graphics
Cabots Candy
Coutts Specialty Foods
Creative Labels of VT
Equal Exchange, Inc.
International Brownie
Macaran Printed products
Shootflying Hill Sauce Company
Sylvia P. Glick,. Attorney at Law
December
Boston Nut Roasters
Jacqui Senn's Cookies
Microbac Laboratories, Inc.
My Grandma's of New England
Newland Farm, Inc.
January
Blueberry Hill Organics
Cheesecakes, Etc.
Cape Cod Provisions
Dessert Crafters, Inc.
Fancypants Bakery
Merienda, LLC
Ms Cellaneous
Hot Mamas
Indigo Coffee Roasters
Myron's Fine Foods
New Salem Teabread Co
OH Company
The Beancake Factory, LLC
The Very Big Cookies Co.
Western MA Food Processing Center
**Producer Members: Please send your renewal check
of $125.00 to MSFA, P.O. Box 551, Sudbury, MA
01776
**Associate Members: Please send your renewal check
of $200.00 to MSFA P.O. Box 551, Sudbury, MA 01776.
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Contact Information
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MISSION STATEMENT OF THE MSFA
The Massachusetts Specialty Foods Association serves
as a resource to and an advocate for the
Massachusetts Specialty food industry, to support the
commitment to excellence and the entrepreneurial spirit
that contributes to the uniqueness and quality of
Massachusetts specialty foods.
The MSFA provides education, networking and peer
support, sales and marketing opportunities, publicity
and
technical assistance for our members and their
customers so that member companies may grow and
flourish, thereby strengthening and improving the long
term viability of the food and farm sector of the
Massachusetts economy.
MSFA Board Members:
PRESIDENT: Carol Coutrier, The Launching Pad &
Co.
VICE PRESIDENT: Bruce Mills, My Grandma's of New
England
TREASURER: Ed Suleski, Rogers - Suleski &
Associates, LLC
CLERK: Myron Becker, Myron's Fine Foods
SECRETARY: Ellen Callaway, Callaway
Photo
~ Larry Berk,
Bohoy Design ~ Sean Hurley, SMH Foods,
Inc.~
~ Alison Chateauneuf,
Coutts Specialty Foods
~ Matt
Morse, Hot Mama's ~
~ Bonita Oehlke,
MA
Dept. of Food and Agriculture
~ Mark Sampson, Sampson's Nuts ~
~ Lee Busch, Goodbaker ~
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Contact the Editor:
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email: ccoutrier@aol.com
voice: 800-813-5862
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