Hot Shots - May 6, 2022
Hot Shots - May 6, 2022
Severin R-B Danieli
Hello all,
Happy May!
April showers definitely brought some May flowers here on the coast, however, we are still getting serious May showers... May showers bring June flowers? Yeah - that works! Just making lemonade over here.
My mom and I went to the Yoko Ono exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery this past week and it was an interesting experience, I'll say that much. It was very interactive, provocative and louder than any exhibit I have ever attended.
This month is an exciting one, as May is Fairtrade month! That being said, this weeks Hot Shots will be geared specifically to the benefits of choosing products that are Fairtrade certified, produce that we have in house that is fair trade, and a little history on what Fairtrade even is!
"Fairtrade is a global organization working to secure a better deal for small-scale farmers and workers. The Fair Trade Mark is one of the world’s most recognized and trusted ethical product labels. It indicates that the producer at the start of the supply chain was paid and treated fairly"
The main event of Fairtrade (FT) at Disco is our FT organic bananas from Coliman.
These come up to Disco from Mexico in 20 pallet containers, are unloaded by our Banana Boys & QC/Receiving team and whisked away to the banana coolers. There they are ripened as needed, to stage 2/3 or 4/5 most commonly for our dear customers.
Coliman states on their website that their 'goal is to be the most socially and environmentally conscious organic banana grower in the world'. We are proud to carry these bananas, as they not only taste great, but have a social and environmentally conscious producer.
Outlined below is a bit of information on the benefits of choosing FT bananas.
Pictured above is the banana ripening stages we use here at Disco.
FT heirloom tomatoes from Wholesum Organic.
Heirloom tomatoes are sought after for their unique aesthetic beauty, distinctive texture and vibrant colours. Some of the varieties that make up these 11# flats are black cherry, black krim, brandywine and chocolate stripe.
Wholesum is family owned and operated for three generations, grows produce in both Mexico and the USA, is certified organic, sustainably grown and certified FT.
Zukes!
Also from Wholesum - these dark green beauties are great for stir-frying, stuffing, grilling or adding raw to a salad. My favourite way to prepare zucchini is grilled on the BBQ with tons of seasoning.
Zucchini's are the great great grandkids of the first squashes that were domesticated in Mesoamerica over 7,000 years ago. However, the zucchini we see today in the grocery store or backyard gardens, were bred in Milan in late 19th century.
Gaining commercial success in the USA, zucchini's hit the scene on the menu at Cafe Marcell in the 1920's, and made several appearances in the LA Times's food features
Green beans from Covilli - certified FT and organic.
Covilli is another farm that supplies Disco with a variety of produce - from pineapples to tomatoes to eggplants.
Founded in the 1970's, by Terry Poiriez and his co-founders Ernesto Moreno and Susan Solis, Covilli converted their conventional farm to organic in 1992. Located in the Sonora desert next to the Sea of Cortez in Guaymas, Covilli boasts not only 100% organic, but also 100% FT certified for all fresh produce.
'Truly organic, truly fair'
Ginger.
A wonderful superfood, adds a kick to any dish or drink, and is one of the most popular items we have here at Disco. Available in 38# cases, as pictures above, or in 3# splits, ginger is a hot commodity.
La Grama, the ginger producer we work with in Peru, and they describe the growth process of ginger so poetically, "it is sowed, harvested and packed in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest where the soil and climate, combined with its remote location, enable the skilled and dedicated farmers to grow the freshest and most natural organic yellow ginger."
La Grama was founded in 2006 by three former organic inspectors, and is a wonderful supplier to Disco.
And finally, the classic long english cuke.
These 12ct cucumbers from Divine Flavor are certified FT and organic. Divine became certified organic in 2006, and then achieved FT certified in 2009.
With summer incoming, these refreshing botanical fruits are a must have. The recipe options are endless with cukes, but my favourite is always a classic green salad with balsamic vinaigrette, or a Greek salad alongside feta, olives and all the goodies. Ooh, speaking of Greek, a fresh tzatziki dip and spanakopita?! What is more delicious!
Two products that I needed to give a quick shout out to that just arrived in the warehouse are fava beans from Coke Farms in 25# from California, and apricots (YAY!) from Homegrown in 80/88ct boxes also from California.
We will dive more into these to items in the weeks to come - so get excited!
Happy Fairtrade month again, everyone!
We are very proud here at Disco to be partnered with great farmers, vendors and passionate consumers that care deeply about all that FT highlights and tirelessly works on.
The key issues that Fairtrade Canada focuses on are:
Human Rights
Decent Livelihoods
Child Labour
Forced Labour
Gender Equality
Workers' Rights
Thanks for reading along this week and joining us in celebrating Fairtrade month here! We look forward to chatting with you soon, and remember, whenever you are talking with a Disco sales team member, ask about FT items we have!
Big love,
Severin R-B Danieli