In this week’s ad, check out the great collection of companies who are committed to more than just making great products. In one way or another, they are working to make a difference.

Note: All quoted prices are in effect through April 23, 2024 at all four Sonoma County Oliver’s Market locations.

Stemple Creek Grass Fed Ground Chuck, $6.99/lb. LOCAL  (Regenerative Agriculture)

Stemple Creek’s goal is to work in harmony with Mother Nature to promote optimal biodiversity that ensures the long-term health and productivity of the ranch. They use regenerative, organic agricultural practices, which means they seek to enhance and rehabilitate their entire ecosystem by focusing on soil health and increasing carbon in their land.

Use Stemple Creek Chuck in this Gourmet Burger Recipe.

Clover Sonoma Organic Milk, 64 oz. Container, $3.79 LOCAL (Certified B Corp/Sustainability)
Clover Sonoma Organic Sour Cream, 16 oz. Container, $2.79 LOCAL (Certified B Corp/Sustainability)

Good things come in renewable materials! Clover Sonoma is the first dairy in the U.S. to switch to a 100% plant-based, renewable carton. Their longstanding support of family nutrition, sustainable family farms, thriving communities, and renewable packaging has helped set the high standard for the dairy industry. It’s a responsibility they take very seriously. It not only impacts how they produce their products, it drives innovation in packaging they then share through educating the communities they love.

Rubicon Cakes, Selected Varieties, 4-Inch Cake, $7.99 (Social Justice)

Rubicon Bakers are turning their lives around with every cake and cupcake they bake. Since 1993, they have helped transform lives by employing and empowering people who need a second chance. Many of their employees have experienced significant barriers to employment, including housing insecurity, incarceration, substance use disorders, and other systemic challenges. Rubicon provides employment so they can change their lives.

Volo Chocolate, Selected Varieties, 2 oz. Bar, $6.99 LOCAL (Sustainable Practices)

Volo produces over 1,200 chocolate bars per week in their production studio in Windsor using local ingredients whenever possible including: Clover Dairy, Petaluma Hill Dairy, Merchant & Miller Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Wolf Coffee. They also have their labels printed in Sonoma County. Their cocoa beans are sourced from the Lachua region from farmers’ associations of growers in Guatemala and from another farmers’ association in Haiti.

Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. Original Blue, $17.99/lb. LOCAL (Sustainable Agriculture)

Because the happiness of their cows depends on healthy diets and land stewardship, sustainability is placed above all else. They harvest methane-powered renewable energy. Water is conserved through innovative reuse and recycling programs and they manage their nutrient-rich pastures with careful attention to erosion control. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, they use farming practices that maximize carbon sequestration. To ensure cow comfort, they’ve recently installed state-of-the-art robotic technology in their two dairy parlors. Their farm has sustained their family for almost four generations. They feel honored, and obliged, to respect it in every way possible. Not only as a legacy to pass along to future generations, but as an example for farming that promotes healthy food and a healthy environment for everyone.

Prime Roots Cracked Pepper Koji-Turkey & Smoked Ham, $14.99/lb. (Sustainable Practices)

During their journey through UC Berkeley, founders Kim and Josh were well aware of our climate crisis, but felt completely powerless against the enormous industries that supported it. Eventually, they realized the one thing they could control: the meat they ate every day. After determining what makes meat, meat (the familiar texture and rich umami), they found a foundation in koji. Their products use less water and create less CO2 than conventional meat, and provide a delicious alternative in the deli case.

Seventh Generation Bathroom Tissue, 12 pack Package, $9.99 (Sustainable Practices)

At Seventh Generation, they are committed to providing effective, safe, bio-based products that are good for the planet and for your family. They believe that business can and should be a force for good. And they are on a mission to create a more healthy, sustainable and equitable world for the generations to come.

Alter Eco Chocolate Bars, 2.65-2.82 oz. Bar, $2.49 (Fair Trade Chocolate/Sustainable Packaging)

Alter Eco is a chocolate company based in San Francisco, CA who launched the world’s first compostable wrappers for their chocolate truffles in 2013 as well as a compostable stand-up pouch for their quinoa in 2016. Fun fact: the truffle wrappers and pouch are made from eucalyptus and birch with non-toxic ink and the pouches have another layer made of non-GMO corn.

Cascadian Farms Frozen Fruit, 8-10 oz. Bag, $3.49 (Organic/Sustainable)

The mission at Cascadian Farms is to create Cascading Change to help protect our planet – because small steps can lead to great impact. Their journey has taken them to the critical foodshed of the Sacramento Valley, CA. They’re partnering with The Nature Conservancy to protect natural resources like wildlife habitat and groundwater to help farms become more resilient. After all, farms encompass more than just the land at our feet – they include a rich ecosystem above and below ground. By supporting Cascadian Farm, you help enable our commitments to projects like these – in this case, helping to build resilience across more than 600 acres, 1 sq ft at a time.

Nature’s Path Eco-Pac Cereals, 26.4-32 oz. Bag, $7.49 (Sustainable/Low Packaging)

In everything they do, they aim to work in harmony with nature – mirroring its patterns and its ancient wisdom. From water and the soil to tiny pollinators and birds, they’re passionate about protecting our planet and leaving this earth better than they found it. Their mission includes addressing organic standards, environmental sustainability, and nourishing communities.

Patagonia Provisions Tinned Seafood, Selected Varieties, 4.2 oz. Tin $3.99 (Sustainable/Responsible Harvesting)

At Patagonia, they believe that everything we eat impacts our home planet. That’s why they make delicious, nutritious foods that help fight the environmental crisis. In 2017, they partnered with several other brands, including Dr. Bronner’s and the Rodale Institute, to establish Regenerative Organic Certified®, the world’s highest-bar organic designation for food and fiber. To be Regenerative Organic Certified, farms must meet stringent standards for soil health, animal welfare and worker fairness. Well over 5 million acres of farmland are now certified around the world.

They build their seafood supply chains from scratch, choosing healthy, abundant fisheries with the help of prominent conservation groups, and they use responsible harvesting practices that leave plenty of fish for the future. In the case of mussels, they’re actually improving marine habitat and water quality. The happy result of our careful work is delicious, nutritious seafood you can feel good about on every level.

Local, Organic Pea Shoots, Sunflower Sprouts or Micro Radishes, Grown by Earthworker Farm in Sebastopol, CA via F.E.E.D. Cooperative, $5.99/ea. LOCAL (Organic/Sustainable)

FEED Cooperative is a food hub network of over 50 North Bay farms, supporting ecologically sustainable practices We are a farmer & employee-owned fresh produce cooperative, building a local food system that empowers our farms, ensuring a future in which they can thrive Supporting FEED is one of the most impactful ways to directly support farms in your North Bay community

Dr. Bronner’s Pure-Castile Liquid Soap Refill, Selected Varieties, 32 oz. Carton, $13.99 (Low Packaging/Sustainable)

Castile soap is a multi-purpose cleaner that is made from vegetable oils and doesn’t contain animal fats. Its composition allows it to safely be used for body and home cleaning. It comes in liquid and bar form and is vegan-friendly. Castile soap originated in the Mediterranean region where many cultures made soap from olive and other vegetable oils. It gets its name from the Castile region of Spain, which was a soapmaking center for centuries. Castile soap contains only vegetable oils – no animal fats – making it vegan, nontoxic, and biodegradable. The soap molecules found in Castile soap have one end that bonds to water and one that repels it. When combined with water, the result is that one end attaches to dirt, grime, and grease and removes it from the surface its applied to. Because of Castile soap’s plant-based ingredients, it’s not corrosive and can be effectively used to clean the body, home, pets, get rid of insects, and much more.

Preston Sauvignon Blanc, 2022 Dry Creek Valley, $15.99+CRV  LOCAL (Organic)

Preston Farm and Winery is a family-operated, organic property in Healdsburg’s Dry Creek Valley. Their 125 acres are nestled between a meandering salmon-spawning stream and a sleepy stretch of former wagon trail leading to town. Under 45 years of stewardship by their family, the land has evolved from an emphasis on wine alone to diversified crops including vineyards, vegetables, fruit and olive trees, grain, and pastured livestock. Their estate winery features a tasting room and farm store. Estate-pressed olive oil, whole grain sourdough loaves, pickles, and produce from the farm are seasonally available for purchase along with the wines.

Gundlach Bundschu Mountain Cuvee, 2021 Sonoma County, $15.99+CRV LOCAL (Certified Regenerative Organic)

For six generations and over 160 years, their family has farmed our Rhinefarm estate vineyard at the crossroads of the Sonoma Valley, Carneros and Napa Valley appellations. Today, they focus on making small lots of ultra-premium wines from our distinctive, historic and Regenerative Organic Certified® (ROC) vineyards.
“ROC has become a framework for us to lean into because it represents fundamentally what we’ve been trying to do here for the last 165 years. You can’t have a family business for six generations and not function sustainably,” -Jeff Bundschu, President and CEO

La Crema Rosé, 2022 Monterey, $13.99+CRV LOCAL (Sustainable Business Practices)

Why intervene with something that already has its own rhythm? Or, to say it in the more popular, colloquial phrase, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  That is what nature-based winegrowing is. At La Crema, part of Jackson Family Wines, they look at what nature already does to support the growth of plants and then recreate it with eco-friendly protocols focused on Biodiversity, Land Preservation, and Regenerative Farming.

Oliver’s Commitment to Sustainable Business Practices

Oliver’s became Sonoma County’s first certified Green grocery store in 2011, with the Business Office, Cotati store and Montecito store completing the program. The Stony Point store was added in 2014 and then all were recertified in 2016, including the newly opened Windsor store.

As part of the 2021 renewal, a comprehensive Oliver’s Market Sustainability Policy was adopted, which includes goals and guidelines designed to increase the company’s positive impact on the environment and community in the following areas:

1. Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (purchasing that considers all aspects of the below categories)
2. Energy Conservation (use less energy be efficient with energy used)
3. Water Conservation (use less water be efficient with water used)
4. Zero Waste (eliminate, reduce, divert, reuse, repurpose, donate – then recycle/compost)
5. Transportation (improve ways to reduce fleet’s, operations’, employees’ & visitors’ carbon footprint)
6. Toxics Reduction (reduce the number of toxics we generate)
7. Wastewater Pollution Prevention (eliminate wastewater pollution)
8. Employee Education (educate employees on all aspects of this Sustainability Policy)
9. Employee Wellness, Equity, Inclusion (caring for employees by creating environment where everyone is treated fairly and thrives)
10. Community Leadership & Engagement (going above and beyond and engaging community)

Oliver’s Market is fortunate to have a full-time Sustainability Coordinator, Annie Sherman, to oversee these programs and monitor our progress in these critical areas.

Think Globally, Act Locally

In addition to our operational commitments to sustainability, as a locally owned and operated company selling as many locally produced products as possible, we reduce our carbon footprint and improve our supply chain while creating more local jobs and more dollars in our tax base than a national company. We have commissioned several studies on this topic with economist Dr. Robert Eyler, which lay out the many benefits of shopping locally and buying locally made products. Read more HERE.

As you think about Earth Day this year, we hope you will give one of these eco-conscious products a try and consider small ways you can help support our dear Mother Earth. Happy Earth Day!