Littleton Food Co-op

a community-owned market

Producer Spotlight: Bonilla Bread

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Producer: High Points Bakery – Bonilla Bread

Location: Bethlehem, NH

Found at the Littleton Co-op: quick breads, dessert breads, sourdough bread

Website: bonillabread.com

For one local bakery, the keys to success were: bananas, Bethlehem, and Bonillas. Casey Bonilla grew up with a passion for baking learned from days spent in the kitchen with her grandmother. As an adult, she never saw baking as anything more than a small seasonal venture. However, after she baked a batch of banana bread for a school fundraiser, the Bethlehem, NH community demanded year-round prolific access to her products. She started Bonilla Bread with classic dessert breads, but has since expanded to include quick breads, sourdough loaves, and baked goods to markets, stores, and restaurants across the North Country. With the expansion came more room for Casey’s family of seven to get involved! As she joked to the Littleton Chamber of Commerce, “[My daughter] just bought me a binder and gave me the assignment to organize all of my scraps of paper covered with recipes and notes. I’m supposed to have it all ready before she comes home for the summer.”

The Bonilla family is currently constructing their own “Little Bread Barn” in Bethlehem to have a dedicated space to fulfill the orders of their growing customer base. In the distant future, Casey dreams of a commercial bakery that provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Popzup Popcorn

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Producer: Popzup Popcorn

Location: Somersworth, NH

Found at the Littleton Co-op: ready-to-eat popcorn

Website: popzup.com

What’s more to popcorn than corn kernels? If you do it like Popzup, there’s a lot more thought behind it, without adding unnecessary ingredients. Wife and husband duo Julie and Marty Lapham were no strangers to entrepreneurship or the packaged food business when they founded Popzup in 2016. But after their children were grown and they had fallen into long-tenured careers, the duo decided it was time to start their next food business. They noticed that the popcorn on the market, often thought of as a simple snack, was filled with unnecessary oils and chemicals, and left a wasteful carbon footprint. Their mission was to create a popcorn that was antithetical to what was out there – not to mention tasted good. As Julie told Foster’s Daily Democrat, “As a popcorn company we consider ourselves accountable for everything we do, for our carbon footprint, our packaging (recyclable) and of course our products which are made using only fresh ingredients.” Popzup quickly grew from selling compostable microwave popcorn boxes at farmers markets to selling seasoning mixes and ready-to-eat bags with said seasonings at over 2,000 retailers nationwide. 

From their experiences working in the local food system (Julie used to manage multiple NH farmers’ markets!) the Laphams knew the importance of uplifting other local producers on your way up. Popzup continues to be made from locally grown corn, and seasoned with local butter, maple syrup, and cheese.

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Meadowstone Farm

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Producer: Meadowstone Farm

Location: Bethlehem, NH

Found at the Littleton Co-op: Produce, meat, and eggs

Website: meadowstonenh.com

It’s more than Meadowstone Farm’s proximity to the Littleton Co-op that sets it apart; although, the mere 2.1 mile drive makes it our “most local” farm. The first farming on the land known as Meadowstone Farm was dairy farming in the mid-1800’s through the 1970’s. The modern iteration of the land began in 2003 when it was purchased by current owners Tim Weinrich and Jess Griffiths. Teachers by trade, they transitioned to farm owners; however, they integrated their “past lives” by opening a private school, Woodland School, on the farm property. Tim’s original vision for the farm was to focus on compost, so as to have the widest impact on the local food system. In the early 2000s there were fewer major outlets for local farm-fresh food, and the community convinced Tim of the need to offer the North Country good food. On the same ethos of his original compost vision, Meadowstone continues offering seeds, plants, compost, training, home garden support, donations, and more to foster increased regional food independence. In Tim’s words, “It would be wonderful if Meadowstone Farm worked itself out of its current business because all of its customers produced what they needed.”

Meadowstone Farm was previously certified organic, but dropped its organic certificate in 2008. However, the change had nothing to do with a shift in the farm’s own standards and practices. Meadowstone opted out organic certification as a statement against, as they see it, a dilution of the organic standards by “big business agriculture,” and a focus on only eliminating certain ingredients, rather than a focus on making positive improvements. They continue to uphold their own “Beyond Organic” standards and prefer to be accountable to the community and their customers, rather than a certifying agency. Read more about the story behind “Beyond Organic” here.

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Cherry Orchard Foods

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Producer: Cherry Orchard Foods

Location: Madison, NC

Found at the Littleton Co-op: dip mixes, slushie mixes, rubs and seasonings

Website: cherryorchardfoods.com

As Cherry Orchard Foods co-founder John Arnold tells the story, his life went from constructing kitchens to constructing within the kitchen. Prior to construction, John served four years in the US Navy and six years in the US Army. Upon returning home, he began his own seasonal construction business. Finding himself with unexpected downtime in the off season, he began experimenting with recipes in his own kitchen. Soon, his unassuming hobby turned into over a dozen dip mix recipes. John continued to explore opportunities in the food and restaurant industries until he ultimately realized he wanted to share his home-crafted dips with the world. Partnering with his son, Craig Arnold, he opened Cedar Hill Gourmet Pantry in 2009. In 2013 the duo purchased Cherry Orchard Foods to become the manufacturing and wholesale business arm of their venture. Since then, they have expanded to over 55 dip mixes, a line of food mixes – Farm House Foods – and a business opportunity program for entrepreneurs to use their products to start independent businesses. 

Even through their continued rapid expansion, the Arnold family remains at the heart of Cherry Orchard Foods. All of their products are still developed, mixed, packaged, and labeled by hand for maximum quality. 

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Attwood Farm and Kitchen

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Producer: Attwood Farm and Kitchen

Location: Poland, ME

Found at the Littleton Co-op: Salsas

Website: attwoodfarmofmaine.com

Uniquely flavored salsas is just one of the things coming out of Atwood Farm Kitchen in Poland, Maine. Atwood Farm is a diversified livestock and vegetable farm with an apple orchard that supports the on-site licensed home kitchen. The farm dates back to 1796 – before Maine had seceded from Massachusetts! It was homesteaded by the Attwood family starting in 1810; in 1827, the Attwoods officially purchased the land for $35.50. It is now owned and operated by Charley and Shelia Foy, who kept the Attwood Farm name to pay homage to the land’s original stewards. Both Charley and Shelia are US Army Veterans. Charley was a lieutenant colonel in the US Army Reserve, and recently joined his unit, the 399th Combat Support Hospital, in providing medical support against COVID-19 in 2020. Shelia served 23 years in the military and serves in the Maine Army National Guard alongside her farming duties. 

They are dedicated to raising all the animals in a natural and sustainable fashion with the strictest attention to animal health and comfort. Charley and Shelia have also taken on a new venture, Poland Provisions, to further support the local central Maine food ecosystem.

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: 14th Star Brewing Co.

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Producer: 14th Star Brewing Co.

Location: St. Albans, VT

Found at the Littleton Co-op: Maple Breakfast Stout

Website: 14thstarbrewing.com

Many entrepreneurs have stories of their ideas starting on cocktail napkins or scraps of paper; a burst of inspiration that needed to be written down at the kitchen counter, at the bar, or wherever they happened to be at that time. For Steve Gagner and Matt Kehaya, the idea went on the back of a notebook on the battlefields of Afghanistan. While on their second deployment together, the longtime friends used downtime to plan for life after the military, ultimately recognizing the community that is created around beer, and the relaxing atmosphere it can create to balance the pressures of military life. While 14th Star Brewing takes its name from Vermont – playing on the state being the 14th to join the Union– it gives back locally tenfold. Since the beginning it was never just about beer. The co-founders say “we wanted to ensure the brewery is used as a mechanism to make our communities a better place. Not just our local community, but our veterans communities.” 

When co-founder Steve began homebrewing, he was simply trying to copy existing craft brews he admired. Fast-forward and now not only is he a Vermont Small Business Person of the Year award winner, 14th Star Brewing Co. is producing world-class, worldwide recognized craft beer worth copying by the next up-and-comer. 

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Able Ebenezer Brewing Company

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Producer: Able Ebenezer Brewing Company

Location: Merrimack, NH

Found at the Littleton Co-op: beer

Website: ableebenezer.com

Able Ebenezer was founded in 2014 by Army Veterans and friends Carl Soderberg and Mike Frizzelle. The duo found that in addition to having shared military experiences, they had both discovered their love of craft beer during their service. Carl started his life after the military at a biopharmaceutical manufacturing company in Cambridge, and Mike returned to his home state of California. Before long, though, Carl decided to pursue his actual passion of brewing – to no avail. After facing many rejections from brewing positions at established breweries, all the while perfecting his homebrewing, he convinced Mike to pack up, relocate, and open a brewery. While it was a big leap to make, Mike attributes their quick to action style to their time in the military, saying “the quickest way to get kicked out of the program is to be indecisive. You could make a mistake, as long as you made a choice and took action.” Their scrappy budget and head first attitude led to them doing many of the construction, plumbing, and design themselves. The name Able Ebenezer came as a tribute to NH Veteran Ebenezer Mudgett and the Pine Tree Riots of 1772 in Weare, NH he inspired that ultimately contributed to the Boston Tea Party and American Revolution.

The historical theme continues throughout the brews, including their flagship beers Burn The Ships and Victory Nor Defeat. As Carl told New Hampshire Magazine, “”Only one of us is actually from New Hampshire, so it was a big step for the rest of us to ‘burn our ships’ to come here and attempt to start a business.” Now, they find community in the rest of the NH craft beer scene, and accolades from the Small Business Association to countless voters’ choice polls.

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Lucky Pigeon Brewing Co.

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Producer: Lucky Pigeon Brewing Co.

Location: Biddeford, ME

Found at the Littleton Co-op: gluten-free beer

Website: luckypigeonbrewing.com

Pride Month is an annual month-long celebration to recognize and uplift the cultural contributions made by those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and other marginalized gender and sexual identities (LGBTQ+). Pride is celebrated in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a 1969 anit-LGBTQ police raid of a New York bar recognized as a major turning point in the fight for gay rights. The phrase “gay pride” is said to come from activist Craig Schoonmaker, saying “I authored the word ‘pride’ for gay pride … [my] first thought was ‘Gay Power.’ I didn’t like that, so proposed gay pride. There’s very little chance for people in the world to have power. People did not have power then; even now, we only have some. But anyone can have pride in themselves, and that would make them happier as people, and produce the movement likely to produce change.” As a community-owned co-op championing an ethos of “Everyone Welcome,” the Littleton Food Co-op supports our local LGBTQ+ populations and is happy to recognize relevant producers from our store during Pride Month. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.

How does a pigeon drink beer? It reaches for Lucky Pigeon Brewing Co. from Biddeford, ME., especially if it is gluten-free. Bev Pigeon and her wife Kathleen “Pidge” Pigeon along with two cofounders started Lucky Pigeon. Pidge started homebrewing in 2010 and wanted to continue even after transitioning gluten out of her diet. She felt isolated in social and familial situations not being able to have a drink alongside others at traditional breweries and felt inspired to change that. As Maine’s first dedicated gluten-free brewery, Lucky Pigeon only uses naturally gluten-free grains for brewing like millet, buckwheat, gluten-free oats, rice, and corn. All the grains start their journey at dedicated gluten-free malting facilities. This is far and above the steps taken by “gluten-reduced” beers that try to remove gluten after the brewing process, making them not safe for those with Celiac disease. Continuing with the bird theme, most of their beers have ornithological connections – although not all pigeon specific. 

While sticking to their gluten-free ingredients list, Lucky Pigeon continues to emphasize that the goal is to make beer that everyone can drink. Pidge and Bev both take great satisfaction in seeing the joy on faces of gluten-free drinkers and gluten-tolerant drinkers alike – many of whom do not taste a difference.

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Pip’s Heirloom Snacks

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Producer: Pip’s Heirloom Snacks

Location: Bethlehem, PA

Found at the Littleton Co-op: corn dippers and fries

Website: pipsnacks.com

Pride Month is an annual month-long celebration to recognize and uplift the cultural contributions made by those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and other marginalized gender and sexual identities (LGBTQ+). Pride is celebrated in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a 1969 anit-LGBTQ police raid of a New York bar recognized as a major turning point in the fight for gay rights. The phrase “gay pride” is said to come from activist Craig Schoonmaker, saying “I authored the word ‘pride’ for gay pride … [my] first thought was ‘Gay Power.’ I didn’t like that, so proposed gay pride. There’s very little chance for people in the world to have power. People did not have power then; even now, we only have some. But anyone can have pride in themselves, and that would make them happier as people, and produce the movement likely to produce change.” As a community-owned co-op championing an ethos of “Everyone Welcome,” the Littleton Food Co-op supports our local LGBTQ+ populations and is happy to recognize relevant producers from our store during Pride Month. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.

Pip’s (formerly Pipcorn) was founded by trio Jen, Jeff, and Teresa with just $3,000 in capital and a restrictive diet. Cofounder Jen was living with many dietary restrictions which made popcorn inaccessible to her. While working at a health food store in Chicago she was introduced by a farmer to an heirloom corn kernel with a thinner shell – and a better, in her opinion, taste. Heirloom corn has no genetic modification or hybridization and gets its flavor through open pollination. She recruited her brother Jeff and his wife Teresa, both in the CPG field, through a simple taste test. With very little start-up money, Pipcorn began as a direct to consumer product packaged in brown paper bags and handstamped with an ink logo by the founders themselves. Their business catapulted when it made Oprah Winfrey’s list of Favorite Things in 2012, followed by an appearance on the tv show Shark Tank in 2014. They signed a deal with “shark” Barbara Corcoran; the day of the airing brought them more sales than the previous 12 months. 

In the founders’ words: “We are Black, we are White, we are Chinese and we are Queer. The world we operate in isn’t made for us. We don’t look like most of the people we sit in meetings with. Frankly, we weren’t supposed to make it this far, yet we are here—primarily due to extraordinarily hard work. We aren’t talking about the hard work we’ve put in, but the hard work of our parents and their parents and their communities and the generations who came before us. People who, in the face of adversity and discrimination, kept going in the hopes of equality and a better future..” 

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: GT’s Living Food

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Producer: GT’s Living Food

Location: Beverly Hills, CA

Found at the Littleton Co-op: kombucha and probiotic yogurt

Website: gtslivingfoods.com

Pride Month is an annual month-long celebration to recognize and uplift the cultural contributions made by those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and other marginalized gender and sexual identities (LGBTQ+). Pride is celebrated in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, a 1969 anit-LGBTQ police raid of a New York bar recognized as a major turning point in the fight for gay rights. The phrase “gay pride” is said to come from activist Craig Schoonmaker, saying “I authored the word ‘pride’ for gay pride … [my] first thought was ‘Gay Power.’ I didn’t like that, so proposed gay pride. There’s very little chance for people in the world to have power. People did not have power then; even now, we only have some. But anyone can have pride in themselves, and that would make them happier as people, and produce the movement likely to produce change.” As a community-owned co-op championing an ethos of “Everyone Welcome,” the Littleton Food Co-op supports our local LGBTQ+ populations and is happy to recognize relevant producers from our store during Pride Month. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.

The story of GT’s Living Foods starts in a place of family tragedy and adversity before triumphing in unimaginable ways. At age fourteen, GT Dave (George Thomas)’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and found solace in the family’s homebrewed kombucha. His family had a reverence for the power of food for whole-body wellness and healing akin to that in Eastern cultures. After witnessing his mother’s journey, he followed his family’s values and recipes to start bottling his own kombucha at age 15. His Original (Classic) flavor is the first known kombucha to be on grocery store shelves in 1995. While his product was quickly gaining notoriety, GT Dave struggled internally with his identity. After coming out as gay at 13, he was met with little acceptance by his peers and even dropped out of high school because of it. So when he started his business shortly thereafter, “for the first 90% of my career I wasn’t out.” However, he ultimately decided around 2015 to publicly come out as gay to share his full life experience with others. 

While GT Dave didn’t have a LGBTQ mentor to look to growing up, he is excited to be one to others now. In addition to his company’s donations to non-profits and the previous Synergy Scholarship for LGBTQ+ youth, GT Dave works towards inclusion by urging other brands to make sure their LGBTQ+ employees are not only siloed to one stereotypical role. “Make sure it’s clear that there’s not just one role this community can exist in.” The role he currently occupies: CEO of the world’s number one selling kombucha brand. 

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.









Upcoming Events

 

Meet and Greet the Artist: Dylan Young

Meet and Greet the Artist: Dylan Young

Come meet the July/Aug featured Co-op Gallery Artist Dylan Young in an intimate reception on Saturday, August 22nd from 1-3PM
Senior Member Discount Day

Senior Member Discount Day

Senior Member Discount Day is on the 5th!
Senior Member Discount Day

Senior Member Discount Day

Senior Member Discount Day is on the 5th!

View more events here!

 

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