Pioneer in NJ history of Natural Foods and Organic Produce #GardenCuizine @SouthJerseyMag @EatRight_NJ

South Jersey Pioneer Woman in history of Organic Produce

The recent news of my sister and nephew taking jobs in a company selling organic produce is heartwarming. Our mother, in heaven must be smiling! The late Junetta S. Mehl and I were leaders in bringing organic produce to South Jersey. 

The demand for Organic produce appears strong. Even with the higher costs and inflation related to the pandemic.

Now, having worked for over 10 years in each career, my journey from business owner to Registered Dietitian Nutritionist feels like it has come full circle! My business Garden of Eden Natural Foods and Country Kitchen, Inc. was among the first places in South Jersey where the community could buy a variety of organically grown produce. 

We sold all kinds of organic fruits and vegetables from organic kale to organic carrots. Organic carrots were a popular feature in fresh squeezed organic carrot juice at our juice bar. Customers in the Garden's 60-seat restaurant loved the 100% pure fruit smoothies!

I remember the days driving to Kennett Square to Albert's Organics to pick up cases and 50 lb bags of organic produce. I would take my dog Aspen on the drive too. Those were the days!

Upon arrival to Albert's, sometimes I'd have a chance to chat with Albert and his wife, Claris. They were from LA. He opened Albert's in 1980. This was back in the day before Whole Foods opened in Marlton, NJ. Albert's Organics grew into the largest wholesale distributor in the US.

In 1987, Garden of Eden was the hub for everything natural and organic. During the 1980's demand for natural and organic foods was rapidly growing. So was the explosion of technology. The Internet was born around 1983!

When Whole Foods did arrive in town, they started out as Fresh Fields. Natural Foods sales became big business. According to Natural Foods Merchandiser (The Evolution of an Industry), natural foods sales in the US grew from 1,900 million in 1980 to 4,640 million in 1991. 

Related Links

Growing Organic Demand

Photographs and blog post Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved. Portrait photo of Diana Wind (C) Harry Wind. All rights reserved.

First Christmas without Mom #RIPmom

Best Wishes for safe, happy and Healthy Holidays!

Well, I was able to continue our family tradition without mom and prepared and baked her Italian lasagna last night for our Christmas dinner. Harry made a delicious side salad full of fresh Romaine and Arugula. We used Christmas plates and ate at the kitchen table instead of the dining room. We have plenty of leftover lasagna to freeze for future meals and memories. 

RIP mom, we miss you every day; we especially did yesterday, Christmas day.

Peace to all of us blessed with life and prayers for strength to those of us who have no choice but to move forward without our loved ones. I sure look forward to the hope that 2021 brings.

My photo above was taken on an outing with Harry in the NJ Pinelands as we tried to find Webb's Mill Creek. We never did find it! But found Pinelands beauty on the journey.

Photo and blog post Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Photo of our last Dahlia (Show 'n Tell) and hot Peppers of 2020! #GardenCuizine

Hope you all had a healthy and Happy Thanksgiving! We had a quiet, but safe one. It felt great to spend time cooking and baking. Of course, we missed mom terribly. She was still with us this time last year. She loved the holiday season. She especially loved my homemade pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert!!

Just thought I'd share a photo of our last harvest of 2020 (see above). We're still savoring the peppers and tomatillos! I'm headed out to the garden today to pick some rosemary if it is still alive. What's still growing in your garden?

Photo Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.

Social Distancing between me and Mom...Really? @GovMurphy NJ Nursing Homes need testing of visitors too

 

Our Heartbreak Continues

We Love You Mom, Grandma, 

Aunt June, Sister, Best Friend

My dear mother has been lying alone without family by her side during this COVID19 pandemic (108 days, but who's counting!). She has only been able to hear my voice once since March 5th. and that was when I was able to get by her bedside at an emergency doctor visit. 

Our attempt for a virtual visit failed. The staff couldn't get her attention to look at the camera - she is extremely hard of hearing and didn't hear a word I said. Mom isn't a good candidate for virtual visits. Although, we are going to try again this afternoon. It failed again because she was sleeping through it.

Today, NJ nursing homes were allowed to reopen. Yay! Thank you Governor Phil Murphy. Nursing Homes, like other business, are required to follow strict rules for COVID19 precautions. 

One rule that I'm struggling with in particular is the fact that we will have to socially distance and stand six feet away from her. Six feet from Mom? Really? You're kidding right? She is practically deaf. Plus, after all this time isolating her from us, she has become lethargic and is now sleeping most of the time.

This is happening across the country as families struggle to cope and deal with having loved one(s) in a nursing home. Reopening with the rule of keeping family six feet apart seems cruel and unfair; especially to those with dementia and/or whom are deaf or have poor vision and eyesight or are bedridden. Our seniors need their loving family up close and safely by their side now before they die.

In my opinion, we can all still keep safe during outdoor visits with masks on. If the visitors could be tested on the spot, wouldn't that eliminate the need for a social distancing policy? Testing, testing, testing can solve so many COVID19-related problems. 

Thank you nursing home healthcare workers. 

Related Links
When will it end? 
COVID19 NJ updates

Photo and blog post Copyright (C)Wind. All rights reserved.