Blog: Everything
As part of our annual company objectives, each EVOL employee is required to spend time performing community service.
Christian & Ryan from EVOL with Lindsay from the School Food Project at University Hill Elementary in Boulder
We partnered with the GROWE Foundation a few years ago, and we have been proud to help them achieve their goals of educating children about food, eating and the environment through the execution of experiential learning programs built around the installation and maintenance of on-site gardens at schools. When the folks from GROWE asked us to help the School Food Project participate in Rainbow Days, a program in which schools harvest lettuce from their own school gardens, serve them in cafeterias, and encourage children to eat at least three different colored vegetables during lunchtime, we jumped at the chance.
The school gardens grow all different species and colors of lettuce - not the standard commodity stuff that comes out of a bag from a distributor
Myself and a couple of team members from the Ops Dept headed to to University Hill Elementary where we helped cafeteria cooks and the School Food Project staff encourage and serve lettuce to the kids. It was so inspiring! The kids were really into it and to be honest, getting them to eat veggies didn’t take much encouragement! Their salad bar is beautiful, and I couldn’t help but think back to what it was like growing up on that crap prison food in the LA Unified School District in the ’80′s when I was a kid. What a difference! We never had fresh vegetables like that – and the concept of the greens having come from a on-site school garden would have been laughable at the time.
All BVSD Schools have salad bars at their cafeterias
There’s still a long way to go on solving the national school lunch program, but watching little kids interact with a salad bar stocked with lettuce that they proudly grew themselves is a step in the right direction.
All BVSD schools use locally produced organic milk from Organic Valley - Yay!
The beautiful Jaca Ranch outside of Boise, ID
Where do I start – the beautiful landscape of a family owned farm, the passionate discussion about sustainability, the amazing chef created meals, or the rocking 80′s band? This past weekend I got the privilege of attending the Niman Ranch retreat in Boise, ID along with several other members of our EVOL team. It was a great chance to get to know one of our key suppliers, and we liked what we found.
The EVOL crew with the 5th generation farmer of the Jaca Family!
Niman Ranch is a co-op of over 700 family farms and they have high standards for their animals. The animals are never given antibiotics, growth hormones, or fed animal by-products, but we also found that the cows spend most of their lives grazing on open pasture and they are truly treated in a humane way. My favorite part of the whole weekend was getting a chance to talk directly to the farmer. The family is made up of 4th, 5th, and 6th generation (some pretty cute kids) farmers who truly care for the land and their animals. An interesting moment came when they were asked how their farm was sustainable, and the crowd of city slickers were confused when the family only responded by talking about their economic ability to last 6 generations. The fact is that they have to care for the land and their animals to be able to survive 6 generations, however, they are more proud that they have been able to thrive during the ups and downs of the commodity beef market. They had always had a quality product, but partnering with Niman Ranch has allowed them to reap the rewards for the extra care and effort they put into raising their cows. Visiting the farm was a great insight into how choosing quality ingredient partners is better for everybody – the farmers, the land, and the taste of our products.
The view from the Jacas family house. This is where the cattle graze in the Summer.
We also got to attend an insightful conference on Saturday where we passionately tried to define sustainability (not an easy task, but the definition I liked the most was, “sustainable means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. We were also treated to a lunch that was created by local chefs using Niman products, and ended the night rocking out to a memorable 80′s cover band.
The delicious lunch prepared by the local chefs.
The weekend made me proud to say we use Niman Ranch products, and gave me a deeper gratitude for the care and hard work that goes into our ingredients.
For years I have wanted to visit the Salumi Artisinal Cured Meat Shop in Seattle, co-founded by Armandino Batali – celebrity chef Mario Batali’s father. I have read about this place in a variety of foodie mags and finally had the priveledge of visiting the shop on a business trip to Seattle.
The mixed Salami Platter and Porchetta Sandwich at Salumi in Seattle
We got lucky as we arrived on Gnochi day – this is the day where Grandma sits in the windowsill hand-making beautiful gnochi as the line out the door grows for hungry customers waiting to enjoy a special lunch.
Grandma takes a break from making gnocchi to speak with a customer at Salumi in Seattle
We enjoyed a platter of salami as well as a Porchetta Sandwich (slow cooked roasted pork with spices, onions, and peppers). The salami was absolutely the best I have ever had. The slices were thin and chewy – perfectly cured and flavored with unique spices. One of the salami’s had ginger and cardamom in it – it was delicious! They had such an incredible selection of different types of autnentic Italian Meats such as Guanciale (cured pork jowel) and lamb prosciuto.
If you ever find yourself in Seattle, get yourself to Salumi’s – it is an incredible eating experience that is rarely found these days.
Last week EVOL celebrated a very special holiday very near and dear to our hearts. I am talking about Mom (and it’s not Mother’s Day). It’s the holiday where we celebrate the Mom that gives us air to breathe, the shade of trees and the beautiful scenery that we get to see everyday from our offices. That’s right, we celebrated Mother Earth last Friday as our corporate office got together to plant trees and shrubberies in celebration of Earth Day!
EVOL Earth Day Volunteer Project
We gathered our team for a quick picnic in the park down the street from our offices and then geared up to go to Walden Ponds, a recreation area where seniors can cast a line and enjoy the beautiful scenery in Boulder. We worked with the Boulder County Parks and Open Space department to help create new habitats for songbirds, waterfowl and small mammals as well as help beautify the area and provide shade for the fish and fishermen alike. I mean if a few trees can do all of that, then why not help out?
We evol Mother Earth
When we arrived, the team at Boulder County Parks and Open Space thought there was just too much to do, in too little time. They quickly learned the work ethic of an EVOL employee, and our team was able plant over 88 trees and shrubs of at least 5 different species. It was no easy task, and we had to get dirty, very very dirty- but, we finished the project ahead of schedule and gained the satisfaction of contributing to our community and our planet.
Our CEO Tom pitching in
I walked away with dirt in almost every crevice of my body, a nice scrape from a tumble down the hill and a sunburned neck, but I have to say, I was extremely proud of my fellow EVOL employees and to be a part of a team that values community service and doing good for our environment. And even if I had to get a manicure this weekend to get all the dirt out of my fingernails, I am glad that I was able to give a little back to my Mother Earth who gives so much to me.
Stephanie Winslow
Assistant Brand Manager
EVOL Foods
That's me in the wheelbarrow. Working hard and having fun!
I have been officially making burritos (and other foods) as Phil’s Fresh Foods, for exactly 10 years. I just dug up my first invoice to the Eldorado Corner Market from 1/29/2002 for just over $50. Ahhh, the good old days. Those products were made in my 1906 Eldorado Springs Cabin on a crappy gas fired stove at 5am while my girlfriend (now wife) slept on our futon in the same room next to the wood fired stove – how romantic!
The 1906 Eldorado Springs Cabin, where the first Burritos were made
The labels were made on an old HP printer using the Jokerman font. The product was delivered in coolers with icepacks in my Grandma’s old Toyota Camry.
Of course or food safety program was a little different in those days. That original Green Chile Breakfast Burrito had big hunks of pork in it and was braised in a cast iron skillet and stirred with a wooden spoon. There was no USDA stamp or even an understanding of who the USDA was, but who cared? The cops at PDQ gas station on Table Mesa loved that product. They freaked out when the USDA shut me down (after a local competitor turned me in) and I had to pull the meat from the burritos because I wasn’t inspected by the USDA.
Oh the memories…. Which was the best? Was it the after hour kinkos sessions in the middle of the night when my buddy and I stayed up designing old Phil’s Fresh Foods packaging artwork? Was it my original delivery driver who looked just like ZZ Top and lived on land in Rollinsville without any running water or electricity ? Was it my original office next to Boulder Toyota where I kept my sleeping bag for the numerous all nighters that were pulled? Was it the time the refrigerated van was stollen off the dock at the West Colfax Vitamin Cottage by a male prostitute (I had to go testify against him in court once they caught him)? Ahhh, the glory days…
Thank you to all who supported helping to fulfill my original dream of climbing in Eldorado Canyon every day. Wait, that didn’t happen….
Thank you to all for helping to fulfill my v2 dream of creating a super-rad company, of building community and relationships, family and friends, and a great life and business.